Jan 2010 rh

Vol. 73 No 10

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THERADICALHUMANIST (Since April 1949)

JANUARY 2010 Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949)

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

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The Radical Humanist

—Contents—

Vol. 73 Number 10 January 2010 Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute Devoted to the development of the Renaissance Movement; and for promotion of human rights, scientific-temper, rational thinking and a humanist view of life.

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy Contributory Editors: Professor Amlan Datta Professor A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed Justice R.A. Jahagirdar (Retd.)

Dr. R.M. Pal Professor Rama Kundu Editor: Dr. Rekha Saraswat Publisher: Mr. N.D. Pancholi Printer: Mr. N.D. Pancholi Send articles to: Dr. Rekha Saraswat C-8, Defence Colony Meerut, 250001, U.P., India Ph. 91-121-2620690, 09719333011 E-mail articles at: rheditor@gmail.com Send Subscription / Donation Cheques to: Mr. Narottam Vyas (Advocate), Chamber Number 111 (Near Post Office) Supreme Court of India, New Delhi, 110001, India n.vyas@snr.net.in Ph. 91-11-22712434, 91-11-23782836, 09811944600 In favour of: ‘The Radical Humanist’ Sometimes some articles published in this journal may carry opinions not similar to the radical humanist philosophy; but they would be entertained here if the need is felt to debate and discuss upon them. —Rekha 1

1. From the Editor’s Desk: Demand for smaller States —Rekha Saraswat 2 2. Contributory Editors’ Section: The Inquisition of Galileo —R.A. Jahagirdar 3 The Kashmir Dispute —R.M. Pal 7 3. Guests’ Section: India’s California Outpost —Dorothy North 9 Humanist Approach to Social Security - IV Palliative Care —R.K.A. Subrahmanya 11 4. Current Affairs: Lessons of Telangana —Balraj Puri 15 Slip on Telangana & 10th World Communists’ Cong.

—N.K. Acharya 17 5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section: Political History of Andhra Pradesh — N. Innaiah 18 Abolishing the Ph.D. Award —Subhankar Ray 22 6. Student’s & Research Scholar’s Section: Obstacles to World Peace —Nikhil Vyas 25 7. Book Review Section: In the Name of Justice —Dipavali Sen 27 Discovering the Difference between Science & Superstition —Jugal Kishore 29 8. Humanist News: 31

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From the Editor’s Desk:

Rekha Saraswat

Demand for smaller States was a conglomeration of countless India kingdoms. It united into one huge nation when the British went. We hoped to make it big by getting together. Now we are hoping to get better by disintegrating into smaller parts again! Telangana being the latest, prominent example of that desire!

We teach the advantages and disadvantages of the federal system in Political Science. We also compare the good and bad experiences of Indian federal structure when we teach Indian Government and Politics to our students.

And when we discuss the composition of the 50 autonomous States of the U.S.A. and their 50 plus 1 Constitutions, in the module of Comparative Governments and Politics, we do not forget to quote that even then the U.S.A. is more integrated than our Indian ‘nation’. This is, when India is a Union of States with much more stringent laws to keep them bound to the Centre than the U.S. The reason being, India and the U.S. have very different backgrounds to their federal history, the latter learning first to live together in a loose confederation of 13 States and then the coming together of 50 States, gradually, seeing the advantages of uniting to face and compete the world, while remaining independent with their own Constitutions to run their internal affairs. On the other hand, India, having a record of innumerable Princely States who had united for the common purpose of ousting a foreign regime and who were later, invited to remain together as one strong nation could not convince them till date that to succeed in democracy a collective civic-sense and common civic-culture is much above 2

their regional commitments, cultural allegiances and kingship loyalties. And for a healthy democracy this variety may serve as their personal characteristic identity but not as their common national character.

Are the citizens solely to blame? No they are not. In a democracy the government owns the responsibility to treat all citizens as equal while assisting them in attaining the minimum facilities to lead a decent life. If it fails to do so and if certain sections of the society living in a particular State feel they are deprived and neglected, they tend to associate this discrimination with their different cultural, social, regional and language backgrounds. The situation becomes all the more grave when the economic distribution system is heavily tilted towards the capitalist gains; when the resources are not directly proportional with the needs of the society and when the government decides their demand and supply ratio under the influence of the industrial big-wigs.

In such a situation all demands for smaller States end up in catering to the needs of newer creams of the crop leaving the common man high and dry. People’s emotions are worked up and through their agitations and sufferings and in their name, new sets of chief-ministers with their cabinets, new assemblage of bureaucrats and new groups of business houses emerge.The actual benefits of smaller autonomous States, thus, are belied.

A federal government works on the basic principal of de-centralization of power. Responsibilities are to be shared by the smallest units so that the demands and needs of the local masses are met and fulfilled at their local level only. It is expected from the local legislators, ministers and bureaucrats to be abreast with these people’s problems for solving them without delay. No State in India can boast of fulfilling the required minimum of the federal set-up however big or small it is!

Finally, the citizens have also to share equally in the blame game. It will now be 60 years on 26th January 2010 since the implementation of our Constitution. How long will the Indians take to learn to demand and execute their fundamental rights in a democratic manner? How long will the educated and aware elite maintain its apathy towards the illiterate and ignorant populace and shirk from its duty of helping them obtain their rightful place in the society? Every New Year we make certain resolutions for ourselves, let us resolve this year to strive for the betterment of the lesser lucky in our country!

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Contributing Editor’s Section:

R.A. Jahagirdar

[Justice R.A. Jahagirdar (Retd.), former President of Indian Radical Humanist Association and former Editor of ‘The Radical Humanist’ is now one of the members of the Contributing Editorial Board of The Radical Humanist.]

The Inquisition of Galileo hundred years in the history of mankind is Four too small a period to make any progress, but the last 400 years have seen more progress than could have happened in four thousand years. For nearly 1500 years the world, even the world of science, lived with the idea that the earth was the centre of the universe and the sun revolved around the earth. After all it was the God-ordained geocentric world. The planet moved around the earth in circles. The Aris to Teliam world was in circles. The circle was a perfect manner in which things moved. Everything to be perfect must be in circles. The egg was not perfect because it was not circular. But things otherwise were perfect. The sun moved around the earth as circles. “Genesis” tells us that God created the universe and God could not have created anything less than perfect. What is more perfect than a circle? This was the basis of Aristotelian logic.

The planets, which were the creation of a perfect God, moved in circles around the earth. Man was after all the creature of God who wanted him to be in the centre of the world. Man was an inhabitant of the earth and, therefore, the earth had to be in the centre of the universe and around it moved the planets. That is how the geocentric world was visualized. Circle, round, was the basis of everything that was perfect. That was Aristotle’s logic 3

which was perfect deduction of the time. Evidence was not collected; it was assumed. Given this major premise, minor premise was provided and the conclusion was inevitable. Aristotelian logic ruled science as it was then understood. It suited the Church which was happy with that sort of logic because the earth was presumed to be round and at the centre of the universe. No one dared to challenge this view.

It was even Ptolemy, the Egyptian who was one of the earliest sky watchers, who insisted that the earth was round and the centre of universe, consistent with the Aristotelian view. This despite that the planets moved in a peculiar manner and could not render to a reasonable calculation. It was still the insistence on the deductive methods. Search for knowledge outside one’s mind was not even thought of. All knowledge, according to this method, was confined to one’s mind and the logical method dictated by the religious scriptures. For nearly four hundred years, this method dominated the world of knowledge as a result of which practically no progress was made in knowledge. May be the conclusions drawn were logically correct. Knowledge was the result of internal cogitation. It gave rise to mysticism or metaphysics but not the substance of knowledge.

Thinkers rejoiced in their ability at hair-splitting. But did it add to the stock of human knowledge?

For the first time, it was Roger Bacon (1213-1292 A.D.), an English Franciscan, who canvassed the view that experimentation – not just revelation or the classical wisdom of Thomas Aquinas – is a path to truth. It is not known whether he possessed the gadgets ascribed to him. For his heretical views he was put in prison for fourteen years. The clock was put back.

It was another Bacon who gave a thrust to the progress of knowledge. Frances Bacon, who had been earlier impeached for corruption, devoted the latter period of life for explaining the steps necessary for the advancement of learning. As Will Durant has put it, “Science now began to liberate itself from the placenta of its mother philosophy. It shrugged Aristotle from its back, turned its face from metaphysics to Nature, developed its own distinctive methods and looked to improve the life of man on the earth.” (Age of Reason Begins, p. 586).

Bacon’s major contribution of inductive logic – the process from the specific to the general – began to be

THE RADICAL HUMANIST used for academic and scientific discovery, an approach embraced by modern science. Once this approach was accepted, there were inquiries, there were investigations, observations were resorted to, experiments were conducted – what one can call positivism was adopted – these are the things which made science possible and progress after nearly 1400 years when the world had followed the deductive method of deduction.

In astronomy, data never changes. Stars and planets have been in the same position since at least known history of mankind. Even from the time of Ptolemy of Egypt, earth had a stationary place. The sun went round the earth. For a true astronomer with an active mind this gave several difficulties.

A Polish bishop though believed in God, through observation and calculations came to the conclusion that the sun was stationary and the earth and other planets moved round the sun which was not a planet but a star.

He was Nicolas Copernicus.

It was thought otherwise in those days. One Mr. Jean Bodin, a sixteenth century religious priest, said: “No one in his senses will ever think that the earth, heavy and unwieldy from its own weight and mass, staggers up and down around its own centre and that of the sun.”

Copernicus was in his senses. His studies of the sky and ancient texts forced him to finally reject the then existing theory. His theory overthrew the fifteen hundred old theory of Ptolomic system and opened the crater of true astronomy. Arthur Koestler who has made a deep study of astronomy and has written a book on the subject has called Copernicus “a conservative cleric who started the revolution against his will.” This is the Copernicus revolution which changed the movement of sun, earth and other planets.

Before I comment on Galileo’s contribution, I must mention some of the contributions Galileo made to other branches of knowledge. Galileo, no doubt, upheld Copernicus’ theory. He spread it, in one sense popularized it. The Church was not amused. Apart from the Inquisition to which Galileo was subjected, the book in which Copernicus has propounded his theory was put in the Index. “Index” is a list of books which the Catholics were forbidden to read. “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” had been put in the Index.

Librorum Prohibitorum was the name when it was enacted by the Church. It was drawn up in 1557 and from

JANUARY 2010 time to time revised. Now the list is abolished.

Galileo was actually a physicist. He was born on 18th February, 1564 in which year Shakespeare was also born. Clear signs of science could be seen in his knowledge and behaviour. His ambition was originally to become an artist. Michelangelo died when Galileo was born. However, his father in Florence who was reasonably a rich man sent him to University to study medicine. But physics attracted him like a magnet. He made his scientific discovery – that the swings of pendulum, regardless of width, take equal times. He also found that lengthening or shortening the arm of a pendulum could retard or quicken his pulse. By adjustment of the length of the arm of pendulum it could make the movement of the pendulum to synchronize with his pulse. By this ‘pulsigola’ he could measure even the heart beats. A pupil of Galileo, Torricello, constructed the first barometer in 1643.

In the period in which Galileo lived, his name was great.

Governments valued his knowledge. In military matter he was regularly consulted. He could give the distance of a ship in the sea. His famous experiment in the tower of Pisa is doubted, but much talked about. He threw two spears of unequal weight from the top of the tower of Pisa and demonstrated that when two objects of unequal weight are dropped from a height, they reach the ground at the same time. This was contrary to the prevalent belief; it was also contrary to imagination.

Galileo was not the one who invented telescope, but the principle and the use of a telescope were his. Lenses were invented in Holland. Astronomers used lenses to magnify. Galileo found that when a concave lens is used with a convex on top, magnification is multiplied. With the help of such a telescope he would study the movements and confirm the findings of Copernicus.

Copernicus revolution was, according to Galileo, confirmed. He also spotted four moons of Jupiter. They are called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. In astronomy they are called Galilean Satellites.

The discovery of four moons of Jupiter was a great blow to religion. God had created the universe. Neither in the Bible nor in any scripture a mention had been made of these planets. According to the people, all heavenly bodies must go round the earth. For the first time stellar objects were seen to go around another planet. This was another blow to Ptolomic theory.

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Nebula then was nebulous. Consisting of stars, though, the stars did not show any features. Galileo showed that Nebula was a group when viewed through a telescope. It was because of the immense distance that the stars were nebulous to the naked eye.

In 1609, Galileo confirmed Copernicus revolution with the help of a telescope, thus attracting the wrath of the Catholics. However, as long as the Copernican proposition was viewed as a hypothesis, the Church did not deem it necessary to persecute Galileo. Galileo, however, could not be silenced. He wrote a slender book giving a story of three persons. Of them, one was a simpleton who acted as were asked by the then Pope.

Galileo invited inquisition, but did not abandon the earth’s revolution. He proclaimed that he was obliged to believe the same God who has endowed with sense, reason and intellect; has intended us to forgo their use.

He said that philosophy (then natural philosophy): “is written in this grand book of universe, which stands continually open to our gaze cannot be understood unless we first tried to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics.”

The ground is laid for Inquisition. After Martin Luther, the Church was uneasy with heresies which might weaken the Church. It was very important that heresies should be suppressed. The Bible was important and was regarded as the repository of all knowledge. How can a man upset divine knowledge, especially knowledge guarded by an Institution like Roman Catholic Church?

To say anything contrary to what is said in the Bible is heresy and heresy must be suppressed. A belief or practice contrary to the orthodox doctrine of the Church is/was heresy. An opinion contrary to what is accepted is heresy. How can there be two opinions on what the Church regards as its doctrine? It is clear from the Bible and from what has been officially followed that earth is the centre of the universe, that it was inhabited by man who was created in God’s own image, that the sun and other planets orbit the earth. Everything that followed from Copernicus was heresy which was held and supported by Galileo was heresy.

Originally, Inquisition started a procedure for inquiry.

The attempt was to know the truth and possibility. Later it was realized that it was necessary to put down heresy.

Inquisition became an institution. Holy office was

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established. It conducted Inquisition. Whether right or wrong, “heresy” had to be crushed. A heretic was made to confess to the contrary to what view he held.

Sometimes, like Bruno, heretics were adamant, obstinate and strong. Weapons were added to Inquisition. Third degree methods made the heretics confess to their errors. Some refused to admit that they were wrong and were burnt at the stake.

Because of his pre-eminence in the society and also because of his knowledge, Galileo was never tortured; though the instruments of torture were shown to intimidate him. Galileo met many ecclesial persons who could influence. He moved to and fro from Florence to Rome. Once he had a long conversation with the Pope, but failed to convince the latter. The Pope, though refusing to lift the Inquisition which had been started in 1616, was sufficiently impressed by Galileo’s learning to say “For a long time we have extended our fatherly love to this great man, whose fame shines in heaven and marches on earth”.

A new Pope who was formerly a pupil of Galileo was appointed. The latter’s hope soared but hopes were soon belied. The Inquisition continued.

It was the practice of the Inquisition to question the Accused intensely to bring upon him the pressure of the Church. Torture was not applied immediately. The Accused was allowed to think, to mediate for years.

That is how the Inquisition in the case of Galileo, started in 1616, ended in 1622, with his retraction.

Actually the Inquisition started in 1632. One may recall the Inquisition as an institution was created by Pope Paul III in 1542 to stem the spread of Reformation doctrines.

It was even given the power to Judge competing doctrines. So it could hold Copernicus wrong.

