Sept 2011 - RH

Vol. 75

No 4

SEPTEMBER 2011

Rs. 20 / month

THE RADICAL HUMANIST (Since April 1949)

Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949)

498 The Real Mahatma Gandhi: Questioning the Moral Heroism of India’s Most Revered Figure —Christopher Hitchens Shirdi Sai Baba – A Myth and Business?

—P.K. Nanawaty Two Historical Judgements —Mastram Kapoor The Inner Bourgeois —Dipavali Sen PUCL: Its History of Struggle in Fighting the Structures —Mahipal Singh From the Editor’s Desk: System vs. the People! —Rekha Saraswat

Founder Editor: M.N. Roy

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The Radical Humanist

Download and read the journal at www.theradicalhumanist.com

Vol. 75 Number 6 September 2011

- Contents -

Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance Institute

1. From the Editor’s Desk: System vs. the People!

—Rekha Saraswat 1 2. From the Writings of Laxmanshastri Joshi: Spiritual Materialism: A case for Atheism 3 3. Guests’ Section: Shirdi Sai Baba – A Myth and Business?

—P.K. Nanawaty 6 Two Historical Judgements —Mastram Kapoor 12 4. Current Affairs: Crop Holiday; European economic crisis; Strategy of the Opposition; Bill on Telangana; Clause 14 (f)a) —N.K. Acharya 15 5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section: Humanist movement in India (Andhra Pradesh) —N. Innaiah 18 PUCL: Its History of Struggle in Fighting the Structures —Mahipal Singh 21 6. Teachers’ & Research Scholars’ Section: Nilmani Phookan: A Distinctive Poet-Laureate of Assam —Ashok K. Chaudhury 23 Land Acquiisition Bill —Ashish Saxena 27 7. Book Review Section: Impending Destruction of Environment: A Myth?

—Subhankar Ray 30 The Real Mahatma Gandhi: Questioning The Moral Heroism Of India’s Most Revered Figure —Christopher Hitchens 34 The Inner Bourgeois —Dipavali Sen 36 8. Humanist News Section 38

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 Editor: Dr. Rekha Saraswat Contributory Editors: Prof. A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr. R.M. Pal, Professor Rama Kundu 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 in favour of ‘The Radical Humanist’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

Please Note: Authors will bear sole accountability for corroborating the facts that they give in their write-ups. Neither IRI / the Publisher nor the Editor of this journal will be responsible for testing the validity and authenticity of statements & information cited by the authors. Also, 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 Saraswat

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From the Editor’s Desk:

Rekha Saraswat

System vs. the People! has been a regular criticism of There Anna’s ‘movement against corruption’ on the grounds: That it was anti-system; that it challenged the established norms of the Parliament; that it defied the powers of the elected members of the Parliament; that it was dictatorial by behaving not merely as a pressure group but by trying to blackmail the Central Government through Anna’s hunger-strike; that it was creating serious doubts in the minds of the people upon the efficiency of the democratic institutions of the country; that it was daring the autonomy of the Judiciary; that it was striking at the very root of the Indian Federal structure by calling upon the Central Government to pass a Bill on appointing the Lokayuktas in the States and, above all, that it was creating a distrust in all the mechanisms of checks-and–balances set in our Constitution upon the governing Executive and appointed Administrative machinery of our country.

One can, as a political scientist, give direct Constitutional answers to all these man-made criticisms. But the restriction of space checks me from doing so. Still, let me try to make this editorial 1

very simple and direct this time, again, through a question answer process.

Who makes a system? The man!

The system is made for whom? For the man!

Why is the system made? For the support of the man!

Therefore, once the man begins to find no gain in the system for whose benefit should the system continue?

We have borrowed our Parliamentary System from the British. The origin and development of British Parliament has been a process of over one thousand years, from the Anglo-Saxon Witan to the reign of Elizabeth I. Signing of Magna Carta in 1225, the Glorious Revolution of 1688… the changes in the legislative authority bear centuries’ long progress of decentralization of monarchical powers. And it was only 19th Century onwards that the people’s representatives came to the British Parliament through the Reforms Act and Representative Democracy and gradually the power of these representatives grew in the House of Commons.

