Thursday, 13 November 2014
idaneram: Encountering Ambedkar In Hungary : By Pardeep Attr...
idaneram: Encountering Ambedkar In Hungary : By Pardeep Attr...: Pardeep Attri The Romas, a discriminated minority in Hungary, turn to Ambedkar and Buddhism in their quest for dignity and equalit...
Sunday, 2 November 2014
idaneram: The man from the hut became the film maker
idaneram: The man from the hut became the film maker:
Born the rural lower cast’s colony Irumpanam at Ernakulam District of Kerala State in South India, Irumpanam Bhasi produced debut feature film named Bodhi, Directed by G Ajayan. The film is based on Kerala’s great poet Kumaran Asan’s ‘Chandala Bhishuki’, Rabindra Nath Tagor’s ‘Chandaalika’ , Laxmi Narasu’s ‘Buddha and His Dhamma’ and Dr. B R Ambedkar’s book also.
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| Bhasi |
The story is about the Monk Anantha and Mathangi – the girl from Chandala the out caste- that is taken Jataka Tale of Lord Buddha’s early birth. The film completed in the year 2008, but not yet released.
The name Irumpanam is related with legendary Asura Goddess Hidumbi – not an Aryan Goddess or Dravidian Goddess coming from ‘Mahabharata’. ‘Vanam’ means forrest. The words Hidumbi and Vanam joined, it became’ Hidumbavanam’ and later ‘Irumpanam’. One of the most acclaimed novelist Mr. M M Menon, in his Novel ‘ Jeevaparyantham’ (Lifelong imprisonment) says both legendary and history of this place widely. And there is place in kochi city called Karikkamuri, it is said that the place is made by the inhabitance from Irumpanam.
The producer Bhasi Irumpanam himself coming from Pulaya caste also an untouchable caste now called Daliths. His parents were agricultural laborers. Father died and mother still alive at the age of sixties. Except Bhasi, only a sister and she is married, now lives with husband and children.
Bhasi’s childhood was difficulties with poverty and caste crises. So he could not complete his school education and discontinue at 8th standard. And went to daily wages works with parents. Later he joined as a head load worker with CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions), conducted by a leftist political party. In that period he associated with Folk Song Parties and sung many occasions and festivals. Until he took goodwill in folk music, and colleagues compelled him to join them ever and leave from as the head load work. Bhasi remembered that he had also political miss opinion to his cadre party; at last he leaved from them. He sung a folk song as background in his own Cinema; create in tribal language Paniya one of the tribe in Kerala.
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| Scene from 'Bodhi' |
Then he joined Prof. Chandradasans drama troup as an actor. Prof. Chandradasans is well known for his stage presantation of India’s Great Poet Bhasa’s ‘Karnabharam’. The drama performed many of stage countrywide and abroad. The plot of the play ‘Karnabharam’ is also taken from legend ‘Mahabarata’. But Bhasi acted only Shakespearian plays and Greek, directed by Prof. Chandradasan. But, the experience with Prof. Chandradasan is not good remembered, Bhasi says, and after that he leaved from there too. Then he made a solo Written and directed by K R Remesh named ‘The Hen with Red Beard’, it gave Bhasi more fame in theater art.
In Prof. Chandradasan’s camp Bhasi did meet with G Ajayan , who is also an actor with them. Their friendship grew up there and it lead to them to create the movie ‘Bodhi’ .The script and concept of the movie by Ajayan and money by Bhasi. Sold some of his land Bhasi collected money for the movie, even though his hose is in poor condition with clay-tiled roof and damaged wall. This attempt gave Bhasi more wraths from his own people, and he did not mind it. Monitory crisis did stop making of the movie several times, but borrowed money from somewhere, at last they did their dream to realize in the year 2009, but Bhasi became a debtor to others.
Tilaurakot's claim to fame.
Secondaly, a capital town would have been fortified. "We can still see remnants of a moat and walls at the Tilaurakot site. The walls are 10 feet wide,", said Prof. Baidya. "Unless it was a city, it could not have had walls. The area of Kapilavasthu is around 1,700 feet x 1,300 feet. It was too huge for a monadic complex"
Third, Japanese and Nepalese archaeologists later found painted grey ware in the 3rd century trench that Debala Mitra had dug up. Painted gray ware was as old as 11th century BC in the Indian subcontinent. This means the site could have been occupied as early.
Fourth, a huge hoard of coins has been found at Tilaurakot. Unless it was a palace, there cannot be so many coins.
Then what was Piprahawa ? Nepalese experts say that it could have been part of the Sakya republic and the site of a monastery. They argue that the structural complex excavated by K M Srivastava in Piprahawa have small rooms which are indicative of monk's dwelling units. In the centre there is a platform, perhaps to keep the sacred image.
The area around Tilaurakot is choc-a-block with unexcavated or partly excavated Buddhist sites."There are 65 archaeological sites identified", said Prof.Prof. Baidya . Added Birendra K Yadav, project manager of Lumbini Development Trust: "We want to develop at least seven of them."
The first, of course is Tilaurakot, the site of Kapilavastu. The others are Gotihawa, Kudan, Nigihawa, Arouarakot, Sagarhawa and Sisania. Each place has both archaeological and religious importance.
Gotihawa, four miles from Tilaurakot, has a nine-foot-tall brick stupa is 68 feet in diameter. Close to it has been found headless pillar of Asokan style.Gen. Khadga Shamsher, who worked with archaeologist Dr Alois Anton Fuhrer in the late 19th century, wrote that this could be the Napeakea of the two Chinese travellers, the birth place of Krakuchehunda Buddha, a relative of Goutama. "The distance, 50 li from the city.... tallies with it." wrote the general. Gotihawa, the general thought, is derived from Goshtri, meaning relatives.
Kudan is a village near Tilaurakot where four mounds whre excavated in 1962. the northernmost appeared to be a 30-foot-tall brick stupa. The other mound relieved a compound wall and some terracotta elephants and horses. The third mound had walls of room. The fourth had a brick structure on which a temple had been later built. Buddhists believes this was the place where Suddhodana met the enlightened Gautama.
Niglihawa is of great archaeological, and religious importance. There are many who believes that Buddhism predators Gautama. Kanakamuni Buddha, one of Gautama's predecessors, is believed to have been born here. Asoka visited the place as is clear from a stupa he created here, which was found by Further and Major Waddle in the 19th century. The stupa was found broken, with the bottom part still stuck on the ground and the top peace lying nearby. Villagers used to call it Bhimasena-kinigali or Bimasena's smoking pipe. The pillar also had two peacocks on top. That it was a place of worship till the medieval period is clear from an inscription on the Asokan pillar left by a Malla king in the 12th century. It is also believed that the pillar was removed from its original site in the medieval period just as Feroz Shah brought an Asokan pillar from Meerut to Delhi.
A rectangular fort has been excavated at Araurakot, some 1,500 feet south-east of Nigalihawa. The fort was protected by a ditch, with additional protection to the south and the east which indicated the existence of a citadel. There is a mound indicating the existence of an ancient temple.
Saturday, 28 June 2014
The tale of an unsung hero - The Hindu
Simon Sundararaj’s most memorable moment in life is a
paradox. What perhaps is the proudest moment of his life – scoring a
goal for India against Peru in the 1960 Rome Olympics-- it is both a
hark back to Indian football’s pinnacle of glory and a reminder of the
nation’s failure to distinguish itself in world’s favourite sport.
Olympian
Simon Sundararaj is a forgotten hero but he would be remembered as the
last Indian who scored a goal at the Olympics and the man who coached
Kerala team to its first ever Santosh Trophy victory. Though much water
has flown under the bridge – half a century later India is yet to
qualify for the Olympics.
Hailing from Thanjavur,
Simon was the first to represent Tamil Nadu in national team. The
footballer pursued his passion in what can be dubbed as Indian
football’s golden era and rubbed shoulders with Indian football giants.
“I
am proud that I played for India. . Making it to the Olympics was an
achievement in itself,” says Simon with a visible glint of pride. “But
truth is we have gained nothing.”
Simon did not
expect a hero’s welcome. Neither did he expect any ‘reward’ from South
Indian Railways, the team he represented at the national level. It came
in the form of loss of pay for the four months Simon spent in
preparatory camps and at the Games.
“All we got was
coca-cola. No promotion, recognition, awards, nothing. We did not play
for money, but neither did we have the incentive to play on,” says the
footballer who worked as a railway guard for six years.