On 16th April, 1616 Galileo was brought into the room which is now the Post Office of Rome. Rules of procedure were simple, though they were not the rules of a Court. The questioning, in the case of Galileo, was soft and not threatening. The Court did not meet again; the trial ended there. On 22nd June, 1616, the Inquisition pronounced him guilty. But it offered him absolution on the condition of full abjuration; it sentenced him to the prison of the Holy Office for a period which the Holy Office was to decide. He was made to renounce the Copernicus Theory. A penance was also imposed upon him. That was that he would recite penitential Psalms to

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3 years. On 22nd June, 1633, Galileo, then 70 years old, retracted and gave a long confession, part of which is as follows: “With a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I abjure, curse, and detest the errors and heresies and generally every other error and heresy contrary to … … Holy Church and I swear that I will never more in future say or assert anything which may give rise to similar suspicion of me and that if I know any heretic or anyone suspected of heresy, I will denounce him to this Holy Office.”

When he came out of the hall, he is reported to have said “Yet he does move”. This is doubtful as there is no reference to it in his biography.

He spent three years in the prison of the Inquisition.

Later he was moved to a couple of private houses. At last was allowed to stay in his own. He was alone and almost blind. He had an illegitimate daughter who was a nun and she took care of him. Technically he was still a prisoner. He was forbidden to travel outside the grounds of his own house. In 1638, John Milton, the famous English poet, came to see him.

On January 8, 1642, aged 78, he died. It was in 1835 the Church realized that he was right and withdrew his works from the Index. Will Durant says: “The broken and defeated man had triumphed over the most powerful institution in history.”

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R.M. Pal

The Kashmir Dispute [Dr. R.M. Pal is the Editor of PUCL Bulletin and former President of Delhi State PUCL. He was formerly the editor of The Radical Humanist. He has co-edited Human Rights of Dalits with Mr. G.S. Bhargava. He has also co-edited Power to the People: The Political Thought of Gandhi, M.N. Roy and Jaiprakash Narayan with Mrs. Meera Verma, published by Gyan Books, New Delhi in two volumes. months ago I spoke to a very well-known Some human rights activist in Mumbai that we might have a discussion session on the implication of the demand for Azadi in Kashmir. He said we have many other problems like communalism. There is no problem in Kashmir. The Assembly elections in J&K have settled all issues and disputes. He is wrong. The dispute remains and almost all political formations including those who at one time wanted a plebiscite in Kashmir to settle the dispute between India and Pakistan, that is Kashmir being a Muslim majority state should form part of Pakistan, are leading demonstrations for Azadi. In recent times even fundamentalist leaders like Mr. Gilani have not spoken about joining Pakistan.

The demand for Azadi is strong. What should the Government of India do to tackle the question of Azadi?

An independent Muslim state will be a Taliban state for all practical purposes. It is true that Kashmiri leaders including some Pandit leaders like the late Pt. Premnath Bazaz have claimed that Kashmiri Islam is very different from fundamentalist Islam. It is tolerant, liberal and progressive. Well, then why is it that whenever there has been a call for introducing ‘burkha’ to closing down video parlours, beauty parlours to closing down of

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co-educational institutions, Kashmiri Muslims have overwhelmingly supported such calls?

In this brief article I propose to deal with the question of handling the demand for Azadi. There were, and will be, huge demonstrations on the streets of Srinagar to support this demand. The army and the police cannot disperse the crowds. Applying violence in the form of shooting down people in order to disperse such demonstrations will only make the demand for Azadi more popular. The international community will raise its voice to support the leaders of the movement. Let us not forget that the Kashmir lobby in the US wants India to make Kashmir an independent state.

There is only one way to deal with the situation. A little bit of gambling on the part of the Government of India.

Indians have to choose between two options. One, to go by the original British Parliamentary Act declaring creation of two countries, India and Pakistan, Hindu majority areas to join India and Muslim majority areas to join Pakistan. The 1947 invasion of Kashmir by Pakistan changed the situation. All that happened after that is known. India did not come out glorious in the UN. After that there was the demand for plebiscite in Kashmir, a plebiscite to give the Kashmiris the right to decide whether to join India or Pakistan. The plebiscite front became a powerful movement. The Government of India and its representative, the Governor of J&K should invite all Kashmiri leaders individually and tell them that India has now decided to have the plebiscite in Kashmir. The Governor may also hold dialogue with the Muslim middle class intelligentsia like professors, lawyers, doctors and engineers. This section of people would not like to join Pakistan. Therefore if they are confronted with the choice of being in India or Pakistan, they would prefer to maintain the status quo with greater autonomy.

There is an element of gambling in this approach. In politics, at times gambling is necessary. Jinnah gambled and got Pakistan. The other day a highly respected Muslim intellectual and a scholar on Islam, a recognized human rights intellectual-activist in India, told me that if Indian security forces in J&K act with restraint and respect human rights, then Kashmir might opt for India and not demand Azadi. It is too much to expect that from the Armed Forces. After all, India has retained Kashmir in India since 1947 using its Armed Forces. The only

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way out now is to give the choice of being with either India or Pakistan to the political leaders and the middle class intelligentsia. Isn’t this preferable to crushing demonstrations for Azadi using violent means?

For India, it will be better to hand over J&K to Pakistan

rather than have another Muslim state on its border.

After all, India expected Bangladesh to be a secular state. But the mullahs reign supreme there. The same thing will happen in J&K if it were to become an independent State.

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Guests’ Section:

Dorothy North

[Ms. Dorothy North is an attorney and writer living near San Francisco, California. She is the widow of Professor Robert C. North of Stanford University, who, with Xenia , was the co-author of M.N. Roy’s Mission to China, published in 1963 by the University of California Press:— (danorthstanford.edu)]

India’s California Outpost a 290-page report entitled, “Global Reach,” Inrecently published and widely quoted in Northern California, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute documents the extraordinary ties, both historical and contemporary, between India and Northern California, and the significant economic implications for both countries.

Beginning in the 1850s, Sikhs from the Punjab initially settled in Canada as members of the British military, and later migrated to the Pacific Northwest and ultimately to California. Others, hearing of the availability of work in California’s lumber mills and railroads, came directly to the state. The lure of California’s rich farmland brought immigrants from India to the Sacramento and Imperial Valleys of California. By 1920, farmers of Indian origin owned 2,100 acres and leased another 86,000 in California. According to the Institute’s research, descendants of the original Indian farmers now produce 95% of the Sacramento Valley’s peach crop, 60% of its prune crop and 20% of its almond and walnut crop.

In addition to farming, a substantial number of the Indian immigrants, many of them from Fiji, Kenya and Uganda, as well as from the Indian subcontinent, established small, independent businesses, such as restaurants, truck 9

and taxi services and convenience shops. Many of the early Gujarati Patel families established hotels and lodges which have continued to thrive. It is estimated that today more than half of all economy lodges and 37% of all hotels in the U.S., representing a value of $38 billion, are Indian-owned.

More significantly, as the result of technological competition with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, increasing numbers of Indian-educated engineers and technicians were drawn into U.S. industries such as the space program, telecommunications and computer research and development. The result of these changing demographics has had a dramatic impact in both India and the U.S. By 1986, lured by the burgeoning technology sector in California, nearly 60% of Indian Institute of Technology graduates were moving overseas, principally to the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose, capital of Silicon Valley. It was claimed that U.S. colleges and universities were failing to produce adequate numbers of qualified engineers and computer specialists, and pressure was applied in Washington by U.S. technology firms to increase the number of H1-B visas in order to bring in educated workers from outside of the U.S. Research published in 1999 found that 23% of Silicon Valley engineers (over 28,000 in number) were of Indian origin. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of people of Indian origin living and working in the U.S. - students, engineers, programmers, physicians, lawyers and the like - more than doubled. By 1998, of the estimated 11,443 Silicon Valley technology firms, 774 were led by Indian CEOs. It was estimated that between 1995 and 2005, 26% of all start-up companies formed by people of Indian ancestry were located in California.

The Y2K scare dramatically increased the demand for Indian-trained engineers and solidified India’s dominance as a rich pool for technologists. With the bursting of the technology and internet bubble and the 9/11 attacks, however, investments and demand for foreign-educated workers dried up. Indians already established in the San Francisco Bay Area stayed on, while newer arrivals, along with many who had earned substantial fortunes in California, returned to India.

The population of Indian immigrants in the U.S. today is estimated to be 2.48 million, of which 475,000 reside in California; of that number, 215,000 reside in the San

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Francisco Bay Area (population 7.4 million) making it the nation’s second-largest Indian-American community outside of New York-New Jersey. Estimates are that 75% of adult Indians living in the San Francisco Bay Area have at least a bachelor’s degree, versus 24% of the general population; 70% work in management and professional positions; half are homeowners; and the median income exceeds $107,000, versus $73,000 for the general population.

From the early years of Indian migration, organizations sprang up to support the new transplants. Originally limited to cultural and religious organizations serving the Indian immigrants, these groups gradually expanded into the non-Indian communities, so that today Indian music and dance concerts are well-attended by those of non-Indian background. Similar cultural influences are represented by the proliferation of yoga instruction, many of whose practitioners are oblivious to the history and origins of the practice. Indian restaurants and shops selling Indian foodstuffs and other imports abound.

Food-related words such as biryani, samosa, naan, masala and gulab jamun have become firmly entrenched in the vocabularies of English-speakers in California.

Likewise, immigrants from India and Pakistan have introduced cricket, a sport previously unknown in the Bay Area. An informal count shows some fifty cricket clubs, with a robust schedule of competitive matches.

It is estimated that 11.5%, or 8,300, of California’s international students are from India. The obvious implication of this fact is a two-way exchange of cultural information and customs. Most recently, a front-page article in the Stanford Daily detailed the October 17, 2009, Diwali celebration attended by over 600 people on the Stanford campus.

By the early 1990s, a new kind of group sprang up in California: the social networking group organized for the purpose of promoting business networking among Indian immigrants. These organizations have become both successful and influential, producing a large number of Indian-owned companies, and Indian-born

corporate officers and venture capitalists.

In addition to social and cultural effects, the Council cites statistics to support its claim that the India-Bay Area connection has produced significant economic development on both sides of the equation: 2008 San Francisco Bay Area-India Trade Statistics ($ millions): Imports to the Bay Area from India: $336.9 Exports from the Bay Area to India: $629.1 The global recession has, predictably, strained the economic ties forged over many years. Chief among the challenges is the emergence of China as an economic powerhouse. In addition to the historical advantage enjoyed by India, factors which favor further India-California cooperation are: India’s privately-led, rather than centrally- controlled economy; and India’s well-established history of democratic political and legal institutions and its English-language fluency.

The picture presented by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute’s report is not without its detractors.

Some critics reveal an attitude of protectionism by claiming that India and China are competitors and economic adversaries, rather than partners. Others claim that the report portrays a business model which benefits California elites, while doing nothing to stimulate employment or productivity in the state. It is also claimed that this approach boosts certain sectors of the Indian middle class while doing nothing to assist development among India’s rural and urban poor.

Additionally, among some there is strong sentiment challenging the need for H1-B visas to import Indian-educated engineers. The argument is that the U.S. produces sufficient numbers of such technologists who are passed over for employment in favor of foreign-born workers who are willing to accept lower wages.

The Council’s full report can be found at www.bayareaeconomy.org.

Important Information: This is to bring to the notice of the readers of RH that Ms. Dorothy North is conducting research and collecting important imformation on Evelyn Trent and her role in that period of her life when she was with M.N. Roy. Not much is known, as yet, about Evelyn Trent who was the first wife of M.N. Roy. Ms. North has promised to impart the details to us along with her own analysis. She will be making a very significant contribution to the IRI’s Archives by giving us the first hand information that she collects. — Editor

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JANUARY 2010 seminars symposia workshops and training programmes on social security and written extensively, books and in journals and magazines. He was awarded a Medal of Merit for his contribution to the cause of social security by the International Social Security Association in the year 2000. Thus, the following article that comes in a series in this and the coming issues of RH is loaded with his first hand experience and labour in making all out efforts in the field of social security. ssanantha@yahoo.com ]

R.K.A. Subrahmanya

[Sri R.K.A.Subrahmanya, a post graduate in economics joined the Indian Audit and Accounts Service after passing the IAS and Central Services Combined Competitive Examination in 1950 He was Accountant General in Assam Orissa, Tamilnadu and Kerala.He was appointed Addl Secretary in the Union Ministry of Labor in 1979. He was Chairman of the Central Board of Trustees of the EPFO, the Standing Committee of the ESIC and the Central Board of Workers Education for some time. He represented the Government of India in the International Labor Conferences held in Geneva for four years out of which he was elected as Chairman of Conference Committees, including the one on Social Dimensions of Industrialisation in three consecutive years. He was a member of a committee set up by the ILO for studying the future of social security in developing countries.

He was a member of the Bureau (governing body) of the International Social Security Association, (an association of social security institutions such as the ESIC and the EPFO).

After retiring from service in 1984 he was Director General, Gandhi Labor Institute, Ahmedabad for some time before he was appointed as a Member of the A.P.Administrative Tribunal in Hyderabad. After his term in the Tribunal ended he joined the National Labor Law Association where he was the Coordinator of the Research Project called Simplification Rationalisation and Consolidation of Labor Laws and was largely responsible for the production of the book India Labor Code 1994. The Social Security Association of India was formed in 1991 and he has been the Secretary General of the Association since then. In this capacity he has conducted several

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Humanist Approach to Social Security —IV—

Palliative Care: “palliative” is derived from the Latin Thewordword“palliare” meaning to cloak or to cover.

According to the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, palliative care is the care of patients with active, progressive, advanced disease, for whom the focus of care is the relief and prevention of suffering and maintenance of quality of life rather than striving to halt, delay or reverse progression of the disease itself or provide a cure. Originally, the term “palliative care” was synonymous with care for cancer in its various manifestations. Today, it is increasingly used with regard to diseases other than cancer such as chronic, progressive pulmonary disorders, renal disease, chronic heart failure, progressive neurological conditions and progressive infections such as advanced stages of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. In addition, there is growing awareness of the need for services geared specifically for children with serious illness, pediatric palliative care.

According to the World Health Organization, the aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illness, and that of their families.

This encompasses all interventions that prevent and relieve suffering, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

Thus, with regard to pain, a common symptom of many progressive and debilitating disorders, a number of interventions in combination are useful. Drugs, both oral

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and intravenous for pain management; physical therapy to reduce pain, especially that relating to the joints, nerves or secondary muscle spasm; psychological approaches to help address grief, anger and guilt; emotions associated with terminal illness; and a spiritual approach that provides solace, helping the person cope better with the pain, thereby reducing the nature and quantum of human suffering. There is, therefore, a definite need for care providers to go beyond the conventional in providing care and solace to the dying person, addressing the varied dimensions of the human condition in the setting of chronic illness. Indeed, caring for the family in this setting is as important as caring for the ill person.

The World Health Organization (1990) and the Barcelona (1996) declarations have called for palliative care to be included in every country’s health services. It is estimated that 52 million people die each year and a good proportion of them die with unrelieved suffering.

About five million people die of cancer each year, to which can be added the numbers of patients dying with AIDS and other chronic infections who will benefit from palliative care. Add to this the number who suffer in terminal stages of non-communicable disease; afflictions of the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, bowels, bones, joints and nerves; many consequent to lifestyle diseases. In developed and developing countries alike, people are thus living and dying slowly in unrelieved pain, with uncontrolled physical symptoms, with unresolved psychosocial and spiritual problems and in fear and loneliness. While this phenomenon has been widely reported and published, both in the scientific and the lay press, affirmative action in public health terms, to develop and provide services for people with terminal illness seems grossly inadequate.