Do we have the cultural background of a Parliamentary System that U.K. has? No! We elected our members to the Parliament but on what measures?

On the basis of caste, class, party, minority, money, fear, authority?

Are these criteria the deciding factors of a democratic process of electing our representatives to the Parliament? No. But unfortunately for us they have been the main conditions almost always.

Then who is defying the powers of these elected representatives?

The Casteists; the communalists; the racists; the party-loyalists; the money-launderers; the mafia-lords; the upper-class/royal scions; whose commands they are in a habit of following? No, none of them

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Then, why are we suddenly crying hoarse about our democratic credibility and parliamentarian ethics?

Is it because, this time, for the first time, after the national struggle for independence – the common man is raising his voice? That common man who is the weakest person, the most susceptible sentimental fool who sways at the slightest emotional upsurge?

These parliamentarians are fully aware of this limitation of the voter in the street because they have till now gained upon him through this vulnerability alone.

Why is then the entire lot of parliamentarians annoyed? Is it because this time, the common man’s feelings have been aroused by a selfless Anna who has taken the guiding wand in his own hands?

Peep into your own hearts, for once, friends. And you will find that our monarchical past still hangs in our sub-conscious psychological mindsets as a picture perfect model.

And we put the blame upon the dictatorial tendencies of Anna Hazare’s obstinacy in getting the civil society’s wishes fulfilled by the Parliament?

Could we, till date, establish our own cultural ethics towards the democratic institution of Parliament?

About which established norms are we talking; the British model? Can norms also be borrowed?

None of us, from the intellectual elite class, from the educated middle class, could find time to muster courage to confront our MPs and MLAs from the Ruling or Opposition Parties upon the daily life corruption issues.

We were so used to passing on the buck upon everyone else except on our own that instead of taking charge of the precarious situation we were in, we were making the most of the nepotist benefits of the sleaze of bribery most blatantly in

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our personal lives.

It has been a long, painful, insulting and self-disgracing period of 65 years of suffocation for the common man helplessly caught in the cobweb of a corrupt system of the so-called democratic functioning of his State. And when one man comes to the fore to fill the vacuum, to help us, to give us courage, to pick up the lost thread of honesty, decency and culture, to weave the labyrinth of an honest-democratic society, we begin to doubt upon his credentials and motives, his methods and intentions!

When a vast majority comes out on the streets on his clarion call, we disgrace this belief of the common men in him by blaming them for toeing the lines of a dictator and being slaves at his beck and call.

We have been doing that for our honourable ministers and parliamentarians since we gained independence, now why are the Parliamentarians afraid of changing places with him?

These common people waited to find in them the same benevolent monarchs, the same affable dictators that he is blamed to be since more than half a century.

Their loss is his gain.

But is this an accomplishment of the one man, Anna? Or is it a success of the civil society? Is it a triumph of the media? Or is it an achievement of the Opposition within the Parliament?

Anyone may take the praise upon himself today but I believe that any democratic structure, any dictator, any parliamentarian, any king, any leader, any civic society, any political system, any norm, any culture and any civilization bears positive fruits only when the common man sees his own gain and benefit in it.

Otherwise, sooner or later all these super-structures, super-men and super-ideologies see their natural end!!

Jai Ho to the latent power of this common man!!!

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From The Writings of Laxmanshastri Joshi: “That religion more often than not tends to perpetuate the existing social structure rather than being reformist and that it benefits the upper classes. They perpetrate the illusions and are used for impressing the weaker sections of the society.