“How
do you expect sports to flourish when sportspersons are not recognized
or encouraged?” he asks, reminding of the pathetic conditions in which
fellow Olympian Yusuf Khan succumbed for want of care and aid.
The tale of an unsung hero - The HinduFriday, 30 May 2014
UP Gang Rape: Two Constables Sacked, Accused Arrested
UP Gang Rape: Two Constables Sacked, Accused Arrested
As outrage spread over the horrific gangrape of two
Dalit sisters in the district, authorities today sacked two constables
in connection with the crime even as police arrested another accused in
the case.
The action came three days after the girls were gangraped and their bodies were found hanging from a tree. SP Atul Kumar Saxena said the services of two constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav have been terminated.
"One more accused Awadhesh Yadav has been arrested by the police," he said.
Of the seven wanted in the case, three (policeman Sarvesh Yadav and brothers Pappu and Awadhesh Yadav) have been arrested so far, he said. Sarvesh and Pappu were arrested yesterday.
Four others Urvesh Yadav (brother of Pappu and Awadhesh), policeman Chhatrapal Yadav and two unidentified persons are at large.
The two girls, who were cousins and aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on the night of May 27 and their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in the village in Ushait area the next morning.
The incident had triggered protests in the area with villagers alleging police apathy, following which an FIR was registered against seven persons. The postmortem report of the two girls confirmed that they were raped before murder, Saxena had said.
Sarvesh and Chhatrpal have been booked under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, while the three brothers --Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh-- and two others have been booked under Section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of IPC.
The action came three days after the girls were gangraped and their bodies were found hanging from a tree. SP Atul Kumar Saxena said the services of two constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav have been terminated.
"One more accused Awadhesh Yadav has been arrested by the police," he said.
Of the seven wanted in the case, three (policeman Sarvesh Yadav and brothers Pappu and Awadhesh Yadav) have been arrested so far, he said. Sarvesh and Pappu were arrested yesterday.
Four others Urvesh Yadav (brother of Pappu and Awadhesh), policeman Chhatrapal Yadav and two unidentified persons are at large.
The two girls, who were cousins and aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on the night of May 27 and their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in the village in Ushait area the next morning.
The incident had triggered protests in the area with villagers alleging police apathy, following which an FIR was registered against seven persons. The postmortem report of the two girls confirmed that they were raped before murder, Saxena had said.
Sarvesh and Chhatrpal have been booked under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, while the three brothers --Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh-- and two others have been booked under Section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of IPC.
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
From Global To Local In India By Alex Jensen
From Global To Local In India By Alex Jensen
From Global To Local In India
From Global To Local In India
By Alex Jensen
“The Future
is Fast. We are Faster.” This ubiquitous billboard for a tech company
neatly captures the zeitgeist in modern-day Bangalore, and
rapidly-urbanizing India generally. Today, Bangalore's erstwhile
appellation as India‘s ‘garden city' seems sadly anachronistic. To
arrive at the Visthar Academy of Justice and Peace Studies on the
outskirts of Bangalore – where we would be lodging for the next three
days for the 3 rd Economics of Happiness Conference [http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/conference-2014-india]
– requires a painstakingly slow creep through bumper-to-bumper traffic,
past glamorous shopping malls and an exploding, bewildering skein of
real estate developments, garbage mountains, and slums. The air quality
is truly mephitic from the collective emissions of millions of vehicles,
factories, and garbage fires. Such are some of the characteristics of
the modern Indian megacity, a rude foil to the Panglossian image of
progress presented by the official boosters of globalization,
urbanization and growth.
is Fast. We are Faster.” This ubiquitous billboard for a tech company
neatly captures the zeitgeist in modern-day Bangalore, and
rapidly-urbanizing India generally. Today, Bangalore's erstwhile
appellation as India‘s ‘garden city' seems sadly anachronistic. To
arrive at the Visthar Academy of Justice and Peace Studies on the
outskirts of Bangalore – where we would be lodging for the next three
days for the 3 rd Economics of Happiness Conference [http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/conference-2014-india]
– requires a painstakingly slow creep through bumper-to-bumper traffic,
past glamorous shopping malls and an exploding, bewildering skein of
real estate developments, garbage mountains, and slums. The air quality
is truly mephitic from the collective emissions of millions of vehicles,
factories, and garbage fires. Such are some of the characteristics of
the modern Indian megacity, a rude foil to the Panglossian image of
progress presented by the official boosters of globalization,
urbanization and growth.
Conventional development – i.e.
western-style industrialization, urbanization, and consumerism – is
being foisted on India more intensively than ever by both Indian and
foreign governments and corporations. The advertised purpose of this is
to meet aggressive annual economic growth goals, dangling a shining GDP
in front of foreign investors who will come and spur the process forward
in a self-perpetuating cycle. Deeper still is the national political
obsession with the elusive quest to reach the promised land of
‘developed.'
western-style industrialization, urbanization, and consumerism – is
being foisted on India more intensively than ever by both Indian and
foreign governments and corporations. The advertised purpose of this is
to meet aggressive annual economic growth goals, dangling a shining GDP
in front of foreign investors who will come and spur the process forward
in a self-perpetuating cycle. Deeper still is the national political
obsession with the elusive quest to reach the promised land of
‘developed.'
Development, as these forces implicitly
conceive it, entails transforming India into a facsimile of modern
America – the ecological, cultural, psychological and other shortcomings
of that society notwithstanding. But, as author Aseem Shrivastava
remarked during the Economics of Happiness Conference, “What is
development really about? It is about the conversion of life into
money.” The methods used to do so in India are commonly brutal, with
various state governments using violent methods to wrest land from
villagers in order to set up regulation-free corporate enclaves known
as special economic zones [http://www.countercurrents.org/ind-bhaduri070107.htm].
conceive it, entails transforming India into a facsimile of modern
America – the ecological, cultural, psychological and other shortcomings
of that society notwithstanding. But, as author Aseem Shrivastava
remarked during the Economics of Happiness Conference, “What is
development really about? It is about the conversion of life into
money.” The methods used to do so in India are commonly brutal, with
various state governments using violent methods to wrest land from
villagers in order to set up regulation-free corporate enclaves known
as special economic zones [http://www.countercurrents.org/ind-bhaduri070107.htm].
As globalized development proceeds in
India, giant corporations like Reliance Industries, Tata, and
Bharti/Walmart are busy consolidating virtually every sector of the
economy, with the helping hand of the central and state governments (see
below). North American style supermarkets are spreading, and toxic
plastics and used cell phones are being discarded into the environment
as fast as the factories can pump them out. The impact on small farmers –
many of whom have been swept into the dragnet of ‘contract farming' –
has been particularly deadly. Through deceitful advertising and the
encouragement of development agencies, toxic chemicals and genetically
manipulated seeds have invaded Indian agriculture, enabling companies
like Monsanto-Mahyco to push thousands of farmers into debt and leading
to an epidemic of farmer suicides [http://www.counterpunch.org/2009/02/12/the-largest-wave-of-suicides-in-history].
Responding to the common claim, “if corporate seeds and chemicals were
so bad, why would farmers choose them?”, Kavitha Kuruganti of the ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture) Network [http://www.lokashakti.org/pages/viewgroup/1101-Alliance+for+Sustainable+Holistic+Agriculture]
told us in an interview at the conference how the agribusiness
companies use dancing girls, Bollywood stars and many other highly
manipulative techniques to push their products on farmers, while
information on the hazards and risks is nowhere to be seen.
India, giant corporations like Reliance Industries, Tata, and
Bharti/Walmart are busy consolidating virtually every sector of the
economy, with the helping hand of the central and state governments (see
below). North American style supermarkets are spreading, and toxic
plastics and used cell phones are being discarded into the environment
as fast as the factories can pump them out. The impact on small farmers –
many of whom have been swept into the dragnet of ‘contract farming' –
has been particularly deadly. Through deceitful advertising and the
encouragement of development agencies, toxic chemicals and genetically
manipulated seeds have invaded Indian agriculture, enabling companies
like Monsanto-Mahyco to push thousands of farmers into debt and leading
to an epidemic of farmer suicides [http://www.counterpunch.org/2009/02/12/the-largest-wave-of-suicides-in-history].