The palliative care movement, born in the late1990s, has attracted thousands of ordinary people to the care of the terminally ill and bedridden people. And, tens of thousands of other common people make small donations to help the movement going. Trained volunteers go to the homes of end-of-life patients and attend to their medical and psychological needs. Since many of the patients are very poor, the care givers have to provide not just drugs, wheelchairs and commodes for them, but often rice for the family, books and school fees for the kids and sometimes even clothes too.

The volunteers sit with the patients listening to their sorrows and fears. They also listen to the concerns of the family members and train them in simple nursing tasks.

The volunteers, coming from different backgrounds, serve at least two hours a week going on homecare visits, helping at the outpatient clinics and organizing family help and raising funds. Most of the funding comes from the local people. For instance, in Nilambur, (Kerala) the crews of all the buses entering the local bus stand donate Rs. 2 a day, at the rate of 50 paise by each of the four crew members, to the Nilambur Pain and Palliative Care Society. Shopkeepers, auto-rickshaw drivers and schoolchildren all chip in.

The movement has won global recognition and the WHO is now promoting it as a model for developing countries.

Palliative care has gained ground in Kerala where it coves about 20 per cent of the patients requiring such care. It is reported that in the rest of the country the percentage of persons requiring such care who are covered is less than 2 percent.

Palliative is at present provided by voluntary organizations.

Recognizing the importance of palliative care, the Kerala government has, for the first time by a government in Asia, come out with a palliative care policy. The policy emphasizes the community-based approach to palliative care and considers home-based care as the corner-stone of the palliative care services. It also highlights the need for integrating palliative care with primary health care.

There is need for a similar policy at the national level.

Mental Illness in India: In the early hours of August 6, 2001, twenty eight mentally ill people died when a fire engulfed the thatched roof of the Moideen Badhusha Mental Home at Erwadi, a fishing village 27 km. south of Ramanathapuram town in southern Tamil Nadu in India.

They were chained and confined to their beds and had no means of escape when the fire broke out ill treated.

This incident has highlighted the deplorable state of mental health care in the country and the need for the government to reach out to the mentally ill. Most of the

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persons with mental illness are deprived of their basic human rights and right kind of treatment medically or socially. While, the disability rights movements have achieved laudable goals on various fronts in India, the rights of the mentally ill persons have been neglected.

The Government of India has passed two acts, Mental Health Act 1982 and Persons with Disability Act 1995 to protect the rights of persons with mental illness. But their rights are violated in hospitals where basic amenities and services are not provided and patients are subjected to ill treatment and abuse. The human rights violation starts from very beginning of their admission to treatment and rehabilitation till their discharge from the hospitals or institutions. Mental health has failed to get enough attention as compared to physical illness.

The persons with mental illness are highly stigmatized and discriminated in society in all sphere of their life.

According to the World Health Report “some 450 million people suffer from mental or behavioral disorder, yet only small minorities of them receive even the most basic treatment”.

“Mental and behavioral disorder are estimated to account for 12% of the global burden of disease and majority of the countries spends less than 1% for mental health in their health budget”. There is thus total lack of proportion between the disease burden and the amount spent to relieve the burden.

The World Health Organization further says that “40% of the countries in the world don’t have a mental health policy and over 30% have no special programs related to mental and behavioral disorders Moreover, health plans frequently don’t cover mental and behavioral disorders at the same time as other illness.”

In India, at the time of independence, mental health care was not recognized as an illness requiring medical attention. After the tragedy in Erwadi, it has now been included in public health agenda. It is also considered as part of primary health care system but the real situation in the health sector is still bad as primary health centers are not well equipped with medicines and staffs especially for treatment of mental illness.

“There are 42 mental hospitals in the country with the bed availability of 20,893 in the government sector. In the private sector, there are 5096 beds. These facilities have to manage an estimated 1, 02, 70,165 people with severe mental illness and 5, 12, 51,625 people with

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common mental disorders needing immediate attention.” (Janardhan and Bitopi Deka) That creates significant difficulties in accessibility and affordability of health services for persons with mental illness and their families.

The Indian experience with institutionalization has not been edifying. A report prepared for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC, 1999), after an empirical study of mental health hospitals in the country, made a damning indictment of the state of mental health institutions. “The findings reveal that there are predominantly two types of hospitals,” the report said, “the first type does not deserve to be called ‘hospitals’ or mental health centers. They are ‘dumping grounds’ for families to abandon their mentally ill members, for their economic reasons or lack of understanding and awareness of mental illness. The living conditions in many of these settings are deplorable and violate an individual’s right to be treated humanely and live a life of dignity. Despite all advances in treatment, the mentally ill people in these hospitals are forced to live a life of incarceration”. “The second type of ‘hospitals’ “, the NHRC report continues, “are those that provide basic living amenities. Their role is predominantly custodial and they provide adequate food and to keep patients manageable and very little effort is made to preserve or enhance shelter.” “On the contrary, the families hesitate to take their kin back because,” according to the Dr. C. Ramasubramanian, a psychiatrist and member of the District Mental Home Regulatory Committee, “many of them consider the homes a convenient place to abandon their mentally ill wards in order to escape the stigma attached to mental illness. As a result, such institutions have proliferated.” In many hospitals in India, there are anecdotal reports of violation of human rights of the persons with mental illness. Sometimes they are found naked or in dirty and old clothes and unhygienic conditions, Sometimes women are found in dreadful condition, not “wearing any undergarments and intimate parts of their bodies could be seen through the ill fitting clothing.” Not providing the necessary clothes to protect personal dignity, and not providing items to maintain menstrual hygiene, constitute violation of human rights.

The Study Group on social Security of the Second National Commission on labour has recommended as follows: “The Mental Health Act, 1987 places the responsibility for planning and monitoring of the care of

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the mentally ill persons on the State. Unfortunately, not all States, have formed the state level Mental Health authority or initiated the process of planning of State health services licensing of hospitals and related matters. The full implementation of the Mental Health Act will go a long way to meet the needs of the mentally ill. For the rural population, the poor, and the marginalized groups, the State has the main responsibility to organize care. The State should support the families of the mentally ill by providing them community based services and financial aid. The Persons with Disabilities act, 1995 should be properly implemented and the facilities available to physically handicapped should be extended to the mentally handicapped also Special schemes are needed to support voluntary agencies for treatment and rehabilitation of the mentally fit.

� A national scheme should be drawn up for providing institutional care and means of livelihood to those mentally ill sick people who are unemployable and their dependants , treating them on par with physically handicapped .�

Recently the Government of India has announced a pension scheme for the handicapped persons with a specified percentage of disability. It is hoped that the Scheme will be available to the mentally handicapped persons also.

The Planning Commission has suggested that national schemes for maintenance of orphans, street children and other sections of the poor in distress are needed. This suggestion endorses the recommendation of the Study Group on Social Security and should be implemented early.

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Current Affairs:

Balraj Puri [Mr. Balraj Puri is an authority on Jammu and Kashmir Affairs. He is Director, Institute of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, Karan Nagar, Jammu-180005 Ph.no. 01912542687,09419102055 www.humanrightsjournal.com]

Lessons of Telangana in Andhra, and its fallout in the Heatrestgenerated of the country, by the Union Home Minister’s midnight announcement conceding separate state of Talengana should have been expected.

Raylseema and coastal Andhra are completely shut down and almost half of members of the assembly have resigned. Demands for statehood have been revived elsewhere in the country.

In 2004 assembly election, the Congress had supported the demand of separate Talengana. In 2009 elections, when all major parties, including the Congress, TDP and BJP supported the same demand, Talengana Rashtriya Samiti became irrelevant and, hence, was almost marginalized. The Congress interpreted it as loss of popular support to the statehood demand and backtracked from its earlier support.

The demand for Talengana state is as old as that of the Vishalandhra. The latter was conceded when its leader Sri Ramulu died after a fast-unto-death in 1953. To avoid similar experience, the demand of K. Chandershekhar Rao was conceded when his condition became critical after he had resorted to a similar fast.

Both the times the Union Government set a wrong precedent by acting under pressure after losing 15

opportunities for a settlement through a process of consensus of all concerned. In 1953, the State Reorganization Commission while accepting the demand for Vishalandhra also recommended a separate Talengana, and allowed them ten years to experiment with separate identities after which they could merge if two-third of majority of both state legislators supported the decision.

The Congress, ruling party at the centre, rejected the proposal for Talengana at that time and since then has been experimenting with various alternatives. A gentlemen’s formula between Congress leaders of both the regions in 1956 provided for safeguards of, and for, the development of Talengana to be monitored by the Regional Planning and Development Committees answerable to members of the legislature. According to it, a deputy Chief Minister was to be from the Talengana region and a certain quota was fixed for the region in government jobs. But these safeguards were not actually implemented. In 1973, these Regional Committees were made not answerable to the legislatives.

The Congress also adopted the tactics of co-opting Talengana leaders and manipulating caste politics. In 1978, the Talengana Praja Samiti merged with the Congress after its prime moving force Chamma Reddy was made chief minister of Andhra. When Narsihma Rao became the Prime Minister of India, it also satisfied Talengana pride as he belonged to the region.

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party forged an alliance of Naidu and Kapu castes against Reddys and Kammas, the landowning castes, and opposed Reddy leadership of the separate Talengana demand. To combat it, Chandershekhar Rao, who belongs to Valama caste, formed an alliance of Dalits and OBC, under the Talengana Rashtriya Samiti in 2003 after resigning from the post of Deputy Speaker in Andhra assembly.

As more than 70% population of Talengana belongs to schedule castes, schedule tribes and OBC, it became a formidable alliance. Moreover its leaders argued that Andhra gets large allocation of central funds on account of composition of population of Talengana. For devolution of funds by the Finance Commission, are based on 25% for population and 75% for backwardness.

Thus, Talengana, if made a separate state, will be financial viable.

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The brief survey of various experiments made to tackle the Talengana problem shows that they were on an ad hoc basis and on short term palliatives. Instead of quick-fix solutions under duress, action should be taken anticipating problem in a comparatively normal atmosphere.

I had an opportunity of visiting Talengana and meeting its leaders, rank and file and common people in various parts of the region in 1998. I also discussed various proposals with the champions of united Andhra. I tried to evolve an agreement between the leaders of the two groups on all contentious issues, including relative level of development, share in government services and basis of allocation of funds and future of Hyderabad which has a unique cultural identity and is a centre of modern technology.

Broadly, I mooted the idea of a sub-state for Talengana, first suggested by DR Gadgil, the first deputy chairman of the Planning Commission. Under it, each region in every state should have a sub-legislature with political authority to legislate on the subjects allocated to the region and to administer the departments dealing with these subjects, including recruitment in these departments. Thus, economic, political and cultural urges of each region would be satisfied.

Mr. Krishna Kant, who was then the Governor of Andhra and whose guest I was, told me that he would propose to the Chief Minister to appoint me with some authority to pursue my ideas. As Mr. Krishna Kant moved to the centre as Vice President of India, he could not follow up his proposal.

I made a similar experiment in Gorkhaland where I had a prolonged discussion with its then leader Subash Ghishing and worked out a formula, which I submitted to Jyoti Basu, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal.

There must have been other mediators also. But I, too, contributed my mite to work out a solution of the Gorkhaland problem. Unfortunately, my formula for transfer of power to Gorkhaland was not fully implemented in letter and spirit.

The current situation in Talengana and the rest of Andhra raises some pertinent questions. For instance, a) Will the Andhra assembly be able to pass a resolution endorsing centre’s decision and an allied question, will Congress be able to retain its majority in the assembly and its government survive? b) Will the Union government be able to resist demand for a separate statehood in other parts of the country if its leader resort to fast-unto-death and his position becomes as critical as K C Rao had become? c) Or what would be the criteria for forming new States? d) Or will another state Reorganization Commission will be formed to deal with such demands? And what will be its terms of reference?

Above all, most relevant lesson of Talengana experience is that regional and sub-regional sentiments can more easily be satisfied if tackled at right time. The fear that submission to them will weaken national unity is misplaced. Similar fear was expressed when linguistic states were formed. In fact, that strengthened national unity. If, for instance, formation of Punjabi Suba was not delayed for ten years after the whole country was reorganized on linguistic basis, later troubles in the state could have been avoided. In fact, Hindus of Punjab damaged their own interest by disowning their own mother tongue and opposed Punjabi Suba. When it was formed, some Punjabi-speaking Hindus in Chandigarh, and part of Haryana and Himachal declared their mother tongue to be Hindi and were responsible for the exclusion of these areas from the new Punjab state and reduced its Hindu majority to a minority.

Now the urges of Gorkhaland in West Bengal; Vidharba in Maharashtra; Saurashtra in Gujarat; Poorvanchal , Budhelkhand, Harit Pradesh in the UP; Mithila Pradesh in Bihar and some tribes in Northeast are instances which need to be satisfied, either through separate statehood or status of sub-states. Jammu and Kashmir is most diverse state of the country. There are special reasons, on account of which it should not be divided.

Instead, its three main regions deserve to be given regional autonomy which would ensure its emotional and political unity.

Dear Friends, Please email your article at rheditor@gmail.com and attach a passport size photograph to it. Or post it at C-8 Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India with a small introduction about yourself, if you are sending your write-up for the first time to us. Feel free to contact me at 91-9719333011 for any other querry. —Rekha Saraswat 16

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which may be ultimately enacted by the Parliament are liable to be questioned. It may be, that a mere procedural lapse may not invalidate the final action unless it is proved that the breach of procedure has caused grave prejudice to the persons interested in the Legislation. In order to prove the prejudice the integrationists in Andhra Pradesh have taken up agitation and begun resigning from there elective post on the ground that the Government has failed to give them a prior opportunity N.K. Acharya of discussing the Government’s decision. As by now, the number of legislators who resigned from the legislature [Sri N.K. Acharya is an Advocate, Columnist and reached 139 as against the strength of 294.

Author of several books on law. He was formarly Secretary of Indian Rationalist Association and had The Speaker of the A.P. Legislature, Mr. N. Kiral Kumar edited the Indian Rationalist, then published from Reddy may in all likelyhood refuse to accept the Hyderabad on behalf of the Association prior to its resignation on two grounds. Firstly, that the resignations are not in the prescribed form and secondly on the transfer to Madras.] ground that the letter of resignation contained matters I which it should not have contained. The resignation letter submitted by the Legislators contained elaborate Slip on Telangana reasons which should not be stated in the letter. Instead Art.3 of the Constitution of India laya down a of submitting resignations they should have asked for a aprocedure for forming a new State. According to right of free discussion and vote according to their procedure, a bill to create a new State shall first be conscience and not by whip. introduced in the Parliament. It should be accompanied by a recommendation by the President. After the first II reading of the Bill, the Parliament shall forward the Bill to the State Legislature concerned for its opinion.

10th World Communists’ Irrespective whether the State Legislature approves the Congress Bill or not, the Parliament has power to proceed with the second reading of the Bill and at the third reading the Leaders of several communist parties accross the World met in their 10th Congress at New Delhi in November voting on the Bill takes place.

According to the Parliamentary procedure, the first 2009 and issued a declaration which represents their reading means, introduction of the Bill whereas the characterstic thoughtlessness. They talked of Marx and Parliament generally discusses the outlines of the Bill Engels and referred to the much discreditted theory of and declares that the Bill be admitted. After the receipt of the division of people into two hostile classes, the the opinion of the State Legislature, the Bill is discussed oppressed and the oppressors and talked about their new in detail, clause by clause and also the amendments that brand of “Socialism”. They stayed away from discussing may be moved. At the third reading, each of the the rise and fall of communism, wherever it raised its amendments, if there be any are voted and thereafter the head and disappeared under its own totalitarian weight.