Many taboos which might have had some beneficial effects are given a permanent sanction and these put a fetter on further progress. The argument that religion promotes social stability and social harmony is examined and rejected. Without Laxman S. Joshi the dubious benefit of religion various secular worldly values have been developed and they have Spiritual Materialism – A case benefited mankind more than the vaunted religious values. With no sops of religion men have laboured for Atheism Translated by —Arundhati Khandkar hard and the finest admirable qualities of men’s spirit have been developed inspite of religious [The book Spiritual Materialism – A case for influence – the scientists and the reformers are Atheism, A New Interpretation of the examples. The humility that should force itself in Philosophy of Materialism written by the presence of the infinite and the unknown is Tarkateertha Laxmanshastri Joshi has been more to be seen with the scientist, the philosopher translated by his daughter, Arundhati than the religious leaders and often this drives them Khandkar, who was formerly Professor of to fathom the depths of thought in the quest for Philosophy at S.I.E.S. College, University of truth. Rarely does religion explain the how and Mumbai, India. He passed away many decades why. These have become the preoccupations of ago but his contribution in building up the people in secular fields. With a sense of philosophical base of Radical Humanism has self-reliance and self-confidence guiding him, man been no less. Roy acknowledged it in his life time has dropped the earlier props of religion. In India and the followers of the philosophy continue to do too, the social order was seen as embodying moral so. I had requested Ms. Khandkar to translate her values.” father’s major works from to Marathi to English Contd. from the previous issue............ for the benefit of the contemporary readers of RH. And to our pleasant surprise she informed that Kantian Practical Reason there is already the above mentioned book in Kant in his Critique of Practical Reason has English done by her. It is being serialised in The worked out the analysis of practical reason. He has Radical Humanist June 2010 onwards. She has constructed steps in his ideological ladder for also promised to send us in English, gradually, proving the ideas of immortal soul and the perfect god. It looks like the echoes of that ideology have more of his Marathi literature.

Laxmanshastri wrote this essay with the title reverberated in Western and Indian thoughts. An Materialism or Atheism in 1941. How important thing in this matter needs attention. Kant meaningful and necessary it is, even now, 70 has stated clearly that the concepts of immortal soul years later, can be understood by the following and God do not pass the test of Pure Reason. He has paragraph given on the cover page of the book. formulated these concepts on the basis of human reason. What needs to be kept in mind is that Kant —Rekha Saraswat] has presented these concepts on the basis of deep

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impressions of the human mind and strong feelings.

Kant has drawn some inferences which are his conjectures about immortal soul and god.

Categorical Imperative Man has desire for boundless happiness and infinite virtues. The desire for them is embedded deeply in his mind. This desire is his true innate character.

This invariable and intense desire, rooted in the soul is itself the categorical imperative. No living soul can come across boundless happiness and righteousness in one single life; therefore, Kant has put forward the theory that the soul must last forever so that it can experience infinite joys and virtues. From that Kant draws the inference that the living soul must be immortal. If we start from the concept of boundless happiness and righteousness then existence of God is also a foregone conclusion. It is easy to conclude that there must exist absolute, the true principle, which is the abode of happiness and virtues with no limits. Such happiness and virtues cannot be conceived at all unless the absolute transcendental entity is accepted. This principle is the same as God. God is therefore most beautiful and full of bliss. God or that absolute principle is the ultimate grace and the ultimate beauty. Perfection in joy and virtue is truly synonymous with the ultimate frontier of beauty and beautitude.

Lofty Logic Kant has used lofty logic for arguments on foundation of weak and foolish human desires.

Man wishes for eternal youth; man desires that he should live forever; many a people feel that beautiful delicate flowers should never wilt or parch and Kant has drawn such inferences about indestructive and eternal soul apart from the body.

Therefore there is not much difference between the naĂŻve person expecting non-wilting flowers and Kant. Psychology of human desires maintains that man has in the innermost part of his unconscious mind, so many desires that are unreasonable, superficial, unorganised and stupid which lie there for a long time. Comparatively, the proportion of

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desires that are carefully organised on proper thought is less. It is so because of the teaching of religious institutions. The concept of immortality is founded on uncritical thoughts of the dissatisfied soul.

What is expected does not necessarily take place.

There are a number of exaggerated and contradictory ideas, rooted deeply in imagination, which are full of contradictions. Some such ideals deal with infinite happiness and boundless virtues.

Kant has derived conclusions which are removed from reality. His efforts are in vain. There are many people, who, when explained the true meaning of infinite happiness and right course, get convicted that such ideas are without objective basis and are just imagination. Many strong-willed persons do not wish for immortality, infinite joy and infinite virtues. They have healthy attitude and understand reasonably well the meaning of life.