Responding to the common claim, “if corporate seeds and chemicals were
so bad, why would farmers choose them?”, Kavitha Kuruganti of the ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture) Network [http://www.lokashakti.org/pages/viewgroup/1101-Alliance+for+Sustainable+Holistic+Agriculture]
told us in an interview at the conference how the agribusiness
companies use dancing girls, Bollywood stars and many other highly
manipulative techniques to push their products on farmers, while
information on the hazards and risks is nowhere to be seen.
Far from representing the outcome of the
mythically rational or natural workings of the market, this form of
hyper corporate globalization – in India and everywhere else – is
directly underwritten by subsidies, tax breaks, land-seizures and
various other state giveaways and props, a.k.a. corporate welfare. Under
chief minister Narendra Modi (and the new Prime Minister of India) the
state of Gujarat has led the charge in aggressively dispersing this
welfare to India's richest one percent [http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?289709].
As author Pankaj Mishra has written on the occasion of Modi's recent
electoral victory: “His record as chief minister is predominantly
distinguished by the transfer – through privatization or outright
gifts – of national resources to the country's biggest corporations. His
closest allies – India's biggest businessmen – have accordingly
enlisted their mainstream media outlets into the cult of Modi as
decisive administrator; dissenting journalists have been removed or
silenced.” [http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/16/what-next-india-pankaj-mishra].
mythically rational or natural workings of the market, this form of
hyper corporate globalization – in India and everywhere else – is
directly underwritten by subsidies, tax breaks, land-seizures and
various other state giveaways and props, a.k.a. corporate welfare. Under
chief minister Narendra Modi (and the new Prime Minister of India) the
state of Gujarat has led the charge in aggressively dispersing this
welfare to India's richest one percent [http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?289709].
As author Pankaj Mishra has written on the occasion of Modi's recent
electoral victory: “His record as chief minister is predominantly
distinguished by the transfer – through privatization or outright
gifts – of national resources to the country's biggest corporations. His
closest allies – India's biggest businessmen – have accordingly
enlisted their mainstream media outlets into the cult of Modi as
decisive administrator; dissenting journalists have been removed or
silenced.” [http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/16/what-next-india-pankaj-mishra].
Not to be outdone, the opposing Congress
Party under the leadership of Manmohan Singh (the Harvard-educated
economist who, as finance minister back in 1991 authored the
liberalization policies that flung India open to the needs of global
capital) has also been doing its utmost to increase the shareholder
value of big corporations. To take one of many examples, this government
has appointed the petroleum minister as environment minister (he holds
both titles still, without any apparent sense of irony), who promised
that “project-clearance files would leave his desk by 5 pm the very day
they were presented to him; there was no promise of upholding
environmental standards and safety.” As reported in a recent editorial
in Economic and Political Weekly , “This move indicates that
the Manmohan Singh government is desperate to send out the “right”
signals to the private sector and big capital.” [http://www.epw.in/editorials/crass-decision.html]
Among many other corporate-friendly priorities, this new environment
minister began pushing immediately for allowing unrestricted GMO field
trials and crop cultivation.
Party under the leadership of Manmohan Singh (the Harvard-educated
economist who, as finance minister back in 1991 authored the
liberalization policies that flung India open to the needs of global
capital) has also been doing its utmost to increase the shareholder
value of big corporations. To take one of many examples, this government
has appointed the petroleum minister as environment minister (he holds
both titles still, without any apparent sense of irony), who promised
that “project-clearance files would leave his desk by 5 pm the very day
they were presented to him; there was no promise of upholding
environmental standards and safety.” As reported in a recent editorial
in Economic and Political Weekly , “This move indicates that
the Manmohan Singh government is desperate to send out the “right”
signals to the private sector and big capital.” [http://www.epw.in/editorials/crass-decision.html]
Among many other corporate-friendly priorities, this new environment
minister began pushing immediately for allowing unrestricted GMO field
trials and crop cultivation.
These sops to industry by the Indian
state are in lockstep with the imperious lecturing of Western powers, in
particular the U.S. government (and international institutions
controlled by it like the World Bank and IMF), whose muscle is flexed in
India on behalf of what it terms promoting a sound investment climate,
euphemism for policy reforms needed to benefit conditions of
profitability for American corporations (e.g., agrichemical
corporations). The recently retired Ambassador Nancy Powell fulminated
earlier this year, with characteristic American state hubris, “For India
to return to faster growth, new policies and economic reforms need to
be put in place by the government in areas such as opening multi-brand
retail up to foreign direct investment.” What this amounts to is
personal stumping for Wal-Mart by the highest representative of the U.S.
government in India. U.S. officialdom in India issues variations of
this royal decree ad nauseum . Even US President Barack Obama
has taken up the cause of his country's needy retail giant, complaining
last July that “India has prohibited FDI in too many sectors such as
retail” [http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/allow-fdi-in-multi-brand-retail-us-to-india/article1-901536.aspx].
state are in lockstep with the imperious lecturing of Western powers, in
particular the U.S. government (and international institutions
controlled by it like the World Bank and IMF), whose muscle is flexed in
India on behalf of what it terms promoting a sound investment climate,
euphemism for policy reforms needed to benefit conditions of
profitability for American corporations (e.g., agrichemical
corporations). The recently retired Ambassador Nancy Powell fulminated
earlier this year, with characteristic American state hubris, “For India
to return to faster growth, new policies and economic reforms need to
be put in place by the government in areas such as opening multi-brand
retail up to foreign direct investment.” What this amounts to is
personal stumping for Wal-Mart by the highest representative of the U.S.
government in India. U.S. officialdom in India issues variations of
this royal decree ad nauseum . Even US President Barack Obama
has taken up the cause of his country's needy retail giant, complaining
last July that “India has prohibited FDI in too many sectors such as
retail” [http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/allow-fdi-in-multi-brand-retail-us-to-india/article1-901536.aspx].
Meanwhile, the organs of the media and
modern schooling continue their insidious assault on India's diverse
cultures, seducing and coercing ever more people away from their
land-based traditions and local economies into the global consumer
monoculture. A country with an ancient heritage of innumerable
sustainable, zero-waste local economies is now increasingly awash in
petrochemical pollution and gargantuan landfills, swelling megacities
and glittering shopping malls for the super-affluent. Also on the rise
are many of the less visible but equally devastating side effects of
this kind of development: depression, diet-related diseases (e.g.
obesity and diabetes), loss of languages, monoarchitecture (cement,
rebar, and tin), monoclothing (mass-produced sweatshop synthetics), and
worst, a deep internalization of notions of backwardness and a need to
catch-up to or ‘develop' like the United States and Europe.
modern schooling continue their insidious assault on India's diverse
cultures, seducing and coercing ever more people away from their
land-based traditions and local economies into the global consumer
monoculture. A country with an ancient heritage of innumerable
sustainable, zero-waste local economies is now increasingly awash in
petrochemical pollution and gargantuan landfills, swelling megacities
and glittering shopping malls for the super-affluent. Also on the rise
are many of the less visible but equally devastating side effects of
this kind of development: depression, diet-related diseases (e.g.
obesity and diabetes), loss of languages, monoarchitecture (cement,
rebar, and tin), monoclothing (mass-produced sweatshop synthetics), and
worst, a deep internalization of notions of backwardness and a need to
catch-up to or ‘develop' like the United States and Europe.
Despite the pace of ‘development' in
India, it is also true that much more of the vernacular, the
traditional, and the independent hangs on here than in many countries.
Even in the middle of major cities, large quantities of food and other
daily needs are still supplied from tiny independent local shops or
street vendors, and local craftsmen (weavers, potters, tinkers, tailors,
etc.) ply their trades in the enormous ‘informal' sector. Multinational
chain restaurants like KFC and McDonald's – while now ubiquitous in the
affluent parts of cities – have not displaced stubbornly popular local
eateries, and local alternatives to corporate junk food persist
everywhere. And in spite of economic, trade and development policies
that relentlessly conspire against them, small farmers still make up the
majority of the population, and most of the food is still provided by
them [http://www.countercurrents.org/shiva300407.htm].
India, it is also true that much more of the vernacular, the
traditional, and the independent hangs on here than in many countries.
Even in the middle of major cities, large quantities of food and other
daily needs are still supplied from tiny independent local shops or
street vendors, and local craftsmen (weavers, potters, tinkers, tailors,
etc.) ply their trades in the enormous ‘informal' sector. Multinational
chain restaurants like KFC and McDonald's – while now ubiquitous in the
affluent parts of cities – have not displaced stubbornly popular local
eateries, and local alternatives to corporate junk food persist
everywhere. And in spite of economic, trade and development policies
that relentlessly conspire against them, small farmers still make up the
majority of the population, and most of the food is still provided by
them [http://www.countercurrents.org/shiva300407.htm].