Nor, they ventured to glorify their singular comrade Bill in its final form is put to vote. blinking from Cuba. It is a tragedy that not withstanding While that being the procedure contemplated under their sharp intellect and powers of perception of the Article 3 and the procedure as laid down in the rules of reality, they failed to see the wisdom of M.N. Roy’s the Parliament, the Government of India has nowinstead dictum that “cooperative social relations contribute to of preparing the Bill by itself directed, the Andhra develop individual potentialities” as against the eternal Pradesh Legislature to discuss the subject of separate conflict between classes aimed at enhilating one by the Telangana. This being contrary to the procedures which other. are mandatory the action of the Government and the Act 17

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IRI / IRHA Members’ Section:

Political History of Andhra Pradesh the end of the First World War, the Andhra AtCongress met on 8th December, 1918, and

Innaiah Narisetti [M.N. Roy opined that politics should be studied systematically and history must be written in a scientific manner. Following both these principles suggested by M.N. Roy Dr Narisetti Innaiah, chairman of Center for Inquiry India, has come out with a scientific study of the political history of Andhra Pradesh in the form of a book “Political History Of Andhra Pradesh”. This book with 300 pages covers 100 years of contemporary events commencing from pre-independence days and concludes with 2009 emergence of Mr. K. Rosaiah as Chief Minister. This book narrates how Andhra Pradesh gained importance with the visit of two presidents from USA, namely Bill Clinton and George Bush. Mr. Bill Gates too visited. This happened due to prominence given to high technology. Political parties and their power games, constant defections, hereditary power sharing, and innumerable regional developments, all these aspects are traced in this book. Naxalite movement since 1969 and two turbulent agitations for separate state for Telengana have also been given a panoramic view. How Congress and Telugu Desam parties ruled the state while all other parties remained in opposition and then N.T. Rama Rao dislodged Congress party within 9 months during early 1980s and established name for the state in Delhi circles is also discussed in it. CFI India brought out this volume as model study. It is distributed by Akshara. Chapters are divided according to the rule of chief ministers. No sides are taken and the whole presentation is critical and objective. It will be good addition to the institutions, students, libraries. This book is being serialized in the RH, November 2009 onwards.]

decided to send Tilak to represent India at the Congress meet for peace in London. The formation of a separate Andhra Congress Committee was an encouragement for the strong desire for separation form Madras. Separate Andhra Congress was formulated in spite of the antagonism of Gandhi and Annie Besant as it was approved by the Calcutta Congress Session, 1917.

The first Andhra Congress Meet took place in Vijayawada, on 20th January, 1918 with Nyapathi Subba Rao in the Chair. He was made the first President of Andhra Congress by the 185 representatives present.

One can see the paradox of politics in the fact that the same man, who was opposed to separate Andhra, was made the first President of State Congress. Konda Venkatappayya was the first secretary, Kasinathuni, C.R. Parthasarathy Ayyangar, P. Shiva Shankaran Pillai were elected as Joint Secretaries. The branches of Ganjam, Vizag, Godavari, Krishna, Nellore, Kurnool, Ananthapuram, Dharmavaram, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada were affiliated to it.

The politics in Andhra commenced mainly as Brahmin and non-Brahmin groupism. The Brahmins, especially the Madras and Maharashtra Brahmins were predominant in jobs. Even here, the educated Telugu Brahmins found fewer job opportunities. Hence, they were all against Tamil Brahmin supremacy. The non-Brahmins who entered politics much later found the political field totally dominated by the Brahmins and they felt the urgency of an ‘anti-Brahmin move’. The friction was limited to the upper-classes only.

The British were always cautious with the Brahmins though they had employed them in a number of jobs.

They were not only happy with the anti-Brahmin movement but also extended their support to the movement as a check against the Brahmins. They encouraged them against one another as theirs was a divide and rule policy. They also offered more jobs to the non-Brahmins.

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The Brahmins constituted only 3.2 percent of the Andhra population when the Congress was born. But one cannot be oblivious to the fact that more Brahmins were educated and occupied jobs, and acted as agents to the British and also had an upper hand in the National Movement. They were the people who sacrificed their comfort for the nation. Most of them left legal practice for the freedom fight. It was but natural that the British were wary of them.

As early as 1815, the British had to issue orders that both Brahmins and Non-Brahmins should have equal job opportunities because of the differences that existed between them. In jobs like Huzoor Sirastadar and English Head-Clerk, the Brahmins and Non-Brahmins were to be employed alternately. But this order was not executed due to unforeseen circumstances. The British found, on investigation, that G. Venkata Ramanaiah, a Niyogi introduced as many as 49 of his relatives into jobs in the Revenue Department. The British once again tried to enforce their order in 1890 but with little success.

Only Brahmins were successful in competitive examinations and occupied all the jobs during 1893-95.

The British did not want Brahmin monopoly in the services and they started taking a number of non-Brahmins too into service.

The Government once again ordered all the Collectors in 1912 to strictly adhere to their orders passed in 1851.

(The 1-1/3 millions among the total population of 41.5 millions, thus forming 3%). 72% of the 8821 graduates in Madras were Brahmins. In the competitive examinations for services between 1892 and 1904, 94% of the Brahmins were selected, out of 16 jobs 15 went to the Brahmins. A new slogan was given saying that Competitive examinations should be conducted separately for the Brahmins and non-Brahmins.

The posts offered to the Indians were very low as the British held all the key-posts. The education, bank services, clerks to Government, Deputy Collectors, Sub-Judges, Munsifs, Tahsildars, Head-Clerks, Sirastadars were all Tamil Brahmins. It was but natural for the Telugu Brahmins to protest against such domination.

At the inception of the Congress, there were 492 Brahmin Graduates against 171 non-Brahmin graduates in the Madras University. Muslims, Christians and Foreigners comprised 107 graduates.

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The number of graduates increased in 1890. The Brahmin graduates were 1461, non-Brahmin 445, and others 263. Between 1901 and 1911, Brahmin graduates were 4074, non-Brahmins 1035, and others 551.

In the services too, there were 17 Brahmin Engineers, 4 non-Brahmins. There were 77 Bramhin Deputy Collectors in the Accounts Section as against 30 non-Brahmins. By 1913, in the post of District Munsifs, there were 93 Brahmins, whereas there were only 25 non-Brahmins. Key posts like Secretary to the Government, Revenue Board Secretary were held by the Brahmins. One of the two Collectors was a Brahmin.

This difference of Brahmin and non-Brahmin in jobs had reached its climax in 1917. There were 135 Brahmin and 60 non-Brahmin Tahsildars. 214 deputy Tahsildars were Brahmins and only 65 were non-Brahmins. For 16 Brahmin head-clerks only 5 non-Brahmins were there.

28 Brahmins worked as Sirastidars in District Courts and also in the sub-Courts. There were only 10 non-Brahmins.

Non-Brahmins did not include Muslims and Christians.

The non-Brahmin communities like Velama, Kamma, Balija, Kapu, Reddy, Vysyas participated in the non-Brahmin movement. Even these were from among the affluent and the middle classes only.

The Madras Colleges had separate hostels for Brahmins and non-Brahmins. The Government had, in principle accepted the argument of A. Venugopal Chetty, as IPS member that there should be reservations for non-Brahmins.

The Brahmin and the non-Brahmin dispute were mounting when Annie Besant switched over from theosophy to politics. She was full of appreciation for Hindu culture and Aryan tradition. She exalted the Puranas and Manu Dharma Shastra. Her presence in Madras and the support of Brahmins to the Theosophical Society were the contributing factors. Telugu people started resenting her as she was against the promotion of Congress and a Separate State for them.

Some Telugu and Tamil non-Brahmins joined hands against Brahmins. In 1912, the Dravidian Association was found in Madras, under the Chairmanship of C. Natesa Mudaliar. These developments were a prelude to the birth of the Justice Party. The ‘Dravida’ literature of 1915 and the establishment of non-Brahmin hostels in 1916 also contributed to it. Thirty members under

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Thyaga Raja Chetty, met in Victoria Hall, Madras on 20th November, 1916 and named themselves as the South Indian People’s Association which was the initiation of the Justice Party. After a month, they founded the India Liberal Federation and released an anti-Brahmin Manifesto. Andhra Prakasika, under A.P. Parthasarathi Naidu’s editorship helped in promoting this movement.

Anti - Brahmin stand: The Justice Party had its branches in many places and held meetings there. It was strengthened by the Velama, Kamma, Reddy and Kapu communities in Andhra. The Brahmin and non-Brahmin relations in Andhra were not strained, like in Madras. The purpose of non-Brahmins was to prove their mettle. It was a party of old people and no efforts whatsoever made to attract the youth to it.

Though the Justice Party emerged to help the non-Brahmins, it scrambled for power in politics. Some branches of the Justice Party were opened in Andhra though it started in Madras in 1916. Before 1920, it was a big task to get a hold in Municipal Administration, the voters being very few. Only tax-payers were the voters.

To get the post of a Village Munsif, they used to offer bribes up to Rs. 5,000.

The Vysyas of Guntur, Eluru and Kakinada used to struggle in vain to come to power through their business contacts. But in Guntur from the President to the peon, only Kammas could come in. Brahmins and Vysyas tried their best to enter the local bodies. Many new Panchayats were formed. In towns like Vijayawada, there were bitter relations between the lawyers and businessmen. At the time of elections to the Madras Assembly, both the Justice Party and the new Pradesh Congress plunged into elections. Pamphlets and Bhajans were introduced at that time. A number of journals like Krishna Patrika, Swatantra, Chitta Ranjan, Thelaga, Sree Sujana Ranjani, Hitakarini, Kapu, Satyagraham, Janma Bhumi, Kammakula Patrika, Kaliyuga, Sharada were in vogue. Madireddy Venkata Rathnam, a Zilla Board President canvassed for the Justice Party.

There were objections from many sides that he should not canvass for the Assembly as he was exerting his influence as the Zilla Board President. It was the other-way round in Krishna District, where they insisted that the Zilla Board President should contest. In Guntur District, politics of the Congress as well as the Justice

Party fell into the hands of rowdies and the influential tobacco merchants. The Zilla Board Presidents tried to attract the voters through various promises and even the zamindars were on the side of the Justice Party.

The Legislative Assembly of 1920 consisted of 48 lawyers, 28 landlords, 10 professional people and 15 officials. The Government had issued orders to the collectors in 1919 itself not to allow more than half the places in service to Brahmins and that the allocation of jobs should be equally divided between the Telugu and the Tamil personnel. After the Justice Party came into power, a communal order was issued in September 1921, according to which there would be reservations for non-Brahmins in all the government jobs. They ordered statistical data to be maintained as to the total number of job facilities available and their allocation on caste basis.

Justice Party having taken up the cause of the non-Brahmin movement ignored the Muslims and Harijans.

K.V.R.Reddy Naidu, Koka Appa Rao Naidu and Panagal Raja were sent to England in 1921, on behalf of the Justice Party and the party won the support of the British newspapers. The distribution of seats was a point of dispute and disagreement. M. Rama Chandra Rao from Congress criticized the Justice Party. A.P. Patro, Panagal Raja and Reddy Naidu were in the Justice Party cabinet. The party started interfering in local politics.

Zilla Board Presidents had much power in their hands; hence they could influence the State politics.

Through marriage alliances from Chittoor to Godavari, the families of Yarlagadda, Vasireddy, Adusumilli, Challapalli and Kommareddy widened their circle and later used their influence for political purposes.

Only a person paying Rs.10/- as tax was allowed to vote in Rural Boards. This enabled the Zamindars and Landlords to capture the seats easily. People rallied around the party in power and many associations based on caste formed and meetings were held. On the other hand, the Congress men in the Local bodies used their influence for political agitations. The Justice Party levied tax on education in municipalities which was objected by the Congress men. The All India Congress meeting at Kakinada gave an additional fillip to the local Congress people to fight against the Justice Party.

The difference of opinion in Congress about contesting the elections gave rise to the Swarajya party. The party

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very soon had its branches all over Andhra. C.V.N. Narasimha Raju founded the Independent Party in 1923 but it did not last for long. The Justice Party which was in power, with its partialities and favoritism, ignored the fact that it should strengthen the party. Before it could have any constitution disputes started. The Justice party was known as the Zamindars party. The Chief Minister, Panagal Raja, was very shrewd and practical. The party under his guidance forgot its anti-Brahmin stand, and tried to get Brahmins to their side. The Raja nominated four Brahmins as Zilla Board Presidents. Fifteen out of the 24 Zilla Board nominations were made by him according to his fancy. He made nominations even where elections were a must. He postponed elections to the Municipal Chairman’s posts three times till he could get men of his own choice. He nominated Yathirajulu Naidu to the Zilla Board and also to the Municipal Chairmanship of Guntur. Similarly, nominations were made in Ganjam of Kallikota, Zamindar Balajee Rao in Krishna and Munuswami Naidu in Chittoor.

Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy proposed a no confidence motion against the Justice Party cabinet when he founded the Democratic party after leaving the Justice Party.

Panagal Raja saved himself by coaxing the Brahmin members to help him. He removed K.V. Reddy Naidu from the cabinet and he became more powerful because he was in the good looks of the British. He was however severely censured for neglecting party stability. A committee was appointed in 1924 to frame the party constitution. Though rough draft of the constitution was prepared, it was not brought out. The legislators and party workers were greatly displeased with the party.

The non-Brahmins met in Pulivendula of Kurnool district on 3rd and 4th November, 1917. Barrister K. Subba Rao was in the Chair. Earlier on 27th October, a meeting was convened in Bikkavol, East Godavari district. On 11th and 12th November another meeting was held in Vijayawada under the Chairmanship of Pitti Thyagaraya Chettiar. Many prominent Andhra representatives attended the state meeting held in Tamilnadu. They were very critical of Gandhiji’s call for non-co-operation and the Qilafat movement. When Gandhi announced that he would win freedom for India

by September, 1922, C.R. Reddy made fun of him saying that he should have given the date as 1st April.

However, the Justice party continued in power in the 21

Madras State between 1920 and 1923, and again in 1923-26. It adopted several undesirable attitudes while in power. The result was that it went out of power with the same speed as it had come to power. One or two major achievements of the Justice party while in power should not be ignored. For the first time Justice Party established a separate university for Andhras. Both the Congress and the Justice party were united in the demand for separate university for the Andhras. One of its members, M. Suryanarayana from Vizag introduced the resolution for a separate university. The justice party of Tamilnadu, while justifying the demand of Andhras, requested for another university in their area. Thanks to the Andhras, Tamilnadu got one more university. ‘The Separate University’ remained only in a resolution.

Andhras and non-Brahmins were not able to secure seats in The Madras University. Therefore, strong efforts were made for the Andhra university by A.P. Pathro, the then Education Minister, and one C. Natesa Mudaliar who were the first men to propose this but no heed was paid to the proposal under the assumption that it was difficult to decide the boundaries for Andhra province as the Andhras were spread all over Madras State. They expressed their doubts that there may be a breach among the non-Brahmins in the event of formation of separate Andhra University. It was suggested that K.V. Reddy Naidu should step down in favour of T.N. Sivagnan Pillai as the Tamilians too should find a place in the Cabinet. The Chief Minister, Panagal Raja immediately dropped K.V.Reddy Naidu who was his opponent. The Tamilians supported the establishment of Andhra University. K.V.Reddy Naidu pleaded for the University saying that the word ‘Andhra’ denoted Aryan connections, whereas the Southern people were Dravidians. So it was justified that it should be named as Telugu University. But his argument could not hold water. The bill was passed on 6th November, 1925 which cleared the way for Andhra University. The candidate for the first Vice-Chancellor’s post was a controversial point. At last, C.R. Reddy was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor. Attempts were made to bring about unity subsidizing the differences in the Justice party. They met on 25th May, 1925 for unity talks. K.V. Reddy Naidu again came back to the party. Panagal Raja once again became the leader.