Atheistic Pure Reason Not all human beings get carried away with exaggerated notions and become bloated with inordinate concepts. Healthy mind does exist in this world. The followers of the Kantian school should come to realise that there are many human beings in this world who lead a life of self-control, simplicity, and modesty, having understood the proper and limited purpose of this limited life. Kant is regarded in philosophy as a founder of an era; nay, also as a maker of an epoch! His enriched thoughts have reduced the poverty of thinking in this world. In his Critique of Pure Reason, Kant has not only left any scope for either immortal soul or god. It shows his intellectual honesty since there is no room for those concepts only in his interpretation of ‘pure reason’.

Word as Evidence We have examined above, the logical evidences for the existence of the independent soul. We will now analyse the word i.e. verbal authority as evidence.

Shabdha, i.e. the verbal authority is duplex. 1) The first kind of evidence is scriptural such as Vedas, Bhagavat Geeta, Bible, Koran and others and 2)

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The second kind of evidence is the words of the mahatmas who have received direct experience of the transcendental world or have revelation. The scriptural authority is established by custom only.

Scriptures are the authority or proof because people have always regarded them as so. Generation after generation holds scriptures as divine. How can one prove that a given scriptural book possesses extraordinary power? There is no reinforcing evidence for this, other than faith. If some individual refutes the authority and validity of the concepts of life hereafter, soul, and god as unsupported, there is no possibility of proper rebuttal to his claim.

Whose Word?

It is hard to say that the intuition and self-experience of mahatmas is based on reality.

Instead, it is preferable to say that deep faith creates in them that kind of perception for the other worldly objects. Even the worldly wise men are often observed to carry the inherited baggage of the primitive beliefs of the people living in forest tribal communities. The transcendent experience of the mahatmas is of similar type. The delusory belief that there resides a spirit in the objects such as the tree, stone, river, brook and so on, is observed to be popular among many primitive communities.

Scholars of primitive religion like Sir Tyler have termed such a delusion as animism or devilism.

There exists a belief among the primitive people that a ‘Homo’ lives in all the physical objects, including living Homo sapiens or humans. If the

Homo exists in living beings and the man dies then Homo vacates the place. They are convinced that the spirits of the dead haunt. They feel that we dream of the dead people, because the souls of the dead appear in dreams. The improved animistic-edition of these delusory spirits is the spiritualism!

Self-realisation Realisation of the self as the experience of people is possible owing to the deep impressions made by the exposure to these concepts from ancient times to the present stage of civilisation. For such revelation of the self, one must be obsessed with it all the time.

Revelation is not possible without reflecting on it for long with faith, ceaseless contemplation, and corresponding daily devotional practice. The scriptures advise us to think ceaselessly that the soul is separate from the body. If this feeling is instilled in the mind, from that infusion a new but similar experience will be born. Such an experience is not object dependant. Study of feeling, even in the absence of an object, does offer us object-experience or direct perception. In psychology, especially in psycho-pathology, one finds many examples of these kinds of abnormal experiences. Mahatmas are no exception to such aberrations. Many afflictions even originate in the minds of the mahatmas, offer evidence of their mental abnormalities. Revelation of self is one example of affliction of such psycho-pathological defects.

To be continued.....................

PLEASE DO NOT SEND ARTICLES BEYOND 1500-2000 WORDS. Dear Friends, Also, inform me whether they have been published elsewhere.

And, please try to email them at rheditor@gmail.com instead of sending them by post.

You may post them (only if email is not possible) at C-8 Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India.

Do also email your passport size photographs as separate attachments (in JPG format) as well as your small introduction, if you are contributing for the first time. Please feel free to contact me at 91-9719333011 for any other querry. —Rekha Saraswat 5

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Guests’ Section:

Shirdi Sai Baba – A Myth and Business?

—by P.K. Nanawaty [The Author is an active Rationalist and Humanist, Editor of Thought & Action-Internet monthly, Pune, Maharastra, India] is a climax shot in popular Hindi There film Amar, Akbar, Anthony of erstwhile era. Akbar is singing at the top if his voice in front of Saibaba’s giant statue. Two bright and colourful rays emerge out of the eyes of statue and enter in the eyes of Akbar’s blind mother. Mother shouts: “I can see now! God blessed me!” All the spectators in the cinema hall are excited.

“Saibaba is a GOD’ ‘What a wonderful thing to happen’.... Saibaba of Shirdi has become a symbol of money-spinners for film industry people.