Because it still retains so much of the
traditional and land-based, India is arguably better-positioned than the
West to forge an alternative path to the future – one based on
principles of economic localization. Despite the grievous losses to seed
and food diversity occasioned by decades of imposition of industrial
agriculture, an enormous amount remains intact, as illustrated at a
recent seed festival [http://vikalpsangam.org/article/the-delhi-seed-festival-march-8-9-2014/#.U1HhC6LQ6zY] and an amazing Adivasi (indigenous) food festival
[http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.in/2014/03/the-forgotten-foods.html].
There is a vibrant sustainable food and farming movement to protect and
promote this diversity [see http://www.kisanswaraj.in/ ], and GMO trials can still be stopped here [see http://indiagminfo.org/ ]
(Monsanto's Bt cotton is the only commercially grown GMO, though the
aforementioned petroleum/environment minister is working overtime to
change that). Though the political establishment is dutifully working to
roll out the red carpet for the big boxes, corporate retail has yet to
fully penetrate, and faces formidable resistance from small shopkeepers
[see http://indiafdiwatch.org/ ]. Farmers and tribal groups are courageously agitating against industrial land take-overs in dozens of states [http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=cr180709the_peasant.asp].
traditional and land-based, India is arguably better-positioned than the
West to forge an alternative path to the future – one based on
principles of economic localization. Despite the grievous losses to seed
and food diversity occasioned by decades of imposition of industrial
agriculture, an enormous amount remains intact, as illustrated at a
recent seed festival [http://vikalpsangam.org/article/the-delhi-seed-festival-march-8-9-2014/#.U1HhC6LQ6zY] and an amazing Adivasi (indigenous) food festival
[http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.in/2014/03/the-forgotten-foods.html].
There is a vibrant sustainable food and farming movement to protect and
promote this diversity [see http://www.kisanswaraj.in/ ], and GMO trials can still be stopped here [see http://indiagminfo.org/ ]
(Monsanto's Bt cotton is the only commercially grown GMO, though the
aforementioned petroleum/environment minister is working overtime to
change that). Though the political establishment is dutifully working to
roll out the red carpet for the big boxes, corporate retail has yet to
fully penetrate, and faces formidable resistance from small shopkeepers
[see http://indiafdiwatch.org/ ]. Farmers and tribal groups are courageously agitating against industrial land take-overs in dozens of states [http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=cr180709the_peasant.asp].
Most critically, countless groups and
individuals are arising to confront the development monster – to
actively challenge its assumptions and impositions, and to regenerate
dying traditions and nontoxic local economies that rely on local
resources. And there is vibrant resistance and renewal work happening
all over the subcontinent that comprises, in essence, a massive
localization movement.
individuals are arising to confront the development monster – to
actively challenge its assumptions and impositions, and to regenerate
dying traditions and nontoxic local economies that rely on local
resources. And there is vibrant resistance and renewal work happening
all over the subcontinent that comprises, in essence, a massive
localization movement.
The Economics of Happiness Conference [http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/conference-2014-india]
provided a platform from which to launch an exciting new part of that
movement, an India-wide initiative called Alternatives India ( Vikalp Sangam in Hindi) [http://www.vikalpsangam.org/].
The initiative asks this basic question: “As the world hurtles towards
greater ecological devastation, inequalities, and social conflicts … are
there alternative ways of meeting human needs and aspirations, without
trashing the earth and without leaving half of humanity behind?” Their
answer is a resounding yes, and they point to “a multitude of grassroots
and policy initiatives: from meeting basic needs in ecologically
sensitive ways to decentralized governance and producer-consumer
movements, from rethinking urban and rural spaces towards sustainability
to struggles for social and economic equity.” Alternatives India is a
platform to highlight, connect, and thereby strengthen the country's
diverse profusion of local initiatives that are charting a saner course
into the future for India. Perhaps the future of India is not fast and
faster after all, but slow and local.
provided a platform from which to launch an exciting new part of that
movement, an India-wide initiative called Alternatives India ( Vikalp Sangam in Hindi) [http://www.vikalpsangam.org/].
The initiative asks this basic question: “As the world hurtles towards
greater ecological devastation, inequalities, and social conflicts … are
there alternative ways of meeting human needs and aspirations, without
trashing the earth and without leaving half of humanity behind?” Their
answer is a resounding yes, and they point to “a multitude of grassroots
and policy initiatives: from meeting basic needs in ecologically
sensitive ways to decentralized governance and producer-consumer
movements, from rethinking urban and rural spaces towards sustainability
to struggles for social and economic equity.” Alternatives India is a
platform to highlight, connect, and thereby strengthen the country's
diverse profusion of local initiatives that are charting a saner course
into the future for India. Perhaps the future of India is not fast and
faster after all, but slow and local.
Alex Jensen is Project Coordinator at Local Futures – International Society for Ecology and Culture [http://www.localfutures.org/].Alex
has worked in the US and India, where he coordinated The Ladakh Project
from 2004 to 2009. He has collaborated on the content of Local Futures'
Roots of Change curriculum and the Economics of Happiness discussion
guide. He has worked with cultural affirmation and agro-biodiversity
projects in campesino communities in a number of countries and is active
in environmental health/anti-toxics work.
has worked in the US and India, where he coordinated The Ladakh Project
from 2004 to 2009. He has collaborated on the content of Local Futures'
Roots of Change curriculum and the Economics of Happiness discussion
guide. He has worked with cultural affirmation and agro-biodiversity
projects in campesino communities in a number of countries and is active
in environmental health/anti-toxics work.
The Impossibility Of Growth Demands A New Economic System By George Monbiot
The Impossibility Of Growth Demands A New Economic System By George Monbio
The Impossibility Of Growth Demands A New Economic System
By George Monbiot
Let us
imagine that in 3030BC the total possessions of the people of Egypt
filled one cubic metre. Let us propose that these possessions grew by
4.5% a year. How big would that stash have been by the Battle of Actium
in 30BC? This is the calculation performed by the investment banker
Jeremy Grantham(1).
imagine that in 3030BC the total possessions of the people of Egypt
filled one cubic metre. Let us propose that these possessions grew by
4.5% a year. How big would that stash have been by the Battle of Actium
in 30BC? This is the calculation performed by the investment banker
Jeremy Grantham(1).
Go on, take a guess. Ten times the size
of the pyramids? All the sand in the Sahara? The Atlantic ocean? The
volume of the planet? A little more? It’s 2.5 billion billion solar
systems(2). It does not take you long, pondering this outcome, to reach
the paradoxical position that salvation lies in collapse.
of the pyramids? All the sand in the Sahara? The Atlantic ocean? The
volume of the planet? A little more? It’s 2.5 billion billion solar
systems(2). It does not take you long, pondering this outcome, to reach
the paradoxical position that salvation lies in collapse.
To succeed is to destroy ourselves. To
fail is to destroy ourselves. That is the bind we have created. Ignore
if you must climate change, biodiversity collapse, the depletion of
water, soil, minerals, oil; even if all these issues were miraculously
to vanish, the mathematics of compound growth make continuity
impossible.
fail is to destroy ourselves. That is the bind we have created. Ignore
if you must climate change, biodiversity collapse, the depletion of
water, soil, minerals, oil; even if all these issues were miraculously
to vanish, the mathematics of compound growth make continuity
impossible.
Economic growth is an artefact of the use
of fossil fuels. Before large amounts of coal were extracted, every
upswing in industrial production would be met with a downswing in
agricultural production, as the charcoal or horse power required by
industry reduced the land available for growing food. Every prior
industrial revolution collapsed, as growth could not be sustained(3).
But coal broke this cycle and enabled – for a few hundred years – the
phenomenon we now call sustained growth.
of fossil fuels. Before large amounts of coal were extracted, every
upswing in industrial production would be met with a downswing in
agricultural production, as the charcoal or horse power required by
industry reduced the land available for growing food. Every prior
industrial revolution collapsed, as growth could not be sustained(3).
But coal broke this cycle and enabled – for a few hundred years – the
phenomenon we now call sustained growth.
