From chintan.backups at gmail.com Mon May 2 09:56:51 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 09:56:51 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Practice of Poetry: Making Peace Possible, Shabnam Virmani's talk, May 5, Pune Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: rakesh ganguli Date: Sun, May 1, 2011 at 11:38 AM Subject: Invitation: Talk by Shabnam in Pune organised by Open Space on Thursday 5th May *Keeping the Peace…* * * *The Practice of Poetry – Making Peace Possible* *A presentation by Shabnam Virmani* *Organised by * *The Centre for Communication and Development Studies, Pune* The communal violence that convulsed Gujarat in 2002 led filmmaker Shabnam Virmani to set off on a series of journeys uncovering diverse meanings and resonances of the 15th century mystic poet Kabir in our contemporary worlds. Today these journeys continue into diverse spaces in Indian society touched by mystic poetry and song. Shabnam will share through songs, video clips and conversations her reflections on poems as agents of social change, the capacity of music and poetry to alter our identities, the importance of unearthing and highlighting multiplicities in cultural traditions and upsetting linear narratives of history, the sacred, the secular and watertight notions of self and the world. *Date: Thursday 5th of May 2011* * * *Time: 6.00 to 8.00pm.* * * *Venue: Moolgaonkar hall (MCCIA), ‘A’ Wing, ICC Towers, Off Senapati Bapat Road, Near Chaturshrungi, Pune.* * * *Entry **FREE** on a first-come-first-served basis* *Shabnam Virmani* is a filmmaker and artist in residence at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore, India. In 2003 she started travelling with folk singers in Malwa, Rajasthan and also Pakistan in a quest for the spiritual and socio-political resonances of the 15th century mystic poet Kabir in our contemporary worlds. Among the tangible outcomes of these journeys were a series of 4 musical documentary films, several music CDs and books of the poetry in translation. Currently she is working on co-creating a web-museum of Kabir poetry & music with folk singer communities in India and developing ideas for taking mystic poetry and folk music to school classrooms. She continues to journey and draw inspiration not only from Kabir, but also other mystic poets of the sub-continent and the oral folk traditions that carry them to us (www.kabirproject.org). Her earlier work consisted of several video and radio programs created in close partnership with grassroots women’s groups in India. She has directed several award-winning documentaries and radio programs in close partnership with grassroots women’s groups in India. In 1990, she co-founded the Drishti Media, Arts and Human Rights collective in Ahmedabad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabnam_Virmani * * *Keeping the Peace* is a lecture series in continuation of Open Space’s efforts to encourage discussion and dialogue on issues that are dividing and polarising society and public opinion. *Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS)* CCDS is a social change resource centre working to strengthen civil society and citizens’ action for social justice, human rights, sustainable development and accountable governance. CCDS’s strength is the innovative use of media and communication to empower civil society with information, analysis, diverse perspectives and alternative messages on issues of social justice. *Open Space* is the youth and civil society outreach initiative of CCDS, which is visualised as a place where young people particularly could unpack their differences and learn to see themselves and the world around them through different lenses. It is a space where youth can understand how differences are manipulated into conflict. Open Space adopts a cultural approach to much of its outreach work using various forms of communication – literature, cinema, theatre, music, publications and Internet – to reach out to citizens. Open Space also uses different outreach strategies and processes such as workshops, public lectures, seminars, trainings and festivals. It has been a lively and vibrant public forum for the last six years in Pune. ** www.infochangeindia.org www.openspaceindia.org *For details contact: Rakesh – 9921090931 or Ujwala Samarth – 020-25457371* From shashidhar at butterfliesindia.org Mon May 2 10:15:29 2011 From: shashidhar at butterfliesindia.org (Shashidhar) Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 10:15:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bin Laden Dead, President Obama Says Message-ID: <002c01cc0883$c2e3aaa0$48aaffe0$@butterfliesindia.org> Full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html? hp WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world, was killed in a firefight with United States forces in Pakistan on Sunday, President Obama announced. In a dramatic late-night appearance in the East Room of the White House, Mr. Obama declared that "justice has been done" as he disclosed that American military and C.I.A. operatives had finally cornered the Al Qaeda leader who had eluded them for nearly a decade and shot him to death at a compound in Pakistan. "For over two decades, Bin Laden has been Al Qaeda's leader and symbol," the president said in a statement carried on television around the world. "The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat Al Qaeda. But his death does not mark the end of our effort." He added: "We must and we will remain vigilant at home and abroad." The death of Mr. Bin Laden is a defining moment in the American-led war on terrorism. What remains to be seen is whether the death of the leader of Al Qaeda galvanizes his followers by turning him into a martyr, or whether it serves as a turning of the page in the war in Afghanistan and gives further impetus to the Obama administration to bring American troops home. The death of Mr. bin Laden came nearly 10 years after Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four American passenger jets and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington and the countryside of Pennsylvania. Late Sunday night, as the president was speaking, cheering crowds gathered outside the gates of the White House shortly before midnight as word of his death began trickling out, waving United States flags, shouting in happiness and chanting "USA! USA!" "This is important news for us, and for the world," said Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93, the airliner that crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside after passengers fought with hijackers. "It cannot ease our pain, or bring back our loved ones. It does bring a measure of comfort that the mastermind of the September 11th tragedy and the face of global terror can no longer spread his evil." Mr. bin Laden escaped from American troops in the mountains of Tora Bora, Afghanistan, back in 2001 and although he was widely believed to be in Pakistan, American intelligence had largely lost his trail for most of the years that followed until picking up a fresh trail last August. Mr. Obama said in his national address on Sunday night that it took months to firm up that information and last week he determined it was clear enough to authorize a secret operation in Pakistan. The forces attacked the compound in what Mr. Obama called a "targeted operation" that left Mr. bin Laden dead. "No Americans were harmed," Mr. Obama said. "They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body." President Obama noted that the operation that killed Mr. Bin Laden was launched with the cooperation of Pakistani officials, but the fact that Mr. Bin Laden killed in an deep inside Pakistan was bound once again to raise questions about just how much Pakistan is willing to work with the United States, since Pakistani officials denied for years that Mr. Bin Laden was in their country. The capture of Mr. Bin Laden comes as relations between the United States and Pakistan have fallen to their lowest point in memory as differences over how to fight al Qaeda linked militants became clearer. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, publicly criticized the Pakistani military two weeks ago for failing to act against extremists allied to al Qaeda who shelter in the Pakistani tribal areas of North Waziristan. The United States has supported the Pakistani military with nearly $20 billion since 9/11 for counter terrorism campaigns but American officials have complained that the Pakistanis were unable to quell the militancy. Last week, the head of the Pakistani army, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani told a Pakistanis that Pakistan had broken the back of terrorism in Pakistan, a statement that was received with high skepticism by American officials. From chintan.backups at gmail.com Mon May 2 11:46:46 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 11:46:46 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A brave new film called I Am Message-ID: >From http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article1980937.ece *Stories no one told you before* By Sudhish Kamath Got an open mind? Make sure you take that with you when you enter the hall to watch Onir's most honest and powerful film till date. Because, when you hear a man still haunted by child abuse confess that he felt the love of his step-father strangely comforting that after a point he used to manipulate their incestual relationship for personal gain, you will need empathy to soak in the complexity of this intricately woven tale of people and identity. Because, when you watch a family of a reformed mujahideen living in Srinagar refer to Delhi as India, you will need the compassion to dig into their tense, military-supervised everyday lives, understand and accept that ideologies have caused irreparable damage between friends. Because, when you see a divorced woman waver around about wanting to know more about her sperm donor but not wanting him around after the delivery, you need to see it as a fleeting moment of confusion, a perfectly normal thing for an anxious mother. Because, when you see a powerful man blackmail a struggler into going on a dinner date with him for purely sexual reasons, you need the perspective to understand that there are very few avenues left for gay men to openly flirt with other men. And because, people are complex. This anthology of short stories — I am Afia, I am Megha, I am Abhimanyu and I am Omar — is a mixed bag. There are loads of issues packed together into every short story apart from the broad common thread of identity and the role of the system in defining boundaries, so much that each story is complicated in its own unique way. If the system prevents a mother from meeting a sperm donor in I am Afia (Nandita Das), the system has caused a permanent rift between best friends in I am Megha (Juhi Chawla), the system is in denial about child abuse in I am Abhimanyu (Sanjay Suri) and the system is the two-faced hypocritical oppressor in I am Omar (Arjun Mathur). The last story is more about Jai (Rahul Bose) than Omar though. Each story, irrespective of the intensity of drama, is treated refreshingly low-key that the dramatic background score actually jars in a couple of places. Despite the extreme nature of the issues explored, nothing is done to shock and awe. With *I am*, Onir has really come of age as a filmmaker with an original voice. And it's a voice that needs to be heard. *I am Afia Megha Abhimanyu Omar* *Genre: *Drama *Director: *Onir *Cast:* Nandita Das, Purab Kohli, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Sanjay Suri, Rahul Bose, Arjun Mathur, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap *Storyline: *A divorcee meets with her sperm donor to have a baby, a Kashmiri Pandit returns home to Srinagar after 20 years, a filmmaker is haunted by child abuse and a gay man is humiliated *Bottomline:* A daring indie film about identity, boundaries, sexuality and societal norms From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon May 2 12:08:29 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 02:38:29 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?INVITATION=3A_Lecture_cum_Demonstration_O?= =?utf-8?q?N_=E2=80=9CReflections_on_a_Variety_of_Original_Musical_Theatre?= =?utf-8?q?_Productions_and_Projects=E2=80=9D=2C_IGNOU=2C_Maidangarhi=2C_N?= =?utf-8?q?ew_Delhi?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CDD6AAAEFCCFB2-AF4-2EA35@Webmail-m116.sysops.aol.com> Dear All,   School of Performing and Visual Arts, IGNOU   Cordially Invites You to a    Lecture cum Demonstration followed by a discussion   On “Reflections on a Variety of Original Musical Theatre Productions and Projects” By Professor Samuel Bernstein A Professional Theatre Person and Professor of English Northeastern University, Boston, USA     Date: May 4, 2011 Time: 11:30 A.M to 1:00 P.M Venue:     Convention Centre, Room No: 3 (G.F) IGNOU, Maidangarhi, New Delhi   -- Dr. Sunil Kumar Professor of Visual Arts Director, School of Performing and Visual Arts IGNOU, New Delhi ABOUT Professor Samuel Bernstein Professor Berntein is a tenured full-professor of English at Northeastern University, Boston, USA where he has taught for fifty years. He has received BA degree from Cornell University and MA and PhD degrees from Brandeis University. His professional academic activities and achievements include as a Fulbright teacher in Belgium, and he has lectured at many venues in the united States and abroad. He has written a book about the merging of realistic and absurdist strains in American Drama. That book is entitled “The Strands Entwined.” In the area of theatre/drama performance, he ad numerous productions and staged readings in Boston and New York. From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon May 2 13:42:08 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 04:12:08 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Festival on Disability and Cinema: May 3rd - June 11th, 2011 at NMML, New Delhi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CDD6B7C403BACC-290-31212@webmail-m079.sysops.aol.com> Dear Friend, I invite you, on behalf of Prof. Mridula Mukherjee, Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, to attend and participate in “Disability and Cinema”, a film festival organised by NMML. The festival is scheduled from May 3rd to June 11th, 2011. We plan to screen one Hindi and one English film per week. As the focus of the festival is on disability, the films being screened explore the concerns and experiences of disabled people. These screenings will present a context for serious engagement with issues of mercy killing, intimacy and sexuality, friendship, gender, etc. and explore their many intersections. While engaging with films as a medium of political and creative expression, we hope to raise critical disability issues. Apart from the fraternity of disability activists, scholars and film enthusiasts, we are also looking forward to the participation of university students, NGO activists and academicians. We would be truly delighted by your participation and look forward to your presence during the festival. The schedule of the programme is given below. Thanks, In charge P&PR Cell NMML DISABILITY AND CINEMA SCREENING OF MOVIES FROM MAY 3rd TO JUNE 11th, 2011 (ALL THE MOVIES WILL BE SCREENED IN THE AUDITORIUM) DATE MOVIE TIMINGS DURATION INTRODUCED BY DISCUSSED BY May 3rd, 2011 DOSTI 10 am 163 mins Mr. JAGDISH KUMAR VIKAS GUPTA May 5th, 2011 MONICA AND DAVID 5 pm 68 mins DR ANITA GHAI MS RUBINA MOHAN May 10th, 2011 SPARSH 10 am 134 mins MR. NARESH KUMAR DR.UMA CHAKRAVARTI May 14th, 2011 SIXTH HAPPINESS 5 pm 98 mins MS DEEPTI SACHDEV DR MEENA GOPAL May 21st, 2011 GUZAARISH 5 pm 127 mins MR SANJEEV SACHDEV DR RACHANA JOHRI *May__ , 2011 MY LEFT FOOT 5 pm 103 mins MS PRAMADA MENON MS MANAVI JALAN May 28th, 2011 IQBAL 5 pm 136 mins DR UPALI CHAKRAVARTI MS POOJA BAKSHI May 31st, 2011 CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD 5 pm 119 mins MR ARUN RAO DR NILIKA MEHROTRA June 7th, 2011 15th PARK AVENUE 5 pm 124 mins DR ARUN DHAR DR RENU ADDLAKHA June 11th, 2011 RAINMAN 5 pm 133 mins DR SHUBHANGI VAIDYA MS JO CHOPRA * Date TBA shortly From chintan.backups at gmail.com Mon May 2 14:59:59 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 14:59:59 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Avarna fellowship for NBT's publishing course, July 2011 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: S. Anand Date: Mon, May 2, 2011 at 2:53 PM Subject: Avarna fellowship for NBT's publishing course, July 2011 *Navayana-Avarna fellowship for NBT Publishing Course, July 2011* * * In 2009, Navayana (www.navayana.org) had sponsored five Dalit and Adivasi candidates for the Edit-Pub diploma course at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, as Avarna fellows. In 2010, Navayana had called for applications from five Dalit/ Adivasi candidates at the National Book Trust’s four-week Training Course in Book Publishing (in English) in New Delhi. However, only one Dalit candidate from Pune, Laxman More, applied, availed the Avarna Scholarship and successfully completed the course. In July 2011, NBT is conducing the annual four-week course in Delhi. Navayana once again seeks to provide fellowships to five dalit/ adivasi students who get selected for the NBT course. The details of the comprehensive course, where the best professionals from the publishing industry teach, are available at this link: http://www.nbtindia.org.in/download/April2010/BookPub/InfoDelhi.pdf. Application: http://www.nbtindia.org.in/download/April2010/BookPub/Application%20Form.pdf *Last date for sending applications: 10 June 2011.* Course dates and timing: 5 July to 31 July 2011. 9.30 a.m to 5 p.m, Monday to Saturday. Venue: Conference Room, NBT 5, Institutional Area, Vasant Kunj, Phase II New Delhi – 110070 http://www.nbtindia.org.in Candidates are to apply *directly to NBT* as instructed on the NBT website (and also in attached PDF on course information). There is no entrance test; any graduate may apply. Navayana shall play no role in the selection of the candidates. Candidates who happen to be Dalit/ Adivasi and are selected by NBT may then apply to Navayana for financial support. Navayana shall pay the course fee (Rs 5,000) for up to five Dalit/ Adivasi candidates. NBT this year is also arranging accommodation for outstation candidates at Rs 3,000 for four weeks. Navayana shall also subsidize this amount. In all, the net value of the Avarna Fellowship shall be Rs 8,000. NBT also has an internship program for promising students from which the selected Avarna fellows could benefit. *Publishing as a Career* Publishing in India is rarely seen as a career option by young people. The publishing industry in India, with an annual output of 85,000 titles in more than 30 languages, has an estimated value of USD 1.2 billion. After the UK and the US, India is the publisher of the largest number of titles in the English language. There’s an array of multinationals and independent, niche publishers who offer exciting and intellectually stimulating careers in the world of books. Unfortunately in India there are few professional publishing courses that offer an insight into the world of publishing. The NBT short-term course is one of the few professionally conducted courses being offered in the country. Alumni from the NBT course have achieved great success in the publishing industry. For instance, the current editorial head of HarperCollins India is a product of this course. Like other private sectors in India, publishing too has been the preserve of the social elite. Dalits and Adivasis hence go unrepresented in this field. For many, this does not even seem to be a career option. Navayana, with the Avarna fellowship, seeks to address this anomaly. Navayana therefore encourages Dalits and Adivasis graduates to proactively apply for this fellowship. There is no age limit. For any further queries, write to avarna at navayana.org Here are a few articles and useful links available on the publishing scene in India: http://www.hindu.com/lr/2009/01/04/stories/2009010450040100.htm The latest issue of Himal South Asia features a focus on the publishing industry in South Asia. See http://himalmag.com/component/magazine/tblcontent/2011/5.html http://aptstudio.com/timesemit/2009/03/18/overview-of-the-indian-publishing-industry/ Go to http://www.thepublisherspost.com/ and browse back issues. If you have any queries, please write to avarna at navayana.org -- S. Anand Publisher Navayana Follow the magical Graphic Book on Ambedkar Navayana Publishing 155, Second Floor (Near DDA Park) Shahpur Jat New Delhi 110049 To reach us follow this hand-drawn map . Landline: +91-11-26494795 Mobile: +91-9971433117 Become a member of the Navayana Book Club . Distributed in South Asia by IPD Alternatives . Buy Navayana titles online at SwB . Democracy in India is only top-dressing on an Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic. —B.R. Ambedkar, in *Thus Spoke Ambedkar, Vol. 1: A Stake in the Nation *. From aliens at dataone.in Mon May 2 21:17:22 2011 From: aliens at dataone.in (Bipin Trivedi) Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 21:17:22 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] OSAMA KILLED Message-ID: <005101cc08e0$3b77df70$b2679e50$@in> At last Osama Bin Laden killed.....however US is solely responsible for his birth and death as terrorists....let us hope for good that it would be end of terror era. He was killed in the Pakistan soil, so was hiding there only and there is no reason to believe that Pak govt/army/ISI was not aware of this. They were fully aware about the Osama location since years and know almost each and every step he is going to take. So, it is once again proved that Pak is the epicenter of terrorism From ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de Mon May 2 21:19:58 2011 From: ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de (Britta Ohm) Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 17:49:58 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] OSAMA KILLED In-Reply-To: <005101cc08e0$3b77df70$b2679e50$@in> References: <005101cc08e0$3b77df70$b2679e50$@in> Message-ID: http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2011/05/02/tariq-ali/who-told-them-where-he-was/ Am 02.05.2011 um 17:47 schrieb Bipin Trivedi: > At last Osama Bin Laden killed.....however US is solely responsible > for his > birth and death as terrorists....let us hope for good that it would > be end > of terror era. He was killed in the Pakistan soil, so was hiding > there only > and there is no reason to believe that Pak govt/army/ISI was not > aware of > this. They were fully aware about the Osama location since years and > know > almost each and every step he is going to take. So, it is once again > proved > that Pak is the epicenter of terrorism > > > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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/> --------------------------------------- Dr. Britta Ohm Institute of Social Anthropology University of Bern Laenggassstr. 49a 3012 Bern Switzerland +41-(0)31-631 8995 (main office) +41-(0)31-631 5373 (direct line) britta.ohm at anthro.unibe.ch Solmsstr. 36 10961 Berlin Germany +49-(0)30-69507155 ohm at zedat.fu-berlin.de From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Tue May 3 04:43:07 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 04:43:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] OSAMA KILLED In-Reply-To: References: <005101cc08e0$3b77df70$b2679e50$@in> Message-ID: On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 9:19 PM, Britta Ohm wrote: > http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2011/05/02/tariq-ali/who-told-them-where-he-was/ > The analysis here: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24587 and the other ones at http://www.globalresearch.ca are far more realistic and sane. The stories in mainstream media have been planted for 'Obama bin laden'. Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From rohitrellan at aol.in Tue May 3 11:25:44 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 03 May 2011 01:55:44 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Film Show at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi Message-ID: <8CDD76DE01FF567-22CC-1C922@webmail-m126.sysops.aol.com> Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi Cordially invites you to attend Film show on May 05, 2011 The Impressionist: Manet © Seventh Art Production 24.00 Mins. The Paintings of India: The delicate beauty of miniature © Doordarshan 30.00 Mins. May 19, 2011 The Impressionist Gauguin © Seventh Art Production 24.00 Mins. The Paintings of India: Murals of Rajasthan © Doordarshan 30.00 Mins at 6.00 p.m. at Kaustubh Auditorium Lalit Kala Akademi, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi RSVP: 011-23009200 From javedmasoo at gmail.com Tue May 3 21:07:29 2011 From: javedmasoo at gmail.com (Javed) Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 21:07:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Today Is Not a Day of Celebration for Me Message-ID: Today Is Not a Day of Celebration for Me Kristen Breitweiser When my husband was killed on the morning of 9/11, television stations around the world ran split-screen video. They showed the buildings still burning juxtaposed against young Arabs celebrating in the streets. That disturbing vision left me incredulous; it was forever emblazoned on my psyche. Ten years later, now fully awake in the bright sunlight of the day, when I contemplate the definition of victory for our country when it comes to the death of Osama bin Laden, I can only think about the damage that has been done. I think about the thousands of lives lost -- American, Afghani, Iraqi. I know firsthand the sorrow those families have felt. I ponder how the billions -- maybe trillions -- of dollars could have been better spent. I remain alarmed about the continued expansion of absolute Executive power in the name of fighting this seemingly ongoing and never-ending "war on terror." I worry about the further erosion of our constitutional rights. I wonder when our troops will ever be called home. I know all too well, that thousands of young American men and women soldiers will never have the opportunity to return home. And of course, I fear reprisal. But more than anything, I cannot seem to remove the optics of the giddy, gleeful throngs of Americans who took to the streets celebrating in the early morning hours. Forgive me, but I don't want to watch uncorked champagne spill onto hallowed ground where thousands were murdered in cold blood. And I don't want to see any ugly blood stained sheets as proof of death or justice. Nor do I want to think about bullet-ridden corpses being dumped into the sea. And it breaks my heart to witness young Americans cheer any death -- even the death of a horrible, evil, murderous person -- like it is some raucous tailgate party on a college campus. Why are we not somber? Where is the deeper, more meaningful reflection? Haven't we learned any lessons in ten years? Paid any attention along the way? Gained any valuable wisdom? Are we really better off? Can it ever be a true victory when so many don't even seem to comprehend the magnitude of what has been lost along the way? Or even what the future might hold? Was it all worth it? As my phone rings and the media looks toward me to give them their trite, warm soundbite of closure and elation, I have to be honest, today is not a day of celebration for me. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-breitweiser/today-is-not-a-day-of-cel_b_856535.html From rohitrellan at aol.in Tue May 3 21:57:32 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 03 May 2011 12:27:32 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] JAAGA MEDIA CENTER: Fellowship & Workshop Calls In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CDD7C6237B57D7-15B8-1C4FA@webmail-d051.sysops.aol.com> Dear Jaaga Folks, We are proud to launch the Jaaga Media Center. Clemence Barret and I will be driving this very important component of Jaaga forward in the months to come. The Jaaga Media Center helps local people use (consume and produce) digital media to become better informed and more effective in supporting themselves and creating positive change in the world around them.  As part of our launch we announce 2 Fellowship streams + 1 Workshop this month. Please circulate this amongst those that might be interested. Please apply if this is something that you would commit to. JAAGA MEDIA CENTER FELLOWSHIP 3 months starting 10th May 2011. Daily 10am to 5pm.  www.jaaga.in/media-center | www.jaaga.in/fellowship Deadline to Apply: Thursday 7th May 2011 | Number of Fellowships: 3 Fellows will be expected to attend everyday and under the guidance of Clemence Barret follow the prescribed coursework.  The course is production based. Learning is centred around Short Documentary Film-making processes and practices.  Daily screenings of world-class examples in this form will be watched and dissected.  Fellows will work hands-on on specific projects under the Media Center, namely The Whitefield Diaries, Bangalore Art Diaries, Crafts of Hampi and Jaaga Journals.  Interested candidates are to email archana at jaaga.in & cb at clemencebarret.com with a Resume and a short paragraph (200 words) describing themselves and their interest in this Fellowship. ACM SIGGRAPH-JAAGA WORKSHOP ON DIGITAL SCULPTING WORKSHOP DATES: 14TH & 15TH MAY APPLICATION DEADLINE: 10TH MAY 2011. 10pm. APPLICATION AT: www.jaaga.in/digital-sculp ting No. of Participants:12 SUMMARY: Workshop is held to give beginners in 3d an easy to use tool called Sculptiris and teach techniques to create high-resolution 3d models which can then be used in popular 3d animation packages such as Maya. No prior 3d or animation knowledge is required , though an aptitude in visualization and basic drawing would be very helpful. The objective of this workshop is to give laymen an introduction to the fascinating world of 3d modelling. DURATION: The workshop is for a period of three days with hands-on assignments and an emphasis on producing finished sculpts JAAGA MEDIA CENTER ANIMATION FELLOWSHIP DURATION: 3 Months Starting in May-June 2011 www.jaaga.in/media-center | www.jaaga.in/fellowship Deadline to Apply: Thursday 20th May 2011 | Number of Fellowships: 1 The Jaaga Animation Fellow will be expected to create a short 1-2 mins. animation on a socially, environmentally or culturally relevant topic that Jaaga Media Centre Program Directors will prescribe. Apart from this main film, the Animation Fellow will be expected to work with in-house Jaaga projects. The Animation Fellowship candidate will have a portfolio that showcases their experience in 2D or 3D animation and would have completed pre-requisite courses in animation at a well-known school. This Fellowship can be looked upon as an internship to create and produce state-of-the-art works in the field of animation. To submit your portfolio please email archana at jaaga.in EXHIBITION:  A3 prints of the final assignments and exhibition of the same at the Jaaga venue.  EXHIBITION DATES: 15-18TH MAY REQUIREMENTS: All participants must have their own laptops with Winxp/7/vista and minimum 2 B of ram. Wacom tablets would also be very useful, though not compulsory. Cheers! Archana -- Archana Prasad Co-Founder & Director www.jaaga.in www.archanaprasad.com | +91 8105992582 From drew at futureeverything.org Tue May 3 23:21:53 2011 From: drew at futureeverything.org (Drew Hemment) Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 18:51:53 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] FutureEverything 2011 Art Programme Message-ID: <0E8E7292-79B1-4BEE-BEEA-DD26CED62837@futureeverything.org> FUTUREEVERYTHING 2011 ART PROGRAMME 11-22 May, Manchester England http://futureeverything.org/art-overview/ Artists, designers, technologists and tinkerers converge to present inspiring creative works spanning art, technology and social ideas. Artists' responses to the immaterial world of data is explored in the main exhibition, The Data Dimension. Experience a sneak preview of 'the YouTube movie', an unforgettable interactive performance and an eclectic fusion of hackers and crafting in Handmade. The Art Hub is Four Piccadilly Place. All art events are free. ______________________ THE DATA DIMENSION FutureEverything’s 2011 main exhibition, exploring how artists and designers approach the immaterial world of data - featuring the following artists: Marcos Lutyens, Nicholas Felton, Bestiario, MIT SENSEable Cities Lab, BBC DataArt, Nathalie Miebach, Berg London/ Timo Arnall & Dentsu London, Kimchi and Chips, Iohanna Pani, Zach Gage, Chris Milk & Aaron Koblin, Nadeem Haidary, Tapio Makela, Paul Sermon & Charlotte Gould 11-22 May, Four Piccadilly Place http://futureeverything.org/art/data-dimension/ ______________________ FUTUREEVERYTHING AWARD 2011 Shortlisted projects for the FutureEverything Award 2011 - celebrating the creative imagination that will shape our future. Macon Money, DIYcity, Interior Design. 11-22 May, Four Piccadilly Place http://futureeverything.org/award ______________________ HANDMADE A new maker community is emerging - a day of contemporary craft, digital hacking, interactivities and DIY culture, in one of Manchester’s prime heritage locations. Featuring a DIY Digital Craft Fair, the UK's only Fab Lab at Victoria Baths for the day, a new site-specific work from Antony Hall, Michael Eden, DIY Pacwoman, Yu-Chen Wang, Social Media Workshops and Drawings In Plastic. Saturday 14 May, Victoria Baths http://futureeverything.org/art/handmade ______________________ ME AND THE MACHINE A telescope looking through a window high above the city invites you to gaze into a bizarre cinematic plot unfolding before your eyes. On Ways To Disappear Without Leaving A Trace is a new commission for one audience member at a time - book your place now. 11-14 May, Four Piccadilly Place http://futureeverything.org/art/me-and-the-machine-on-ways-to-disappear-without-leaving-a-trace ______________________ LIFE IN A DAY: PREVIEW SCREENING Exclusive preview of Kevin MacDonald's feature film. Life in a Day edits together thousands of YouTube clips uploaded in a single day, 24 July 2010. From intimate moments of personal experience, to vast themes of birth and death, an epic self-portrait emerges via mass participation, as editor Joe Walker creates a kaleidoscopic compilation from 4,500 hours of footage in 80,000 submissions from 140 nations. Saturday 14 May, Cornerhouse http://futureeverything.org/art/life-in-a-day ______________________ FESTIVAL AS LAB FutureEverything transforms the festival into a lab where we can experiment and play with future art and ideas. OurCity and CHET are ECAS Festival As Lab projects commissioned by FutureEverything (Manchester), CTM (Berlin) and CYNETART (Dresden). 11-14 May, Various Locations http://futureeverything.org/ecas-festival-as-lab ______________________ REMEMBERUS Leave behind the memories of your favorite things by attaching YouTube or Audioboo clips on to objects in the Oxfam Emporium, and moments later in Oxfam Originals people will 'pick up' your memory when it is re-associated with another ‘thing’ that they choose buy. 11-14 May, Oxfam Emporium and Oxfam Originals, Manchester http://futureeverything.org/art/remember-me-rememberus-totem ______________________ ISHED PRESENTATIONS A showcase of works emerging from the petridish of innovation at Bristol’s iShed. What are the unique characteristics of scent perception and how can voices create new interactive experiences? With AlphaSphere, Moksha, Mutant Labs. 11-14 May, Four Piccadilly Place http://futureeverything.org/art/ished ______________________ SATURDAY ART TALKS A series of free short visual presentations from artists, discussing their process and inspiration. No booking necessary. With Zach Gage, Me and The Machine, Marcos Lutyens. Saturday 14 May, Four Piccadilly Place http://futureeverything.org/art/art-talks ______________________ SHOW & TELL FOR SENDAI Bringing the visual arts community and Manchester's thriving digital design sector together, and presented in tribute to the city of Sendai in Japan, to highlight their creative energy and links with Manchester. Presenters include Kimchi and Chips discussing their Micro Commission, which involves a hacked Kinect and a small tree. Saturday 14 May, Cornerhouse http://futureeverything.org/art/show-tell-for-sendai ______________________ For full programme listings visit http://futureeverything.org FUTUREEVERYTHING 2011 11-14 May, Manchester UK FutureEverything is supported by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and European Commission Culture Programme (2007-13). From drew at futureeverything.org Tue May 3 23:39:55 2011 From: drew at futureeverything.org (Drew Hemment) Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 19:09:55 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] New Media Redux Message-ID: Below is one of the articles written for a publication we are preparing for FutureEverything 2011. Media Art Redux There is a rich tradition of profound artistic enquiry engaging in new media technologies going back to the 1960s. Artists are coding, sculpting, visualising, sounding out new kinds of art object, and new possibilities for participation, new ways of seeing, new ways of being. We can reach out and play with every image and word ever created, every idea ever thought of, it is all there, right in front of us. We can endlessly recombine and reconfigure, we can travel through time, instantaneously connect with people and places at all points on the globe. Times of change and transformation often inspire profound art. Artists have charted and led the upheavals in digital culture, and the radical social change that follows in its wake. An instinct within many media artists is not to think only of what digital tools can offer, but to want to shape and influence the way digital technologies develop, and how they impact on, or are shaped by society. As the digital space moves from novelty into everyday, it is becoming the site of more sustained, original artistic engagement than ever before. The digital is today so pervasive it has little use as an organising term, it is now one among many spaces that artists can engage in or draw upon. Today the critical vision and competency embodied in the new media arts field has ever greater relevance, as its ways of working, and vocabulary resonate so much more widely. This creates an opportunity to communicate the values that are so vital and cherished, and to deepen engagement in shared interests (e.g. peer to peer, collaborative culture). The digital space has contributed to new approaches to being an artist, and to engaging with people-formerly-known-as-audiences. New audiences include active participants and also lurkers, the invisible audience whose gravitational pull is shaping online life. Arts policy often focuses on the benefits for audience development and accessibility. This is important, but our imagination should not end there. Now is a time to appreciate how the digital plays out within art, and to promote the important political and social space that is at stake. We need spaces where artists have free rein, and you can rub technology against the grain. Drew Hemment This article will be published by FutureEverything in association with Cornerhouse in a book for FutureEverything 2011 delegates. From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed May 4 08:59:50 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 03 May 2011 23:29:50 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] INTERIM REPORT OF THE GROUP OF EXPERTS: Towards preparing a Detailed Project Report for the revitalisation of FTII, Pune Message-ID: <8CDD822A8C4AFAE-1334-1263E@webmail-d133.sysops.aol.com> INTERIM REPORT OF GoE Sr.No Description 1) INTERIM REPORT MAIN http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/INTERIM%20REPORT%20MAIN%20TEXT.pdf 2) APPENDIX A INTERVIEWEE http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20A%20INTERVIEWEES.pdf 3) APPENDIX B CURRENT SYLLABUS http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20B%20CURRENT%20SYLLABUS.pdf 4) APPENDIX C PENDING EXERCISES http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20C%20PENDING%20EXERCISES.pdf 5) APPENDIX D WORK SCHEDULES http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20D%20WORK%20SCHEDULES.pdf 6) APPENDIX E EMERGENCY NEEDS http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20E%20EMERGENCY%20NEEDS.pdf 7) APPENDIX F LAND & BUILDINGS http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20F%20LAND%20&%20BUILDINGS.pdf 8) APPENDIX G BUDGET SUMMARY http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/APPENDIX%20G%20BUDGET%20SUMMARY.pdf 9) Timeline Chart http://www.ftiindia.com/forms/timeline%20chart.xls The comments/ Suggestions regarding Interim report may please be sent to filminst at gmail.com From ujwala at openspaceindia.org Wed May 4 16:43:07 2011 From: ujwala at openspaceindia.org (Ujwala Samarth) Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 16:43:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The practice of poetry Message-ID: * * *Illustrated Talk by Shabnam Virmani* * * *“The Practice of Poetry – Making Peace Possible”* * * *Keeping The Peace lecture presented by Open Space (CCDS)* * * The communal violence that convulsed Gujarat in 2002 led filmmaker Shabnam Virmani to set off on a series of journeys exploring the 15th century mystic poet Kabir. What began as a personal quest led to a deeper uncovering of the diverse meanings and resonances of Kabir’s poetry in our contemporary worlds. Today these journeys continue into diverse spaces in Indian society touched by mystic poetry and song. Shabnam will share through songs, video clips and conversations her reflections on poems as agents of social change, the capacity of music and poetry to alter our identities, the importance of unearthing and highlighting multiplicities in cultural traditions and upsetting linear narratives of history, the sacred, the secular and watertight notions of self and the world. *Date: May 5 2011* * * *Time: 6-8 pm.* * * *Venue: Moolgaonkar hall (MCCIA), ‘A’ Wing, ICC Towers, Off Senapati Bapat Road, Near Chaturshrungi, Pune.* * * *Entry **FREE** on a first-come-first-served basis* *Shabnam Virmani* is a filmmaker and artist in residence at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore, India. In 2003 she started travelling with Kabir-devotee folk singers in Malwa, Rajasthan and also Pakistan. Among the tangible outcomes of these journeys were a series of four musical documentary films, several music CDs and books of the poetry in translation. Currently she is working on co-creating a web-museum of Kabir poetry & music with folk singer communities in India and developing ideas for taking mystic poetry and folk music to school classrooms. She continues to journey and draw inspiration not only from Kabir, but also other mystic poets of the sub-continent and the oral folk traditions that carry them to us (www.kabirproject.org). Her earlier work consisted of several video and radio programs created in close partnership with grassroots women’s groups in India. She has directed several award-winning documentaries and radio programs in close partnership with grassroots women’s groups in India. In 1990, she co-founded the Drishti Media, Arts and Human Rights collective in Ahmedabad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabnam_Virmani * * *Keeping the Peace* is a lecture series in continuation of Open Space’s efforts to encourage discussion and dialogue on issues that are dividing and polarising society and public opinion. *Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS)* CCDS is a social change resource centre working to strengthen civil society and citizens’ action for social justice, human rights, sustainable development and accountable governance. *Open Space* is the youth and civil society outreach initiative of CCDS. Open Space uses various forms of communication – literature, cinema, theatre, music, publications and Internet – to reach out to citizens. www.infochangeindia.org www.openspaceindia.org *For details contact: Rakesh – 9921090931 or Ujwala Samarth – 020-25457371* -- Ujwala Samarth (Programme Coordinator, Open Space) www.openspaceindia.org www.infochangeindia.org http://www.facebook.com/pages/Open-Space/116557125037041 B-301, Kanchanjunga Building, Kanchan Lane, Off Law College Rd,, Pune 411004 (020-25457371) From drew at futureeverything.org Wed May 4 19:30:12 2011 From: drew at futureeverything.org (Drew Hemment) Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 15:00:12 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Digital Innovation / Innovation Labs Message-ID: Below is an article on digital innovation http://futureeverything.org/articles/digital-innovation, written for a publication we are preparing for the festival, followed by a details of FutureEverything's digital innovation labs. Digital innovation will be discussed in a CODA event at FutureEverything in a wonderful venue with views across Manchester on Saturday 14 May. _____________________________________ DIGITAL INNOVATION 'The best way to predict the future is to invent it.' - Alan Kay, 1971 Digital innovation is the introduction of a new idea, product or method exploiting the cultural, technical and commercial possibilities of digital technology. The central idea behind digital innovation is that a computerised, networked and collaborative world changes the ways people work, learn, play and create. A history of digital innovation would include the seminal work at labs such as Xerox PARC in Palo Alto, California, responsible for major developments from laser printing to the modern personal computer, graphical user interface (GUI) and ubiquitous computing. Today digital innovation goes on in the research labs of major corporations, university research institutes such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and InfoLab21 at Lancaster University, and also in the studios of small digital companies and bedrooms of individuals around the world. Innovation goes beyond the invention of new ideas to their successful implementation, and leads to change in the ways people make decisions and choose to act. It most commonly refers to the commercial development and introduction of products and services. Open Innovation (1) refers to the ways companies can benefit from distributed knowledge, external ideas and external routes to market. This informs the idea that most successful innovation happens not as a linear process but in environments which encourage the circulation of ideas and approaches. FutureEverything has a distinctive approach to digital innovation, that has evolved out of its artistic programmes, and its close and reciprocal collaboration with Lancaster University’s ImaginationLancaster. This is an approach that is very different to that found in industry and many university labs. It is informed by the field of new media art and digital culture, by design thinking, and even the idea of art as social sculpture from Joseph Beuys. It builds on the way some aspects of digital culture are transforming art and society on a deep level, such as open source and global connectivity. New media artists have made a vital contribution to the open networks of digital culture and have helped to shape tangible new forms and practices in our digital society. FutureEverything's work in digital innovation (futureeverything.org/innovation) investigates both issues within the arts and the social impacts of new technologies. It explores emerging artforms, new kinds of media object, and novel forms of dissemination and audience experience. Outside the art sphere, it undertakes work in areas of policy, technology development, social innovation and academic research. And it applies creative approaches from art and design to explore themes such as open data, social sensing, new mobilities and distant collaboration involving original research, development, practice and publication. Digital culture has today burst its banks. The era of one person, or one organisation, doing one thing at a time is over, and this presents challenges and opportunities. To build a digital innovation ecology we need the ability to translate and decode ways of working for others; this is also a creative act, opening new pathways, writing our collaborative future. Drew Hemment, April 2011 http://futureeverything.org/innovationblog http://futureeverything.org/cultureblog _____________________________________ FUTUREEVERYTHING INNOVATION LABS FutureEverything runs year-round digital innovation labs (futureeverything.org/innovation), engaging a worldwide community in generating new ideas, social connectivity and practical solutions to innovation problems. FutureEverything Data Arts (2010-ongoing) Engages artists and designers to make data tangible. See The Data Dimension. FutureEverything has been commissioned by the Cultural Olympiad in the Northwest to scope out a major data visualisation artwork for London 2012. Open Data Cities (2009-ongoing) Has driven Greater Manchester's transition to an Open Data Framework. It has informed a new European initiative, led to the Open Data Manchester community and, in partnership with Trafford Council, the Greater Manchester Datastore, DataGM. Two innovation projects in the 2011 festival programme include: OurCity, a prototype for mass participation and citizen-led innovation, developed as a part of FutureEverybody (an innovation lab theme), responding to the City Debate 2010 call to arms ("the future must be for everybody"). OurTravel, a social media transport app tested at FutureEverything, part of FutureMobilities which has explored new approaches to the mobility of people, media and things. Over the years FutureEverything has run more than 20 innovation labs including: Globally Connected (2009-10) Explored the theme of distant collaboration, telepresence, networked performance, local/global connections, unlimited connectivity and group-to-group connectivity, focused around the GloNet gobally networked event in 2010. Urban Interface – Smart Cities (2009-10) Looked at the ways in which cities are being rewired, through a series of urban interventions, debates, and art and design experiments. It has informed policy debates in Greater Manchester, and was featured on the cover of two Guardian Smarter Cities supplements. Environment 2.0 (2006-9) Explored how the internet and locative technologies can transform people's relationship to the environment. Participatory mass observation prototypes were developed with the Met Office, OPAL and Natural History Museum, some since scaled up nationally, and informed a new European initiative. Social Technologies (2006-8) An early foray into social media, focused around annual Social Technologies Summits and Social Networking Unplugged (a 2008 festival event), which led to a series of interactive probes in urban social media. Mobile Connections (2003-6) An innovation lab on mobile and locative media that contributed to the emergence of the field of locative arts. It culminated in the first major exhibition and conference on the field in 2004, some of the first publications, the Loca artwork, and the Pervasive and Locative Arts Network (EPSRC). FutureEverything is a member of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) and has published its methods in the form of the Festival As Lab Toolkit (FALT / http://futureeverything.org/innovationblog/festival-as-lab-toolkit). Festival As Lab has been adopted as the inaugural theme of the ECAS festivals network and by festivals around the world including CTM (Berlin), CYNETART (Dresden), New Forms (Vancouver) and MUTEK (Brussels). Drew Hemment, April 2011 futureeverything.org/innovation This article will be published by FutureEverything in association with Cornerhouse in a book for FutureEverything 2011 delegates. (1) Chesbrough, H. W. (2003) Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology, Boston, MA, Harvard Business School Press. From santhoshhrishikesh at gmail.com Thu May 5 07:01:46 2011 From: santhoshhrishikesh at gmail.com (santhosh hk) Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 06:01:46 +0430 Subject: [Reader-list] Must Read: Interview with Arundhathi Roy by David Barsamian Message-ID: Read an exclusive interview with Arundhathi Roy by David Barsamian, the founder of Alternative Radio in Malayalamatu web weekly: ARUNDHATI ROY Revolts & Rebellions Interviewed by David Barsamian New Delhi, India 21 February 2011 http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703:arundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15:essay&Itemid=19 From aswathypsenan at gmail.com Thu May 5 12:50:48 2011 From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com (Aswathy Senan) Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 12:50:48 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian Message-ID: http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703%3Aarundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15%3Aessay&Itemid=19 From drew at futureeverything.org Thu May 5 15:26:54 2011 From: drew at futureeverything.org (Drew Hemment) Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 10:56:54 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] FutureEverything 2011 Conference Programme Message-ID: <822D93BB-E17A-4BDF-A828-EBB41CF71D5B@futureeverything.org> FUTUREEVERYTHING 2011 CONFERENCE PROGRAMME 12-13 May, Manchester England http://futureeverything.org/ideas-overview The FutureEverything Conference takes place on 12-13 May at our brand new festival hub, Four Piccadilly Place, situated in the heart of Manchester city centre. Following on from the successful introduction of DataGM, the festival and conference programme investigate a world after Open Data. Our conference is one of the leading UK events that focuses on the latest developments in digital culture and this year’s lineup of speakers is arguably our best yet. Festival Passes available here http://futureeverything.org/tickets. Themes and speakers featured in 2011 include: EMOTIONAL COMPUTING AND ONLINE ROBOTS Computers are becoming more human-like, displaying emotions, and the social web is populated with alter egos crammed full of empathy. This is changing the way we discover, consume and curate content online. With Toby Barnes, David Bausola, Tom Chatfield, Meg Pickard, Dan Catt. ______________________ NETWORKED CITY AND GAMIFICATION Our cities are changing. We can configure the objects that surround us and begin to 'perform' space together. Games and play have started to break out of the traditional frame of the video screen, enabling the gamification of urban space. Meanwhile some geeks are leaving the city behind. With Juha van 't Zelfde, Sue Thomas, James Bridle, Luis Bettencourt, Kars Alfrink. ______________________ OPEN DATA Data is is the lifeblood of our modern technologised society. By opening up data we create an environment for innovation, understanding and engagement. Following on from last year, we look at the impact of open data on journalism, government and society. With Keri Facer, Tim Davies, Theresa Grant, Emer Coleman, Tom Steinberg, Sarah Hartley, Paul Bradshaw, Martin Belam, David Higgerson, Chris Taggart, Rachel Coldicutt, Katy Beale, Dan Williams, Fiona Moorhead. The Open Data strand is sponsored by CityCo. ______________________ NEW MOBILITIES Driver-less cars are not far away, and smart transport can lead to new services and applications, integrating our transport options with event listings and other aspects of our urban lives. What are the challenges and opportunities of open transport data systems? With John Urry, David Hytch, Razia Ahmed, Jonathan Raper, Malcolm Barclay, Simon East. ______________________ DIGITAL GHOSTS Long after our physical things have been crushed, burnt or tipped into a landfill, the digital 'ghost‚' continues to live on and be searchable. At the same time, digital manufacturing is leading makers to create otherwise unimaginable objects. With Chris Speed, Michael Eden, Sally Fort, James Boardwell, Andy Huntington. ______________________ INFINITE BANDWIDTH/ZERO LATENCY A future of infinite bandwidth, zero latency is coming closer with the spread of the next generation of networks, so fast and so immediate that bandwidth and latency don't really matter any more. What are the implications for privacy, control of information flow, the impact of multiple always-on channels? with Manchester Digital. ______________________ FREE CULTURE AND COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURS Digital culture has given rise to alternative forms of value transfer and new forms of collaborative enterprise. How can we combine economies of scale with social, emotional and cultural values. With Ela Kagel, Geof Cox. ______________________ LEAVE NO-ONE BEHIND We inhabit a culture where information has become the modern era's defining quality. As our transactions are increasingly articulated in digital forms, what becomes of those that lack the access or literacy to participate in those transactions? And is such a civilisation a better civilisation? With Bill Thompson. ______________________ CONFERENCE INFORMATION Online timetable http://futureeverything.org/timetable PDF timetable download http://bit.ly/j9m9dK Festival brochure download http://bit.ly/m1eQQe BLOGS http://futureeverything.org/cultureblog http://futureeverything.org/innovationblog ______________________ TICKETS There's only a week to go until the opening of FutureEverything 2011! Book now to benefit from the pre-booking discount rate of £150 + VAT. Buy your Festival Passes here http://futureeverything.org/tickets. http://futureeverything.org FutureEverything is support by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, ImaginationLancaster, Lancaster University and the European Union within the CULTURE PROGRAMME (2007 - 2013). From patrice at xs4all.nl Thu May 5 20:13:50 2011 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (Patrice Riemens) Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 16:43:50 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Digerati See Censorship in New Web Rules (IndiaRealTime blog, WSJ) Message-ID: <5caabd71ecb80d9d2198f737df05509b.squirrel@webmail.xs4all.nl> bwo CIS-India/News original to: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/05/02/digerati-see-censorship-in-new-web-rules/ Digerati See Censorship in New Web Rules. Attention Indian bloggers and social media fiends: the next time you’re composing a witty tweet or posting an edgy item on Facebook, please take care that what you’re writing isn’t “grossly harmful” or “harassing” or “ethnically objectionable” or – oh, the humanity! – “disparaging.” India has introduced stringent new rules to police the Web and remove content that goes out of bounds.Those are among the types of content that are banned under Internet regulations the Indian government recently put into effect to enforce sections of an information technology law passed in 2008. It’s up to “intermediaries” – Internet service providers, social networking sites, etc. – to police the Web and remove content that goes out of bounds. As word of the new rules spreads, digital media barons and commoners alike are freaking out. Is the world’s largest democracy ever-so-quietly trampling on free speech by enacting a censorship regime for the Web? How exactly will these rules affect day-to-day activity online? On the MediaNama digital media blog, Nikhil Pahwa offers a bleak analysis: “These rules give the Indian government the ability to gag free speech, and block any website it deems fit, without publicly disclosing why sites have been blocked,” he writes. Concerns are also pouring out on Twitter, with user posts like “Looks like we will become China soon” and “Moving to a more draconian state” and “When the hell did this happen?” To shed some light on that last question: These rules merely advance what has been a quiet effort for several years by the Indian government to get a grip on the Web without the kind of blanket censorship or Website-blocking practiced in countries like Iran, China and Saudi Arabia. In a front-page story last year, The Wall Street Journal showed how Indian police and government authorities, acting on complaints from Web users, have successfully pressured Google Inc. and other companies to make inaccessible to Indian users Web content that offends figures ranging from Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi to Hindu nationalist leader Balasaheb Thackeray. The IT law was in effect then but as the government issues more specific rules to enforce it, its powers appear to be broadening–or at least coming into much sharper focus. The cumulative impact of the government’s Web regulation regime, says Sunil Abraham of the Center for Internet and Society in Bangalore, is to foster a culture of self-censorship not just by Web users but also Internet companies that will likely err on the side of caution by removing anything that seems edgy or potentially offensive. Mr. Abraham cited as an example of overreach in the rules a provision that bans information that “impersonates another person,” which he said would outlaw everything from parody writing in which the author pretends to be in the shoes of a celebrity to Twitter accounts such as Dr.YumYumSingh, whose tweets are a running send-up of the honorable Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “There are many occasions when people take on a pseudonym, or pretend to be someone else. If it isn’t done with the intention of financial fraud, there’s no need to clamp down on it,” he said. Mr. Abraham also lamented that people whose content is taken down appear to have no recourse under the law to protest to ISPs or the government. It’s up to the ISPs to offer such recourse in their terms-of-use, if they are so generous. To put this in its proper perspective, Indian authorities have never tried to disable Web access for large segments of the population or block very large numbers of sites, so far as we know. CIS revealed through a Right-to-Information request that 11 sites are currently being blocked, including a Facebook page that disparages constitutional framer and low-caste champion B.R. Ambedkar. There are certainly countries practicing a much, much higher degree of outright Web censorship. But is fostering self-censorship–if that’s what’s happening here–just as bad as censorship itself? From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Thu May 5 21:17:04 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 21:17:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Marichjhhapi: In Search of Truth Message-ID: http://pragoti.org/node/4388 Marichjhhapi: In Search of Truth Wed, 2011-05-04 20:35 | Sourindra Ghosh Introduction In late 1970s, around 1,20,000 Bangladeshi refugees, a large number of whom were marginalized lower castes called Namashudras, came to West Bengal from rehabilitation centers of Dandakaranya and other regions and took shelter in Marichjhhapi, a forested island in the Sundarbans. The West Bengal government, on a temporary basis, provided for their shelter and other basic needs. At the same time, the West Bengal government appealed to the refugees to go back to their respective rehabilitation centers. A majority of the refugees eventually responded to that appeal. However, a few thousand of them stayed back and resisted by force any attempt to repatriate them. Conflict with the administration intensified. At one instance, the police open fired at a violent mob of protestors that attacked a police camp in Marichjhhapi, resulting in death of two civilians. The Marichjhhapi incident has time and again come up in political discourse, mostly in an attempt to depict Left Front government of West Bengal, and the Left in general, as anti-dalit. Death: Claims and Facts There is a great deal of debate regarding actual number of deaths. Dilip Chakraborty, thethen MLA from Bharatiya Lok Dal, claimed that as many as 777 people died in the Marichjhhapi incident. On being asked by Jyoti Basu, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, about the source of the information, Chakraborty referred to one unnamed police officer and promised to give further details later (Jyoti Basu, West Bengal Assembly speech, 1979). However, there is no record of any further clarification or evidence given by Chakraborty in support of his claim. Jyoti Basu categorically mentioned in his speech that two persons had died in police firing in Marichjhhapi. This could not be contested by anybody on the basis of any credible evidence or report. The death toll in Marichjhhapi has been brought into discussion again in recent times. Ross Mallick (The Journal of Asian Studies, 1999) claimed that 17,000 people died in the entire episode. The specific number was derived from a PhD dissertation by Nilanjana Chatterjee (Brown University, USA): “at least 3,000 refugees had secretly left Marichjhhapi and scattered across West Bengal…At the end of July 1979, a spokesman for the Dandakaranya Development Authority announced that of the nearly 15,000 families who had ‘deserted’, around 5,000 families (approximately 20,000 refugees) had failed to return”. From this, the number 17,000 was calculated by simple arithmetic of deducting 3000 from 20,000. Mallick, however, did not provide any reference for the number 3,000. There is no evidence whatsoever of such a large number of people dying, either due to police action or other causes. The numbers being cited by these people are entirely arbitrary. ‘Instigators’ There were several organisations, which had actively led or backed the mass exodus of over one-lakh refugees into West Bengal. Let us now scrutinize the character of such organisations and the role they played. The Unnayanshil Udbastu Samiti (UUS) was in the forefront of the refugee exodus and the consequent confrontation with the administration. They played a key role in convincing the refugees to leave Dandakaranya and settle in West Bengal. In 1975, a UUS team visited Marichjhhapi and decided it to be ideal place for refugees to settle. The attempted exodus from Dandakaranya at that time was aborted by the then Congress government. Finally in 1978, the UUS led the refugees to Marichjhhapi. Before coming to Marichjhhapi, there was no consultation with either the state government or the central government. After the refugees settled in Marichjhhapi in 1978, there are records (Gosaba PS, Case No.9 dated 13.2.1979) which suggest that when the refugees tried to leave the island, they were threatened by UUS volunteers with dire consequences and were forced to stay back (Island of Death, Achintyarup Ray, Times of India 2010). Jalais (EPW 2005), celebrating ‘entrepreneurship’ of Marichjhhapi refugees, stated that local enterprises were set up in Marichjhhapi along with schools and healthcare centres. It was not mentioned where from the money came for such capital expenditures. We get our answer from a memorandum (dated 22nd March, 1979) submitted by the UUS to a parliamentary team that visited Marichjhhapi. Condemning a police raid, the memorandum unwittingly reveals that during that raid “the refugees ran away leaving their 157 boats behind loaded with timber and firewood costing nearly Rs. 3.50 lakhs including the cost of the boats”. The “loaded…timber and firewood” were collected by illegally cutting trees of the reserve forest; the boats too were made from wood of the reserve forest. The villagers used to fell trees and sell timbers to the UUS (Times of India 2010). Such illegal timber trade was one of the sources of funds for the UUS. The UUS was also engaged in other illegal activities. In lieu of money, they started ‘distributing’ reserve forestland to the refugees. There were strict guidelines of the UUS: to be eligible for land, one cannot be involved with any political or non-political organization apart from the Samity. ‘Hindu Homeland’ & ‘Bengalistan’ Apart from the UUS, there are two other organizations that were involved in the refugee movement; Amra Bangali (We the Bengalis) and Nikhil Banga Nagarik Sangha (All Bengal Citizens Association). Amra Bangali helped the refugees with donations. The Sangh, according to Intelligence Bureau, distributed route-maps from Kolkata to Sunderban among the refugees (in 1978). They also distributed a map of Marichjhhapi island (Times of India 2010). As declared in the website of Amra Bangali (www.amrabangali.org), a sister organisation of right-wing Ananda Marg, the stated objective of the organization is to establish Bengalistan or a Bengali homeland, comprising parts of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andaman, and of sovereign nations like Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The objective of Nikhil Banga Nagarik Sangha is to establish a separate ‘Hindu Homeland’. The Sangha gained notoriety in recent times when they disrupted inauguration of Maitrei Express, a train connecting Kolkata and Dhaka, on grounds that India should not have cordial relationship with Bangladesh when Hindus in that country are “persecuted”. The police also alleged that the organization is responsible for planting three bombs on the train route (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7345724.stm). Betrayal However, after bringing into conflict the administration and poor mass of people, who in the eyes of the administration were violators of the law of the land (because of illegal timber trade and occupation of reserved forest land), the very individuals who ‘led’ these people deserted them. On May 1979, the three prominent leaders of UUS – Satish Mal, Raiharan Barui and Rangalal Goldar - vanished from the island (Times of India 2010). The hapless refugees were left to face the consequences of the actions masterminded by such people and organisations. Role of the Left It has been portrayed that the experience of Marichjhhapi demonstrates anti-dalit casteist character of the LF government of West Bengal. However, it is West Bengal government that initially provided for shelter and other things when over one-lakh dwellers settled in Marichjhhapi in 1978. The government had spent Rs 4 crore for that purpose (Jyoti Basu, West Bengal Assembly speech, 1979). The Left has also played a crucial role in ensuring basic rights of the Namashudras. Namashudras are recognised as Scheduled Caste (SC) in West Bengal. In 2007, a convention was organised by the CPI (M) demanding SC status of the Namasudra, Pod (Pondra), Maji and other similar castes among Bengali refugees, in states where they are not recognized as SC. In sharp contrast, on June 6, 2007 the Mayawati led BSP government in U.P. withdrew the recommendation of an earlier state government for inclusion of Namashudras, Pod and Maji castes in the SC lists of the state (Peoples Democracy, 9 September 2007). We are all aware about the land reforms programme of the LF government in West Bengal. West Bengal, which has only 3.5% of total agricultural land in the country, accounts for nearly ¼ of land distributed in the entire country under land reforms programme. But what did it mean for the Dalits in the state? It meant a lot: West Bengal alone accounts for nearly 50% of total number of schedule caste beneficiaries of ceiling-surplus land distribution in the country. Also, NSSO data show that West Bengal ranks second, next to Tripura (another Left governed state), in the ratio of the proportion of agricultural land owned by Dalits to their proportion in the rural population. Enjoying political space is another aspect that influences social and economic conditions that the people live in. Decentralisation of democratic-political power, an important characteristic of Left Front government of West Bengal, can give that rightful political space to the deprived sections and the marginalised. In West Bengal, 33% of the members of the Panchayat Samiti are SCs; in the Zilla Parishad, nearly 30% of the seats belong to the SCs; and in the Gram Panchayats, 34.6% of the seats belong to the SCs; their share of representation in these grass-root democratic institutions is in fact more than their proportion in the population of West Bengal. Conclusion Involvement of the reactionary separatist forces and illegal activities of the UUS, that includes use of force on the refugees to stay back in the island, reveals a nefarious attempt to carry out a rightwing divisive political agenda in the state of West Bengal. For their narrow political goal, such forces took advantage of the pitiful condition of the poor refugees, which caused immense suffering to these people. In a few anti-Left propaganda-narratives, the real story has been glossed over, and the Left is deliberately depicted as an anti-dalit and anti-refugee force. The truth regarding Marichjhhapi reveals an entirely different story. ______________________________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From ujwala at openspaceindia.org Fri May 6 11:30:33 2011 From: ujwala at openspaceindia.org (Ujwala Samarth) Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 11:30:33 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A perspective on censorship and the co-option of women Message-ID: * **Dare to be prissy* * --- Krishna Kumar, Indian Express May 06 2011: **"The appointment of Leela Samson as the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification marks an opportunity for Indian society to engage with a medium on which it has lost all control. Obviously, she faces a formidable task. As an artist and a thinker of aesthetics, she is deeply aware of cinema’s paralysing effect on our collective conscience and will. While the financial and political clout of the film industry has grown over the recent decades, the moral authority of the censor board has diminished. The new urban elites find any form of censorship an encroachment on their right to be entertained. Powered by growing wealth, they have developed a devouring appetite for entertainment. Their victims — who serve as means of entertainment — must shed all hesitation when they are devoured. The victim is supposed to enjoy the opportunity to give pleasure to the master. In order to understand this remarkable arrangement, notice how gender relations are encrypted in the prevailing concept of entertainment, especially cinema. " *Read the rest here: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dare-to-be-prissy/786648/1 -- Ujwala Samarth (Programme Coordinator, Open Space) www.openspaceindia.org www.infochangeindia.org http://www.facebook.com/pages/Open-Space/116557125037041 B-301, Kanchanjunga Building, Kanchan Lane, Off Law College Rd,, Pune 411004 (020-25457371) From lalitambardar at hotmail.com Fri May 6 18:44:54 2011 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 13:14:54 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The whole conversation sounds depressing. ‘I’, ‘me’ & ‘my’ are symptomatic of narcissism that overlays the hate India campaign. Besides self flagellation ad nauseam by her, Arundhati Roy’s affirmative contribution in ameliorating the living conditions of the very people she purportedly is concerned about is hardly anything. She has a list of grievances but no concrete suggestions to remove those. It is because of her chronic hostility towards the state that she readily embraces even the proponents of ‘azadi- bara- e- Islam’ (freedom for Islam) in Kashmir. Her comrade-in arms- Geelani who like other Kashmiri Muslim separatists regards Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Jinah’s religion based two nation doctrine & wants Kashmir’s inclusion with Pakistan has just declared Osama a ‘martyr’ calling for mass prayers today in Kashmir. ADR does not mind this religious blackmail of gullible masses. Her rhetoric on Kashmir might be a moral-booster for Kashmiri Muslim separatists & their indoctrinated foot soldiers but it can not erase Kashmir’s civilisational links with rest of India. It doesn’t bother her conscience that those Kashmiri jihadists who self admittedly got trained in Pakistan & ferried weapons from there & launched anti India jihad in 1989-90 & who deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity are roaming free, practicing ‘politics’. Even the brutal ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits at the hands of Kashmiri pan- Islamists in the land of their origin does not cause her any indignation. Continued diatribe against so called upper class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How many upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India at national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is the de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. Today upper class Hindus are also competing in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the basis of religion & cast. Talking about exploitation of tribals, it was way back in seventies that a journalist ‘bought’ a tribal girl from somewhere in central India to prove a point. Continued apathy towards tribals deserves utmost attention. But is ‘violence’ the answer? Maoists’ guns have brought the Maoists & their overt sympathisers in the limelight but development continues to elude. Induced ‘Christianisation’ over the decades has only divided the families & communities. As if all that is evil exists in India & in India only. Yes, we are no where close to claiming a system that ensures a fair degree of socio-economic justice. Crony capitalism is a serious threat. But there is a growing awareness of our shortcomings & positive activism is on rise. In spite of apparent pitfalls, it can not be denied that democracy is evolving in India. Civil checks & balances are necessary to counter the propensity to misuse democracy. If there was 2G scam, the media exposed it & the Govt. of the day is nailed. Civil society is pursuing introduction of severe laws against corruption. People are demanding return of Indian wealth illegally parked outside. Sustainability is the topic of discussion today. Peaceful awareness & opinion mobilisation campaigns would go a long way in nation building than antagonistic activism. Intellectual manipulations do not bring about genuine revolutions & revolution need not be synonymous with violence or anti India hate campaign. Rgds all…LA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com > Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 12:50:48 +0530 > To: reader-list at sarai.net > Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian > > http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703%3Aarundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15%3Aessay&Itemid=19 > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 naresh.rhythm at gmail.com Fri May 6 19:28:13 2011 From: naresh.rhythm at gmail.com (Naresh Kumar) Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 19:28:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Festival of disability and cinema in TEEN MURTI, NMML In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Naresh Kumar Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 19:23:11 +0530 Subject: Re: Festival of disability and cinema in TEEN MURTI, NMML To: anubhay1 at gmail.com On 5/6/11, Naresh Kumar wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: anita ghai > Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 16:06:15 +0530 > Subject: Fwd: Festival of disability and cinema in TEEN MURTI, NMML > To: Naresh Kumar > > Dear Friend, > > > I invite you, on behalf of Prof. Mridula Mukherjee, Director, > Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, to attend and participate in “Disability > and Cinema”, a film festival organised by NMML. The festival is scheduled > from May 3rd to June 11th, 2011. We plan to screen one Hindi and one > English > film per week. > > > As the focus of the festival is on disability, the films being screened > explore the concerns and experiences of disabled people. These screenings > will present a context for serious engagement with issues of mercy killing, > intimacy and sexuality, friendship, gender, etc. and explore their many > intersections. While engaging with films as a medium of political and > creative expression, we hope to raise critical disability issues. Apart > from > the fraternity of disability activists, scholars and film enthusiasts, > we are also looking forward to the participation of university students, > NGO activists and academicians. > > > > We would be truly delighted by your participation and look forward to your > presence during the festival. The schedule of the programme is given > below. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Aruna Tandan > > In charge > > P&PR Cell > > NMML > > > > > > *DISABILITY AND CINEMA* > > > SCREENING OF MOVIES FROM MAY 3rd TO JUNE 11th, 2011 > > > > (ALL THE MOVIES WILL BE SCREENED IN THE AUDITORIUM) > > > > DATE > > MOVIE > > TIMINGS > > DURATION > > INTRODUCED BY > > DISCUSSED BY > > May 3rd, 2011 > > DOSTI > > 10 am > > 163 mins > > Mr. JAGDISH KUMAR > > VIKAS GUPTA > > May 5th, 2011 > > MONICA AND DAVID > > 5 pm > > 68 mins > > DR ANITA GHAI > > MS RUBINA MOHAN > > May 10th, 2011 > > SPARSH > > 10 am > > 134 mins > > MR. NARESH KUMAR > > DR.UMA CHAKRAVARTI > > May 14th, 2011 > > SIXTH HAPPINESS > > 5 pm > > 98 mins > > MS DEEPTI SACHDEV > > DR MEENA GOPAL > > May 21st, 2011 > > GUZAARISH > > 5 pm > > 127 mins > > MR SANJEEV SACHDEV > > DR RACHANA JOHRI > > *May_24_ , 2011 > > MY LEFT FOOT > > 5 pm > > 103 mins > > MS PRAMADA MENON > > MS MANAVI JALAN > > May 28th, 2011 > > IQBAL > > 5 pm > > 136 mins > > DR UPALI CHAKRAVARTI > > MS POOJA BAKSHI > > May 31st, 2011 > > CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD > > 5 pm > > 119 mins > > MR ARUN RAO > > DR NILIKA MEHROTRA > > June 7th, 2011 > > 15th PARK AVENUE > > 5 pm > > 124 mins > > DR ARUN DHAR > > DR RENU ADDLAKHA > > June 11th, > > 2011 > > RAINMAN > > 5 pm > > 133 mins > > DR SHUBHANGI > > VAIDYA > > MS JO CHOPRA > > > > -- > > > > Anita Ghai > Associate Professor > Fellow, Teen Murti > > > > Permanent Address > Department Of Psychology > Jesus and Mary College > Resi:- J12/68 B Rajouri Garden > New Delhi, 110027 India > 110027 > > > > -- > > > > Anita Ghai > Associate Professor > Fellow, Teen Murti > > > > Permanent Address > Department Of Psychology > Jesus and Mary College > Resi:- J12/68 B Rajouri Garden > New Delhi, 110027 India > 110027 > > > > -- > Naresh Kumar > Assistant Professor > Department of History > Kamala Nehru College > (University of Delhi) > -- Naresh Kumar Assistant Professor Department of History Kamala Nehru College (University of Delhi) -- Naresh Kumar Assistant Professor Department of History Kamala Nehru College (University of Delhi) From c.anupam at gmail.com Fri May 6 20:51:49 2011 From: c.anupam at gmail.com (anupam chakravartty) Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 20:51:49 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "Continued diatribe against so called upper class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How many upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India at national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is the de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. Today upper class Hindus are also competing in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the basis of religion & cast." I am supposedly a Brahmin. Yesterday, I spoke to a few students from EFLU in Hyderabad. Every month Dalit students organise a beef festival in the mess. Since beef is not readily available in this country, with a regime which calls for a ban of the selling of beef, but have been also kidnapping the animals from farmers (hundreds of instances in Rajasthan and Gujarat), these students bought buffalo meat. What my friends told me is that they have this festival every month. A few Upper Caste north Indian students, mind you some Brahmins as well, attacked these Dalit students. There are documentary evidences that these students urinated on the food, threw it on the walls. Altogether the incident left a bad taste beyond all the discourses and other things. It was food. The upper caste students, from what I have been told said that how can you organise a beef festival in the hostel mess. Thanking you Lalit. I hope I am able enough, with my whatever caste identity to keep replying to such "crap" over and over again. Anupam On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Lalit Ambardar wrote: > > > > The whole conversation sounds depressing. > ‘I’, ‘me’ & ‘my’ are symptomatic of narcissism that overlays the hate India > campaign. > Besides self flagellation ad nauseam by her, Arundhati Roy’s affirmative > contribution in ameliorating the living > conditions of the very people she purportedly is concerned about is hardly > anything. She has a list of grievances but no concrete suggestions to > remove > those. > > > > It is because of her chronic hostility > towards the state that she readily embraces even the proponents of > ‘azadi- > bara- e- Islam’ (freedom for Islam) in Kashmir. > Her comrade-in arms- Geelani who like other Kashmiri Muslim separatists > regards > Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Jinah’s religion based two nation > doctrine > & wants Kashmir’s inclusion with Pakistan has just declared Osama a > ‘martyr’ > calling for mass prayers today in Kashmir. ADR does not mind this religious > blackmail of gullible masses. Her rhetoric on Kashmir might be a > moral-booster > for Kashmiri Muslim separatists & their indoctrinated foot soldiers but it > can not erase Kashmir’s civilisational links with rest of India. It doesn’t > bother her > conscience that those Kashmiri jihadists who self admittedly got trained in > Pakistan & ferried weapons from there & launched anti India jihad in > 1989-90 & who deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity are roaming > free, practicing ‘politics’. Even the brutal ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri > Hindu > Pandits at the hands of Kashmiri pan- Islamists in the land of their origin > does not cause her any indignation. > > > > Continued diatribe against so called upper > class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How > many > upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India > at > national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is > the > de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. > Today upper class Hindus are also competing > in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only > derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the > basis of religion & cast. > > Talking about exploitation of tribals, it > was way back in seventies that a journalist ‘bought’ a tribal girl from > somewhere in central India > to prove a point. Continued apathy towards tribals deserves utmost > attention. > But is ‘violence’ the answer? Maoists’ guns have brought the Maoists & > their overt sympathisers in the limelight but development continues to > elude. > Induced ‘Christianisation’ over the decades has only divided the families & > communities. > > As > if all that is evil exists in India > & in India > only. Yes, we are no where close to claiming a system that ensures a fair > degree of socio-economic justice. Crony capitalism is a serious threat. But > there is a growing awareness of our shortcomings & positive activism is on > rise. In spite of apparent pitfalls, it can not be denied that democracy is > evolving in India. > Civil checks & balances are necessary to counter the propensity to misuse > democracy. If there was 2G scam, the media exposed it & the Govt. of the > day is nailed. Civil society is pursuing introduction of severe laws > against > corruption. People are demanding return of Indian wealth illegally parked > outside. Sustainability is the topic of discussion today. Peaceful > awareness > & opinion mobilisation campaigns would go a long way in nation building > than antagonistic activism. > > Intellectual > manipulations do not bring about genuine revolutions & revolution need not > be synonymous with violence or anti India hate campaign. > > > Rgds all…LA > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com > > Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 12:50:48 +0530 > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed > by David Barsamian > > > > > http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703%3Aarundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15%3Aessay&Itemid=19 > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri May 6 21:39:10 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 06 May 2011 12:09:10 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] NCR- IT Innovation EXPO Message-ID: <8CDDA1F11D51BC2-1AAC-161A4@webmail-m065.sysops.aol.com> 'Network of ICT Entrepreneurs and Enterprises(NITEE)' is a Delhi-NCR based IT entrepreneurs association which represents the interests of about 4,000 IT enterprises in the Delhi NCR. It is organizing “ NCR-IT Innovation expo” on 7th May'2011 at Constitution Club of India from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Event is supported by Department of Science & technology(DST), Government of India and Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC). An 'invitation only' event, 25 world class IT innovators from NITEE members will be showcasing to invited guests in presence of all NITEE members at venue . These Innovators are the winner of various prizes at national and international recognition events like Red Herring (Asia) ,Red Herring (Global),Nasscom Product LaunchPad ,Nasscom Emerge50-League of 10, Nokia Global Mobile Innovation Award,Lockheed Martin India Gold Medal,ET Power of Ideas,World summit award, mBillionth award etc. These innovators are active in areas like :Talent Management Suit,Embedded Systems,Education,IT Security,ERP Solutions,Business Intelligence,Cloud Computing,Healthcare,Robotics,Computer systems,Mobile Applications etc. Invitees will spot opportunities to:  Procure Innovative IT solutions  Be advisor to the Innovator of interest  Invest in innovative venture  Associating with NITEE i.e. Association of Delhi-NCR based IT entrepreneurs on its initiatives. Objective of the NCR-IT Innovation Expo: NITEE has a clear focus on market development and capacity building initiatives for the IT entrepreneurs at Delhi-NCR involving different stakeholders. It has a dedicated secretariat to follow up and execute the collective agenda in right earnest through initiatives which are discussed and planned in regular meetings by these stakeholders . It intends to engage visitors at NCR-IT Innovation expo on its range of initiatives like www.nitee.org, Learnshops, Cluster Innovation Centre, Founders Leadership Development Program(FLDP), Support to Technical communities, Meet the Growth Counselor etc. to release its vision of making Delhi-NCR based IT industry cluster Vibrant and Innovative Cluster of India From javedmasoo at gmail.com Sat May 7 08:52:50 2011 From: javedmasoo at gmail.com (Javed) Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 08:52:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Bin Laden died in 2001, 9/11 was False Flag attack Message-ID: Top Government Insider: Bin Laden Died In 2001, 9/11 False Flag Attack by Paul Joseph Watson Global Research, May 4, 2011 Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under three different administrations Steve R. Pieczenik says he is prepared to tell a federal grand jury the name of a top general who told him directly 9/11 was a false flag attack. Top US government insider Dr. Steve R. Pieczenik, a man who held numerous different influential positions under three different Presidents and still works with the Defense Department, shockingly told The Alex Jones Show yesterday that Osama Bin Laden died in 2001 and that he was prepared to testify in front of a grand jury how a top general told him directly that 9/11 was a false flag inside job. Pieczenik cannot be dismissed as a “conspiracy theorist”. He served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under three different administrations, Nixon, Ford and Carter, while also working under Reagan and Bush senior, and still works as a consultant for the Department of Defense. A former US Navy Captain, Pieczenik achieved two prestigious Harry C. Solomon Awards at the Harvard Medical School as he simultaneously completed a PhD at MIT. Recruited by Lawrence Eagleburger as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Management, Pieczenik went on to develop, “the basic tenets for psychological warfare, counter terrorism, strategy and tactics for transcultural negotiations for the US State Department, military and intelligence communities and other agencies of the US Government,” while also developing foundational strategies for hostage rescue that were later employed around the world. Pieczenik also served as a senior policy planner under Secretaries Henry Kissinger, Cyrus Vance, George Schultz and James Baker and worked on George W. Bush’s election campaign against Al Gore. His record underscores the fact that he is one of the most deeply connected men in intelligence circles over the past three decades plus. The character of Jack Ryan, who appears in many Tom Clancy novels and was also played by Harrison Ford in the popular 1992 movie Patriot Games, is also based on Steve Pieczenik. Back in April 2002, over nine years ago, Pieczenik told the Alex Jones Show that Bin Laden had already been “dead for months,” and that the government was waiting for the most politically expedient time to roll out his corpse. Pieczenik would be in a position to know, having personally met Bin Laden and worked with him during the proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan back in the early 80′s. Pieczenik said that Osama Bin Laden died in 2001, “Not because special forces had killed him, but because as a physician I had known that the CIA physicians had treated him and it was on the intelligence roster that he had marfan syndrome,” adding that the US government knew Bin Laden was dead before they invaded Afghanistan. Marfan syndrome is a degenerative genetic disease for which there is no permanent cure. The illness severely shortens the life span of the sufferer. “He died of marfan syndrome, Bush junior knew about it, the intelligence community knew about it,” said Pieczenik, noting how CIA physicians had visited Bin Laden in July 2001 at the American Hospital in Dubai. “He was already very sick from marfan syndrome and he was already dying, so nobody had to kill him,” added Pieczenik, stating that Bin Laden died shortly after 9/11 in his Tora Bora cave complex. “Did the intelligence community or the CIA doctor up this situation, the answer is yes, categorically yes,” said Pieczenik, referring to Sunday’s claim that Bin Laden was killed at his compound in Pakistan, adding, “This whole scenario where you see a bunch of people sitting there looking at a screen and they look as if they’re intense, that’s nonsense,” referring to the images released by the White House which claim to show Biden, Obama and Hillary Clinton watching the operation to kill Bin Laden live on a television screen. “It’s a total make-up, make believe, we’re in an American theater of the absurd….why are we doing this again….nine years ago this man was already dead….why does the government repeatedly have to lie to the American people,” asked Pieczenik. “Osama Bin Laden was totally dead, so there’s no way they could have attacked or confronted or killed Osama Bin laden,” said Pieczenik, joking that the only way it could have happened was if special forces had attacked a mortuary. Pieczenik said that the decision to launch the hoax now was made because Obama had reached a low with plummeting approval ratings and the fact that the birther issue was blowing up in his face. “He had to prove that he was more than American….he had to be aggressive,” said Pieczenik, adding that the farce was also a way of isolating Pakistan as a retaliation for intense opposition to the Predator drone program, which has killed hundreds of Pakistanis. “This is orchestrated, I mean when you have people sitting around and watching a sitcom, basically the operations center of the White House, and you have a president coming out almost zombie-like telling you they just killed Osama Bin Laden who was already dead nine years ago,” said Pieczenik, calling the episode, “the greatest falsehood I’ve ever heard, I mean it was absurd.” Dismissing the government’s account of the assassination of Bin Laden as a “sick joke” on the American people, Pieczenik said, “They are so desperate to make Obama viable, to negate the fact that he may not have been born here, any questions about his background, any irregularities about his background, to make him look assertive….to re-elect this president so the American public can be duped once again.” Pieczenik’s assertion that Bin Laden died almost ten years ago is echoed by numerous intelligence professionals as well as heads of state across the world. Bin Laden, “Was used in the same way that 9/11 was used to mobilize the emotions and feelings of the American people in order to go to a war that had to be justified through a narrative that Bush junior created and Cheney created about the world of terrorism,” stated Pieczenik. During his interview with the Alex Jones Show yesterday, Pieczenik also asserted he was directly told by a prominent general that 9/11 was a stand down and a false flag operation, and that he is prepared to go to a grand jury to reveal the general’s name. “They ran the attacks,” said Pieczenik, naming Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Stephen Hadley, Elliott Abrams, and Condoleezza Rice amongst others as having been directly involved. “It was called a stand down, a false flag operation in order to mobilize the American public under false pretenses….it was told to me even by the general on the staff of Wolfowitz – I will go in front of a federal committee and swear on perjury who the name was of the individual so that we can break it open,” said Pieczenik, adding that he was “furious” and “knew it had happened”. “I taught stand down and false flag operations at the national war college, I’ve taught it with all my operatives so I knew exactly what was done to the American public,” he added. Pieczenik re-iterated that he was perfectly willing to reveal the name of the general who told him 9/11 was an inside job in a federal court, “so that we can unravel this thing legally, not with the stupid 9/11 Commission that was absurd.” Pieczenik explained that he was not a liberal, a conservative or a tea party member, merely an American who is deeply concerned about the direction in which his country is heading. Watch the full interview with Dr. Pieczenik below. Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24622 From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sat May 7 17:23:58 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 17:23:58 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Press Release of All India Fact Finding team on alleged encounters and false implication of villagers in anti-Maoist operation in Odisha. In-Reply-To: <491457.58780.qm@web29611.mail.ird.yahoo.com> References: <491457.58780.qm@web29611.mail.ird.yahoo.com> Message-ID: *Press Release * Place : Bhubaneswar Date : 6th May, 2011 An All India Fact Finding team was constituted to look into some incidents of alleged encounter and false implication of villagers in anti-Maoist operation. While Team One covered incidents in Malkangiri and Kashipur, Team Two went to Sundergarh District of Odisha. These districts are also predominately Adivasi inhabited area and abounds in forests and has rich deposit of mineral resources, iron and bauxite and other ores. Over the years, Adivasi lands and forests have been grabbed and given the sanction of law for mining and setting up of factories. Presently, there are over 43 sponge iron units with some of them located in the reserved forest area in Sundergarh and there are 4 huge alumina plants in the districts of Koraput, Rayagada. The largest land grabber are Aluminium, Steel and Iron industries. The struggle over land, forests and water has been intensifying in recent years, with the state undemocratically crushing all peoples’ struggle with illegitimate use of force. In this context, the recent alleged encounters happening in unrelenting series since December 2010 is not only disturbing but also forebodes a grim future. *Team 1* A fact-finding committee of seven members consisting of representatives of rights organisations from Delhi, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu visited the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada in South Orissa for four days from May 2 to 5 to look into reports of human rights violations in the area since December 2010. The team spoke to local people, journalists, social activists and police officials while eliciting facts. We looked specifically into two “encounter” incidents, one on 24-4-2011 at Tentulipadar village in Nakamamudi panchayat of Kudumulugumma block, Chitrakonda tehsil in Malkangiri district and the other on 9-1-2011 at Basangamali village in Kashipur bock of Rayagada district. While one woman Maoist was killed in Tentulipadar, 9 Maoists, including 5 women (at least three of them minors) were shot dead at Basangamali. *Tentulipadar**: *This is a small Khond village located deep in the forest of Kudumulugumma block and falling in the jurisdiction of the Chitrakonda police station in Malkangiri district. About 25-30 Maoists came to the village on the evening of April 23 and camped a little distance from the main village for the night. We came to know from the villagers that at about 7 am on April 24 about 40 security personnel from the Special Operations Group and the BSF came in from the north. The security men moved down a hillock and straightaway began firing upon the Maoists. A woman Maoist was hit thrice, two bullets piercing her from the left part of her chest and exiting on the other side and one smashing three fingers on her left hand. The villagers as well as the rest of the Maoists ran for their lives, the former back to their village and the latter escaping into the thick forest cover to the south-west. There was no firing from the side of the Maoists. The slain Maoist has since been identified by the Orissa police with help from their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh as Ajitha alias Ratna, a native of Gangaraju Madugula in the Fifth Schedule region of Visakhapatnam district, AP. However, no efforts were made by the police of either State to sufficiently advertise this fact and contact her family members. As a result, her body was unclaimed and was buried by the Chitrakonda police. *Basangamali*: This village is located high on a mountain containing bauxite reserves. Basangamali is part of the larger Sasubahumali range having large deposit of bauxite for which many alumina companies have their eyes on it. This village is of the part of Kashipur police station. The village with about 40 houses is at least 15 kms away from the nearest electrical lamp-post, only a primary school and no proper communication to outside world. According to the police version, DVF personnel were involved in a fierce hour long gun-battle with about 20-25 Maoists of the Kashipur dalam of Vamsadhara division resulting in the demise of nine Maoist cadre including 5 women. The police say that after prior information about the presence of armed Maoists near Basangamali, 30 police personnel led by Bissamcuttack SDPO R Prakash, surrounded the area and warned the Maoists to surrender. The Maoists refused lobbed grenades at them and began firing upon which the policemen fired back in self-defence resulting in the death of 9 Maoists. But according to villagers the police surrounded the hills above where the Maoists were camping from three sides and probably they came in the night and at the break of dawn began firing down into the valley. They also used several grenades. Nine Maoists were killed in the gunfire and the others managed to escape under forest cover to the south-east. Soon after, two policemen came to Basangamali village and after abusing and manhandling several teenage boys, took 17 villagers along with them down to the spot where the Maoists were killed. They made the adivasis carry the bodies up to the village from where they shifted them down the mountain by tractors the same afternoon. * * *Injured*: Champa Mandinga alias Aruna, a minor of about 15 years, was one of the Maoists who managed to escape this massacre. A native of Pipalpadar village in Laxmipur block of Koraput district, she was hit by a bullet on the left hand. She managed to reach Barigaon, close to Pipalpadar several days later. Her wound, however, would not heal with traditional medicine. On February 9, Champa accompanied with her cousin Sindhu Mandangi aged about 18, was being taken on a two-wheeler by one Lalit Dehury (of Konkamamandi near Banigocha in Naigarh district) to a doctor when they were apprehended by the Patapur police the same night. Lalit was held in illegal police custody for over three weeks and turned up dead in the Chamakhandi police station of Ganjam district on March 1. The police said he had committed suicide by hanging himself with a blanket. Serious doubts have been raised about this version and there is strong belief that Lalit died due to custodial torture. The fact-finding team is of the opinion that the 10 Maoists who died in the Tentulipadar and Basangamali “encounters” did so due to unilateral and indiscriminate firing resorted to by the police without any prior warning. There was no exchange of fire. Based on precise information about the presence of Maoists, the police went in and shot them dead. We take strong exception to senior police officials in the State trying to pass off these slayings as a case of encounter. Our conclusions/ 1. An encounter by definition means an exchange of fire. It is our contention that in all cases of encounter killing, a case of murder must be registered against the police who took part in it, arrests effected, proper investigation undertaken, and the case be brought to the court which is the proper authority to decide upon the veracity or otherwise of the police version. It will not do for the police to simply put out an “encounter” story and wash their hands off the matter. The police personnel responsible for gunning down the 10 Maoists in these two cases, must therefore be tried as per the law in the same manner as civilians would be in such a situation. 2. The stipulation of NHRC of 20 Mar 1997, and its letters to chief ministers on 2 Dec 2003 on such cases should be adhered to under all circumstances. 3. The refusal of the police to do this is indicative of the fact that the encounters are false. Besides of course, in both the instances here, the distance between the police party and the ‘encounter’ victims was below 100 meters. Can the police go so close to his adversary in a situation of exchange of fire? The villagers and witnesses have clearly stated that the police did not use mega phones. * * *Team 2* As it has been already stated, the continuing struggle does not seem to stir the conscience of the administration. The land grabbing, exclusion of poor adivasis from their sources of life continues. The most blatant instance is that of Adhunik Metaliks. Adhunik Metaliks Ltd was in news in 2007 for building a wall around the land acquired through a nexus between the company, administration and police. This company, along with OCL Ltd, has been given permission, on 4 May, 2011, to increase its sponge iron capacity from 0.41 mtpa to 3.2 mtpa and 0.25 to 0.95 mtpa respectively. Along with this, iron ore mining, legal as well as illegal, has been going on. Such encroachment is affecting forest area, diverting water from agriculture, reducing inflow into Brahmani river and poses a challenge to the total volume of water available for drinking and cultivation needs of Orissa. Local people told us that they have noticed a fall in the volume of water in the Khandadhar waterfall (propose mining site for POSCO Project) in last few years, by according to their reckoning, upto fifty percent. They claim that the OMC, Rungtas are diverting water from the upper region for their mining units and their staff quarters. Ironically, this area is the abode of Paudi Bhuyan, declared a primitive tribe and thus protected by Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. It is against this background that socalled Maoist activities have to be seen. The team looked into two incidents both falling in the forest area and related to Maoist activities. 1. *Murder of Kandri Lohar and fourt year old son Shiv Barua on 11 February, 2011:* Kandri was a young adivasi woman from Sagjodi village in Bisra block, which is divided between Orissa and Jharkhand. In year 2005 she had joined the Maoists, who use to frequently visit the area. On her father’s plea that she was betrothed* *to one Shankar Barua she was returned to the family. Same year in July 2005 during the ‘Rath Yatra’ at Jathratad market when she along with Shankar Barua were watching the festivities she was identified by one Birsa Gudia, who had surrendered to the police because he was punished for misbehaving with women Maoist cadres. The then SP of Sundergarh offered Kandri the rehabilitation package meant for surrendered Maoists and got her married. However, the police failed to provide her the promised package. Meanwhile her marriage broke down. It was only in 2009 when she went public with her complaint against the police for not providing her what they had promised that she got a job in the Home Guard with a daily wage of Rs110. She was also given homestead (4 decimil) under Indira Awas Yojana at Bonda Munda. However the roof of the house was destroyed in 2010 during the cyclone and she was forced to shift to Sagjodi, her parents house. She used to cycle about 27 kms to the Rourkela city where she was posted. This took its toll and her fervent plea for compensation to rebuild her house fell on deaf ears. Her friend told us she was depressed having to cycle long distance and look after her son. On February 11 two incidents took place. In the early hours of the day Rourkela police arrested three alleged ULFA men from the railway station. And the same day at 11 am three Maoists were shot dead in what was purported to be an encounter. One of them was Mohammed Muslim who was a frequent visitor to Kondri’s house and was her friend. The same evening at 6pm she told her father she was going to her maternal uncle’s house at Mohipani for Sarswati Puja with her son. That was the last he saw her. Next day he was told his daughter and grandson had been found dead near the railway crossing. Police claimed it was the work of Maoists and the Maoists denied their involvement. Villagers told us they do not know who had killed the two. But what was palpably clear was the fear that prevailed in the area about the police. The so called encounter was seen by many and the police had warned them before leaving. There had been several incidents in the past where villagers had been beaten or threatened. In April last a villager Matias Horo was shot dead and police claimed that he was a Maoist whereas villagers had claimed that he was innocent and shot dead and a rifle with broken trigger planted on him. We believe only an independent inquiry can reveal the truth behind Kandri Lohar’s killing. And we are convinced that the killing of three Maoists cadres on February 11, 2011 near Sagjodi needs to be investigated because there are reasons to believe that this was a fake encounter. *2. Chandiposh/Silpunji Incident of July 2009:* On 16th July at around 10 pm an SI of Police Ajit Bardhan was abducted by the Maoists from the National Highway near Chandip;osh. Next day on 17thJuly at around 9 am when a CRPF team was patrolling the area there was an IED explosion about 750 meters from Silpunji hamlet in which one jawan Abdul Rafiq was injured and he died subsequently. The next day, on 18th July, dead body of SI Ajit Bardhan was found near B-Jharbeda on the road. More than a month later on 29 August 2009 police raided several hamlets of Chandiposh and Silpunji and picked up 48 persons of which 18 were released and 30 were made accused in five conspiracy cases which include abduction and killing of SI Ajit Bardhan, IED blast among other charges. While the police made them the accused there are contradictions in the FIR. For instance the witness to abduction claimed there were 20-25 armed cadres with face masks, why did the police pick up 30 persons? How could they be identified when it was nighttime and faces were masked? Villagers claimed that even if Ajit Bardhan was taken a in a vehicle through their hamlets how could they know who was who? Also, the IED explosion took place at an hour by when menfolk had already left for their daily work at the Chandiposh Railway Siding for loading and children had gone off to the school and women were in the forest collecting forest produce. Also no recoveries were made from any of the accused. Not even “banned literature” that Indian police is so quick to cite as evidence in cases against alleged Maoists. However, it is what fate awaited the accused that is interesting. They were kept in Bonai jail and the case was to be heard by Additional Sessions Judge who was to come from Rourkela. Although the trial began and two witnesses were heard. Meanwhile the judge went on leave for few months and citing security reasons the accused were shifted to Rourkela Special Jail. Once they were shifted the trial stopped because police claimed they did not have sufficient personnel to escort them to Bonai and also cited that Bonai being and “affected” area it was risky to take the accused to Boinai for their trial. Few months back IG(Jail) Prana Bindu Acharya moved a proposal to shift the accused and their trial to Bhubaneshwar. All this while the accused were neither produced before a Court, as is required under the law every fifteenth day. On April 21 the accused wrote to the District Judge and threatened to go on strike. That’s when the wheels of justice began to move and their trial commenced on 2nd May 2011 at Rourkela Fast Track Court. On meeting the family members of the accused what we found was the dire strait in which they live. For them the long process with delay and uncertainty have been a form of punishment. Some of them are unable to even travel to Rourkela to meet their kith and kin. Some of the children have dropped out of the school. Many a day, having lost the breadwinner, they survive on Mahua flower and tendu. They ur And earn paltry amount selling Sal leaves and “datun”. Overwhelming majority do not possess BPL cards and while they have Job Cards under NREGA they have not been provided any work under the scheme and their job cards are with someone called Rajesh, probably a labour contractor. In Silpunji village only, four children and two adults have died during this period which are directly related to the dire conditions which people live in. After seeing the conditions of people in this village, we suspect many more children might die of starvation if steps are not taken to improve their conditions. In all these cases – Ajit Bardhan’s killing, the IED explosion and the looting of truck carrying explosives – we fear that the police have accused the poor villagers because it failed to get the real culprits. *Our Demands* 1. The police officers/personnel who participated in the Basangamali and Tentulipadar killings of January 9 and April 24 of 2011 respectively must be charged under Section 302 of IPC relating to murder as well as other relevant provisions of the penal code and prosecuted. 2. The investigation into these cases must be handed over to the CBI or a criminal investigation team under the aegis of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). 3. The relatives of Champa and Sindhu Mandinga at Pipalpadar must be immediately informed about their whereabouts and well-being. The Rayagada SP must make a public statement in this regard. 4. The government must stop the ongoing policy of brutal suppression of the Maoists and address that movement politically. 5. Now that the trial has begun, it must be conducted in a time-bound manner, in order to ensure that the process does not become punishment. 6. The government must provide immediate relief to the children, women and old people who are left to fend for themselves in the absence of men. 7. A judicial inquiry must be conducted into the brutal killing of Kandri Lohar and her young child. 8. A magisterial inquiry must look into the ‘encounter’ of the three Maoist cadres killed near Sagjodi on February 2011. *Fact-finding team members*: Gautam Navlakha and D.Manjit of Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi; Pramodini Pradhan, Saroj Mohanty and Nichola Barla of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Orissa; Prashanto Haldar and Partho Goswami (APDR,Kolkota); Deba Ranjan, writer and social activist; Madhumita Dutta of Committee for Justice and Peace (CJP), Tamil Nadu; V Narayana Reddy of Organisation for Protection Of Democratic Rights (OPDR); A Gnananand of Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) and VS Krishna of Human Rights Forum (HRF) from Andhra Pradesh. -- 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. From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat May 7 20:21:06 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 07 May 2011 10:51:06 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] SIDH presents workshop on YOGIC SWAR SADHANA (YSS) Message-ID: <8CDDADD53FAFA12-1F4C-47DA7@webmail-d099.sysops.aol.com> SIDH presents workshop on YOGIC SWAR SADHANA (YSS) Duration: 3 days When: Friday 10th June to Sunday 12th June 2011 Where: SIDH Learning Resource Centre, LRC, Lower Campus, Kempty, Mussoorie ( See note below on reaching SIDH-LRC) Facilitator: Sardar Brij Inder Singh Monga Participation Fee: `4000/- per person including meals and accommodation Yogic Swar Sadhana is a unique new concept in Vocal Classical Music, in which while doing the Swar Abhyas (i.e., practicing Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Nee) one is also concentrating on many Pranayam Kriyas like: a. Three octaves (Mandra, Madhya and Taar saptak), b. The seven main Chakras and the three Nadi’s i.e., the Surya Nadi, Chandra and Sushma Nadi, present inside our body. c. Five Prana Vayus and many Kumbha Kriyas Yogic Sur Sadhna is a form of yogic practice where while one is practicing one’s swaras, one is effectively stimulating the relative Chakras. Each swar has a particular frequency and vibration and so does each Chakra. Hence, when the frequency of the swar and Chakra are matched together, they resonate with each other. In this way Chakras are strengthened and reactivated with the help of the swar’s frequency. The reactivation of the Chakra energizes that area of the body and brain in which the Chakra has its field. Reactivating all the seven Chakras located at different parts of the body reactivates the entire body of an individual. The Nadi starts functioning wholly and the blockades in the body are removed, hence allowing energy to pass through the entire body up to the brain, stimulating the mental system too. This practice helps in purifying the physical, mental and spiritual level of an individual, thus helping one to achieve great height in one’s personal life. Yogic Sangeet Sadhana programme was presented daily on Sadhana T.V. Channel for three months from 18th July 2008 to 20th October 2008. A workshop was conducted in SIDH in July 2009. The participants were from different vocations, some trained and others having an interest in music. Within two days, they were all singing in unison. The teachers of Sidh schools, who were given two orientations sessions, were singing melodiously. Many of them had not believed till then that they could sing. So come, learn and enjoy music the way it is meant to be and be healthy, in the lap of nature. About the facilitator: Sardar Brij Inder Singh Monga, a renowned Professor of Indian Classical Music (Vocal) has spent almost 4 decades, teaching Hindustani Classical Music and also has good knowledge of Yoga (Pranayam) and is a doctorate in Naturopathy. He has interlinked all the systems to develop this new system of Yogic Sur Sadhana through his own research. He did his M.A. (Vocal Music) from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi. Charges: 1. The cost per participant is `4000/- for the 3 days of the workshop including food, boarding & lodging. 2. The cost for people accompanying participants but not attending the workshop sessions is `3000/- per person, for the 3 days of the workshop including food, boarding & lodging. Those staying for a few days more are expected to pay @`1000/- per day towards boarding and lodging expenses. Contact Person: Pawan Gupta Ph: 0-9760049414, Email: pawasnsidh at gmail.com Ajay Poddar Ph. 0-9811061501, Email: poddar.ajay at gmail.com Paramjit Singh Ph. 0-9897124365, Email: pammidaid at gmail.com INFORMATION ON HOW TO REACH SIDH Delhi to Dehradun Train information from Delhi to Dehradun: Dehradun is the last station where trains arrive before one starts climbing up into the mountains. There are four trains from Delhi to reach Dehradun, which are recommended: 1. MUSSOORIE EXPRESS (Train No: 4041): Leaving Old Delhi Railway Station at around 9.30 PM (Please confirm this again, as the schedule keeps changing) and reaching Dehradun at about 8 the next morning. This train has (non AC) sleeper coaches as well as all classes (III tier, II tier and 1st Class) of AC coaches. The same train is also good for going back. Leaves Dehradun at 9.15 PM to reach Old Delhi Railway Station at about 7.30 in the morning the next day. 2. SHATABDI EXPRESS (Train No: 2017): Leaves New Delhi Railway Station (Ajmeri Gate side of the station) at 06.55 Hrs (please confirm current schedule) and reaches Dehradun Railway Station at 12.45 Hrs. The same train leaves Dehradun at 17.00 Hrs to reach New Delhi at 22.45 Hrs. It has ordinary AC and Executive class coaches. Both are chair cars and both are AC. 3. JAN SHATABDI (Train No: 2055): This train leaves New Delhi Station at 15.25 Hrs to reach Dehradun at 21.10 Hrs. On return journey it leaves Dehradun at 05.00 Hrs to reach New Delhi at 11.00 Hrs. It is not advisable to take this train while coming to Kempty or returning to Delhi from Kempty, as travelling at night to Kempty or leaving early morning from Kempty is difficult with minimal transport available. 4. NIZAMMUDIN DEHRADUN SPECIAL (Train No: 2017A): From New Delhi at 23.30 Hrs reaching Dehradun early morning at 5.45 Hrs. This train has only AC compartments ranging from 3-tier to first AC. If you take this train, on reaching Dehradun Railway Station you can rush to the Mussoorie Bus Stand (located right next to Dehradun Railway Station) to catch a direct bus to Kempty (leaves at 6 or 6.30 am depending on the number of passengers. Ask someone at bus stand to direct you to the right bus). Bus information from Delhi to Dehradun: There are other good options to come to Dehradun from Delhi. There are buses every half an hour or so from ISBT (Kashmere Gate). Deluxe buses leave from 6 am or so till 11.30 pm from ISBT. Though there are very few deluxe buses running in the afternoon. State transport buses leave every half hour, practically all day long. The night buses take about 6 hours to reach Dehradun. The buses that leave during the day usually take a little longer. Volvo buses are fewer and leave either early morning or at night. Bus prices range from `170.00 to `350.00 depending on the kind of bus you take. Delhi ISBT number for Uttaranchal buses: 011-23868951. For return journey from Dehradun to Delhi you can catch a bus from the Old ISBT Stand (within Dehradun) or from the New ISBT Stand (in Majra, outskirts of Dehradun). There are buses running all day but buses are more frequent in the early morning and night hours. Dehradun to Kempty Travel options from Dehradun to Mussoorie or Kempty: If you arrive by bus, the bus will drop you off at the New ISBT Bus Stand of Dehradun. This is located in Majra (outskirts of Dehradun). From here, you can either get a bus for Mussoorie or you can take an autorickshaw (`80.00 to `100.00 approximately) or a blue-coloured three-wheeled 'vikram' (shared auto, `5.00 per passenger approximately) till the Mussoorie Bus Stand in Dehradun (next to the Railway Station). You can also check with the bus driver when you arrive in Dehradun, if the bus can drop you near the Railway Station. If you arrive by train then: Right next to the Dehradun Railway Station is the Mussoorie Bus Stand and Taxi Stand. From there one can take a bus or taxi (individual or shared) or jeep (shared) to Mussoorie. Some taxi drivers might be willing to take you directly till SIDH campus (Kempty) as well. Ensure that you take the transport to the Library Side (also called Gandhi Chowk) of Mussoorie and NOT the 'Picture Palace' side. Once you reach the Library side of Mussoorie, take a bus or individual taxi or shared jeep to Kempty village (2 km. before Kempty Falls). If you are taking the bus, get off at Kempty village (You can ask the conductor to let you know as and when the stop for Kempty village comes.) and ask anyone where SIDH school campus (Bodhshala/Bodhigram Malla) is and walk till there. (SIDH has two campuses. Bodhigram Malla (upper campus), where we have the school and Bodhigram Talla (lower campus) where we have the workshops and our main office. Both the campuses are only a kilometer apart. The upper campus is closer to the Kempty village market, so please reach the upper campus.) It's a short walk (10-15 minutes). In case you need to go to the new campus/Learning Resource Centre (LRC) then, from the Bodhshala campus, one of the SIDH members will direct you to the Learning Resource Center (Bodhigram Talla -1 km down hill walk). That would be the easiest and fastest way to get till the new campus if you are on foot. If you are taking a taxi till SIDH campus, they will be able to drop you till the school itself or the LRC. Just ensure that when you reach Kempty village, you look out for boards to guide you to the SIDH LRC/Bodhshala. If you are going to the Bodhshala campus, take that road up which is a slightly narrow road, hence only taxis or mini buses can go up that road. If you are going to the LRC campus, go straight on the main road and follow the road signs for LRC (which is at least 2 kms from the Kempty market and takes approximately 10-15 minutes to reach from the market). There is a toll barrier that you will cross at Kempty, just let the person know that you are coming to SIDH and you don't need to pay the toll. Alternatively, there is also a direct bus to Kempty from Dehradun. The bus leaves from Mussoorie Bus Stand located next to the Dehradun train station. There are very few direct buses. One bus leaves at 5.30 AM from the Bus Stand. There might be one or two more after that around 7-7:30 AM most probably. Important: If you reach Dehradun at night after 8.00 pm it is unlikely that you'll find a bus. In that case you will have to take a taxi or stay the night in Dehradun. Please consult with SIDH coordinators before planning your trip especially if you will be arriving late at night in Dehradun. Distance and Traveling Time: Mussoorie is 33 kms from Dehradun, and it takes between 1-1.5 hours to reach from Dehradun to Mussoorie. Kempty is 12 kms from Mussoorie, and it takes around half an hour to cover that distance. Cost of Travel from Dehradun to Kempty: The cost of a bus from Dehradun to Mussoorie is `50/- approximately. The cost of a bus from Dehradun to Kempty is `75/- approximately. The cost of a shared jeep from Dehradun to Mussoorie is `70/- per person and the cost of a shared jeep from Mussoorie to Kempty is `35/- per person approximately. The cost of a taxi from Dehradun to Mussoorie is between `700-800/- approximately. The cost of a taxi from Mussoorie to Kempty is between `450-600/-. The cost of a taxi from Dehradun to Kempty is anywhere between `1200- 1400/-. Bargain for a good price with the taxi driver. Contact details: SIDH, Hazelwood, Landour Cantt. Mussoorie, Uttarakhand - 248179 Pawan Kumar Gupta, Director, SIDH: Mobile - 0-9760049414, Email: pawansidh at gmail.com Paramjit Singh, SIDH, Mussoorie: Mobile 0-9897124365, SIDH, LRC Kempty, Jaunpur District Charan Singh, Incharge LRC, Kempty: Mobile 0-9410779296 SIDH Bodhshala, Bodhigram Malla Kempty Village Jaunpur District, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand Rajan Venkatesh, Principal, Bodhshala, Kempty: Mobile 0-9756602681 Website: www.sidhsri.com Workshop Registration Form YOGIC SWAR SADHANA (YSS) Friday 10th June to Sunday 12th June 2011 Workshop participation fee `4000/- Full Name of Participant: Registration Fee: `500/- Mode of Payment: Cheque / Demand Draft/Electronic Remittance*: (The Cheque/Draft must be payable at Dehradun/Mussoorie to “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas”) Details of Cheque / Demand Draft/ Electronic Remittance: (Name and Branch of the Bank, & Cheque or Demand Draft Number) Phone: Full Postal Address: Email ID: College/Institution/Organisation/Company: Please mention any food/dietary restrictions: How did you find out about this workshop (please be specific): Signature: Date: NOTE: Please fill in this registration form and send to the following postal address, along with the cheque/draft of Rs.500 payable to “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas” by registered/speed post. This registration amount is a non-refundable advance. It will be deducted from the total fee of the workshop. SIDH Hazelwood Cottage Landour Cantt. Mussoorie 248179 Uttarakhand, India * The fee may be remitted electronically to: 1. The SBI bank account of “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas”, Account Number: 10404458913 (Savings), SBI Bank, Landour Cantt. Branch, Mussoorie. The IFSC Code is : SBIN0005476. 1. The ICICI bank account of “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas”, Account Number: 016401015817 (Savings), ICICI Bank, Dehradun Branch, NCR Plaza, 24, New Cantt. Road, Dehradun-248001. The IFSC Code is : ICIC0001595 2. Please email us details of the remittance immediately at pawansidh at gmail.com, pammidaid at gmail.com From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Sun May 8 07:45:57 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 07:45:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [untouchabilityeradicationfront] TamilNadu:Madurai:A village where dalits can't wear footwear or ride bikes In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: _______________ Forwarded message __________________ From: thayalan sekar Date: Tue, May 3, 2011 at 6:32 PM Subject: [untouchabilityeradicationfront] TamilNadu:Madurai:A village where dalits can't wear footwear or ride bikes To: untouchabilityeradicationfront at yahoogroups.com Dear All,           PLEASE DO THE NEEDFUL FOR THIS INCIDENT         http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/A-village-where-dalits-cant-wear-footwear-or-ride-bikes/articleshow/8147427.cms           MADURAI: Villur, set in a typical agrarian backdrop with about 1,200 households was once a peaceful village that was until the dalits challenged the diktats of the upper caste' Thevars. For dalits of Villur, about 50km from Madurai and the scene of violence on Saturday night, buying a motorcycle was a sign of extreme luxury just few years back. But only after they managed to buy one they realized that the bigger challenge was riding it down the neatly laid Kaliamman street in the village that leads to their colony. When G Thangapandian (27), a dalit youth, decided to challenge the caste diktat that dalits should not ride motorcycles on Kaliamman street, it ended in a brutal attack on his house by a mob of over 500 persons, including women armed with broomsticks. "If I am alive now it is because of this grill gate," pointed out G Murugan, Thangapandian's brother. The gate was damaged in several places. "The mob tried to break open the gate with boulders, but left later on Saturday night," said Murugan, fear still evident on his face. The dalits, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and economic status of the more influentialThevars, obeyed the diktats they did not wear footwear and they did not ride bicycles or motorcycles on Kaliamman street. "We are served tea in different tumblers and we are not entertained in the barber shops in the village," said Murugan's father Guru. The village has been a witness to the worst forms of caste discrimination, as even schools have become a platform for such practices. "My non-dalit classmates would demand that I address them as Ayya.' If I call them by their names they would abuse me with filthy words and threaten me," said M Palani, who just completed his Plus-Two in the higher secondary school in the village. It all started about ten years back when the family of Thangapandian, who owns a seven-acre land beside a poclain vehicle, questioned the restrictions imposed on dalits. "His family was immediately ostracized," said Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front secretary K Samuel Raj. In fact, the ferocity of the attack by the non-dalits, when they surrounded the Villur police station when the Madurai rural superintendent of police Asra Garg was inside on Saturday night, shocked even police personnel. "I have not seen such violent mob behaviour. We managed to escape their attack only because we had fire arms," said a police official. Despite Garg opening fire in the air to disperse the mob, 12 of the total 14 people injured during the violence were police personnel. The SP's vehicle was also damaged. "We have arrested 50 persons so far and are in the lookout for 150 more," said Asra Garg. Police officials say that the caste discrimination has social, economical and political facets and needs to be dealt sensitively. "To start with we will begin with strict law enforcement," said a senior police official. "Police see caste discrimination as a law and order problem. But it goes beyond that. A detailed study should be done on caste discrimination and untouchability in Tamil Nadu. The government should launch a campaign to spread the message that untouchability is not only an offence, but also a sin,'' said A Kathir, executive director of Evidence, a NGO. ___________________________________________________ -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From yasir.media at gmail.com Sun May 8 22:14:01 2011 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?IHlhc2lyIH7ZitinINiz2LE=?=) Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 21:44:01 +0500 Subject: [Reader-list] considering banning the net again .... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: One more round http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2011/05/lhc-to-consider-permanent-ban-on-facebook/ last time the court tried this, they asked ISPs, telecoms (cellphone) to ban FB, and any proxy sites they could find. in previous years they forgot blackberry but last year they shut that too ... we are open to suggestion. yasir From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sun May 8 22:31:18 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 10:01:18 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] 'Where Have All the Seasons Gone?' Message-ID: Delhi Platform, along with the Gujarat Agricultural Labour Union (GALU) and the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF), has just published a 48-page report 'Where Have All the Seasons Gone? Current Impacts of Climate Change in Gujarat'. It focuses in particular on the impacts of climate change on small and marginal farmers, and on agricultural workers in parts of Gujarat. A summary of the report is pasted below. Anyone interested in the full printed copy, please contact us at delhiplatform at gmail.com. Those in Delhi are welcome to come to our meetings in Coffee House in central Delhi, where you could also pick up a copy. In solidarity, Nagraj Adve, and others, Delhi Platform SUMMARY OF THE REPORT Global warming has finally begun to get the attention of the world in the last few years, though a sense of urgency and a commensurate response is still lacking where it is needed most. With that, there has been a plethora of attempts to study and analyze it at the macro level. However, there has been a relative lack of detailed studies of the impacts on the ground, particularly in India. We need to understand better how people across gender, caste and class divides in different regions and ecosystems are being impacted by climate change; if and how they are responding; and which responses are effective and which are not. Many players need to take part in efforts in this direction, because to address the issues meaningfully, participatory response, at the local, regional, as well as the global level, is essential. This report reveals the already considerable impacts of global warming on small and marginal farmers, and on agricultural labour in northern and eastern Gujarat. A joint team comprising activists of Delhi Platform, of the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF), along with the Gujarat Agricultural Labour Union (GALU), Bandhkaam Mazdoor Sanghatan and Disha, visited villages in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts in northern Gujarat and the predominantly adivasi Dahod and Panchmahal districts in eastern Gujarat in late-November, early December 2010. This report is based on our conversations with residents in villages there; discussions with activists; interactions with those knowledgeable about Gujarat’s social structure, agriculture and water systems; and on relevant primary data and secondary literature. Residents in villages told us about a range of climate change effects in recent years (presented in chapter 1). These date back from about half a decade to a slightly longer 15-20 years. They include a rise in winter temperature and a consequent loss of dew (atmospheric moisture) for the winter crops; irregularity in rainfall; delays in the main southwest monsoon and a decline in rains in June; more intense rainfall events, a lot of rain in fewer days; patchiness in rainfall over a region; and a rise in summer temperatures and heat. Many of these reported changes are in keeping with changes elsewhere in India; some, such as the loss of dew, we were hearing for the first time. Secondly, whereas people in villages had expectedly a clear idea of changes in rainfall and other climatic patterns, there was very little awareness about why it was happening or that anthropocentric global warming was to blame. The impacts of climate change on small and marginal farmers (chapter 3) have been varied: a. Warmer winters have meant reduced moisture for their winter crops, maize, wheat, tuar dal, etc, due to the absence of dew, resulting in sharply reduced yields or farmers even having to leave their lands fallow. Those without access to well water in eastern Gujarat are particularly hard-hit by this, and they typically tend to be from the poorest households. b. Warmer winters are also resulting in the increased incidence of pest attacks in both regions. Consequently, farmers are being forced to incur a further burden of higher input/pesticide costs. c. Irregular rainfall events are harming agriculture in different ways. For instance, the production of cotton and other crops such as groundnut and potato was devastated in 2010-2011 due to excessively and unprecedented rains until late November. These extensive rains, very likely caused by climate change, extended for hundreds of kilometres beyond Gujarat, to southern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, etc. d. The extraction of groundwater by farmers has accentuated greatly with the increasing cultivation of market-driven cash and water-intensive crops, and by climate change. This has resulted in a sharp fall in the water table, particularly in northern Gujarat. As this intensifies, it has serious implications for the farm economy generally, in particular for poorer farmers directly and landless labour indirectly through the reduced demand for labour. e. Milk production – which is central to household economies, particularly among poor households, both in eastern Gujarat but particularly in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha – is getting hit due to thermal heat stress faced by local and hybrid cow breeds. The availability of fodder, free or at least inexpensively, has diminished, putting more pressure on households least able to cope with it. This also affects the fat content in the milk, thereby reducing the price at which milk can be sold. f. Food security of the poorest households have begun to get hit as yields of food crops such as maize, wheat and pulses have begun to suffer, wiping out possible short-term gains from Green Revolution strategies. Our visit reconfirmed our long-held view that the impacts of global warming are being felt most by those least responsible for it. For small and marginal farmers, crop failure due to climate change can be a disaster and can plunge them into a cycle of debt, or into forced migration to factories or construction work in western and south Gujarat. For sharecroppers (bataidars) and agricultural workers in Gujarat (and elsewhere in India), the impacts of climate change (discussed in chapter 4) means a serious loss of work and wages. In North Gujarat for instance, the damage to the cotton crop meant a loss of about 30-40 days’ work per agricultural worker, or about Rs 4,000 per worker, a big setback to households in which more than one member engages in agricultural labour. It meant migration, but thousands of workers made that journey to find no work at the end of it because the crop had been damaged there too. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that impacts of climate change on agricultural workers in India are being presented in a published report. Climate change cannot be viewed in isolation from social processes. The capacity to absorb the impacts of climate change is crucially dependent on two factors in any agrarian setting: land ownership and access to water. A third factor, in parts of Gujarat, is animal husbandry, given its centrality for household economies. The social structure and land ownership, the extensive tapping of groundwater in northern Gujarat and its relative absence in adivasi areas of eastern Gujarat; the development of milk cooperatives and the interconnections between these three elements of the agrarian economy are discussed in chapter 2, along with some recent developments, such as the decline in groundwater, policy variations in electrical supply over the last 20 years, the development of contract farming more recently, and how north and eastern Gujarat differ in many of these. What might be the way ahead? A concluding chapter (chapter 5) suggests that our responses would need to be at different levels. It mentions specifics such as compensation for workers due to loss of work, and to farmers for loss in crop yields, and possible sources for such compensatory payments. Regarding cushioning the impacts of, and adapting to climate change, NREGA has a considerable role to play in the better distribution of water and electricity, in developing and maintaining ponds; check dams; development of grasslands, revival of forests, water harvesting, etc. The chapter also discusses crucial wider questions that the issue of global warming revives, without which no meaningful long term solution is possible. Two such central questions are equity, and, connected to it, reviving the notion of the commons. Land reforms are central to any notion of equity in an agrarian setting. But what would equity mean in the context of access to water, and more specifically, groundwater? It would include snapping the link between access to land, capital and technology, and access to water. How does one have arrangements in place at the community level that ensure that even the landless and the poor have a right to water? To understand better these and related questions, we briefly discuss some earlier struggles in Maharashtra and elsewhere around equitable distribution of water. Climate change is only one among a range of ecological crises that humanity has created and needs to tackle with urgency. Global warming draws our attention, once again, to man’s relations with nature and relations within human society. It forces us to rethink our entire development trajectory itself. The need to tackle global warming hence needs to be made part of a larger struggle for equity. In that longer struggle, reports such as the one that follows below, can at best, but we hope, play a small part. From chintan.backups at gmail.com Mon May 9 11:42:30 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 11:42:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] CSCS Bangalore seeks Programme Associate Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Rahul Gonsalves Begin forwarded message: *From:* "Prasad Krishna" *Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore seeks Programme* * Associate * * * The Higher Education Cell, Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore, is looking for a Programme Associate under its Social Justice initiative. The job profile is as follows: - Working closely with colleges in three states, helping to organize and conduct workshops for undergraduate students and teachers; - Facilitating development of innovative student projects addressing issues of social justice/diversity; - Undertaking content management for the project website, newsletter and blogs; - Building and sustaining online communities using creative and user-friendly web-based platforms and documenting processes of growth. The candidate should be under 35 years of age and have good knowledge of computer applications and multimedia technologies. Ability to communicate effectively with undergraduate students is a pre-requisite. The job is based in Bangalore but involves a fair amount of travel within the country. Experience in teaching/research in the higher education sector and with media organisations would be additional qualifications. Consolidated honorarium will be in the range of 18,000-20,000 per month commensurate with experience. Send in applications in soft copy and hard copy along with an updated CV to: Dr. Tejaswini Niranjana Higher Education Cell CSCS 827, 29th Main Poornaprajna Layout Uttarahalli Bangalore - 560061 Deadline: May 31, 2011. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in person. Those who have applied earlier need not apply. For detailed job description *click here* . Thank you Prasad Krishna Publication Manager Centre for Internet and Society prasad at cis-india.org From the-network at koeln.de Mon May 9 13:14:33 2011 From: the-network at koeln.de (CologneOFF2011) Date: Mon, 09 May 2011 09:44:33 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?Videoart_in_May_---=3E_CologneOFF_20?= =?iso-8859-1?q?11_Baltic_Sea?= Message-ID: <20110509094434.5962F3D3.3481324@192.168.0.4> Press Release ------------------------------------- CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context nomadic festival project 1 January - 31 December 2011 Download the new PDF catalogue http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_Baltic-Sea.pdf ------------------------------------- Cologne International Videoart Festival proudly informs --> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea 12 May - 2 June 2011 http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/?page_id=1059 --> a series of screenings and exhibitions taking place in Szczecin/Poland - 12-14 May 2011 OFFicyna Szczecin, Szczecin 2016 - Culture's Observatory St.Petersburg/Russia - 19-21 May 2011 Smolny University, ProArte, NCCA - National Center for Contemporary Art, Goethe Institute Tampere/Finland - 26-28 May 2011 Arteles, Gallerija Rajatila Tallinn/Estonia - 1 & 2 June 2011 Estonian Academy of Arts Tallinn On its tour once around the globe, CologneOFF 2011 is making four stops around the Baltic Sea in May /June 2011 focussing in its curated programs on videoart from the Nordic and Baltic countries --> Norway curated by Margarida Paiva, Oslo Screen Festival Sweden curated by Jonas Nilsson & Eva Olsson, art:screen Sweden Finland curated by Pekka Ruuska, Arteles Tampere Germany, Iceland, Denmark & Lithuania curated by Agricola de Cologne, artvideoKOELN Poland by Antoni Karwowski, OFFicyna Szczecin Russia curated by Vika Ilyushkina, Cyland MediaLab St.Petersburg Lativa curated by Dzingars Zingalvis, Noass Riga/Latvia Estonia curated by Raivo Kelomees, Estonian Academy of Arts and the solo feature - Anders Weberg (Sweden), videoartist of the Month May 2011 Besides this common focus, each of the 4 venues has its own structures of complementary screening and installation programs including 19 curators, more than 400 videos by 250 videoartists. The biggest presentation series so far, CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea is demonstrating again the richness and diversity of global videoart creation. The basic festival program CologneOFF VI can be reviewed 24hours seven days of a week including all 80 videos in full length online. Access via ---> http://coff.newmediafest.org or http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/ The PDF catalogue - downloadable for free --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_Baltic-Sea.pdf gives all basic information about this unique media art context CologneOFF 2011 and its programs. --------------------------------------------------- CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context nomadic festival project 1 January - 31 December 2011 is coordinated, curated and directed by Agricola de Cologne http://coff.newmediafest.org http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/ May 2011 venues --> ---> CologneOFF 2011 Timisoara (II) Timisoara International Short Film Festival - 4-8 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Laos 2nd Vientinale International Film Festival /Laos - 12-15 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (I) Szczecin 2016 - Culture's Observatory 12-14 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Yerewan International Film Festival Yerewan/Armenia - 17-24 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (II) St.Petersburg - Smolny University, ProArte & NCCA - 19-21 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Athens Athens Videoart Festival Athen/Greece) - 20-22 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (III) Tampere (Fi) - Arteles & Galleria Rajatila - 26-28 May Download also the PDF catalogues CologneOFF 2011 Ukraine (14-20 March 2011) --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_UKRAINE.pdf CologneOFF 2011 ARAD (31 March -2 April) --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_ARAD.pdf CologneOFF 2011 Timisora (12 April-8 May 2011) --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_Timisoara.pdf CologneOFF - Cologne International Videoart Festival operated & powered by artvideoKOELN the curatorial initiative "art & moving images" http://video.mediaartcologne.org info(at)coff.newmediafest.org ------------------------------------ From drew at futureeverything.org Mon May 9 13:48:48 2011 From: drew at futureeverything.org (Drew Hemment) Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 09:18:48 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] Launch Invite / New Festival Hubs / Data Dimension Article Message-ID: FUTUREEVERYTHING 2011 11-14 May, Manchester England Less than one week to go till FutureEverything 2011, featuring live music, art premieres, inspiring talks, club nights and events in the stunning setting of our brand new city centre location plus venues across Manchester. Tickets and info http://futureeverything.org LAUNCH INVITATION http://futureeverything.org/general/launch/ Subscribers to this list are invited to the FutureEverything 2011 opening 5pm-8pm on Wed 11 May. Be the first to see the artworks, meet the artists and festival team, and celebrate the launch of FutureEverything 2011. With guided gallery tours from 5pm and complementary cocktails courtesy of Absolut. DATA DIMENSION ARTICLE http://rhizome.org/editorial/2011/may/6/data-dimension-futureeverything-2011/ Data is the evidence, the trace of everything that has past, a slice of time which once was, and it is changing our future. Following Open Data Cities and the launch of DataGM.org.uk, the Data Dimension exhibition http://bit.ly/aZsk7Y makes data come alive in thought provoking and moving ways. Part of FutureEverything Data Arts http://bit.ly/lMvPiF. An article on the Data Dimension has been published on Rhizome. NEW FESTIVAL VENUES http://futureeverything.org/futureeverything-2011-hubs The festival takes place in 30 venues across the city, including heritage sites and major concert venues, with the Art and Conference hub in a new city centre location, hosting a cocktail bar designed for the Festival, plus food by one of Manchester’s finest independent cafes. AWARD http://futureeverything.org/award/ The year's most inspirational digital innovations are celebrated in the FutureEverything Award 2011. The award celebrates the creative imagination that will shape our future. The 2011 International Jury is Bruce Sterling, Yukiko Shikata, Jeremy Myerson. The 3 outstanding innovations shortlisted this year are Macon Money, DIYcity, Interior Design. CONFERENCE http://futureeverything.org/conference The FutureEverything Conference (12-13 May) is the crucible that allows artists, technologists and future-thinkers to share, innovate and interact. This year it looks at emotional computing, open data, new mobilities and the gamification of urban environments with speakers including BBC's Bill Thompson, Guardian's Meg Pickard, pervasive gaming expert Kars Alfrink and new media writer Sue Thomas. MUSIC http://futureeverything.org/music The sensational Music Programme includes Steve Reich, the "greatest living composer" (The New York Times), LA's hotly tipped Warpaint and Das Racist in their first UK performance. Radio 1's Rob Da Bank re-scores the classic film King Kong (1933), and 65daysofstatic performs the live soundtrack to Silent Running (1972). Live shows include Beach House, Gang Gang Dance and F**ked Up, and club nights from Martyn, Daedelus, Kyle Hall, Alex Smoke & Tolga Fidan. ART http://futureeverything.org/art The Art Programme main exhibition, The Data Dimension, makes data come alive in thought provoking and moving ways. Be the first to see 'the YouTube movie', in our special sneak preview of the Kevin MacDonald directed film. Experience an artwork that visualises your brainwaves as you sip delicious cocktails, and an unforgettable interactive performance, where a telescope set high above the city reveals a cinematic plot in the streets below. Get hands-on with digital crafts in Handmade, a day of digital craft and contemporary making at Victoria Baths. SHOWCASE http://futureeverything.org/showcase A programme of independent music and art events, Showcase gives new and groundbreaking talent the opportunity to get their work seen and heard. Taking place at the Music and Showcase Hub Umbro Design Studio, and extending out to venues across the city, Showcase is the place to discover the sounds and stars of tomorrow, with emerging talent from across the city and beyond. TICKETS http://futureeverything.org/tickets With less than a week to go until the start of this year's FutureEverything festival don't miss out on Festival Passes and event tickets which are selling fast. The Festival Pass is your gateway to the FutureEverything Festival 2011. You gain access to all festival events including special and Gala events, as well as access to events within the music programme*. All art exhibitions and events are free. LEARN MORE Download the Festival Brochure (PDF) (http://bit.ly/m1eQQe) and listen to our Spotify Playlist (http://bit.ly/mFIbPX). Read more about the programme and our year round digital innovation projects on the cultureBlog (http://futureeverything.org/cultureblog) and innovationBlog (http://futureeverything.org/innovationblog). Upload your sites, sounds and thoughts of FutureEverything to the Festival Portal (http://www.fe-2011.org). *exclusions apply, see Terms and Conditions (http://futureeverything.org/tickets/terms-and-conditions/) FutureEverything is support by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, ImaginationLancaster, Lancaster University and the European Union within the CULTURE PROGRAMME (2007 - 2013). From Image.Science at donau-uni.ac.at Mon May 9 17:27:14 2011 From: Image.Science at donau-uni.ac.at (Image Science) Date: Mon, 09 May 2011 13:57:14 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Media Art Histories Conference 2013 in Riga! Message-ID: <4DC7F2BA0200007D00009A71@gwgwia.donau-uni.ac.at> MEDIA ART HISTORIES Conference 2013 in Riga! After Liverpool this Sept/Oct 2011, Melbourne 2009, Berlin 2007 and Banff 2005, the Media Art Histories board has decided to grant the next conference to RIXC Center for New Media Culture in Riga, Latvia. The successful host was chosen from a variety of applications from different continents answering the international call for proposals and the board is pleased that the 5th conference will take place in the heart of the Baltic region. MAH Board: Sean CUBITT, Oliver GRAU, Linda HENDERSON, Erkki HUHTAMO, Machiko KUSAHARA, Doug KAHN, Martin KEMP, Tim LENOIR, Gunalan NADARAJAN and Paul THOMAS Renew 2013 will address current tendencies in sustainability quests from various perspectives. As media art is based on increasingly aging technology and is dependent on energy (electricity) the conference will discuss how sustainability approach can be applied to the issues of producing, preserving and representing the media artworks * how to renew them. By focusing on practices and histories of networked media arts, Renew will cover abroad range of topics to include early communication arts (mail, fax, radio,satellite, etc.), net.art and net.radio, open source and network culture, locative media and wireless communities, hybrid networks and electromagnetic art, and at last but not least * artistic investigations of renewable energy, and future visions of art within converged information and energy networks. Original MISSION STATEMENT Media Art Histories Conference Series: Recognizing the increasing significance of media art for our culture, this conference series on the Histories of Media Art will discuss for the first time the history of media art within the interdisciplinary and intercultural contexts of the histories of art. Numerous individuals and institutions collaborate to produce the international art history conference series covering art and new media, art and technology, art-science interaction, and the history of media as pertinent to contemporary art. written by: Irina ARISTARKHOVA, Annick BUREAUD, Dieter DANIELS, Sara DIAMOND, Diana DOMINGUES, Jean GAGNON, Oliver GRAU, Machiko KUSAHARA, Roger MALINA, Gunalan NADARAJAN, Manrai HSU, Ryszard KLUSZCYNSKI, Edward SHANKEN (Italy, 2004) www.mediaarthistories.org From rohitrellan at aol.in Tue May 10 09:23:50 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 09 May 2011 23:53:50 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Habitat Film Festival 2011, New Delhi Message-ID: <8CDDCDD01962013-12AC-19FAB@Webmail-m112.sysops.aol.com> Hi, This one is for the film buffs- The annual Habitat Film Festival—Returns!! A week long extravaganza of films from across the country, the fare promises to be an exciting bouquet for those with a passion for life on the lens! Travel through the various genres of Rituparno Ghosh’s works, witness breath taking landscape cinematography in films shot across the country, feel the pulse of folk music reverberate through you, live the lifestyles of regional India! Be taken over by a cinematic exposure, live the festival and we promise you a fanfare that will subsume you in a cine experience to remember! The Programme Team Habitat Film Festival 2011 Retrospective of Award Winning Actor- Director Rituparno Ghosh Also featuring short films screened at IFFI 2011 Saturday, May 14, 6:30pm - Inauguration All screenings followed by Q & A with directors DATE TIME FILM 14th Sat 7:00pm RETRO - Arekti Premer Golpo (Just Another Love Story) Bengali/Eng/2010/128mins Dirs. Kaushik Ganguly & Rituparno Ghosh 8:30pm Lost Mother (Eng/2011/85mins) Dir. Monalisa Dasgupta 15th Sun 10:15am Short Film- Mr. India (Manipuri/ 2009/47mins) Dir.Haobam Paban Kumar 11:00am Chithakuzhal (The Bird Catcher) (Malayalam/2010/83mins) Dir. Majeed Gulistan 2:00pm Jaangfaai Joonaak (From The Shadow Of Silence) (Assamese/2011/82mins)Dir. Sanjib Sabhapandit 3:45pm Short Film- Surang (The Tunnel) (Hindi/2009/11mins) Dir. Anurag Goswami 4:00pm No One Killed Jessica (Hindi/2011/136mins) Dir. Raj Kumar Gupta 6:30pm Khaddama (Expatriate Housemaid) (Malayalam/2011/107mins) Dir. Kamal 8:30pm RETRO - Abohoman (Bengali/2010/122mins) Dir. Rituparno Ghosh 16th Mon 6:30pm Bettada Jeeva (Man Of The Hills) (Kannada/2011/108mins) Dir. P. Seshadri 8:30pm RETRO - Bariwali (The Lady Of The House) (Bengali/2000/150mins)Dir. Rituparno Ghosh 17th Tue 6:30pm Udaan (The Flight) (Hindi/2010/134mins) Dir. Vikramaditya Motwane 8:30pm Aidonla Aidhu (Five Ones Are Five) (Kannada/2011/114mins)Dir.V. K. Prakash 18th Wed 6:30pm O Maria (Konkani/2010/106mins) Dir. Rajendra N. Talak 8:30pm RETRO - Antarmahal (Views Of The Inner Chamber) (Bengali/2005/118mins)Dir. Rituparno Ghosh 19th Thu 6:30pm Magiya Kaala (Kannada/2011/100mins) Dir. Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy 8:30pm Necklace (Bengali/2010/95mins) Dir. Sekhar Das 20th Fri 6:30pm Nandalala (Tamil/2010/125mins) Dir. Mysskin 8:30pm RETRO - Shob Charitro Kalponik (All Characters Are Imaginary) Bengali/2009/98mins | Dir. Rituparno Ghosh 21st Sat 10:30am Short film- Sesh Asha (The Last Hope) (Eng/2010/23mins) Dir. Dip Bhuyan 11:00am T. D. Dasan Standard VI B (Malayalam/2010/98mins) Dir. Mohan Raghavan 1:45pm Short film- Charulathayude Bakki (Malayalam/15mins)Dir. Sangeetha Padmanabhan 2:00pm Byari (Byari/2010/100mins) Dir. Suveeran 3:45pm Short film- Courtroom Nautanki (The Courtroom Farce) (Hindi/2010/14mins)Dir. Chittaranjan Tripathy 4:00pm Riwayat (Hindi/2010/120mins) Dir. Vijay Patkar 6:30pm Good Night, Good Morning (Eng/2010/ 110mins) Dir. Sudhish Kamath 8:30pm Deswa (The Country) (Hindi/Bhojpuri/ 2011/140mins) Dir. Nitin Chandra 22nd Sun 10:30am Short film- Rupban (Bengali/2010/27mins) Dir. Supriyo Sen 11:00am I Am Kalam (Hindi/2010/87mins) Dir. Nila Madhab Panda 2:00pm Pranchiyettan & The Saint (Malayalam/ 2010/133mins) Dir. Ranjith 3:45pm Short film- Dhruva Nakshatram (The Pole Star) (Tamil/2010/11mins)Dir. S. Aravind 4:00pm Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (I Am Sindhutai Sapkal) (Marathi/2010/114mins)Dir. Ananth Mahadevan 6:30pm RETRO - Noukadubi (Boatwreck) (Bengali/2010/146mins) Dir. Rituparno Ghosh OTHER FILMS DATE TIME FILM 2nd Mon 7:00pm DOC FILM | Premiere of Spirit Of Moksha (Hindi/2010/105mins) Dir.Rajeev Gautam. The film examines the celebration, concept and purpose of Kumbh Mela as the biggest festival of faith, world over. It makes an analytical presentation of myths and truths behind the spirit which leads millions together towards the common cause of attaining salvation. Limited invitations available at the Programme desk 27th Fri 10:30am onwards FILM CLUB SCREENING | I Am (English/Hindi/2011/71mins) Dir.Sonali Gulati. Chronicles the journey of an Indian lesbian filmmaker who returns to Delhi, eleven years later, to re-open what was once home, and finally confronts the loss of her mother whom she never came out to. As she meets and speaks to parents of other gay and lesbian Indians, she pieces together the fabric of what family truly means, in a landscape where being gay was until recently a criminal and punishable offense. Winner of Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, 2011. The director will be present for an interaction post screening 29th Sun 10:30am onwards FILM CLUB SCREENING | Short Film Festival. A showcasing of critically acclaimed short films from across the world Collab: Shamiana Film schedules are subject to last minute changes. Contact Us Habitat World at India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road New Delhi - 110003 (India) Tel: 91-11-43663333, Extn. 3093 Fax: 91-11-24682052, 24682054 E-mail: habitatworld at oldworldhospitality.com From santhoshhrishikesh at gmail.com Tue May 10 13:42:48 2011 From: santhoshhrishikesh at gmail.com (santhosh hk) Date: Tue, 10 May 2011 12:42:48 +0430 Subject: [Reader-list] Must Read: Interview with Arundhathi Roy by David Barsamian Message-ID: Read an exclusive Interview by Famous writer and the founder of Alternative Radio David Barsamian with Indian author and activist Arundhathi Roy here: The Interview covers her latest position in Kashmir Issue, Maoism etc etc... http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703:arundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15:essay&Itemid=19 From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed May 11 11:36:32 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 02:06:32 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] CALL FOR ENTRIES: The Smalls Short Film Fest 2011 In-Reply-To: <10ba.1fb87d4.3afab2ee@UNKNOWN> References: <10ba.1fb87d4.3afab2ee@UNKNOWN> Message-ID: <8CDDDB8B5D197BA-1CBC-74F2@webmail-d135.sysops.aol.com> Hi ,       Areyou ready for the ultimate showcase for short film directors,producers, writers and animators? The Smalls Short Film Fest 2011 Callfor Entries is now open! This means that you have the opportunity tocompete to WIN £1000 CASH and to see your film screened at The Smalls Short Film Fest in London this September. We’re looking for YOU, talented and exciting filmmakers, to submityour best work in either of our two categories "Best Under 5 Min" and"Best over 5 Min" (up to 15 minutes long). It doesn’t matter if you are astudent, amateur or a seasoned pro or whether you have made your filmon your mobile or using 33mm film – everybody has an equal chance to winthat £1000 CASH prize and get great industry exposure through ourevents.  All we ask is that your films express creativity and originality, as apanel of industry professionals, who are looking for original ideas,inspiring scripts and great execution, will judge them. The Smalls Short Film Fest 2011 is taking place at The Gallery Sohoon Charing Cross Rd, London, UK on the 21st and 22nd of September. Curious of who won last year? Watch Grant St Shaving Company by Payal Sethi – 2010 Winner Best Film Over 5 Minutes Or, watch A Cheeky 20 by Chris Fallen - 2010 Winner Best Film Under 5 Minutes CLICK HERE TO ENTER! http://www.thesmalls.com/filmfest2011/Upload.aspx From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed May 11 11:51:28 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 02:21:28 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Grant Submissions Open: Deadline June 9th 2011 In-Reply-To: <2bec68fac7-rohitrellan=aol.in@mail.vresp.com> References: <2bec68fac7-rohitrellan=aol.in@mail.vresp.com> Message-ID: <8CDDDBACBEB3308-1CBC-7740@webmail-d135.sysops.aol.com> Grants Submissions are Open: Deadline June 9th 2011 Dear Friends, We're thrilled to announce that Cinereach is now accepting letters of inquiry for the Summer Grants Cycle via our online application center. http://cinereachapplicationcenter.force.com/Login Prior to applying, we encourage all applicants to become familiar with our Priorities & Guidelines http://www.cinereach.org/grants/granting-program-guidelines and to read through our How to Apply page, http://www.cinereach.org/grants/how-to-apply1 which we hope will make your application process a smooth one. The submission deadline is Thursday, June 9th 2011 at 11:59pm (EST). All applicants can expect to be notified regarding the status of their LOI application by August 1st 2011. We're excited to become more familiar with your projects, and look forward to expanding the Cinereach community. All our best, Adella Ladjevardi Grants Manager Cinereach 126 5th Avenue, #5R New York, New York 10011 US » cinereach.org/grants » grants at cinereach.org From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu May 12 09:10:00 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 23:40:00 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] STATE INSTITUTE OF FILM & TV (SIF&T), Haryana: APPOINTMENT for position of Director/ Recruitment of Faculty Message-ID: <8CDDE6D67B667DC-1FA0-2CE0C@webmail-m138.sysops.aol.com> APPOINTMENT for position of Director State Institution of Fashion & Design, State Institute of Film &T.V and State institute of Fine Arts, are being established by Government of Haryana at an expenditure of Rs. 300.00 crores in Institutional Campus Sector -6, Rohtak. Rohtak is a well developed city and District Head Quarter. It is well connected by rail and road (NH-10, 70 Km. from Delhi). Rohtak falls in National Capital Region of Delhi. On behalf of search committee, applications for the post of Director(s) from eligible candidates are invited. Nominations from eminent personality’s, reputed academician of concerned areas, renowned professionals are also welcome. The institutes are going to be started from current session 2011-12 with total strength intake of 240 students for 4 Institutions and total strength is likely to be increased to 6000 in coming years.State Institute of Film & TV is offering 3 year Degree courses in Direction, Cinematography, Audiography, Editing and Acting Name of Institute State institute of Film & TV (SIF&TV) Name of Post /Pay Scale/ Age Limit: Director ( Pay Scale: Rs37,400-67,000+ Grade pay of Rs.10,000), Age Limit 50-55 Years Qualification (i) Post Graduate diploma or degree or equivalent qualifications from a university/ Institute of repute in Film & TV. (ii) Must have experience in film industry. (iii) Must have at least 15 years of Administrative and managerial experience at senior position. (iv) Must have academic/ industrial experience in and institution / industry of a repute, atleast 10years of which should be in senior position. OR Eminent Film personality. The Age/Qualification / Experience may be relaxed by Search Committee in exceptional circumstances. Applications (on plain paper) in the sealed cover indicating the post applied for are to be addressed to Director General Technical Education, Haryana, Bays7-12, Sector-4, Panchkula. The last Date for submission of completed application / nominations along with Bio-Data of candidate is 30-05-2011. Sd/- DIRECTOR GENERAL Member Secy., GTIS.Rohtak ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Recruitment of Faculty Application for faculty positions are invited as given below:  STATE INSTITUTE OF FILM & TV (SIF&T) Name of Post - Lecturer Direction - 1 Cinematography - 1 Audiography - 1 Editing - 1 Acting- 1  EDUCTIONAL QUALIFICATION AND EXPRIENCE Post Graduate Diploma or degree or equivalent qualifications from an university/ institute of repute in Film & TV in relevant area Must have experience in Film /TV Industry. Must have academic/ industrial experience in an institution/industry of a repute, atleast 2years of which should be in middle position. OR Diploma qualification from institute of repute in Film / TV in relevant area. Must have experience in Film /TV Industry. Must have at least 8 years of Administrative and Managerial experience at middle position. Must have academic/ industrial experience in an institution/ industry of a repute, atleast 4years of which should be in middle position. Note: 1. The details regarding above posts such as qualifications, Experience can also be seen at www.techeduhry.nic.in. 2. The Age/Qualification / Experience may be relaxed by Selection Committee in exceptional circumstances. 3. Pay scale of post of lecturer is 15600-29,100 with grade Rs.5400/-. 4. Reservation policy is as per Govt. of Haryana Guidelines. 5. Deserving Candidates may be offered higher position /salary. 6. Candidates who have attained their qualification from Apex Institute or have experience of serving in them shall be preferred. 7. No. of Position may vary. Applications (on plain paper) in the sealed cover indicating the post applied for are to be addressed to Director General Technical Education, Haryana, Bays7-12, Sector-4, Panchkula. The last Date for submission of completed application / nominations along with Bio-Data of candidate is 30-05-2011 From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Thu May 12 14:29:13 2011 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 14:29:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Nationwide Protest Repeal AFSPA, Free Sharmila In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: *Call for Nationwide Protest Repeal AFSPA, Free Sharmila * Dear friends, Perhaps you are aware that the hunger fast of Irom Sharmila Chanu has crossed 10 years, with a demand for repeal of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. She has been force fed through her nose by the Government, arrested with charges for attempt to commit suicide, criminalised as a high security prisoner, denying her access to family, friends, supporters and the media. It is a shame that in this land of Gandhi, a non-violent protester has been subjected to such humiliation for more than ten years. Globally, in the history of non-violent resistance, this struggle is unmatched in terms of its resilence and sustaining power. The draconian act of AFSPA has been implemented in North eastern states of India since 1958 and in Jammu and Kashmir since 1991. It was on May 22, 1958, that the AFSPA was promulgated in the north east as an ordinance. This law is more draconian than its predecessor ordinance used by the British to suppress the Quit India Movement. It gave extraordinary powers to members of the armed forces, to arrest without warrant and shoot to kill on the basis of suspicion; and no legal action can be taken up against the armed forces without prior sanction from the Centre. After a brief discussion, the Parliament endorsed the ordinance an Act on August 18, 1958, despite stiff resistance from various qurters who challenged it as a martial law. Needless to say, that with the pretension of controlling insurgence, this Act has only intensified the insurgency in the region and legitimised thousands of gross human rights violations like rape, torture, murder and “disappearances” of innocent people in the north east. The democratic movements in the north east have consistently demanded the repeal of the Act for decades. In solidarity, we, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) hereby call to all democratic forums, human rights groups and people’s movements to initiate various public protest actions from May 22 to August 18, demanding immediate repeal of AFSPA, in solidarity with Irom Sharmila. AFSPA is not only opposed by the civil society groups but also by the Government’s own commissions and committees appointed to look into the matter. For example, the Committee to Review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, headed by Justice B. P. Jeevan Reddy in 2005, the Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Dr. Veerappan Moily in 2007 and several others have recommended its repeal. Internationally, the UN bodies including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the U N High Commissioner for Human Rights and recently the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders have consistently urged for its repeal. However, all these went to the deaf ears of the Government. We hereby strongly condemn the use of our tax payers’ money for the militarisation of the civic spaces within the country. We recognise that if the struggle of Irom Sharmila fails, it will be a failure of the entire democratic movements in this country as well as a deep scar on Indian democracy for generations. Therefore, in the wake of the 54th year of imposition of AFSPA, we appeal to all human rights groups, social and political activist groups, people’s movements and NGOs to initiate the following public protest actions demanding the repeal of AFSPA in solidarity with Irom Sharmila, during May 22 to August 18, 2011: 1. Public protests, dharnas, relay hunger fasts in your area 2. Organise public meetings and seminars on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila demanding the repeal of AFSPA 3. Organise performances of the one woman play `Le mashale’ on Irom Sharmila by Ojas S.V. 4. Organise painting exhibitions on Irom Sharmila. The exhibition can be downloaded from: http://www.e-pao.net/epGallery.asp?id=1&src=AFSPA_Related/Neogene201102 5. Organise film screening programmes on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila. Copies of the video films are available from: email: insafdelhi at gmail.com or phone: 011-26517814 6. Initiate public signature campaigns and send them to the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, the Law Minster, the Home Minister and the National Human Rights Commission 7. Initiate statements by well known writers, intellectuals, film personalities, theatre people, musicians and other artists 8. Any other form of action that you may find appropriate to strengthen the democracy of this country We request you to publicise your action through the internet and mass media and send the reports of your actions to: contact at iromsharmila.org National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) & National Fish workers’ Federation (NFF) From anivar at movingrepublic.org Thu May 12 14:29:58 2011 From: anivar at movingrepublic.org (Anivar Aravind) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 14:29:58 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Call for Nationwide Protest Repeal AFSPA, Free Sharmila In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: *Call for Nationwide Protest Repeal AFSPA, Free Sharmila * Dear friends, Perhaps you are aware that the hunger fast of Irom Sharmila Chanu has crossed 10 years, with a demand for repeal of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. She has been force fed through her nose by the Government, arrested with charges for attempt to commit suicide, criminalised as a high security prisoner, denying her access to family, friends, supporters and the media. It is a shame that in this land of Gandhi, a non-violent protester has been subjected to such humiliation for more than ten years. Globally, in the history of non-violent resistance, this struggle is unmatched in terms of its resilence and sustaining power. The draconian act of AFSPA has been implemented in North eastern states of India since 1958 and in Jammu and Kashmir since 1991. It was on May 22, 1958, that the AFSPA was promulgated in the north east as an ordinance. This law is more draconian than its predecessor ordinance used by the British to suppress the Quit India Movement. It gave extraordinary powers to members of the armed forces, to arrest without warrant and shoot to kill on the basis of suspicion; and no legal action can be taken up against the armed forces without prior sanction from the Centre. After a brief discussion, the Parliament endorsed the ordinance an Act on August 18, 1958, despite stiff resistance from various qurters who challenged it as a martial law. Needless to say, that with the pretension of controlling insurgence, this Act has only intensified the insurgency in the region and legitimised thousands of gross human rights violations like rape, torture, murder and “disappearances” of innocent people in the north east. The democratic movements in the north east have consistently demanded the repeal of the Act for decades. In solidarity, we, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) hereby call to all democratic forums, human rights groups and people’s movements to initiate various public protest actions from May 22 to August 18, demanding immediate repeal of AFSPA, in solidarity with Irom Sharmila. AFSPA is not only opposed by the civil society groups but also by the Government’s own commissions and committees appointed to look into the matter. For example, the Committee to Review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, headed by Justice B. P. Jeevan Reddy in 2005, the Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Dr. Veerappan Moily in 2007 and several others have recommended its repeal. Internationally, the UN bodies including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the U N High Commissioner for Human Rights and recently the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders have consistently urged for its repeal. However, all these went to the deaf ears of the Government. We hereby strongly condemn the use of our tax payers’ money for the militarisation of the civic spaces within the country. We recognise that if the struggle of Irom Sharmila fails, it will be a failure of the entire democratic movements in this country as well as a deep scar on Indian democracy for generations. Therefore, in the wake of the 54th year of imposition of AFSPA, we appeal to all human rights groups, social and political activist groups, people’s movements and NGOs to initiate the following public protest actions demanding the repeal of AFSPA in solidarity with Irom Sharmila, during May 22 to August 18, 2011: 1. Public protests, dharnas, relay hunger fasts in your area 2. Organise public meetings and seminars on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila demanding the repeal of AFSPA 3. Organise performances of the one woman play `Le mashale’ on Irom Sharmila by Ojas S.V. 4. Organise painting exhibitions on Irom Sharmila. The exhibition can be downloaded from: http://www.e-pao.net/epGallery.asp?id=1&src=AFSPA_Related/Neogene201102 5. Organise film screening programmes on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila. Copies of the video films are available from: email: insafdelhi at gmail.com or phone: 011-26517814 6. Initiate public signature campaigns and send them to the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, the Law Minster, the Home Minister and the National Human Rights Commission 7. Initiate statements by well known writers, intellectuals, film personalities, theatre people, musicians and other artists 8. Any other form of action that you may find appropriate to strengthen the democracy of this country We request you to publicise your action through the internet and mass media and send the reports of your actions to: contact at iromsharmila.org National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) & National Fish workers’ Federation (NFF) From the-network at koeln.de Thu May 12 18:34:05 2011 From: the-network at koeln.de (netEX) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 15:04:05 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?2_new_calls=3A_deadline_1_September_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?2011?= Message-ID: <20110512150405.3BE87EAB.623B295C@192.168.0.4> Calls for entries Deadline: 1 September 2011 Cologne International Videoart Festival http://coff.newmediafest.org --------------------------------- 2 thematic calls: 1. Football - Soccer - Fussball 2. Let's Save the World!? --------------------------------- 1. Football - Soccer - Fussball In 2012, in Poland and Ukraine the "European Football Championships" will be held showing once again how deeply rooted football (US- soccer) is in the contemporary society. Cologne International Videoart Festival is looking for its nomadic festival project CologneOFF (2011/2012) - videoart in a globale context 1 January 2011 - 31 December 2012 for experimental films and video art - dealing with --> football (soccer) as an artistic topic, --> the enthusiasm people all over the world is encouraging, but also not to forget --> phenomenons like hoogligans, violence or drugs. Football is a complex social phenomenon which is more than worth to be reflected in new forms of contemporary art. CologneOFF is inviting film- and videomakers all over the world to contribute and submit experimental films and video art by using the entry form on - http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3245 Deadline: 1 September 2011 ------------------------------------------------------ Call for entries Deadline: 1 September 2011 Cologne International Videoart Festival released a new call in the framework of its nomadic festival project CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context Let's Save the World !? 2011 was the year when people all over the world became aware again how vurnerable nature, but also the human species are. Especially, the disasters in Japan - earthquake/tsunami and nuclear - were causing countless human tragedies making all of us clear, neither nature nor technology can be controlled by humans. But these desasters stand in a long row of phenomenons with increasing negative effects on the enviroments we humans are living in, like global climate warming, global migrating, misuse of natural resources etc, and there is the real danger that our living sources are already destroyed before we actually are ready to react. Let's Save the World!? - is the theme of a special selection to be made in the framework of the nomadic festival project "CologneOFF 2011/2012 - videoart in a global context" http://coff.newmediafest.org which is not only appealing to work actively for the survival of our blue planet, but dealing with the questions what can be done to save the world and how can it be done, with environmental issues & substainability, social & global responsibility and much more. Artists working with "moving images" are invited to deal with all these and many more questions in their experimental films and videoart, to contribute and submit to this call by using the entry form on - http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3251 Deadline: 1 September 2011 ------------------------------------------- Cologne International Videoart Festival http://coff.newmediafest.org operated & powered by artvideoKOELN- the curatorial initiative "art and moving images" http.//video.mediaartcologne.org 2011 (at) coff.newmediafest.org -------------------------------------------- From lalitambardar at hotmail.com Thu May 12 18:38:26 2011 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 13:08:26 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian In-Reply-To: References: , , Message-ID: The post was in response to the interview of ADR whose admirers, who are in plenty on this forum, could have done a little better in their anarchistic idol’s glory. This petty ‘beef festival’ story is just a sycophantic exercise. However, eating beef by choice is one thing but in view of the aversion to ‘beef’ by an overwhelming population not just limited to upper casts across the country, holding ‘beef festival’ is a sinister provocation that could come from a perverted mind only. Try holding ‘pork festival’ in Hyderabad ……. Rgds all LA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 20:51:49 +0530 Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian From: c.anupam at gmail.com To: lalitambardar at hotmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net "Continued diatribe against so called upper class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How many upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India at national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is the de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. Today upper class Hindus are also competing in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the basis of religion & cast." I am supposedly a Brahmin. Yesterday, I spoke to a few students from EFLU in Hyderabad. Every month Dalit students organise a beef festival in the mess. Since beef is not readily available in this country, with a regime which calls for a ban of the selling of beef, but have been also kidnapping the animals from farmers (hundreds of instances in Rajasthan and Gujarat), these students bought buffalo meat. What my friends told me is that they have this festival every month. A few Upper Caste north Indian students, mind you some Brahmins as well, attacked these Dalit students. There are documentary evidences that these students urinated on the food, threw it on the walls. Altogether the incident left a bad taste beyond all the discourses and other things. It was food. The upper caste students, from what I have been told said that how can you organise a beef festival in the hostel mess. Thanking you Lalit. I hope I am able enough, with my whatever caste identity to keep replying to such "crap" over and over again. Anupam On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Lalit Ambardar wrote: The whole conversation sounds depressing. ‘I’, ‘me’ & ‘my’ are symptomatic of narcissism that overlays the hate India campaign. Besides self flagellation ad nauseam by her, Arundhati Roy’s affirmative contribution in ameliorating the living conditions of the very people she purportedly is concerned about is hardly anything. She has a list of grievances but no concrete suggestions to remove those. It is because of her chronic hostility towards the state that she readily embraces even the proponents of ‘azadi- bara- e- Islam’ (freedom for Islam) in Kashmir. Her comrade-in arms- Geelani who like other Kashmiri Muslim separatists regards Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Jinah’s religion based two nation doctrine & wants Kashmir’s inclusion with Pakistan has just declared Osama a ‘martyr’ calling for mass prayers today in Kashmir. ADR does not mind this religious blackmail of gullible masses. Her rhetoric on Kashmir might be a moral-booster for Kashmiri Muslim separatists & their indoctrinated foot soldiers but it can not erase Kashmir’s civilisational links with rest of India. It doesn’t bother her conscience that those Kashmiri jihadists who self admittedly got trained in Pakistan & ferried weapons from there & launched anti India jihad in 1989-90 & who deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity are roaming free, practicing ‘politics’. Even the brutal ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits at the hands of Kashmiri pan- Islamists in the land of their origin does not cause her any indignation. Continued diatribe against so called upper class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How many upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India at national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is the de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. Today upper class Hindus are also competing in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the basis of religion & cast. Talking about exploitation of tribals, it was way back in seventies that a journalist ‘bought’ a tribal girl from somewhere in central India to prove a point. Continued apathy towards tribals deserves utmost attention. But is ‘violence’ the answer? Maoists’ guns have brought the Maoists & their overt sympathisers in the limelight but development continues to elude. Induced ‘Christianisation’ over the decades has only divided the families & communities. As if all that is evil exists in India & in India only. Yes, we are no where close to claiming a system that ensures a fair degree of socio-economic justice. Crony capitalism is a serious threat. But there is a growing awareness of our shortcomings & positive activism is on rise. In spite of apparent pitfalls, it can not be denied that democracy is evolving in India. Civil checks & balances are necessary to counter the propensity to misuse democracy. If there was 2G scam, the media exposed it & the Govt. of the day is nailed. Civil society is pursuing introduction of severe laws against corruption. People are demanding return of Indian wealth illegally parked outside. Sustainability is the topic of discussion today. Peaceful awareness & opinion mobilisation campaigns would go a long way in nation building than antagonistic activism. Intellectual manipulations do not bring about genuine revolutions & revolution need not be synonymous with violence or anti India hate campaign. Rgds all…LA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com > Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 12:50:48 +0530 > To: reader-list at sarai.net > Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian > > http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703%3Aarundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15%3Aessay&Itemid=19 > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: _________________________________________ reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. Critiques & Collaborations To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list List archive: From c.anupam at gmail.com Thu May 12 18:49:27 2011 From: c.anupam at gmail.com (anupam chakravartty) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 18:49:27 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: How do you think of a hypothetical situation when you are calling a story about some people vandalizing a food festival as a sycophantic exercise. i wonder!!! On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 6:38 PM, Lalit Ambardar wrote: > The post was in response to the interview of ADR whose admirers, who are > in plenty on this forum, could have done a little better in their > anarchistic idol’s glory. This petty ‘beef festival’ story is just a > sycophantic exercise. However, eating beef by choice is one thing but in > view of the aversion to ‘beef’ by an overwhelming population not just > limited to upper casts across the country, holding ‘beef festival’ is a > sinister provocation that could come from a perverted mind only. Try > holding ‘pork festival’ in Hyderabad ……. Rgds all LA > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------ > Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 20:51:49 +0530 > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed > by David Barsamian > From: c.anupam at gmail.com > To: lalitambardar at hotmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net > > > "Continued diatribe against so called upper > class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How > many > upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India > at > national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is > the > de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. > Today upper class Hindus are also competing > in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only > derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the > basis of religion & cast." > > I am supposedly a Brahmin. Yesterday, I spoke to a few students from EFLU > in Hyderabad. Every month Dalit students organise a beef festival in the > mess. Since beef is not readily available in this country, with a regime > which calls for a ban of the selling of beef, but have been also kidnapping > the animals from farmers (hundreds of instances in Rajasthan and Gujarat), > these students bought buffalo meat. What my friends told me is that they > have this festival every month. > > A few Upper Caste north Indian students, mind you some Brahmins as well, > attacked these Dalit students. There are documentary evidences that these > students urinated on the food, threw it on the walls. Altogether the > incident left a bad taste beyond all the discourses and other things. It was > food. The upper caste students, from what I have been told said that how can > you organise a beef festival in the hostel mess. > > Thanking you Lalit. I hope I am able enough, with my whatever caste > identity to keep replying to such "crap" over and over again. > > Anupam > > > On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Lalit Ambardar wrote: > > > > > The whole conversation sounds depressing. > ‘I’, ‘me’ & ‘my’ are symptomatic of narcissism that overlays the hate India > campaign. > Besides self flagellation ad nauseam by her, Arundhati Roy’s affirmative > contribution in ameliorating the living > conditions of the very people she purportedly is concerned about is hardly > anything. She has a list of grievances but no concrete suggestions to > remove > those. > > > > It is because of her chronic hostility > towards the state that she readily embraces even the proponents of > ‘azadi- > bara- e- Islam’ (freedom for Islam) in Kashmir. > Her comrade-in arms- Geelani who like other Kashmiri Muslim separatists > regards > Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Jinah’s religion based two nation > doctrine > & wants Kashmir’s inclusion with Pakistan has just declared Osama a > ‘martyr’ > calling for mass prayers today in Kashmir. ADR does not mind this religious > blackmail of gullible masses. Her rhetoric on Kashmir might be a > moral-booster > for Kashmiri Muslim separatists & their indoctrinated foot soldiers but it > can not erase Kashmir’s civilisational links with rest of India. It doesn’t > bother her > conscience that those Kashmiri jihadists who self admittedly got trained in > Pakistan & ferried weapons from there & launched anti India jihad in > 1989-90 & who deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity are roaming > free, practicing ‘politics’. Even the brutal ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri > Hindu > Pandits at the hands of Kashmiri pan- Islamists in the land of their origin > does not cause her any indignation. > > > > Continued diatribe against so called upper > class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How > many > upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India > at > national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is > the > de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. > Today upper class Hindus are also competing > in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only > derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the > basis of religion & cast. > > Talking about exploitation of tribals, it > was way back in seventies that a journalist ‘bought’ a tribal girl from > somewhere in central India > to prove a point. Continued apathy towards tribals deserves utmost > attention. > But is ‘violence’ the answer? Maoists’ guns have brought the Maoists & > their overt sympathisers in the limelight but development continues to > elude. > Induced ‘Christianisation’ over the decades has only divided the families & > communities. > > As > if all that is evil exists in India > & in India > only. Yes, we are no where close to claiming a system that ensures a fair > degree of socio-economic justice. Crony capitalism is a serious threat. But > there is a growing awareness of our shortcomings & positive activism is on > rise. In spite of apparent pitfalls, it can not be denied that democracy is > evolving in India. > Civil checks & balances are necessary to counter the propensity to misuse > democracy. If there was 2G scam, the media exposed it & the Govt. of the > day is nailed. Civil society is pursuing introduction of severe laws > against > corruption. People are demanding return of Indian wealth illegally parked > outside. Sustainability is the topic of discussion today. Peaceful > awareness > & opinion mobilisation campaigns would go a long way in nation building > than antagonistic activism. > > Intellectual > manipulations do not bring about genuine revolutions & revolution need not > be synonymous with violence or anti India hate campaign. > > > Rgds all…LA > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com > > Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 12:50:48 +0530 > > To: reader-list at sarai.net > > Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed > by David Barsamian > > > > > http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703%3Aarundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15%3Aessay&Itemid=19 > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: > > > From shuddha at sarai.net Thu May 12 19:30:28 2011 From: shuddha at sarai.net (Shuddhabrata Sengupta) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 16:00:28 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian In-Reply-To: References: , , Message-ID: <48BB387E-7847-4644-A7E8-6F366678F0B8@sarai.net> I suppose this is something on the lines of saying that having sweet shops overdo their display of sweets on diwali is a sinister provocation that come from the perverted minds of those who want to see the world's largest population of diabetics suffer. In fact, following this line of thinking, we could say that most upper caste hindu festivals, because of the excess consumption of sugar that they involve are actually perverted instances of auto-genocidial conspiracies. What I choose to eat is my business, as long as I am not eating another human being. If I choose to eat beef in Benaras or pork in Mecca or Jerusalem, how does it matter, and why should it matter, to someone else who chooses not to eat beef, pork or either. If they don't want to eat beef or pork, they simply don't have to eat it. I make it a point to see that if there are vegetarians or vegans in a mixed gathering, that they can be well fed. To prevent dalit students from eating beef is not very different, in my opinion, from force feeding mutton to a vegetarian. Our moral responsibility towards other people's hunger consists only in that they are not made to go hungry. Not in determining for them what they must or must not eat. best, Shuddha On 12-May-2011, at 3:08 PM, Lalit Ambardar wrote: > > The post was in response > to the interview of ADR whose admirers, who are in plenty on this forum, could > have done a little better in their anarchistic idol’s glory. > > This petty ‘beef festival’ > story is just a sycophantic exercise. > > However, eating beef by > choice is one thing but in view of the aversion to ‘beef’ by an overwhelming > population not just limited to upper casts across the country, holding ‘beef festival’ > is a sinister provocation that could > come from a perverted mind only. Try holding ‘pork festival’ in Hyderabad ……. > > Rgds all > > LA > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 20:51:49 +0530 > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian > From: c.anupam at gmail.com > To: lalitambardar at hotmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net > > "Continued diatribe against so called upper > > class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How many > > upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India at > > national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is the > > de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. Today upper class Hindus are also competing > > in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only > > derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the > > basis of religion & cast." > > I am supposedly a Brahmin. Yesterday, I spoke to a few students from EFLU in Hyderabad. Every month Dalit students organise a beef festival in the mess. Since beef is not readily available in this country, with a regime which calls for a ban of the selling of beef, but have been also kidnapping the animals from farmers (hundreds of instances in Rajasthan and Gujarat), these students bought buffalo meat. What my friends told me is that they have this festival every month. > > > A few Upper Caste north Indian students, mind you some Brahmins as well, attacked these Dalit students. There are documentary evidences that these students urinated on the food, threw it on the walls. Altogether the incident left a bad taste beyond all the discourses and other things. It was food. The upper caste students, from what I have been told said that how can you organise a beef festival in the hostel mess. > > > Thanking you Lalit. I hope I am able enough, with my whatever caste identity to keep replying to such "crap" over and over again. > > Anupam > > > On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Lalit Ambardar wrote: > > > > > > > > The whole conversation sounds depressing. > > ‘I’, ‘me’ & ‘my’ are symptomatic of narcissism that overlays the hate India campaign. > > Besides self flagellation ad nauseam by her, Arundhati Roy’s affirmative contribution in ameliorating the living > > conditions of the very people she purportedly is concerned about is hardly > > anything. She has a list of grievances but no concrete suggestions to remove > > those. > > > > > > > > It is because of her chronic hostility > > towards the state that she readily embraces even the proponents of ‘azadi- > > bara- e- Islam’ (freedom for Islam) in Kashmir. > > Her comrade-in arms- Geelani who like other Kashmiri Muslim separatists regards > > Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Jinah’s religion based two nation doctrine > > & wants Kashmir’s inclusion with Pakistan has just declared Osama a ‘martyr’ > > calling for mass prayers today in Kashmir. ADR does not mind this religious > > blackmail of gullible masses. Her rhetoric on Kashmir might be a moral-booster > > for Kashmiri Muslim separatists & their indoctrinated foot soldiers but it > > can not erase Kashmir’s civilisational links with rest of India. It doesn’t bother her > > conscience that those Kashmiri jihadists who self admittedly got trained in > > Pakistan & ferried weapons from there & launched anti India jihad in > > 1989-90 & who deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity are roaming > > free, practicing ‘politics’. Even the brutal ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu > > Pandits at the hands of Kashmiri pan- Islamists in the land of their origin > > does not cause her any indignation. > > > > > > > > Continued diatribe against so called upper > > class Hindus is a crap. It is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus. How many > > upper cast Hindus, today preside over how many political parties in India at > > national or state levels? The ruling party head at the centre who also is the > > de-facto ruler of the country is of foreign origin & not a born Hindu. Today upper class Hindus are also competing > > in general category for the jobs reserved for the lower casts. One can only > > derive sadistic pleasures in differentiating poverty & deprivation on the > > basis of religion & cast. > > > > Talking about exploitation of tribals, it > > was way back in seventies that a journalist ‘bought’ a tribal girl from > > somewhere in central India > > to prove a point. Continued apathy towards tribals deserves utmost attention. > > But is ‘violence’ the answer? Maoists’ guns have brought the Maoists & > > their overt sympathisers in the limelight but development continues to elude. > > Induced ‘Christianisation’ over the decades has only divided the families & > > communities. > > > > As > > if all that is evil exists in India > > & in India > > only. Yes, we are no where close to claiming a system that ensures a fair > > degree of socio-economic justice. Crony capitalism is a serious threat. But > > there is a growing awareness of our shortcomings & positive activism is on > > rise. In spite of apparent pitfalls, it can not be denied that democracy is > > evolving in India. > > Civil checks & balances are necessary to counter the propensity to misuse > > democracy. If there was 2G scam, the media exposed it & the Govt. of the > > day is nailed. Civil society is pursuing introduction of severe laws against > > corruption. People are demanding return of Indian wealth illegally parked > > outside. Sustainability is the topic of discussion today. Peaceful awareness > > & opinion mobilisation campaigns would go a long way in nation building > > than antagonistic activism. > > > > Intellectual > > manipulations do not bring about genuine revolutions & revolution need not > > be synonymous with violence or anti India hate campaign. > > > > > > Rgds all…LA > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com > >> Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 12:50:48 +0530 > >> To: reader-list at sarai.net > >> Subject: [Reader-list] Revolts & Rebellions : Arundathi Roy Interviewed by David Barsamian > >> > >> http://www.malayalanatu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=703%3Aarundhati-roy-revolts-a-rebellions&catid=15%3Aessay&Itemid=19 > > >> _________________________________________ > >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > >> Critiques & Collaborations > >> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > >> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > >> List archive: > > > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> Shuddhabrata Sengupta The Sarai Programme at CSDS Raqs Media Collective shuddha at sarai.net www.sarai.net www.raqsmediacollective.net From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Thu May 12 20:16:54 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 20:16:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] wikileaks Message-ID: Wikileaks, Internet and Democracy | http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/ -------------------------------------------------------- Let us consider this hypothetical scenario: You are working in a government department. You come across a secret government document. The document is in digital format . The document has the names of Swiss bank account holders in India. The document names important corporate heads, bureaucrats and political leaders . The document also has information on illegal sources of these funds. But, you are under the oath of secrecy not to reveal this. However you see that important people in power are doing clearly illegitimate things. You would want the public to know this, in the interest of the ordinary man. Your conscience doesn't allow you to grow numb and be silent like rest of the crowd. Then, you decide to be a whistleblower, ready to face any dire consequences, which might pose threat to your career, or something more important. You think of passing this information to a media house. However you see that the media houses are working closely with some of the corporates who have been named in the report and stories are being planted . You come to the realization that the media is dominated by paid news. Their major reporters are at a phone call reach to some of the powerful lobbyists. Instead of being depressed and/or dejected, if you face this personal scenario with courage, you could be a person worth your salt by using a gamut of Free Software (Free as in Freedom) like the TOR, and send this information safely and discreetly via the internet to a publisher called the Wikileaks. What is Wikileaks? Is it important, or firstly is it necessary? Want to protect your own freedom and the right to voice the truth. Want to understand Free Software and the technology behind Wikileaks. Want to understand how the advent of the internet has enabled Free Software and a publishing format like the Wikileaks. Once you've read this mail, please visit http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/, where we have put together some material about Wikileaks and Web Democracy, which we think are important and essential. Here is an excerpt from the Hindu Editorial which apprehends about the threat to freedom to disseminate information. " For instance, draft rule 3(2)(a) for intermediaries requires the user not to publish or display information that belongs to another person. Potentially, secret documents ferreted out by investigative journalists or whistleblowers in the public interest may be interpreted to belong to a third party — and blocked from the public domain" [http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article1515144.ece] This means a publisher like Julian Assange (Editor in Chief of Wikileaks) who uses the Internet to publish suppressed material obtained via whistleblowers, could be in jail if he happens to do that in India. Watch some important videos on Wikileaks and understand the smear campaign on Wikileaks: http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/Video+-+Julian+Assange+speaks+to+Steve+Kroft%2CCBS How can you support and be part of this campaign --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Popularize this page and presentation on the page. Ask more friends to write and blog about it 2) Distribute support Wikileaks stickers 3) Organise video shows in your college, glug, ngo, institutes, home - we will be happy to meet you and share the videos 4) Organise talks by Whistleblowers 5) Invite us for a talk on wikileaks, internet and democracy 6) Send us comments to add in the page and add content to the campaign page 7) Sign up on the Support Wikileaks Signature campaign page: http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/Signature+campaign Visit http://wiki-leaks.wikispaces.com/ for more details and campaign material. ______________________________________________________ -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Thu May 12 23:11:30 2011 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 23:11:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Sub-sea pipeline at Kayamkulam opposed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sub-sea pipeline at Kayamkulam opposed  http://www.thehindu.com/2011/05/12/stories/2011051251830500.htm Staff Reporter KOLLAM: Members of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) have opposed the move to link the Kayamkulam thermal power plant with the Kochi LNG terminal through a sub-sea pipeline. In a statement here on Wednesday, KSMTF State unit president T. Peter said that fishermen would organise a convention in Alappuzha on June 4 to chart out the agitation plan against the pipeline. The pipeline is meant for pumping natural gas from Kochi to the Kayamkulam plant. Through this process, the Kayamkulam plant will be able to switch over from naphtha to natural gas as fuel which in turn will enable the 350 MW plant to be upgraded into a 1,400 MW plant. Mr. Peter said the pipeline, which would have a 90 km sub-sea course, would cause several problems in the fishing sector. Work for laying the pipeline would cause serious environmental problems in the sea bed which could lead to depletion of sea wealth, thereby affecting the livelihood of fishermen, he said. http://www.keralafishworkers.in From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri May 13 11:07:15 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 01:37:15 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] SEHAR presents a new play Chekhov's 'The Three Sisters' on 13 of May at School of Arts & Aesthetics Building, JNU, New Delhi Message-ID: <8CDDF46F2359056-1CBC-4377C@webmail-d135.sysops.aol.com> Hi, SEHAR (Society for Education, Harmony, Art, Culture and Media Reproduction) is going to perform its new play Chekhov's 'The Three Sisters' on 13 of May at School of Arts & Aesthetics Building, JNU. The Performance time will be 9.15 pm. The play is directed by Ramendra Chakarwarti, a PhD student of Performing Art department of SAA, JNU. About The play Three Sisters is a naturalistic play about the decay of the privileged class in Russia and the search for meaning in the modern world. It describes the lives and aspirations of the Prozorov family, the three sisters (Olga, Masha, and Irina) and their brother Andrei. They are a family dissatisfied and frustrated with their present existence. The sisters are refined and cultured young women who grew up in urban Moscow; however for the past eleven years they have been living in a small provincial town.Chekhov's initial inspiration was the general life-story of the three Brontë sisters, i.e., their refinement in the midst of provincial isolation and their disappointment in the expectations they had of their brother Branwell.Moscow is a major symbolic element: the sisters are always dreaming of it and constantly express their desire to return. They identify Moscow with their happiness, and thus to them it represents the perfect life. However as the play develops Moscow never materializes and they all see their dreams recede further and further.Meaning never presents itself and they are forced to seek it out for themselves. Playwrite-Anton chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ( 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian short-story writer, playwright and physician, considered to be one of the greatest short-story writers in the history of world literature. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Chekhov practiced as a doctor throughout most of his literary career: "Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress." Chekhov renounced the theatre after the disastrous reception of The Seagull in 1896; but the play was revived to acclaim in 1898 by Constantin Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theatre, which subsequently also produced Uncle Vanya and premiered Chekhov’s last two plays, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. These four works present a challenge to the acting ensemble as well as to audiences, because in place of conventional action Chekhov offers a "theatre of mood" and a "submerged life in the text." Chekhov had at first written stories only for financial gain, but as his artistic ambition grew, he made formal innovations which have influenced the evolution of the modern short story. His originality consists in an early use of the stream-of-consciousness technique, later adopted by James Joyce and other modernists, combined with a disavowal of the moral finality of traditional story structure. He made no apologies for the difficulties this posed to readers, insisting that the role of an artist was to ask questions, not to answer them. About the Director Ramendra Chakarwarti has been active in theatre both in theory and practice for more than 10 years. He has acted and directed dozens of thaetrical productions. ramendra is a Phd. student of theatre and Performance studies, School of Arts and aesthetics JNU, and has completed his MPhil. from the same department. His research areas are Staging of Shakespear in post-independence India in context of Al Kazi and Utpal Dutt and Shakespear in Russia.Mr. Chakarwarti has participated in various workshops with Ralph Yaro (London), Satyajit(NSD) Vineet Kumar(actor),Bishnupriya Dutt, Urmi Mala Sarkar, Lokendra Arabam, Suman Kumar(NSD) Shomyabtrata Chaudhari on different occassions. Mr. Chakarwarti ahs produced and directed plays like Luv Kush, Abhimanyu Vadh, Parashuram, Sapno ki nagari, poos ki raat Hey ram. He has acted in plays Staged in India as well as abroad Credit and Cast On Stage Andrei Sergeyevich Prozorov(Andrey)-Priyansh Natalia Ivanovna(Natasha)-Priyanka Chhablani Olga Sergeyevna Prozorova(Olya)-Anannya Bohidar Maria Sergeyevna Kulygina(Masha)-Shraddha Lambe Irina Sergeyevna Prozorova(Ira)-Sarita Nanda Fyodor Ilich Kulygin-Nishit Kumar Aleksandr Ignatyevich Vershinin-Rajkumar Yadav Baron Nikolai Lvovich Tuzenbach-Himanshu Shekhar Staff Captain Vassily Vasilyevich Solyoni-Pankaj Kuamar Chaubey Ivan Romanovich Chebutykin-Aniruddha Kumar Ferapont-Jyoti Kant Bhoi Anfisa-Divya Surana Behind the Stage Music-Satish Mukhtlif Light-Mrityunjay Prabhakar Costume-Shraddha, Priyanka Props-Himanshu, Pankaj, Alok Poster and others- Rikimi Madhukaillya, Rajkumar Publicity- Pankaj Chaubey Stage Manager-Nishit,Aniruddha Rehearsal Coordinator-Shraddha Coproducer-Mrityunjay Prabhakar Assistant Director-Vikas Singh,Prabhakar sachan, Rajkumar Yadav Script-Anton Chekhov Translation-Parikalpana Prakashan Lucknow Design and Direction-Ramendra Chakarwarti Plz come and be part of this play. Thanking You Mrityunjay Prabhakar Secretary, SEHAR From asit1917 at gmail.com Fri May 13 15:37:00 2011 From: asit1917 at gmail.com (asit das) Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 15:37:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Please join the Antinuclear Padhyatra at Fatehabad Message-ID: Dear Friends, You must be aware of the year long Dharna of Kisan Sangharsh Samity against the proposed nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur, District Fatehabad, Haryana. Kisan Samity and anti nuclear front Haryana will be having a Padyatra against the nuclear power plant on 15th, 16th and 17th May. Your are requested to participate in the Padyatra and also please circulate this information to as many people as possible. Fatehabad is 4 hours by road from Delhi, and the nearest railway station is Hissar which is 45 km from Fatehabad . Regards Asit Mob-09873748177 From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Sat May 14 06:10:06 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 06:10:06 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Media and Apartheid in Australia Message-ID: ________________________________ How the Murdoch Press Keeps Australia's Dirty Secret Friday 13 May 2011 by: John Pilger, Truthout (http://www.truthout.org/how-murdoch-press-keeps-australias-dirty-secret/1305298464) The illegal eavesdropping on famous people by the News of the World is said to be Rupert Murdoch's Watergate. But is it the crime by which Murdoch ought to be known? In his native land, Australia, Murdoch controls 70 percent of the capital city press. Australia is the world's first Murdochracy, in which smear by media is power. The most enduring and insidious Murdoch campaign has been against the Aboriginal people, who were dispossessed by the arrival of the British in the late 18th century and have never been allowed to recover. "Nigger hunts" continued into the 1960s and beyond. The officially-inspired theft of children from Aboriginal families, justified by the racist theories of the eugenics movement, produced those known as the Stolen Generation, and in 1997 was identified as genocide. Today, the first Australians have the shortest life expectancy of any of the world's 90 indigenous peoples. Australia imprisons Aborigines at five times the rate South Africa did during the apartheid years. In the state of Western Australia, the figure is eight times the apartheid rate. Political power in Australia often rests in the control of resource-rich land. Most of the uranium, iron ore, gold, oil and natural gas are in Western Australia and Northern Territory - on Aboriginal land. Indeed, Aboriginal "progress" is all but defined by the mining industry and its political guardians in both Labor and coalition (conservative) governments. Their faithful, strident voice is the Murdoch press. The exceptional, reformist Labor government of Gough Whitlam in the 1970s set up a royal commission, which made clear that social justice for Australia's first people would only be achieved with universal land rights and a share of the national wealth with dignity. In 1975, Whitlam was sacked by the governor general in a "constitutional coup." The Murdoch press had turned on Whitlam with such venom that rebellious journalists on The Australian burned their newspaper in the street. In 1984, the Labor Party "solemnly pledged" to finish what Whitlam had begun and legislate Aboriginal land rights. This was opposed by the then Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, a "mate" of Murdoch. Hawke blamed the public for being "less compassionate"; but a secret 64-page report to the party revealed that most Australians supported land rights. This was leaked to The Australian, whose front page declared, "Few support Aboriginal land rights," the opposite of the truth, thus feeding an atmosphere of self-fulfilling distrust, "backlash" and rejection of rights that would distinguish Australia from South Africa. In 1988, an editorial in Murdoch's London tabloid, The Sun, described "the Abos" as "treacherous and brutal." This was condemned by the UK Press Council as "unacceptably racist." The Australian publishes long articles that present Aboriginal people not unsympathetically, but as perennial victims of each other, "an entire culture committing suicide," or as noble primitives requiring firm direction: the eugenicist's view. It promotes Aboriginal "leaders" who, by blaming their own people for their poverty, tell the white elite what it wants to hear. The writer Michael Brull parodied this: "Oh White man, please save us. Take away our rights because we are so backward." This is also the government's view. In railing against what it called the "black armband view" of Australia's past, the conservative government of John Howard encouraged and absorbed the views of white supremacists - that there was no genocide, no Stolen Generation, no racism; indeed, whites are the victims of "liberal racism." A collection of far-right journalists, minor academics and hangers-on became the antipodean equivalent of David Irving Holocaust deniers. Their platform has been the Murdoch press. Andrew Bolt, columnist on Murdoch's Melbourne Herald-Sun tabloid, is currently the defendant in a racial vilification case brought by nine prominent Aborigines, including Larissa Behrendt, a professor of law and indigenous studies in Sydney. Behrendt has been an authoritative and outspoken opponent of Howard's 2007 "emergency intervention" in the Northern Territory, which the Labor government of Julia Gillard has reinforced. The rationale to "intervene" was that child abuse among Aborigines was in "unthinkable numbers." This was a fraud. Out of 7,433 Aboriginal children examined by doctors, four possible cases were identified - about the rate of child abuse in white Australia. What this covered was an old-fashioned colonial grab of mineral-rich land in the Northern Territory where Aboriginal land rights were granted in 1976. The Murdoch press has been the most lurid and vociferous in its promotion of the "intervention," which a United Nations Special Rapporteur has condemned for its racial discrimination. Once again, Australian politicians are dispossessing the first inhabitants, demanding leasehold of land in return for health and education rights that whites take for granted, driving them into "economically viable hubs" where they will be effectively detained - a form of apartheid. The outrage and despair of most Aboriginal people is not heard. For using her institutional voice and exposing the government's black supporters, Behrendt has been subjected to a vicious campaign of innuendo in the Murdoch press, including the implication that she is not a "real" Aborigine. Using the language of its soul mate The London Sun, The Australian derides the "abstract debate" of "land rights, apologies, treaties" as a "moralizing mumbo-jumbo spreading like a virus." The aim is to silence those who dare tell Australia's dirty secret. Creative Commons License _______________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat May 14 18:59:01 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 09:29:01 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] May Cine club: Focus on Alain Resnais, New Delhi In-Reply-To: <7c571be3354c63083e815bee5a7dad3e@newsletter.delhi.afindia.org> References: <7c571be3354c63083e815bee5a7dad3e@newsletter.delhi.afindia.org> Message-ID: <8CDE05205AFC179-1338-401A1@webmail-m101.sysops.aol.com> Alliance Française de Delhi Ciné Club for May Alain Resnais Film-director of the Month   Focus on the masterpieces of the tremendously talented French film maker. Come to discover some of his best-known movies!   PROGRAM:   Friday, 13 May 2011: Private Fears in Public Places / Cœurs (2006)   Friday, 20 May 2011: Last Year at Marienbad / L’année dernière à Marienbad (1961)   Friday, 27 May 2011: Muriel, or the Time of a Return / Muriel ou le temps d'un retour (1963)   In French language with English subtitle.   On every Friday 2 sessions: 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm   At M.L Bhartia Auditorium Alliance française de Delhi 72, Lodi Estate, New Delhi-110003   Free admission, open to all. For further information please send an email to: pamina at afdelhi.org ------------------------------------------------------------     From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon May 16 18:41:42 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 09:11:42 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] National School of Drama INVITES Application for a Theatre Appreciation Course, New Delhi Message-ID: <8CDE1E1EF5AD64C-F4C-7D1C@angweb-usm005.sysops.aol.com> Hi, For more details Log on to http://nsd.gov.in/nsd.JPG Download the form: http://nsd.gov.in/Theatre%20App%20Form.pdf Contact: National School of Drama Bahawalpur House , 1 Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi-110 001 Phone: +9111 - 23382821 Email: nationalschoolofdrama at gmail.com Best wishes, - Rohit From jeebesh at sarai.net Tue May 17 04:43:13 2011 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 04:43:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: #spanishrevolution Message-ID: Begin forwarded message: > Resent-From: nettime at kein.org > From: maria ptqk > Date: 17 May 2011 3:17:24 AM GMT+05:30 > Resent-To: Nettime > To: nettime-l at kein.org > Subject: #spanishrevolution > > Hello. > > You might not be aware of what is happening in Spain right now. > Today thousands of people were out in the streets of 50 Spanish cities > protesting and many are staying there to sleep tonight. Plaza del > Sol in > Madrid is packed and other cities are getting organized to continue > tomorrow. > > Of course mass media are not following. This is all I can find in > English: > http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/tens-of-thousands-march-in-spain-to-protest-against-austerity-measures-banks-politicians/2011/05/15/AF13OH4G_story.html > > Hashtags #spanishrevolution, #acampadasol and #democraciarealya have > been TT > all day long. > We need to keep them up there! > > Please help us spread it through international networks, independent > and > social media. > We need your support! > > Maria. > > -- > Ptqk_blogzine > http://ptqkblogzine.blogspot.com > > > # distributed via : no commercial use without permission > # is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, > # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets > # more info: http://mx.