Without his blessings neither film shooting will start nor will a completed film be released in the cinema halls. While travelling to Shirdi, a place regularly visited by the film industry people and thousands of devotees from all over India we will hear the dialogues like “We are devotees of Baba for last twenty years’. His blessings saved me many times. “The Great Saibaba!’ There is no point in arguing with devotees since all of them have immersed in Sai miracle. The impact of this strong belief will not allow one to think nationally or think at all. While travelling one can observe many people reading loudly ‘Sai Charit”. Late Govind Raghunath Dabholkar has written this book. This book is mostly about the miracles performed by Saibaba. The followers vow that they have read the book 20-30 times. The contents have been impregnated in their brains permanently if you just glance through the pages you will find miracles like Saibaba taking out his intestine, drying it in the air and again pushing it inside the abdomen.

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One will get nausea while reading such miracles.

But the book had been reprinted more than 20 times in the last 50 years selling thousands of copies.

Saibaba Trust officially publishes this book and glorifies such myth. Dadasaheb Khaparde’s son had swelling on his skin and was in severe pain. His mother rushed to meet Saibaba. Saibaba told her, “Don’t worry, it will rain”. Saibaba started taking out his clothes and mother saw the swelling on Saibaba’s body. Saibaba said that he suffers all the pains of his followers. The author, Govind Dabholkar was a magistrate and he confirmed that all these events have happened in reality and no one should doubt about them. One co-passenger started babbling: ’my daughter-in-law had some problem while delivering. I took holy ash from the Sai temple and pasted on her stomach and within five minutes she delivered a healthy baby.” As soon as we enter Shirdi town, handouts and cards will start passing through the windows. “Sai Shankar Flower Merchants: All items required for Pooja and Abhishek are available at reasonable prices”.

However there is one more precautionary sentence for the benefit of devotees: “Beware of thieves”.

One cannot imagine that in miracle place of Saibaba.

In the year 1838, a Phakeer (Muslim priest) lands here. For want of any other name the local goldsmith calls him Saibaba. Shirdi was a small village consisting of dilapidated houses. Villagers had great fun to see such a stranger in their village.

Most of them were farmers. Nowadays the farming has been set aside and every one is engaged in only one industry.... Sai baba industry! Sai is business for this town. Enter any shop. By paying Rs. 25 one will get all the essential items of Abhiskek.

Talkative shop owners murmur; Saibaba blesses you. “How to get Darshan?” Innocent question, but not difficult to answer! Abhishek is performed at 9 ‘O’clock in the morning. For this you should stand in queue right from early morning at 5‘O’ clock.

Satyanarayana Pooja will be at noon 12 ‘O’ Clock.

In the evening there will be Aarati will be at 10 pm.

He listed the timetable. ‘Will it be possible to avoid 6

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standing in queue...?’ ‘You need right contacts at highest level. Or you should be political bigwig like MP, MLA, Minister or Govt. Bureaucrat from secretariat. Permission is granted to enter the main temple to these influential persons only. But if one is ready to pay huge donation, say Rs.50, 000, will open the gates of main Mandir immediately.

Money has more miraculous power than Sai. A board is displayed in the office of Sai trust about the special category for Darshan. Some are more equal than others even here too. Whom do you complain?

The trust has built a big hall for devotees anxious for Sai Darshan. Marble benches have been provided to take rest. Close circuit TV has been installed to view the Pooja performed in the main temple by other devotees.

Most in the waiting are fully satisfied with this virtual reality. All the walls in the hall have been painted with the scenes showing Saibaba’s miracles. Miracle1: When the villages were infected by cholera, Saibaba put jowar flour around the village and cured cholera affected people.

Miracle 2: Chandbhai who brought Saibaba to Shiridi, wanted to smoke Chilum (sort of handmade pipe). He couldn’t find fire anywhere nearby. Phakeer touched the green grass and fire was lit! Miracle 3: A river started from the toe of the feet of Saibaba. Miracle 4 Thousands of lamps were lit on the water while Saibaba is standing on the shore. If someone stands in a queue surrounded by such scenes, one will certainly start believing anything. Mind will be conditioned to accept anything without thinking. The books like Sai Charit or Sai Leelamrit are continuously glorifying the miraculous power of Saibaba. The glorification of anything has become a core theme of Indian society. The believer will become helpless and intellectually week and will start losing confidence in himself and his efforts. Anything good that is happening in his life will be attributed to God, Guru or somebody except himself. Anything determined will be result of his fate. No one wanted to go into details of these miracles. Those who describe them never bother to give any references and historical 7

evidences. Perhaps there may not be any base.