It was neither capitalism nor communism
that made possible the progress and the pathologies (total war, the
unprecedented concentration of global wealth, planetary destruction) of
the modern age. It was coal, followed by oil and gas. The meta-trend,
the mother narrative, is carbon-fuelled expansion. Our ideologies are
mere subplots. Now, as the most accessible reserves have been exhausted,
we must ransack the hidden corners of the planet to sustain our
impossible proposition.
that made possible the progress and the pathologies (total war, the
unprecedented concentration of global wealth, planetary destruction) of
the modern age. It was coal, followed by oil and gas. The meta-trend,
the mother narrative, is carbon-fuelled expansion. Our ideologies are
mere subplots. Now, as the most accessible reserves have been exhausted,
we must ransack the hidden corners of the planet to sustain our
impossible proposition.
On Friday, a few days after scientists
announced that the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet is now
inevitable(4), the Ecuadorean government decided that oil drilling would
go ahead in the heart of the Yasuni national park(5). It had made an
offer to other governments: if they gave it half the value of the oil in
that part of the park, it would leave the stuff in the ground. You
could see this as blackmail or you could see it as fair trade. Ecuador
is poor, its oil deposits are rich: why, the government argued, should
it leave them untouched without compensation when everyone else is
drilling down to the inner circle of hell? It asked for $3.6bn and
received $13m. The result is that Petroamazonas, a company with a
colourful record of destruction and spills(6), will now enter one of the
most biodiverse places on the planet, in which a hectare of rainforest
is said to contain more species than exist in the entire continent of
North America(7).
announced that the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet is now
inevitable(4), the Ecuadorean government decided that oil drilling would
go ahead in the heart of the Yasuni national park(5). It had made an
offer to other governments: if they gave it half the value of the oil in
that part of the park, it would leave the stuff in the ground. You
could see this as blackmail or you could see it as fair trade. Ecuador
is poor, its oil deposits are rich: why, the government argued, should
it leave them untouched without compensation when everyone else is
drilling down to the inner circle of hell? It asked for $3.6bn and
received $13m. The result is that Petroamazonas, a company with a
colourful record of destruction and spills(6), will now enter one of the
most biodiverse places on the planet, in which a hectare of rainforest
is said to contain more species than exist in the entire continent of
North America(7).
The UK oil company Soco is now hoping to
penetrate Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga, in the Democratic
Republic of Congo(8); one of the last strongholds of the mountain
gorilla and the okapi, of chimpanzees and forest elephants. In Britain,
where a possible 4.4 billion barrels of shale oil has just been
identified in the south-east(9), the government fantasises about turning
the leafy suburbs into a new Niger delta. To this end it’s changing the
trespass laws to enable drilling without consent and offering lavish
bribes to local people(10,11). These new reserves solve nothing. They do
not end our hunger for resources; they exacerbate it.
penetrate Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga, in the Democratic
Republic of Congo(8); one of the last strongholds of the mountain
gorilla and the okapi, of chimpanzees and forest elephants. In Britain,
where a possible 4.4 billion barrels of shale oil has just been
identified in the south-east(9), the government fantasises about turning
the leafy suburbs into a new Niger delta. To this end it’s changing the
trespass laws to enable drilling without consent and offering lavish
bribes to local people(10,11). These new reserves solve nothing. They do
not end our hunger for resources; they exacerbate it.
The trajectory of compound growth shows
that the scouring of the planet has only just begun. As the volume of
the global economy expands, everywhere that contains something
concentrated, unusual, precious will be sought out and exploited, its
resources extracted and dispersed, the world’s diverse and
differentiated marvels reduced to the same grey stubble.
that the scouring of the planet has only just begun. As the volume of
the global economy expands, everywhere that contains something
concentrated, unusual, precious will be sought out and exploited, its
resources extracted and dispersed, the world’s diverse and
differentiated marvels reduced to the same grey stubble.
Some people try to solve the impossible
equation with the myth of dematerialisation: the claim that as processes
become more efficient and gadgets are miniaturised, we use, in
aggregate, fewer materials. There is no sign that this is happening.
Iron ore production has risen 180% in ten years(12). The trade body
Forest Industries tell us that “global paper consumption is at a record
high level and it will continue to grow.”(13) If, in the digital age, we
won’t reduce even our consumption of paper, what hope is there for
other commodities?
equation with the myth of dematerialisation: the claim that as processes
become more efficient and gadgets are miniaturised, we use, in
aggregate, fewer materials. There is no sign that this is happening.
Iron ore production has risen 180% in ten years(12). The trade body
Forest Industries tell us that “global paper consumption is at a record
high level and it will continue to grow.”(13) If, in the digital age, we
won’t reduce even our consumption of paper, what hope is there for
other commodities?
Look at the lives of the super-rich, who
set the pace for global consumption. Are their yachts getting smaller?
Their houses? Their artworks? Their purchase of rare woods, rare fish,
rare stone? Those with the means buy ever bigger houses to store the
growing stash of stuff they will not live long enough to use. By
unremarked accretions, ever more of the surface of the planet is used to
extract, manufacture and store things we don’t need. Perhaps it’s
unsurprising that fantasies about the colonisation of space – which tell
us we can export our problems instead of solving them – have
resurfaced(14).
set the pace for global consumption. Are their yachts getting smaller?
Their houses? Their artworks? Their purchase of rare woods, rare fish,
rare stone? Those with the means buy ever bigger houses to store the
growing stash of stuff they will not live long enough to use. By
unremarked accretions, ever more of the surface of the planet is used to
extract, manufacture and store things we don’t need. Perhaps it’s
unsurprising that fantasies about the colonisation of space – which tell
us we can export our problems instead of solving them – have
resurfaced(14).
As the philosopher Michael Rowan points
out, the inevitabilities of compound growth mean that if last year’s
predicted global growth rate for 2014 (3.1%) is sustained, even if we
were miraculously to reduce the consumption of raw materials by 90% we
delay the inevitable by just 75 years(15). Efficiency solves nothing
while growth continues.
out, the inevitabilities of compound growth mean that if last year’s
predicted global growth rate for 2014 (3.1%) is sustained, even if we
were miraculously to reduce the consumption of raw materials by 90% we
delay the inevitable by just 75 years(15). Efficiency solves nothing
while growth continues.
The inescapable failure of a society
built upon growth and its destruction of the Earth’s living systems are
the overwhelming facts of our existence. As a result they are mentioned
almost nowhere. They are the 21st Century’s great taboo, the subjects
guaranteed to alienate your friends and neighbours. We live as if
trapped inside a Sunday supplement: obsessed with fame, fashion and the
three dreary staples of middle class conversation: recipes, renovations
and resorts. Anything but the topic that demands our attention.
built upon growth and its destruction of the Earth’s living systems are
the overwhelming facts of our existence. As a result they are mentioned
almost nowhere. They are the 21st Century’s great taboo, the subjects
guaranteed to alienate your friends and neighbours. We live as if
trapped inside a Sunday supplement: obsessed with fame, fashion and the
three dreary staples of middle class conversation: recipes, renovations
and resorts. Anything but the topic that demands our attention.
Statements of the bleeding obvious, the
outcomes of basic arithmetic, are treated as exotic and unpardonable
distractions, while the impossible proposition by which we live is
regarded as so sane and normal and unremarkable that it isn’t worthy of
mention. That’s how you measure the depth of this problem: by our
inability even to discuss it.
outcomes of basic arithmetic, are treated as exotic and unpardonable
distractions, while the impossible proposition by which we live is
regarded as so sane and normal and unremarkable that it isn’t worthy of
mention. That’s how you measure the depth of this problem: by our
inability even to discuss it.
George Monbiot is the author of the best selling books The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order and Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain. He writes a weekly column for the Guardian newspaper. Visit his website at www.monbiot.com
References:
2. Grantham expressed this volume as 1057
cubic metres. In his paper We Need To Talk About Growth, Michael Rowan
translated this as 2.5 billion billion solar systems. (http://persuademe.com.au/need-talk-growth-need-sums-well/).
This source gives the volume of the solar system (if it is treated as a
sphere) at 39,629,013,196,241.7 cubic kilometres, which is roughly 40 x
1021 cubic metres. Multiplied by 2.5 billion billion, this gives 1041
cubic metres. So, unless I’ve got the wrong figure for the volume of the
solar system or screwed my units up, which is eminently possible,
Michael Rowan’s translation looks like an underestimate. I’ll stick with
his figure though, as I don’t have much confidence in my own. Any
improvements, comments or corrections via the contact form gratefully
received.
cubic metres. In his paper We Need To Talk About Growth, Michael Rowan
translated this as 2.5 billion billion solar systems. (http://persuademe.com.au/need-talk-growth-need-sums-well/).