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/nettime-l > # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime at kein.org From rohitrellan at aol.in Tue May 17 14:17:48 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 04:47:48 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Film Show at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi / WWF Invite for the screening May 21, 2011 Message-ID: <8CDE2863BB2F25D-1FD8-130C2@webmail-d076.sysops.aol.com> Film Show at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi Cordially invites you to attend Film show on May 19, 2011 The Impressionist Gauguin © Seventh Art Production 24.00 Mins. The Paintings of India: Murals of Rajasthan © Doordarshan 30.00 Mins at 6.00 p.m. at Kaustubh Auditorium Lalit Kala Akademi, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi RSVP: 011-23009200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ WWF Invite for the screening May 21, 2011 WWF-India cordially invites you to the screening of a special film on the hanging garden of Arabia in Yemen, of which Synopsis are given hereunder: Hanging Gardens of Arabia - 52 Minutes - English - May 21, 2011 6:30 pm-For centuries hanging gardens of Arabia have sustained themselves through an intricate web of terraces harvesting every available source of water.But this ancient traditional system of terrace farming rapidly crumbled because of some misguided aid projects. The Yemen Dutch Development Programme is helping restore these mountain terraces . Venue: India International Center Auditorium 40 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi- 110003 _________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________ For further information please contact: Network Conservation Alliance Team, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, Pirojsha Godrej National Conservation Centre, 172 B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi, 110003 Tel: 41504815-19/41504808, E-mail: info at partnerwwf.in From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Tue May 17 22:03:40 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 22:03:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Opiate of Masses Message-ID: ______________ This is an old article. More Technical aspects are surveyed at http://www.causeof.org/brainwaves.htm http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/5jcl/5JCL59.htm ________________________________ TV Alters Brainwaves (!) From: Michael Ballard Subject: Kill Ugly Television (fwd) If you're like me, you wonder a lot about how it is that we seem to be collectively transforming ourselves from those lovable nattering nabobs of negativism into nations of nitwits and dittoheads. After trading our hours for a handful of dimes, most of us like to go home, kick back, relax and watch some TV. Television has become the drug of choice among the silent majority, although most do not see viewing the vidi- screen as an addiction. Perhaps the silence of the working class and its perceived acceptance of the dominant paradigm have a lot to do with the fact that most of their political, moral and ethical convictions are transmitted to them along with their culture via commodified, televised imagery. At least, that seems to be the underlying theme of TEST CARD F: Television, Mythinformation and Social Control. "How can TV silence me?" , you say. "After all, I control it with my Captain Picard like hand held decoder and channel changing remote, right?" Right. A judicious use of the mute button is in your interest; but look around you. Observe how it is that the electric eye peering out of that rotten tube stays on for so many hours of your waking free time and that of your friends, plus your kids'. Try turning it off for extended periods and experience the anxiety of withdrawal; that nervous anticipation surrounded by a quiet, unflickered environment. Think about it. If the TV is doing most of the talking in your living room, bedroom etc. then you probably aren't too close to planning, "the historic mission of the working class" or really anything much of importance at all. As the authors (who choose to remain anonymous) of TEST CARD F point out, TV is owned to sell and like addictive drugs in general, this soma of our brave new world has a high price, namely our heads. It is market share which drives the owners of the television programs to put their trash in your living spaces; for market share largely determines the price of the airtime they sell to advertisers. Fear of losing this market share leads to an homogenization of programming. The path struck out by capitalist media competition leads directly to the flatlands of mediocrity. "The pressure to maximize audiences and revenue results in the avoidance of anything that might be contentious. Production and commission is based instead on the familiar formats of what has previously successfully kept us watching. Getting the bodies sat in front of the box for as long as possible is what counts: QUALITY of attention is of little importance." The immediacy of TV, its fast paced, fire like nature, keep us glued like moths to the screen. Our brains on television put us, for all intents and purposes, in a virtual land of the living dead. It's not just the commodification of the electric spectacle which cheapens our consciousness; the phenomenon of mental numbing appears to be deeply embedded in the technology itself. "The 'Mulholland' experiment in the early 70's wired ten kids to electroencephalograph (EEG) machines (which measure brain wave activity) and sat them down in front of their chosen favourite programmes. He expected to see plenty of fast beta waves, which would indicate that they were actively responding to something (as is produced when reading or during conservation); instead all he could find were the slower alpha waves of the kind found when a person is in a coma or put in a trance where the subject is not interacting with the outside world at all." More than providing us with an analysis which links the dumbing down of the working class and its children by these electronic drug dealers, TEST CARD F also hammers away at the notion, popular among a semi-conscious left, that if it can somehow manipulate its collective mug in front of the TV camera, it'll be able to sway an otherwise torpid proletariat to vigorous anti-capitalist activity. Nothing could be further from the truth, according to TEST CARD F's authors. When was the last time you seized the moment after watching something on TV, short of breaking out your credit card to help the Mobil Corporation sponsor "Masterpiece Theatre" on the so-called Public Broadcasting System? To attempt to create a show for the televendors is to fall into the trap of becoming mere court jesters of capital as opposed to its grave diggers. Much of the left wastes its time mired in schemes from community access television, to parade monitoring at anti-war marches in vain attempts to gain respectability and their own "market share". In reality, they become more fertilizer for the latest spin on the opiate of the people. Instead of being concerned about how to get on television and then going home to watch to see whether one has made the 11 o'clock newscasts, the authors suggest that it would be more effective to engage in the class struggle any which way you can without regard to how or even whether it will play in the televised images being beamed to the comatose of Peoria. As the authors point out, "All news coverage is encoded to enforce the myth that we live in a society where the bond that unites the worker and the boss is an (sic) national economic interest, stronger than the divide between labour and capital." Thus, the working class is reduced to the wanking class in front of the boob-tube. Most of what anybody sees on TV is soon forgotten anyway; in fact, practically as soon as the next image is televised for consumption. It's form over content here, image over reality. The result of spending so much of our time in TV's embrace is not a persistence of memory; but rather a vacant stare and at "best" the active repetition of political choices historically proven to have been mistakes e.g. voting for the major parties, doing nothing, cynically doing nothing and so forth and so on. TEST CARD F has no copyright, an interesting political comment in itself. It comes out of the Institute of Social Disengineering at 21 Cave St. Oxford in the UK. The Institute welcomes outside agitators: FAX: 0865 790673. ______________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Tue May 17 22:06:53 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 22:06:53 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] The Outsider Message-ID: http://www.pragoti.org/node/4397 Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Wed May 18 23:20:07 2011 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 23:20:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fishworkers to seek 90-day trawling ban In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Fishworkers to seek 90-day trawling ban By Sabloo Thomas 18 May 2011 06:12:40 AM IST THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The traditional fishworkers of the state would urge the new government to implement a 90-day trawling ban instead of the 45-day ban to facilitate natural breeding of the common pelagic fish in the Kerala waters during monsoon season. Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) president T Peter told Express that this demand would be placed before the new government after the portfolio allocation is complete. The 45-day annual trawling ban on mechanised boats during the monsoon season is slated to begin on June 14 midnight. While the trawling ban is restricted to just 45 days in Kerala, in other coastal states it is for two months. Peter said that the presence of foreign fishing vessels on the territorial waters of the state even after the 45-day ban period, caused much problems. These vessels caused great harm to young fish. There were no effective laws to control foreign fishing vessels operating on the state’s coastline, he said. The traditional fishing sector using country boats are exempted from the ban in the state. In other states, the ban covers the entire fishing sector including traditional country boats. The monsoon trawling ban was introduced in 1988 to help unhindered breeding of fish during the rainy season. The monsoon season is breeding season of nearly 300 species along the west coast of India. The traditional fishworkers in Kerala have been exempted from the trawling ban through the Kerala Monsoon Fishery (Pelagic) Protection Bill 2007. The Act enables them to catch pelagic fish such as oil sardine and mackerel in the territorial waters of the state stretching 12 nautical miles. However, they are permitted to carry out fishing only in the territorial waters and catch only pelagic fish. The law was enacted to overcome the restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court which wanted governments of coastal states to ban trawling by mechanised boats as well as fishing by country craft using engines of more than 9.9 HP during monsoon. The trawling ban was started in Kerala in 1988 on a recommendation by the Dr A Balakrishnan Nair committee.. © Copyright 2008 ExpressBuzz From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu May 19 06:03:04 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 20:33:04 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Badal Sarkar (Badal Sircar) Memorial meeting on 19th May at Sri Ram Centre, New Delhi Message-ID: <8CDE3D373A77FBC-AC4-1D937@web-mmc-d08.sysops.aol.com> Time : Thursday, May 19 · 6:30pm - 8:00pm Badal Sarkar (Badal Sircar) Memorial meeting on 19th May at Sri Ram Centre To pay Homage to a Great Playwright & Theatre Activist !! Badal Sarkar (Badal Sircar) (15 July 1925–13 May 2011) was an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director, most known for his anti-establishment plays during the Naxalite movement in the 1970s and taking theatre out of the proscenium and into public arena, when he founded his own theatre company, Shatabdi in 1976. He wrote more than fifty plays of which Ebong Indrajit, Basi Khabar, and Saari Raat are well known literary pieces, a pioneering figure in street theatre as well as in experimental and contemporary Bengali theatre with his egalitarian "Third Theatre", he prolifically wrote scripts for his Aanganmanch (courtyard stage) performances, and remains one of the most translated Indian playwrights. Though his early comedies were popular, it was his angst-ridden Ebong Indrajit (And Indrajit) that became a landmark play in Indian theatre. Today, his rise as a prominent playwright in 1960s is seen as the coming of age of Modern Indian playwriting in Bengali, just as Vijay Tendulkar did it in Marathi, Mohan Rakesh in Hindi, and Girish Karnad in Kannada. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship- Ratna Sadsya, the highest honour in the performing arts by Govt. of India, in 1997. Sri Ram centre 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, New Delhi 110001 Phone no:91 11 23714307 From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu May 19 14:08:09 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 04:38:09 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Katyayani presents an English play `Tattoo', on June 19th, at the Epicentre, Gurgaon. Message-ID: <8CDE41737AF6E35-1018-361CD@webmail-m001.sysops.aol.com> `10 Year Old Raped By Father'...Story in The Hindu, on April 29, 2011 Incest is a recurring fact in today's India...and children who are its victims, are scarred for life. Katyayani presents an English play `Tattoo', on June 19th, at the Epicentre, Gurgaon. Tickets at venue. Tattoo is the story of the imprisonment of the human spirit. Of incarceration that occurs in the home and through loved and trusted people. It is the exposure of incest which is kept under wraps under the garb of protecting the family honour. Based on real life stories, the play, written by Geman playwright Dea Loher, adapted and directed by Sohaila Kapur, exposes a hidden and shocking aspect of human society, which has resulted in some of history's worst psychopaths and criminals. `Tattoo' is also about the subjugation of women in a patriarchal world. "It was a subject so disturbing that director Sohaila Kapur waited five years before putting Tattoo, a German play about incest, on stage. The play is two hours of grim intensity. Kapur has added a few strains of music but it only adds to the tension"---Indian Express For more info about the play Log on to http://theatretime.wordpress.com/tattoo/ Location: EPICENTRE At Apparel House, Sector 44, Gurgaon T: 91 124 2715000 F: 91 124 2715050 E: info at epicentre.co.in From niveditasubramaniam at gmail.com Thu May 19 15:29:01 2011 From: niveditasubramaniam at gmail.com (Niveditha) Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 15:29:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Help Tulika record Indian rhymes for children Message-ID: *Olouguti Tolouguti* is the title of a new book from Tulika Publishers. It is a collection of Indian rhymes to read and recite. What makes it unique is that each poem is presented in the original language, in a transliterated version, and in an English translation that is fun and easy to learn and say. Simultaneously, Tulika will also make each poem available as audio on its website for those who would like to hear the poem and learn the correct pronounciation. This is where we need help from readers, bloggers and others. We had an overwhelming response to the rhymes blogathon we conducted a few months ago. This time around, we need volunteers to lend their voices! Would you be interested in recording and sending us the audio file of the poems in the language of your choice? We will then upload them onto a site so all those who are interested can listen to them. *If yes, please write to us at tulikabooks at gmail.com*. We can send the poems to you, and guide you through the process. The languages in which we wish to record at this time are: Mizo, Oriya, Kashmiri, Urdu, Punjabi, Khasi and Lotha. So all those of you who are native speakers of these languages, do get in touch with us *asap*. Thanks! Niveditha Associate Editor, Tulika Publishers -- I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints.They're upstairs in my socks. - Groucho Marx From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Fri May 20 07:39:57 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 07:39:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] More Telecom Scam Message-ID: (from http://newsclick.in/india/bleeding-bsnl-help-private-operators-other-telecom-scam ) Bleeding BSNL to help private operators: The other Telecom scam Prabir Purkayastha, Newsclick, May 11, 2011 The 2G scam has shown how scarce national resources like the spectrum have been given at throw away prices to big capital. In this game, there are not only older players such as Reliance, Unitech and Tatas, but also newer players closely linked to certain political parties and figures. DB Realty and the close proximity of Shahid Balwa with Kanimozhi and Sharad Pawar has been doing the rounds for quite some time and is now becoming public. The 2G scam did not end with just the allotment of the spectrum. SWAN, Reliance and others had very little desire to invest in infrastructure. It is now confirmed by CAG that the investment in infrastructure by either SWAN or Unitech before selling their shares was minimal. So how did they manage to get subscribers and start services? This is where Raja came in again to help the 'friendly' companies to whom he had awarded licenses illegally. He issued BSNL, the state owned telecom utility, to provide 'roaming' services to these companies who had no infrastructure. This roaming is not the usual one of extending services to customers of other companies when they are outside their licensed area, but providing such roaming service even within the licensed area of the company. This meant that without putting up any cells or towers, these companies could provide services by riding on BSNL's infrastructure and pretending it is some kind of roaming service. This was the result of a direct order to BSNL from the Department of Telecom under Raja's aegis. No other telecom company was asked to provide such services to the new entrants. It is unheard of in any infrastructure services for one company to provide infrastructure to another. There has been talk of sharing towers – common towers can be provided on which each company could mount its own cells, but even here this has been more in the realm of discussions than actual practice. However, providing all infrastructure for a competitor and pretend that it is some kind of roaming service is obviously using one company's resources to help a competitor company. Obviously, this was using BSNL's resources to its detriment to help subsidise the operations of companies such as Reliance, SWAN and others. One of the reasons that Unitech and SWAN could sell their shares at such high prices was because they could also claim they had started services and acquired subscribers, all piggy backing on BSNL. The BSNL employees' unions had raised these issues a number of times earlier with the PM and the Minister, but to no avail. Hopefully, the CBI will take cognisance of such additional measures that Raja took to help companies such as SWAN and others to make the 2G license even more valuable. While selling spectrum cheap was transferring peoples' resources to big capital, using BSNL to subsidise other telecom companies is to make BSNL increasingly less profitable and ultimately sick. In this way, BSNL, which at one time had a valuation of lakhs of crores will soon be seen as loss making and to be sold at a pittance. This is the trajectory the current Government was following under Raja. It remains to be seen whether Kapil Sibal would be any different on this score. Raja did not only ask BSNL to give its infrastructure to other telecom companies. Over the last few years, he ensured that BSNL could not place orders for new equipment and get new customers. In 2006, Airtel and BSNL were running neck and neck with a subscriber base of around 20 million lines each. After Raja took over, he first threatened to cancel the tender for additional 45.5 million lines floated by BSNL under the previous minister, Dayanidhi Maran. After the BSNL employees took to the streets and the left took this issue up, he reluctantly cleared the order but by slashing it to 50%. Not surprisingly, BSNL could add only 30 million lines from 2007 to 2010 while Airtel added another 90 million in the same period. In the most lucrative circles – AP, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, etc.,>in the country, BSNL could not add any new subscriber as it had no additional GSM equipment. Today, BSNL is falling behind it competition not because it lacks the capability but because of a deliberate policy followed by the Department of Telecom and the UPA Government. There have been other restrictions on BSNL for procuring equipment. While BSNL has been barred from procuring Chinese equipment for security reasons, other private operators have not been so barred. A further security instruction issued by the Home Ministry and the Department of Telecom was that all source code for telecom equipment should be given to BSNL, again for security reasons. The only equipment manufacturers willing to abide by this condition were the Chinese. The result – BSNL cannot procure equipment from any party and yet satisfy the two 'security' requirements laid down by the Government. These restrictions apply only to BSNL and no other telecom player. One can go into great details of how many additional measures have been taken over the last decade to convert BSNL from a company that could fund its entire expansion from virtually its internal resources to today, where BSNL is likely to be a loss making company. While the mobile story has been one of denying BSNL equipment so that they could not expand at the rate required, the fixed line business is even worse. Here, the private players are not willing to go into rural and loss making areas, offering services to only commercial and high revenue areas. The private operators were legally bound under their license terms to give service on demand to anybody in their licensed areas and also provide rural telephony. People may have forgotten but the induction of private players in fixed line services was supposedly for providing rural connectivity. Even today, the private players routinely pay token fines and do not provide services to loss making and rural areas. BSNL is the only telecom company that provides services to such areas and customers. nitially, the TRAI had initially considered that BSNL should get an Access Deficit Charge as it is the only company servicing such customers. Over a period of time, this was whittled down and finally merged with Universal Service Obligation fund. Since this levy is paid by all telecom companies, this did not help BSNL. Effectively, BSNL was providing rural services and also paying from their own USO levy for the same. Worse, with cellular operators also being entitled to draw from USO fund, BSNL is in fact now paying out more than its receiving, while being the only fixed line company providing services to rural and low paying areas. Incidentally, I am not aware of any country where USO fund is being also given to cellular operators. The question before the people is this. If BSNL is allowed to become loss-making and finally privatised, will the rural and low paying subscribers get any service or new connection? If the long-term future of telecom is in Internet connectivity, will not the physical fixed lines be the backbone of such an Internet infrastructure? Allowing BSNL to be run down in this way, is not the Government frittering away valuable public resource? The mode of operations where a state owned company subsidises its competition is not restricted to BSNL alone. The same modus operandi is visible in the case of Indian Airlines/Air India. Here also, the pilots have charged that Air India management and the Civil Aviation Ministry has worked in the interest of private carriers by Air India giving away lucrative routes, reducing number of flights on major trunk routes, taking up loss making routes. Initially, they were also asked to 'share' their resources with other private parties in the same BSNL mode. The Radia tapes indicate that Praful Patel could have major stakes in one of the private airlines, which has also been favoured in various ways by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The loot of public exchequer today is far more extensive than what has come out in public. While Raja may have got caught with his hand in the till on the 2G issue, there are numerous other cases where he has got way free or the Manmohan Singh Government, all this is a public relations issue. It is not that scarce national resources are being transfered to the capitalist class. For him and his ministers, it is how to dress all this up in a way that its image is not hurt in spite of the continuing loot. That is why are now to have a senior group of minsters carrying out a public relations exercise each day, while no effort is made to stop the loot. The image, not the reality, is what concerns this Government. This is the tragedy for the people and this country. _________________________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From rohitrellan at aol.in Fri May 20 14:58:06 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 05:28:06 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] REC Movie Sunday at 4:30pm, New Delhi In-Reply-To: <1.21379.5616.27560320@difusionelectronica.institutocervantes.es> References: <1.21379.5616.27560320@difusionelectronica.institutocervantes.es> Message-ID: <8CDE4E75C498495-E98-16BE5@Webmail-d111.sysops.aol.com>  Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi   22 de mayo de 2011 / May 22nd, 2011      REC Próxima proyección del Ciclo de Cine de Terror Sobresalto   Fecha: 22 de mayo, 2011 Hora: 16:30 h. Lugar: Auditorio, Instituto Cervantes Idioma: Español con subtítulos en inglés. Entrada gratuita Una reportera y su cámara están haciendo un reportaje en una estación de bomberos con la intención de retratar la profesión y sus situaciones de riesgo. Pero mientras les acompañan en una de sus salidas nocturnas, lo que parecía una intervención rutinaria de rescate se va a convertir en un auténtico infierno. Atrapados en el interior de un edificio, tendrán que enfrentarse a un horror desconocido y letal. Algo siniestro y maligno que se está extendiendo sin control. Lo único que importa es esconderse, sobrevivir, tratar desesperadamente de escapar. Vencer al miedo…hasta que el miedo nos venza. Y seguir grabando. Pase lo que pase. Hasta el último momento. Título: REC Director/a: Paco Plaza y Jaume Balagueró Año producción: 2007 Dura ción: largometraje - 75 min País producción: España REC Next film screening of "Fright" Horror Film Cycle      Date: Sunday, 22nd of May, 2011 Time: 4:30pm Place: Auditorium, Instituto Cervantes Language: Spanish with English subtitles Free admission   A reporter and her cameraman are making a report in a fire station to portray the fire fighter’s profession and the high-risk situations they have to deal with everyday. While accompanying the fire brigade during calls at night what, at first, seemed a routine rescue intervention turns into hell. Trapped inside a building, they will have to face an unknown and deadly horror. Something sinister and evil is spreading out with no control. The only thing that matters is to hide, survive and try to escape desperately. They will try to defeat the fear before it defeats them and keep recoding come what may, until the very last moment.   Title: REC Director: Paco Plaza y Jaume Balagueró Year made: 2007 Duration: feature film - 75 min Country of production: Spain         Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi 48, Hanuman Road Connaught Place 110 001 Nueva Delhi India Tel.: 91 11 4368 19 00 Fax: 91 11 4356 86 92 cenndel at cervantes.es     From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Fri May 20 17:06:41 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 17:06:41 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Saheli Fire: An update & appeal to help us rebuild our office In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: As many of you know, the Saheli office under the Def Colony flyover was gutted some days back, a space that has been shared and cherished by many over the years. Am forwarding an appeal from Saheli, below. Naga ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Saheli Women Date: 20 May 2011 10:53 Subject: Saheli Fire: An update & appeal to help us rebuild our office To: Saheli Women Saheli Fire: An update & appeal to help us rebuild our office Dear friends, On 13th May 2011, a nasty fire in the Defence Colony Flyover Market in Delhi gutted about 58 shops and along with that, our Saheli office with 30 years of our belongings, files, records, documents, publications, etc. The devastation has been incredible, but if anything could give us the strength to move on, it has been your overwhelming support, your presence, offers of help and solidarity  - we are extremely touched and humbled by it. We hope you understand that we’ve been unable to write back to all of you individually, but here is the brief collective update: Along with some of us, many of you from Delhi simply dropped in to the Saheli office (or what remains of it!) to help clear the rubble and salvage whatever could be saved. A lot of partially burnt material has been collected – maybe about 15%, but it will take us some time to figure out what is there and what is completely lost. For now, we have kept what remains in an office, basement and garage offered by friends. We are also chasing formalities and procedures that need to be completed before restoration/reconstruction can begin. In all these years, the running joke under the flyover had been that ‘one day it will all fall on our heads’, but little did we know…! But it like the structure is not seriously damaged and we will indeed be able to return at some point. But it's hard to estimate how long this will take as the false ceiling, doors, windows all have to be replaced, and electricity, water, phone and other connections and meters redone before we can re-start our office. For those of you who haven’t seen the damage the fire did, enclosed is a picture that we feel says it all, of a rack that stored our souvenir from 2006, titled ’25 years of continuity… and change”. But we are swinging into ‘rebuilding’ mode and there are many ways in which you can support us: 1) Those of you who are in Delhi and can spare time and energy, your help in sorting materials will be priceless over the next few weeks. Sorting happens daily for 3-4 hours [or until the soot gets us!]. Please contact Satnam at 9899212066 or Deepti at 9899019750 who are co-ordinating this. 2) Our preliminary estimate is that it will take around Rs. 5 lakhs for restoration work and minimal reprinting of important documents that we manage to salvage copies of. If you can make a donation, however small or big, it will be most welcome [as long as they are personal cheques]. Cheques need to be made in the name of ‘Saheli Women’s Resource Centre’ and sent with a covering letter stating they are meant for “rebuilding Saheli” along with your name, address and phone number/email contact. Cash donations, you can give to any Saheli you know or meet. For our overseas friends and well-wishers, personal cheques in foreign currency are also fine. Since the familiar flyover market address cannot be used :-( please send the cheques to this address: Saheli Women's Resource Centre C/o Ms Satnam Kaur P-9/B, Ground Floor Jangpura Extension Near Eros Cinema New Delhi 110014 Ph: 9899212066 All donations to Saheli are exempt under 80G. 3) We are deeply touched by many generous offers to collect Saheli publications and send them to us. But do hold on that offer till we sort out our papers and check our personal stocks to know what we have and what we don’t. We will send out specific requests for materials by the by. 4) But do tell us if you have the facility (and energy) to scan and upload some material for our website. This would reduce the need for storing half charred documents. 5) Many of you have offered items for office use – tables, chairs, computers and refrigerators etc. It will be great if you can just hold on to too them till we are closer to redoing the office, then we will coordinate with you all and maybe even put out a wish list… so that the office can once again come together as it always has – with things and energy and resources from all of you! Thanking you once again for your continued support, love and solidarity and with hopes of getting back in action under the flyover in a few months. ps: Meanwhile, we are planning to gather and reclaim the space under the flyover in whatever shape it’s in on Saturday, the 28th of May at 3.30 pm!  So do come if you can – we’d love to be together to feel our collective energy, ideas, songs and determination! All of us in Saheli www.saheliwomen.org From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Fri May 20 21:46:13 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 21:46:13 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Muslims in WB Message-ID: http://pragoti.org/node/4407 __________________________________ Distortion of ‘statistics’ in the time of Left Bashing Fri, 2011-05-20 16:27 | Maidul Islam and Subhashini Ali Muslims_Kolkata_549670f.jpg A rebuttal of Shri Abusaleh Shariff and Mr. Fazal’s latest offering on the status of Muslims in West Bengal. An earlier rejoinder had already been published in The Hindu newspaper, accompanied by the same image. Image, courtesy, The Hindu Context of the Debate Shri Abusaleh Shariff, NCAER Chief Economist and Member-Secretary of the Sachar Committee, made headlines when he asserted, on the eve of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, that the condition of Muslims in West Bengal was worse than that of Muslims in Gujarat. In response, The Hindu published a rejoinder by the authors. Shri Abusaleh Shariff, however, has tried to create doubts about the veracity of their assertions not by the use of facts but through diatribe and the repeated use of outdated data and incorrect statistics. Recently a blogpost, known for its vitriolic opposition to the organised Left has seen fit to carry his latest outburst. Immediately after the Assembly election results were announced and the Left Front was defeated in West Bengal, Messrs Shariff and Fazal put out a ‘response’ to our The Hindu article in a blogspot. It has become necessary to respond to this so that some controversies can be laid to rest. NEUPA Report and Veracity of Data In our article, we had questioned the fact that Shri Shariff, in his address to the Indian Objective Institute, had used 2007 calculations with regard to school enrolment rather than the latest data of 2009-10 from the Central Government-sponsored NEUPA report. Amazingly enough, Shri Shariff questioned the reliability of the NEUPA report data on the grounds that it was based on data supplied by State Governments. We would like to remind Shariff Bhai that the Sachar Report itself was based on data supplied by various State Governments and that he ended the report thanking the various Departments of the State Governments. Questioning the veracity of State Government data is a serious charge that needs serious substantiation which the authors have not even failed to provide but have not even bothered to trouble themselves with. The only aspersion that they have been able to cast on the data quoted in our article is a familiar one. They allege that The Hindu article is ‘a straight lift from the CPI(M)’s election campaign material.’ Of course this is more than enough to convince red baiters. We are certainly not disputing that there maybe commonalities in our article and material published by the CPI(M) – these are sure to occur in areas like school enrolment based on the same data (the NEUPA). In fact, all writing using a common data-base will have similarities. Condition of Muslims: Gujarat vs West Bengal In their blog, Dr. Shariff and Mr. Fazal have been politically correct enough to maintain a complete silence on any comparison of the socio-economic situation of Muslims in Gujarat and West Bengal. In our The Hindu article, we had demolished Shariff Bhai’s shocking assertion that the condition of Muslims in Gujarat was better than that of their counterparts in West Bengal. While in their blog they accept, albeit in a half-hearted way, that the proportion of Muslim enrolment at the primary level is higher than their share in the total population, they are silent on the situation now prevailing in Gujarat which is that the proportion of Muslim children at the primary, upper-primary and elementary levels is much lower than the share of Muslims in the state population. With a Muslim population of 9.1%, only 6.45% of total primary students in Gujarat are Muslims in 2009-10, while the figures for upper-primary and elementary are 6.44% and 6.45% respectively. We would like to re-iterate that the earlier, deliberate comparison of West Bengal Muslims with those of Gujarat was an example of the worst kind of political calumny. Does the state-sponsored genocide of Muslims in Gujarat mean nothing to Shariff Bhai? And does the sense of security that Muslims in West Bengal share, have no significance at all? We would also like to remind him of the fact that, under the earlier Congress rule, Muslims in West Bengal, while being “terrorised and displaced after the partition”, were getting a raw deal from the new Congress rulers. They “treated their problems with a callous indifference and blank disregard” (Chatterji: 2007). Under the Congress rule, in 1964, West Bengal experienced one of the worst riots in post-independent India in which the Muslim community came under massive attacks. A number of reports show that their properties were plundered and they were forcefully driven away from their localities which resulted in the escalation of Muslim migration to the then East Pakistan. (Chatterji: 2007). This trend continued until the establishment of the Left Front Government whose track record in ensuring a riot-free Bengal stopped this out-migration. Madrasah Education As far as Madrasah education is concerned, Messrs. Shariff and Fazal have simply ignored the fact that a significant number of West Bengal madrasahs actually impart modern education for example, the examinations conducted by the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education follow the guidelines of the State and Central Boards for Secondary/Matric examinations. Similarly, students of Higher Secondary madrasahs are eligible to sit in the Higher Secondary/Intermediate examinations conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education. These madrasahs are financially aided by the State Government’s Madrasah Education Department, as far as payment of salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff, allocation of development funds and modernization and updating of curriculum are concerned. It should be noted that a number of Central Government Institutes and all-India competitive examinations have grossly discriminated against these state-funded modern madrasah students by not recognizing their Class X certificates issued by the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education. On the question of adding more than 20,00 Madrasah teachers and employees to the total of Muslim State Government employees, Messrs. Shariff and Fazal have an intriguing response. They say that in its response to the Sachar Committee questionnaire, the State Government itself had not included this figure. Surely that begs the question. If the State Government is responsible for an error of omission that certainly does not mean that the error cannot be subsequently remedied. Yeh to vahi baat hui ki chit bhi meri aur pat bhi! It is unfortunate that Messrs. Shariff and Fazal have chosen to scoff at the State-aided madrasahs which teach subjects like English, Vernaculars (Bengali/Urdu), History, Geography, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematics along with a third language option of Arabaic/Urdu/Persian. Neither have they accounted for the senior madrasahs which strike a balance between Arabic and Islamic studies and modern subjects. They have chosen to heap scorn on those madrasahs which are meant only for religious education which are the norm in most parts of the country. It should be noted that the character of West Bengal’s madrasah education is fundamentally different from the rest of the country and that madrasahs were receiving aid and being monitored by the autonomus West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission. The madrasah education system in Bengal is a pioneer in imparting modern education, unlike most madrasahs in the country that only imparts religious education. Both high and senior madrasahs in West Bengal have been getting aid from and being monitored by the state government sponsored Madrsah Education department for a long time. It is incredible that Messrs. Shariff and Fazal are small-minded enough to ascribe the increased spending on madrasahs by the Left Front Government to ‘vote-bank politics’. Is this not something we should leave to the Hindutva Brigade to cavil about? As far as the tragic Rizwanur case that Messrs. Shariff and Fazal refer to in this context, is concerned, we would like to condemn the studied silence of the media and various ‘commentators’ with regard to the fact that the Judge of the fast-track court has questioned the CBI as to why the name of TMC MLA, Javed Khan, who has been re-elected recently, was left out of its Chargesheet when both he and Saidur Rahman (a block-level leader of the TMC) were named in Rizwanur's suicide note? Muslim OBC Reservation Messrs. Shariff and Fazal have alleged that the decision of the West Bengal government to reserve 10% of State Government jobs for Muslim OBCs, as per the recommendations of Ranganath Mishra Commission, was a "crass election ploy". The real question that they – and all of us – should be asking is why is the Central Government refusing to respond, even before the Supreme Court, to the Mishra Commission recommendations and why are other State Governments completely indifferent to this? There is no denying the fact that the Left Front led West Bengal government is the first state government in the country to implement the Mishra Commission recommendations. On the technicalities of the Muslim OBC reservation, it was only after the official publication of the Ranganath Mishra Commission Report, under pressure from Left MPs, that the State Government could initiate procedures like identification of OBC groups, distribution of OBC certificates among Muslims in 2010 and then notifying the job quota in Government employment advertisements for appointments. As a result, a new list of 56 ‘more backward communities’ have been included in the State OBC list, of which 49 are Muslim communities amounting to 1.72 crores out of a total Muslim population of 2.02 crores or 85% of the total. As it stands, West Bengal now has 10% reservation for the ‘more backward communities’ of which the overwhelming majority are Muslims and 7% reservation for OBC’s, most of whom are non-Muslims. In 2010, the West Bengal Assembly passed the Bill on job quotas and, in March 2011, the Bill for reservation in higher education for Muslim OBC’s was passed. These legislations will ensure that the vast majority of the Muslim community benefits from increased employment and educational opportunities in the future, irrespective of which party is in Government. In conclusion we would like to say that specious reasoning like that of Messrs. Shariff and Fazal which relegate necessary welfare measures and policy corrections to the realm of ‘crass electoral ploys’ actually give respectability to those Governments that are not prepared to do anything to ameliorate the lot of socially and economically deprived sections of our society. Muslim Beneficiaries of Land Reforms and Panchayati Raj Messrs. Shariff and Fazal continue to ignore the comparative situation of Muslim beneficiaries from land reforms and panchayats under Congress rule and the Left Front regime. Anyone who is aware of the land- holding patterns in Bengal, knows that after the Permanent Settlement of 1793 and the creation of a new zamindari class under British colonial rule, Bengal Muslims were mostly peasants of whom very few belonged to the large-land holding classes. Also, the general land-holding pattern in Bengal across all caste and communities is relatively small and fragmented. In this respect, the socio-economic profile of Bengal Muslims was historically different from that of the North Indian Muslim Ashraf elite who, more often than not, had a landlord pedigree and also from that of the Southern Muslims, who were beneficiaries of the colonial policy of ‘special representation’ in Government jobs and education. The miniscule Muslim middle class in Bengal mostly migrated to East Pakistan in l947. The three decades of post-Independence Congress rule in West Bengal saw no attempt to implement Land Reforms. After the Left Front was elected in 1977, Land Reforms and Operation Barga greatly benefited the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Minorities. While in most parts of India, landlessness among Muslims has increased after 1947, West Bengal is an exception. Estimates from the 55th Round of NSSO suggests that, among rural households in West Bengal, Muslim households constitute 30.9 per cent which have access to 25.6 per cent of the total cultivated land. This is second only to Jammu and Kashmir where a much higher percentage of Muslim citizens have access to 30.3 per cent of cultivable land in the State. Similarly, the minorities in West Bengal have a fair representation in the three tier panchayati system. According to West Bengal Panchayats, Their Members and Functionaries, 2010, Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Government of West Bengal, in the last panchayati elections of 2008, 23.17% panchayat members belonged to the minorities. On the 21st December, 2010, the State Government introduced and passed amendments to the West Bengal Panchayat Act 1973 which ensure 50% reserved seats for women and also a proportional representation for Muslim OBCs in the panchayats. The Sachar Committee and subsequent speeches and articles by Shariff Bhai ignore the important issues of land-holding and Panchayati representation among Muslims. It is hardly a co-incidence that West Bengal has an impressive track record on both counts. MSDP Expenditure, Bank Credit and SHGs Regarding MSDPs, our article in TheHindu had quoted from primary sources, i.e. the Minority Affairs Department of the Government of India sources. MOD data shows that West Bengal has spent 36% of total funds received until 30th December, 2010 and not 30% as asserted by Messrs. Shariff and Fazal quoting from a secondary study. This secondary report also claims, according to them that in the 24 Parganas district, “only 2.2% minority BPL households have been covered by the self-employment SGSY scheme, and less than 1% of the households have actually received bank credit.” This certainly is a cause for worry since this is the very district in which the Trinamool Congress registered tremendous gains in the last Panchayat elections of 2008. It is, therefore, answerable for this dismal record. Regarding bank credit or loans and Self Help Groups (SHGs), we would recommend the website of West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation to get the answers regarding the success story of West Bengal on these issues. We would also like to take this opportunity to point out that in a Central Government report published after the Assembly poll results, the West Bengal Government has been cited as being No. 2 in the country in reducing IMR. The report particularly commends the panchayati raj institutions for having ensured institutional and non-institutional care for expectant mothers. Conclusions It has never been our intention to make grandiose claims as far as the condition of Muslims in West Bengal is concerned. We have only tried to demonstrate that the Left Front Government through Land Reforms, Operation Barga, Three-tier Panchayati Raj, Government support to Madrasahs and a strong defence of communal peace and harmony had made some headway in ensuring the security and progress of the Muslims. We also wanted to show that, after the Sachar Committee Report and the Ranganath Mishra Commission Reports were made public – and both, we should add, only as a result of Left pressure – the Left Front Government made a concerted effort to use their recommendations to accelerate this process. What is needed to be done by all those committed to the welfare, development and security of Muslims, is analysis of what is being done by the Central Government, the real engine of change in our polity, in this regard. Unfortunately, the record is dismal and, what is disconcerting is that people like Messrs. Shariff and Fazal are, for some mysterious reason, completely silent on this. They are not even incensed by the fact that the recent Budget actually reduced the outlay on the MSDP by Rs. 100 crores. They seem to reserve their ire for the acts of omission and commission – real or imaginary – of the Left Front Government in West Bengal. While this may or may not succeed in harming the Left, it certainly does harm the struggle for the development, security and welfare of the Muslims in India. References: Chatterji, Joya (2007), The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947-1967. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. __________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From peter.ksmtf at gmail.com Fri May 20 23:00:57 2011 From: peter.ksmtf at gmail.com (T Peter) Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fish turns too dear in State's capital In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: By Express News Service 20 May 2011 12:05:28 AM IST Fish turns too dear in State's capital THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The price of fish in the city is skyrocketing owing to poor catch. Obviously,  the reason for this shortage is the global climate change and the changes in the seasons. Sample this, as per the price index in one of the major fish shops in Vellayambalam, the price of seer fish (neymeen) on Thursday stood at Rs 560 per kilogram. The prices of some other major fish varieties on the day are as follows: Emperor fish (villa meen) Rs 520, anchovies (natholi) Rs 215, shrimp Rs 650, crab Rs 315, tuna (choora) Rs 350, grouper (kalava) Rs 250 and shark Rs 380. Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) president T Peter said that  climate change was one of the factors that resulted in the reduction of fish wealth. This, in turn, has resulted in a hike in the price of fish, he said. Peter said that the large-scale fishing activities carried out by foreign trawlers and use of purse seine nets in deep sea was another factor. As a result, there has been a reduction in the availability of fish in shallow waters, he said. Now, all species of fish are in short supply. For instance, traditionally, this is a season when the catch of tuna ought to have been good. However, this year, this has not been the case, he said. The enforcement of the 45-day-ban on fishing by mechanised boats in Tamil Nadu from April 15 has resulted in poor landing of fish. The devastation of the 2004 tsunami, environmental degradation and short-sighted development projects are the other issues that are adversely affecting the fish populations of coastal areas along the Indian Ocean, placing the balance of complex marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of fishermen at risk. Changes in the sea level and temperature due to climate change have already had a negative  impact on the coral reefs. Apart from that, the commercial deep sea trawling and removal of the protective cover of mangroves along the coast have also negatively affected the fragile marine ecosystems. © Copyright 2008 ExpressBuzz From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sat May 21 16:39:07 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 16:39:07 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 28 May: Meeting on GROUNDWATER use, the looming crisis and the way forward Message-ID: DELHI PLATFORM, JALSAMVAAD, INDIAN SOCIAL INSTITUTE & SADED invite you to a discussion on ______________________________________________________________________ GROUNDWATER USE, THE LOOMING CRISIS AND THE WAY FORWARD Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People & Anupam Mishra, Gandhi Peace Foundation                will initiate the discussion by their presentations _______________________________________________________________________ Water is integral to life and society but it is clear that equity and sustainability have not driven the social frameworks and water systems for competing demands on water. Worse still, there is little scope for the poor and disempowered to assert their rights to fulfill basic needs of water which affect their lives and livelihoods so deeply. The misallocations to wasteful lifestyles of elites and inefficient or socially wasteful industries have strained the ecosystem, whose vital needs and logic can only be ignored at our own peril. Himanshu Thakkar will talk about the increasing reliance on groundwater to meet the growing demands for water and the needs of most other water sub-sectors in an unsustainable way. Anupam Mishra will focus on the desert context in Rajasthan, where water is naturally scarce, and how some older societies have met the challenge, raising broader questions on the linkages between state, society and water (Raj, Samaj aur Pani). The main purpose of organizing these discussions is to facilitate discussion and further engagement.  After the initial presentations by the speakers, we would urge you to share your views and participate actively. Venue: Room No. 304, Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road (Nearest Metro station: Jor Bagh) Date: 28 May 2011 Time: 5 pm-8 pm _______________________________________________________________________ This meeting is part of an ongoing series of discussions that Delhi Platform has been organizing on issues related to core concerns such as the climate crisis, equity and sustainability. Earlier discussion meetings have been around Water; Energy; Coal and its Costs; Nuclear Energy in India and People’s Struggles; and Peak Oil and Urban Agriculture. ______________________________________________________________________ In solidarity, Soumya Dutta (Delhi Platform) Arun Bidani (Jal Samvaad) Rajni Kant Mudgal (SADED) Fr John (Indian Social Institute) Tel: 9213763756 (Soumya Dutta), 9910476553 (Nagraj Adve), 43098327 (Arun Bidani) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "indiaclimatejustice" group. To post to this group, send email to indiaclimatejustice at googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to indiaclimatejustice+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiaclimatejustice?hl=en. From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Sat May 21 23:33:18 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 23:33:18 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] 17 Nobel Laureates, for what it is worth Message-ID: There's nothing in this post ln Real Climate that is new (I could not access the attached memorandum itself), including the climate sceptics crap at the end, but still worth reading. Naga On Wednesday, 17 Nobel laureates who gathered in Stockholm have published a remarkable memorandum, asking for “fundamental transformation and innovation in all spheres and at all scales in order to stop and reverse global environmental change”. The Stockholm Memorandum concludes that we have entered a new geological era: the Anthropocene, where humanity has become the main driver of global change. The document states: Science makes clear that we are transgressing planetary boundaries that have kept civilization safe for the past 10,000 years. [...] We can no longer exclude the possibility that our collective actions will trigger tipping points, risking abrupt and irreversible consequences for human communities and ecological systems. We cannot continue on our current path. The time for procrastination is over. We cannot afford the luxury of denial. Mario Molina Mario Molina (Nobel prize in chemistry 1995) signs the Stockholm Memorandum The memorandum results from a 3-day symposium (attended also by the king of Sweden) on the intertwined problems of poverty, development, ecosystem deterioration and the climate crisis. In the memorandum, the Nobel laureates call for immediate emergency measures as well as long-term structural solutions, and they give specific recommendations in eight key priority areas. For example in climate policy, they recommend to: Keep global warming below 2ºC, implying a peak in global CO2 emissions no later than 2015 and recognise that even a warming of 2ºC carries a very high risk of serious impacts and the need for major adaptation efforts. The memorandum was handed over to the members of the UN high-level panel on global sustainability, who traveled to Stockholm in order to discuss it with the Nobel laureates and experts at the symposium. p.s. As a little reminder of the ongoing work of the merchants of doubt, a small band of five or six “climate sceptic” protesters were gathered outside the symposium, some of whom flown in from Berlin. Their pamphlet identified them as part of the longstanding anti-climate-science campaign of US billionaire Lyndon Larouche and claimed that climate change is “a hoax” and an “insane theory”, the global temperature measurements are “mere lies”, the Nobel laureates meeting “a conspiracy” and the Stockholm Memorandum a “Fascist Manifesto”. I approached one of the protesters who carried a banner “against Green fascism” and asked him whether he seriously believes what his pamphlet says, namely that our meeting is a “symposium for global genocide”. He nodded emphatically and replied: “Yes, of course!” From rohitrellan at aol.in Sun May 22 14:52:24 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 05:22:24 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?Katyayani__presents_Rabindranath_Tagore?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_mystical_short_story=2C_=60The_Hungry_Stones?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99_=2CMay24th=2C_IIC=2C_New_Delhi?= Message-ID: <8CDE678E563B137-2164-99A69@webmail-d079.sysops.aol.com> Katyayani presents Rabindranath Tagore’s mystical short story, `The Hungry Stones’ as a dramatized reading, using multi-media. The past of a long dead palace comes alive, driving a visitor out of his mind. Readers: Sunit Tandon, Sanjeev Desai. Dancer: Sanah Kaintura Singer: Sampa Das. Lights: Amey Charnalia Sound: Pamela Prakash Projection: Firoz Abraham Mirza Dramatised and Directed by Sohaila Kapur The India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Road. Tuesday, May 24th, 6:30 p.m. Free Entry. From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Sun May 22 21:05:12 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 21:05:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] AIDWA Report: Bhatta Parasaul Firing Message-ID: See http://pragoti.org/node/4413 for the full text of the report. The NCW report differs on (8). Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Sun May 22 21:37:50 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 21:37:50 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Defining Secrecy Message-ID: (From http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24886 ) Disclosure and Deceit: Secrecy as the Manipulation of History, not its Concealment by Dr. T. P. Wilkinson Global Research, May 21, 2011 The declassification of official secrets is often seen as either a challenge or a prerequisite for obtaining accurate data on the history of political and economic events. Yet at the same time high government intelligence officials have said that their policy is one of 'plausible deniability'. Official US government policy for example is never to acknowledge or deny the presence of nuclear weapons anywhere its forces are deployed, especially its naval forces. The British have their ‘Official Secrets’ Act. When the Wikileaks site was launched in 2007 and attained notoriety for publication of infamous actions by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, this platform was heralded and condemned for its disclosures and exposures. Julian Assange is quoted as saying that when he receives documents classified under the UK Official Secrets Act he responds in accordance with the letter of the law – since it is forbidden to withhold or destroy, his only option is to publish. The question remains for historians, investigators, and educated citizens: what is the real value of disclosures or declassification? Given the practice of plausible deniablity, does disclosure or declassification constitute proof, and if so by what criteria? Both facts and non-facts can be concealed or disclosed. Information is not self-defining Ultimately there remain two questions: does the secret document (now public) really constitute the 'secret'? What is the 'secret' for which we use the document to actually refer? Is secrecy the difference between the known and unknown, or the known and untold? Some benefit can be found by borrowing theological concepts. We can distinguish between a mystery revealed and a supernatural truth which, by its very nature, lies above the finite intelligence. But a secret is something unknowable either by accident or on account of accessibility. I believe that the popularised form of disclosure embodied in Wikileaks should force us to distinguish between those beliefs we have about the nature of official action and the conduct of people working within those institutions and the data produced. Wikileaks is clearly a platform for publishing data but much of the response to these documents is more based on mystery than on secrecy. That is to say that the disclosures are treated as revelation in the religious sense – and not as discovery in the sense of scientia – knowledge. Why is this so? Wikileaks is described as a continuation of the ethical and social responsibility of journalism as an instrument to educate and inform the public – based on the principle that an informed public is essential to a democracy and self-governance. By collecting, collating and disclosing documents 'leaked’ to it, Wikileaks also attacks what Assange calls the invisible government, the people and institutions who rule by concealing their activities from the people – and brings to light their wrongdoing. There are two traditions involved here that partially overlap. In the US the prime examples are the 'muckraking journalism’ originating in the so-called Progressive Era, spanning from 1890s to 1920s, and more recently the publication of the Pentagon Papers through Daniel Ellsberg. While liberals treat both of these examples favourably, their histories, however, are far more ambivalent than sentimentally presented. To understand this ambivalence, itself a sort of plausible deniability, it is necessary to sketch the history of journalism in the US – the emergence of an unnamed but essential political actor – and some of the goals of US foreign policy since the end of the 19th century. This very brief sketch offers what I call the preponderance of facticity – as opposed to an unimpeachable explanation for the overt and covert actions of the US. First of all it is necessary to acknowledge that in 1886 the US Supreme Court endowed the modern business corporation with all the properties of citizenship in the US – a ruling reiterated with more vehemence this year by another Supreme Court decision. As of 1886, business corporations in the US had more civil rights than freed slaves or women. By the end of the First World War, the business corporation had eclipsed the natural person as a political actor in the US. By 1924 US immigration law and the actions of the FBI had succeeded in damming the flow of European radicalism and suppressing domestic challenges to corporate supremacy. Thus by the time Franklin Roosevelt was elected, the US had been fully constituted as a corporatist state. US government policy was thereafter made mainly by and for business corporations and their representatives. Second, professional journalism emerged from the conflict between partisan media tied to social movements and those tied to business. The first journalism school was founded in 1908 at the University of Missouri with money from newspaper baron Joseph Pulitzer. As in all other emerging professions at that time, it was claimed that uniform training within an academic curriculum would produce writers who were neutral, objective, and dispassionate – that is to say somehow scientific in their writing. A professional journalist would not allow his or her writing to be corrupted by bribery or political allegiances. These professional journalists would work for commercial enterprises but be trained to produce value-free texts for publication.. The US has always refused to call itself an empire or to acknowledge that its expansion from the very beginning was imperial. The dogma of manifest destiny sought to resolve this contradiction by stipulating that domestic conquest was not imperial. Control of the Western hemisphere has always been defined as national security, not of asserting US domination. Likewise, it is impossible to understand the actions of the US government in Asia since 1910 without acknowledging that the US is an empire and recognising its imperial interests in the Asia–Pacific region. It is also impossible to understand the period called the Cold War without knowing that the US invaded the Soviet Union in 1918 with 13,000 troops along with some 40,000 British troops and thousands of troops recruited by the ‘West’ to support the Tsarist armies and fascist Siberian Republic. It is essential to bear these over-arching contextual points in mind when considering the value of classified US documents and their disclosure, whether by Wikileaks or Bob Woodward. It is essential to bear these points in mind because the value or the ambivalence of ‘leaks’ or declassification depends entirely on whether the data is viewed as ‘revelation’ or as mere scientific data to be interpreted. Revelation and heresy For the most part the disclosures by Wikileaks have been and continue to be treated as ‘revelation’ and the disclosure itself as heresy. This is particularly the case in the batches of State Department cables containing diplomatic jargon and liturgy. The ‘revelation’ comprises the emotional response to scripture generated by members of the US foreign service and the confirmation this scripture appears to give to opinions held about the US – whether justified or not. Just as reading books and even the bible was a capital offence for those without ecclesiastical license in the high Middle Ages, the response of the US government is comprehensible. It is bound to assert that Wikileaks is criminal activity and to compel punishment. Yet there is another reason why the US government reaction is so intense. As argued above, the primary political actor in the US polity is the business corporation. In Europe and North America at least it is understood: (1) that the ultimate values for state action are those which serve the interests of private property; and (2) that the business corporation is the representative form of private property. This in turn means that information rights are in fact property rights manifest as patents, copyrights, and trade or industrial secrets. Since the state is the guardian of the corporation, it argues that the disclosure of government documents should only be allowed where the government itself has surrendered some of its privacy rights. This is quite different from the arguments for feudal diplomatic privilege, even though business corporations have superseded princely states. The argument for state secrecy now is that the democratic state constituted by business corporations is obliged to protect the rights and privileges of those citizens as embodied in their private property rights – rights deemed to be even more absolute than those historically attributed to natural persons, if for no other reason than that corporations enjoy limited liability and immortality, unlike natural persons. When the US government says it is necessary for other states to treat Assange as an outlaw and Wikileaks as a criminal activity, it is appealing on one hand to the global corporate citizenry and on the other, asserting its role – not unlike the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages – as the sole arbiter of those rights and privileges subsumed by Democracy in the world. Many of those who lack a religious commitment to the American way of life have still recognised the appeal to privacy and ultimately to private property which are now deemed the highest values in the world – so that trade, the commerce in private property, takes precedence over every other human activity and supersedes even human rights, not to mention civil rights. Ellsberg In 1971 Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, which began their publication. This leak was treated as a landmark, although it would take several years before the US withdrew its forces from Vietnam and many more before hostilities were formally ended. What then was the significance of the ‘leak’? The documents generally point to the failures of the military, omitting the role of the CIA almost entirely. Today it is still largely unknown that Ellsberg was working with the CIA in counter-insurgency programs in Vietnam. Did the Pentagon Papers thus serve the interests of plausible deniability – a disclosure of secrets designed not to reveal truth, but to conceal a larger truth by revealing smaller ones? On the other hand, the collection of essays, Dirty Work, edited by Philip Agee and Lou Wolf, showed how the identity of CIA officers could be deciphered from their official biographies, especially as published in the Foreign Service List and other government registers. This type of disclosure allows the competent researcher to recognise ‘real’ Foreign Service officers as opposed to CIA officers operating under diplomatic cover. Agee and his colleague Lou Wolf maintained that disclosure of CIA activities was not a matter of lifting secrets but of recognising the context in which disparate information has to be viewed to allow its interpretation. To put it trivially: in order to find something you have to know the thing for which you are searching. In order to be meaningful, disclosures of intelligence information must explain that intelligence information seeks to deceive the US public. For example, the CIA and those in the multi-agency task forces under its control produced an enormous amount of reports and documentation to show what was being done to fulfil the official US policy objectives in Vietnam. One of these programs was called Rural Development. This CIA program was run ostensibly by the USAID and the State Department to support the economic and social development of the countryside. This policy was articulated in Washington to fit with the dominant ‘development’ paradigm – to package the US policy as aid and not military occupation. And yet, as Douglas Valentine shows in his book The Phoenix Program, Rural Development was a cover for counterinsurgency from the beginning. The Phoenix Program only became known in the US after 1971, and then only superficially. The information released to the US Congress and reported in the major media outlets lacked sufficient context to allow interpretation. There was so little context that the same people who worked in the Phoenix program in Vietnam as 20-year-olds have been able to continue careers operating the same kinds of programmes in other countries with almost no scrutiny. Two people come to mind: John Negroponte, who is alleged to have provided support to death squads in Honduras during the US war against Nicaragua and later served as ambassador to occupied Iraq, began his foreign service career in Vietnam with one of the agencies instrumental in Phoenix. The other person died recently: Richard Holbrooke began his career with USAID in Vietnam, went on to advise the Indonesian dictatorship, went to manage the ‘diplomatic’ part of the US war in Yugoslavia and finally served as a kind of pro-consul for Central Asia with responsibility for the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. As the secret weapon in US imperial policy, the counterinsurgency or rural development or ‘surge’ policies of the US government never include an examination of the professionals who managed them. It used to be said among some critics that one could follow General Vernon Walters’ travel itinerary and predict military coups. But that was not something ‘leaked’ and it did not appear in the mainstream media analysis. The illusion of objective neutrality So if much of what we see ‘leaked’ is gossip in the service of plausible deniability, what separates the important gossip from the trivial? I suggest it is a return to consciously interested, humanistic values in historical research. We have to abandon the idea that the perfect form of knowledge is embodied in the privilege of corporate ownership of ideas, and domination of the state. We also have to abandon the illusion of objective neutrality inherited from Positivism and Progressivism, with its exclusionary professionalism. Until such time as human beings can be restored to the centre of social, political and economic history we have to recognise the full consequences of the enfranchisement of the business corporation and the subordination of the individual to role of a mere consumer. If we take the business corporation, an irresponsible and immortal entity, endowed with absolute property rights and absolved of any liability for its actions or those of its officers and agents, as the subject of history it has become, then we have to disclose more than diplomatic cables. We have to analyse its actions just as historians have tried to understand the behaviour of princes and dynasties in the past. This is too rarely done and when often only in a superficial way. I would like to provide an example, a sketch if you will, of one such historical analysis, taking the business corporation and not the natural person as the focus of action. In 1945, George Orwell referred to the threat of nuclear war between the West and the Soviet Union as a ‘cold war’. He made no reference to the 1918 invasion of the Soviet Union by British troops. In 1947, US Secretary of State Bernard Baruch gave a speech in South Carolina saying ‘Let us not be deceived: we are today in the midst of a cold war’. The speech had been written by a rich newspaperman named Herbert Swope. In 1947, George Kennan published his containment essay, ‘The Sources of Soviet Conduct’, in Foreign Affairs under the name ‘X’. In it he describes a supposed innate expansionist tendency of the Soviet Union – also no mention of the US invasion or the devastation of WWII, which virtually destroyed the Soviet Union’s manpower and industrial base. In April 1950, NSC 68 is published – classified top secret until 1975 – outlining the necessity for the US to massively rearm to assert and maintain its role as the world’s superpower. At the end of summer 1950, war breaks out in Korea. President Truman declared an emergency and gets UN Security Council approval for a war that lasts three years, killing at least 3 million Koreans – most of whom die as a result of US Air Force saturation bombing of Korea north of the 38th parallel. Truman proclaims that US intervention will be used to prevent the expansion of the Soviet Union or as Ronald Reagan put it then – Russian aggression. After being utterly routed by the army of North Korea, the US bombs its way to the Yalu only to be thrown back to the 38th parallel by China. In 1954, the US organises the overthrow of the Arbenz regime in Guatemala and begins its aid and covert intervention in Vietnam beginning a war that only ends in 1976. Meanwhile Britain suppresses the Malaysian independence movement. Between 1960 and 1968, nationalist governments have been overthrown in Indonesia, Congo, Ghana, Brazil. Cuba is the great surprise amidst the literally hundreds of nationalist, anti-colonial movements and governments suppressed by the US. William Blum has catalogued the enormous number of overt and covert interventions by the US in his book Killing Hope. The amazing thing about much of what Blum compiled is that it was not ‘secret’. It was simply not reported or misreported. Blum makes clear – what should be obvious – that the Soviet Union was not a party to a single war or coup from 1945 to 1989 and that the US government knew this. Much of this early action took place when John Foster Dulles was US Secretary of State and his brother was head of the CIA. The Dulles brothers were intimately connected to corporations they represented in their capacity as ‘white shoe’ lawyers in New York. In fact the founder of the OSS, the CIA’s predecessor, William Donovan, was also a corporate lawyer both before and after his service in the OSS. In other words the people who have commanded these foreign policy instruments have almost without exception been the direct representatives of major US business corporations. In each case the public pretext has been the threat of communism or Soviet expansion. Yet the only consistent quality all of these actions had was the suppression of governments that restricted the activities of US or UK corporations. Of course, communism has long been merely a term for any opposition to the unrestricted rights of business corporations. One could say people like Donovan or Dulles were seconded to government office. However, the direct financial benefit that someone like Dulles obtained when he succeeded in deposing Arbenz in Guatemala came from his shareholding in United Fruit, the instigator and financial backer of the CIA co-ordinated coup. Perhaps the more accurate interpretation of this secret activity is that the business corporation, which previously employed law firms and Pinkertons, had shifted the burden of implementing corporate foreign policy to the taxpayer and the state. Now the interest of the US in Latin America has been well researched and documented. But the persistence of the Vietnam War and the silence about the Korean War have only been matched by the virtual absence of debate about the overthrow of Sukarno and the Philippine insurgency. The Philippines became a footnote in the controversy about US torture methods in Iraq and elsewhere as it was shown that the ‘water cure’ was applied rigorously by American troops when suppressing the Philippine independence movement at the beginning of the 20th century. Lack of context not knowledge The study of each of these Asian countries – and one can add the so-called Golden Triangle; and I would argue Afghanistan now – has been clouded not by lack of evidence or documentation but by lack of context. If the supposed threat posed by communism, especially Soviet communism is taken at face value – as also reiterated in innumerable official documents both originally public and originally confidential – then the US actions in Asia seem like mere religious fanaticism. The government officials and military and those who work with them are so indoctrinated that they will do anything to oppose communism in whatever form. Thus even respected scholars of these wars will focus on the delusions or information deficits or ideological blinders of the actors. This leads to a confused and incoherent perception of US relations in Asia and the Pacific. The virtual absence of any coherent criticism of the Afghanistan War, let alone the so-called War on Terror, is symptomatic not of inadequate information, leaked or otherwise. It is a result of failure to establish the context necessary for evaluating the data available. It should not surprise anyone that ‘counter-terror’ practices by US Forces are ‘discovered’ in Afghanistan or Iraq, if the professional careers of the theatre and field commanders (in and out of uniform) are seriously examined. Virtually all those responsible for fighting the war in Central Asia come from Special Operations/CIA backgrounds. That is what they have been trained to do. If we shift our attention for a moment to the economic basis of this region, it has been said that the war against drugs is also being fought there. However, this is counterfactual. Since the 1840s the region from Afghanistan to Indochina has been part of what was originally the British opium industry. China tried to suppress the opium trade twice leading to war with Britain – wars China lost. The bulk of the Hong Kong banking sector developed out of the British opium trade protected by the British army and Royal Navy. Throughout World War II and especially the Vietnam War the opium trade expanded to become an important economic sector in Southern Asia – under the protection of the secret services of the US, primarily the CIA. Respected scholars have documented this history to the present day. However it does not appear to play any role in interpreting the policies of the US government whether publicly or confidentially documented. Is it because, as a senior UN official reported last year, major parts of the global financial sector – headquartered in New York and London – were saved by billions in drug money in 2008? Does the fact that Japan exploited both Korea and Vietnam to provide cheap food for its industrial labour force have any bearing on the US decision to invade those countries when its official Asia policy was to rebuild Japan as an Asian platform for US corporations – before China became re-accessible (deemed lost to the Communists in 1948)? Did the importance of Korean tungsten for the US steel industry contribute to the willingness of people like Preston Goodfellow, a CIA officer in Korea, to introduce a right-wing Korean to rule as a dictator of the US occupied zone? Is there continuity between Admiral Dewey’s refusal to recognise the Philippine Republic after Spain’s defeat – because the 1898 treaty with Spain ceded the archipelago to the US – and the refusal of General Hodge to recognise the Korean People’s Republic in Seoul when he led the occupation of Korea in 1945? As John Pilger suggests, were the million people massacred by Suharto with US and UK support a small price to pay for controlling the richest archipelago in the Pacific? Was the Pol Pot regime not itself a creation of the US war against Vietnam – by other means? Is it an accident that while the US was firmly anchored in Subic Bay, armed and funded Jakarta, occupied Japan and half of Korea, that the US was prepared to bomb the Vietnamese nationalists ‘into the Stone Age’? It only makes sense if the US is understood as an empire and its corporate interests are taken seriously when researching the history of the US attempts to create and hold an Asian empire. The resistance to this perception can be explained and it is not because of an impenetrable veil of secrecy. It is not because of the accidentally or inaccessibly unknown. Rather it is because US policy and practice in the world remains a ‘mystery’, a supernatural truth, one that of its very nature lies above the finite intelligence. The quasi-divine status of the universal democracy for which the USA is supposed to stand is an obstacle of faith. Engineering consent In the twentieth century two conflicting tendencies can be identified. The first was the emergence of mass democratic movements. The second was the emergence of the international business corporation. When the Great War ended in 1918, the struggle between these two forces crystallised in the mass audience or consumer on one hand and the mass production and communication on the other. As Edward Bernays put it: ‘This is an age of mass production. In the mass production of materials a broad technique has been developed and applied to their distribution. In this age too there must be a technique for the mass distribution of ideas.’ In his book, Propaganda, he wrote ‘The conscious and intelligent manipulation of organised habits and opinions of the masses…’ was necessary in a democracy, calling that ‘invisible government’. Like his contemporary Walter Lippmann, a journalist, he believed that democracy was a technique for ‘engineering the consent’ of the masses to those policies and practices adopted by the country’s elite – the rulers of its great business corporations. By the 1980s the state throughout the West – and after 1989 in the former Soviet bloc – was being defined only by ‘business criteria’, e.g. efficiency, profitability, cost minimisation, shareholder value, consumer satisfaction, etc. Political and social criteria such as participatory rights or income equity or equality, provision of basic needs such as education, work, housing, nutrition, healthcare on a universal basis had been transformed from citizenship to consumerism. The individual lost status in return for means tested access to the ‘market’. In order for the state to function like a business it had to adopt both the organisational and ethical forms of the business corporation – a non-democratic system, usually dictatorial, at best operating as an expert system. As an extension of the property-holding entities upon which it was to be remodelled, the state converted its power into secretive, jealous, and rigid hierarchies driven by the highest ethical value of the corporation – profit. Journalists and ‘corporate stenographers’ While historical research should not be merely deductive, it is dependent on documents. The veracity of those documents depends among other things on authenticity, judgements as to the status, knowledge or competence of the author, the preponderance of reported data corresponding to data reported elsewhere or in other media. A public document is tested against a private or confidential document – hence the great interest in memoirs, diaries and private correspondence. There is an assumption that the private document is more sincere or even reliable than public documents. This is merely axiomatic since there is no way to determine from a document itself whether its author lied, distorted or concealed in his private correspondence, too. Discrepancies can be explained in part by accepting that every author is a limited informant or interpreter. The assumptions about the integrity of the author shape the historical evaluation. In contemporary history – especially since the emergence of industrial-scale communications – the journalist has become the model and nexus of data collection, author, analyst, and investigator. Here the journalist is most like a scholar. The journalist is also a vicarious observer. The journalist is supposed to share precisely those attributes of the people to whom or about whom he reports. This has given us the plethora of reality TV, talk shows, embedded reporters, and the revolving door between media journalists and corporate/state press officers. In the latter the journalist straddles the chasm between salesman and consumer. This is the role that the Creel Committee and the public relations industry learned to exploit. The journalist George Creel called his memoir of the Committee on Public Information he chaired – formed by Woodrow Wilson to sell US entry into World War I – How We Advertised America. The campaign was successful in gaining mass support for a policy designed to assure that Britain and France would be able to repay the billions borrowed from J. P. Morgan & Co. to finance their war against Germany and seize the Mesopotamian oilfields from the Ottoman Empire. Industrial communications techniques were applied to sell the political product of the dominant financial and industrial corporations of the day. The professional journalist, freed from any social movement or popular ideology, had already become a mercenary for corporate mass media. The profession eased access to secure employment and to the rich and powerful. The journalists’ job was to produce ideas for mass distribution – either for the state or for the business corporation. Supporting private enterprise was at the very least a recognition that one’s job depended on the media owner. Editorial independence meant writers and editors could write whatever they pleased as long as it sold and did not challenge the economic or political foundation of the media enterprise itself. In sum the notion of the independent, truth-finding, investigative journalist is naïve at best. We must be careful to distinguish between journalists and what John Pilger has called ‘corporate stenographers’. This does not mean that no journalists supply us with useful information or provide us access to meaningful data. It means that journalism, as institution, as praxis, is flawed – because it too is subordinated to the business corporation and its immoral imperatives. Wikileaks takes as its frame of reference the journalism as it emerged in the Positivist – Progressive Era – a profession ripe with contradictions, as I have attempted to illustrate. Were Wikileaks to fulfil that Positivist–Progressive model, it would still risk overwhelming us with the apparently objective and unbiased data – facts deemed to stand for themselves. Without a historical framework – and I believe such a framework must also be humanist – the mass of data produced or collated by such a platform as Wikileaks may sate but not nourish us. We have to be responsible for our interpretation. We can only be responsible however when we are aware of the foundations and framework for the data we analyse. The deliberate choice of framework forces us to be conscious of our own values and commitments. This stands in contrast to a hypothetically neutral, objective, or non-partisan foundation that risks decaying into opportunism – and a flood of deceit from which no mountain of disclosure can save us. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From diadacosta at gmail.com Sun May 22 23:46:53 2011 From: diadacosta at gmail.com (Dia Da Costa) Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 14:16:53 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Defining Secrecy In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: hello, i found this interview with julian assange interesting and it gives insight into his perspective on secrecy, censorship, and change. http://www.e-flux.com/journal/view/232 part two of this interview will be a series of questions from contemporary artists answered by assange. should be interesting as well. dia da costa On Sun, May 22, 2011 at 12:07 PM, A. Mani wrote: > (From http > ://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24886) > > > Disclosure and Deceit: Secrecy as the Manipulation of History, not its > Concealment > > by Dr. T. P. Wilkinson > > > Global Research, May 21, 2011 > > > The declassification of official secrets is often seen as either a > challenge or a prerequisite for obtaining accurate data on the history > of political and economic events. Yet at the same time high government > intelligence officials have said that their policy is one of > 'plausible deniability'. Official US government policy for example is > never to acknowledge or deny the presence of nuclear weapons anywhere > its forces are deployed, especially its naval forces. The British have > their ‘Official Secrets’ Act. When the Wikileaks site was launched in > 2007 and attained notoriety for publication of infamous actions by US > forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, this platform was heralded and > condemned for its disclosures and exposures. > > Julian Assange is quoted as saying that when he receives documents > classified under the UK Official Secrets Act he responds in accordance > with the letter of the law – since it is forbidden to withhold or > destroy, his only option is to publish. The question remains for > historians, investigators, and educated citizens: what is the real > value of disclosures or declassification? Given the practice of > plausible deniablity, does disclosure or declassification constitute > proof, and if so by what criteria? Both facts and non-facts can be > concealed or disclosed. > > Information is not self-defining Ultimately there remain two > questions: does the secret document (now public) really constitute the > 'secret'? What is the 'secret' for which we use the document to > actually refer? Is secrecy the difference between the known and > unknown, or the known and untold? > > Some benefit can be found by borrowing theological concepts. We can > distinguish between a mystery revealed and a supernatural truth which, > by its very nature, lies above the finite intelligence. But a secret > is something unknowable either by accident or on account of > accessibility. I believe that the popularised form of disclosure > embodied in Wikileaks should force us to distinguish between those > beliefs we have about the nature of official action and the conduct of > people working within those institutions and the data produced. > Wikileaks is clearly a platform for publishing data but much of the > response to these documents is more based on mystery than on secrecy. > That is to say that the disclosures are treated as revelation in the > religious sense – and not as discovery in the sense of scientia – > knowledge. Why is this so? Wikileaks is described as a continuation of > the ethical and social responsibility of journalism as an instrument > to educate and inform the public – based on the principle that an > informed public is essential to a democracy and self-governance. By > collecting, collating and disclosing documents 'leaked’ to it, > Wikileaks also attacks what Assange calls the invisible government, > the people and institutions who rule by concealing their activities > from the people – and brings to light their wrongdoing. > > There are two traditions involved here that partially overlap. In the > US the prime examples are the 'muckraking journalism’ originating in > the so-called Progressive Era, spanning from 1890s to 1920s, and more > recently the publication of the Pentagon Papers through Daniel > Ellsberg. While liberals treat both of these examples favourably, > their histories, however, are far more ambivalent than sentimentally > presented. To understand this ambivalence, itself a sort of plausible > deniability, it is necessary to sketch the history of journalism in > the US – the emergence of an unnamed but essential political actor – > and some of the goals of US foreign policy since the end of the 19th > century. This very brief sketch offers what I call the preponderance > of facticity – as opposed to an unimpeachable explanation for the > overt and covert actions of the US. > > First of all it is necessary to acknowledge that in 1886 the US > Supreme Court endowed the modern business corporation with all the > properties of citizenship in the US – a ruling reiterated with more > vehemence this year by another Supreme Court decision. As of 1886, > business corporations in the US had more civil rights than freed > slaves or women. By the end of the First World War, the business > corporation had eclipsed the natural person as a political actor in > the US. By 1924 US immigration law and the actions of the FBI had > succeeded in damming the flow of European radicalism and suppressing > domestic challenges to corporate supremacy. Thus by the time Franklin > Roosevelt was elected, the US had been fully constituted as a > corporatist state. US government policy was thereafter made mainly by > and for business corporations and their representatives. Second, > professional journalism emerged from the conflict between partisan > media tied to social movements and those tied to business. The first > journalism school was founded in 1908 at the University of Missouri > with money from newspaper baron Joseph Pulitzer. As in all other > emerging professions at that time, it was claimed that uniform > training within an academic curriculum would produce writers who were > neutral, objective, and dispassionate – that is to say somehow > scientific in their writing. > > A professional journalist would not allow his or her writing to be > corrupted by bribery or political allegiances. These professional > journalists would work for commercial enterprises but be trained to > produce value-free texts for publication.. The US has always refused > to call itself an empire or to acknowledge that its expansion from the > very beginning was imperial. The dogma of manifest destiny sought to > resolve this contradiction by stipulating that domestic conquest was > not imperial. Control of the Western hemisphere has always been > defined as national security, not of asserting US domination. > Likewise, it is impossible to understand the actions of the US > government in Asia since 1910 without acknowledging that the US is an > empire and recognising its imperial interests in the Asia–Pacific > region. It is also impossible to understand the period called the Cold > War without knowing that the US invaded the Soviet Union in 1918 with > 13,000 troops along with some 40,000 British troops and thousands of > troops recruited by the ‘West’ to support the Tsarist armies and > fascist Siberian Republic. It is essential to bear these over-arching > contextual points in mind when considering the value of classified US > documents and their disclosure, whether by Wikileaks or Bob Woodward. > It is essential to bear these points in mind because the value or the > ambivalence of ‘leaks’ or declassification depends entirely on whether > the data is viewed as ‘revelation’ or as mere scientific data to be > interpreted. > > Revelation and heresy For the most part the disclosures by Wikileaks > have been and continue to be treated as ‘revelation’ and the > disclosure itself as heresy. This is particularly the case in the > batches of State Department cables containing diplomatic jargon and > liturgy. The ‘revelation’ comprises the emotional response to > scripture generated by members of the US foreign service and the > confirmation this scripture appears to give to opinions held about the > US – whether justified or not. Just as reading books and even the > bible was a capital offence for those without ecclesiastical license > in the high Middle Ages, the response of the US government is > comprehensible. It is bound to assert that Wikileaks is criminal > activity and to compel punishment. Yet there is another reason why the > US government reaction is so intense. As argued above, the primary > political actor in the US polity is the business corporation. In > Europe and North America at least it is understood: (1) that the > ultimate values for state action are those which serve the interests > of private property; and (2) that the business corporation is the > representative form of private property. > > This in turn means that information rights are in fact property rights > manifest as patents, copyrights, and trade or industrial secrets. > Since the state is the guardian of the corporation, it argues that the > disclosure of government documents should only be allowed where the > government itself has surrendered some of its privacy rights. This is > quite different from the arguments for feudal diplomatic privilege, > even though business corporations have superseded princely states. The > argument for state secrecy now is that the democratic state > constituted by business corporations is obliged to protect the rights > and privileges of those citizens as embodied in their private property > rights – rights deemed to be even more absolute than those > historically attributed to natural persons, if for no other reason > than that corporations enjoy limited liability and immortality, unlike > natural persons. When the US government says it is necessary for other > states to treat Assange as an outlaw and Wikileaks as a criminal > activity, it is appealing on one hand to the global corporate > citizenry and on the other, asserting its role – not unlike the Roman > Catholic Church of the Middle Ages – as the sole arbiter of those > rights and privileges subsumed by Democracy in the world. Many of > those who lack a religious commitment to the American way of life have > still recognised the appeal to privacy and ultimately to private > property which are now deemed the highest values in the world – so > that trade, the commerce in private property, takes precedence over > every other human activity and supersedes even human rights, not to > mention civil rights. > > Ellsberg In 1971 Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New > York Times, which began their publication. This leak was treated as a > landmark, although it would take several years before the US withdrew > its forces from Vietnam and many more before hostilities were formally > ended. What then was the significance of the ‘leak’? The documents > generally point to the failures of the military, omitting the role of > the CIA almost entirely. Today it is still largely unknown that > Ellsberg was working with the CIA in counter-insurgency programs in > Vietnam. Did the Pentagon Papers thus serve the interests of plausible > deniability – a disclosure of secrets designed not to reveal truth, > but to conceal a larger truth by revealing smaller ones? On the other > hand, the collection of essays, Dirty Work, edited by Philip Agee and > Lou Wolf, showed how the identity of CIA officers could be deciphered > from their official biographies, especially as published in the > Foreign Service List and other government registers. This type of > disclosure allows the competent researcher to recognise ‘real’ Foreign > Service officers as opposed to CIA officers operating under diplomatic > cover. Agee and his colleague Lou Wolf maintained that disclosure of > CIA activities was not a matter of lifting secrets but of recognising > the context in which disparate information has to be viewed to allow > its interpretation. > > To put it trivially: in order to find something you have to know the > thing for which you are searching. In order to be meaningful, > disclosures of intelligence information must explain that intelligence > information seeks to deceive the US public. For example, the CIA and > those in the multi-agency task forces under its control produced an > enormous amount of reports and documentation to show what was being > done to fulfil the official US policy objectives in Vietnam. One of > these programs was called Rural Development. This CIA program was run > ostensibly by the USAID and the State Department to support the > economic and social development of the countryside. This policy was > articulated in Washington to fit with the dominant ‘development’ > paradigm – to package the US policy as aid and not military > occupation. And yet, as Douglas Valentine shows in his book The > Phoenix Program, Rural Development was a cover for counterinsurgency > from the beginning. The Phoenix Program only became known in the US > after 1971, and then only superficially. The information released to > the US Congress and reported in the major media outlets lacked > sufficient context to allow interpretation. There was so little > context that the same people who worked in the Phoenix program in > Vietnam as 20-year-olds have been able to continue careers operating > the same kinds of programmes in other countries with almost no > scrutiny. > > Two people come to mind: John Negroponte, who is alleged to have > provided support to death squads in Honduras during the US war against > Nicaragua and later served as ambassador to occupied Iraq, began his > foreign service career in Vietnam with one of the agencies > instrumental in Phoenix. The other person died recently: Richard > Holbrooke began his career with USAID in Vietnam, went on to advise > the Indonesian dictatorship, went to manage the ‘diplomatic’ part of > the US war in Yugoslavia and finally served as a kind of pro-consul > for Central Asia with responsibility for the counterinsurgency in > Afghanistan. As the secret weapon in US imperial policy, the > counterinsurgency or rural development or ‘surge’ policies of the US > government never include an examination of the professionals who > managed them. It used to be said among some critics that one could > follow General Vernon Walters’ travel itinerary and predict military > coups. But that was not something ‘leaked’ and it did not appear in > the mainstream media analysis. > > The illusion of objective neutrality So if much of what we see > ‘leaked’ is gossip in the service of plausible deniability, what > separates the important gossip from the trivial? I suggest it is a > return to consciously interested, humanistic values in historical > research. We have to abandon the idea that the perfect form of > knowledge is embodied in the privilege of corporate ownership of > ideas, and domination of the state. We also have to abandon the > illusion of objective neutrality inherited from Positivism and > Progressivism, with its exclusionary professionalism. Until such time > as human beings can be restored to the centre of social, political and > economic history we have to recognise the full consequences of the > enfranchisement of the business corporation and the subordination of > the individual to role of a mere consumer. If we take the business > corporation, an irresponsible and immortal entity, endowed with > absolute property rights and absolved of any liability for its actions > or those of its officers and agents, as the subject of history it has > become, then we have to disclose more than diplomatic cables. We have > to analyse its actions just as historians have tried to understand the > behaviour of princes and dynasties in the past. This is too rarely > done and when often only in a superficial way. I would like to provide > an example, a sketch if you will, of one such historical analysis, > taking the business corporation and not the natural person as the > focus of action. > > In 1945, George Orwell referred to the threat of nuclear war between > the West and the Soviet Union as a ‘cold war’. He made no reference to > the 1918 invasion of the Soviet Union by British troops. In 1947, US > Secretary of State Bernard Baruch gave a speech in South Carolina > saying ‘Let us not be deceived: we are today in the midst of a cold > war’. The speech had been written by a rich newspaperman named Herbert > Swope. In 1947, George Kennan published his containment essay, ‘The > Sources of Soviet Conduct’, in Foreign Affairs under the name ‘X’. In > it he describes a supposed innate expansionist tendency of the Soviet > Union – also no mention of the US invasion or the devastation of WWII, > which virtually destroyed the Soviet Union’s manpower and industrial > base. In April 1950, NSC 68 is published – classified top secret until > 1975 – outlining the necessity for the US to massively rearm to assert > and maintain its role as the world’s superpower. At the end of summer > 1950, war breaks out in Korea. President Truman declared an emergency > and gets UN Security Council approval for a war that lasts three > years, killing at least 3 million Koreans – most of whom die as a > result of US Air Force saturation bombing of Korea north of the 38th > parallel. Truman proclaims that US intervention will be used to > prevent the expansion of the Soviet Union or as Ronald Reagan put it > then – Russian aggression. After being utterly routed by the army of > North Korea, the US bombs its way to the Yalu only to be thrown back > to the 38th parallel by China. In 1954, the US organises the overthrow > of the Arbenz regime in Guatemala and begins its aid and covert > intervention in Vietnam beginning a war that only ends in 1976. > Meanwhile Britain suppresses the Malaysian independence movement. > Between 1960 and 1968, nationalist governments have been overthrown in > Indonesia, Congo, Ghana, Brazil. Cuba is the great surprise amidst the > literally hundreds of nationalist, anti-colonial movements and > governments suppressed by the US. > > William Blum has catalogued the enormous number of overt and covert > interventions by the US in his book Killing Hope. The amazing thing > about much of what Blum compiled is that it was not ‘secret’. It was > simply not reported or misreported. Blum makes clear – what should be > obvious – that the Soviet Union was not a party to a single war or > coup from 1945 to 1989 and that the US government knew this. Much of > this early action took place when John Foster Dulles was US Secretary > of State and his brother was head of the CIA. The Dulles brothers were > intimately connected to corporations they represented in their > capacity as ‘white shoe’ lawyers in New York. In fact the founder of > the OSS, the CIA’s predecessor, William Donovan, was also a corporate > lawyer both before and after his service in the OSS. In other words > the people who have commanded these foreign policy instruments have > almost without exception been the direct representatives of major US > business corporations. In each case the public pretext has been the > threat of communism or Soviet expansion. Yet the only consistent > quality all of these actions had was the suppression of governments > that restricted the activities of US or UK corporations. Of course, > communism has long been merely a term for any opposition to the > unrestricted rights of business corporations. > > One could say people like Donovan or Dulles were seconded to > government office. However, the direct financial benefit that someone > like Dulles obtained when he succeeded in deposing Arbenz in Guatemala > came from his shareholding in United Fruit, the instigator and > financial backer of the CIA co-ordinated coup. Perhaps the more > accurate interpretation of this secret activity is that the business > corporation, which previously employed law firms and Pinkertons, had > shifted the burden of implementing corporate foreign policy to the > taxpayer and the state. Now the interest of the US in Latin America > has been well researched and documented. But the persistence of the > Vietnam War and the silence about the Korean War have only been > matched by the virtual absence of debate about the overthrow of > Sukarno and the Philippine insurgency. The Philippines became a > footnote in the controversy about US torture methods in Iraq and > elsewhere as it was shown that the ‘water cure’ was applied rigorously > by American troops when suppressing the Philippine independence > movement at the beginning of the 20th century. > > Lack of context not knowledge The study of each of these Asian > countries – and one can add the so-called Golden Triangle; and I would > argue Afghanistan now – has been clouded not by lack of evidence or > documentation but by lack of context. If the supposed threat posed by > communism, especially Soviet communism is taken at face value – as > also reiterated in innumerable official documents both originally > public and originally confidential – then the US actions in Asia seem > like mere religious fanaticism. The government officials and military > and those who work with them are so indoctrinated that they will do > anything to oppose communism in whatever form. Thus even respected > scholars of these wars will focus on the delusions or information > deficits or ideological blinders of the actors. This leads to a > confused and incoherent perception of US relations in Asia and the > Pacific. The virtual absence of any coherent criticism of the > Afghanistan War, let alone the so-called War on Terror, is symptomatic > not of inadequate information, leaked or otherwise. It is a result of > failure to establish the context necessary for evaluating the data > available. It should not surprise anyone that ‘counter-terror’ > practices by US Forces are ‘discovered’ in Afghanistan or Iraq, if the > professional careers of the theatre and field commanders (in and out > of uniform) are seriously examined. > > Virtually all those responsible for fighting the war in Central Asia > come from Special Operations/CIA backgrounds. That is what they have > been trained to do. If we shift our attention for a moment to the > economic basis of this region, it has been said that the war against > drugs is also being fought there. However, this is counterfactual. > Since the 1840s the region from Afghanistan to Indochina has been part > of what was originally the British opium industry. China tried to > suppress the opium trade twice leading to war with Britain – wars > China lost. The bulk of the Hong Kong banking sector developed out of > the British opium trade protected by the British army and Royal Navy. > Throughout World War II and especially the Vietnam War the opium trade > expanded to become an important economic sector in Southern Asia – > under the protection of the secret services of the US, primarily the > CIA. Respected scholars have documented this history to the present > day. However it does not appear to play any role in interpreting the > policies of the US government whether publicly or confidentially > documented. Is it because, as a senior UN official reported last year, > major parts of the global financial sector – headquartered in New York > and London – were saved by billions in drug money in 2008? Does the > fact that Japan exploited both Korea and Vietnam to provide cheap food > for its industrial labour force have any bearing on the US decision to > invade those countries when its official Asia policy was to rebuild > Japan as an Asian platform for US corporations – before China became > re-accessible (deemed lost to the Communists in 1948)? Did the > importance of Korean tungsten for the US steel industry contribute to > the willingness of people like Preston Goodfellow, a CIA officer in > Korea, to introduce a right-wing Korean to rule as a dictator of the > US occupied zone? Is there continuity between Admiral Dewey’s refusal > to recognise the Philippine Republic after Spain’s defeat – because > the 1898 treaty with Spain ceded the archipelago to the US – and the > refusal of General Hodge to recognise the Korean People’s Republic in > Seoul when he led the occupation of Korea in 1945? As John Pilger > suggests, were the million people massacred by Suharto with US and UK > support a small price to pay for controlling the richest archipelago > in the Pacific? Was the Pol Pot regime not itself a creation of the US > war against Vietnam – by other means? > > Is it an accident that while the US was firmly anchored in Subic Bay, > armed and funded Jakarta, occupied Japan and half of Korea, that the > US was prepared to bomb the Vietnamese nationalists ‘into the Stone > Age’? It only makes sense if the US is understood as an empire and its > corporate interests are taken seriously when researching the history > of the US attempts to create and hold an Asian empire. The resistance > to this perception can be explained and it is not because of an > impenetrable veil of secrecy. It is not because of the accidentally or > inaccessibly unknown. Rather it is because US policy and practice in > the world remains a ‘mystery’, a supernatural truth, one that of its > very nature lies above the finite intelligence. The quasi-divine > status of the universal democracy for which the USA is supposed to > stand is an obstacle of faith. > > Engineering consent In the twentieth century two conflicting > tendencies can be identified. The first was the emergence of mass > democratic movements. The second was the emergence of the > international business corporation. When the Great War ended in 1918, > the struggle between these two forces crystallised in the mass > audience or consumer on one hand and the mass production and > communication on the other. As Edward Bernays put it: ‘This is an age > of mass production. In the mass production of materials a broad > technique has been developed and applied to their distribution. In > this age too there must be a technique for the mass distribution of > ideas.’ In his book, Propaganda, he wrote ‘The conscious and > intelligent manipulation of organised habits and opinions of the > masses…’ was necessary in a democracy, calling that ‘invisible > government’. > > Like his contemporary Walter Lippmann, a journalist, he believed that > democracy was a technique for ‘engineering the consent’ of the masses > to those policies and practices adopted by the country’s elite – the > rulers of its great business corporations. By the 1980s the state > throughout the West – and after 1989 in the former Soviet bloc – was > being defined only by ‘business criteria’, e.g. efficiency, > profitability, cost minimisation, shareholder value, consumer > satisfaction, etc. Political and social criteria such as participatory > rights or income equity or equality, provision of basic needs such as > education, work, housing, nutrition, healthcare on a universal basis > had been transformed from citizenship to consumerism. The individual > lost status in return for means tested access to the ‘market’. In > order for the state to function like a business it had to adopt both > the organisational and ethical forms of the business corporation – a > non-democratic system, usually dictatorial, at best operating as an > expert system. As an extension of the property-holding entities upon > which it was to be remodelled, the state converted its power into > secretive, jealous, and rigid hierarchies driven by the highest > ethical value of the corporation – profit. > > Journalists and ‘corporate stenographers’ While historical research > should not be merely deductive, it is dependent on documents. The > veracity of those documents depends among other things on > authenticity, judgements as to the status, knowledge or competence of > the author, the preponderance of reported data corresponding to data > reported elsewhere or in other media. A public document is tested > against a private or confidential document – hence the great interest > in memoirs, diaries and private correspondence. There is an assumption > that the private document is more sincere or even reliable than public > documents. This is merely axiomatic since there is no way to determine > from a document itself whether its author lied, distorted or concealed > in his private correspondence, too. Discrepancies can be explained in > part by accepting that every author is a limited informant or > interpreter. The assumptions about the integrity of the author shape > the historical evaluation. In contemporary history – especially since > the emergence of industrial-scale communications – the journalist has > become the model and nexus of data collection, author, analyst, and > investigator. Here the journalist is most like a scholar. The > journalist is also a vicarious observer. > > The journalist is supposed to share precisely those attributes of the > people to whom or about whom he reports. This has given us the > plethora of reality TV, talk shows, embedded reporters, and the > revolving door between media journalists and corporate/state press > officers. In the latter the journalist straddles the chasm between > salesman and consumer. This is the role that the Creel Committee and > the public relations industry learned to exploit. The journalist > George Creel called his memoir of the Committee on Public Information > he chaired – formed by Woodrow Wilson to sell US entry into World War > I – How We Advertised America. The campaign was successful in gaining > mass support for a policy designed to assure that Britain and France > would be able to repay the billions borrowed from J. P. Morgan & Co. > to finance their war against Germany and seize the Mesopotamian > oilfields from the Ottoman Empire. Industrial communications > techniques were applied to sell the political product of the dominant > financial and industrial corporations of the day. The professional > journalist, freed from any social movement or popular ideology, had > already become a mercenary for corporate mass media. > > The profession eased access to secure employment and to the rich and > powerful. The journalists’ job was to produce ideas for mass > distribution – either for the state or for the business corporation. > Supporting private enterprise was at the very least a recognition that > one’s job depended on the media owner. Editorial independence meant > writers and editors could write whatever they pleased as long as it > sold and did not challenge the economic or political foundation of the > media enterprise itself. In sum the notion of the independent, > truth-finding, investigative journalist is naïve at best. We must be > careful to distinguish between journalists and what John Pilger has > called ‘corporate stenographers’. This does not mean that no > journalists supply us with useful information or provide us access to > meaningful data. It means that journalism, as institution, as praxis, > is flawed – because it too is subordinated to the business corporation > and its immoral imperatives. Wikileaks takes as its frame of reference > the journalism as it emerged in the Positivist – Progressive Era – a > profession ripe with contradictions, as I have attempted to > illustrate. > > Were Wikileaks to fulfil that Positivist–Progressive model, it would > still risk overwhelming us with the apparently objective and unbiased > data – facts deemed to stand for themselves. Without a historical > framework – and I believe such a framework must also be humanist – the > mass of data produced or collated by such a platform as Wikileaks may > sate but not nourish us. We have to be responsible for our > interpretation. We can only be responsible however when we are aware > of the foundations and framework for the data we analyse. The > deliberate choice of framework forces us to be conscious of our own > values and commitments. This stands in contrast to a hypothetically > neutral, objective, or non-partisan foundation that risks decaying > into opportunism – and a flood of deceit from which no mountain of > disclosure can save us. > > > _______________________________________________________________________________________ > > > > Best > > A. Mani > > > -- > A. Mani > ASL, CLC, AMS, CMS > http://www.logicamani.co.cc > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 lalitambardar at hotmail.com Mon May 23 20:39:52 2011 From: lalitambardar at hotmail.com (Lalit Ambardar) Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 15:09:52 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] ...oh, these....'peace loving' young boys..... Message-ID: Compulsive stone- pelters go berserk……while their ‘masters’ maintain sadistic silence……. Rgds all LA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Efforts to trace school boy hampered Excelsior Correspondent May 23,2011 Srinagar, May 22: Rescue operations to trace Shakir Ahmad Bhat, the boy who drowned in river Jhelum on Friday afternoon were hampered as the divers of Navy came under stone pelting in some of the areas of downtown city. Reports said that the divers had planned to extend the rescue operations to some more areas located along the banks of river Jhelum and as part of the same operation they had planned to carry out search for the body at Habba Kadal and Fateh Kadal areas. However, trouble started in these areas when the divers boarding the Army vehicles came down and started to move towards river Jhelum in order to carry out the rescue operation there. A group of people while noticing movement of Navy divers and Army vehicles sensed that something is wrong in the area. They started pelting stones on the rescue team. The divers left the area. Officials told Excelsior that as soon as the divers' team reached Habba Kadal and Fateh Kadal areas some of the youth pelted stones on them. This forced the divers to leave the spot and they did not carry forward their operation of tracing the body at these places. "The rescue operations to find the body of Shakir were launched on Friday afternoon and as we could not trace him we decided to extend our search operation to Fateh Kadal and Habba Kadal. But due to the stone pelting in these areas the divers could not carry out their task and as such we had to abandon the search operation at these places," the officials said. Following stone pelting incidents, the team of navy divers returned to the main operation point in the river Jhelum near the foot bridge. They assisted the rescue teams of River Police, Fire & Emergency Services and Civil Defence in finding the body of Shakir, but success has eluded them so far. Shakir, a student of 10th class of Tyndale Biscoe School, resident of Nowgam drowned when he could not swim after entering into a bet with his friend Sheikh Salman. While Salman swam to safety, Shakir could not do so and was drowned. "It was unfortunate on part of the people to pelt stones at the divers' team and it has hampered our operation of tracing the body of the drowned boy. We might have traced the body of Shakir had a group of people not pelted stones on them at Habba Kadal and Fateh Kadal," the officials said. Meanwhile, for the third consecutive day parents and relatives of Shakir along with commoners assembled on the banks of river Jhelum near the foot bridge as the rescue teams were busy in tracing the body of Biscoe boy. Meanwhile, in a statement a police spokesman said that River Police have so far rescued 32 persons alive mostly from Dal lake area. Responding to a news item appearing in a section of press that River Police has failed to save lives of people who drown in river Jhelum, the police spokesman said that four members of a family (Tourists) were rescued alive on May 12 this year, when their Shikara capsized in the midst of Dal lake following strong winds. The police spokesman said that River Police carried out many operations in both Dal lake and river Jhelum this year as well as last year and rescued many people, who were caught either in midst of gusty winds or had drowned due to some other reasons.http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/May 23,2011 From jeebesh at sarai.net Mon May 23 23:05:57 2011 From: jeebesh at sarai.net (Jeebesh) Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 23:05:57 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Notes from Madrid Message-ID: dear all, here is an extensive set of writings from madrid. the surge is very deep. jeebesh ------------- May 20, 2011 Notes from Madrid A friend sent this note and the texts below it. its an amazing moment in madrid. i don’t have my head about me to write anything right now, so i’ve quickly translated a few short texts coming out of these days in order to share a little bit of the atmosphere, some of the debates. i’m afraid they’re not very descriptive for those who are not here in the midst of all this and might need some background, but they’ll do for now, to get some sense… pass them along. this is very exciting. who knows where it will all go, but it is certainly amazing, a sense of something culminating and something beginning. the whole country is freaking out. the press in english is either ignoring this or saying silly irrelevant things. Notes from #acampadasol (1) Amador Fernández Savater A friend told me that the Greek historian Herodotus summarized his method in the following way: “I write down everything I don’t understand.” That is to say, Herodotus took note of what remained to be thought about, he wrote it down so it wouldn’t get lost. In these “notes from the camp” I have proposed to do the same, take note of what I don’t understand: the details, the scenes, the situations at acampadasol which ask questions of me. But also of the things which amaze me about what is happening and that I feel resonate in this new thinking+sensitivity about the political which some friends and I have been exploring since March 11th, 2004. I can only link myself with what is happening through this fragmentary writing, the notes jotted down in the notebook I always carry. “The key is in Sol” A friend says to me, “Now its not a matter of taking the streets, it’s a matter of creating the square.” She says this as if she’s pointing out a decisive difference. We have to understand it. What do we have in common, those of us who are in the square? Not a specific demand, more like the sharing of a problem. The problem is representation. We didn’t want the Sinde Law [against downloading of copyrighted material] and the politicians imposed it. We don’t want that those who have the least pay for the crisis, but this is what is happening. People should rule, representation should be representative. That is why “The call it democracy but its not” and “they don’t represent us” and are the two hit slogans here. Beyond that, an abyss. I wander around Sol and see three posters in a row: “Self-management”, “Reform the electoral laws”, “We don’t want corrupt politicians, we want efficient managers”. Another friend: “Its like everyone is in love, look what smiles” From the first day I was very impressed with the seriousness which runs throughout the camp, the extremely high degree of maturity and organization. There is abundant food and coffee (much of this donated by neighbors of Madrid). Cleaning is done with care and we are continually reminded that “this is not a party.” On Thursday there were a couple of play areas for children with cardboard floors and lots of kids playing and painting. In the groups and the commissions which are meeting all over the place there are astonishing levels of listening, as if it were clear to all that it is less important what each one brings with him or her than what we can create together. “Here a person can live!” says someone near me. The collective effort to take care of the space builds during a few days a little habitable world with room for all of us. It is what I read about Tahrir a few months ago. “Don’t vote, Twitter” It seems that in the plaza in the center of Sol, where the working- groups operate, money is not accepted. Any collaboration or donation is welcome, but not money. Is this an effort to ward off any possibility of corruption? It might be, the movement knows very well that its stregth depends on radically distancing itself from anything related shamed politics. “The democracy we want is already the organization of the square itself” Blessed be those who decided not to budge from Sol after the demonstration. I thought it was planned by those who called for the demonstration, but I’ve learned that that was not so. I think a lot about this gesture. It is one of those incredible gestures that make things happen against all predictions. I received a text message with the news at one o’clock in the morning and didn’t pay any attention. “It won’t work,” I thought. I should have a look at this cynicism. Because it is ingenuity which changes things. “I like it when you vote, you’re like, absent” Debate with an activist friend. He says the language being used irritates him. He finds it very poor: “democracy,” “citizenship,” etc. I argue with him: ever since “no to the war” it has been this kind of “flat” statements which open up spaces in which we all fit, in which things really move. Its true that I think “you’re not going to have a house in your whole fucking life” is a stronger slogan that “we are not commodities in the hands of politicians and bankers.” But today it seems clear that words are powerful not so much for what they say as for who says them and from where. “Without housing there’s no living” All the time I have this intense interior sensation: I have already lived some part of this. In the “no to the war”, on March 13th, in “V de Vivienda”… There are many, many resonances: all were movements which didn’t find their strength in an ideology or a program but rather a first person involvement which doesn’t make sense in the left/ right dichotomy, which rather try to escape from it in order to interpelate everyone, anyone. The base their strength precisely in the creation of a “we” which is open and inclusive, which doesn’t announce another world possible but which activate in order that this one world which does exist and which we share doesn’t come undone… It seems clear to me that May 15th has to do with V de Vivienda, March 13th, the “no to the war” but… how? What does it pick up from those, what new things does it propose we think about? What does all this mean for the future? A boy, under 20, in the square at 3am with a poster stuck to his chest: “respect” Stereotypes are a strategy for governing. The put a label on those who protest (“anti-system”, for example) and that way separates them from the rest, as if they had nothing in common. The movement is very intelligent about this: “we are not anti-system, the system is anti- us.” Fantastic. Everything which is divisive remains outside the square: from big organizations to violence. A friend summarizes the situation like this: “Democracy 2.0 has killed the Culture of the Transition.” A discussion in a facebook chat: - i still have the sense, kind of old fashioned, that twitter is not what happens but a way of telling about what happens - and to organize it, no? - or, in other words, tw is only interesting in composition with something else - i agree - but sol+twitter is interesting - the plus of the potency of bodies * and an open situation ———————- IT’S NOT JUST INDIGNATION. Inventing new ways of doing politics. Montserrat Galcerán It’s true that we’re indignant. But not just that. If it were just indignation that brought us together in the streets and squares of our cities, the movement would have less force. Once the moment of excitement had passed we would have gone home. That is not what is happening. After the demonstrations, groups – some larger, some smaller – have camped in the squares and after being evicted, have returned again and again. This shows a will to be heard which goes far beyond mere indignation, a will which is opening up new means of doing politics on the basis of the idea that “politics” is not only nor principally a profession – the “business” of the so-called political class – but rather that politics is the only way we have to resolve problems collectively. The capture of politics by those professionals who have turned it into their exclusive terrain, reducing it to a matter of representation and exercising it against the interests of a large part of the population, takes out of our hands those tools without which we are doomed to savage competition amongst ourselves, war between the poor. The increasing intensity of the crisis has made this model of politics blow up. It has shown clearly that the current politicians use the legitimacy which the voting box grants them in order to make citizens ever more impotent against the demands and requirements of a global capitalist class which the politicians either do not know how to or do not want to tame. No one said things were easy. What we are saying is that we need the tools of politics, of a new kind of politics, in order to find solutions to the current situation. The partial movements that have emerged recently give us hints in this direction. All of them, from platforms like “Victims of Mortgages”, “Real Democracy Now”, “Youth with no Future”, to the offices of social rights, the social centers, and the assemblies of the unemployed as well as many others have shown a tremendous capacity to oppose the measures imposed by the public administration, to construct partial alternatives and to attempt to disrupt the privatization measures and impoverishment which are underway. So here we have a social Left which does not coincide with the political “Left.” The latter has been absorbed by economic elites to such an extent that it is difficult to distinguish between the recommendations of the big business groups and the decisions of the politicians. The narrow filter of party democracy impedes meaningful participation. This is why it is now time to get our imagination rolling and seek new forms of articulation which reinvent the political community, putting our collective intelligence to the test. The internet networks are at work; they give shape to the new virtual political space. But we need more: popular citizen assemblies, open encounters, public discussions, institutions which supervise and control the political parties… it is our future, this is our moment. ——————— Seven key words on the Madrid-Sol experience, 15M Guillermo Kaejane “I don’t want a new iPad, I want a new life” (graffiti painted during 15 May mobilization) 1- Time. Time accelerates. The senses are agitated. Fear paralyzes the senses, vertigo makes them acute. The permanent camp in Sol is pure vertigo. Hours pass rapidly between one gathering and the next, but then time slows down. The nights are loooong. Time contracts and expands, moved by a sea of people (principally but not only young people). It feels like we’ve been here for years, and it hasn’t been more than three days. A revolt is real when it modifies space-time. The space-time created in the last days has one single obsession: continuity. Paradoxically, this is only possible to maintain through intermittancy. Through a physical entering-and-leaving of Sol. Keep the experience alive even though you are not present. For this reason (and so many others) the camp at Sol cannot be understood without the social networks. The continuity of the experience is achieved by deterritorializing it. I am in Sol even though I am at home. I am in Sol because I keep talking about it, because I can’t concentrate on my work, because I can’t get it out of my head. And when I can, I go there. I go running there, and again join in the “social connector”, so others can go rest. The classic conceptualization of social revolts is a scenario in which continuity is linked to accumulation of force. If we continue longer, there will be more of us. If we hold out, the tyrants will fall. This mystification has something to do with a simplification of what happened in Egypt and other Arab countries. Experiences which we heard about towards the end of their processes, not at their beginnings, not through the years of visibility and invisibility, failed experiments, dead ends and turning back. What is happening these days is not the end, it is not the decisive moment, it is just the start. 2. Communication. Communication is a form of political organization. People become the media. Social networks are not the means so much as the expressive and organizational terrain. Common sense is woven in the form of flux and of memes. From the logic of shared trust on facebook to the logic of live recounting via twitter. A slogan circulates, multiplying. With no official versions, rumours blaze. The traditional media bump up against a dadaist cacaphony which is impossible to interpret. They grab hold of what they can, and from there project their own ideas. The self-narration of the process is not, for the moment, going through viral streaming but rather then need to tell about it, to narrate what we are living, the “I was there!” becomes more intense. The media’s obsession with broadcasting demonstrations “from inside” as if from the perspective of a participant, betrays their anxiety about their own loss of centrality. Experts and analysts show how incapable they are to think with their own heads, and speak (both on the left and the right) in one voice. The sensation for the spectator who is living the experience is like that of those fans of Lost who watched television commentators try to make sense of the series’ ending: a mixture of stupor, shame and giggles. 3. The powers. In these moments there is an enormous expressive capacity in which anyone who is gathered in a group feels that they are the representation of everything. The sensation of empowerment is so great that one comes to believe that what each one of us is doing is representing all the others. It is a reasonable logic, and difficult to get rid of, but it is important to deactivate it. The power of this movement comes from its unrepresentability. They don’t represent us, as the slogan goes… because they can’t. As in any dispersed network, there is a multitude of different centers of which none is “the center” but rather each is a repeater, receiving and sending out proposals and meanings. Creativity is of the essence. The hegemony of who is at the helm in any given moment (The ‘Real Democracy Now’ platform? The assemblies in the square? The commissions within the assemblies? Twitter? Me and my friends?) is changing all the time. The assemblies are not a space in which one meaning is being defined but rather a collective catharsis. An enormous desire to talk and talk and talk. Memorized language (“The people united will never be divided”) mixes with new forms of expression (“Error 404- system failure”, “Downloading democracy”, “Its not a crisis it’s a rip-off”. ) On an institutional level craziness reigns. In 72 hours we have seen absolutely the entire political class go from “this is not happening” to “this is not important” to “this is dangerous” and in the last few hours, “we are you!”. Again, grotesque. The impossibility of framing the mobilization in the clear “left-right” terms which have been the foundation of social consensus since the Transition [to democracy after Franco] begins to reveal a new logic of conflict: “above and below.” Unable to control what is happening, the mechanism of control over the movement is a simple question, a constant question: “So, what do you propose?” 4. Proposals. The demand for proposals is a mechanism of control. A way of filling the vacuum of the unrepresentable. A mechanism not exclusive to the media or the political class, as some of the expressions of the movement itself participate in it. Having a response means you can pigeonhole the rebels, say “Ah, they are utopic” or “Oh, they are populists” or “Oy, they are leftists” or “Ay, what they want is impossible” or “Ha, how naïve” or “Nah, they’re not radicals” or “Hm, they say a few reasonable things…” Nonetheless, there is silence. Or something very much like silence, which is a cacaphony of apparently contradictory signs. As much as it may cause us anguish, perhaps a good point of departure might be to say: “Unlike you who pretend to know everything, we don’t know yet”. Those who want to get somewhere specific are in a hurry. This is not the case. In the square, the discussion itself is more important than its conclusion. The responsibility is to defend and extend this. Continue discussing. Continue talking. Trust the same common sense which has brought thousands of people into the street for days. So far, its not going badly. 5. Real Democracy Now. This logo, this slogan which is present throughout the mobilization and forms one of its constituitive parts and which therefore the media and the political class have decided to pretty much ignore. But it is fairly easy: “democracy”, but not any old democracy, a real one. The real is that which is opposed to the simulated. This means that the logo (or one of the logos) under which this movement is being built says that the thing which institutional power calls “democracy” is a lie. And it demands the construction of something different that breaks with the simulacrum. But it doesn’t pose this problem in distant, utopic terms. We want it now. “Now” means urgency, “now” means nerviness, “now” means we have to be able to touch it, that it has to be in every part of our lives, that it is not just words but construction. That it doesn’t exist and therefore has to be made. 6. And… tomorrow? It is very difficult to think about tomorrow when you are wrapped up in the events of today. It is even more difficult because the rhetoric of the political class has always held forth on ‘tomorrow’. In this movement, tomorrow is unthinkable for the moment. There is only now. For institutional power, the elections on Sunday the 22nd of May are a moment to recuperate legitimacy. A moment to restitute governability. A moment to put their feet down and redraw the map of the possible. The elections has functioned for the moment as a diffuse element, perhaps unifying at a symbolic level. But in the camp, in the meetings, etc. the words we most hear are “connect”, “extend”, “construct”. The 23rd of May will begin to resolve this question, as one graffiti said. “I don’t want a new iPad, I want a new life” PS: Number 7. Joy, joy, joy ————————– It’s the democracy, stupid. May 15th, from indignation to hope Emmanuel Rodríguez and Tomás Herreros About May 15th we might say that it marks an important point of inflection: from the networks to the street, from the conversations at home and in the street to mobilization, but above all, from indignation to hope. Dozens of thousands of people, brought together through the web, ordinary citizens, have taken the streets in a vivid demand, loaded with hope: a demand for real democracy, not a democracy at the service of big interests, but of people. An unremitting critique of the political class which, since the beginning of the crisis, has governed with its back to the people, following the dictates of the euphemistically named “markets”. In the coming weeks and months we will see how this demand takes form, and how the slogan “real democracy now” extends. Everything indicates that its power will crescendo. The best proof of this is how city squares are being taken over and camp-outs are commencing in different cities. The social networks boil over with support for the movement, and the response in the streets and squares makes this stronger yet. So far, and without making any predictions, we can pose a few questions. First of all, the May 15th movement is accurate in its criticisms. Politics as we know it, as it is applied by the political parties (that is, making the weakest parts of society pay for the crisis), has brought a growing part of the society to the point of indignation. In the last few years we have watched with astonishment the multimillion euro bail-outs of the big banks at the same time as social cut-backs, aggressions against basic rights, and covered-up privatizations which have rapidly diminished the already scrawny Spanish welfare State. No one can doubt that this policy is a danger to our present and our immediate future. Specifically, the indignation becomes explicit when it comes up against the cowardice of the politicians, incapable to reign in the governance of finance: What happened to those promises of the ‘humanization of capitalism’ after the subprime crisis? What happened to shutting down the tax havens? What became of controlling the finance system? And what about taxing income from speculation? And what about ceasing to fiscally subsidize those who already have the most? Second, the May 15th movement is much more than a call to attention for the so-called left. It may be (in fact it is probable) that May 22nd, the day of local and some regional elections, the left gets a thrashing. In that case, it might be a prelude to what will occur in the general elections [next year]. What we can be sure of right now is that the institutional left (the political parties and big unions) is object of a generalized political disaffection thanks to its total incapacity to present new proposals in the context of the crisis. And there is where we find the double explanation of its electoral defeat. On the one hand, its policies have not been capable of escaping from a completely tendentious reading of the crisis itself, a reading which accepts – even today! – that the problem is a lack of resources. Let us say it loud and clear: there is no problem of scarcity, the problem is rooted in the extreme inequality of distribution of wealth, accented every day by financial discipline. Where are the infinite profits from the real estate bubble? And from pharaonic public works like the airports of Castellón and Lleida, to name just a few? Who profits from the gigantic problem of debt which plagues so many families and people? On the other hand, the left doesn’t know how to set aside its own protagonism and work with the emerging movements which demand democracy and liberty: Who doesn’t remember what Zapatero said when he presented the proposal for the cession of payments? Who served as his counterweight in this: the millions of mortgaged citizens or the big banking interests? And what can we say about the indecent Sinde Law [on intellectual property]? Whose side was he on, the side of those who give shape to the web or those who want to make it into a business, as if culture were just one more commodity? As long as the left is not capable of stepping aside at the service of citizen movements, as long as it is incapable of escaping from the script written for it by the financial and economic elites, proposing a Plan B to get out of the crisis, it will be stuck in the opposition indefinitely. There is not time for an extension: they must simply change or die as legimate social actors with the principles they claim to represent. Third, the May 15th movement shows how the citizenry, far from being passive as so many analysts think, has shown its ability to self- organize and self-educate in a period of abandonment by the institutions and a serious crisis of political representation. The new generations have shown that they can create a network, creating new ways of “being together” without recurring to ideological clichés, armed with a wise pragmatism, fleeing preconceived political categories and the great bureaucratic apparati. We are witnessing the construction of “majority minorities” demanding democracy against the war of “all against all”, the idiot atomization proposed by neoliberalism; that demands social rights against the logic of privatization and adjustment imposed by the economic powers. And here it is likely that preestablished schemes don’t serve (or serve very little), the impossible return to the past together with the State and full-occupation, as preached by most of the left, from the most radical to the most lukewarm. Reinventing democracy requires at the very least new forms of distribution of wealth, citizenship for all irrespective of their place of origin (that is, in accord with our global times), the unstinting defense of the common (of environmental resources but also knowledge, education, internet, health) and other forms of self-governance of the multitude which might overcome the corruption of the present ones. Fourth and last, it is obligatory to recall that the May 15th movement links itself to a current of demands which are taking place in various parts of Europe, based on a rejection of the so-called austerity plans. One demand, one mobilization that begins to corner the desert of the real, the dream of that mute and amorphous Europe to which the political and economic elites aspire. We’re talking about the UKUnCuts campaign against the policies of Cameron, the mobilization of the Geraçao a Rasca in Portugal or what has occurred in Iceland after the refusal of the citizenry to pay the financial bail-outs. And at the same time and perhaps most of all, it is inspired by the so-called “Arab Spring”, which through the democratic revolts in Egypt and Tunis managed to bring down their corrupt leaders. We don’t know, obviously, what will be the final outcome of the spirit of May 15th. But what we can say, with total certainty, is that there are now at least two plans against the crisis: social cut-backs or the invention of a real democracy. Of the former we know the results: they have not only returned us to economic “normality” but they have also led us to “all against all” and “each man for himself.” Of the second, which promises a politics of absolute democracy, constituent democracy, we can only say that it has just begun, and that it marks our path. We’ll take that one. Tens of thousands protest throughout Spain, defying government ban By Alejandro López 21 May 2011 Tens of thousands protestors continue to occupy Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and have gathered in the main squares of another 162 towns and cities across Spain in protest over unemployment, government austerity measures and a political system that serves only the banks and big business. The demonstration in Barcelona Calling for “Real Democracy Now”, the protests are also known as the M-15 movement, the day they were first called by social network and internet groups, drawing a massive response from younger workers, students, the unemployed and broad sectors of Spanish working people. The protests continued into their sixth day Friday in defiance of the Madrid Electoral Board, which banned demonstrations in the capital ahead of Sunday’s municipal and regional elections. On Thursday night, Spain’s central election commission passed a resolution prohibiting rallies throughout the country for Saturday, which is designated as a pre-election “day of reflection”, and for Sunday, when the vote takes place for municipal and regional governments. The resolution was passed by five votes in favour, four against and one abstention. It explicitly prohibits any demonstrations for Saturday, declaring that “our legislation prohibits any act of propaganda or electoral campaigning on the day of reflection.” As for Election Day itself, the board ruled that the law bans “forming groups susceptible to obstructing, in any way, access to the polls, as well as the presence in the vicinity of the polls of those likely to interfere with or coerce the free exercise of the right to vote.” Other local electoral committees have followed suit, banning demonstrations and camps set up in Seville and Granada. Demonstrators in Puerta del Sol, where a small tent city has been erected surrounded by tens of thousands of protesters, greeted the news of the new ban with jeers and whistles, chanting “No nos moverán”, or “We shall not be moved.” The legality of the ban on demonstrations is far from clear. The highest court in Spain, the Constitutional Court, endorses the right to hold demonstrations on the day of reflection, provided that the influence on the electorate is “remote”. The resolution was taken after the High Court of Justice of Andalucía banned a demonstration celebrating International Women’s Day, one day before the elections in 2010. It also declared that the “mere possibility” of infringing on the right to vote was not enough to suppress the right to meet and protest. Those participating in the largely spontaneous May 15 Movement have made it clear from the outset that they are hostile to all of Spain’s major political parties and that they are not making “propaganda” or “obstructing the right to vote”, as the electoral boards claim. Spanish law also demands that any protest be announced with ten days notice so that they may be officially authorized, but the protestors insist they have not called any demonstration, but are merely exercising their right of assembly guaranteed under Article 21 of the Spanish Constitution. There is considerable nervousness within ruling circles that a too- heavy hand will only serve to inflame opposition to the government and the austerity measures it is imposing. The narrow vote of the Madrid Electoral Board itself reflects divisions within the ruling elite over how to react to the demonstrations. The five votes in favour came from the professors of Law elected by the right wing Partido Popular (Popular Party—PP), which currently controls the Madrid regional government, while those opposed and the abstention came from those elected by the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party PSOE. The President of the Electoral Board had declared on Wednesday that the demonstrations were illegal, but his decision was not binding. Five hundred riot police were deployed on the side streets of the main square of Madrid, but limited themselves to demanding identity cards of all those going into the square and warning them that it was illegal. Minister of Internal Affairs Pérez Rubalcaba of the ruling Socialist Workers Party declared, “The police are here to resolve problems, not to create them”. President José Zapatero declared, “The Minister of Justice is studying the resolution by the Electoral Board. We are going to see its effects and see what happens this Saturday. The government and the Minister of Internal Affairs are going to act well, with intelligence. This is what we want, to guarantee the rights and to respect the day of reflection.” Fearful that a violent dispersal of the peaceful protest would have a backlash and make the movement stronger, like the demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Egypt, Rubalcaba and Zapatero have not yet publicly ordered the police to intervene. Despite this, there are reports of police acting brutally towards protesters. Miguel, an unemployed architect from Barcelona, told Britain’s Channel 4 News that plain-clothes policemen were attacking those camped out in the city’s Plaza de Catalunya. “They are wearing normal clothes, often dressed like many of the protesters, with protest slogans on their t-shirts, and break the tents up, waking people up and dragging them out of the square. “Some of the people have said they were hit with batons when they refused to move.” Real Democracy Now, the protest organisers, have said that in Madrid, State Security Forces acted “excessively.” In a statement, the group said, “We condemn the brutal police repression and show our solidarity with those injured and the unreasonably detained for acts of peaceful resistance without any provocation, for which we demand the immediate release without charge.” In an attempt to appease the protestors Zapatero gave an interview in which he insisted that the austerity measures implemented by his government were necessary to prevent a Greek-style bailout that would entail even more savage cutbacks. He likewise defended the bailout of the banks. “We have funded the banks, but we are charging them interests and fees. We have earned 3,300 million euros from the banks. The citizens’ money, public money, has not gone to the banks.” In reality, Zapatero has imposed one of the most brutal austerity programmes in all of Europe, introducing a 15 billion euro package of spending cuts, including a 5 to 15 percent cuts on civil servants’ salaries, raised the retirement age from 65 to 67, and introducing a new labour law reform that eliminates whatever remained of workers’ protection. The cuts in healthcare and education by the regional governments come on top of this. In some cases such as Catalonia, the cuts represent 10 percent of last years’ budget. Meanwhile, the official unemployment rate is over 20 percent, while for workers under the age of 25, it is 45 percent. The PSOE has tried to gain influence over the latest demonstrations, without success. Tomás Gomez, a candidate of the PSOE in Madrid’s regional government elections, contacted one of the organizers to find out how he would be received in the main square. When organizers presented the proposed visit over a microphone, demonstrators booed it down. The Popular Party, supported by the right wing-media, is calling for the immediate dispersal of all the “illegal” demonstrations. PP General Secretary Maria Dolores de Cospedal insisted, “The Spanish people have the right to ensure that the reflection day is guaranteed”. The president of the regional government in Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, went further, claiming that the PSOE is behind the demonstrations. She insinuated that there was a parallel with the spontaneous movement that erupted against the PP government after the bombings in Madrid in March 2004. “Both were against the right wing,” she said. Thousands more poured into the square after the resolution was passed, with demonstrators chanting, “The voice of the people is not illegal”, “We will not pay for this crisis”, “This will not finish with the elections” and “Where is the left? Essentially on the right.” There have been solidarity rallies held throughout Europe and around the world in support of the Spanish protesters, with some of the largest taking place in Paris, France, Rome and other Italian cities and in the Plaza del Mayo of Buenos Aires, Argentina. From patrice at xs4all.nl Tue May 24 12:53:09 2011 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (Patrice Riemens) Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 09:23:09 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Fwd: Fwd: Re: Spanish protests in English] Message-ID: <6725b11106f1832c40617e27ad982c8c.squirrel@webmail.xs4all.nl> Following on Jeebeh's, with usual apps for X-posting Cheers from F 34800 p+3D! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "martin hardie" Date: 23/05/2011 5:52 PM Subject: Re: Spanish protests in English To: "maria ptqk" Maria i just translated this Martin Mindful of the attack is being prepared. Concrete ideas for specific targets: "For a real democracy now. We have prepared the first nonviolent action and mass struggle together. Help us spread it, participate in it wherever you are! Banks and speculators have been the main cause of the crisis so that they will be targeted first attack our nonviolent. The 30th of May we will express our outrage against abuse practiced by the banks against citizens not only independently but also against states. Today we launched a peaceful and subtle, yet forceful and appealing enough to clearly show the anger we feel, and our strength and commitment to reach the final. Today we launched the first attack non-violent show the world our imagination, determination and commitment to achieve the goal of seeing accomplished our ultimate vindication: to install a real democracy. We appeal to all those who agree with our demands, to participate in a massive withdrawal of capital from the banks the 30th of May. If you are, we suggest you move out in one bank the amount of 155 euros in your account. The operation may be carried out throughout the day, preferably going to branches or using automated teller machines (with multiples of 10 -> 150). The reason for choosing that particular number, it is because we had to pick a significant and symbolic figure with enough force to demonstrate to banks that these movements are motivated from the same indignation that made us mobilize on 15 May. Regarding the May 30, it is because we believe it is a reasonable time so that the message can be disseminated properly and reach the greatest number of people to help us be as effective in our non-violent attack against the voracity of the banks, against the established economic system, against tax havens, against speculation and the general interest, solidarity, in short people. Also, on that date 15 days have elapsed since the start of mobilization, and another good symbolic moment to remember that our movement has only just begun. The 30th of May, will hear all the voices screaming in unison that another world is possible. The 30th of May the people's voice heard more strongly than political parties. The 30th of May, you can count on the outrage of the people, the active demand for real democracy, which takes into account people over the economic, financial, speculative ... people over the markets. The next day May 30 will give a further step towards a better world. We count on you, report the post. Involved. We continue to see every day in the seats. " On 23 May 2011 03:41, maria ptqk wrote: > > Hi. > > > > I summed-up some digital resources about Spanish protests in English, > since most of the ... <...> # distributed via : no commercial use without permission # is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: http://mx.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/nettime-l # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime at kein.org From patrice at xs4all.nl Tue May 24 12:59:02 2011 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (Patrice Riemens) Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 09:29:02 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] [Fwd: Call out to camp! < From Barcelona Square] Message-ID: <1d3df70cd0bce868f3dfbf988d0c1de4.squirrel@webmail.xs4all.nl> And more...from Barco! ;-) ---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: Call out to camp! < From Barcelona Square From: "Fuster, Mayo" Date: Mon, May 23, 2011 11:16 To: "nettime-l at kein.org" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD) Dear friends of the world, See below a short declaration of principles of Barcelona Camp translated into several languages (English, Spanish, French, Neerland??s, Portugu??s, Greek, German, ?????????, Italian, and Catalan). Here a message from the International Commission to help to spread protest worldwide and coordinate internationally (sorry only in English): We want to share with as much people as possible, these unforgettable moments that we are living in #spanishrevolution and want to make this protest even more global. With this mail we want to animate others to sum more camps outside Barcelona organized by you. We propose not to focus the manifestations in reclamations in front of the Spanish embassies in your countries, the Spanish press practically does not cover those actions. Our proposal is that you make your own fight, to take the central places from your cities following the model of organization of the Arab revolutions (and Spaniards), connecting with the groups and local organizations of fight and to begin to encamp, to work in commissions and to write up your own documents (manifest, calls, proposals, minutes of meetings, etc). To do this public, spread it, use the networks to expand your message and to self-manage. What it is happening in the different Spanish cities is not accidental nor specific of our society, we fought to recover the dignity, the freedom and social justice, the direct democracy, to participate in the course of our lives. We are a network, we are spontaneous, independent, we did not need leaders for that reason we want that in each place you take the place, you think by your self and with others, the alternatives to that mercantilist and cruel world to which our governments are taking to the planet and all of us. For us the borders do not exist, the network is ours and the street also! Another world is possible now! More concretely we propose to you that you camp in your cities and countries the next days of THURSDAY AND FRIDAY 26 AND 27 OF MAY in order of taking advantage of the international days of mobilization of the anti-G8 against the world-wide oligarchy, we invited you to take the street and to establish fields in sufficiently big places to receive a consequent infrastructure that allow you to work and to mobilize in the best conditions. These two days and their night must be basic to encamped an indefinite camp and that you add encamped yours to the world-wide map of: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ We use the social networks to coordinate and to maintain to us informed. We encourage you to create an international commission to communicate with us, to share materials and strategies of organization in the Web n-1.cc to look for the group https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ and open a space with the name of the country that you represent. In that link you will find a camping guide. In the chat (http://ur1.ca/48ogs) you can contact with us and others encamped simultaneously or to contact us by e-mail comisiointernacional at gmail.com. Our content commissions is working on a document which systematize the very elaborated agreements on content of the super big assembly. The document is available on web http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com Takes the street! Real Democracy Now! Hugs, International Networks of the International Commission of the Barcelona Camp Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es Internacional commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com Internacional coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES (English, Spanish, French, Neerland??s, Portugu??s, Greek, German, ?????????, Italian, and Catalan) English DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES #acampadabcn We have come here voluntarily and by free will. After the 15th of May demonstrations we have decided to remain united and grow in numbers on our fight for dignity. We do not represent any political party and they do not represent us. We are united on our rage, our discomfort, our precarious life which is derived by inequality but, above all, what keeps us together is our will for change. We are here because we want a new society that puts our life on top any political or economic interest. We feel crushed by the capitalist economy, we feel excluded from the present political system which does not represent us. We are striking for a radical change in society. And, above all, we aim at keeping society as the sole driver of this transformation. They thought we were asleep. They thought they could carry on cutting our rights without finding any resistance. But they were wrong: we are fighting ??? peacefully, but with determination ??? for the life we deserve. We have learned from Cairo, Iceland and Madrid. Now it???s time to extend the fight and spread the word. Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs SPANISH: Declaraci??n de principios: ??Qui??nes somos? Somos personas que hemos venido libre y voluntariamente, que despu??s de la manifestaci??n decidimos reunirnos para seguir reivindicando la dignidad y la conciencia pol??tica y social. No representamos a ning??n partido ni asociaci??n. Nos une una vocaci??n de cambio. Estamos aqu?? por dignidad y por solidaridad con los que no pueden estar aqu??. ??Por qu?? estamos aqu??? Estamos aqu?? porque queremos una sociedad nueva que d?? prioridad a la vida por encima de los intereses econ??micos y pol??ticos. Abogamos por un cambio en la sociedad y en la conciencia social. Demostrar que la sociedad no se ha dormido y que seguiremos luchando por lo que nos merecemos mediante la v??a pac??fica. Apoyamos a los compa??er at s que detuvieron tras la manifestaci??n, y pedimos su puesta en libertad sin cargos. Lo queremos todo, lo queremos ahora, si est??s de acuerdo con nosotros: ????NETE! Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs FRENCH: DECLARATION DE PRINCIPES #acampadabcn Qui sommes nous au campement de Barcelone? Nous sommes des personnes venues librement et de forme volontaire : apr??s la manifestation du 15 mai, nous avons d??cid?? de rester ensemble et d?????tre toujours plus nombreux dans la combat pour la dignit??. Nous ne repr??sentons aucun parti politique ni aucune association, et ne sommes repr??sent??s par personne. Nous partageons la m??me inqui??tude des vies pr??caires, des in??galit??s, mais ce qui nous unis avant tout, c???est une volont?? de changement. Nous sommes r??unis parce que nous voulons une soci??t?? nouvelle qui donne priorit?? ?? la vie par-dessus les int??r??ts ??conomiques et politiques. Nous avons le sentiment d?????tre pi??tin??s par l?????conomie capitaliste, et d?????tre exclus du syst??me politique actuel qui ne nous repr??sente pas, Nous faisons le pari pour une transformation profonde de la soci??t??, et avant tout, que la soci??t?? elle-m??me soit protagoniste de ce changement. Ils nous croyaient endormis, qu???ils pouvaient continuer ?? r??duire nos droits sans manifester d???opposition. Ils se trompaient : nous nous sommes engag??s, pacifiquement mais avec d??termination, pour une vie que nous m??ritons tous. Nous avons appris du Caire, d???Islande, de Madrid.. Il est l???heure d?????tendre le combat et prendre la parole. Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs Neerland??s Principeverklaring - Barcelonakampement Wie zijn de deelnemers aan het Barcelonakampement? We zijn uit vrije wil en op eigen initiatief naar hier gekomen. Na de manifestatie van 15 mei hebben we beslist om samen te blijven en in steeds grotere aantallen te vechten voor onze waardigheid. We vertegenwoordigen geen enkele partij of vereniging. En niemand vertegenwoordigt ons. We voelen ons verbonden door een gevoel van onbehagen over precaire levensomstandigheden, over de ongelijkheid, maar vooral door een sterke drang naar verandering. We zijn hier omdat we een nieuwe maatschappij willen die voorrang geeft aan het leven, los van economische en politieke belangen. We voelen ons vertrappeld door de kapitalistische economie en uitgesloten door het huidige politiek systeem, dat ons helemaal niet vertegenwoordigt. We pleiten voor een diepgaande omwenteling van onze maatschappij. En we pleiten er vooral voor dat het de maatschappij zelf de hoofdrol speelt in deze omwenteling. Ze dachten dat we ingedommeld waren. Dat ze onze rechten konden blijven inperken zonder enig weerwerk. Ze hadden het fout: we zijn aan het strijden en zullen de strijd verderzetten ??? vreedzaam maar doortastend ??? voor een leven dat we alllemaal waard zijn. We hebben geleerd van El Cairo, Reykjavik en Madrid. Nu is het moment gekomen om de strijd uit te breiden en het woord te nemen. ??? Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs Portugu??s: Declara????o de Principios, acampadabcn Quem estamos acampando em Barcelona? Somos pessoas que vinhemos livremente e de forma volunt??ria, que depois da manifasta????o do dia 15 de maio, decidimos seguir juntos e sermos cada vez mais pessoas na luta pela dignidade. N??o representamos nenhum partido nem associa????o, e tamb??m nigu??m nos representa. Nos unimos pelo mal estar das vidas prec??rias que levam as pessoas por causa das desigualdades mundiais, mas, principalmente nos unimos pela id??ia de mudan??a. Estamos aqu?? porque queremos uma nova sociedade que d?? prioridade ?? vida, mais que a interesses econ??micos e pol??ticos. Nos sentimos pisados pela economia capitalista e exclu??dos do sistema pol??tico atual, que n??o nos representa. Apostamos em uma transforma????o profunda da sociedade. E principalmente, apostamos em que a sociedade seja a protagonista desta mudan??a. Acreditavam que estavamos dormindo. Que podiam seguir reduzindo nossos direitos sem que nos opus??ssemos. Estavam errados: estamos lutando pacificamente mas com determina????o pela vida que todos merecemos. Aprendemos de Cairo, Islandia e de Madrid. Agora precisamos extender esta luta e tomar a palavra. Barcelona Information:#acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs GREEK ?????????????????? ?????????????? ??????????. ?????????? ?????????????? ???????? ????acampada????? ?????? ????????????????????; ?????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???????????????? ?????? ????????????????????, ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????? 15 ?????? ?????? ?????????????????????? ???? ?????????????????????? ????????, ?????? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ??????????????????????. ?????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ?????????? ?? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ????????????????????????????. ?????? ???????????? ?? ???????????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????? ?????? ?????? ????????????????????, ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?? ???????????? ?????? ????????????. ?????????????????????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????????????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????. ???????????????????????? ?????????????????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????, ?????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ???? ???????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????????????????????????????. ?????????????????????????????? ???? ?????? ???????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????????, ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????????? ?? ???????? ?? ???????????????? ?? ???????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????????????. ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ??????????????????????????, ?????? ?????????????? ???? ???????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ????????????????????????????. ???????????? ??????????: ???????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????????????????????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????? ???????? ??????. ???????????? ?????? ???? ??????????, ?????? ???????????????? ?????? ??????????????. ???????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???? ???????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????????????????????? ?????? ??????????. ???????????????????????? #acampadabcn Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es Internacional commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com Internacional coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs GERMAN Prinzipienerkl??rung Diese ist eine freiwillige Vereinigung. Nach den Demonstrationen am 15. Mai haben wir entschieden, dass wir zusammen bleiben werden, und dass wir im Kampf um unsere W??rde an Anzahl wachsen werden. Wir repr??sentieren keine politische Partei, und sie repr??sentieren uns auch nicht. Wir sind in unserer Wut, unserem Unbehagen, unserem prek??rem Leben einig, welches aus der Ungleichheit erw??chst. Was un saber vor allem vereint, ist unserer Wille der Ver??nderung. Wir sind hier, weil wir eine neue Gesellschaft wollen, welche unser Leben vor jeglichen politischen und wirtschaftlichen Interessen stellt. Wir f??hlen uns von der kapitalstischen Wirtschaft unterdr??ckt, vom jetzigen politischen System ausgeschlossen, welches uns nicht repr??sentiert. Wir pl??dieren f??r einen radikalen Wechsel in der Gesellschaft. Vor allem m??chten wir, dass diese Transformation einzig und alleine von der Gesellschaft getrieben wird. Sie dachten, wir w??ren eingeschlafen. Sie dachten, sie k??nnten unsere Rechte weiterhin einschr??nken, ohne dass wir Widerstand leisten w??rden. Aber das war ein Fehler: wir k??mpfen ??? friedlich, aber bestimmt ??? f??r das Leben, das wir verdienen. Wir haben von Kairo, Eisland und Madrid gelernt. Es ist nun an der Zeit, dass wir den Kampf und das Wort verbreiten! Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es Internacional commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com Internacional coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs ???????????? ????????????????????? (Acampada de Barcelona) ????????? ???????????????????????????5???15??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????? Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs ITALIAN Siamo venuti qui liberamente e volontariamente. Dopole manifestazioni del 15 Maggio abbiamo deciso di restare uniti e crescere nella nostra lotta per la dignit??. Non rappresentiamo nessun partito politico e loro non rappresentano noi. Siamo uniti nella nostra rabbia, nel nostro sconforto, nella nostra vita precaria che deriva dalla diseguaglianza ma, soprattutto, ci?? che ci unisce ?? la nostra volont?? di cambiamento. Siamo qui perch?? vogliamo una societ?? nuova che mette le nostre vite al di sopra di ogni interesse politico. Ci sentiamo schiacciati dall???economia capitalista, ci sentiamo esclusi dal sistema politico presente che non ci rappresenta. Stiamo manifestando per un cambio radicale nella societ??. E , soprattutto, puntiamo a mantenere la societ?? come il motore unico di questa trasformazione. Pensavano che fossimo addormentati. Pensavano di poter continuare a ritagliare i nostri diritti senza trovare nessuna resistenza. Ma si sbagliavano: stiamo lottando ??? pacificamente, ma con determinazione ??? per la vita che ci meritiamo. Ora ?? il momento di estendere la lotta e spargere la voce. Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es Internacional commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com Internacional coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs CATALAN Declaraci?? de principis: Qui som? Som persones que hem vingut lliure i volunt??riament, que despr??s de la manifestaci?? decidim reunir-nos per a seguir reivindicant la dignitat i la consci??ncia pol??tica i social. No representem a cap partit ni associaci??. Ens uneix una vocaci?? de canvi. Estem ac?? per dignitat i per solidaritat amb els quals no poden estar ac??. Per qu?? estem ac??? Estem ac?? perqu?? volem una societat nova que done prioritat a la vida per sobre dels interessos econ??mics i pol??tics. Advoquem per un canvi en la societat i en la consci??ncia social. Demostrar que la societat no s'ha dormit i que seguirem lluitant pel que ens mereixem mitjan??ant la via pac??fica. Donem suport als compa??er at s que van detenir despr??s de la manifestaci??, i demanem la seua posada en llibertat sense c??rrecs. Ho volem tot, ho volem ara, si est??s d'acord amb nosaltres: UNEIX-TE! Barcelona Information: #acampadabcn http://acampadabcn.wordpress.com e-mail general: acampadabcn at yahoo.es International commission - Barcelona Camp: https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/103405/akbcn_int/ e-mail international commission: comisiointernacional at gmail.com International coordination: http://takethesquare.net/ Map: http://www.thetechnoant.info/campmap/ e-lists: https://lists.takethesquare.net/mailman/listinfo/cominterm https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/104127/take-the-square-international/ Chat irc.freenode.net # takethesquare http://ur1.ca/48ogs ??????`??.(*??.??(`??.?? ??.????)??.??*).????`???? ????????*???????? Mayo Fuster Morell ??.??.??*??`???? ??????`??.(??.????(??.??* *??.??)`??.??).????`???? Research Digital Commons Governance: http://www.onlinecreation.info Ph.D European University Institute Postdoctoral Researcher. Institute of Govern and Public Policies. Autonomous University of Barcelona. Visiting scholar. Internet Interdisciplinary Institute. Open University of Catalonia (UOC). Visiting researcher (2008). School of information. University of California, Berkeley. Member Research Committee. Wikimedia Foundation http://www.onlinecreation.info E-mail: mayo.fuster at eui.eu Skype: mayoneti Phone Spanish State: 0034-648877748 # distributed via : no commercial use without permission # is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: http://mx.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/nettime-l # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime at kein.org From rohitrellan at aol.in Tue May 24 20:58:54 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 11:28:54 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] National Awards 2010 Winners In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CDE83E6CF8F521-1850-8FC0@webmail-m063.sysops.aol.com> BEST WRITING ON CINEMA S. No. Name of Award Name of Book Awardee Medal Citation 1. BEST BOOK ON CINEMA  From Rajahs and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond: Images of India in International Films of the Twentieth Century (English) Publisher : Seagull Books   Author:  Vijaya Mulay     Swarna Kamal   Rs 75,000 Here is a work of rigorous film scholarship which took the author to many lands and consumed many years of her life. Written in a clear lucid style, the book evokes a panoramic view of India that perhaps was through the eyes of several filmmakers of foreign origin. What adds an extra dimension to the book is the author’s narration of her own life in films even as she is engaged in telling the larger events on and off screen. 2. SPECIAL MENTION 1. Cinema Bhojpuri  (English)             2. Thiraicheelai (Tamil)   Publisher : Penguin Books India Ltd   Author : Avijit Ghosh     Publisher : Trisakti Sundar Raman   Author : Oviyar Jeeva Certificate 1. Often dismissed as a poor cousin of mainstream Hindi cinema, Bhojpuri cinema, however has many interesting cultural strains that Avijit Ghosh has laid bare. Any one conversant with life in North Bihar and East Uttar Pradesh, or in many lands far beyond, would recognize the importance of this ‘subaltern’ effort.    2. This book is a sincere attempt to analyse important developments in Tamil films. It also provides an insight into the classics of world cinema, highlighting their aesthetic values. 3 BEST FILM CRITIC  Joshy Joseph (English)     and     N. Manu Chakravarthy (Kannada & English)       Swarna Kamal   Rs 37,500     Swarna Kamal   Rs 37,500 Joshy Joseph, essentially a filmmaker, proves to be an important critic as well, as he goes about writing on the most serious aspects of medium with wry humour and a lightness of touch that is difficult not to notice. His commitment to the documentary in particular sets him apart from many of those writing on cinema in this country.   Professor Chakravarthy’s writings on film and related arts are replete with profound insights into the human condition as well as the need for serious discourse on socio-cultural matters. His writings reveal the authority with which he can discuss the cinemas of the world, particularly his own Kannada cinema.   58th NATIONAL FILMAWARDS FOR 2010 NON- FEATURE FILMS S. No. Name of Award Name of Film Awardee Medal & Cash Prize Citation 1 BEST NON-FEATURE FILM  Germ    (Hindi) Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata   Director : Snehal R. Nair Swarna Kamal   Rs 1,50,000/- each Through abstract visualization and endearing black & white tones, the film depicts the human existence, afflicted by cancer, in a very sublime and somber tone. Along with the perception and growth, from child to youth and by the curious collection of thrown passport photographs, the film maker presents the changing perspective of the vision of the modern growing world in a very engaging manner. 2 BEST DEBUT NON-FEATURE FILM OF A DIRECTOR   Pistulya    (Marathi & Telugu) Producer: Nagraj Manjule   Director : Nagraj Manjule RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 75,000/- each It is a delightful exposition of the poignant life of a poverty-stricken child, who nurtures a dream of embracing the source of learning through education, with simplicity and fluency. The director portrays the spirit of adventure of the child, through fine performances. 3 BEST ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM Songs of Mashangva   (Tangkhul, Manipuri & English) Producer: Oinam Doren   Director : Oinam Doren RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each An insightful foray into the complex and layered life of a ‘song’ and all that it carries within it for a community. It inquires into the shared critical history of a community in the specific context of an overarching missionary presence and how it has affected their lives. The jury appreciates it for the courageous, yet poetic exploration of the subject from the ethnographic perspective. 4 BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FILM Nilamadhaba   (English) Producer: Films Division   Director : Dilip Patnaik RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each An intimate portrayal of the inimitable Sunanda Pattanaik, whose life is inseparable from contemporary Indian classical music. The film explores the inner spirit of the artist through evocative moments, pregnant with visual passages. 5 BEST ARTS and CULTURE FILM Leaving Home   (English & Hindi) Producer: Jaideep Varma   Director : Jaideep Varma RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each It is an emotive and enthralling exposition of the passion and dedication of a group, bound by the spirit of music, who transcend the commercial boundary to embrace their original creative flair. Without compromising, the group led to the adventure with courage and guts. The film maker has journeyed through this adventure with dramatic sensibility and compassion. 6 BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FILM   Heart to Heart   (Manipuri & English) Producer: Rotary Club of Imphal   Director : Bachaspatimayum Sunzu RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A very well constructed reality with an engaging dramatic sensibility, that depicts the grimness of natural health maladies. It guides the viewer through emotions and playful spirit of the child. With the help of medical science, it enlightens the viewer with awareness of Congenital Heart Defect and its promising treatment. 7 BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM Ek Ropa Dhan   (Hindi) Producer: Meghnath Bhattacharjee   Director : Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharjee RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A succinct and well researched film looking closely at an innovation applied effectively in the farming of rice. The film engages successfully with the issue and makes a strong case for the promotion of the practice called Ek Ropa Dhan. 8 BEST ENVIRONMENT FILM Iron is Hot   (English) Producer: Meghnath Bhattacharjee       Director : Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharjee RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The film is well documented with a forthright exposition of the grievous impact of pollution due to sponge iron industry on the inhabitants dwelling around that area. With clarity and veracity, the film maker is able to express empathy and concern on the acute prevailing problem over human existence. 9 BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES Understanding Trafficking   (Bengali, Hindi & English) Producer: Cinemawoman   Director : Ananya Chakraborti RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each To cross the line of limit, becomes an issue of indifference. Along this line, the documentary projects the serious social issue of human trafficking in a very thought provoking manner through stark and gravitating images. It airs an intriguing atmosphere of concerns through dramatized and realistic imageries. 10 BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM   Advaitham   (Telugu) Producer: K. Vijaypal Reddy   Director : Pradeep Maadugula RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The documentary exposes the human apathy of class difference through casteism in a very evoking and natural style. Through fun-filled situations and distressing moments, the director portrays the anguished and tragic aspects of casteism effecting human value and  relationship. 11 BEST FILM ON SPORTS   Boxing Ladies   (Hindi) Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata   Director : Anusha Nandakumar RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A sensitive portrayal of young aspiring talents in a country where sports as passion/ profession comes up against heavy social odds and family biases. The jury applauds the film for the restrained and elevating treatment of a crucial subject underlining the silent dignity of the characters involved.   12 BEST INVESTIGATIVE FILM A Pestering Journey   (Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi, English & Tulu) Producer: Ranjini Krishnan   Director : K. R. Manoj RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The pet detective in a reverse act, an emotive documentary exposing not only stories of cruel impact of pest control on human health but also arrests out attention to a more fundamental question – who is a pest ? 13 SPECIAL JURY AWARD   Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein   (Hindi) Producer: Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore   Director : Shabnam Virmani RAJAT  Kamal     Rs 1,00,000/- each An insightful film that introduces us to the various cults that have grown around Kabir, the mystic weaver and saint. It explores the nuances of India’s argumentative tradition as exemplified by Kabir’s dohas and traces the eventful journey of one man caught in an Orwellion dilemma as he is elevated to the status of a cult leader, torn between the inevitable trappings of hierarchy that run paradoxical to the simple philosophy of Kabir. 14 SHORT FICTION FILM   Kal 15 August Dukan Band Rahegi   (Hindi) Producer: Film & Television Institute of India, Pune   Director : Prateek Vats RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each With energy and vigour, the documentary records very interesting images of a group of young students, who are trying to relate, with ideology of freedom and the stifling authoritarian reality. In the process, the life is entangled with intrigues and doubts. 15 BEST FILM ON FAMILY VALUES   Love in India   (Bengali & English) Producer: Overdose   Director : Kaushik Mukherjee   RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each Explores and deconstructs the traditional and orthodox landscapes of love, sexuality and conjugal relationships and the dynamics of emerging sexual politics and value systems in contemporary India with clarity and insight laced with subtle humour. 16 BEST DIRECTION Shyam Raat Seher   (Hindi & Engish) Director : Arunima Sharma   Swarna Kamal   Rs 1,50,000/-each Intelligent articulation of a shared urban angst in a powerful cinematic style and well constructed mise-en-scene.  The maturity of the director is reflected in the balanced approach to all the elements that blend to create an impression in the viewers mind.   17 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY   Shyam Raat Seher   (Hindi & English) Cameraman: Murali G.   Laboratory : Film Lab RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each Imaginative yet minimal, a balanced and evocative cinematography creates a character out of a city night atmosphere, setting the space and mood for the living characters in their journey beyond the real, nearing mythical. 18 BEST AUDIOGRAPHY A Pestering Journey   (Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi English & Tulu) Re-recordist (final mixed track) : Harikumar Madhavan Nair RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each Does one hear the cry of the pest? In between the sound of the real and evoking music, the ensuing silence tells us the stories beyond. 19 BEST EDITING   Germ   (Hindi) Editor : Tinni Mitra     RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The abstract visualization and endearing black &white tones are very effectively punctuated with fine editing, and in the process it maintains a very subtle and flowing rhythm and pace to carry forward the cinematic work. 20 BEST NARRATION (for Writing the Narration) Johar : Welcome to Our World (Hindi & English) Nilanjan Bhattacharya RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A seamless powerful narrative about the symbiotic intricate relationship, the tribals of Jharkhand have with their forests and their struggle for existence against mindless aggressive development and flawed conservation policies, told with empathy and sincerity. 21 Special Mention a. Ottayal (One Woman Alone)   ( Malayalam)         b. The Zeliangrongs   (Manipuri & English)         c. Pistulya   (Marathi & Telugu) a. Director: Shiny Jacob Benjamin             b. Director Ronel Haobam                     c. Child Artist: Suraj Pawar   a. It is a heart warming portrayal of the woman Dayabai, who trades along a challenging path in quest of truth. The director, delves into the spirit of the woman to understand the theology of liberation, with sincerity and intelligence.   b. It is a well researched endeavour to reflect a composite group of ethnic communities of common origin and socio-cultural back-ground, which highlights the rich cultural heritage and the tribes’ traditional way of life, which is on the brink of extinction.   c. Under distressing situation and harsh reality, Pistulya, the child protagonist, displays the authenticity with vibrant and emotive expression. -----Original Message----- From: Rohit Rellan To: rohitrellan at aol.in Sent: Tue, 24 May 2011 8:48 pm Subject: Fwd: National Awards 2010 Winners - Please Post on DOCS & SHORTS ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ramesh Tekwani Date: Tue, May 24, 2011 at 5:41 PM Subject: National Awards 2010 Winners - Please Post on DOCS & SHORTS To: rohitrellan at aol.in, Rohit Rellan BEST WRITING ON CINEMA S. No. Name of Award Name of Book Awardee Medal Citation 1. BEST BOOK ON CINEMA  From Rajahs and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond: Images of India in International Films of the Twentieth Century (English) Publisher : Seagull Books   Author:  Vijaya Mulay     Swarna Kamal   Rs 75,000 Here is a work of rigorous film scholarship which took the author to many lands and consumed many years of her life. Written in a clear lucid style, the book evokes a panoramic view of India that perhaps was through the eyes of several filmmakers of foreign origin. What adds an extra dimension to the book is the author’s narration of her own life in films even as she is engaged in telling the larger events on and off screen. 2. SPECIAL MENTION 1. Cinema Bhojpuri  (English)             2. Thiraicheelai (Tamil)   Publisher : Penguin Books India Ltd   Author : Avijit Ghosh     Publisher : Trisakti Sundar Raman   Author : Oviyar Jeeva Certificate 1. Often dismissed as a poor cousin of mainstream Hindi cinema, Bhojpuri cinema, however has many interesting cultural strains that Avijit Ghosh has laid bare. Any one conversant with life in North Bihar and East Uttar Pradesh, or in many lands far beyond, would recognize the importance of this ‘subaltern’ effort.    2. This book is a sincere attempt to analyse important developments in Tamil films. It also provides an insight into the classics of world cinema, highlighting their aesthetic values. 3 BEST FILM CRITIC  Joshy Joseph (English)     and     N. Manu Chakravarthy (Kannada & English)       Swarna Kamal   Rs 37,500     Swarna Kamal   Rs 37,500 Joshy Joseph, essentially a filmmaker, proves to be an important critic as well, as he goes about writing on the most serious aspects of medium with wry humour and a lightness of touch that is difficult not to notice. His commitment to the documentary in particular sets him apart from many of those writing on cinema in this country.   Professor Chakravarthy’s writings on film and related arts are replete with profound insights into the human condition as well as the need for serious discourse on socio-cultural matters. His writings reveal the authority with which he can discuss the cinemas of the world, particularly his own Kannada cinema.   58th NATIONAL FILMAWARDS FOR 2010 NON- FEATURE FILMS S. No. Name of Award Name of Film Awardee Medal & Cash Prize Citation 1 BEST NON-FEATURE FILM  Germ    (Hindi) Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata   Director : Snehal R. Nair Swarna Kamal   Rs 1,50,000/- each Through abstract visualization and endearing black & white tones, the film depicts the human existence, afflicted by cancer, in a very sublime and somber tone. Along with the perception and growth, from child to youth and by the curious collection of thrown passport photographs, the film maker presents the changing perspective of the vision of the modern growing world in a very engaging manner. 2 BEST DEBUT NON-FEATURE FILM OF A DIRECTOR   Pistulya    (Marathi & Telugu) Producer: Nagraj Manjule   Director : Nagraj Manjule RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 75,000/- each It is a delightful exposition of the poignant life of a poverty-stricken child, who nurtures a dream of embracing the source of learning through education, with simplicity and fluency. The director portrays the spirit of adventure of the child, through fine performances. 3 BEST ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM Songs of Mashangva   (Tangkhul, Manipuri & English) Producer: Oinam Doren   Director : Oinam Doren RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each An insightful foray into the complex and layered life of a ‘song’ and all that it carries within it for a community. It inquires into the shared critical history of a community in the specific context of an overarching missionary presence and how it has affected their lives. The jury appreciates it for the courageous, yet poetic exploration of the subject from the ethnographic perspective. 4 BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FILM Nilamadhaba   (English) Producer: Films Division   Director : Dilip Patnaik RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each An intimate portrayal of the inimitable Sunanda Pattanaik, whose life is inseparable from contemporary Indian classical music. The film explores the inner spirit of the artist through evocative moments, pregnant with visual passages. 5 BEST ARTS and CULTURE FILM Leaving Home   (English & Hindi) Producer: Jaideep Varma   Director : Jaideep Varma RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each It is an emotive and enthralling exposition of the passion and dedication of a group, bound by the spirit of music, who transcend the commercial boundary to embrace their original creative flair. Without compromising, the group led to the adventure with courage and guts. The film maker has journeyed through this adventure with dramatic sensibility and compassion. 6 BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FILM   Heart to Heart   (Manipuri & English) Producer: Rotary Club of Imphal   Director : Bachaspatimayum Sunzu RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A very well constructed reality with an engaging dramatic sensibility, that depicts the grimness of natural health maladies. It guides the viewer through emotions and playful spirit of the child. With the help of medical science, it enlightens the viewer with awareness of Congenital Heart Defect and its promising treatment. 7 BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM Ek Ropa Dhan   (Hindi) Producer: Meghnath Bhattacharjee   Director : Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharjee RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A succinct and well researched film looking closely at an innovation applied effectively in the farming of rice. The film engages successfully with the issue and makes a strong case for the promotion of the practice called Ek Ropa Dhan. 8 BEST ENVIRONMENT FILM Iron is Hot   (English) Producer: Meghnath Bhattacharjee       Director : Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharjee RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The film is well documented with a forthright exposition of the grievous impact of pollution due to sponge iron industry on the inhabitants dwelling around that area. With clarity and veracity, the film maker is able to express empathy and concern on the acute prevailing problem over human existence. 9 BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES Understanding Trafficking   (Bengali, Hindi & English) Producer: Cinemawoman   Director : Ananya Chakraborti RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each To cross the line of limit, becomes an issue of indifference. Along this line, the documentary projects the serious social issue of human trafficking in a very thought provoking manner through stark and gravitating images. It airs an intriguing atmosphere of concerns through dramatized and realistic imageries. 10 BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM   Advaitham   (Telugu) Producer: K. Vijaypal Reddy   Director : Pradeep Maadugula RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The documentary exposes the human apathy of class difference through casteism in a very evoking and natural style. Through fun-filled situations and distressing moments, the director portrays the anguished and tragic aspects of casteism effecting human value and  relationship. 11 BEST FILM ON SPORTS   Boxing Ladies   (Hindi) Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata   Director : Anusha Nandakumar RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A sensitive portrayal of young aspiring talents in a country where sports as passion/ profession comes up against heavy social odds and family biases. The jury applauds the film for the restrained and elevating treatment of a crucial subject underlining the silent dignity of the characters involved.   12 BEST INVESTIGATIVE FILM A Pestering Journey   (Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi, English & Tulu) Producer: Ranjini Krishnan   Director : K. R. Manoj RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The pet detective in a reverse act, an emotive documentary exposing not only stories of cruel impact of pest control on human health but also arrests out attention to a more fundamental question – who is a pest ? 13 SPECIAL JURY AWARD   Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein   (Hindi) Producer: Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore   Director : Shabnam Virmani RAJAT  Kamal     Rs 1,00,000/- each An insightful film that introduces us to the various cults that have grown around Kabir, the mystic weaver and saint. It explores the nuances of India’s argumentative tradition as exemplified by Kabir’s dohas and traces the eventful journey of one man caught in an Orwellion dilemma as he is elevated to the status of a cult leader, torn between the inevitable trappings of hierarchy that run paradoxical to the simple philosophy of Kabir. 14 SHORT FICTION FILM   Kal 15 August Dukan Band Rahegi   (Hindi) Producer: Film & Television Institute of India, Pune   Director : Prateek Vats RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each With energy and vigour, the documentary records very interesting images of a group of young students, who are trying to relate, with ideology of freedom and the stifling authoritarian reality. In the process, the life is entangled with intrigues and doubts. 15 BEST FILM ON FAMILY VALUES   Love in India   (Bengali & English) Producer: Overdose   Director : Kaushik Mukherjee   RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each Explores and deconstructs the traditional and orthodox landscapes of love, sexuality and conjugal relationships and the dynamics of emerging sexual politics and value systems in contemporary India with clarity and insight laced with subtle humour. 16 BEST DIRECTION Shyam Raat Seher   (Hindi & Engish) Director : Arunima Sharma   Swarna Kamal   Rs 1,50,000/-each Intelligent articulation of a shared urban angst in a powerful cinematic style and well constructed mise-en-scene.  The maturity of the director is reflected in the balanced approach to all the elements that blend to create an impression in the viewers mind.   17 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY   Shyam Raat Seher   (Hindi & English) Cameraman: Murali G.   Laboratory : Film Lab RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each Imaginative yet minimal, a balanced and evocative cinematography creates a character out of a city night atmosphere, setting the space and mood for the living characters in their journey beyond the real, nearing mythical. 18 BEST AUDIOGRAPHY A Pestering Journey   (Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi English & Tulu) Re-recordist (final mixed track) : Harikumar Madhavan Nair RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each Does one hear the cry of the pest? In between the sound of the real and evoking music, the ensuing silence tells us the stories beyond. 19 BEST EDITING   Germ   (Hindi) Editor : Tinni Mitra     RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each The abstract visualization and endearing black &white tones are very effectively punctuated with fine editing, and in the process it maintains a very subtle and flowing rhythm and pace to carry forward the cinematic work. 20 BEST NARRATION (for Writing the Narration) Johar : Welcome to Our World (Hindi & English) Nilanjan Bhattacharya RAJAT  Kamal   Rs 50,000/- each A seamless powerful narrative about the symbiotic intricate relationship, the tribals of Jharkhand have with their forests and their struggle for existence against mindless aggressive development and flawed conservation policies, told with empathy and sincerity. 21 Special Mention a. Ottayal (One Woman Alone)   ( Malayalam)         b. The Zeliangrongs   (Manipuri & English)         c. Pistulya   (Marathi & Telugu) a. Director: Shiny Jacob Benjamin             b. Director Ronel Haobam                     c. Child Artist: Suraj Pawar   a. It is a heart warming portrayal of the woman Dayabai, who trades along a challenging path in quest of truth. The director, delves into the spirit of the woman to understand the theology of liberation, with sincerity and intelligence.   b. It is a well researched endeavour to reflect a composite group of ethnic communities of common origin and socio-cultural back-ground, which highlights the rich cultural heritage and the tribes’ traditional way of life, which is on the brink of extinction.   c. Under distressing situation and harsh reality, Pistulya, the child protagonist, displays the authenticity with vibrant and emotive expression. From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed May 25 12:44:37 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 03:14:37 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?Do_you_have_a_Film_in_you_that=E2=80=99s_?= =?utf-8?b?ZHlpbmcgdG8gY29tZSBvdXQ/IEpvaW4gdGhlIE11c3Qg4KSs4KWL4KSyIEZp?= =?utf-8?q?lm_Boot_Camp?= In-Reply-To: <9ee54567-5be8-4530-a572-f45f051beab0@34g2000pru.googlegroups.com> References: <9ee54567-5be8-4530-a572-f45f051beab0@34g2000pru.googlegroups.com> Message-ID: <8CDE8C28A41CEFE-1C28-18C93@webmail-m059.sysops.aol.com> Must बोल, a youth led campaign against gender based violence invites proposals from budding filmmakers to create short films on the following themes… • Body Image (like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3rItSVR6jc) • Gender Norms & Stereotypes (like http://mustbol.in/video-blog/dream-girl) • Violence within Relationship (like http://mustbol.in/video-blog/textual-violence) The Boot Camp will take place in Delhi between 18th to 21st June. And don’t worry you are free to try different genres of films too, they can be… • Simple fiction (like http://mustbol.in/video-blog/textual-violence) • Or documentary (like http://mustbol.in/video-blog/dream-girl) • Or just extempore sharing (like http://mustbol.in/video-blog/kitchen-and-men) So the Deal is that you come with a film idea, some basic film skills (very very basic camera skills will do) and a lot of energy. We will provide creative supervision, technical know how and help you sculpt a film out of your thoughts! Applying for the Boot Camp is simple, Send us a 350 word note on your film idea (what, why, how & where) to mustbol at commutiny.in latest by 8th June 2011 with the subject heading ‘I want to be Anurag Kashyap’ Just remember these rules: • The final film has to be under 3 minutes long • The idea should be sent as group of 3 i.e. a complete film crew.Only exceptional individual ideas will be entertained. • You don’t need to bring your own equipment, but if you have a hard drive based video camera, do mention it in the email application Please check our website www.Mustbol.in & our Facebook page www.facebook.com/DelhiYouth to engage further & find out more about Must Bol as well as the Film Boot Camp. Must Bol is an initiative of Commutiny the Youth Collective (www.commutiny.in) From rohitrellan at aol.in Wed May 25 16:01:44 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 06:31:44 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Young Creative Entrepreneur SCREEN - award application open now Message-ID: <8CDE8DE143CC8F7-ADC-FA38@webmail-m051.sysops.aol.com> Hello We have opened the entries for YCE Screen again! Apply or send us recommendations of people you think should apply! If you are between 21 -40 and run your own screen related enterprise please apply! Sector Definition for Screen Film, TV and animation – development, production, post-production/special effects Distribution and sales for film, TV, animation and other multimedia content Exhibition for film, TV and animation, including cinema and festival/event programming and management Specialists/consultants/agencies supporting the development of the industry (i.e. skills for scriptwriting, visual effects etc.) All the details including the application form and guidance notes available here: http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-iyfey.htm Do note hesitate to call us or email us if you need help. Please send all queries to Aanchal.sodhani at in.britishcouncil.org Last date extended to 6 June. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are a registered charity; 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide. We call this cultural relations. From shahzulf at yahoo.com Wed May 25 16:32:11 2011 From: shahzulf at yahoo.com (Zulfiqar Shah) Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 04:02:11 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] A Seminar on Residential Land Rights & a Peace Mushaira - Musical Evening Message-ID: <595524.47429.qm@web38804.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Dear All: The Institute for Social Movements, Pakistan (ISM) with the support of OXFAM GB is organizing a Seminar on Residential Land Rights on May 26, 2011, 3 PM at Hotel Indus, Hyderabad.   The same day at 7 PM, a Peace Mushaira and Musical Evening will also be organized by the ISM, SARANGA and CSC-Pakistan. You are cordially invited to attend the event.   Kind Regards,   Zulfiqar Shah Ishaq Samejo   The Institute for Social Movements, Pakistan (Hyderabad) Landline: +92 22 265 49 05 Mobile: +92 333 464 88 81 Skype: shahzulf URL ISM: www.ismpak.org URL TSM: www.thesocialmovements.com   From bawazainab79 at gmail.com Thu May 26 11:41:12 2011 From: bawazainab79 at gmail.com (Zainab Bawa) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 11:41:12 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Interacting with the State via Information and Communication Technologies - the case of Nemmadi Kendras in Karnataka Message-ID: Dear all, Here is a link to the journal paper which Bhuvaneswari Raman and I co-authored based on our research on the Nemmadi kiosks which have been set up across Karnataka state to deliver land records and rural digital services - http://writerruns.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/media-asia-b-raman-and-z-bawa.pdf The paper appeared in Media Asia journal [Vol. 38 (1)] in April this year. Here is a summary of the paper: This article explains how the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICTs) influences citizens’ engagement with the state by analysing *Nemmadi* *Kendras* (NKs), which are computerised kiosks established in rural areas of Karnataka to provide revenue services and land records to citizens under a public-private partnership. The government argued that the introduction of digital technology as an interface between the State and citizens would contribute towards good governance by enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability. Drawing on the social shaping of technology perspectives, the findings suggest that a thorough analysis of the impact of information technologies in governance necessitates paying attention to the larger political and social processes within which the technology is introduced and embedded. The article further argues that the introduction of information technologies in a fraught and contested context adds more layers (in terms of bureaucracy and middlemen), which rural citizens have to navigate before they can actually attain services. Concerns related to costs, scale and political dynamics in the design of databases are also discussed here. The article concludes by advocating the ‘embedded’ approach for studying the role of ICTs in governance. Please feel free to circulate the paper. Best, Zainab -- Zainab Bawa Ph.D. Student and Independent Researcher http://writerruns.wordpress.com/ ... ambling along roads and courses, not knowing whether I am running towards a destination or whether the act of running is destination in itself From the-network at koeln.de Thu May 26 12:40:03 2011 From: the-network at koeln.de (=?ISO-8859-1?Q?[CologneOFF=202011]?=) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 09:10:03 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Tampere, =20Tallinn=20---=3E=20CologneOFF=202011=20Baltic=20Sea?= Message-ID: <20110526091004.B8DD4EA6.6618A543@192.168.0.4> Press Release ------------------------------------- CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context nomadic festival project 1 January - 31 December 2011 presents CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/?page_id=1059 12 May- 2 June 2011 Szczecin (Poland), St.Petersburg (Russia), Tampere (Finland), Talllinn (Estonia) Download the new PDF catalogue http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_Baltic-Sea.pdf ------------------------------------- On its tour around the globe, CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in an global context is making a longer stay at the beautiful Baltic Sea, moving now from St.Petersburg (Russia) to Tampere (Finland) where two institutions , Arteles- art residencies and Gallerija Rajatila - show on 26, 27 and 28 June 2011 17h-22h - a wide range of aspects of videoart as a global art medium. And already on 1 & 2 June, CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea is croassing the Baltic Sea from Finland in order to find its final destination in Tallinn (Estonia), where the Estonian Academy of Arts will be hosting the nomadic festival project between 12h & 19h. The main emphasis of the CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea screening programs is focussed on videoart from countries around the Baltic Sea, i.e. Norway, Sweden Denmark, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Lativia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany, selected by invited curators from the respective countries, the complementary screening & installtion programs include additional 19 curators and more than 250 videoartists embedded in curated and thematic contexts. As this biggest presentation series so far, CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea is demonstrating again the richness and diversity of global videoart creation and, in this way also the variety of artistic and curatorial approaches. The dual system of CologneOFF - being present simultaneously in physical and virtual space - offers free access to the basic festival program online 24 hours seven days of a week including the videos online in full length. ---> http://coff.newmediafest.org or http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/ The PDF catalogue - downloadable for free --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_Baltic-Sea.pdf gives all basic information about this unique media art context of CologneOFF 2011 and its programs. --------------------------------------------------- CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context nomadic festival project 1 January - 31 December 2011 is coordinated, curated and directed by Agricola de Cologne http://coff.newmediafest.org http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/ May/June 2011 venues --> ---> CologneOFF 2011 Timisoara (II) Timisoara International Short Film Festival - 4-8 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Laos 2nd Vientinale International Film Festival /Laos - 12-15 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (I) Szczecin 2016 - Culture's Observatory 12-14 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Yerewan International Film Festival Yerewan/Armenia - 17-24 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (II) St.Petersburg - Smolny University, ProArte & NCCA - 19-21 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Athens Athens Videoart Festival Athen/Greece) - 20-22 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (III) Tampere (Fi) - Arteles & Galleria Rajatila - 26-28 May ---> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (IV) Tallinn (Estonia) - Estonian Academy of Arts - 1& 2 June 2011 Download also the PDF catalogues of previous major event series 2011 CologneOFF 2011 Ukraine (14-20 March 2011) --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_UKRAINE.pdf CologneOFF 2011 ARAD (31 March -2 April) --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_ARAD.pdf CologneOFF 2011 Timisora (12 April-8 May 2011) --> http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF2011_Timisoara.pdf CologneOFF - Cologne International Videoart Festival is operated & powered by artvideoKOELN the curatorial initiative "art & moving images" http://video.mediaartcologne.org info(at)coff.newmediafest.org ------------------------------------ From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Thu May 26 16:57:55 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 16:57:55 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Oppose decision of withdrawing old postal service UPC In-Reply-To: References: <4DB02D98.7050805@napm-india.org> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: anil chamadia Date: 25 May 2011 12:12 Subject: [chhattisgarh-net] Oppose decision of withdrawing old postal service UPC To: arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com Dear friends, I hope you will be aware of this decision that the Communication and Information ministry, Govt. of India, has withdrawn service of UPC (Under Posting Certificate) that was used mostly by poor sections of society. Now a days, the activists in the sphere of RTI were also using this old postal service extensively. Under this service, the consumers got a proof from the post office against the posting of their letters or documents at the same post office after paying just Rs 3. The consumer just pasted a postal stamp of worth Rs 3 (Three) on his own written address slip or paper and the post office where the consumer posted their documents canceled the stamp pasted on the address slip. Now this slip worked as a proof against the posting of the documents on the certain address. The address slip was valid up to three addresses. In other words, the big advantage for the consumers was that they could have received a proof certificate simultaneously for three documents just paying the same amount of 3 Rs. After withdrawal of this service I filed an RTI before Communication department in New Delhi asking for simple information that why the concerned department has discontinued the service of UPC and what were the disadvantages the department facing for continuing this service? But the department did not furnish this information properly. The department answered that the postal department used not to confirm the delivering of particular documents at the particular address after giving the receiving certificate. It is here to clear that the purpose of UPC was to get a proof by the consumer against the posting of the documents at the certain address. In fact it was not for delivery proof. After all, the job of delivery is with the postal department. This step has been taken by the department in an arbitrary manner. As we know that his service was being used by a million of people in a month countrywide. But it is a matter of surprise that no political party or organization has come forward to oppose this move. It seems that postal department do not understand the importance of this service in this country with this fact that this service is mentioned in the 1935 act. It seems that this step was taken to promote the courier services of private company. Presently, any consumer has to pay more than twenty two rupees for registered post. An RTI activist had to pay maximum Rs 8 for using under posting certificate service. We feel that this move is an effort to curtail the rights being exercised by RTI activists . With regard Anil chamadia 09868456745 09503834595 __._,_.___ Reply to sender| Reply to group| Reply via web post| Start a New Topic Messages in this topic( 1) Recent Activity: - New Members 7 Visit Your Group Visit our website: http://www.cgnet.in [image: Yahoo! Groups] Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest• Unsubscribe• Terms of Use . __,_._,___ From chintan.backups at gmail.com Thu May 26 17:00:20 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 17:00:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Arka Mukhopadhyay's article on Lalon fakir Message-ID: >From http://www.openspaceindia.org/articles/item/685.html City of Mirrors By Arka Mukhopadhyay Bengali fakir Lalon's life was an attempt to discover the man inside, the one that defies categorisation. If you go on Wikipedia and look through all the important events in world history on May 5, you won’t find this anecdote – that on that date in 1889, a strange meeting may or may not have taken place between two men in a houseboat on the River Padma, off the shores of Shilaidah in presentday Bangladesh. But in many ways that meeting, if it happened, was a meeting of worlds. One of the men was Jyotirindranath, owner of the houseboat, scion of the illustrious Tagores of Calcutta (who were also the local landlords), artist, playwright, polymath, philosopher, nationalist-entrepreneur, musician, and mentor to his younger brother Rabindranath, whose transcending genius would later obscure his own star. On that day, Jyotirindranath was exactly a day over 40. Although he is now rarely known outside the pale of Bengali nostalgia, at that time he was one of the men who were shaping an emerging national conscience. He was a moulder and a product of history. The other man in that meeting which may or may not have taken place may or may not have been a staggering 115 years old at the time. He may or may not have been Hindu, or Muslim. He may or may not have been illiterate. His only brush with history would come when he would exit it about a year later, for his death in 1890 is just about the only part of his life to which the archive can lay any claim with certainty. But Phokir Lalon Snaai, which may or may not have been his (un)real name, lived outside of time and history, in a spaceless land of myths and shadow-truths, where stories made with breath and dreams endure, but mere facts are dust and ashes (to paraphrase Neil Gaiman). >From that meeting which may or may not have happened, Jyotirindranath would draw a pencil sketch of Lalon, said to be the only true likeness in his entire lifetime. Lalon, for his part, may or may not have sung the following song, one of the 10,000-odd that he allegedly composed: Baarir pashe arshinagar Ekghor porshi boshot kore Aami ekdinona dekhilam tare (Near my home lies the city of mirrors, where a neighbour dwells. But oh, I have not seen my neighbour even for a day.) --Arshinagar, the City of Mirrors Elsewhere, Lalon also speaks of “aayna mohal” – the hall of mirrors. A place where the One Truth is diffracted into a million manifestations, each as real as the ones around it, but ultimately all only reflections. Did Lalon, the man made of many stories, know Attar’s ‘Conference of the Birds’? But ‘arshinagar’ could also mean the city that lies in the seventh heaven. Perhaps it is the country that Kabir invites us to, when he sings ‘Chalo hamaara des’. In 2010, filmmaker Gautam Ghosh released Moner Manush (Man of the Heart – a phrase we shall return to later), a biographical film on Lalon, which opens with the same trope as this essay – the meeting between Lalon and Jyotirindranath. In fact, let me admit that I have unabashedly ‘lifted’ the image from the film, because it’s an image I like to dwell on. The boat is almost like a stage, an empty space as Peter Brook would call it, set upon the meta-space of the almost limitless Padma, a river known as ‘the destroyer of human achievement’ – Kirtinasha. Here’s more from the same Lalon song: Geram bere ogadh paani O tar nai kinara nai toroni pare Amar mone boro banchha jaage, Kamne se gaay jaai re? (Endless waters surround the village. They have neither shore nor any boats to cross. Oh I wish so much to see his face, but how shall I get across?). In Ghosh’s film, Lalon’s life story unfolds through what he calls a ‘ballad-structure’ – essentially a series of flashbacks as the two men converse. The Lalon that emerges is one whom many urban intellectuals like to see – a vicious critic of religious strife, one who ridicules division on the basis of jaat, a not-easily-translatable word roughly corresponding to race, religious affiliation, or in the Indian context, perhaps even caste. Ghosh’s Lalon is an almost messianic figure who presides over his ashram, hippie-guru-like in his long-haired, bearded avatar. And indeed, this is one of the many mirror-images of Lalon, the one who sang: Shob loke koy lalon ki jaat shongshaare Aar lalon bole jaater ki roop, Dekhlaam-na ei nojore. (Everyone asks, ‘What jaat is Lalon in this world?’ And Lalon says, what the shape of jaat is, I have not seen with my eyes). The jaat he speaks of encompasses and surpasses not only religious identity, but also notions of gender: Sunnath dile hoy mussalmaan Naari jaatir ki hoy bidhaan? Aami bamun chini poita proman Bamni chini kishe re? (If circumcision makes you a mussalmaan, what then is the dictum for women? If Brahmin-ness is proved by the sacred thread, how shall I know a Brahmin woman?) This is a ‘secular’ and ‘progressive’ Lalon that may be useful to many of us, but to posit him only as such would be limiting, just as it is limiting to look at Kabir only as an icon of Hindu-Muslim unity. For their space-less place is also identity-less, and ultimately, even ‘secular’ and ‘progressive’ are only markers of identity: Ki bolbo porshiro kotha? O taar hosto podo skondho matha naire Khonek bhashe shunyer upor Khonek bhashe neel-e Porshi Jodi amaay chhnuto Amaar jom-jatona shokol jeto dure, Se aar lalon ek khaane roy Lokkho jojon phnaak re. (What shall I say of my neighbour? Oh he does not have hands, feet, shoulders or head. Now he stays in the empty space above, and now he floats in the blue waters. If he but touched me, I’d lose my fear of death. He and Lalon stay in the same place, yet a million miles away). In a private conversation, a noted Bengali musician and musicologist asked me, “Who is Lalon? Or was there a Lalon? Why is this man completely undocumented even though he lived in a time of documentation?” Indeed, the ‘facts’ of Lalon’s life, such as they are, are well-known. People say he was born a Hindu, around 1774, went on a pilgrimage in his early-20s where he contracted smallpox and was left for dead, was rescued by a Muslim couple who nursed him back to health, and thence became a disciple of a wandering Fakir, Shiraaj Snaai, in time becoming a master himself and setting up his ashram in Cheuria near Shilaidah, where he lived, and died in 1890 at a staggering 116 years. All of which is fine, except there isn’t a shred of documentary evidence to corroborate any of this. In his lifetime, if he existed at all, Lalon scoffed at any attempt to construct his life story or confine him to the politics of identity. He was a man, that was all. His whole lifetime was an attempt to discover the man inside, the one that defies all categorisation. Allegedly illiterate, he displays in his rustic songs an astonishing familiarity with the subtlest discourses of Hinduism, Sufi Islam and Tantric Buddhism, all of which he amalgamates in the way of the Bauls – dehatatwa – another untranslatable word roughly corresponding to ‘wisdom of the body’. It is a complex creed involving breathing, meditation, discourse, and yes, even sexual practices. But the body for him was a way – shaadhan, to use his term -- towards emptiness. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was conversant with Adi Shankara’s words – “I am not earth, not water, not energy not the wind, not the sky, not the five senses nor their sum total. I am not one nor many, but that which remains when all these are taken away – I am only the inviolate Self.” Was there a Lalon? Or was he just an articulation of our universal yearning , the man who resides inside, the moner manush? “One access to the creative way consists of discovering in yourself an ancient corporality to which you are bound by a strong ancestral relation. So you are neither in the character nor in the non-character. Starting from details, you can discover in you somebody other -- your grandfather, your mother. A photo, a memory of wrinkles, the distant echo of a colour of the voice enables you to reconstruct a corporality. First, the corporality of somebody known, and then more and more distant, the corporality of the unknown one, the ancestor. Is this corporality literally as it was? Maybe not literally - but yet as it might have been. You can arrive very far back, as if your memory awakens. This is a phenomenon of reminiscence, as if you recall the Performer of primal ritual. Each time I discover something, I have the feeling that it is what I recall. Discoveries are behind us and we must journey back to reach them. With the breakthrough -- as in the return of an exile -- can one touch something which is no longer linked to origins but -- if I dare say -- to the origin?” These words belong not to Lalon, but to Polish theatre maestro, traveller, seeker and questioner Jerzy Grotowski. Yet here he too becomes Lalon, for what he is speaking of is transmission, of the body as memory, and art as wisdom. These are things Lalon would have known. He bloomed out of an enormously rich counter-culture of Bauls, Phokirs, Dorbeshes and other ‘sacred lunatics’ (to use a Grotowskian term), whose path was the confluence of Chishtiya Sufism, Tantric Buddhism and Vaishnavism. In this immense merging of human spiritual streams, the figure of the Guru was central. If the body is that which we perform, then what you performed was merely what your guru had poured into you, and his Guru before him, reaching back in a continuous line of transmission to what Grotowski calls the Performer of primal ritual, and what the Bauls and Phokirs of Bengal call Moner Manush (the man of the heart), Alekh Snaai (the unseen master), Manuraay (king of the heart) and so on. Grotowski visited India several times, and interacted extensively with Bauls. He spoke of re-evoking “... an ancient form of art where ritual and artistic creation were seamless. Where poetry was song, song was incantation, movement was dance”, perhaps thinking of the path of the Bauls – Shahaj Path (The Simple Path). Interestingly, the Alekh Snaai that the Phokirs speak of could have a curious etymology, for Alekh may well be derived from the Arabic Alaq – meaning clot but referring to sperm, after a Quranic verse. So the invisible, formless origin merges with the very palpable seed of life. Indeed, sexual practices, perhaps inherited from Tantra, played a central role in the creed that Lalon belonged to. For only in the union of the man and the woman can the formless manifest itself, and thus the quest for emptiness was rooted very much in the corporeal. In a very different vein, Rabindranath Tagore would talk about the union of the body with the formless: Sheemar majhe ashim tumi Bajaao apon sur Amaar majhe tomar prokaash Taai eto modhur. (Amidst the finite, you are infinite. You play your own music. That is why your efflorescence in me is so sweet, so beautiful). Tagore may never have met Lalon, but he definitely heard many of his songs breathed out by the Bauls, and their words were inscribed in his mind, as he says. He speaks of one of Lalon’s most famous songs: Khnaachar bhetor ochin pakhi komne ashe jay Taare dhorte parle mono beri Ditam pakhir paay. Which Tagore translates as: Nobody can tell whence the bird unknown Comes into my cage and goes out. I could feign put round its feet the fetter of my mind. Could I but capture him. In his presidential address to the Indian Philosophical Congress of 1925, quoting these lines he says: “This village poet evidently agrees with our sage of the Upanishad who says that our mind comes back baffled in its attempt to reach the unknown Being; and yet this poet like the ancient sage does not give up the adventure of the infinite, thus implying that there is a way to its realisation.” In his famous Hibbert lecture of 1931, ‘The Religion of Man’, he would further say: “I felt I had found my religion at last, the religion of man, in which the infinite became defined in humanity and came close to me so as to need my love and co-operation. This idea of mine found at a later date its expression in some of my poems addressed to what I called Jivandevata, the lord of my life.” Tagore, who himself walked the pathless path, knew his fellow traveller well. Perhaps Grotowski knew of him too, from all his travels within and without with the Bauls. They and Lalon are images of each other in the City of Mirrors. And which image of Lalon shall I finish this little essay with? Perhaps the Lalon that is rooted in the ever-present moment of the body, a Lalon caught in the throes of the ecstatic dance of the Bauls. For what this Lalon has to tell us is that the body is what matters – it is the body that is oppressed, it is the body that is forcibly displaced, the body that is consumed, the body that is genetically modified, subjected to the AFSPA, the body which is commoditised. It is only by emphatically asserting the body’s autonomy, by celebrating it, that we can live in the ever-present moment – the few moments that we live here on this earth. --Arka Mukhopadhay is a writer, theatre person and Sufi-practitioner, currently based in New Delhi. From c.anupam at gmail.com Thu May 26 17:05:04 2011 From: c.anupam at gmail.com (anupam chakravartty) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 17:05:04 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Arka Mukhopadhyay's article on Lalon fakir In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: thanks for sharing this On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 5:00 PM, Chintan Girish Modi < chintan.backups at gmail.com> wrote: > From http://www.openspaceindia.org/articles/item/685.html > > City of Mirrors > > By Arka Mukhopadhyay > > Bengali fakir Lalon's life was an attempt to discover the man inside, > the one that defies categorisation. > > If you go on Wikipedia and look through all the important events in > world history on May 5, you won’t find this anecdote – that on that > date in 1889, a strange meeting may or may not have taken place > between two men in a houseboat on the River Padma, off the shores of > Shilaidah in presentday Bangladesh. But in many ways that meeting, if > it happened, was a meeting of worlds. One of the men was > Jyotirindranath, owner of the houseboat, scion of the illustrious > Tagores of Calcutta (who were also the local landlords), artist, > playwright, polymath, philosopher, nationalist-entrepreneur, musician, > and mentor to his younger brother Rabindranath, whose transcending > genius would later obscure his own star. On that day, Jyotirindranath > was exactly a day over 40. Although he is now rarely known outside the > pale of Bengali nostalgia, at that time he was one of the men who were > shaping an emerging national conscience. He was a moulder and a > product of history. > > The other man in that meeting which may or may not have taken place > may or may not have been a staggering 115 years old at the time. He > may or may not have been Hindu, or Muslim. He may or may not have been > illiterate. His only brush with history would come when he would exit > it about a year later, for his death in 1890 is just about the only > part of his life to which the archive can lay any claim with > certainty. But Phokir Lalon Snaai, which may or may not have been his > (un)real name, lived outside of time and history, in a spaceless land > of myths and shadow-truths, where stories made with breath and dreams > endure, but mere facts are dust and ashes (to paraphrase Neil Gaiman). > From that meeting which may or may not have happened, Jyotirindranath > would draw a pencil sketch of Lalon, said to be the only true likeness > in his entire lifetime. Lalon, for his part, may or may not have sung > the following song, one of the 10,000-odd that he allegedly composed: > > Baarir pashe arshinagar > > Ekghor porshi boshot kore > > Aami ekdinona dekhilam tare > > (Near my home lies the city of mirrors, where a neighbour dwells. But > oh, I have not seen my neighbour even for a day.) > > --Arshinagar, the City of Mirrors > > Elsewhere, Lalon also speaks of “aayna mohal” – the hall of mirrors. A > place where the One Truth is diffracted into a million manifestations, > each as real as the ones around it, but ultimately all only > reflections. Did Lalon, the man made of many stories, know Attar’s > ‘Conference of the Birds’? But ‘arshinagar’ could also mean the city > that lies in the seventh heaven. Perhaps it is the country that Kabir > invites us to, when he sings ‘Chalo hamaara des’. > > In 2010, filmmaker Gautam Ghosh released Moner Manush (Man of the > Heart – a phrase we shall return to later), a biographical film on > Lalon, which opens with the same trope as this essay – the meeting > between Lalon and Jyotirindranath. In fact, let me admit that I have > unabashedly ‘lifted’ the image from the film, because it’s an image I > like to dwell on. The boat is almost like a stage, an empty space as > Peter Brook would call it, set upon the meta-space of the almost > limitless Padma, a river known as ‘the destroyer of human achievement’ > – Kirtinasha. Here’s more from the same Lalon song: > > Geram bere ogadh paani > > O tar nai kinara nai toroni pare > > Amar mone boro banchha jaage, > > Kamne se gaay jaai re? > > (Endless waters surround the village. They have neither shore nor any > boats to cross. Oh I wish so much to see his face, but how shall I get > across?). > > In Ghosh’s film, Lalon’s life story unfolds through what he calls a > ‘ballad-structure’ – essentially a series of flashbacks as the two men > converse. The Lalon that emerges is one whom many urban intellectuals > like to see – a vicious critic of religious strife, one who ridicules > division on the basis of jaat, a not-easily-translatable word roughly > corresponding to race, religious affiliation, or in the Indian > context, perhaps even caste. Ghosh’s Lalon is an almost messianic > figure who presides over his ashram, hippie-guru-like in his > long-haired, bearded avatar. And indeed, this is one of the many > mirror-images of Lalon, the one who sang: > > Shob loke koy lalon ki jaat shongshaare > > Aar lalon bole jaater ki roop, > > Dekhlaam-na ei nojore. > > (Everyone asks, ‘What jaat is Lalon in this world?’ And Lalon says, > what the shape of jaat is, I have not seen with my eyes). > > The jaat he speaks of encompasses and surpasses not only religious > identity, but also notions of gender: > > Sunnath dile > > hoy mussalmaan > > Naari jaatir ki hoy bidhaan? > > Aami bamun chini poita proman > > Bamni chini kishe re? > > (If circumcision makes you a mussalmaan, what then is the dictum for > women? If Brahmin-ness is proved by the sacred thread, how shall I > know a Brahmin woman?) > > This is a ‘secular’ and ‘progressive’ Lalon that may be useful to many > of us, but to posit him only as such would be limiting, just as it is > limiting to look at Kabir only as an icon of Hindu-Muslim unity. For > their space-less place is also identity-less, and ultimately, even > ‘secular’ and ‘progressive’ are only markers of identity: > > Ki bolbo porshiro kotha? > > O taar hosto podo skondho matha naire > > Khonek bhashe shunyer upor > > Khonek bhashe neel-e > > Porshi Jodi amaay chhnuto > > Amaar jom-jatona shokol jeto dure, > > Se aar lalon ek khaane roy > > Lokkho jojon phnaak re. > > (What shall I say of my neighbour? Oh he does not have hands, feet, > shoulders or head. Now he stays in the empty space above, and now he > floats in the blue waters. If he but touched me, I’d lose my fear of > death. He and Lalon stay in the same place, yet a million miles away). > > In a private conversation, a noted Bengali musician and musicologist > asked me, “Who is Lalon? Or was there a Lalon? Why is this man > completely undocumented even though he lived in a time of > documentation?” Indeed, the ‘facts’ of Lalon’s life, such as they are, > are well-known. People say he was born a Hindu, around 1774, went on a > pilgrimage in his early-20s where he contracted smallpox and was left > for dead, was rescued by a Muslim couple who nursed him back to > health, and thence became a disciple of a wandering Fakir, Shiraaj > Snaai, in time becoming a master himself and setting up his ashram in > Cheuria near Shilaidah, where he lived, and died in 1890 at a > staggering 116 years. All of which is fine, except there isn’t a shred > of documentary evidence to corroborate any of this. In his lifetime, > if he existed at all, Lalon scoffed at any attempt to construct his > life story or confine him to the politics of identity. He was a man, > that was all. His whole lifetime was an attempt to discover the man > inside, the one that defies all categorisation. Allegedly illiterate, > he displays in his rustic songs an astonishing familiarity with the > subtlest discourses of Hinduism, Sufi Islam and Tantric Buddhism, all > of which he amalgamates in the way of the Bauls – dehatatwa – another > untranslatable word roughly corresponding to ‘wisdom of the body’. It > is a complex creed involving breathing, meditation, discourse, and > yes, even sexual practices. But the body for him was a way – shaadhan, > to use his term -- towards emptiness. It wouldn’t be surprising if he > was conversant with Adi Shankara’s words – “I am not earth, not water, > not energy not the wind, not the sky, not the five senses nor their > sum total. I am not one nor many, but that which remains when all > these are taken away – I am only the inviolate Self.” Was there a > Lalon? Or was he just an articulation of our universal yearning , the > man who resides inside, the moner manush? > > “One access to the creative way consists of discovering in yourself an > ancient corporality to which you are bound by a strong ancestral > relation. So you are neither in the character nor in the > non-character. Starting from details, you can discover in you somebody > other -- your grandfather, your mother. A photo, a memory of wrinkles, > the distant echo of a colour of the voice enables you to reconstruct a > corporality. First, the corporality of somebody known, and then more > and more distant, the corporality of the unknown one, the ancestor. Is > this corporality literally as it was? Maybe not literally - but yet as > it might have been. You can arrive very far back, as if your memory > awakens. This is a phenomenon of reminiscence, as if you recall the > Performer of primal ritual. Each time I discover something, I have the > feeling that it is what I recall. Discoveries are behind us and we > must journey back to reach them. With the breakthrough -- as in the > return of an exile -- can one touch something which is no longer > linked to origins but -- if I dare say -- to the origin?” > > These words belong not to Lalon, but to Polish theatre maestro, > traveller, seeker and questioner Jerzy Grotowski. Yet here he too > becomes Lalon, for what he is speaking of is transmission, of the body > as memory, and art as wisdom. These are things Lalon would have known. > He bloomed out of an enormously rich counter-culture of Bauls, > Phokirs, Dorbeshes and other ‘sacred lunatics’ (to use a Grotowskian > term), whose path was the confluence of Chishtiya Sufism, Tantric > Buddhism and Vaishnavism. In this immense merging of human spiritual > streams, the figure of the Guru was central. If the body is that which > we perform, then what you performed was merely what your guru had > poured into you, and his Guru before him, reaching back in a > continuous line of transmission to what Grotowski calls the Performer > of primal ritual, and what the Bauls and Phokirs of Bengal call Moner > Manush (the man of the heart), Alekh Snaai (the unseen master), > Manuraay (king of the heart) and so on. Grotowski visited India > several times, and interacted extensively with Bauls. He spoke of > re-evoking “... an ancient form of art where ritual and artistic > creation were seamless. Where poetry was song, song was incantation, > movement was dance”, perhaps thinking of the path of the Bauls – > Shahaj Path (The Simple Path). > > Interestingly, the Alekh Snaai that the Phokirs speak of could have a > curious etymology, for Alekh may well be derived from the Arabic Alaq > – meaning clot but referring to sperm, after a Quranic verse. So the > invisible, formless origin merges with the very palpable seed of life. > Indeed, sexual practices, perhaps inherited from Tantra, played a > central role in the creed that Lalon belonged to. For only in the > union of the man and the woman can the formless manifest itself, and > thus the quest for emptiness was rooted very much in the corporeal. In > a very different vein, Rabindranath Tagore would talk about the union > of the body with the formless: > > Sheemar majhe ashim tumi > > Bajaao apon sur > > Amaar majhe tomar prokaash > > Taai eto modhur. > > (Amidst the finite, you are infinite. You play your own music. That is > why your efflorescence in me is so sweet, so beautiful). > > Tagore may never have met Lalon, but he definitely heard many of his > songs breathed out by the Bauls, and their words were inscribed in his > mind, as he says. He speaks of one of Lalon’s most famous songs: > > Khnaachar bhetor ochin pakhi > > komne ashe jay > > Taare dhorte parle mono beri > > Ditam pakhir paay. > > Which Tagore translates as: > > Nobody can tell whence the bird unknown > > Comes into my cage and goes out. > > I could feign put round its feet the fetter of my mind. > > Could I but capture him. > > In his presidential address to the Indian Philosophical Congress of > 1925, quoting these lines he says: “This village poet evidently agrees > with our sage of the Upanishad who says that our mind comes back > baffled in its attempt to reach the unknown Being; and yet this poet > like the ancient sage does not give up the adventure of the infinite, > thus implying that there is a way to its realisation.” In his famous > Hibbert lecture of 1931, ‘The Religion of Man’, he would further say: > “I felt I had found my religion at last, the religion of man, in which > the infinite became defined in humanity and came close to me so as to > need my love and co-operation. This idea of mine found at a later date > its expression in some of my poems addressed to what I called > Jivandevata, the lord of my life.” > > Tagore, who himself walked the pathless path, knew his fellow > traveller well. Perhaps Grotowski knew of him too, from all his > travels within and without with the Bauls. They and Lalon are images > of each other in the City of Mirrors. > > And which image of Lalon shall I finish this little essay with? > Perhaps the Lalon that is rooted in the ever-present moment of the > body, a Lalon caught in the throes of the ecstatic dance of the Bauls. > For what this Lalon has to tell us is that the body is what matters – > it is the body that is oppressed, it is the body that is forcibly > displaced, the body that is consumed, the body that is genetically > modified, subjected to the AFSPA, the body which is commoditised. It > is only by emphatically asserting the body’s autonomy, by celebrating > it, that we can live in the ever-present moment – the few moments that > we live here on this earth. > > --Arka Mukhopadhay is a writer, theatre person and Sufi-practitioner, > currently based in New Delhi. > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 chintan.backups at gmail.com Thu May 26 17:27:35 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 17:27:35 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] NCPA scholarship to train in Hindustani Music | Deadline: July 30, 2011 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: altaf makhiawala Date: Thu, May 26, 2011 at 2:23 PM Subject: [Opportunity2325] NCPA scholarship to train in Hindustani Music | Deadline: July 30, 2011 To: Opportunities NCPA in association with Citibank offers a scholarship of Rs. 24,000/- (annual) for the year 2011- 2012 to pursue advance training in Hindustani Music (Vocal) for students in the age group of 18 to 28 years. The selected candidates will have to appear for an audition at the NCPA, Mumbai, at their own expense. Applications should be sent in an envelope, marked NCPA – CITI Scholarship for Indian Music. Applicant’s training details, background and other particulars should reach the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 or mailed to nbharucha at ncpamumbai.com or bbhesania at ncpamumbai.com on or before July 30, 2011. *For Further details call NCPA: Call 66223832/ 3748/ 3822* *About the NCPA:* Inaugurated in 1969, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, exists to provide leadership on a national level as India’s premier performing arts, research and training centre through the presentation of Indian and international art forms, the promotion of excellence and the preservation of Indian & International cultural heritage. The NCPA programmes and presents more than 500 events each year across all major art forms, notably Indian and Western Classical Music, Theatre, Film, Dance and Visual Arts. We have programming heads for each of these art verticals who curate innovative events and festivals, representative of everything from classical to contemporary, throughout the year. We produce our own programmes as well as collaborate with leading cultural promoters from around the world. For further information please log on to www.ncpamumbai.com Source: http://twitter.com/#!/pervin_sanghvi/statuses/73671856225398785 -- To share opportunities on this group, please send email to: options-unlimited at googlegroups.com From rohitrellan at aol.in Thu May 26 20:47:59 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 11:17:59 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Paanch: Short Film Competition for Script Writing ( Last date for Entries:30th May 2011 ) Message-ID: <8CDE9CF3B4A47E1-C20-4312B@angweb-usm004.sysops.aol.com> Tumbhi announces Paanch (Five), a call for the start of a movement that is going to witness a new beginning for the aspirants in film world. Come join us in a journey which has none other than internationally acclaimed film director, producer, writer & actor Anurag Kashyap as your mentor. Yes, now you too can be part of his vision, wisdom and wits. And, to do this you just have to become a member of Tumbhi and participate in this short films making contest. Tumbhi announces a short films making competition which will choose each and every member of its cast and crew from and among the registered artistes and technicians on Tumbhi. And, to begin with we are calling for entries to submit your scripts for the same. As we move on, we will announce call for actors and technicians as well to make these films under the tutelage of Anurag Kashyap, who will not only be actively taking all these aspirants under his wings but will also suggest, correct and mentor them. Tumbhi and Anurag Kashyap have joined hands to produce 5 Short Films of maximum 10 minutes duration. Write a script, act in it, make music for it or simply be part of its production and direction team. It will be a show reel for the young and bubbling art seekers who are always looking for the new talent and a milestone for art lovers like you too who will be part of it. About the competition: http://www.tumbhi.com/short-films-competition/writer.jsp Rules & Regulations: The Theme of the competition We are looking for the script for short films. There is no fixed themes and you are open to write a script of 10 minutes on any subject keeping the cost of making to its minimal. Special consideration will be on the freshness of the concept. Last date of Submission of Scripts. The participate are required to register themselves for the scripts before 30th of May, 2011. Only the registered participants will be allowed to submit their entries. Only the entries submitted on or before 30th May will be considered for the competition. Participation Requirement All the participants have to register themselves for the competition Entries in English or Hindi will be accepted The script should be for short film of 10 mins, duration max. Once selected the script will be property of Tumbhi and the writer will have to sign a contract with Tumbhi for the same effect. Selection Process The script which will be as per the participation requirement will be screened in the first round. The members of the Jury Mr. Anurag Kashyap, Mr. Javed Siddiqui, Mr. L.C. Singh and Mr. Pankaj Shukla will take a final call for the Best 5 Scripts. Winner will be announced on Tumbhi. Selected scripts will be published on our website http://www.tumbhi.com after the completion of the Short Films Making competition. From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Thu May 26 22:54:40 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 22:54:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The real face of "Change" In-Reply-To: <679591.37719.qm@web137306.mail.in.yahoo.com> References: <679591.37719.qm@web137306.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: _____________Forwarded message _____________________________ Please find a captivating account of "change" in Bengal, appeared in Ganashakti (25 May 2011). Tough days are ahead of us in defending the Left movement in Bengal. Regards, Nithin “I have to leave my ancestral village home under Trinamool threats.”- Jagannath Dhara My ancestral home is in Nokunda village in Goghat. But since 1985 I used to stay in Serampore. My 95-year-old mother stays in Nokunda and that is why I have to go to Nokunda to see my mother once or twice in a month or two. This time, however, I went to my village not specifically `to see my mother but to see the so called “change” that has been brought about in my village after the elections. On May 21 at 5-40 in the morning I took Dn. Tarakeswar local to Goghat. From Goghat I took a bus to reach Nokunda. Around 10-30 a.m. I got down at the village bus stand, close to the CPI(M) party office. For the last 25 years this is the route I have been following . As I got down from the bus and reached the party office I found none in and around the party office. Even the wooden bench on the verandah of the party office which used to be the waiting place for local villagers to catch buses was missing. The party office was found locked. I knew with whom the key is kept. I managed to collect the key and opened the party office. The custodian of the key asked me repeatedly not to open the party office but I did not listen to him. I was eager to read the party organ Ganashakti  which I thought must be available there. After staying in tha party office for sometime I left for home. Our home is located in the north-east part of the village. On way to home I noticed that the people who are known to me are avoiding  me and even refused to talk to me. The sign of fear was writ large on their face. Some of my friends asked me not to roam around the village. The village I know since my childhood days has suddenly “changed.”  Despite warning from my friends I came out of my house in the afternoon and went to Digarpara area where I saw seven days back red flags fluttering all around. But now red flags were removed and tri-colours with symbols of Trinamool have been hoisted on house and tree tops. At Bagpara I met Tara Bag. He told me that there was none in the house. All have left. When I was taking rest at the courtyard of Tara Bag’s house suddenly I noticed a group of boys of around 20 or 25 appeared in front of me and wanted to know who I am and what for I came to the village.  I was born and brought up in Nokunda but I have never seen the boys who surrounded me and behaved with me like rogues. They wanted to know what led me to go to  the CPI(M) party office and opened it. Addressing me they asked : Tell us where arms and ammunition have been stored and hidden? When I told them that  I know anything about weapons, they were about to beat me. I told them that they were free to assault me or even kill me but cannot say nothing about which is not known to me. Despite threats I admitted that I went to the CPI(M) office because it is my regular practice whenever I come to home. “You can kill me but I am not going to hide the fact” At this stage the unknown youths called the police. The police started interrogating me. From their conversation I came to know that the police at the instruction of these young boys conducted searches at different places in the village but did not found weapons from anywhere. I was then brought to the police camp where one presumably an officer started second round of interrogation of me. There with the police officer I saw a Trinamool leader of our village whom I knew. After third and fourth rounds of interrogations I was asked to leave the village as soon as possible. To me there was no alternative but to leave the village on that day. Like me many villagers have already left their homes in a situation arising out of  what we call a “change”    . ______________________________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From taraprakash at gmail.com Thu May 26 23:04:43 2011 From: taraprakash at gmail.com (TaraPrakash Tripathi) Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 13:34:43 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The real face of "Change" References: <679591.37719.qm@web137306.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Looks like the tradition of paying people back with their own coins will go on for a while. Sigh ----- Original Message ----- From: "A. Mani" To: "sarai list" Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 1:24 PM Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The real face of "Change" > _____________Forwarded message _____________________________ > > > Please find a captivating account of "change" in Bengal, appeared in > Ganashakti (25 May 2011). Tough days are ahead of us in defending the > Left movement in Bengal. > > Regards, > Nithin > > “I have to leave my ancestral village home under Trinamool threats.”- > Jagannath Dhara > > My ancestral home is in Nokunda village in Goghat. But since 1985 I > used to stay in Serampore. My 95-year-old mother stays in Nokunda and > that is why I have to go to Nokunda to see my mother once or twice in > a month or two. This time, however, I went to my village not > specifically `to see my mother but to see the so called “change” that > has been brought about in my village after the elections. > On May 21 at 5-40 in the morning I took Dn. Tarakeswar local to > Goghat. From Goghat I took a bus to reach Nokunda. Around 10-30 a.m. I > got down at the village bus stand, close to the CPI(M) party office. > For the last 25 years this is the route I have been following . > As I got down from the bus and reached the party office I found none > in and around the party office. Even the wooden bench on the verandah > of the party office which used to be the waiting place for local > villagers to catch buses was missing. The party office was found > locked. I knew with whom the key is kept. I managed to collect the key > and opened the party office. The custodian of the key asked me > repeatedly not to open the party office but I did not listen to him. I > was eager to read the party organ Ganashakti which I thought must be > available there. After staying in tha party office for sometime I left > for home. > Our home is located in the north-east part of the village. On way to > home I noticed that the people who are known to me are avoiding me > and even refused to talk to me. The sign of fear was writ large on > their face. Some of my friends asked me not to roam around the > village. The village I know since my childhood days has suddenly > “changed.” Despite warning from my friends I came out of my house in > the afternoon and went to Digarpara area where I saw seven days back > red flags fluttering all around. But now red flags were removed and > tri-colours with symbols of Trinamool have been hoisted on house and > tree tops. > At Bagpara I met Tara Bag. He told me that there was none in the > house. All have left. When I was taking rest at the courtyard of Tara > Bag’s house suddenly I noticed a group of boys of around 20 or 25 > appeared in front of me and wanted to know who I am and what for I > came to the village. I was born and brought up in Nokunda but I have > never seen the boys who surrounded me and behaved with me like rogues. > They wanted to know what led me to go to the CPI(M) party office and > opened it. Addressing me they asked : Tell us where arms and > ammunition have been stored and hidden? When I told them that I know > anything about weapons, they were about to beat me. I told them that > they were free to assault me or even kill me but cannot say nothing > about which is not known to me. > Despite threats I admitted that I went to the CPI(M) office because it > is my regular practice whenever I come to home. “You can kill me but I > am not going to hide the fact” At this stage the unknown youths called > the police. The police started interrogating me. From their > conversation I came to know that the police at the instruction of > these young boys conducted searches at different places in the village > but did not found weapons from anywhere. > I was then brought to the police camp where one presumably an officer > started second round of interrogation of me. There with the police > officer I saw a Trinamool leader of our village whom I knew. After > third and fourth rounds of interrogations I was asked to leave the > village as soon as possible. > To me there was no alternative but to leave the village on that day. > Like me many villagers have already left their homes in a situation > arising out of what we call a “change” . > > ______________________________________________________________ > > > > > Best > > A. Mani > > > -- > A. Mani > ASL, CLC, AMS, CMS > http://www.logicamani.co.cc > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to 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 Fri May 27 04:27:19 2011 From: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com (Rakesh Iyer) Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 04:27:19 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The real face of "Change" In-Reply-To: References: <679591.37719.qm@web137306.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: If the Trinamool practises this, people will pay it back too in the same coin in the 2016 Assembly elections, rest assured. On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 11:04 PM, TaraPrakash Tripathi wrote: > Looks like the tradition of paying people back with their own coins will go > on for a while. > Sigh > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "A. Mani" > To: "sarai list" > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 1:24 PM > Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The real face of "Change" > > >> _____________Forwarded message _____________________________ >> >> >> Please find a captivating account of "change" in Bengal, appeared in >> Ganashakti (25 May 2011). Tough days are ahead of us in defending the >> Left movement in Bengal. >> >> Regards, >> Nithin >> >> “I have to leave my ancestral village home under Trinamool threats.”- >> Jagannath Dhara >> >> My ancestral home is in Nokunda village in Goghat. But since 1985 I >> used to stay in Serampore. My 95-year-old mother stays in Nokunda and >> that is why I have to go to Nokunda to see my mother once or twice in >> a month or two. This time, however, I went to my village not >> specifically `to see my mother but to see the so called “change” that >> has been brought about in my village after the elections. >> On May 21 at 5-40 in the morning I took Dn. Tarakeswar local to >> Goghat. From Goghat I took a bus to reach Nokunda. Around 10-30 a.m. I >> got down at the village bus stand, close to the CPI(M) party office. >> For the last 25 years this is the route I have been following . >> As I got down from the bus and reached the party office I found none >> in and around the party office. Even the wooden bench on the verandah >> of the party office which used to be the waiting place for local >> villagers to catch buses was missing. The party office was found >> locked. I knew with whom the key is kept. I managed to collect the key >> and opened the party office. The custodian of the key asked me >> repeatedly not to open the party office but I did not listen to him. I >> was eager to read the party organ Ganashakti which I thought must be >> available there. After staying in tha party office for sometime I left >> for home. >> Our home is located in the north-east part of the village. On way to >> home I noticed that the people who are known to me are avoiding me >> and even refused to talk to me. The sign of fear was writ large on >> their face. Some of my friends asked me not to roam around the >> village. The village I know since my childhood days has suddenly >> “changed.” Despite warning from my friends I came out of my house in >> the afternoon and went to Digarpara area where I saw seven days back >> red flags fluttering all around. But now red flags were removed and >> tri-colours with symbols of Trinamool have been hoisted on house and >> tree tops. >> At Bagpara I met Tara Bag. He told me that there was none in the >> house. All have left. When I was taking rest at the courtyard of Tara >> Bag’s house suddenly I noticed a group of boys of around 20 or 25 >> appeared in front of me and wanted to know who I am and what for I >> came to the village. I was born and brought up in Nokunda but I have >> never seen the boys who surrounded me and behaved with me like rogues. >> They wanted to know what led me to go to the CPI(M) party office and >> opened it. Addressing me they asked : Tell us where arms and >> ammunition have been stored and hidden? When I told them that I know >> anything about weapons, they were about to beat me. I told them that >> they were free to assault me or even kill me but cannot say nothing >> about which is not known to me. >> Despite threats I admitted that I went to the CPI(M) office because it >> is my regular practice whenever I come to home. “You can kill me but I >> am not going to hide the fact” At this stage the unknown youths called >> the police. The police started interrogating me. From their >> conversation I came to know that the police at the instruction of >> these young boys conducted searches at different places in the village >> but did not found weapons from anywhere. >> I was then brought to the police camp where one presumably an officer >> started second round of interrogation of me. There with the police >> officer I saw a Trinamool leader of our village whom I knew. After >> third and fourth rounds of interrogations I was asked to leave the >> village as soon as possible. >> To me there was no alternative but to leave the village on that day. >> Like me many villagers have already left their homes in a situation >> arising out of what we call a “change” . >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> >> >> >> >> Best >> >> A. Mani >> >> >> -- >> A. Mani >> ASL, CLC, AMS, CMS >> http://www.logicamani.co.cc >> _________________________________________ >> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. >> Critiques & Collaborations >> To subscribe: send an email to 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/> -- Rakesh Krishnamoorthy Iyer MM06B019 Final Year, Dual Degree Student Dept. of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering IIT Madras, Chennai - 600036 Phone no: +91-9444073884 E-mail ID: rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com From aswathypsenan at gmail.com Fri May 27 09:26:29 2011 From: aswathypsenan at gmail.com (Aswathy Senan) Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 09:26:29 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Saltire Scholarships for International Students Message-ID: http://www.publishing.stir.ac.uk/2011/05/26/saltire-scholarships-for-international-students/ From asit1917 at gmail.com Fri May 27 17:54:24 2011 From: asit1917 at gmail.com (asit das) Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 17:54:24 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: (indiaclimatejustice) statement on parilamentary lefts defeat In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: asit das Date: Fri, May 27, 2011 at 5:53 PM Subject: (indiaclimatejustice) statement on parilamentary lefts defeat To: delhi-platform , indiaclimatejustice < indiaclimatejustice at googlegroups.com> End of the Left’ in India? Statement by Leftists after recent election results MAY 24, 2011 tags: Bengal elections , CPI-M , Left Front defeat by Nivedita Menon *Text of statement by Jairus Banaji, **Sukumar Muralidharan, Dilip Simeon, Satya Sivaraman and Rohini Hensman* *endorsed by 224 others*. In a minor replay of 1989 and the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Indian media have been gloating at the defeat of the Left Front in West Bengal especially and have repeatedly suggested that this signals the ‘end of the Left in India’. Even at the best of times our news channels tend to avoid serious analyses of the underlying trends within the country, since they have transformed the news itself into a form of entertainment on models surpassed only by the U.S. news networks. For its part the CPI(M) leadership has been at pains to minimise the significance of the defeat (in Bengal especially) and said that it would be wrong to write off the Left. For them ‘the Left’ means the Left Fronts in Bengal and Kerala and of course chiefly the CPI(M) itself. They stress the fact that they still retain a considerable vote share, just over 40% in West Bengal for example, and there is indeed some truth in this claim. We the undersigned beg to differ sharply from both the positions stated above. To begin with, *the Left in India is not the Left parties alone and therefore the defeat of the Left parties does not mean the defeat of the Left*. The Left in India has never been reducible to these large parliamentary fronts and party machines, much less to the groups embattled in the forests of India, but has always been a much wider spectrum of organisations, movements and forms of struggle that range from the hundreds of left-wing trade unions that exist in the country in all the major industrial centres, unions that are essentially independent of party control and seeking today to form a national federation, down to the dozens of popular campaigns and the organisations connected with them. These campaigns have fought consistently on issues such as displacement at major sites like the Koel Karo dam, the Baliapal missile range, the Hirakud dam, the Sardar Sarover project, etc., and there has been and continues to be mass opposition to the forced acquisition of land by industrial capital (POSCO, Vedanta, Jindals, the Tatas, Ambanis, and so on) in different parts of the country. There have also been militant resistance movements to SEZs, most notably in Bengal itself (at Nandigram and Singur). There have been grassroots campaigns for the Right to Information (RTI) and for rural employment schemes. There have been movements and campaigns against communal violence and for justice for the victims of the violence that politicians have repeatedly instigated, notably, the horrific massacres in1984 (Delhi), 2002 (Gujarat) and 2008 (Kandhamal in Orissa). There have been movements of resistance to the hideous injustices and violence of the caste system; to the oppression of women; to homophobia; and against the forcing of millions of children into wage-slavery. There has been a strong culture of human rights organisations in India and fearless investigations into the atrocities committed at all ends of the political spectrum. There are *many*cultural and political groups that exist that have never identified or associated with the politics and the peculiar left traditions of the CPI(M) that are still largely moulded by the discredited legacies of Stalinism. We feel that the defeat of the parliamentary left *should* mean space for a stronger left movement, a ‘new left’ if you like, that reflects the aspirations of the mass of people more creatively, with more imagination and greater integrity. There is too much deprivation and misery in the country for the media or the middle classes to seriously be able to delude themselves into thinking that popular resistance will cease with the defeat of the Left Fronts. As long as ordinary people are subjected to violence, to oppression and the most appalling poverty, as long as they are denied homes, health services, proper nourishment, decent jobs, denied land for survival, and denied social, political and sexual equality, there *will* be resistance and opposition. Indians will not settle down passively into the dream images purveyed by TV advertisements, and with the massive depletion of public policy in areas like health and employment they are certainly not about to become one big smiling middle-class family. The reality is that dispossession continues on a large scale; the culture of communal hatred, violence and conspiracy still thrives in the background waiting to strike again; and large parts of the country are under military occupation. Police brutality continues unabated, lakhs of court cases lie unattended, thousands of people remain in jail as under-trial prisoners, and hundreds of victims of caste and communal violence wait hopelessly for justice. Communal, caste and sexual bias is still endemic at various places in the state apparatus. And by all the social indicators India remains one of the worst performing countries in the world. So it *is* premature of ‘write off’ the Left but not because the Left Front has retained substantial vote shares in Kerala and Bengal. Votes have never been a real marker of the strength of a political movement and its culture. Indeed, the Left Front parties now have a historic opportunity to transform themselves, starting with a conscious effort to introduce more democracy in their ranks and a culture of open debate. Whether their leaderships want such a radical overhaul is doubtful, since even the elementary requirement of accountability for the recent debacle is currently being evaded. However, regardless of their evolution, it is clear that as long as Indian democracy survives and survives in its broken state as a system unable to nourish the mass of its population or live without violence and the subjugation of whole communities, the Left outside parliament, the left as a culture of democracy and resistance, a network of movements and organisations, and a new more vigorous set of campaigns, will *continue to flourish*. A younger, more radical generation will undoubtedly be attracted to it and to its values of solidarity, equality, freedom and opposition to capitalism both in India and worldwide. *Jairus Banaji, Sukumar Muralidharan, Dilip Simeon, Satya Sivaraman, Rohini Hensman* *The statement, issued on Facebook on 19th May, has also been signed/endorsed by:* Omen Achom, Levin Ahmad, Nesar Ahmad, Riaz Ahmed, Suhail Akhter, Haroon Akram-Lodhi, Aniket Alam, Arshad Alam, Mahtab Alam, Julian Alford, Anjuman Ali, Sharib Ali, Anirban Bandyopadhyay, Arindam Banerjee, Debabrata Banerjee, Partha Banerjee, Sreenanti Banerjee, Sanjay Barnela, Madapathi Channa Basavaiah, Amita Baviskar, Peter Beattie, Cedric Beidatsch, Moggallan Bharti, Preeti Bhat, Varuni Bhatia, Sayan Bhattacharya, Debashish Bhattacherjee, Sandeep Bhushan, Abhisek Bisoy, Madhumita Biswal, Samarendra Biswas, Ishan Bose, Satya Brata, Vivek Chachan, Baidurya Chakrabarti, Indranil Chakraborty, Uday Chandra, Garga Chatterjee, Sandeep Chatterjee, Bibek Chattopadhyay, Kamal Chenoy, Ajith Cherian, V. K. Cherian, Mayur Chetia, Ramachandraiah Chigurupati, Bennet D’Costa, John D’Souza, Karthikeyan Damodaran, Hari Das, Meghna Dass, Vidyadhar Date, Anisha Datta, Dayita Datta, Mihir Desai, Meena Dhanda, Robin Dharmaratnam, Pranoo Deshraju, Elliott Eisenberg, Rajkumar Eligedi, Pradeep Esteves, Dave Ankit Ferri, Paul Field, Vikram Gaadida, John Game, Satya P. Gautam, Ammar al-Ghabban, Arundhati Ghosh, Pothik Ghosh, Rupen Ghosh. Sikha Ghosh, Sandhya Gokhale, Meena Gopal, Rama Hansraj, Bonojit Hussain, Jamil Iqbal, Ashutosh As Is, Ajit Ithikkat, Akash Jha, Ammu Joseph, Minto Joseph, Apoorva Kaiwar, Sanjay Kak, Kalpana Karunakaran, Sreekanth Kappillil, Harsh Kapoor, Ravinder Kaur, Rauha Khalid, Sabah Khan, Rajiv Khanna, Abdul Haleem Kidwai, Jamal Kidwai, Prakash P. Koshy, Koteswar Rao Kota, Michael R. Kraetke, Shekhar Krishnan, Suchita Krishnaprasad, Uma Krishnaswami, Karthik Krishnaswamy, Sławomir Królak, Mangesh Kulkarni, Avinash Kumar, Kundan Kumar, Manmohan Kumar, Rajiv Kumar, Sahil Kumar, Bobby Kunhu, Rebecca Kurian, Christopher Laffernis, David McInerney, Shalini Mahajan, Sampad Mahapatra, Beni Majaw, Deity Majaw, Abhik Majumdar, Arnab Majumdar, Sadique Pk. Mampad, Freny Manecksha, Rajses Mala, Mukul Mangalik, Anant Maringanti, Feroz Mehdi, Hormazd Mehta, Nivedita Menon, Bindu Menon, James Michael, Amitabh Mishra, Anand Mishra, Rasmi Ranjan Mishra, Shibaram Mishra, Srimoy Mitra, K. G. Mohan, Anjali Monteiro, Sumathi Murthy, Luddite Ned, Tarun Guha Neogi, Smriti Nevatia, Aditya Nigam, Alf Nilsen, Bhargav Nimmagadda, Chittibabu Padavala, Dharam Pal, Rajiv Pandey, Himanshu Pandya, Sudarshan Papanna, Prashant Pastore, Sujeet Patil, Mike Pearn, Gautam Pemmaraju, Jahnavi Phalkey, Charlie Post, Suman Poudel, Aseem Prakash, Shree Prakash, Ananta Prasad, Sundaram Pugwash, Bharat Punjabi, Chandramani Raj, Shamik K. Rakshit, M. V. Ramana, Lalita Ramdas, Dwijen Rangnekar, Ranjit Ranjith, Adhiraaj Ray, Bodhisatwa Ray, Chandrashekar Reddy, Arka Roy, Indrajit Roy, Rahul Roy, Saroj Sabat, Anoop Saha, Lawgaone Sahara, Cssalil Salil, Jillett Sarah Sam, Anindya Sanyal, Aditya Sarkar, Dwaipayan Sen, Jhuma Sen, Sukla Sen, Uditi Sen, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Chayanika Shah, Svati Shah, Siddharth Shanbhag, Jyotirmoy Sharma, Mansi Sharma, Rakesh Sharma, Surabhi Sharma, Aaditto Shen, Ajinkya Shenava, Cubbykabi Sherman, Maria Shipka, Jaya Shobaneshwari, Medha Shriram, Ruchita Shrivastava, Ruchi Shroff, Garima Singh, Mahesh Kumar Singh, Richa Singh, Subir Sinha, Sriram Srirangam, Megha Sud, Ashwini Sukthankar, Sulekh Suman, Chirag Suvarna, Daniel Taghioff, J. Jagadish Thaker, Prativa Thomas, Rashmi Varma, Umesh Varma, Deepak Verma, Vidya Venkat, Kandamath Manayilvalappil Venugopalan, T. K. Vinodan, C.K. Vishwanath Vishwanath, Rustic Wanderer, Judy Whitehead, Tahmidal Zami, Maung Zarni, Sanil Zenbuddha. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "indiaclimatejustice" group. To post to this group, send email to indiaclimatejustice at googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to indiaclimatejustice+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiaclimatejustice?hl=en. From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Fri May 27 21:30:16 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 21:30:16 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: The real face of "Change" In-Reply-To: References: <679591.37719.qm@web137306.mail.in.yahoo.com> Message-ID: On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 11:04 PM, TaraPrakash Tripathi wrote: > Looks like the tradition of paying people back with their own coins will go > on for a while. > Sigh > It is not simple. During most of the Left front's rule, there was far less violence. Decentralisation of power to panchayats did cause a few problems as the lowest level was not always educated enough. These were complicated by decisions taken along top-down lines for the last six years or so. Since 2006, the TMC has been launching armed attacks with the aid of the so-called maoists and with the implicit backing of sections of the media. The new trend is as expected similar to the semi-fascist tactics of the 70's. Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From the-network at koeln.de Sat May 28 12:09:24 2011 From: the-network at koeln.de (artNET) Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 08:39:24 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?netEX=3A_calls_=26_deadlines_--=3E_J?= =?iso-8859-1?q?une_2011?= Message-ID: <20110528083925.2E4A581.2FDE438A@192.168.0.4> netEX: calls & deadlines --> June 2011 ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- newsletter contents *news *calls & deadlines --> 03 Calls: 2011 deadlines internal 21 Calls: June 2011 deadlines external 12 Calls: ongoing external/internal ------------------------------------------------ News CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context nomadic festival project 1 January - 31 December 2011 countinues its successfull tour once around the globe in June 2011 jumping from one venue around the Baltic Sea to another --> CologneOFF 2011 Baltic Sea (IV) Tallinn (Estonia) - Estonian Academy of Arts http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/?p=1380 All details can be found in time on the project site --> CologneOFF 2011 - videoart in a global context http://coff.newmediafest.org/blog/ http://coff.newmediafest.org ------------------------------------------------ Calls & deadlines ---> ------------------------------------------------ Deadlines internal ------------------------------------------------ 2 calls for 2011 Deadline 1 September 2011 CologneOFF2011 - Football - Soccer - Fussball film and video makers are invited to submit experimental films and videoart http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3245 Deadline: 1 September 2011 CologneOFF2011 - Let's Save the World!? film and video makers are invited to submit experimental films and videoart http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3251 ------------------------------------------------ June 2011 deadlines: external ------------------------------------------------ 30 June Encounters International Film Festival Bristol/UK http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3333 30 June New Screen Newcastle (UK) http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3123 30 June Imaginaria Film Festival . http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3087 30 June 2011 Bagasbas Beach International Eco Film Festival 2012 - Daet/Philippines http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3071 30 June Translocated http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=2820 27 June FAFF 2011 - Fundata Artists Film Festival http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3236 25 June International Pixelstorm Award http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3212 25 June KLEX - Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film & Video Festival http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3192 25 June International Shortfilm Festival Berlin/D http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3139 24 June Video Takeaway http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3287 24 June 24th Instants Video Festival Marseille http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3317 20 June Pact Zollverein Residencies http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3314 15 June Bolzano Shortfilm Festival - Bolzano/Italy http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3152 15 June Lille International Shortfilm Festival http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3308 15 June quEAR - The Transitonal Ear Festival http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3312 15 June Thess International Short Film Festival Thessaloniki/GR http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3042 12 June Telenesia http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3279 10 June Fusio Videoart Festival Lisbon http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3281 5 June Water, Water Everywhere - NewMedia Art Call http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3186 3 June Headlands Center Artists Residencies http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3301 1 June 2011 Belfast Photo Festival http://www.nmartproject.net/netex/?p=3310 ----------------------------------------------- Ongoing calls: external/internal ----------------------------------------------- ---> Artsit Residency in Alaska ---> SFC - Shoah Film Collection by VideoChannel & A Virtual Memorial Foundation ---> 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 ------------------------------------------------ From epk at xs4all.nl Sat May 28 19:46:41 2011 From: epk at xs4all.nl (Eric Kluitenberg) Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 16:16:41 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Open 21 - (Im)Mobility, Exploring the Boundaries of Hypermobility - Theme Issue Journal for Art and the Public Domain Message-ID: A N N O U N C E M E N T Tuesday evening May 24 we presented the theme issue (im)Mobility of Open, Journal for Art and the Public Domain at the Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam, in combination with a screening of The Forgotten Space, the film by Allan Sekula and Noël Burch (www.skor.nl/artefact-5492-en.html). Below more information on the issue. - eric ----------------- Open 21 (Im)Mobility Exploring the Boundaries of Hypermobility Increasing densities of communications technologies seem to lead to an increase in physical and motorised mobility, rather than their replacement or reduction. At the same time, these accelerating flows of data and commodities stand in sharp contrast to the elbow room afforded to the biological body, which in fact is forced to a standstill. And while data, goods and capital have been freed of their territorial restrictions, the opposite is true for a growing proportion of the world's population: border regimes, surveillance and identity control are being intensified at a rapid pace. In short, we are seeing both an uncurbed and uncontrolled increase of mobility and segregating filtrations. This issue of Open explores the internal contradictions of prevailing im/mobility regimes and their effects on social and physical space. Contents: Media theorist Eric Kluitenberg, guest editor of this issue, charts the many mobility regimes in search of a perspective for intervention. Philosopher Marc Schuilenburg argues for connectivity with the local, introducing the concept of 'terroir'. Cultural critic Brian Holmes analyses the capitalist mobility system: container transport and just-in-time production. Film stills from the documentary Forgotten Space by Allan Sekula and Noël Burch portray the relation between oceanic shipping lanes and the globalised economy. Architectural historian Wim Nijenhuis wonders what exile means in today's 'exit city'. Architect Charlotte Lebbe investigates the external borders of the Schengen Area and sees the rise of a new 'dispositif' surveillance: the Ban-Opticum. Sociologist Merijn Oudenampsen and architect Miguel Robles-Durán interview David Harvey on the spatial effects of capital accumulation. Media theorist Joss Hands writes about the mobilising capacity of social media in recent events in the Middle East. Media artist and researcher Florian Schneider introduces the concept of 'transnationality' in order to tackle the ambivalence of current border regimes. Design critic John Thackara argues for a change in the thinking on mobility. Media theorist Tatiana Goryucheva asks where the democratisaton of technological design begins, investigating the case of food traceability technology. Design studio Metahaven drafts a speculative future for 'mobile money', and architect Nerea Calvillo discusses the visual urban interfaces charting air pollution developed for the In the Air project in Madrid. www.skor.nl/artefact-5491-en.html --- Open is an initiative of SKOR | Foundation for Art and Public Domain and is published by NAI Publishers. Jorinde Seijdel and Liesbeth Melis (eds.) Eric Kluitenberg (guest editor) Open 21 (Im)mobility Exploring the Limits of Hypermobility Design: Thomas Buxó and Klaartje van Eijk, Paperback, Illustrated (colour and b/w), 176 pages, 17 x 24 cm English edition, ISBN 978-90-5662-814-7, € 23.50 Dutch edition, ISBN 978-90-5662-813-0 May 2011 www.naipublishers.com/art/open21_e.html From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat May 28 22:43:39 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 13:13:39 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Bio Diversity Film Festival @ PVR Plaza, Connaught Place, New Delhi on 2nd June 2011 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CDEB71B90FE7C4-ADC-4E19E@webmail-m051.sysops.aol.com> Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings!!! India for the first time is globally hosting the World Environment Day since the celebration began in 1972. On this occasion, PVR Nest and CMS Environment cordially invite you to Bio-Diversity Film Festival's inaugural ceremony on 2nd June for: - *Screening of film documentary by eminent wildlife filmaker*, *Mr.Naresh Bedi* from the famous "*Bedi Brothers*". - *Interactive session with filmakers and eminent environmental experts*. - *Launch of United Nations Environment Program Report*. Please block your evening for this event from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at PVR Plaza,CP. *Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Environment Minister* would be the prospective* *Chief Guest along with *representative from UNEP*. Kindly intimate us the number of participants from your organization through an E-mail so that we can block your seats. A formal invite will be sent to you shortly. For further information please contact: Payal pvrnest2011 at gmail.com 7838814585 From rohitrellan at aol.in Sat May 28 23:12:21 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 13:42:21 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Scriptapalooza Television Writing Competition Message-ID: <8CDEB75BB7EB728-ADC-4E73D@webmail-m051.sysops.aol.com> Scriptapalooza Television Writing Competition Hey all you TV writers, this is your chance to change the way you watch TV! Scriptapalooza TV has seen major success in their 12 years. - 2 writers won Emmys - Andrew Colville wins WGA award - Finalist writes for Comedy Central - numerous writers have gotten agents, managers and meetings for the most recent headlines: http://www.scriptapaloozaTV.com/recentheadlines.htm for an application: https://gochargeit.mywebteam.com/scriptapalooza/form.asp for a list of the producers that are onboard: http://www.scriptapaloozaTV.com/participants.htm DEADLINE October 1st Accepting pilots, sitcoms, one hour dramas and reality shows. www.scriptapaloozaTV.com 323.654.5809 office info at scriptapalooza.com From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Mon May 30 03:08:30 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 03:08:30 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Political Violence in WB Message-ID: CITU DEMANDS IMMEDIATE STOPPING OF POLITICALLY SPONSORED VIOLENCE AGAINST CITU UNIONS IN WEST BENGAL >From India News Network (INN) New Delhi, May 27: The CITU Secretariat meeting held on 26-27 May 2011 at New Delhi expressed grave concern over the continuous violence and atrocities engineered by the hoodlums of Trinamool Congress and Congress on the trade unions and other mass organizations in different parts of West Bengal in the aftermath of the Assembly elections-result. Since May 13, already twelve were killed including two with a child burnt alive, which demonstrates extreme barbarism in the process of politically sponsored violence by the ruling regime. Reports of physical assaults on the leaders, activists and even members of trade unions and other organizations, severely injuring many, and forcing the workers to leave CITU and join TMC led trade unions are pouring in every day. The preliminary reports contain information of incidents involving violent capturing of CITU affiliated union offices by armed TMC goons in different parts of the state; tearing off CITU flags, posters, placards, festoons, banners etc; ransacking of CITU offices etc. In many places, the employers also joined the armed TMC goons in intimidating and forcing to leave the CITU union. Apart from incidents at various locations in Kolkata involving CITU trade unions in industries including Taxi and Auto Rickshow operators, Street Vendors, districts like Howrah, both the 24-Parganas, Bardhaman, Birbhum, Coochbehar also witnessed continuous violence, hurling of bombs in the office, extortion of huge money from the common workers and residents at gun-point. The Secretariat of CITU condemns such vindictive and barbarous atrocities and violence on the workers and common people perpetrated by the ruling TMC-Congress led regime keeping the law and order authority a silent onlooker to such grievous and continuing incidents of arsons, physical assaults, loot, extortions and killings. CITU demands upon the State Govt to out a stop to such continuing politically sponsored violence and atrocities on trade unions, workers and common people throughout the state. CITU also appeals to all trade unions irrespective of affiliations to raise their voice against such politically sponsored violence on trade unions and mass organization with is designed to empower the employers and capitalists to benefit from terrorizing and weakening the workers’ organizations. Continuity of such politically sponsored violence is also an assault on democratic set up putting the peoples’ interests into jeopardy. CITU Secretariat calls upon all its affiliated unions, state committees and industrial federations to unleash a countrywide campaign against the politically-sponsored violence on trade unions, workers and common people in West Bengal and observe a “Campaign-cum-Protest Week” on 6th to 11th June 2011 through public-meetings, issuing pamphlets in thousands detailing the barbarous atrocities on the workers and people in West Bengal, rallies, processions etc all over the country. ____________________________________________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From kmvenuannur at gmail.com Mon May 30 09:13:38 2011 From: kmvenuannur at gmail.com (Venugopalan K M) Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 09:13:38 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: Are we in the presence of the fourth Reich? -Pravda In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Marx Laboratory Date: Mon, May 30, 2011 at 12:32 AM Subject: Are we in the presence of the fourth Reich? -Pravda To: Marx Laboratory Are we in the presence of the fourth Reich? 26.05.2011 20:19 by Basem Tajeldine Rebellion [image: Are we in the presence of the fourth Reich?. 44438.jpeg]The question that directs this article may be easy to answer for the right political apologists who, of course, deny it, but also to the left who claim that fascism has not only touched our door, but it is already inside. The truth is that the world has entered a dangerous phase for the entire human species, but this is not irreversible. Commander Fidel Castro wrote in his last reflection that "as long as our species remains alive, every person has a sacred duty to be optimistic," and so, therefore, a revolutionary always takes optimism as a conviction. In Libya, in the midst of heavy bombing by NATO on its besieged capital, Tripoli, and limited Internet connection, I found a free moment to reflect on different topics every day, a bit more theoretical, to read an interesting article published in lahaine.org Web page on 20/5/2011, written by William I. Robinson, entitled: "Global capitalism and fascism of the 21st Century." In the letter, the author comes to an interesting conclusion, analyzing some ideas and arguments with some good examples. He says: "You cannot currently qualify the U.S. regime as fascist. However, all the conditions and processes are present and being propagated." But Robinson may evolve to another conclusion also, and that is, being more consistent with the optimism inspired by Fidel Castro, it can be said at the same time that the conditions for revolutionary possibilities in the capitalist centers of the world are being created. Large demonstrations in Spain and Greece are examples of this. In the writing Robinson follows the idea and gives the preconditions for the resurgence of fascism in the world. Global capitalism is in crisis, and none of its theoretical apologists or economists have been able to propose solutions or exits within their own logic and structure. But he clearly avoids designating the contemporary circumstances as fascist imperialism. While the author is only a student of fascism and the politics of imperialism for being the most important center of global capital, "the mistake is failing to mention that this phenomenon has been clearly expressed for over 60 years in what is called Israel (a genocidal entity that occupies Palestine). The idea is correct that capitalism in crisis becomes more violent. It resembles a cornered and wounded animal that attacks because of fear and the instinct for survival. The violence of capital in crisis is the act of survival. History reminds us that the emergence of fascism in Italy and Spain, with the personalities of Mussolini and Franco at the head of those States, was in large part the result of the global economic crisis of capitalism unleashed in 1929. Its twin variant, the Nazi Germany of Adolf Hitler, was also a product of that same crisis as well as the humiliating Treaty of Versailles to which Germany was subjected after its defeat in the First World War. As we know, the capitalist crisis unleashed in those years (1929 and the 30s of the last century) was settled or paid for in the Second World War with the deaths of more than 50 million people, the destruction of all the productive forces in Europe and the reconstruction of the same in a period that lasted until the emergence of a new economic crisis in the 70's, tempered by "neoliberalism," but not settled or paid for up to today. Many thinkers and analysts understand that to conclude this new capitalist crisis would necessitate a new period of death, destruction and reconstruction of new productive forces. Of course, there is no social policy, government style, etc. that currently exists that possesses an inspiration or proper origin, detached from reality and brought from the abstraction of some genius or schizophrenic. Mussolini, Franco and Hitler were products of the realities of their countries at a time so deadly that history remembers. They acted according to the logic of the system to save their own economies, with an iron fist and blood, combining economic models. Although their styles of government were also very typical of these characters, the nature of the capitalist system enhances its disastrous and criminal characteristics. The solutions to the crisis of capital raised by these fascists and Nazis sought to ensure the maintenance of a social caste at the head of economic power, a relative "social welfare" only for their people (the "Aryan" race) at the expense of theft, exploitation and death of the rest of the peoples of the world. The crisis of ideas, morals, values ​​and principles of a society are a product of the reality of the state to which the evil perverse capitalist system has degenerated, in itself, today. Violence and anti-values ​​are the nature of capital as well as segregation and racism. Exploitation of man by man are also part of its own logic that puts the interests of a class, an elite or social group, above all society and people. Workers have been transformed into objects that serve as parts of the large reproductive machinery of capital. For the capitalist, they represent simple "exchange values." When they are a hindrance, they are simply discarded or killed. Capital is the true God worshiped by the bourgeoisie. Workers, and the people in general, are subdued by capital or are doomed to disappear. The wrath of the God of capital (in crisis) is fascism or Nazism. Thus it is understood that the crisis currently facing the global capitalist system has its impact on the political: in the ideas, antivalues and immorality that define today's imperialism. The wars and the destruction of productive forces, ethnic cleansing (in Palestine), unemployment, wage cuts, etc.., are the needs of the capitalist system today. Peace is its funeral. William Robinson studies this idea in depth and says to us that: "The emerging transnational capital experienced a great expansion in the eighties and nineties, implying a hyperaccumulation by means of new technologies such as computers and computing, through neoliberal policies and new forms of mobilization and exploitation of the global workforce, including a massive return of primitive accumulation, early uprooting and displacement of hundreds of millions of people, especially in the Third World, who have become internal and transnational (...) emigrants. At the end of the nineties, the system entered a chronic crisis. The strong social polarization and increasing inequality helped create a serious crisis of excessive capital accumulation. The extreme concentration of wealth in the world in the hands of a few and the rapid impoverishment and dispossession of the majority, even forced the participants at the annual meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos to recognize that the gap between rich and poor throughout the world is "the most serious challenge in the world" and "it raises the specter of global instability and civil wars." "Global inequalities and the impoverishment of wide majorities mean that transnational capital cannot find productive outlets to unload huge amounts of accumulated surpluses. In the 21st century, the CCT has turned to several mechanisms to support global accumulation, or profit, before this crisis." "One is the militarized accumulation, to launch wars and interventions that produce cycles of destruction and reconstruction and generate huge profits for the military-industrial-financial-security in continuous expansion (...) A second mechanism is the assault and plundering of public budgets. Transnational capital uses its financial power to take control of state finances and impose more austerity on the hard working majority, leading to further social inequality and deprivation. Imperialism has used its power structure to accelerate the dismantling of what remains of the conditions of wages and social benefits. And the third is the frenzied global financial speculation-converting the world economy into a gigantic casino." And with reference to the fascism of the 21st century, Robinson further expresses that: "A twenty-first century fascism cannot seem similar to twentieth century fascism. Among other things, there is the ability of dominant groups to control and manipulate space and exercise unprecedented control over the means of mass media and the production of symbolic images and messages. This means that repression can be more selective (as seen, for example, in Mexico or Colombia) and legally organized so that a "legal" mass incarceration takes the place in the concentration camps. Furthermore, the ability of economic power to determine election results allows 21st Century fascism to emerge without a necessary break in election cycles and constitutional order." While William Robinson thinks that the conditions for fascism in the 21st century and are growing and shaping up, today he proves to be very careful on using that term to designate imperialism. I believe that twenty-first century fascism is a very clear fact, only expressed in a cynical form and disguised as "humanitarian" and "anti-terrorism." Or how else can one explain the genocides of the Palestinian and Iraqi people? How to explain the deaths of nearly 2 million Iraqis (according to the British polling agency ORI, 2007) in the name of democracy and the fight against terror? How to explain the current bombing of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and other cities killing innocent civilians in the name of a so-called "humanitarian war" that sought to save them? On the other hand, several previous reflections on the idea have been expressed that the world capitalist crisis that erupted in the core countries has produced its first victims in the weakest link in the chain of the system, resulting in revolutionary rebellions in the capitalist periphery (Tunisia , Egypt and other Arab countries). I also said that sooner or later the popular rebellions will come to play at the very gates of the capitalist core countries. The NATO aggression against the peoples of Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and others, now have hope for peace. The rebellious European people have in their hands the necessary power and ability to force their governments to stop the war against those countries. [image: Are we in the presence of the fourth Reich?. 44439.jpeg]The mobilizations in Europe also open a new opportunity for political action by parties of the Left to influence and encourage popular movements proposing a revolutionary program that envisages a clear and credible exit to the crisis of capital. The fascist tendencies in the capitalist centers could be hit. Fascism today also presents a chance to either prevail in Europe again or to succumb before popular rebellions. To extend the popular movements throughout Europe (France, Italy and UK) governments will have to concentrate theirforces internally to prevent revolutions. Here the dilemma posed by Fidel: NATO is prepared to bomb those countries for the repression that they claim other governments unleash, but now they are trapped and cornered by their own people. The popular uprisings in Europe have begun to spread to Greece, Spain, Portugal and possibly to France and Britain, which would force their governments to turn their eyes back to within their own borders. *Translated from the Spanish version by:* ** *Lisa Karpova* *Pravda.Ru* Lisa Karpova Copyright © 1999-2011, «PRAVDA.Ru». -- From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon May 30 14:06:27 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 04:36:27 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?Screening_of_Shyam_Benegal=27s_=27Charand?= =?utf-8?q?as_Chor=27_at_Prithvi_Theatre=2CPrithvi_Theatre_Auditorium=2C_J?= =?utf-8?q?uhu=2C_Bombay=2CMonday=2C_May_30_=C2=B7_7=3A00pm_-_10=3A00pm?= Message-ID: <8CDECBBCD48F859-460-4CC4@webmail-d073.sysops.aol.com> Vikalp at Prithvi Presents Charandas Chor A Summertime Special Screening at Prithvi Theatre’s Lovely Auditorium Charandas Chor (Charandas the Thief) is a children's film made by noted director Shyam Benegal and produced by Children’s Film Society of India in 1975. Starring Smita Patil, Lalu Ram and others, this film is based on the famous play by Habib Tanvir, which itself was an adaptation of a classical Rajasthani folktale by Vijaydan Detha. The film charts the tumultuous life of a petty thief, Charandas. Curiously, he is a man of principles – an honest thief with a strong sense of integrity and professional efficiency. He makes four vows to his Guru, that he would never eat in a gold plate, never lead a procession that is in his honour, never become a king and never marry a princess, thinking all of them are far out possibilities for him. Later, his guru adds a fifth one - never to tell a lie and sets him of on his life's journey which leads him to a kingdom, where the turn of events makes him famous. To know about what happens next, come watch this film at Prithvi Theatre on Monday, May 30 at 7 pm. Excerpt from a Hindustan Times interview with Shyam Benegal: Way back in 1974, I was doing a series of learning programmes for children in the Chhattisgarhi dialect with local Nacha actors from Habib’s Naya Theatre group and other folk theatre groups of the state. Habib was my consultant, adviser and actor. It was while we were creating these programmes that my writer Shama Zaidi suggested that one of the stories that I could consider was Charandas Chor for a feature film project I was contemplating for children. While I was working towards making Charandas as a comic farce, Habib was planning to turn the story into a tragic play. Incidentally, the film I made featured Smita Patil as the queen. She was the only urban actor in the film. the rest of the cast consisted of Nacha actors belonging to different castes and sects: Devars, Satnamis, Kabir Panthis along with Pandvani singers and so on. Screening Details: On 30 May 2011 at 7 pm At Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Bombay Entry Free, On A First-Come-First-Seated Basis For any queries, email vikalp.prithvi at gmail.com From rohitrellan at aol.in Mon May 30 16:22:28 2011 From: rohitrellan at aol.in (rohitrellan at aol.in) Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 06:52:28 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?PEHCHAN_Presents_Molier=27s=C2=A0=C2=A0?= =?utf-8?q?=C2=A0_KANJOOS_on_31=2E5=2E2011_at_6=2E30_p=2Em=2E_at_Muktadhar?= =?utf-8?q?a_Auditorium_18-19=2C_Bhai_Veer_Singh_Marg=2C_Gole_Market=2C_Ne?= =?utf-8?q?w_Delhi=2E?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CDECCECD939FB6-460-6846@webmail-d073.sysops.aol.com> PEHCHAN Presents Molier's    KANJOOS Direction: Dinesh Khanna   on 31.5.2011 at 6.30 p.m. at Muktadhara Auditorium 18-19, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, Gole Market, New Delhi.   