Everything is just for these miracles. Probably everything is just imagination to make money.

Even the photographs displayed are fake or created

by Imaging. On enquiry at trust office, the concerned official said that there no original photographs of Saibaba anywhere. One starts wondering how the cult is being built around such imaginary things and the market force to flood the photographs of Saibaba. In one of the books published in 1914, there is a reference that district collector Desai has taken a snap shot. But the reference does not have any credibility. Trust released a photograph in 1922. But the trust also took the miracle route.

The serpentine queue was moving at snail’s speed.

The devotees were mostly from Gujarat. Every 10-15 minutes you would hear the shouting in unison: Bolo Sainath Maharaj ki Jai, Jor se bolo Sai bolo. Every one is holding a plate with flowers and other items of worship. A saffron scarf was used as headgear. Queue was moving slowly. Even the toilets have been provided for nature call of devotees. If some miscreant tries to jump queue, people will express their anger by shouting the slogan with higher pitch. Some one said “Sai will punish the intruder”.

Meanwhile, someone started selling Laddu for Rs. Two. The devotees are expected to put Laddu at the feet of Sai’s idol at main Mandir and eat as Prasadam, which is blessed by Sai to wash away the sins committed by devotee knowingly or unknowingly. On an average four thousand devotees are visiting every day. On Thursdays this figure will rise to sixty thousand. So you can imagine the turnover in a place like Shiridi, Satyanarain pooja will cost twenty five rupees. The Pooja itself must be fetching straight away more than 20 lakh per week. At the basement 15-18 huge sealed steel boxes are kept to receive the donations.

No receipts are demanded for the donations deposited by the devotees. Some times the total collection goes upto Rs. Fifty lakh per week. In this

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money collecting game, one day Shiridi Saibaba will surpass Tirupati Balaji.

After going through all the hassles, battering by the security guards and the anxiety, at last one enters into the main Mandir where the devotees can physically touch the Sai Idol. Suddenly a few in the queue roll on the floor and beat their head as through possessed by some invisible thing.

Devotee hands over the plate. The priest touches the plate at the idol’s feet in a flash and hands it back to the devotee. Devotee is not satisfied. He wants to be kept longer time. Everything needs to be charged by the Sai power. The priests start protesting. However, some one pacifies both the parties. Queue has to move. There are 24 priests who work in two shifts. These priests are middlemen between God Sai and the devotees. The total staff consists of 45 persons who are attending Sai round the clock. Out of 24 priests, 9 of them are holding diploma certificate from Tryambakeshwaar School of Veda, which conducts regular courses of 3 years duration on priesthood.

This includes idol worship, offering flowers, Satyanarayan Pooja and various Mantras to be chanted at various occasions etc. Even the priests have to go through the shifts to earn their livelihood like any industrial worker though all of them are so near to Saibaba and everyday seeing him in person.

Sai Idol is made of Italian marble. There is a throne embedded with designed carved in silver and gold plates. The Idol has been dressed with red and saffron coloured garments. A pearl necklace is around the neck. Like in any other temples, there is no mound of coconuts near the Idol but heaps of dry flowers occupy the major portion of floor space.

Dabholkar, Deshpande and Saagasrabuddhe trio initially started the flourishing business of Saibaba idol worship about hundred years ago. If one critically tries to analyze the stories and myths propagated, one will start doubting whether such a person was really alive or was it a figment of imagination of a few gangsters to rob the gullible public. A Phakeer comes to remotest village, stays in a sort of mosque, and takes the name of Allah. It

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means the person was never a Hindu. In fact the person had a very abnormal pattern of behaviour.

He was a smoker of chillum (a sort of pipe). He wandered all around the place on river banks and hill tops, always wearing torn clothes. Most of the time he stared at the sky without blinking his eyes.