This source gives the volume of the solar system (if it is treated as a
sphere) at 39,629,013,196,241.7 cubic kilometres, which is roughly 40 x
1021 cubic metres. Multiplied by 2.5 billion billion, this gives 1041
cubic metres. So, unless I’ve got the wrong figure for the volume of the
solar system or screwed my units up, which is eminently possible,
Michael Rowan’s translation looks like an underestimate. I’ll stick with
his figure though, as I don’t have much confidence in my own. Any
improvements, comments or corrections via the contact form gratefully
received.
3. EA Wrigley, 2010. Energy and the English Industrial Revolution. Cambridge University Press.
12. Philippe Sibaud, 2012. Opening
Pandora’s Box: The New Wave of Land Grabbing by the Extractive
Industries and the Devastating Impact on Earth. The Gaia Foundation. http://www.gaiafoundation.org/opening-pandoras-box
Pandora’s Box: The New Wave of Land Grabbing by the Extractive
Industries and the Devastating Impact on Earth. The Gaia Foundation. http://www.gaiafoundation.org/opening-pandoras-box
15. Michael Rowan, 2014. We Need To Talk About Growth (And we need to do the sums as well.) http://persuademe.com.au/need-talk-growth-need-sums-well/
Saturday, 24 May 2014
GPS Is Not Foolproof. A Map Still Makes the Most of Summer Travel
Posted: 19 May 2014 05:48 AM PDT
“The best reason to keep paper maps in your vehicle, especially on long road trips, is because GPS isn’t always reliable,” says Cynthia Ochterbeck, editorial director of Michelin Travel Partner.
Confirming this trend, a 2013 Harris Interactive survey of 2,200 U.S. drivers who use GPS found that 63 percent say that the technology has led them astray at least once by pointing them in the wrong direction or creating complex, confusing and incorrect routes.
So, while it may seem that paper maps have gone the way of Atari’s Pong, they are still just as important as ever — not to mention many other benefits that you don’t get with some GPS devices.
“One of the greatest characteristics of paper maps is that you get all of the details, [such as] points of interest,” says Ochterbeck. “Plus, you don’t risk getting lost when you lose the signal or the battery dies on your cell phone or GPS device.”
Another benefit is that, in addition to printed maps providing efficient ways of understanding road networks that surround particular areas, the information is very reliable. Plus, new specialized maps, like Michelin’s Zoom Maps, are aiming to enhance the paper map experience.
Most people recognize Michelin for its tires, but, unknown to many, it also has a 112-year history of creating maps and travel guides. In fact, it provided the maps that were used by the Allies for the D-Day invasion. Improving on this history, the new Zoom Maps offer seven regional maps for travel in the U.S., with the ability to zoom in on more detail in urban areas. In addition, the new maps have a “not-to-be-missed” event calendar for regions, in an easy-to-fold system so you don’t have to unfold the entire map.
“Technology is great, but a printed map is one of the most important tools a traveler in an unfamiliar setting can have — the battery doesn’t die, it is easy to use, and it allows you to make decisions on route changes if necessary,” says Ochterbeck. “Even better, there are no roaming or data charges to worry about.”
For more information, visit www.michelintravel.com.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Ambedkar In The Times Of Hindutva | S. Anand
Ambedkar In The Times Of Hindutva | S. Anand
Five dalits are lynched by a Hindu mob. Their alleged crime: skinning a cow. The reporters and analysts who
express shock and outrage do not go beyond stating that the dalits were doing what they have been
traditionally doing: selling the dead cow's hide to make a living. There are few who want to explore the
historical relationship between the cow, the brahmin and the origins of untouchability.
The caste Hindu common sense is that eating beef is a taboo for the Hindus. The common sense also takes untouchability for granted, as something sanatan (permanent, eternal). For the Hindus, the cow is sacred. And what is daubed with sacredness is beyond the pale of argument. Then what about those who eat beef, the dalits? Are they Hindus? When did they start eating beef? Why did the brahmins for whom every day was probably a beef-steak day in the vedic period give up beef and meat altogether?
In 1948 Bhim Rao Ambedkar sought some serious answers to these and other questions, answers which have been neglected by the mainstream academia and intelligentsia. Here, we present the answers that Ambedkar sought in a context where at one end (Tamil Nadu) dalits today are being forced to eat shit and drink urine, and at another (Haryana) dalits are being forced to pay with their lives for doing what they have been condemned to do - eat the meat of the dead cow and use its skin for making leather products. Ambedkar In The Times Of Hindutva | S. Anand
The caste Hindu common sense is that eating beef is a taboo for the Hindus. The common sense also takes untouchability for granted, as something sanatan (permanent, eternal). For the Hindus, the cow is sacred. And what is daubed with sacredness is beyond the pale of argument. Then what about those who eat beef, the dalits? Are they Hindus? When did they start eating beef? Why did the brahmins for whom every day was probably a beef-steak day in the vedic period give up beef and meat altogether?
In 1948 Bhim Rao Ambedkar sought some serious answers to these and other questions, answers which have been neglected by the mainstream academia and intelligentsia. Here, we present the answers that Ambedkar sought in a context where at one end (Tamil Nadu) dalits today are being forced to eat shit and drink urine, and at another (Haryana) dalits are being forced to pay with their lives for doing what they have been condemned to do - eat the meat of the dead cow and use its skin for making leather products. Ambedkar In The Times Of Hindutva | S. Anand
The Grammar Of Anarchy | B.R. Ambedkar
The Grammar Of Anarchy | B.R. Ambedkar
Excerpts from the Constituent Assembly speech by Dr B.R. Ambedkar on Friday, the 25th November, 1949. Read the full speech here
... I feel, however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depend are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics. Who can say how the people of India and their purposes or will they prefer revolutionary methods of achieving them? If they adopt the revolutionary methods, however good the Constitution may be, it requires no prophet to say that it will fail. It is, therefore, futile to pass any judgement upon the Constitution without reference to the part which the people and their parties are likely to play.
... my mind is so full of the future of our country that I feel I ought to take this occasion to give expression to some of my reflections thereon. On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country (Cheers). What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again? This is the first thought that comes to my mind. It is not that India was never an independent country. The point is that she once lost the independence she had. Will she lost it a second time? It is this thought which makes me most anxious for the future. What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. In the invasion of Sind by Mahommed-Bin-Kasim, the military commanders of King Dahar accepted bribes from the agents of Mahommed-Bin-Kasim and refused to fight on the side of their King. It was Jaichand who invited Mahommed Gohri to invade India and fight against Prithvi Raj and promised him the help of himself and the Solanki Kings. When Shivaji was fighting for the liberation of Hindus, the other Maratha noblemen and the Rajput Kings were fighting the battle on the side of Moghul Emperors. When the British were trying to destroy the Sikh Rulers, Gulab Singh, their principal commander sat silent and did not help to save the Sikh Kingdom. In 1857, when a large part of India had declared a war of independence against the British, the Sikhs stood and watched the event as silent spectators. The Grammar Of Anarchy | B.R. Ambedkar
... I feel, however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depend are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics. Who can say how the people of India and their purposes or will they prefer revolutionary methods of achieving them? If they adopt the revolutionary methods, however good the Constitution may be, it requires no prophet to say that it will fail. It is, therefore, futile to pass any judgement upon the Constitution without reference to the part which the people and their parties are likely to play.
... my mind is so full of the future of our country that I feel I ought to take this occasion to give expression to some of my reflections thereon. On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country (Cheers). What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again? This is the first thought that comes to my mind. It is not that India was never an independent country. The point is that she once lost the independence she had. Will she lost it a second time? It is this thought which makes me most anxious for the future. What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. In the invasion of Sind by Mahommed-Bin-Kasim, the military commanders of King Dahar accepted bribes from the agents of Mahommed-Bin-Kasim and refused to fight on the side of their King. It was Jaichand who invited Mahommed Gohri to invade India and fight against Prithvi Raj and promised him the help of himself and the Solanki Kings. When Shivaji was fighting for the liberation of Hindus, the other Maratha noblemen and the Rajput Kings were fighting the battle on the side of Moghul Emperors. When the British were trying to destroy the Sikh Rulers, Gulab Singh, their principal commander sat silent and did not help to save the Sikh Kingdom. In 1857, when a large part of India had declared a war of independence against the British, the Sikhs stood and watched the event as silent spectators. The Grammar Of Anarchy | B.R. Ambedkar
Reliving a nightmare - The Hindu
Reliving a nightmare - The Hindu
There’s not much 13-year-old Manju remembers about the
night of March 23. She knows she and three other girls were abducted
from their village of Bhagana in Haryana’s Hisar district. She knows
they were drugged and raped. She knows what her body remembers, the
weight of one man after another on top of her. And the pain she woke up
to the next morning.