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Abolishing the Ph. D. Award

By Prof. Subhankar Ray [Prof. Subhankar Ray is a senior Scientist at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta.

Idealogically, he has remained a Royist since his student days. He is one of those veteran Radical Humanists who have silently yet consistantly contributed to the movement’s success. This article was published in the journal of Science and Culture, bi-monthly, in its November-December issue, Vol. 69, Nos. 11-12, pp. 363-365 in 2003. Strangely enough, the basic objective of this write-up has yet not reached the minds of the decision-makers, such experts and experienced people, though they are. It is being re-published here with a hope that some policy-makers in the higher-education department may read it and initiate the long-awaited reform in the proposed direction.] a researcher should complete his Because Ph.D. within a short-time period for advancement of his future career, he usually cannot thoroughly examine a challenging problem. Moreover, due to serious drawback in the evaluation of Ph.D. thesis, the present practice of obligatory requirement of Ph.D. degree for higher academic activity or research-oriented jobs should be seriuously reconsidered. Research publications are the best credentials of one’s research contribution. A researcher is best trained when he actually handles a difficult research problem. So his research career should not be delayed for further training after post-graduation.

Ph.D. obligatory for higher academic activity: Now a days it has become almost obligatory for any person who is engaged in research or higher academic activity to obtain a Ph. D. degree before getting a job or a fellowship of higher levels (so called Post-Doctoral Fellowship or Research Associateship). A person after completing his higher studies (M.Sc. M.A. or similar) registers his name to a university or to a deemed-university for Ph.D. and starts his research activities in that university itself or in any reputed institution recognised by the respective university and in

some cases privately (for humanities stream). After completing his work, which on an average takes four years of time, he submits his thesis for Ph.D. After the routine process of examination including seminars and viva-voce he is usually awarded the degree by the university. As stated in the beginning, without this degree, he is not considered eligible for getting those jobs and/or fellowships for which one has to prove that one has already done a fair amount of research both in terms of quality and quantity.

A huge amount of input both by the person and by the organisation is given and has to be given to maintain this process of obtaining and awarding Ph.D. In my opinion, however, a large portion of this input is wasted and this process is not at all conducive to quality-research.

Because the aspirant for Ph.D. should have to complete his work within a time period (there may be a few exceptions) so that he can apply for jobs and/or post-doctoral fellowship (both in India and abroad) he is usually not aspired by his research guide to undertake any challenging problem which may ultimately lead to high quality achievement in research. Although it is needless to mention that many of the research guides are, indeed incapable of investigating any challenging problem. On the other hand, for obtaining Ph.D. within a definite time period, and also for the prevailing norms that a Ph.D. thesis should contain a substantial amount of work, large portions of the work done by the researchers are only of routine and many a time repititions, although there are some exceptions too.

Drawback in existing Ph.D. examination process: However, these are relatively minor issues, the most serious drawback in the whole affair is in the process of Ph.D. examination. The Ph.D. aspirant, after completing his work and writing the thesis submits it to the university for examination. Two examiners are usually selected by the Ph.D. committee, usually from the list given by the research guide. The third examiner is the guide himself. In many universities one should be a foreign examiner.

Although the ultimate authority of selecting the examiners is the Vice-Chancellor or the Dean, the examiners are actually selected by the Ph.D. committee of the corresponding subjects of the university from the list of examiners as provided by the research guide.

Mainly because of the highly specialized nature of the

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topic of the thesis, the Ph.D. committee is truly not in a position to judge the credibility of the list of examiners submitted by the guide. Nor do they suggest the names of available and willing competent examiners. Moreover, there is very much personal contact in the entire process in the sense that the aspirant for Ph.D., the guide, the members of the Ph.D. committee are all usually well known to one another, for which there is a strong tendency to make the process smooth for awarding the degree.

However, this attitude is quite reasonable also. The Ph.D. Committee and the examiners selected by them know at the bottom of their heart that this examination process can not separate the wheat from the chaff, and if a candidate’s thesis is rejected, the entire process of resubmission and reexamination is quite time consuming and with many hassles which will substantially jeopardize the candidate’s future career.

On the other hand, in very exceptional cases, the Ph.D. Committee or the examiners or the guide can deliberately and unduly make the situation difficult for the candidate to obtain Ph.D. Another aspect is very much ridiculous, why should the guide be an examiner?

He has already approved the thesis, has suggested submitting it. Is is not a little farcical for him to be one of the examiners?

Since the university authority usually treats the evaluation of thesis as an examination, in most of the cases the candidates are not shown the detailed report of the examiners to maintian some sort of secracy similar to other examinations. But there is one fundamental difference between other examinations and the award of Ph.D. The purpose of other examinations is to evaluate to what extent one has gathered knowledge of a particular subject or acquired a skill of a particular process. In contrast the fundamental of research and hence Ph.D. Is what one has added to the existing knowledge. So the usual process of examination can not evaluate this. In other examinations, everybody learns the same course of studies, answers the same questions and examiners are also same especially in higher studies.

In summary, due to the specialized nature of the topic and also for the process of examination, there is a wide variation in the quality of a thesis even in a particular subject in a university. The product, which was produced with so much effort and time remains in a

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dusty corner of the university and nobody, has any intention or scope to look into that.

Ph.D. Of ‘old-fashioned and modern universities’: Some comments regarding the process of getting Ph.D. are worthwhile. In ‘old-fashioned’ universities, e.g.

Calcutta, the Ph. D. Is given exclusively on research work. These universities have followed the British tradition. On the other hand, the ‘modern and elite’ institutions e.g. Indian Institute of Science or Jawaharlal Nehru University have followed the procedure of U.S. Universities. Early part of their Ph.D. programme is course study and the later part is research. These institutions apparently think that getting master’s degree is not enough to initiate research; he has again to be trained and has to be given special and advanced courses so that he becomes fit for embarking on a research project.

But one may ponder whether there is any end of training; what exhaustive training one may be given there will always remain some lacuna. On the other hand, the best way of getting oneself trained is to embark on a research problem. During the course of handling a problem and trying for its solution one is best trained for research. It is the learning by doing that is most important. The beginning of one’s productive phase should not be delayed to receive training again after post-graduation.

This does not mean that formal training has no role, but its contribution should not be over-emphasized. The improvement of graduate and post-graduate courses is more important and relevant.

Evaluating research contribution: The main purpose of awarding Ph.D. is to evaluate whether one has been fairly acquainted with the basics of research, mastered some skill about it and contributed a small but novel result and/or idea. This is quite reasonable. This can be best judged by the publication list of a person. Inspite of its limitations, it is still the best way of evaluating one’s research contribution.

Moreover, in recent years due to emergence of impact factor of a good number of journals this has become relatively easy. It is obvious that impact factor though very important, it is a part of whole process of evaluation of a person’s research contribution.

The review process of evaluation of a manuscript for publication in a journal is by far more objective than evaluation of a thesis. The editors of a journal are usually

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academically more competent than the usual examiners of a thesis. The editors select the reviewers who are competent and are conversant about the field in which the study has been undertaken. Moreover due to the usual anonimity of the reviewers the process is more objective. The editors are also very cautious that the quality of the journal does not fall by publishing sub-standard articles. The examiners of a thesis have usually no such o ligation.

However, it is difficult to evaluate one person’s contribution in a multiauthored paper. This problem is specially associated with papers published in scientific journals but usually not so relevant to research articles in subjects of humanities. But this problem can at least partially be resolved by looking at the names of other persons in the list of publications of the concerned person. How many names are common? Do they have publications in the respective field of study? It is not difficult to obtain this information in the present age of internet. Moreover, it is the usual (but not always) practice the person who has contributed most in a paper’s work, his name appears first in the authorship list. One positive outcome of this evaluation practice will be that the tendency of authorship by gratis may be reduced.

Conclusion:

This is not the intention of this article to advocate for wholesale abolition of Ph.D. award. One may aspire to be a Ph.D. holder if one so desires. A university may also retain the custom of awarding Ph.D. But the point which I like to emphasize is that contrary to present practice, the holding of Ph.D. should not be obligatory for a person to get a post-doctoral fellowship or a job for which a Ph.D. is at present mandatory. His future career advancement should not also jeopardize due to lack of Ph.D. In essence, Ph.D. is a by-product of research, it should not be considered as an entry permit for future research nor as a stamp that one has already contributed in research.

In the past, when research activity was not such rampant, many persons who had made significant academic contribution did not have to bother to have a Ph.D. Due to lack of the degree neither their career advancement suffered nor we had any difficulty in recognising their talent or contribution.

This article has been written in Indian context but the basics are almost equally valid for other countries also.

Since this is a global phenomenon initiating reform in a particular country is and will be impossible; nor do I think that the persons who are at present associated with research activities will pay heed to these arguements.

But let us reflect on the problem immediately.

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Teacher’s & Research Scholar’s Section:

Obstacles to World Peace

BY Nikhil Vyas “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal” – Martin Luther king Jr. eace has been the biggest demand of the world. Be it at international level, national level or personal level. In fact, people are even heard praying for the peace of one’s soul after death. The reasons for the above are simple to guess. Actually all of them are closely related i.e. if peace prevails at international level, then countries can better concentrate on their issues and this in turn is for the betterment of individual of that country. Hence, there exists a win–win situation between world peace and individual’s peace.

But there are many issues haunting world peace now.

I would like to discuss them here.

Terrorism: With very obvious reasons, terrorism seems to be the biggest threat to the world peace. With numerous terrorist groups today actively working in almost all major countries, it is almost impossible to even imagine peace prevailing. Incidents such as 9/11 and 26/11…have left an impression and occupied the mind of people in such a way that he has to think ten times before he could pack his bag for a holiday trip or maybe taking his family out for dinner in bigger cities especially.

Immediate and effective actions are required to be taken globally to eliminate terrorism.

Unhealthy Competition: A sense of unhealthy competition can be felt internationally, especially since last few decades. In the world today there are forces that are trying to exploit others and the ones that are exploited. The former doing everything to maintain their privileged position.

Growing number of nuclear weapons and warfare technology can be witnessed. Big power using military and economic dominance to compel smaller countries to accept their agreement. There cannot be a finer example

P

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of the above then the cold war between USSR and USA. These two countries in order to prove their superiority crossed the limits developing various warfare equipments giving way to Global tension. The side effect was the rise of Taliban in Afghanistan which is now one of the biggest militant producing brands.

Similar is the story of various other countries. The greed of becoming more powerful has in turn paved the way for tension thus disruption of World Peace.

Conflicts pertaining religion: The World as we know is divided into numerous religions and cultures, each of which is showing the same path of humanity. But with passage of time, we have witnessed formation of large number of so called “Religious Groups” supporting their respective religions. Now, these were the seeds of the religious conflicts the tree of which is pretty healthy now. Who is to be blamed? – The leader of these groups who for their selfish reasons go on performing anti-religious acts but label them as religious or the mobocracy prevailing around i.e. people are failing to form their own view, but instead are behind the majority. Who so ever is blamed, the world peace is suffering. Constant agitation can be seen between different religions. Misleading youth to perform anti-social acts is becoming common. Hence more and more people should be educated and made aware of what is happening around them.

Lack of Humanity: “People spend a lifetime searching for happiness, looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addiction, religion, even human beings to fill the emptiness. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within.”

I strongly feel the same. I feel that the basic reason behind the current scenario is the lack of humanity in individuals. Basic human values are lost, instead greed for money and power have overtaken. This in turn has become the driving force behind riots, corruption, chaos, etc. thus developing a feeling of uneasiness across the Globe. The quality of life of each individual is getting deteriorated with time.

The other reason is the attitude of mind by which we approach the universe, the world, other humans, and animals and the environment. Do we have a pre-cooked ‘solution’, or ‘answer’ that will explain everything or fix everything, or which is responsible for all the evil in the

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world? That’s putting it a bit strongly, maybe, and for sure lots of people take their ideologies with a large grain of salt, but in its core, that is the essence of an ideology.

There are lots of them: communism, Marxism, extremist religions, socialism, feminism, Nazism, racism, environmentalism, and so on.

The other approach is to just judge reality as best as we can with the mental tools available - and to get the best tools! Adopt the scientific attitude, test claims against evidence, incorporate caring and compassion so that our rationality doesn’t get disconnected from real human beings, educate ourselves in the widest sense, not merely as in getting a piece of paper to hang on the wall - in other words, love truth and use it to better ourselves and others.

The problem is that this program is just too pedestrian, too boring. It is much more exciting to think that one is ‘subverting’ all the cozy but misguided preconceptions of ‘The Establishment’, to believe in a daring ‘solution’ to all the world’s troubles, so much more fun to proudly cheer the Great Leader who sees beyond the mundane world. But real people and the real animals who share our planet, live lives filled with ordinary concerns finding a soul-mate, bringing up children, making a decent and happy life. The heroic ‘grand experiment’, the deconstruction, the subversion, the great leader, the grand plan, these things poison the ordinary decent lives most of us want to lead.

Conclusion: In the world of today there are forces that try to exploit others and the ones who are exploited; the former doing

everything to maintain and expand their privileged position. They ruthlessly plunder everything that comes their way - all the human, cultural, social, economical, ecological resources. In fact, they - the combined forces of science, technology, capitalism, the media and the state (STCMS-complex) - pose the greatest threat to World Peace. If this goes on, then the future of the earth is very questionable. Many attempts are made to turn the tide. Many courageous people even risk their life for it.

Groups and organizations try to initiate new developments. It proves to be a very hard job, indeed.

Apart from other things, what could help is to see the interconnectedness of causes that has determined the disastrous outcome, we are facing today. My point of view is, that only by taking all relevant factors into consideration, true empowerment may originate. It is equal to overcoming the 7 Obstacles. Rather than looking at “factors from outside” we have every reason and thus responsibility - to honestly and courageously investigate our own cultural background. Only then World Peace will have a chance. May it result in a development that considers all factors mentioned in this essay. It may be that some of the most important aspects of peace are quite invisible.

References: Quotations on peace by Shanti Narayan Notes on Peace – Bob Digweed Mr. Nikhil Vyas is an Engineer by occupation. He may be contacted at 126, Patrakar Colony, Industrial Area, Jodhpur, 342001, Phone: 0291-2637908. vyas_nikhil@hotmail.com

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Book Review Section:

Dipavali Sen [Ms. Dipavali Sen has been a student of Delhi School of Economics and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Pune). She has taught at Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, and various colleges of Delhi University. She is, at present, teaching at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Delhi University.

She is a prolific writer and has written creative pieces and articles for children as well as adults, both in English and Bengali. Dipavali@gmail.com]

In the name of Justice [Book: The Idea of Justice, Author: Amartya Sen, publisher: Penguin-Allen Lane; hardbound, not illustrated, price: 25 pounds (Rs.2, 000), pp 468] begin at the very beginning, this book is a Tomisnomer.

It is not about Justice in general – but a more specific concept – distributive justice in a society or economy. Nor is it about Idea. In fact, the point that this book makes is that instead of arguing endlessly about the attributes of a just society of the future, human beings should focus on ways and means of reducing injustices prevalent in society at present.

In 1973 Sen had published a slim and attractive book named On Economic Inequality. He had dedicated it to his young daughters “with the hope that when they grow up they will find less of it no matter how they decide to measure it”. Middle-aged now, children of that generation certainly do not find less of ‘it’ now.