The Director Dinesh Khanna a graduate from Lucknow University and a post graduate diploma in Acting from N.S.D in 1986. He has been involved in acting, direction and teaching for the last 20 years His published works include Kucch Aansu Aur Kucch Phool and Abhinay Chintan, which is a comparative study on the theories of acting evolved by Stanislavski, Arthaud and Grotowsky. One of his major experience as an acting teacher include the play production with the students on NIDA, Australia. About the Writer Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, best known as Moliere (15.1.1622 to 17.2.1673). His first works was a translation of De Reurm Natura by the Roman philosopher Lucretius. In June 1643 he founded Theatre company or troupe of L’Illustre Theatre, which failed in 1945. His few major works are Tartuffe or The Imposter, George Dandin or the Abashed Husband. The Bourgeois Gentlemen etc. It was really the first of his many attempts to extract the ridiculous out of certain mannerisms and affectations then common in France. One of the most famous parts of the life of Moliere is the last one, which become proverbial, he died on stage, during running play he collapsed on stage and died a few hours after at his home. Director’s Note Original play written by Moliere in 1668, the French name “L’Avare ou L’Ecole du mensonge” later translated in English with the name “The Miser” .The play is in Hindustani named “KANJOOS” is a satire, translated by Hazrat Awara. I Choose this play because the play about a rich money- lender. In this play Mirza want to dominate everybody, because he is a rich man. As part of the author’s intension to expose the immoral and inhuman qualities evident in society I also try to maintain the same. The Play “KANJOOS” is a hilarious yet mystery-bound satire. The play revolves around the passionate mystery of the central character Mirza Sakhawat Beg and its repercussions on everybody around him. Mirza is a widower and loves a young girl, he is always worried about 10000 gold coins which he buried in the garden. The story unfolds the interplay of myriad emotions and relationship that old Mirza want to marry young Sahenaz, but at the same time his son Farrookh is in love and who in turn loves Farrookh. Nasir, disguised as a servant because he loves Azra, the daughter of Mirza. Nambu is always hunt for Mirza’s hidden treasure, Hawaldar enter and starts enquiry about 10000 lost gold coins, after that what happened? Here is the CLIMEX of “KANJOOS” . The Group ‘PEHCHAN’ is recently formed theatre group with experienced and new theatre activists with a motive to produce good theatre under the guidance of Mr. Dinesh Khanna, an Associate professor of National School of Drama. The group organizes theatre work shops, acting classes etc. we well come to motivated theatre artists form all the corner of the society. Cast & Credits On Stage Mirza Sakhawat Beg Ranjeet Kushwaha Saehnaz Peehu Kamal Farrookh Tosham Aacharya Nasir Nisheeth Bhardwaj Nambu Madhusudan Pandey Aslam Tarachand Farzina Richa Goel Dalal Nitin Kohli Alfoo Lavish Gupta Azra Sharda Rai Nathu&Khera Pankaj Diwan Hawaldaar Anoop Ghosh Off Stage Music composer Faiz Music Shaurya Light Shiva Costume Richa Goel ,Tosam Aacharya, Peehu Kamal Makeup Anoop Ghosh Set Rajesh Bahel Props Nitin Kohli,Nirmal Singh Poster Richa Goel Brochure Anoop Ghosh Production Anoop Ghosh Acknowledgement National School of Drama Sanskar Rang Toli T .I.E Co. Playwright Moliere Adaptation Hazrat Awara Direction Dinesh Khanna Contact: PEHCHAN 504, Himgiri, Koshambi Gaziabad Dinesh Khanna- 09312238577     From chintan.backups at gmail.com Mon May 30 20:46:15 2011 From: chintan.backups at gmail.com (Chintan Girish Modi) Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 20:46:15 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] A gem of a new Marathi film -- Taryanche Bait (Island of Stars) Message-ID: >From http://www.indianexpress.com/news/taryanche-bait/779372/ Taryanche Bait By Namita Nivas Tags : Taryanche Bait, Sachin Khedekar, Ashwini Giri, Kishore Kadam, Ishaan Tambe, Asmita Joglekar Posted: Fri Apr 22 2011, 17:56 hrs Mumbai: Shridhar is a clerk at the gram panchayat office in his village in Konkan. He has to go to Mumbai regularly on official trips. He lives a hand-to-mouth existence and his children go to the local school. Shridhar’s wife and mother toil around the house. Once when he is supposed to go to Mumbai, his boss asks him to take his family along. His 10-year old son Omkar is quite excited and informs all his friends as he is the first child from the village to visit Mumbai which they have seen ‘only in their dreams’. Once in Mumbai, however, Omkar is not allowed to do what he wants. He wants to watch a film in the multiplex but Shridhar cannot afford the expensive tickets. He wants to buy a toy from the shopping-mall but his father drags him away from the store. Both he and his sister like some clothes but they are too expensive. When they pass a five-star hotel, Omkar insists on going inside and staying there. But this time too his father tells him that he cannot afford it. A livid Omkar asks his father angrily why he does not have sufficient money and is slapped by his mother. Back in the village, Shridhar asks Omkar what he would do to please his family. The boy replies that he is too young to do anything. Finally his father asks him, “Will you stand first in your class?” “What if I do,” replies the boy, and his father promises him a stay in that same five-star hotel that he had seen in Mumbai. After that, Omkar transforms completely. He forsakes his friends and is always immersed in his studies and books to such an extent that his father begins to worry. Soon the father starts collecting money to fulfill his promise. Both father and son try to win the bet. Sachin Khedekar, as Shridhar, is very convincing as the helpless father out to please his son. His clothes, his body language and his dialect make him a true villager. The scene where he pleads with God that since he doesn’t have enough money to fulfill his son’s wish, Omkar should get second rank instead and stand first later is quite touching as well as funny. Omkar, played by debutant Ishaan Tambe, is marvellous as a boy out to prove his father wrong and is adamant to get his wish fulfilled. He is quite convincing in his role. Ashwini Giri, as Shridhar’s wife, looks the part of a villager wife who understands his problems and stands by his side. The daughter, debutant Asmita Joglekar, is also good and so is Shubhangi Joshi as her grandmother, who is sentimental about a boat left by her late husband years ago. Kishore Kadam, in a brief role of an LIC agent, is also very impressive.The camerawork by Sudhir Palsane is excellent as he has captured the greenery and the scenic village beautifully. Nandu Ghanekar, who makes his debut in Marathi, has given some good music for lyrics penned by Ratnakar Matkari and Vijay Tapas. Kiran Yadnyopavit makes his entry into Marathi films with Taryanche Bait and he has done a wonderful job as the director. With this film, Ekta Kapoor of Motion Pictures forays into Marathi cinema and we hope she continues to make many more such films. From patrice at xs4all.nl Mon May 30 22:46:16 2011 From: patrice at xs4all.nl (Patrice Riemens) Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 19:16:16 +0200 Subject: [Reader-list] Living like a Common Man (documentary on Indian Youngsters in London) Message-ID: FYI https://sites.google.com/site/livinglikeacommonman/ LIVING LIKE A COMMON MAN An Anthropological Documentary on Indian Youngsters in London Sanderien Verstappen - Mario Rutten - Isabelle Makay (Dept of visual anthropology, University of Amsterdam) Synopsis Youngsters in developing countries all over the world dream of going to the West. They hope to earn money and get overseas experience to improve their positions at home. But once they arrive, they end up in low-status jobs and living crammed into small houses with other newly arrived migrants. This film follows the daily life in one such house in East London. The bunker beds are filled with young Indians, all from relatively wealthy families in Gujarat. When they return to visit India, their families have great expectations of their sons and daughters. Will these youngsters fulfil their own and their families’ dreams? From a.mani.cms at gmail.com Tue May 31 02:12:36 2011 From: a.mani.cms at gmail.com (A. Mani) Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 02:12:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] On media coverage of violence in WB Message-ID: As usual most of the corporate media refuses to report anything. from http://www.pragoti.org/node/4419 _____________________________________________ Welcome to the Mrityu Upatyaka called West Bengal Mon, 2011-05-30 10:10 — chirashree Jiten Nandi of Garbeta, Purnima Gharui of Raina, Ajit Lohar of Saltora, Ramprabesh Ray and Mundakala Ray of Durgapur, Dahiruddin of Raigunj, Mohammed Khodarakha of Suri, Amal Samaddar of Durgapur, Mahbul Sheikh and Masahrul Sheikh of Beldanga. All butchered to death between May 14 and May 24, 2011. Crime? They were CPI(M) activists. Masahrul Sheikh (Natabar) was the 18 year old son of Mahbul Sheikh (55), a CPI(M) worker in Beldanga. He was a migrant worker in Mumbai and had come to visit his family after 11 months. On 24th May, 2011, in Kapasdanga village in Beldanga, Murshidabad, at 11 pm at night, the family’s sparse brick and clay dwelling was bombed and set on fire. Father and son were assaulted, locked up in a room and burnt to death. Mahbul’s mother, 75 year old Saharbanu Bibi (75) along with two children – Nazma Khatun (13) and Shahjamal Sheikh (7) have been grievously injured in the bomb attack. Other family members were held captive outside the house and forced to watch this act of ‘retribution’ in utter helplessness. The police arrived after the mayhem was over. Though the local Congress MLA, Humayun Kabir denies any role of his party in it, seven Congressmen have been arrested by the police after this incident. Amal Samaddar was lynched by a group of Trinamool Congress youths as soon as he returned home to Belgachhi, Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, seven days after the decisive triumph of ‘Ma-Mati-Manush’. Reports trickle in everyday from all parts of Bengal of lynching, dispossession, rape, arson and murder. All the targets are CPI(M) activists. Goaltore, Salboni, Keshpur, Midnapore Sadar, Keshpur, Garbeta, Chandrakona, Haldia, Ramnagar, Bhagwanpur, Nandigram, Chandipur, Tamluk, Khejuri, Simlapal, Katoa, Egra, Nayagram, Bankura - the list gets lengthier by the day. Sceptics assert that Kolkata is safe under the new Chief Minister’s benign smile of triumph; but neighbourhoods in Beleghata, Sealdah, Hatibagan, Narkeldanga, Gardenreach, Beniapukur, Joka, Behala belie the belief. The Chief Minister of Bengal assures the media that there is no post-poll violence perpetrated by her Party in West Bengal. Corporate media whose stars competed for scoops on going to the loo with ‘Didi’ and her daily diet, concentrate on reports of ‘illegal arms seizure’ straight out of official press releases. On the blogosphere, opinion makers claiming to be on the side of the dispossessed and displaced, and basking in the reflected glory of the possibilities of ‘real’ Leftism under ma-mati-manush ,shake their head and opine that this is the inevitable course of justice and retribution against the ‘Stalinism’ and ‘fascism’ or ‘social fascism’ of the last 34 years (all of these words are substitutes for each other in the ‘discourse’ of these opinion makers when it comes to describing the Left Front and especially the CPI(M)). They celebrate the infinite possibilities of a ‘New Left’ even as they draft the damning epitaphs of the ‘Old Left’. Natabar was a migrant worker. Dahiruddin was an agricultural labourer. Ramprabesh Ray, Mundakala Ray, 66 year old Mohammad Khodarakha and the 74 year old Sheikh Israel were peasant leaders. Mangal Hansda is a school teacher battling for his life in Bankura. Pradip Manjhi sells milk at a STD booth in Beleghata, Kolkata. He is battling serious injuries in NRS Hospital. An agricultural labourer Ujjwal Bagdi (21), and Basanti Mitra, a Panchayat member unable to bear repeated physical and mental torture, drank pesticide. Saital Lohar, a young agricultural labour was tortured and made to drink the urine of his assailants. Sarial Mallik had already run away from home but was apparently 'captured'. When his mother, Ashia Begum, a 70 year old woman tried to intervene, she was stripped and beaten. All the targets of this systemised violence in West Bengal without any exception are poor peasants, marginal workers in the unorganized sector and lower middle class white collar workers like school teachers. Most of the targets are from Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim families. This trend of targeted annihilation of Left activists and supporters began in 2007 and had intensified since the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. After May 13, 2011, it is fast turning into a pogrom. An observer from West Bengal who has been documenting this annihilation project reports: ‘The patterns of violence unleashed since 2007 fall into some of these rough categories and have intensified since Friday 13th: murder of activists/supporters/family members, loss of livelihhod/survival routes (driving out people from workplaces/agricultural land and neighbourhoods/villages), mental torture of communist families refusing to leave villages/neighbourhoods (this has resulted in 4 cases of suicide in the course of the last one week), physical torture of communist families refusing to leave villages/neighbourhoods (rape, beatings, preventing the victims from lodging complaints in police stations, preventing the victims from seeking medical help so that in some cases they have succumbed to injuries),loss of livelihood (confiscating barga-land, torching of houses/huts, looting and burning small shops/auto rickshaws), 'jarimana' or levying of illegal fines on activists/supporters refusing to leave villages/neighbourhoods, planting of weapons in 'captured' party offices and then lodging of false police cases against activists, forcible take-over of union/kisan sabha offices (and preventing people belonging to the left hawkers' association, auto-rickshaw and cycle-rickshaw unions from plying their trade) etc’. However, the corporate media and its supposedly 'independent alternatives’ teach us ad nauseam old lessons in anticommunism bottled as new: Lesson 1: The victims of the post-poll annihilation project in West Bengal are doomed after death. They cannot figure in the ‘discourse’ of the ‘glocalisers’. Neither can they be the concern of the pure and pristine imaginings of the New Left fighting ‘independently’ against dispossession and displacement. Why? Because these men, women and children, while they ‘fit’ the categories of identity that would be ideally be the subject of digital solidarity and civil society promotional campaigns and movements, espouse the identity of being with the CPI (M) where C stands for Communist. Lesson 2: Following from 1 above, any oppressed and/or exploited person who is anti-CPI(M) has agency which she or he exercised during the Assembly polls in West Bengal, but all who are pro-CPI(M) of course are devoid of any agency. Such agency-less individuals constituted 40 percent of West Bengal’s electorate in April-May 2011. Lesson No 3: Do not ask why there is no musing in either the corporate or the alternative media on ‘retribution and popular justice’ against those who allegedly were addicted to pelf and were drunken in power under 34 years of Left Front rule and against whom the independent unaffiliated struggles (please do not point out the contradiction) of the Trinamool Congress in Singur and Nandigram has been supposedly pitted for the last several years. Lesson No 4: Do not ask who the few incumbent ministers were of the Seventh Left Front government who won in these elections. The answers would be unsettling for those who have campaigned ad nauseam that the Left Front government targeted dalits, adivasis and muslims. Amidst the celebrations of liberal hypocrisy and the cerebratory cynicism of the anti-liberal liberals, welcome to a state where every day on an average five to ten persons among India’s poor and oppressed are tortured and pay with their life, livelihood and shelter for being with the losing side in an electoral democracy just after one of the highest recorded poll turn-out in recent history and a ‘free and fair’ election certified by all concerned. Lesson 5: Siddhartha Sankar Ray is dead. Long Live Siddharthya Sankar Ray. Welcome to the mrityu upatyaka (valley of death) called West Bengal. With due apologies to the poet, for the second in time in history in less than four decades, the Left has to prove that ‘ei mrityu upatyaka amar desh noi’ (this valley of death is not my country). Can we rise up to this monumental task? __________________________________________ Best A. Mani -- A. Mani ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS http://www.logicamani.co.cc From arvindkdas at rediffmail.com Tue May 31 10:54:57 2011 From: arvindkdas at rediffmail.com (arvind das) Date: 31 May 2011 05:24:57 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] =?utf-8?q?Tagore_in_Hindi_heartland?= Message-ID: <20110531052457.4010.qmail@f5mail-224-103.rediffmail.com> विश्व कवि आस-पास                                                           अरविंद दास   पुराने घर में एक टीन का  बक्सा था जिसमें कुछ किताबें भरी थी.  उन किताबों को टटोलना, बक्से से बाहर-भीतर करना बचपन में हम भाई-बहनों के खेल का हिस्सा था. उन किताबों में एक पतली सी किताब ‘गीतांजलि’ भी थी. हिंद पॉकेट बुक की हिंदी में. बक्से में विद्यापति, प्रेमचंद, नागार्जुन, हरिमोहन झा और शरतचंद्र की किताबें भी रखी थी.   मिथिला के एक अनाम गाँव में यह हमें बचपन मे ही बता दिया गया था कि रवींद्रनाथ ठाकुर हिंदी के नहीं, बांग्ला के लेखक-कवि हैं. जबकि हमें यह बहुत बाद में समझ आई कि शरतचंद्र हिंदी के नहीं, बांग्ला के लेखक हैं!   बहरहाल, कुछ वर्ष पहले एक बातचीत के दौरान समाजशास्त्री आशीष नंदी ने यह जानने के बाद कि मैं दरभंगा-मधुबनी जिले से ताल्लुक रखता हूँ,  कहा कि कभी बंगाल की संस्कृति दरभंगा के रास्ते ही फली-फूली. उन्होंने बताया था कि ‘दरभंगा असल में 'द्वार बंग' का ही परिष्कृत रूप है और मध्यकाल में मध्य एशिया से आने वाले व्यापारी दरभंगा के रास्ते ही बंगाल जाते थे.’   एक जमाने मे इस बात पर खूब बहस हुई थी कि विद्यापति मैथिली के नहीं बांग्ला के रचनाकार हैं. खुद रवींद्रनाथ की आरंभिक कविताओं में विद्यापति के कोमलकांत पदावली की छाप है. उनकी कविताओं में मनुष्य प्रेम और भक्ति की अनुगूँज जो एक साथ है उसका उत्प्रेरक कहीं ना कहीं विद्यापति की कविताएँ हैं. लेकिन इस बात की चर्चा शायद ही कहीं मिलती है कि मैथिली साहित्य या समाज पर रवींद्रनाथ का क्या प्रभाव रहा है.     नागार्जुन जैसे रचनाकार अपवाद हैं जिन्होंने ‘रविबाबू’ जैसी कविता ही नहीं लिखी बल्कि बांग्ला में भी कविताएँ रची.   पिछले कुछ दिनों से मेरे मन में यह बात बार बार उठ रही है कि रवींद्रनाथ ठाकुर मैथिली समाज के लिए क्यों बाहरी रहे. जबकि मैथिली और बांग्ला समाज के भद्रलोक और मध्य वर्ग के खान-पान, पहनावे, चित्रकारी, भाषा में काफी समानता है. बात मछली-भात खाने की हो, भाषा की मधुरता की, धोती-कुर्ता पहनावे की हो या मिथिला पेंटिंग या पट चित्रकारी की!   कुछ वर्ष पहले हिंदी के एक वरिष्ठ आलोचक ने भारतीय उपन्यासों को लेकर हो रही चर्चा के दौरान टैगोर रचित ''गोरा' को 20वीं सदी का सबसे बेहतरीन उपन्यास कहा तो मुझे आश्चर्य हुआ. संभव है कि इसमें अतिशोयक्ति हो लेकिन रवींद्रनाथ के साहित्य को लेकर हमारा हिंदी समाज एक तरह से उदासीन रहा है. बल्कि यों कहें कि उन्हें लेकर लेकर हिंदी के साहित्यक हलकों में एक तरह का दुचित्तापन रहा है. प्रश्न है कि क्या रवींद्रनाथ ठाकुर के साहित्य के बारे में  विचार-विमर्श करने के लिए बांग्ला भाषा-भाषी होना जरूरी है?    रवींद्रनाथ विश्व कवि है. उन्हें इस बात का गौरव प्राप्त है कि भारत और बांग्लादेश का राष्ट्रगान उनके नाम है. उनके जन्म के डेढ़ सौ वर्ष पूरे होने पर दोनों देशों में रवींद्रनाथ के सम्मान में कई आयोजन एक साथ किए जा रहे हैं.    दक्षिण एशिया में राजनीतिक कटुता और द्वेष के माहौल के बीच रवींद्रनाथ के साहित्य, संगीत और शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में योगदान को याद करने के लिए दो पड़ोसी देशों का एक मंच पर साथ आना सुखद और स्वागत योग्य है.    पर सवाल है कि बांग्ला समाज के बाहर रवींद्रनाथ के प्रति बेरुखी क्यो दिखाई देती है?  क्यों रवींद्रनाथ अभी भी हिंदी प्रदेश के पाठकों के लिए एक बाहरी रचनाकार बने हुए हैं?    इस वर्ष जहाँ रवींद्रनाथ की डेढ़ सौंवीं जयंती मनाई जा रही है, वहीं  हिंदी-मैथिली के कवि नागार्जुन की भी भी सौंवीं वर्षगांठ इसी साल चल रही है. साथ ही अज्ञेय, शमशेर, केदारनाथ अग्रवाल की भी जन्मशती हिंदी प्रदेश में मनाई जा रही है. इसका विश्लेषण करने की जरुरत है कि हिंदी के कवियों पर क्या रवींद्रनाथ का कोई प्रभाव रहा है.   दुर्भाग्यवश भारत के विश्वविद्यालयों में भाषा और साहित्य के केंद्रों में तुलनात्मक साहित्य के अध्ययन और शोध पर कोई जोर नहीं है.    अगर विश्वविद्यालयों में तुलनात्मक साहित्य के अध्ययन, अध्यापन, शोध को बढ़ावा दिया जाए तो विश्व कवि के साहित्य के दायरे का काफी विस्तार हो सकेगा. हम उनके कृतित्व और व्यक्तित्व के पहलूओं पर खुल कर विचार कर सकेंगे.   हाल ही में देश में दक्षिण एशिया विश्वविद्यालय समेत कई नए केंद्रीय विश्वविद्यालयों की स्थापना की गई है. तुलनात्मक साहित्य के अध्ययन-अध्यापन की दिशा में ये विश्वविद्याल अगर कदम बढाएँ तो सही मायनों में रवींद्रनाथ के प्रति यह सच्ची श्रद्धांजलि होगी.   (जनसत्ता, दुनिया मेरे आगे कॉलम में 31 मई 2011 को प्रकाशित) www.arvinddas.blogspot.com From nagraj.adve at gmail.com Fri May 20 17:49:54 2011 From: nagraj.adve at gmail.com (Nagraj Adve) Date: Fri, 20 May 2011 17:49:54 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] public health and climate change Message-ID: An interesting discussion of a book on global warming and public health. On a quick read, I found the discussion of malaria and non-linear changes particularly interesting. For those who don't follow climate change specifically, the website Realclimate is among the most respected for climate change science and related matters. Naga http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2011/05/a-changing-planet/ From sukla.sen at gmail.com Sun May 22 10:50:20 2011 From: sukla.sen at gmail.com (Sukla Sen) Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 10:50:20 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [ecological-democracy] 17 Nobel Laureates, for what it is worth In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Naga, Thanks. The memorandum itself is available at < http://globalsymposium2011.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/The-Stockholm-Memorandum.pdf >. Sukla On 21 May 2011 23:33, Nagraj Adve wrote: > There's nothing in this post ln Real Climate that is new (I could not > access the attached memorandum itself), including the climate sceptics > crap at the end, but still worth reading. > Naga > > > On Wednesday, 17 Nobel laureates who gathered in Stockholm have > published a remarkable memorandum, asking for “fundamental > transformation and innovation in all spheres and at all scales in > order to stop and reverse global environmental change”. The Stockholm > Memorandum concludes that we have entered a new geological era: the > Anthropocene, where humanity has become the main driver of global > change. The document states: > > Science makes clear that we are transgressing planetary boundaries > that have kept civilization safe for the past 10,000 years. [...] > We can no longer exclude the possibility that our collective > actions will trigger tipping points, risking abrupt and irreversible > consequences for human communities and ecological systems. > We cannot continue on our current path. The time for > procrastination is over. We cannot afford the luxury of denial. > > Mario Molina > Mario Molina (Nobel prize in chemistry 1995) signs the Stockholm Memorandum > > The memorandum results from a 3-day symposium (attended also by the > king of Sweden) on the intertwined problems of poverty, development, > ecosystem deterioration and the climate crisis. In the memorandum, the > Nobel laureates call for immediate emergency measures as well as > long-term structural solutions, and they give specific recommendations > in eight key priority areas. For example in climate policy, they > recommend to: > > Keep global warming below 2ºC, implying a peak in global CO2 > emissions no later than 2015 and recognise that even a warming of 2ºC > carries a very high risk of serious impacts and the need for major > adaptation efforts. > > The memorandum was handed over to the members of the UN high-level > panel on global sustainability, who traveled to Stockholm in order to > discuss it with the Nobel laureates and experts at the symposium. > > p.s. As a little reminder of the ongoing work of the merchants of > doubt, a small band of five or six “climate sceptic” protesters were > gathered outside the symposium, some of whom flown in from Berlin. > Their pamphlet identified them as part of the longstanding > anti-climate-science campaign of US billionaire Lyndon Larouche and > claimed that climate change is “a hoax” and an “insane theory”, the > global temperature measurements are “mere lies”, the Nobel laureates > meeting “a conspiracy” and the Stockholm Memorandum a “Fascist > Manifesto”. I approached one of the protesters who carried a banner > “against Green fascism” and asked him whether he seriously believes > what his pamphlet says, namely that our meeting is a “symposium for > global genocide”. He nodded emphatically and replied: “Yes, of > course!” > -- Peace Is Doable From ravig64 at gmail.com Mon May 9 08:48:40 2011 From: ravig64 at gmail.com (Ravi Agarwal) Date: Mon, 09 May 2011 03:18:40 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Jairam Ramesh speaks Message-ID: Dear all, Thought this may be of interest to some. It is unusually honest in its approach, coming from a sitting Cabinet Minister, even though now honesty may be the only corner left, in the face of blatant power play at work in environmental decision making now- as he himself accepted three days ago in a public meeting. best ravi 1 *THE HEDGEHOG AND THE FOX REVISITED**: SOME* *FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON THE GROWTH-ENVIRONMENT* *DEBATE IN INDIA* *Jairam Ramesh* *Minister of State (Independent Charge), Environment & Forests* *Government of India* Text of the Lawrence Dana Pinkham Memorial Lecture delivered on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day and Convocation of the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, May 3rd, 2011 2 *I* I am delighted to be here this evening. When I received the invitation from my friend Mr. Sashi Kumar I had only one question---will I be asked to wear those awful gowns and quirky hats associated with graduation ceremonies? On being assured of a more civilised dress code, I readily accepted. It is actually a triple-header ballgame today as might be reported in Wikileaks—ACJ’s Convocation, World Press Freedom Day and the second Lawrence Dana Pinkham Memorial lecture. The ACJ has quickly acquired a formidable reputation for itself—I say this as the father of a young man who joined ACJ two years back but quickly realised that he wanted to be a don and not a scribe. This is the 20th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day declared by the UN General Assembly and today we renew our faith in an independent media as a pillar of an open, liberal, democratic society and reaffirm that independence, whatever be the provocation and howsoever strong be the reason provided for some regulation every now and then, especially by the electronic media. I know of Professor Pinkham only by reputation and clearly he was a man of great erudition, thoroughly progressive in his values as well as being unusual in having lived and worked not just in the USA but also in China and India. Not many can claim that distinction—not even Mr. Ram! Doing some background homework on Professor Pinkham I discovered that he was the son-in-law of Harry Dexter White generally acknowledged as one of the two founding fathers, albeit the junior one to John Maynard Keynes, of the Bretton Woods Institutions, namely the IMF and the World Bank. White, it might be recalled is seen by many Americans as a Soviet spy—the bipartisan Moynihan Commission of Government Secrecy said as much in 1997 although Robert Skidelsky the author of the magisterial three-volume biography of Keynes is kinder to White when he says: “*There is no question of treachery, the accepted* *sense of betraying one’s country’s secrets to an enemy. But there can be* *no doubt that, in passing classified information to the Soviets, White* *knew he was betraying his trust , even if he did not thereby think he was* *betraying his countr*y”. Professor Pinkham bears a heavy cross or deserves kudos depending on which side of the fence you are for mentoring a young Mr. Ram, one of ACJ’s founder Trustees, over four decades ago. 3 *II* One of the most celebrated essays of the 20th century was Isaiah Berlin’s *The Hedgehog and the Fox*. The noted philosopher drew upon a fragment of verse by the Greek poet Archilocus –“the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing”—to delve into Tolstoy’s view of history1. Tolstoy, of course, is of immense relevance to us in India because of his profound influence on the Mahatma. Today, I want to use this metaphor to reflect on the current debate on unbridled economic growth and environmental conservation. I suppose metaphors from the animal kingdom are only to be expected from a minister dealing with wildlife issues on a daily basis! Incidentally, the famous distinction between “positive” and “negative” liberty relevant to any discussion on freedom for the individual and of the press was first drawn by Berlin himself in a set of lectures at Oxford in 1958. My point is simple-- India needs to be liberated both from the “high GDP growth hedgehogs” and the “conservation at all costs hedgehogs”. I don’t exaggerate and I am not caricaturing. The population of prickly hedgehogs of both varieties is sizeable, with a footprint on the public discourse that is disproportionate to their numbers. Moreover, the Internet and other social media has greatly facilitated the emergence of a networked *community *of hedgehogs. But what India needs more of is the smooth fox—cunning and crafty--to find the balance between high growth and enduring conservation. The hedgehog is an ideological crusader supremely convinced of the rightness of the cause while the fox will admit of doubt and uncertainty. The hedgehog does not know how to make concessions to the other point of view while the fox will use linguistic qualifiers liberally—“yes but”, “maybe”, “perhaps”. The hedgehog has feet on the accelerator but the fox works on the clutch forever changing gears to deal with varying traffic conditions. But don’t get me wrong. Hedgehogs actually have made, and continue to make great contributions. Look at the world of science and literature which is full of people who are singularly focused and reach the Mt.Everest of accomplishment in their respective fields. At the same time, what I am really driving at is that sticking to one big idea is an anathema in policy making in an open society of astounding diversity because the hedgehog view is unresponsive and inattentive to the untidiness and complexity of real life. 1 The American academic Gerald Larson has recently written a most interesting article on Gandhi as a hedgehog and Tagore as a fox in the Rabindranath Tagore 150th birth anniversary commemoration volume brought out by Marg Publications. 4 *III* Environmentalists just don’t get it as far as economic growth is concerned. True GDP growth rates have their limitations as a measure of progress and welfare. But that is the best summary metric we have. It is imperfect but useful nevertheless as a broad indicator of how the economy is performing. Now, why should we even be bothered with sustaining high GDP growth rates, growth rates in the region of at least 8-9% per year in real terms—that is, after adjusting for inflation? Very simply, high GDP growth rates help generate revenues for the government that could then be used in programmes deemed essential. Thus, between 2004 and 2009, the launch of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the loan waiver was made possible by the average annual real GDP growth rate recorded of 8.6%. More growth means more revenues for governments. In just five years between 2005/06 and 2010/11, for instance, the Central government’s gross tax revenues doubled. More revenues means increased spending on welfare programmes—I leave aside the larger and equally important question of how effectively these revenues are actually being spent. High GDP growth rates fulfil yet another need---they help generate jobs, provided, of course, the structure of growth itself is labour-absorbing. Some informed estimates are that India’s labour force will increase by anywhere between 80 million and 110 million2 over this decade—a staggering addition, as compared to just 15 million for China. 40% of these jobs in India have to be created outside the agricultural sector— that is in industry and services. Given this demographic reality, a high GDP growth rate drawing on high growth in agriculture and manufacturing especially and better spread geographically across the country assumes special significance 2 The Planning Commission and ILO estimate is 80 million while Goldman Sachs estimates it at 110 million—the increase being attributed to increases in the labor force participation rate due to a favourable age structure. 5 A high GDP growth rate requires investments—both public and private. These investments will materialise only if there is clarity and consistency in policy. Energy is a key requirement. But if environmentalists oppose hydel projects on R&R grounds, coal projects on deforestation grounds and nuclear projects on risk factors, how will India generate the energy needed to sustain a high GDP growth rate. It is the height of romantic delusion—and a dangerous one at that—to think that a country of over 1.2 billion that added 18 million annually over the past decade can meet its energy requirements through solar, wind or biomass energy. But that is exactly what most environmentalists would have us believe. *IV* Likewise, the growth-wallahs just don’t get it as far as the imperative for environmental protection is concerned. Why can’t we follow the “grow now, pay later” approach as the growth-fetishists often advocate? I would suggest four reasons why such an approach is not acceptable. First, increasingly environmental campaigns and movements across the country reflect basic livelihood concerns of tribal and other disadvantaged sections of society. Second, air and water pollution is beginning to have serious public health impacts in state after state. Third, climate change is a reality and will affect India in a more profound manner than any other country because of our vulnerabilities across so many dimensions—monsoon, coastal areas, forests, glaciers to name just a few. Fourth, we must bequeath something to future generations since unlike in most parts of the world, population will continue to grow in India as we move to reap our demographic *karma *by adding at least 400- 500 million by the middle of this century. If the environmental activists do not fully appreciate the absolute essentiality of expanded wealth creation, the growth-jehadis fail to see the wider ecological context in which growth or for that matter the existence of the economic cycle and human life cycles inevitably depend. In a largely tropical country with unevenly distributed rainfall, trapping and saving water is vital for towns as much as villages. The centrality of soil conservation and of keeping the fertile land productive needs no emphasis. Less well-known but equally critical are a whole range of ecosystem services, of mangroves or of wetlands. If the growthchampions were to pause a bit, they will see that many of their premises come from an early 20th century delusion that technology and growth have made nature redundant. 6 *V* Thus, this much should be self-evident and obvious—that India needs to straddle both worlds at the same time—the world of high GDP growth and the world of meaningful ecological security. But what is self-evident and obvious often tends to get forgotten. And this is where, I might add parenthetically, you media types come in. Hedgehogs make for good copy with their clarity and certainty. Foxes don’t with their ambiguity and their “on the one hand and on the other” approach. Thus, in certain sections of the media, the growth hedgehogs are champions of a new India while the enviro-hedgehogs are Luddites3 intent on sabotaging India’s emergence as a major world power. In some other sections, the enviro-hedgehogs are heroes (and quite frequently heroines) saving India from loot and plunder, while the growthhedgehogs are harbingers of doom and destruction. It is interesting that the growth-hedgehogs are acclaimed largely in the English-speaking media (especially in what are called the “pink papers”) whereas the enviro-hedgehogs are the toast of the regional and vernacular media. Here is a topic for a doctoral dissertation, no less. To get back to the question of balance, the virtue and the need for it is incontrovertible. Working the balance, however, is easier said than done. Quite often consistency becomes a casualty since a solution is sought to be found based on specific circumstances and conditions. But I feel that if there is clarity and transparency, the charge of lack of consistency can be effectively countered. And this is precisely what I have ventured to do through two specific innovations. The first is through the practice of “speaking orders”. It is not for me to say whether I have succeeded or not but I am encouraged by what Pratap Bhanu Mehta wrote thus in The Indian Express (a newspaper that is a growth hedgehog I might add and therefore not always friendly to me) on February 17th, 2011: “*The cabinet needs to adopt a practice perfected* *by Jairam Ramesh: govern with what are called speaking orders. These* *are orders that clearly and publicly explain why certain decisions have* *been taken (whether the reasons are compelling or not can be debated).* *But at least government will not fall into the trap leaving it unclear who* *took decisions and why*”. In the past two years, I have issued such 3 Actually the word “luddite” is used very loosely these days. Luddites, as E.P. Thompson has argued persuasively in *The Making of the English Working Class,* acted more from a sense of self-preservation rather than from an atavistic fear of technological change itself. They were *selective *in their opposition—unlike today’s counterparts. 7 “speaking orders” on public issues like Bt-brinjal, Vedanta, Posco, Jaitapur, Navi Mumbai and Adarsh. I see it as a way of communicating to the public the contours of the middle path. Not everyone is happy of course. But at least all motivations are in the public domain for critical analysis. The second innovation is the system of public consultations. This began with the Bt-brinjal case where over a thousand people attended such half-day long interactions in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bhubaneshwar. Then when the CRZ-1991, that is the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991 was being redrafted public meetings were held in Chennai, Puri, Kochi, Goa and Mumbai. A third time I went on Bharat Darshan in search of the middle path was when the Green India Mission was being finalised and public views were sought in Guwahati, Vishakapatnam, Dehradun, Mysore, Pune, Bhopal and Jaipur. All these public consultations were organised by the Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environment Education and all proceedings were video-graphed and put on the Ministry’s website. It is a back-breaking process and very often the public consultations can easily get out of hand as I discovered on a couple of occasions since we Indians as a rule are excellent talkers but very poor listeners. But they are an important means of establishing contact with a larger constituency and for engaging them in the process of decision-making. I think it was the late Professor Nurul Hasan who once reportedly said— Indians are a unique bunch; when confronted with a choice they will try and take both! Well, that luxury will not always be available and I am afraid that tough, unpopular choices will have to be made. Not always will conflicting objectives be reconcilable. That is why my approach has been to make the trade-offs explicit and make the choice in full public glare. This approach will work in the short-term but what we need to do is to develop a methodology that integrates the costs and benefits of environmental protection fully into our GDP calculations. What does 10% annual real rate of GDP growth that is now within our grasp really mean, if we consider the costs of environmental damage, depletion of natural resources, and pollution that this growth will entail? The only way to answer these critical questions in an objective manner is to obtain clear numbers of the environmental costs that the growth process entails – i.e., estimate “green” national accounts. 8 In this connection, I am happy to report that we are setting up an expert group to develop a roadmap for India to be able to report “green” national accounts by the year 2015. I have succeeded in convincing Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta of Cambridge University, perhaps the world’s leading luminary and expert in the field of environmental economics, to chair this expert group, which will also have a couple of very distinguished economists. The work of this “blue-ribbon panel” will be of great importance in our being able to follow a balance between rapid growth and conservation since, quite frankly, what we cannot measure we cannot monitor and what we cannot monitor we cannot manage. *VI* Working the balance (which, I submit, is somewhat different from the middle path which is a sort of a 50:50 approach) also needs regulatory innovations. That environmental protection requires regulation is beyond doubt. That regulations and laws themselves need to keep pace with the times to reflect the unique demographic pressures and developmental imperatives we confront also cannot be denied. But can we have regulations without regulators because very often the regulators can become a source of needless harassment and corruption? We must think creatively. Of course, the growth hedgehogs would want the regulations themselves to go or be diluted or be subject to selfcertification all of which are unacceptable. The enviro-hedgehogs would like an army of inspectors to police the implementation of the regulations. A beginning is being made to move to a market-friendly system of regulation. With the help of four of the world’s leading economists at MIT, we have launched a pilot project in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra to implement regulations for air pollutants. This marketbased system is broadly akin to how the USA dealt with the acid rain problem in the late eighties and early nineties through the introduction of tradable permits. It goes beyond the traditional command and control “inspector-raj” systems, which have inherent limitations that we know. These innovative systems leverage technology and harness markets to ensure better compliance with our environmental laws and regulations. The scheme will fundamentally transform how we do pollution control. It will rely on online real-time monitoring of pollution loads of industrial units, based on which a system of “emissions trading” will be established. Emissions trading will allow the regulator to set a cap on the aggregate level of pollution permitted, and then allow a self-regulating system to ensure that pollution does not exceed this cap. 9 *VII* Working the balance also demands basic institutional changes. Writing in the Indian Express (yet again!) on March 25th, 2011, Jerry Rao had this to say: “*Why does not Jairam Ramesh as part of his legacy to the* *country remove the power of discretionary approvals from his ministry* *and hand it over to an independent Environment Commission to be* *statutorily established and charge this commission with the tasks of* *granting and monitoring approvals? ....In giving up control, Ramesh will* *meet resistance from many in the political and bureaucratic* *establishment. But if he wishes to go down in Indian history as a Sher* *Shah, a Munro or a Curzon, this is his golden opportunity. Let’s hope he* *grasps it”.* Well, much as I admire Sher Shah, Munro and Curzon I am under no illusions that I am anywhere close to achieving or even hope to achieve even a very miniscule fraction of what these great men accomplished. I am also not quite sure if a medieval monarch or two imperial administrators are the best role models in our own democratic age. But a small beginning is being made. We are now in the process of setting up a National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Authority (NEAMA). This will be a professional, science-based autonomous entity tasked with environmental appraisals and monitoring of compliance conditions. Once appraised by NEAMA, projects would be sent with a recommendation to the Minister of Environment and Forests for approval. This final approval by the Minister is necessary to ensure that the principle of executive accountability is maintained. Jerry Rao will not like it but when the Minister of Environment and Forests is pilloried in Parliament on some decision or the other, the Minister cannot take recourse to the “but NEAMA is totally independent of me” type of argument. And in any case at least in the case of a political figure even if it is a member of the Upper House, there is some sense of public accountability totally absent in a purely technocratic body---the functioning of an independent Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in my own ministry prior to 2009 and whose functioning people like Jerry Rao would approve of, is a good case in point. 10 NEAMA will mark a major improvement over the current system (wherein the Ministry does appraisal and approval of new projects) in several ways. First, NEAMA will be a full time entity of professionals, tasked with environmental appraisals on an ongoing basis, instead of the current system of appraisals done by environmental appraisal committees that are ad hoc and meet about once a month. In this sense, it will convert a slow ‘batch’ process into a continuous process, bringing greater rigour in the appraisal process, while avoiding unnecessary delays. Second, the creation of NEAMA will address the ‘conflict of interest’ issue by separating the process of appraisal and approval. While NEAMA will be tasked with appraisal of new projects, the Ministry will be responsible for final approval. Third, NEAMA will maintain its own real-time and time-series databases on pollution loads across the country, which it will use to appraise proposed projects, instead of relying on data provided by project proponents as is the current practice. This will provide much greater objectivity in the appraisal process. Fourth, NEAMA will have a well-equipped system to ensure compliance with the conditions imposed on new projects that are granted environmental clearance. *VIII* I spoke earlier of the role of the media in eulogising hedgehogs and giving somewhat short shrift to foxes. That is because today’s media is increasingly impatient with ambiguity, is increasingly intolerant of shades of grey seeing the world only in terms of black and white. This attitude vitiates the public discourse and debate and does not allow for easy compromise and consensus. As I mentioned earlier, hedgehogs being more persuasive and articulate and being purveyors of a single and simple powerful message are loved by the media. But foxes are selfcritical eclectic thinkers open to updating or reworking their beliefs and view of the world when faced with contrary evidence and views. Hedgehogs tend to stretch their one good idea—and the only one they have—but beyond a point the stretch becomes counter-productive and like all stretches reaches a breaking point. I am convinced that a “working the balance” approach is the only way ahead. But this should not mean that we refuse to recognise that there may well be occasions when we will be faced when growth and conservation goals are irreconcilable. There are limits to this having your cake and eating it too. A coal mine bang in the middle of a very dense forest area or in a protected area like a tiger reserve is simply unacceptable and the nation has to accept that unpleasant reality. When this happens, a decision has necessarily to be taken that will displease 11 one side or the other. Bouquets will be offered from one side and brickbats thrown from the other. And there will be no consistency— today’s bouquet offerer can well and indeed has ended becoming tomorrow’s brickbat hurler and vice versa. Twenty years ago, India embarked on its historic economic reforms programme. Fiscal sustainability was one of the three pillars of this programme—the other two being abolition of industrial licensing and freeing international trade from administrative controls. Today, as we look ahead to the next two decades, we must not only be anchored in fiscal prudence but equally look the ecological sustainability of our growth trajectory. Is a 9%+ real rate of GDP growth envisaged as the target for the 12th Five Year Plan that will commence on April 1, 2012 environmentally acceptable? What will that growth, essential as it is, demand from our forests and our water resources, for instance? What will it take to ensure that this growth is along what is these days being called “a low-carbon” pathway. If 100,000 MW of power capacity has to be added to ensure a 9%+ GDP growth rate, what should its fuel mix be so as to ensure that we don’t end up repeating the same mistakes that the USA and China have made—after all, a perennial latecomer like India does have advantages that it can learn from others? *IX* I started with the great philosopher Isaiah Berlin. Let me end with one of my favourite authors the distinguished palaeontologist Stephen Jay Gould whose last book before his untimely death in 2002 was called *The* *Hedgehog, the Fox and the Magister’s Pox. *In his Introduction to this wonderful book, Gould recalls Erasmus’s version of the Archilochian contrast: “*Multa novit vulpes, vernum echinus unum magnum” or* *roughly, “The fox devises many strategies; the hedgehog knows one great* *and effective strategy. *He goes on to write: “*The power and attraction of * *Archilocus’s image lies, rather obviously in its two levels of metaphorical * *meaning for human contrasts. The first speaks of psychological styles,* *often applied for some practical goals. Scramble or persist. The second,* *of course, speaks to favoured styles of intellectual practice. Diversify and* *colour or intensify and cover”*. I am, in this lecture, concerned with the former where pragmatism, flexibility and skill in reinvention is the constant need. Of course, I take Gould’s caveat—that too great a flexibility may lead to survival of no enduring value. You have to watch out however--being a fox should not degenerate into behaving like a chameleon. 12 This being a convocation address, I suppose I must end with some advice to all of you youngsters about to enter that greatest temple of learning (and earning)—the University of Life. The best advice I can give you in light of what I have said today is read Berlin. Be “hedgehoggy” but develop the traits of a fox. And a fox need not be looked down upon, as we often tend to do. I can do no better to convince you of what a fox could mean when I recall that joke—blasphemous to recall in Chennai perhaps. It goes like this: Q: Who is the only Indian politician to have a Hollywood studio named after him; A: Rajaji with the studio being 20th Century Fox! That is as good a place to end this lecture as any. Thank you. From ravig64 at gmail.com Fri May 13 07:17:54 2011 From: ravig64 at gmail.com (Ravi Agarwal) Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 01:47:54 -0000 Subject: [Reader-list] env/dev Ramesh speech Message-ID: http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/growth-env-debate-speech.pdf Dear all, Thought this may be of interest to some. It is unusually honest in its approach, coming from a sitting Cabinet Minister, even though now honesty may be the only corner left, in the face of blatant power play at work in environmental decision making now- as he himself accepted in a public meeting. best ravi 1 THE HEDGEHOG AND THE FOX REVISITED: SOME FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON THE GROWTH-ENVIRONMENT DEBATE IN INDIA Jairam Ramesh Minister of State (Independent Charge), Environment & Forests Government of India Text of the Lawrence Dana Pinkham Memorial Lecture delivered on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day and Convocation of the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, May 3rd, 2011 2 I am delighted to be here this evening. When I received the invitation from my friend Mr. Sashi Kumar I had only one question---will I be asked to wear those awful gowns and quirky hats associated with graduation ceremonies? On being assured of a more civilised dress code, I readily accepted. It is actually a triple-header ballgame today as might be reported in Wikileaks—ACJ’s Convocation, World Press Freedom Day and the second Lawrence Dana Pinkham Memorial lecture. The ACJ has quickly acquired a formidable reputation for itself—I say this as the father of a young man who joined ACJ two years back but quickly realised that he wanted to be a don and not a scribe. This is the 20th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day declared by the UN General Assembly and today we renew our faith in an independent media as a pillar of an open, liberal, democratic society and reaffirm that independence, whatever be the provocation and howsoever strong be the reason provided for some regulation every now and then, especially by the electronic media. I know of Professor Pinkham only by reputation and clearly he was a man of great erudition, thoroughly progressive in his values as well as being unusual in having lived and worked not just in the USA but also in China and India. Not many can claim that distinction—not even Mr. Ram! Doing some background homework on Professor Pinkham I discovered that he was the son-in-law of Harry Dexter White generally acknowledged as one of the two founding fathers, albeit the junior one to John Maynard Keynes, of the Bretton Woods Institutions, namely the IMF and the World Bank. White, it might be recalled is seen by many Americans as a Soviet spy—the bipartisan Moynihan Commission of Government Secrecy said as much in 1997 although Robert Skidelsky the author of the magisterial three-volume biography of Keynes is kinder to White when he says: “There is no question of treachery, the accepted sense of betraying one’s country’s secrets to an enemy. But there can be no doubt that, in passing classified information to the Soviets, White knew he was betraying his trust , even if he did not thereby think he was betraying his country”. Professor Pinkham bears a heavy cross or deserves kudos depending on which side of the fence you are for mentoring a young Mr. Ram, one of ACJ’s founder Trustees, over four decades ago. 3 II One of the most celebrated essays of the 20th century was Isaiah Berlin’s The Hedgehog and the Fox. The noted philosopher drew upon a fragment of verse by the Greek poet Archilocus –“the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing”—to delve into Tolstoy’s view of history1. Tolstoy, of course, is of immense relevance to us in India because of his profound influence on the Mahatma. Today, I want to use this metaphor to reflect on the current debate on unbridled economic growth and environmental conservation. I suppose metaphors from the animal kingdom are only to be expected from a minister dealing with wildlife issues on a daily basis! Incidentally, the famous distinction between “positive” and “negative” liberty relevant to any discussion on freedom for the individual and of the press was first drawn by Berlin himself in a set of lectures at Oxford in 1958. My point is simple-- India needs to be liberated both from the “high GDP growth hedgehogs” and the “conservation at all costs hedgehogs”. I don’t exaggerate and I am not caricaturing. The population of prickly hedgehogs of both varieties is sizeable, with a footprint on the public discourse that is disproportionate to their numbers. Moreover, the Internet and other social media has greatly facilitated the emergence of a networked community of hedgehogs. But what India needs more of is the smooth fox—cunning and crafty--to find the balance between high growth and enduring conservation. The hedgehog is an ideological crusader supremely convinced of the rightness of the cause while the fox will admit of doubt and uncertainty. The hedgehog does not know how to make concessions to the other point of view while the fox will use linguistic qualifiers liberally—“yes but”, “maybe”, “perhaps”. The hedgehog has feet on the accelerator but the fox works on the clutch forever changing gears to deal with varying traffic conditions. But don’t get me wrong. Hedgehogs actually have made, and continue to make great contributions. Look at the world of science and literature which is full of people who are singularly focused and reach the Mt.Everest of accomplishment in their respective fields. At the same time, what I am really driving at is that sticking to one big idea is an anathema in policy making in an open society of astounding diversity because the hedgehog view is unresponsive and inattentive to the untidiness and complexity of real life. 1 The American academic Gerald Larson has recently written a most interesting article on Gandhi as a hedgehog and Tagore as a fox in the Rabindranath Tagore 150th birth anniversary commemoration volume brought out by Marg Publications. 4 III Environmentalists just don’t get it as far as economic growth is concerned. True GDP growth rates have their limitations as a measure of progress and welfare. But that is the best summary metric we have. It is imperfect but useful nevertheless as a broad indicator of how the economy is performing. Now, why should we even be bothered with sustaining high GDP growth rates, growth rates in the region of at least 8-9% per year in real terms—that is, after adjusting for inflation? Very simply, high GDP growth rates help generate revenues for the government that could then be used in programmes deemed essential. Thus, between 2004 and 2009, the launch of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the loan waiver was made possible by the average annual real GDP growth rate recorded of 8.6%. More growth means more revenues for governments. In just five years between 2005/06 and 2010/11, for instance, the Central government’s gross tax revenues doubled. More revenues means increased spending on welfare programmes—I leave aside the larger and equally important question of how effectively these revenues are actually being spent. High GDP growth rates fulfil yet another need---they help generate jobs, provided, of course, the structure of growth itself is labour-absorbing. Some informed estimates are that India’s labour force will increase by anywhere between 80 million and 110 million2 over this decade—a staggering addition, as compared to just 15 million for China. 40% of these jobs in India have to be created outside the agricultural sector— that is in industry and services. Given this demographic reality, a high GDP growth rate drawing on high growth in agriculture and manufacturing especially and better spread geographically across the country assumes special significance 2 The Planning Commission and ILO estimate is 80 million while Goldman Sachs estimates it at 110 million—the increase being attributed to increases in the labor force participation rate due to a favourable age structure. 5 A high GDP growth rate requires investments—both public and private. These investments will materialise only if there is clarity and consistency in policy. Energy is a key requirement. But if environmentalists oppose hydel projects on R&R grounds, coal projects on deforestation grounds and nuclear projects on risk factors, how will India generate the energy needed to sustain a high GDP growth rate. It is the height of romantic delusion—and a dangerous one at that—to think that a country of over 1.2 billion that added 18 million annually over the past decade can meet its energy requirements through solar, wind or biomass energy. But that is exactly what most environmentalists would have us believe. IV Likewise, the growth-wallahs just don’t get it as far as the imperative for environmental protection is concerned. Why can’t we follow the “grow now, pay later” approach as the growth-fetishists often advocate? I would suggest four reasons why such an approach is not acceptable. First, increasingly environmental campaigns and movements across the country reflect basic livelihood concerns of tribal and other disadvantaged sections of society. Second, air and water pollution is beginning to have serious public health impacts in state after state. Third, climate change is a reality and will affect India in a more profound manner than any other country because of our vulnerabilities across so many dimensions—monsoon, coastal areas, forests, glaciers to name just a few. Fourth, we must bequeath something to future generations since unlike in most parts of the world, population will continue to grow in India as we move to reap our demographic karma by adding at least 400- 500 million by the middle of this century. If the environmental activists do not fully appreciate the absolute essentiality of expanded wealth creation, the growth-jehadis fail to see the wider ecological context in which growth or for that matter the existence of the economic cycle and human life cycles inevitably depend. In a largely tropical country with unevenly distributed rainfall, trapping and saving water is vital for towns as much as villages. The centrality of soil conservation and of keeping the fertile land productive needs no emphasis. Less well-known but equally critical are a whole range of ecosystem services, of mangroves or of wetlands. If the growthchampions were to pause a bit, they will see that many of their premises come from an early 20th century delusion that technology and growth have made nature redundant. 6 V Thus, this much should be self-evident and obvious—that India needs to straddle both worlds at the same time—the world of high GDP growth and the world of meaningful ecological security. But what is self-evident and obvious often tends to get forgotten. And this is where, I might add parenthetically, you media types come in. Hedgehogs make for good copy with their clarity and certainty. Foxes don’t with their ambiguity and their “on the one hand and on the other” approach. Thus, in certain sections of the media, the growth hedgehogs are champions of a new India while the enviro-hedgehogs are Luddites3 intent on sabotaging India’s emergence as a major world power. In some other sections, the enviro-hedgehogs are heroes (and quite frequently heroines) saving India from loot and plunder, while the growthhedgehogs are harbingers of doom and destruction. It is interesting that the growth-hedgehogs are acclaimed largely in the English-speaking media (especially in what are called the “pink papers”) whereas the enviro-hedgehogs are the toast of the regional and vernacular media. Here is a topic for a doctoral dissertation, no less. To get back to the question of balance, the virtue and the need for it is incontrovertible. Working the balance, however, is easier said than done. Quite often consistency becomes a casualty since a solution is sought to be found based on specific circumstances and conditions. But I feel that if there is clarity and transparency, the charge of lack of consistency can be effectively countered. And this is precisely what I have ventured to do through two specific innovations. The first is through the practice of “speaking orders”. It is not for me to say whether I have succeeded or not but I am encouraged by what Pratap Bhanu Mehta wrote thus in The Indian Express (a newspaper that is a growth hedgehog I might add and therefore not always friendly to me) on February 17th, 2011: “The cabinet needs to adopt a practice perfected by Jairam Ramesh: govern with what are called speaking orders. These are orders that clearly and publicly explain why certain decisions have been taken (whether the reasons are compelling or not can be debated). But at least government will not fall into the trap leaving it unclear who took decisions and why”. In the past two years, I have issued such 3 Actually the word “luddite” is used very loosely these days. Luddites, as E.P. Thompson has argued persuasively in The Making of the English Working Class, acted more from a sense of self-preservation rather than from an atavistic fear of technological change itself. They were selective in their opposition—unlike today’s counterparts. 7 “speaking orders” on public issues like Bt-brinjal, Vedanta, Posco, Jaitapur, Navi Mumbai and Adarsh. I see it as a way of communicating to the public the contours of the middle path. Not everyone is happy of course. But at least all motivations are in the public domain for critical analysis. The second innovation is the system of public consultations. This began with the Bt-brinjal case where over a thousand people attended such half-day long interactions in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bhubaneshwar. Then when the CRZ-1991, that is the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991 was being redrafted public meetings were held in Chennai, Puri, Kochi, Goa and Mumbai. A third time I went on Bharat Darshan in search of the middle path was when the Green India Mission was being finalised and public views were sought in Guwahati, Vishakapatnam, Dehradun, Mysore, Pune, Bhopal and Jaipur. All these public consultations were organised by the Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environment Education and all proceedings were video-graphed and put on the Ministry’s website. It is a back-breaking process and very often the public consultations can easily get out of hand as I discovered on a couple of occasions since we Indians as a rule are excellent talkers but very poor listeners. But they are an important means of establishing contact with a larger constituency and for engaging them in the process of decision-making. I think it was the late Professor Nurul Hasan who once reportedly said— Indians are a unique bunch; when confronted with a choice they will try and take both! Well, that luxury will not always be available and I am afraid that tough, unpopular choices will have to be made. Not always will conflicting objectives be reconcilable. That is why my approach has been to make the trade-offs explicit and make the choice in full public glare. This approach will work in the short-term but what we need to do is to develop a methodology that integrates the costs and benefits of environmental protection fully into our GDP calculations. What does 10% annual real rate of GDP growth that is now within our grasp really mean, if we consider the costs of environmental damage, depletion of natural resources, and pollution that this growth will entail? The only way to answer these critical questions in an objective manner is to obtain clear numbers of the environmental costs that the growth process entails – i.e., estimate “green” national accounts. 8 In this connection, I am happy to report that we are setting up an expert group to develop a roadmap for India to be able to report “green” national accounts by the year 2015. I have succeeded in convincing Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta of Cambridge University, perhaps the world’s leading luminary and expert in the field of environmental economics, to chair this expert group, which will also have a couple of very distinguished economists. The work of this “blue-ribbon panel” will be of great importance in our being able to follow a balance between rapid growth and conservation since, quite frankly, what we cannot measure we cannot monitor and what we cannot monitor we cannot manage. VI Working the balance (which, I submit, is somewhat different from the middle path which is a sort of a 50:50 approach) also needs regulatory innovations. That environmental protection requires regulation is beyond doubt. That regulations and laws themselves need to keep pace with the times to reflect the unique demographic pressures and developmental imperatives we confront also cannot be denied. But can we have regulations without regulators because very often the regulators can become a source of needless harassment and corruption? We must think creatively. Of course, the growth hedgehogs would want the regulations themselves to go or be diluted or be subject to selfcertification all of which are unacceptable. The enviro-hedgehogs would like an army of inspectors to police the implementation of the regulations. A beginning is being made to move to a market-friendly system of regulation. With the help of four of the world’s leading economists at MIT, we have launched a pilot project in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra to implement regulations for air pollutants. This marketbased system is broadly akin to how the USA dealt with the acid rain problem in the late eighties and early nineties through the introduction of tradable permits. It goes beyond the traditional command and control “inspector-raj” systems, which have inherent limitations that we know. These innovative systems leverage technology and harness markets to ensure better compliance with our environmental laws and regulations. The scheme will fundamentally transform how we do pollution control. It will rely on online real-time monitoring of pollution loads of industrial units, based on which a system of “emissions trading” will be established. Emissions trading will allow the regulator to set a cap on the aggregate level of pollution permitted, and then allow a self-regulating system to ensure that pollution does not exceed this cap. 9 VII Working the balance also demands basic institutional changes. Writing in the Indian Express (yet again!) on March 25th, 2011, Jerry Rao had this to say: “Why does not Jairam Ramesh as part of his legacy to the country remove the power of discretionary approvals from his ministry and hand it over to an independent Environment Commission to be statutorily established and charge this commission with the tasks of granting and monitoring approvals? ....In giving up control, Ramesh will meet resistance from many in the political and bureaucratic establishment. But if he wishes to go down in Indian history as a Sher Shah, a Munro or a Curzon, this is his golden opportunity. Let’s hope he grasps it”. Well, much as I admire Sher Shah, Munro and Curzon I am under no illusions that I am anywhere close to achieving or even hope to achieve even a very miniscule fraction of what these great men accomplished. I am also not quite sure if a medieval monarch or two imperial administrators are the best role models in our own democratic age. But a small beginning is being made. We are now in the process of setting up a National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Authority (NEAMA). This will be a professional, science-based autonomous entity tasked with environmental appraisals and monitoring of compliance conditions. Once appraised by NEAMA, projects would be sent with a recommendation to the Minister of Environment and Forests for approval. This final approval by the Minister is necessary to ensure that the principle of executive accountability is maintained. Jerry Rao will not like it but when the Minister of Environment and Forests is pilloried in Parliament on some decision or the other, the Minister cannot take recourse to the “but NEAMA is totally independent of me” type of argument. And in any case at least in the case of a political figure even if it is a member of the Upper House, there is some sense of public accountability totally absent in a purely technocratic body---the functioning of an independent Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in my own ministry prior to 2009 and whose functioning people like Jerry Rao would approve of, is a good case in point. 10 NEAMA will mark a major improvement over the current system (wherein the Ministry does appraisal and approval of new projects) in several ways. First, NEAMA will be a full time entity of professionals, tasked with environmental appraisals on an ongoing basis, instead of the current system of appraisals done by environmental appraisal committees that are ad hoc and meet about once a month. In this sense, it will convert a slow ‘batch’ process into a continuous process, bringing greater rigour in the appraisal process, while avoiding unnecessary delays. Second, the creation of NEAMA will address the ‘conflict of interest’ issue by separating the process of appraisal and approval. While NEAMA will be tasked with appraisal of new projects, the Ministry will be responsible for final approval. Third, NEAMA will maintain its own real-time and time-series databases on pollution loads across the country, which it will use to appraise proposed projects, instead of relying on data provided by project proponents as is the current practice. This will provide much greater objectivity in the appraisal process. Fourth, NEAMA will have a well-equipped system to ensure compliance with the conditions imposed on new projects that are granted environmental clearance. VIII I spoke earlier of the role of the media in eulogising hedgehogs and giving somewhat short shrift to foxes. That is because today’s media is increasingly impatient with ambiguity, is increasingly intolerant of shades of grey seeing the world only in terms of black and white. This attitude vitiates the public discourse and debate and does not allow for easy compromise and consensus. As I mentioned earlier, hedgehogs being more persuasive and articulate and being purveyors of a single and simple powerful message are loved by the media. But foxes are selfcritical eclectic thinkers open to updating or reworking their beliefs and view of the world when faced with contrary evidence and views. Hedgehogs tend to stretch their one good idea—and the only one they have—but beyond a point the stretch becomes counter-productive and like all stretches reaches a breaking point. I am convinced that a “working the balance” approach is the only way ahead. But this should not mean that we refuse to recognise that there may well be occasions when we will be faced when growth and conservation goals are irreconcilable. There are limits to this having your cake and eating it too. A coal mine bang in the middle of a very dense forest area or in a protected area like a tiger reserve is simply unacceptable and the nation has to accept that unpleasant reality. When this happens, a decision has necessarily to be taken that will displease 11 one side or the other. Bouquets will be offered from one side and brickbats thrown from the other. And there will be no consistency— today’s bouquet offerer can well and indeed has ended becoming tomorrow’s brickbat hurler and vice versa. Twenty years ago, India embarked on its historic economic reforms programme. Fiscal sustainability was one of the three pillars of this programme—the other two being abolition of industrial licensing and freeing international trade from administrative controls. Today, as we look ahead to the next two decades, we must not only be anchored in fiscal prudence but equally look the ecological sustainability of our growth trajectory. Is a 9%+ real rate of GDP growth envisaged as the target for the 12th Five Year Plan that will commence on April 1, 2012 environmentally acceptable? What will that growth, essential as it is, demand from our forests and our water resources, for instance? What will it take to ensure that this growth is along what is these days being called “a low-carbon” pathway. If 100,000 MW of power capacity has to be added to ensure a 9%+ GDP growth rate, what should its fuel mix be so as to ensure that we don’t end up repeating the same mistakes that the USA and China have made—after all, a perennial latecomer like India does have advantages that it can learn from others? IX I started with the great philosopher Isaiah Berlin. Let me end with one of my favourite authors the distinguished palaeontologist Stephen Jay Gould whose last book before his untimely death in 2002 was called The Hedgehog, the Fox and the Magister’s Pox. In his Introduction to this wonderful book, Gould recalls Erasmus’s version of the Archilochian contrast: “Multa novit vulpes, vernum echinus unum magnum” or roughly, “The fox devises many strategies; the hedgehog knows one great and effective strategy. He goes on to write: “The power and attraction of Archilocus’s image lies, rather obviously in its two levels of metaphorical meaning for human contrasts. The first speaks of psychological styles, often applied for some practical goals. Scramble or persist. The second, of course, speaks to favoured styles of intellectual practice. Diversify and colour or intensify and cover”. I am, in this lecture, concerned with the former where pragmatism, flexibility and skill in reinvention is the constant need. Of course, I take Gould’s caveat—that too great a flexibility may lead to survival of no enduring value. You have to watch out however--being a fox should not degenerate into behaving like a chameleon. 12 This being a convocation address, I suppose I must end with some advice to all of you youngsters about to enter that greatest temple of learning (and earning)—the University of Life. The best advice I can give you in light of what I have said today is read Berlin. Be “hedgehoggy” but develop the traits of a fox. And a fox need not be looked down upon, as we often tend to do. I can do no better to convince you of what a fox could mean when I recall that joke—blasphemous to recall in Chennai perhaps. It goes like this: Q: Who is the only Indian politician to have a Hollywood studio named after him; A: Rajaji with the studio being 20th Century Fox! That is as good a place to end this lecture as any. Thank you.