“Unka wazan yaad hai,” says Manju. “Thoda thoda hosh toh tha tab tak. (I remember their weight. I was conscious for a while.)”
Manju,
Reema (17), Asha (17), Rajni (18), are Dalit girls of the Dhanuk
sub-caste. On the evening of March 23, they had gone to a field near
their homes to urinate. They were set upon by five men from the dominant
Jat caste, drugged, gang raped in the fields and carried off in a car.
They were found outside Bhatinda’s railway station across the border in
Punjab the next morning. Though an FIR was filed under the Prevention of
Atrocities (SC/ST) Act, the five men — Lalit, Sumit, Sandeep, Parimal,
Dharamvir — were arrested on April 29, and the case is being fought in
the Hisar District court by lawyer Ramniwas Sharma. Things are murkier
than they appear to be, as is often the case in caste-ridden Haryana.Reliving a nightmare - The Hindu
Silence Is Deafening, Are My Fears Unfounded? | Nandita Das
Silence Is Deafening, Are My Fears Unfounded? | Nandita Das
The election of a new government in India is the result of a
democratic exercise so vast that any critique of the mandate needs to be
respectful. And more so, if it is a pre-emptive one. Yet, there are
good reasons why some of us are fearful. Let’s begin with the
much-proclaimed promise of ‘development’ and the great enthusiasm among
the middle and elite classes for the ‘Gujarat model’. Just for the
record, the state has always been among the more enterprising and
prosperous ones. And in the last decade, even by the simplistic
yardstick of economic growth, Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu have
done better than Gujarat. In any case, economic growth is not the only
measure of success, as a large number of Indians are marginalised and
suffer on many other counts. Will their voices be heard in an economic
model driven above all by corporate policies? Will there be any focus on
social measures that are so crucial for the underprivileged? Will the
‘development’ be inclusive and for all?
While we are being asked to move past the 2002 carnage, there is no hesitation in invoking memories of the Partition or going as far back as Babar! What scares me is that let alone any remorse, apology or concern for those whose scars have still not healed, there is a fearful rise in prejudice and its legitimacy. Clearly evident in these elections is a religiously charged ethos, created through the campaign, revealing that under the ‘development’ story the core remains divisive politics. Amit Shah’s speeches in Muzaffarnagar, Modi’s refusal to wear the skull cap, while he wore every other headgear during the campaign, Praveen Togadia asking Muslims to be thrown out of “Hindu areas”, to name a few.Silence Is Deafening, Are My Fears Unfounded? | Nandita Das
While we are being asked to move past the 2002 carnage, there is no hesitation in invoking memories of the Partition or going as far back as Babar! What scares me is that let alone any remorse, apology or concern for those whose scars have still not healed, there is a fearful rise in prejudice and its legitimacy. Clearly evident in these elections is a religiously charged ethos, created through the campaign, revealing that under the ‘development’ story the core remains divisive politics. Amit Shah’s speeches in Muzaffarnagar, Modi’s refusal to wear the skull cap, while he wore every other headgear during the campaign, Praveen Togadia asking Muslims to be thrown out of “Hindu areas”, to name a few.Silence Is Deafening, Are My Fears Unfounded? | Nandita Das
Get a Grip — Tips for Safer Driving on Wet Roads
Russell Shepherd, a mechanical engineer for Michelin North America and self-proclaimed “tire nerd,” has certainly earned his informal title as evident by his 15 years of driving in almost every type of weather condition imaginable. Most concerning for him — wet weather.
“Most people don’t realize how much wet roads affect their driving,” says Shepherd. “When roads become wet, it takes longer to stop and more time to react, making it more important than normal to pay attention to your car and other drivers.”
So, what can the average driver do? Shepard suggests getting to the bottom of things first — with the tires. Here are some tips:
* Check all tires regularly for tread wear and pressure. Changes in season and temperatures make it a good time to check both.
* Be cautious from the start. As soon as it starts raining, traction can become negatively affected. It only takes a small amount of water to mix with oil and dust to create a slick surface.
* Find the right tire. A tire with a grip designed to handle wet roads, such as the new Michelin Premier A/S tire, can make a big difference. This tire has a unique rubber compound engineered to maximize traction, and two sets of grooves to help channel water away from the tires to maintain that traction. The second set of grooves is hidden when the tire is new, but emerges as the tire wears. This distinctive design feature maintains the tire’s ability to funnel water away, even when worn, which prolongs the life of the tire and enhances driver safety.
* Get in touch with your car. Take time to learn how your car responds on wet roads. Is the steering looser than normal? Are you sliding when you brake? Do you notice the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) kicking in? If so, your tires could be losing their grip. Slow down and get your tires checked as soon as possible.
For more information about wet-weather driving and choosing the right tire for your car, visit www.michelinman.com/.
Get Ahead of Schedule By Going Tankless
“Homeowners tend to forget about their water heater until there’s an issue,” said Kerri Walker, senior marketing manager at Rinnai. “A water heater is a major appliance that can affect your lifestyle for years to come. That’s why it’s important to make the right decision before waking up to find there’s only cold water running through your pipes.”
In most American homes, a 40- to 50-gallon traditional tank water heater stores a limited supply of water that is heated and reheated, even when not in use. This supply can be depleted quickly with heavy hot water usage. A tankless water heater heats water on demand and only as needed, allowing households to shower, bathe and wash clothes and dishes simultaneously or whenever it’s most convenient, rather than being confined to a hot-water schedule.
“Instead of setting an allotted time to run the dishwasher, do the laundry or take showers, a tankless water heater makes it possible to get things done according to your own timetable — without fear that the hot water will run out,” said Walker.
Rinnai tankless hot water heaters have a typical life expectancy of up to 20 years, which far exceeds their traditional water-tank counterparts. Tankless hot water systems are approximately 82 to 96 percent efficient. Additionally, according to energystar.gov, ENERGY STAR-qualified tankless water heaters save an average family more than $100 on their gas bill per year, compared to a standard storage-tank water heater. Depending on the size of your family, you could save even more.
To calculate how much energy your household could save by switching to a tankless water heater, go to www.rinnai.us/tankless-water-
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Let we tribute to Revolutionary Pandit Iyothi Dhass.
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| Pandit Iyothi Dhass |
About Iyothi Dhass
BORN : 20 may, 1845
DIED : 5 may, 1914
He worked for the downtrodden people. He was the 1st person who instrumental in articulating the idea that the downtrodden people were not only Buddhists formerly but were the original inhabitants of India which later paved way for many social movements He was the first Depressed Class Leader who had worked for the
cause of revivalism of Buddhism in India. In 1898, Dhass founded the
“Sakya Buddhist Society” ( Indian Buddhist Association).
Iyothee Thass was the first modern Dalit social
revolutionary. He succeed in the getting the thousands of acres of lands and
distributed among the landless poor under the scheme of “Panchami Lands”.