Inequality, poverty, discrimination, exploitation – forms of injustice all – is as rampant as ever. And in 2009 Sen

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has had to come out with this 468-page book in impeccable but somewhat weighty style.

It has the same concern, but enhanced substance - like Sen’s own intellectual repute over time. The value-additional is his realization that justice may be perceived not as a static entity but in a dynamic sense.

Tackling current social problems, improving health and education are ways of moving towards justice – and therefore of understanding it. Along with theoretical and empirical measures of inequality, we need to develop practical approaches to reduce it – even if we can never completely get rid of it. It is in moving towards a less unfair state of affairs that we will get to know what is fair. Doing justice along the way is how we reach a just state. This is a novel and dynamic approach, put forth in the Introduction – An Approach to Justice. Sen himself calls it “a substantial departure in the prevailing theories of justice” (p 170).

After the Introduction, the book branches out in four parts: Part I (The Demands of Justice) has six chapters: Reason and Objectivity, Rawls and Beyond, Institutions and Persons, Voice and Social Choice, Impartiality and Objectivity, and Closed and Open Impartiality. In developing the ideas presented in this book, Sen says his “greatest debt” is to John Rawls. Among other influences are Kenneth Arrow, Pierro Sraffa and CD Broad, but it is to Rawls that the book is dedicated. Well, what did Rawls say about justice? Sen discusses this in the chapter on Rawls. Briefly, according to Rawls, the social objective is to maximize the welfare level of the worst-off individual. So if measures are taken to uplift the illiterate, unemployed or exploited, that would be a realization of the idea of justice. This is how Sen goes ‘beyond Rawls’ and adds a further dimension to the concept of justice.

The next three parts contain four chapters each.

Part II (Forms of Reasoning) contains: Position, Relevance and Illusion, Rationality and Other People, Plurality of Impartial Reasons and Realizations, Consequences and Agency. Sen, here takes up the notion that justice must be based on rationality. Must it, he asks.

Adam Smith’s principle of individual pursuit of self-interest leading to the best social outcome has been understood in mainstream economics in a ‘narrow’ sense. It can be interpreted to include the notion of

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sympathy and mutual benefits, Sen says. He weaves even the Gita into this analysis, underscoring ‘the significance of human lives’ in the context of fighting for justice. Arjuna had felt the love of near and dear ones weakening his resolution for what he felt was a fight against unfair treatment from the establishment at Hastinapur. Krishna had to reason with him to make him fight. But didn’t Arjuna have a point? Sen also brings in the ideas of another prince into this discussion – Gautama Buddha (whose ideas were disseminated by another prince – Emperor Ashoka). Justice for Sen is not of the blindfolded goddess Justicia who carries a sword and a pair of scales. It is a compassionate conceptualization - a blend of Nyaya with Karuna, and this is another novelty of his approach.

Part III (The Materials of Justice) consists of: Lives, Freedoms and Capabilities, Capabilities and Resources, Happiness, Well-being and Capabilities, Equality and Liberty. Sen relates the issue of human lives, welfare and even happiness to the concept of justice. He begins by reminding us that Gautama Buddha left his princely abode in the foothills of the Himalayas not to find peace for himself but because he was disturbed by the disability , sickness , deprivation and death in others. He ends the part by saying that we must “avoid the adoption of some narrow and unifocal view of equality or of liberty, ignoring all other concerns that those broad values demand” (p 317).

The four chapters of Part IV (Public Reasoning and Democracy) are: Democracy as Public Reason, The Practice of Democracy, Human Rights and Global Imperatives and Justice and the World. Democracy

seems to have an intrinsic connection with securing justice for the public; is it so? How far are debates on human rights conducive to ensuring justice? Especially in the global context, can public reasoning really find solutions to people’s problems? “Justice is an immensely important idea that has moved people in the past and will continue to move people in the future. And reasoning and careful scrutiny can indeed offer much to extend the reach and sharpen the content of this momentous concept. And yet it would be a mistake to assume that every decisional problem for which the idea of justice might conceivably be relevant would, in fact, be resolved through careful scrutiny” (p 401). Yet another novel idea, this!

A serious lack in the book is that of an analysis of people’s movements for justice, say, beginning with the French revolution or the October Revolution to the Chipko Movement or the movement of the Bhopal gas leak victims.

The Notes, Name Index and Subject Index at the end of the book are detailed, spanning 50 pages. As a scholarly work, the book cannot be faulted. It also makes delightful reading. Sen has drawn upon endless sources: Burke to Dickens, Aldous Huxley to Pablo Picasso, Karl Marx to Leela Majumdar.

But one must have the time for it. This is a book of epic depth and size. Most of us are not likely to have the time, certainly not the ones who suffer from injustice or protest actively against it. And thus, justice is likely to forever remain an idea, quite in keeping with the book’s title.

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

JANUARY 2010

Jugal Kishore

Discovering the difference between Science and Superstition [Dr. J Kishore is Director (Hony) Center for Inquiry (Delhi) and Professor Public Health, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. He can be contacted at: 09968604249] [BOOK: How do you know it’s true? –by Hy Ruchlis, available at: Prometheus Books 59 John Glenn Drive Amherst, New York 14228-2119, ph. 716-691-0133 ext. 210] being has always explored his/her Human dreams and fantasies and tried to prove them true. This has given birth to millions of myths and superstitions. This habit of dreaming is appreciable till it keeps exploring and enjoying but skeptical to unproven facts. This search for new knowledge and understanding has lead the ascent of humankind to this level where it is more safe, living longer with good health and enjoying luxury of living on this planet. The approach of inquisitive mind if scientific and rational then benefits are more but if it is in under the influence of ignorance, selfishness, greed, and desired then there are more damage then benefit to human beings and environment.

Scientific development was possible on this planet because of those dedicated and committed people who believe in reform and change. They never feared from their suppression or exploitation or death. They were always skeptical to those firm beliefs that could not be proved scientifically or explained rationally. To prove

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earth is not flat but round many grave scientists had to scarify their lives. Giordano Bruno in 1583 was executed and burned alive for his statement that stars are not on the fixed dome but separate bright objects. But nine years after his death Galileo Galilei proved the same thing by his telescope with great difficulties. The sacrifices that Bruno, Galileo, and many others had never gone in vain because powerful closed mined, brutal, thought-control of the inquisition are always afraid of truth.

How do you know it’s true: Discovering the difference between science and superstition the book is written by Hy Ruchlis and published by Prometheus Books, has two parts: The first part elaborates Superstition and Fairy-Tale Thinking that consists of 4 chapters: fiction or fact? The nature of superstition, an experiment with a superstition and Astrology: Science or superstition?

Second part devoted to the theme “science as a way of thinking”. It consists of 6 chapters: How new facts are discovered, science and freedom of thought, developing a theory: Probability, unusual events: Luck and chance, science gives us real knowledge, and science: Past, Present, and future.

In this masterpiece of scientific education Hy Ruchilis explained complex structure of superstitions in a simple way and logically put facts explaining reasons of superstition in human society. He put pertinent questions in front of reader and answered them in more thought provoking manner. According to him superstitions are based on the belief that some people, plants, animals, planets, stars, words, numbers, or special things have magical powers. They are supposed to be able to do astonishing things that no one truly observed happening anywhere, although many people imagine they are happening. These superstitions contradict what we know about the real world. Superstitions are examples of fairy-tale thinking. Contrary to this scientific thinking is seeking facts and explanations of events based on careful observations and logical reasoning that must be checked by repeated trials to try to eliminate the errors that often occur. Then the facts have to be verified by other careful observers before being accepted as true.

Accepting the mistake committed during previous observation in the light of new observation is often considered. That way this whole process is dynamic and progressive.

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In his 2nd chapter he gave few examples of superstitions and explained the basic nature of their origin. How these superstitions can harm the human health and development is explained in chapter 3. Chapter 4 is devoted on Astrology and explaining whether it is science or fiction. He was perturbed by the act of more than 1000 newspapers that publish daily and meaningless horoscopes and same space could be better utilized for more meaningful information.

He does not denied that imagination and fictions are useful for creative thinking. But he stated that they should be based on logical reasoning and able to make hypothesis that is reasonable guess as to possible explanations for what we observe. But these hypotheses should be supported by strong evidence before accepting facts.

Scientists should be open-minded and able to accept new ideas, but also reasonably skeptical about accepting them as true. History is full of examples when people thought they were absolutely right about facts and theories that later were shown to be wrong.

Explaining probability theories with the examples of coin and dice has proved to be simplest way to understand chance and exposed supernatural magical events. Scientific knowledge gives us a real knowledge and standing on the shoulders of giants such as Johannes Kepler, Copernicus, Newton, Einstein, Neil Bohr, Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur, John Snow, and so many other scientists. Their uncommon lives were examples for millions of people who are fearful to the reform. But this reform has to occur because of the commitment of humankind to the humanity and civilzation.

Ruchlis’s inquisitive writing ends with hope and faith in human capability to solve toughest challenge of environmental degradation and climatic change. This is definitely essential reading for youngsters but older group can equally be benefited from his wisdom of science. The book has tried to nurture the child from fiction to fact who matured to be part of this civilized world. It demonstrates the foolishness of superstitions and explains how pseudo-sciences such as astrology, can be dangerous to the society by giving real examples.

An Obituary for Mr Dilip Purushotham Chitre

Mr Dilip Purushotham Chitre passed away on 10 dec 2009. (born 1938).

It is a great loss for the humanist and secularist movemenst. He was a close associate of A.B.Shah and helped him in Satya Shodhak Mandal, a secular organization in Maharastra. Dilip translated Hamid Dalwai`s Muslim Politics into English.

Dilip was editor of New Quest magazine since 1978-80 and 2001 onwards. He contributed articles in Quest magazine ( edited by Abu Sayeed Ayub from Kolkata) He hailed from Baroda and later worked in Bombay and Pune. He lead an illustrious life in art, film, poetry.

Innaiah Narisetti

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Humanist News Section: I Indian Radical Humanist Association (Gujarat) Youth Convention held ndian Radical Humanist Association (Gujarat) had organized a Youth Convention on 9th December, 2009 at Ahmedabad. The subjects of the convention was “Obstacles to World Peace,” “Humanism and Scientific Temper” and “Position of Women in our Society.” Dr. Sudarshan Iyangar (Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat Vidhyapith) inaugurated the convention and spoke on Gandhi, Peace and Education.

Then after, veteran Radical Humanist Prof. Dhaval Mehta and Prof. Jayanti Patel delivered their views on Humanism and Scientific Temper. Dhaval Mehta while discussing the clash of religion and scientific aptitude, emphasized on developing a rational thinking which will curb anti-scientific attitude. Jayanti Patel laid stress on birth rights, equality and no exploitation. While speaking on the subject “Humanism and Scientific Temper” Vinod Jain President IRHA drew attention to scientists like Copernicus Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Darwin and Mendel whose work during the European Renaissance dissipated the ignorance and darkness of the Middle Ages. Einstein and others in our age completed the Mission. M.N. Roy, modern Indian’s only philosopher defined philosophy as a science of sciences.

He gave the philosophy of New Humanism based on the knowledge of modern science. It says search for truth and quest for freedom have been two basic endeavors of man throughout history. It says because life as well as man has evolved out of physical nature, and because the universe around is law-governed, therefore the ability to be rational and moral is innate in his. These factors make it possible to improve the lot of entire humanity. The present 40 young students heard both the speakers with rapt attention.

In the afternoon session Dr. Illa Pathak (President, Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG) and Dr. Pushpa Motiyani (Head Shanti Sansodhan Kendra, Gujarat Vidhyapith) detailed the position women in our society.

Then award ceremony of Gujarat participants for essay competition was held. Dr. Vidhyut Joshi (Former Chancellor of Bhavnagar University) gave away the prizes to the award winning students of Gujarat.

I

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Winners of Essay Competition of Gujarat: (1) Gohil Charan A. (Rajkot) (2) Khuman Miral B. (Surendranagar) (3) Bhalia Kishorbhai Samanthbhai (Vanda Dist.

Amarali) (4) Bhambhor Shaileshbhai Kanubhai (Ahmedabad) (5) Dhaval Dholakiya (Junagadh) (6) Tanna Shradha Mukeshbhai (Rajkot) The Youth Convention presented perspectives like the struggle between religions and science, humanism and humanitarian attitude, human rights violation and the status of women.

Gautam Thaker General Secretary IRHA (Gujarat), (079-26641353) Jivraj Park area, Opp. Malav Talav, Mobile: 98253 82556.

Ahmedabad-380 051.

Manubhai B. Shah President Mobile: 98253 33999 4, Sanmitra Society, Ahmedabad II Press Release on Public Meeting held by Champa — the Amiya and B.G. Rao Foundation he Madhu Koda episode is just the tip of an iceberg. In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa private mining companies enjoy vast illegal mining empires – and the corporate loot of resources is closely linked to political power. Meanwhile, resistance

by Adivasi people – at Kalinganagar, Niyamgiri and Narayanpatna – has been met with savage repression and police firings. This offensive has intensified with the ongoing Central Government military offensive, ostensibly aimed at ‘Maoists’, but in fact clearing the way for mining operations.

At a meeting held on 17 December, 2009 at the Indian Law Institute, organized by Champa – the Amiya and B.G.Rao Foundation, Samarendra Das,activist, film-maker and researcher, laid bare the destruction of the adivasi communities livelihood as well as

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environment as a result of unscrupulous plunder by the mining companies in collusion with Central and State Governments.

The meeting began with the screening of “Wira Pdika” (Earthworm and Company-man) about the struggle of the Adivasi Dongria Kondh and Majhi Kondh communities against eviction to pave the way for British MNC Vedanta’s mining operations.

The film screening was followed by a talk by Mr. Das on Mining Policy and corporate plunder. The talk was chaired by Professor Amit Bhaduri.

Samendra Das traced the shifts in India’s mining policies. The New Mineral Policy (NMP) 1993, he said, began paving the way for increased control of private corporations over India’s mineral resources. The latest NMP 2008 has opened up the mining sector completely – allowing for 100% FDI in mining. Das pointed out that such a policy flew in the face of government claims of ‘development’ – since the mineral resources are looted by private corporations while the lives and livelihoods of Adivasi people are devastated. He also presented documentary evidence of the ‘hijack of people’s struggles by a corporate cartel’ of the plundering corporations, international fund banks and some NGOs; whereby the latter are paid huge amounts to subvert anti-mining movements.

He showed reports brought out by consultants like Pricewaterhouse Coopers anticipating people’s resistance to mining landgrab, that proposed ‘corporate partnerships’ to hijack movements with propaganda about Corporate Social Responsibility. For instance, he emphasized that ‘International Watch’ received Rs.22 crore to create a ‘pro-Posco’ mood in the face of the people’s movement against the Korean steel company Posco’s land grab in Jagat singhpur, Orissa. He also showed how Action Aid was part of a corporate partnership – ‘Partners in Change’ funded by Ford Foundation (which in turn is headed by someone who used to head the Aluminium Corporation of America (ALCOA)) – claiming to stand for ‘pro-poor corporate responsibility’. While the mining companies indulge in illegal mining, land grab and devastation of livelihood and environment, such corporate cartels attempt to mask the mining companies’ role with talk of ‘CSR’.

In the case of Vedanta’s landgrab in the Niyamgiri hills he showed how a similar role had been played by

corporate partnerships like Business Partners for Development. The latter, funded by the World Bank and DFID has changed its name to Building Partnerships for Development, after its infamous role in Colombia and Orissa too, was exposed.

He showed how in platforms like the Indo-US Business Forum, leading mining CEOs like Guy Elliot advise Indian planners and leaders to change India’s “mining code” in order to open it up. He emphasized that mining policy cannot be seen only as a “dig and sell” activity, since its externality costs are extremely high, and so are its long term costs in terms of impact on future generations, land and livelihood. Home Minister P Chidambaram has been on the Board of Directors of Vedanta, and as a UPA Minister, he is pushing such pro-corporate policies, including the latest war on people.

Chairing the meeting, Prof. Amit Bhaduri said that the corporate grab of land and resources in the poorest districts in the country represented “internal colonization”.

At the end, the consensus of the meeting was the mining resources of the country should be utilized to subserve the internal and local needs of the people, rather than allowing the corporations to grab the said resources for their profit-making at the expense of people’s interests.

N.D. Pancholi Convener, Champa – the Amiya and B.G.Rao Foundation III Press Release issued at Press Conference held at Press Club, New Delhi 24th December 2009 regarding attack on Shamim Modi he various Human Rights and Social-Political Groups including PUCL, PUDR, Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Lok Rajniti Manch and prominent individuals, in Delhi have raised concern over growing apathy of various governments towards the life of human rights activists. The incidents of attack on the life of Human Rights Activists are hardly taken to their logical conclusion. Citing the case of Shamim Modi, a noted social & political activist, Vice President of Samajwadi Jan Parishad & presently Assistant Professor with TISS, Mumbai, they all demanded that the Central leadership of the Congress should intervene and ensure

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fair investigation by the CBI in the matter.

The facts revealed so far are sufficient enough to prove that there has been a larger political conspiracy to eliminate her and the local police have a definite role in the attack. Though Shamim has named the Former Revenue Minster of M.P., Kamal Patel, his business associates and the President of Saw Mill Owner’s Association, Natwar Patel in her statement, the consecutive investigative agencies of Maharashtra, earlier the Mahrashtra Police and now Mumbai Crime Branch, CID have failed to name them in the FIR. Since it was suspected that the local police itself might be a part of the whole conspiracy since they have doctored Shamim and her husband Anurag’s statement and earlier registered the case under section 397 of IPC only, for attempting dacoity, an impartial CBI enquiry was demanded by activists from all over the country. A delegation had met the then Home Minister of Maharastra and he hade promised to order a CBI inquiry.

Since the government did not take any step in that direction, Shamim made a plea to the Mumbai High Court for a fair inquiry. The High Court took notice of the matter and after slapping section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder), ordered Mumbai Crime Branch CID to conduct an inquiry into the case and submit its report within three months.

During the CB CID inquiry it further came to light that the Senior Police Inspector of Manikpur Police Station has manipulated vital forensic evidence. But since CID is also part of the State police apparatus, despite repeated requests with the Chief Minster of Maharashtra and various police authorities of the State, it is not interrogating the local police officers whose involvement in the case has been very unprofessional and their collusion with the attacker(s) is very much probable. With the attacker(s) nowhere in sight, only the interrogation of the local police can shed some light on the matter and that is possible only when a CBI inquiry is conducted Shamim holds an M. Phil. degree in Social Sciences from the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She also holds a degree in law from Barkatullah Univ., Bhopal and an M.A from Lady Shriram College, New Delhi. Under the banner of

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Shramik Adiwasi Sanghthan Shamim and Anurag Modi have been organising tribal, dalits and unorganized workers in Harda, Khandwa and Betul districts of M.P. for the last 15 years. They were also actively involved in electoral politics through their political front Samajwadi Jan Parishad. She has taken up many issues like Ex Revenue Minster of MP Mr Kmal Patel son’s involvement in a murder case in which a CBI inquiry has been ordered by the M.P. H.C., exposing the corrupt nexus of politicians and mining mafia by way of filing various PILs, and raising the voice of tribals and unorganized workers. In last 5 years around 7 false cases have been registered against Shamim, ranging from dacoity to kidnapping, and two against her husband Anurang Modi. The couple also has been served with the externment notice by the Harda DM to be externed from 6 districts of their work area. Shamim was also jailed on trump up charges.

Shamim was attacked by the watchman in her rented flat at Vasai, Mumbai on 23rd July. In all she sustained 118 stitches. It was her sheer courage and presence of mind plus timely medical aid that saved her. Since the police tried to make it look like a simple robbery case, while in reality it was a well planned attack to kill her by Kamal Patel, the local BJP MLA and Former Revenue Minster from MP and Natware Patel, President of Saw Mill Owners Association of Harda, Madhya Pradesh where Shamim has been politically active in mobilizing saw mill workers, Hammals and contested elections against Kamal Patel. She also filed various PILs concerning tribal rights and exposing the corrupt nexus.

Signed By: Surendra Mohan Kuldip Nayar People Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) People Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) National Alliance for People Movement (NAPM) Delhi Solidarity Group Samwajwadi Jan Parashad Vidyarthi Yuvjan Sabha Lok Rajniti Manch Press Release sent by Mahipal Singh

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IV Sambhavi Gudi lona, Badi lona?

Should 7 yr old Sambhavi be in a School or in a Temple?

Story of a sensational Humanist Campaign against the Religious Exploitation of a Child Gogineni initiated the public campaign Babu in collaboration with a host of intellectuals and activists. For the last few weeks Humanists, Rationalists and Human Rights activists have been waging a huge battle against the forces of fundamentalism in Andhra Pradesh. This is a battle where all sections of society, and in which the media, the police, the justice system, aggressive fundamentalists, the Dalai Lama as well as the Humanists and Rationalists are involved. It is a battle that is being watched with keen interest by millions of homes as it unfolds on live TV and through public discussions, newspaper articles and also in homes. The campaign started publicly with a complaint made by Babu Gogineni in the name of IHEU along with a dozen collaboratoring intellectuals and organizations with the Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission. The campaign’s slogan ‘Sambhavi Gudilona Badilona?’ has now become the byword for TV programs, for newspaper articles and also discussions as all citizens are challenged to take a stand whether Sambhavi, a child of 7, who it is claimed is a reincarnation of a Buddhist goddess should be in school or remain in the temple.

Everyone has an opinion, most of them agreeing with the Humanists.

This is also a story which has catapulted Humanists and Rationalists into the limelight as superstition, religious privilege and human rights clash publicly in Andhra Pradesh state which is home to 90 million Telugu speaking people - the second largest language group in India.

How the fraud became public?

It was on the lazy Sunday morning of 16 August that all hell broke loose. There were urgent and breathless phone calls from HM TV, Mahaa TV, I News and Studio N TV Channels asking me if I had heard of Sambhavi.

“Please switch on your TV sir – Sambhavi, a child of 7, is claiming to be the reincarnation of a childhood friend

of the Dalai Lama. She speaks with great clarity and precision. She claims Tibet will be free in 2010, that there would be a great event in 2012, and that the Dalai Lama would visit her soon in Surya Nandi temple in Kurnool District. It seems the child is in touch with the Buddhist leader by telepathy. Sambhavi is also saying that the Telugu Soothsayer of medieval times Veerabrahmendra Swamy’s predictions will come true in 2012 and 2014. Her caretaker Usha Rani says she has miraculous powers. Would you like to comment?”

I was being invited to participate in live discussions on these channels; already Dr. Vijayam and Mr. Lavanam were on amongst them, speaking from the Atheist Center in Vijayawada. There were some orthodox Hindus as well on the panels. My response was: “It is nonsense, because rebirth implies we have a soul which can retain memories. No one has shown that the soul exists and we all know that the seat of memory is the brain which dies with the rest of the body. Claims of rebirth are culturally conditioned which is why we do not hear of them in Muslim or Christian or African societies. No claim of rebirth has been shown to be true in Hinduism or in Buddhism”.

“But sir, they are also showing video clips of the child with the Dalai Lama. It seems he approves of it and that he has accepted that she was his childhood friend”.

“Have you verified this claim with the Dalai Lama? In any case, I would not be really surprised – the Dalai Lama believes in reincarnation. He also is desperate that as he gets old he has to do his best to get Tibet on the world’s radar again. This year is the 50th year since the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet and it is the 60th year of the People’s Republic of China. The timing is good for some gimmicks!” Some of the Dalai Lama’s religious beliefs are even dangerous”.

“But sir is he not the most important Buddhist leader?”

The Dalai Lama? “Not really! There are 300 million Buddhists in the world, and the Buddhists are divided into Hinayana (or Theravada), Mahayana and Vajrayana sects. The Vajrayana Buddhists are associated with Tantric practices and most of the Tibetans are associated with that school of Buddhism. The Buddha did not believe in a soul or in a rebirth of this kind, so many Buddhists are opposed to the Dalai Lama’s religious beliefs. And there are not many Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhists – only 6 million Tibetans if you take the Dalai

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Lama.s own figures - or 2.5 million if you believe the Chinese government. And amongst the Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhists there are again 4 sects, and the Dalai Lama is the head of just one of them – the Gelugpa sect.

He does not represent all Buddhists, but of course he is well known as he is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

“Did you know that the Dalai Lama rebelled and escaped from Tibet at a time when China wanted to tax the income of his institutions? When he was in Tibet it is said that he had over 6000 serfs, and that this ascetic who renounced all was staying in the 1000-room Potala Palace!”

“Sir, please come to the studio and say this. We want to show your point of view”.

And so was spoiled another Sunday (and many more weekdays and weekends since). We have been on dozens of TV discussions and public meetings: several colleagues like JVV leaders T.V. Rao and Ramesh; Radical Humanist C.L.N. Gandhi, Rationalist lawyer Madhusudan, feminist Volga, head of CEASE Child Labour and industrialist Kotapati Murahari Rao, and me.

Our Questions: We coordinated strategy and arguments: in discussions we asked what Sambhavi’s real name was in this life, and what her name was when she was a friend of the Dalai Lama in her previous birth. As Sambhavi is reputed to have met with the Madhyamika philosopher Nagarjuna who died many centuries ago, we wondered why she did not meet with the Buddha as well. We asked who Sambhavi’s real parents were as only Usha Rani who is parading as Sambhavi’s caretaker seemed to be around. What were the economic interests behind this claim, we queried. And if the Dalai Lama was visiting Surya Nandi to inaugurate Buddha Vijayam, the ashram being built for Sambhavi, what are his interests? He has been talking of late in several voices, making even some Tibetans angry: once he offered to be reborn even before he died; on another occasion he said that he would be reborn outside Tibet, and that it could even be as a girl.

On yet another occasion, outraging the really orthodox, he said his reincarnation could be elected by the people of Tibet! If it is true that he was coming, was he coming to nominate his successor? We also pointed out that the sooth-sayer Veerabrahmendra Swamy’s predictions were hardly what someone could take credibly – there is no authentic text, nothing has been predicted in a

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verifiable manner – there is only myth, legend, pulp fiction and popular cinema. In any case, this silly salad of adult superstition, unconvincing stories of ancient soothsayers occupied TV screens for the next 3 months in Andhra Pradesh. While TV5, NTV and MAHAA TV turned a skeptical eye towards the developments, the highest TRP rated TV9 had several special documentaries. Their team travelled to the Dalai Lama’s headquarters Dharamshala in North India to discuss with the officials of the so-called Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and the so-called Tibetan-Government-in-exile. Almost all the channels boasted special interviews and special discussions with the spiritualist, miracle-child. Most recently, on 14 Nov, India’s Children’s Day, Sakshi Newspaper, with the largest circulation in the state with 1.2 million copies daily shocked us with a mindless analysis of Sambhavi’s divinity in a two page special.

Thanks to all the media promotion, Telugu people soon knew everything about Sambhavi - a lovable child with charming mannerisms: daughter of Bengali Brahmins living in Varanasi, she was made a sanyasin at the age of 4, and once when she went into a trance she travelled to the Himalayas where she met the Dalai Lama and also read Tibetan manuscripts. The child’s caretaker Usha Rani claimed that Sambhavi expressed concern for the Dalai Lama’s health and suggested that the Dalai Lama became healthy after Sambhavi prayed for him. We all now knew that Sambhavi held regular confidential telepathic discussions with the Dalai Lama with regards to the future of Tibet. We were told that she speaks 5 languages fluently, blesses whoever prostrates in front of her, and that the devotees were quickly benefited emotionally and economically. Sambhavi came to Surya Nandi with a famous film singer’s family and when she arrived here she miraculously started speaking Telugu, and chose to establish her ashram there!

What did Sambhavi say?

But all the reports from the gushing journalists, the charming childish talk of Sambhavi and the halo of the Dalai Lama’s support could not hide the real estate business being set up in and around Surya Nandi, the eagerness of Usha Rani to promote her ward’s supernatural claims, or the incoherence of the child and the political nature of the statements being made through her.

Here is a sample:

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. India is doing well because India has Buddhism. . China and Pakistan have bad people. They will be punished. . Tibet will be free in 2016; China will become democratic in 2012. . I was born for Tibet’s freedom and I will do anything for Tibet’s freedom. . There is a giant statue of the Buddha in the soil in Tibet – it went inside the soil because otherwise China would take it away. It will emerge from the earth as a ray of light. . The Dalai Lama was the Buddhist deity Balabadhra in the past life and I (Sambhavi) was the Buddhist goddess Ugra Taraka Devi. . Lord Siva is in Tibet. Hanuman will go to Tibet, worship him, and he will free Tibet. . All non-vegetarians will be destroyed when Veerabrahmendra Swami will reincarnate as Veerabhoga Vasantarayalu in Surya Nandi on 14 January 2012. . Veerabhoga Vasantarayalu will also pull out the eyes and the hearts of non-believers (Atheists). . Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of late Rajasekhar Reddy will become the next Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh state.

How to Stop This?

The constant media hype and the frenzy that accompanied it, the announcement of the impending visit of the Dalai Lama and the daily challenge to our sanity were priming us up for action. Now there was also news that India’s richest industrialist and one of the world’s wealthiest individuals Anil Ambani donated Rs. 1 Crore (Rs. 10 million or USD 200,000) to Surya Nandi temple. The Dalai Lama, it was announced, would come on 21 Dec. to inaugurate Sambhavi’s ashram.

There was now urgency for action as things seemed to be rapidly getting out of hand. What if the Dalai Lama arrives as threatened on 21 Dec in Surya Nandi and declares that Sambhavi would be his successor? Even if he did not do that, what if he declares Buddha Vijayam as Sambhavi’s ashram? If that was done, Sambhavi would never be able to have a normal childhood. This is how in Nepal Hindu maidens are made Kumaris, who are till puberty considered divine and after nearly a decade of isolation from the rest of society are thrown out of temples to fend for themselves.

So, I started putting together a strategy, working with colleagues and collaborators and in discussion with Prof.

Narendra Nayak, President of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations.

We had to do a number of things: a). Approach the AP State Human Rights Commission. b). Alert the National Commission for the Protection of Rights of Children. c). Invite the cooperation of fellow Humanists and progressives. d). Prepare the ground for international action, and consult with Roy Brown for raising the matter at the UN in Geneva once local remedies are tried out. e). Ascertain whether the Dalai Lama and Anil Ambani really supported Sambhavi. f). Make the Sambhavi matter a house hold issue for which the media needed to be involved.

Along with Sri Kotapati Murahari Rao, President of CEASE Child Labour and Treasurer of the Rationalist Association of India, and the well known novelist Pydi Chandra Latha a list of possible collaborators was drawn up; Manava Vikasa Vedika (MVV), Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV) and Muralidhar Isanaka of the Rationalist Forum of Hyderabad were also consulted.

We first approached Prof. Shantha Sinha, the Ramon Magasaysay Award winner for Human Rights and India’s first Chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Children. To Muralidhar Isanaka, Kotapati Murahari Rao, Chandra Latha and me she even suggested that the Commission itself could approach the High Court to save the child.