EARLY
LIFE : * Iyothee Thass was born in Nilgiris in 1845 and his father was Kandaswamy. His original name was Kathavarayan. As his teacher's name was Iyothee Thass, Kathavaraya changed his name into Iyothee Thass. He also obtained the title of Pandit. He was also a popular Siddha Doctor. He gained expertise in reading palm leaf manuscripts, Tamil literature, philosophy, Siddha and had good knowledge of English, Sanskrit and Pali. Iyothee Thass was the first Dalit to undergo a personal educational revolution. He educated himself in Tamil, Sanskrit, Pali and English. Because he was self-taught, he was able to shed new light on Tamil and Pali culture and spirituality. He is a role model for every Dalit student struggling in casteist, run-down government schools. He realized, as few others did, that the real revolutionary potential lay not in urban Dalits, but in the rural Dalits and adivasis. Iyothee Thass united and organized the various tribes of the Nilgiri Hills (Wayanad in Kerala, Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu) * 1885 - Launched a magazine 'Dravida Pandian'.* 1886 - He announcing that the so called Untochables are not Hindus * 1891 - established the Dravida Mahajana Sabha and during 1st census urged the so called Untochables to register themselves as casteless Dravidians * 1896 - He moved from Nilgiris to Chennai where he created one Buddhist Temple
SOCIAL REFORMS : Iyothee Thass was a forerunner of Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar and EV.Ramasamy Periyar. He was the first Dalit to use Dravidian sentimental legacy to liberate Dalits from Hinduism. He did this based on his deep knowledge of Tamil history, culture and social dynamics. He was the first Dalit to realize the revolutionary legacy of Buddhism and to use Buddhism to create social change. While his movement did not transcend religion into a genuine spiritual movement, it had a tremendous impact in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Iyothee Thass created the first ideological media revolution, writing from his deep personal knowledge to enlighten Dalits on countless subjects. Still today, his writings are not properly compiled let alone translated. Iyothee Thass was also an intellectual revolutionary because while most Indians were running after Western knowledge or imagining airplanes and atoms in the Vedas, Iyothee Thass revived the Dravidian Siddha system of medicine. The Tamil Siddhas were among the most revolutionary poets in Indian history. Their strong assault on not just casteism but the very materialist mentality behind it has a powerful impact, even in translation, on any materialist, western or eastern. Iyothee Thass revived this anti-Brahminical medical knowledge system in the teeth of resistance from the Aryan, Ayurvedic establishment His meeting with Olcott was a turning point not only in his life but also for the Dalit movement in many ways. He argued that Tamil Dalits were originally Buddhists. He led a delegation of prominent Dalits to Henry Steel Olcott and asked for his help in the re-establishment of "Tamil Buddhism". Olcott helped Thass to visit Sri Lanka, where he received Diksha from Bhikkhu Sumangala Nayake. After returning to India, Thass established the ‘Sakya Buddhist Society’ in Madras with branches in many places including Karnataka. Thass established a weekly magazine called Oru Paisa Tamizhan ("One Paisa Tamilan") in Chennai on 19th June
1907 and its price was 'one paisa'. On 26th August 1908, the name, Oru Paisa Tamizhan,
was changed into Tamizhan. He published Tamizhan from 1907 to 1914.
From 17th June 1914 to 26th August 1915, Tamizhan was published by
Wilson Patabiraman and then from 7th July 1926 to 27th June 1934,
Kolar Goldvaiyal Pandithamani Appadurai published it, which served as a
news letter linking all the new branches of the Sakya Buddhist Society.
The magazine discussed traditions and practices of Tamil Buddhism,
new developments in the Buddhist world, and the Indian subcontinent's
history from the Buddhist point of view and edited it till his death in 1914.
He established of several Panchama schools in chennai. Iyothee Thass,
with the help of Col. Olcott, set up five schools in the City,
specifically for the Depressed Class. It was from these schools that the first
generation of leaders and ideologues emerged. He focused on education and the land issue.
He interpreted Indian history which can be classified as subaltern history in a true sense.
Today even uttering the name of Iyothee Thass in the Tamil public sphere has become
an act of a rebellion. the Dravida parties, Communists and Tamil rationalists.
Nobody has any regard for Dhass. He died in the year 1914.
The Central Govt has decided to restore Iyothi Dhass and name to
“ The National centre for Siddha research in chennai”. Iyothee Thass's teachings
nurtured and shaped the career of Rettamalai Srinivasan and M.C. Rajah in Tamil Nadu
Books written:
He wrote 325 political, 55 literary, 51 social, 109 religious articles in Tamizhan.
On 3rd February 1909, he wrote an article about voting right to minority.
Iyothee Thass wrote several articles in the Tamizhan explaining the historical evolution of the society,
religious traditions and cultural patterns of Tamil Nadu. Dalit political discourses
dominated the columns of Tamizhan. These bring out a systematic
argument of the first ever Depressed Class Ideology in Tamil Nadu.
In Indirar Desa Charithram (History of the Country of Indrars),
Iyothee Thass declared that in the past, the Subcontinent was known as
'Indirar Desam' or the 'Land of Indirar'. Indirar was none other than
the Buddha who had managed to control his five senses successfully.
His knowledge prompted him to arrive at the conclusion that the
Panchamas were not Hindus but 'Adi Thamizharhal' (Original Tamils).
Iyothee Thass also wrote at length on Buddhism, the life of Buddha, his readings,
the dialogues he had with his disciples, and on the principles of faith and
action which he upheld. He argued that the text, Thirukural,
was originally known as Thiri-kural (thiri means three) and it was
the first Buddhist Text in a Dravidian Language. The Kural content adhered
to the three Pitakas of the Buddha's Teachings and hence it was known as the Thirukural.
The idea of Communal Reservation was articulated in 1885 by him.
Iyothee Thass Pandithar and his Understanding of the History of this Nation
(It is not India but Indira Desam): Pandithar argues that Gowthama Buddha
after his enlightenment taught the people of this nation the way of truth.
Therefore, people of this nation celebrated the Buddha by calling Him as
Varadhar and Baradhar and also they started calling the two parts of this nation
as North Baradha Desam and South Baradha Desam. And the Buddha
was called as the "Indirar" which would refer to the one who conquered the five senses.
Thus, the way of the Buddha was called as Indira Thanmam, and the nation
in which he was born was called as Indirar desam. Gradually this name
"Indirar Desam" turned into be Indhiya Desam (North Indhiyam and South Indhiyam).
Therefore, it is because of the Buddha this nation was called as Indirar Desam
and there is no any other reason for this. But the Aryans who invaded this
Indirar Desam never understood this history and they started calling them
as Hindus and their religion as Hinduism. And more over they called themselves
as Indians and those who are in India are Hindus alone. They even say now
that it is from Hinduism, Buddhism was born and some of the Hindus only became Buddhists.
Iyothee Thass would claim that the history of this nation was covered and therefore
the Religion of this nation according to him is Indirar Thanmam
(the way of the Indirar = the Buddha) and all the people of this nation are Indirars since they
all followed the Indirar Thanmam. Hinduism had no roots in this Nation.
Let us celebrate Iyothee Thass for this wonderful explanation and let us call
ourselves as Indirars and this nation as Indira Desam.
Reference: * “The Role of Pandit Iyothee Dhass to the Elevation of Depressed class in Tamil Nadu”
by R.Suresh Kumar. * “Pandit Iyothee Dhass” by T.Nalini Anbarasu.
* “Social Reformers Of Modern India” by D.Padmavathy
Monday, 28 April 2014
No Shelf Required With E-Readers at Your Fingertips
With hectic schedules ruling the day, people often underestimate the importance of taking time to relax and recharge—even if for only a few minutes.
To that point, why not do so with a good book? Whether you’re curled up on the couch after work or simply on your lunch break, eReading companies such as Kobo have enough options to keep you interested—and relaxed.No matter what age you are, there’s something for everyone’s taste or preference.
The 20s can be fraught with stress and tension. You’ve left the comfort of home, so now what? Consider books that will help direct you on your own path. There is “How to Be Interesting” by Jessica Hagy and “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now” by Meg Jay.
The 30s might have you pondering marriage and family, in which case, “Smart Parenting for Smart Kids: Nurturing Your Child’s True Potential” by Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Mark S. Lowenthal might be informative and invaluable reads. For a mind-candy read that’s sure to entertain, try “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding.
By their 40s, people are looking for a little romance or a thrill. Books such as “Inferno” by Dan Brown, or “Committed” by Elizabeth Gilbert may have just the appeal you’re looking for.
In your 50s, the kids are (hopefully) out of the house, and you now have time to read and travel. To that end, “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova and “Live By Night” by Dennis Lehane could be the thing to toss in your suitcase.
The 60s, or Golden Years, mean retirement and the ability to enjoy the things you love most. Whether it’s spending time with family, keeping fit, or curling up with a good book, there is “Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter or “Paris” by Edward Rutherfurd.
As well as offering instant access to millions of titles online, digital reading companies offer a cornucopia of eReading device options and free reading apps for most smartphones and tablets, making it easy to expand your “just read” list. Whatever your age—young or old, married or single—books are a source of entertainment, escape and inspiration, but most of all, enjoyment.
Learn more at www.kobo.com/ereaders.
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