20 Nov: Universal Child Rights Day: We then announced to the media that our day of public action would be 20 Nov ‘09 which marks 20 years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and 50 years since the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of the Child.

The response from the media was most helpful for the progress of the campaign. Zee 24 hours was extraordinary: one of their officials said, ‘we never realized that there was this other angle to the Sambhavi story. We would like to partner with you all in this Human Rights campaign. Please come to our studios where we will organize a 2-hr live discussion on Sambhavi. Then our cameras will follow you throughout the day and we will come with you to the Human Rights

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Commission. I agreed, on the condition that no astrologers or religious fundamentalists be invited – I was merely repeating my TV 9 appeal of 17 August that this was a Human Rights question, not a debate about rebirth. Zee readily agreed and involved many of the co-petitioners in the phone in program as also Child Rights activist Sri Chikku Murali Mohan from Sadhana.

Later, at the Office of the State Human Rights Commission, HM TV and I News had their OB Vans; from where they covered the events live. The media was present in full force to hear what we were going to say to the Honorable Subhashan Reddy, the former Chief Justice of Madras High Court and of Kerala High Courts, and now Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission.

Mr. Justice Subhashan Reddy heard us with great sympathy and concern for the child. Present and involved were A.B.K. Prasad, senior journalist and former Chairperson of the Official Languages Commission, the noted feminist and editor Kondaveeti Satyavati, distinguished feminist and leader of Asmita, Mrs. Volga, the educationists Prabhakara Sastri, the child rights activist Sri. Achyuth Rao, JVV.s T.V. Rao etc. Two children, Ms. Sahasi, grand daughter of MVV’s Hanumantha Rao and Arun Gogineni added to the occasion, reminding all how a happy and normal childhood would be.

We submitted to the judge respectfully that: - This was not a religious debate, but a Human Rights struggle.

- Children who have been identified as the reincarnation of a dead person have always been psychologically damaged much before adulthood.

- Sambhavi has the right to a normal childhood, to be brought up in the loving care of a mother, and to play.

- It appears that the child has been indoctrinated for nearly 3 years and it had lost all touch with reality. Such mental abuse should attract the relevant civil and criminal provisions of the law.

- Not the religious views of the parents but the best interests of a child are paramount.

We urged the Judge to take action and directions: a). For the rehabilitation of Sambhavi into normal life with the help of child psychologists. b). To the State government to take immediate steps to halt the abuse.

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c). To summon Sambhavi’s parents and Ms. Usha Rani and the relevant birth records of Sambhavi to ensure that she has not been a victim of abduction and exploitation. d). To issue notice to the Dalai Lama to ascertain if he or his organization has a role in this. e). To issue guidelines to the media so that they will report such matters with sensitivity.

We also submitted that we were offended that a crime of abuse of a child is being portrayed as a spiritual achievement, to the detriment of the child’s best interests.

In response, recalling that when previously a child was being used for TV reality shows he had passed orders putting it in the protection of a Government Child Home, the Honorable Judge passed instant orders to the Collector of the Kurnool district to present a report on the parentage of Sambhavi as well as whether the Human Rights of Sambhavi are being violated. In view of the urgency, the Collector was given just 10 days to report – till 30 Nov 09.

Gudilona, Badilona?

Golla Venkatesh worked with me to create a poster and a banner for the campaign with the question ‘Sambhavi Gudilona, Badilona? Manavavadula, Hetuvadula Prasna’. (Humanists & Rationalists Ask: Should Sambhavi be in a School or in a Temple?). The curtain was raised for launching a new debate in all sections of society on questions that matter to all. Along with Sri T.V. Rao of JVV and Sri C.L.N. Gandhi of the IRHA we shared our media responsibilities so that the voice of reason could be heard by a large number of people.

After we submitted our complaint, the media coverage for the event, and following a 30 minute discussion on Live TV on TV9 where I also debated the obnoxious Usha Rani, Tirupataiah, a young and dashing journalist from Eenadu Newspaper called me asking for help and moral support for the stories he was planning to write and for which he was being threatened by Mrs. Usha Rani. I offered our full cooperation. More journalists got in touch, from Prajasakti newspaper and from other TV outlets.

But what about the Administration?

The Child Welfare Department did nothing for Sambhavi in the last 2-and-a-half months despite the obscene publicity. The Endowments Department took

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no action even though it was a well known fact that she was staying in the temple, illegally and with no permission. They did not move even when a temple wall was demolished, apparently by the occupants. The District Collector who ordered an inquiry by the Nandyal Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) on 24 November did so only after being ordered to do so by the Human Rights Commission. Could we trust the Administration?

I therefore decided that I would go to Kurnool and Nandyal towns to give evidence to the inquiry even if it was not an entirely safe thing to do. But I was grateful that Mr. Ramabrahmam from JVV and Mr. KVR Reddy from MVV volunteered to come on behalf of their organizations, and to help with the security. They never let me address any meeting or even the press without standing behind me. All said that because of the physical build of KVR we were safe from any mischief and attacks – jokes that KVR took with good humour. KVR even offered his car for the visit to Nandyal, while JVV’s lawyer Madhusudan (who filed the court case against the claims of fish medicine to cure asthma) and Mr. Suresh Kumar offered the support for meeting with the Collector in Kurnool and the RDO in Nandyal.

The meeting with the Collector was widely reported, both in TV and in newspapers. After 2 months of seeming negligence, the Collector was suddenly put under public pressure. He did not have the courtesy of offering a seat to our delegation – he showed some impatience that we went to the Human Rights Commission! We urged him that India was a Secular Country, that the Dalai Lama needed no special treatment as his supposed visit was to perform a private religious duty, that Sambhavi needed protection and that his district was now the laughing stock of the world.

The next day was when we met with Dr. Madhavi Latha, the former scientist from ICRISAT who is now the RDO and the Inquiry officer, along with the Deputy Superintendent of Police Samayjohn Rao and Zubeida Begum the Integrated Child Development Scheme Officer. Dr. Madhavi Latha met us after the first questioning of Usha Rani for 4 hours: defying the notices to appear, Usha Rani arrived without Sambhavi!

The next day she came with the child’s supposed father Soumya Acharya from Varanasi, but again without Sambhavi after which she was forced to bring her! “We

will not bring Sambhavi to the inquiry as she is a child”, had said one of the persons there on day one. “There is no need to bring her”, said her lawyer to the TV channels waiting for his sound bite on the first day! We made a full presentation, made our arguments and also gave the RDO details of people who were claiming to be victims of Usha Rani’s deception in the name of Sambhavi’s spiritual powers. It is impossible that the child has miraculous powers, therefore the claims of supernatural powers and the subsequent marketing of the child and collection of donations was tantamount to deception and exploitation, we urged.

The Hindu Right Wingers TV9 was covering everything live, and their journalist excitedly announced that the situation was tense and that violence was expected between the two groups that were gathering there.

Already a group belonging to the Student Federation of India who arrived with no prior information to us - but to support our petition - was arrested by the police and taken away. Members and leaders of the Hindu right wing VHP and RSS who had gathered there started shouting slogans against us, giving dire warnings to Rationalists for interfering with Hindu religious affairs.

They picked up a fight with me. Some were drunk and all appeared intoxicated with their religion. After some 10 minutes of live TV interview, the police advised us to leave since the VHP activists were becoming increasingly difficult and aggressive.

We left but not before clarifying to the media and to the people who gathered there not to miss the excitement of this show: we filed the petition to save Sambhavi. She has shown no miracles and should not be called a goddess. She has to go to school and should not be exploited in the name of religion: India would progress as a nation if all went to school. In any case, Sambhavi is a Buddhist and so the Hindus need not get agitated unnecessarily by our action. Not only the Rationalists but also many religious and non religious people were morally offended by how the child was being abused.

Their humanitarian instincts were waiting for a formal avenue to express themselves. Our petition and campaign was on all their behalf.

Further Developments …

The official inquiry was conducted for 3 days in all.

Despite the empty boasting of Usha Rani’s lawyer and unclear threats of legal action, Sambhavi was finally

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produced in front of the inquiry. The press reports that Usha Rani was ordered out of the temple by the Endowments Department, and the local villagers also largely expressed their disbelief in Sambhavi’s miraculous powers when the inquiry was taking place.

We were confidentially passed on recordings of telephone threats made by Usha Rani to some journalists. Others have received threatening phone calls. We are keeping a record.

The District Collector has sent a 36-page interim report to the Human Rights Commission on 30 Nov. asking for more time to establish the child’s parentage. But already he said that the child has no miraculous powers, that Usha Rani had no legal custody of the child, that she and Sambhavi’s supposed father were making so many contradictory statements that he wants to verify whether he is the real father of the child: two teams will be dispatched to Varanasi and Usha Rani’s home village.

The Collector’s report notes that Usha Rani says she is 48 years old, that she completed her BA from Mysore University, and that she says she does not remember where the university is located or the year when she passed the exams! He also noted that neither she nor 36 year old Soumya Acharya is willing to produce the birth certificate of the child. Soumya Acharya says he will not reveal the mother’s name who he says was his first wife, deceased when the child was 7 months old.

They say that it is a Brahmin tradition to conduct home schooling, but do not explain why Soumya Acharya’s second child, through his second wife, goes to school. Of course, parents have the right to provide home schooling but they certainly have no right to exploit. And when Soumya Acharya went on TV and said that as per their traditions they are not supposed to touch others, it is an incitement to the practice of untouchability.

Eenadu, Andhra Jyothy, Vaartha, Saakshi and Praja Sakti Newspapers are gathering and publishing more evidence. Some have revealed that the Varanasi addresses, given by them, were fake; some traced and spoke to Usha Rani’s aged parents who pleaded with the media that they were leading a respectable life and that they had no contact with their daughter for a number of years. While Usha Rani said to the Inquiry that her son lived in the US, some journalists claim that he lived, in fact, in Bangalore.

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The Collector who is the District Magistrate ordered that a caretaker and a police constable be posted with Sambhavi pending clarity about the child’s real parents.

He prohibited Usha Rani and Soumya Acharya from taking Sambhavi from the area without government permission. As I write this, the Minister for Education Mr. Manikya Vara Prasad said on TV that he does not understand Usha Rani’s behavior. The Home Minister Ms. Sabita Reddy ordered a Crime Investigation Department inquiry.

Meanwhile, Usha Rani continues to make preparations for the Dalai Lama’s visit and the News-papers report that his Regional Representative from Bangalore, Mr. Dorje, made a secret visit to Surya Nandi to discuss arrangements. One newspaper alleged that Dorje has a financial stake in the whole matter! The Police say they have received no intimation of the Dalai Lama’s visit. If the Dalai Lama insists on coming to inaugurate the ashram proposed in the name of Sambhavi, then the scandal will be treated with the full force and outrage that it will deserve and we will also write to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. I wrote to Anil Ambani about his supposed donation for the Surya Nandi temple. We await an answer.

In fact we expect that more answers will come out – not just because the Administration is working on it, but because a number of journalists are on the job. Whatever those answers are, we know that one thing is already achieved: not only did we touch the common people’s hearts, not only did we expose the hysteria about the child’s miracles as a crime against the child; we also convinced the media about our angle and changed the terms of the debate. Our responsibility in the matter has increased because of the public’s positive expectations.

And the only test of victory for our efforts and our campaign would be when Sambhavi is freed from the clutches of those exploiting her so that she could grow to her full potential. I hope that all this will be achieved with minimum damage to the child’s psyche - I am sure there will be pain.

Some people ask us why we are interested in Sambhavi when there are millions of other children in India, all of them suffering. They ask us if we will help all of them as well. We respond that every child has to be rescued child by child, and that they need not wait for us to help those they have identified: we suggest that this is a moral

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obligation that they too can share. That it is a national duty to help children in a country which is 139th in the comity of nations for living standards, and which shamefully has the world’s biggest concentration of child labor. We also remind them that it is a national malady that when someone does something good the onlookers query why this good thing, and not another!

We then remind them that of the millions of children who are deprived and exploited it is only Sambhavi who is being paraded as a goddess or as one with miraculous powers, and around whom a business is sought to be built in the name of spirituality and religiosity. We clarify that we took up the case of Sambhavi because if we did not take up the case no one else would. However,

we do this not because we are atheists or rationalists – that is immaterial completely because amongst those who support us there are huge numbers of believers - we do this in the name of our common humanity and to defend India’s secularism. In any case, we ask: does your religion allow a child to be exploited like that? If not, how can you allow Sambhavi to be exploited in the name of your religion? But most do not need to hear these arguments – they have already seen and followed the story, and just want to shake hands to support our stand. We have been meeting them every day in restaurants, parks, supermarkets, banks and in the street.

Babu Gogineni gogineni@iheu.org

Right to ‘No Vote’ India, whenever the elections take place, the voters feel dissatisfied regarding the elected Inrepresentatives.

Who so ever gets the ticket from any political party, contests the election. Election has become the game of money and muscle power. In this situation, the voters generally feel that they are helpless.

Many concerned people are often heard saying that almost all candidates are useless, yet we have to choose the lesser evil one. That amounts to the fact that all of them have tainted images and have got the tickets for reasons other than their capabilities in representing the people. Some are with money, some with muscle power and others are powerful goons of some particular catse or class. People feel that they have no other option but to choose one out of them.

The Conduct of Election Rules 1961 Article 49(O) provides ‘Right to No Vote’. The voter can go to the polling booth and ask the booth incharge officer to provide him with a ‘No Vote’ form. The voter, thus, is not compelled to vote for any of the contesting candidates if he does not find them suitable. He can decide not to vote for anty of them, but fill the ‘No Vote’ form to tell all the political parties that they did not think properly before choosing their candidates. Usually, voters do not turn up at the polling booths due to apathy towards the whole process or they are doubtful about the honesty and integrity of the party candidates. Such people should go to the polling booths and fill the ‘No Vote’ forms.

Merely out of apathy, if the voters will abstain from casting their votes, naturally, unwanted elements will have their say. A lot of voters are not aware of their right to ‘No Vote’ provision in the Election Rules. It is necessary to inform as many of them as possible. The electoral system can only improve when political parties are taught a lesson by the voters by using their right to ‘No Vote’. Only if the number of ‘No Votes’ will exceed the number of highest votes acquired by any candidate the voters can claim re-election. And only then, the parties will debarr undesirable candidates from the contest. Naturally, when ‘No Votes’ will exceed the highest voted candidate, it would mean that all lesser voted than him are also not competent enough in the eyes of the voters, so all of them should be debarred and fresh candidates should be selected by each party to face the elections. Of course, once time money and energies will be wasted due to re-organising of the elections because of ‘No Vote’ factor. But it will send warning signals to all parties to take care in future.

Already 1224 voters used their right to ‘No Vote’ in Rajasthan in the last Lok Sabha elections. More people need to come forward to do the same instead of sitting at home and complaining about the mismanagement of political affairs.

Ugamraj Mohnot, Senior Radical Humanist, Jaipur, Rajasthan

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Gujarat level participants of M.N. Roy Memorial Essay Writing Competition attended the IRHA, National Youth Convention at Ahmadabad and the I, II & III winners out of them were given their prizes on 9th December 2009. This Convention was organized in Ahmadabad by Mr. Gautam Thakar, Adviser, IRHA. Mr. Ugamraj Mohnot, veteran Radical Humanist from Jaipur, Rajasthan and co-opted member of IRI is the inspiring figure behind this Essay writing Competition which he has been organizing since so many years. His untiring efforts towards its success has brought it to an international level now.