Villagers called him a mad phakeer. Beggars stole his food. Bayajabai cooked food for him. But he was never regular for his meals and got irritated very quickly. Sometimes he used to dance on the streets. Once he put out his hands in the fire. He used course language whenever women approached him. No one was able to make sense of what he was saying in the undertone. All these details are available in the biographies published by the trust. While going through his biography one gets convinced that there is a deliberate attempt by Dabholkar, Despande, Dasganoo etc. to project Saibaba as a Hindu saint.

Infact Saibaba stayed all his life in a dilapidated mosque and prayed to Allah in Muslim style. But most of the Hindu Traditionalists imagined him as incarnation of their favourite God or saint. Some worship him as Swami Ramdas of 16th century era.

Some say he is an Avataar of Shankar. Some vouch that he is incarnation of Dattatreya. Some had gone to the extent that he is an incarnation of Akkalkot Maharaj of 18th century. There is neither logic nor consistency in these biographies. Sai baba’s famous slogan is Allah Malik Hai. But in spite of all these supporting evidences that he is not a Hindu, every devotee assumes that there was an ardent Hindu but behaved a bit abnormally.

The prestigious gang, who elevated Sai to God’s status to fulfill their vested interests, had given him a new dimension of Hinduism. Chandorkar went to an extent of saying that he had assisted Saibaba during his bath and confirmed that Sai’s ears were punctured like in Hindu tradition. Thus, an aura of Hinduism was built around Sai. In fact Saibaba had nothing to do with Ram Navami festival. This was started by the trio to make money. The tomb built on his death body was also in Hindu tradition.

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Sai Baba’s Secularism appears to be deceptive: If one goes through the historical details of Saibaba’s life there was not even a single Muslim devotee. As per Muslim religion worshipping an idol is banned.

As such the secularism attached to Saibaba or to his place is an outright fraud. No Muslim visits this place. No Muslim priest performs prayer. Even then media advertises this temple as a symbol of secularism. Secularism in the world of faith is a complex concept. Both Hindus and Muslims have to come to an agreement to evolve a methodology without hurting the religious feelings. However, vested interests have dominated and Hinduism is flourishing.

One will realize the extent of exploitation while coming out of the temple and looking around it.

Gullible Hindu devotees have contributed whole-heartedly to build mansions and high rise buildings, now owned by the Trust. The property may be 7-8 crore rupees worth. The building projects are still continuing and everyone except the devotees is benefited. A Neem tree with thatched roof is nearby. The legend says that the leaves of this Neem tree are very sweet. However, you can’t confirm the same since one is not allowed to pluck the leaves from the tree for eating.

However, Hindu religion has a solution for any Catch 22 situation! You can eat the leaves fallen on the ground. If they are not sweet, it means you are not a pious person. God is not blessing you. One of the trust official announced that a German scientist was not able to explore the secret of sweetness.

After asking for the report, he expressed his inability to produce the same. There is a very small lane passing through this place. The lane is crowded with the beggars. At least 800 beggars might have been there out of which 50-60 are women. If you just wait for a while, a bread seller will pop up with 4-5 loves of bread and request you to distribute bread to beggars. Each loaf will cost Rs.20 or more. Like him 5-10 bread sellers are standing among beggars to give an opportunity to feed the beggars. The beggars are earning at least 400 Rupees per day; most of them are bank account 9

holders. In this economically liberated era everything has become ‘instant’: instant beggars, instant food in the form of bread chunks. Instant sellers!

Everyone wants to make a fast buck: Across the road there is a place presumed to be the location where Sai baba distributed the holy ash. The place is popularly known as Chandorkar Chavadi. Inside, there is a nicely carved wooden plank; above which a notice board is hung indicating Baba’s sleeping place. If you keenly observe, the plank might have been carved 5-6 years ago. There is also a notice board, which warns that no woman is allowed inside. In fact as per Saibaba’s biography, Bayajabai took care of him throughout his life.

But no one could explain why such a ban or discrimination towards women in these days. It appears even in 21st century some one wants to follow the dictates of age old Manusmriti.

Saibaba’s contemporary, Abdul Baba’s house is very near to this place. An old man, poses of photographs that look exactly like the portraits of Saibaba. He pointed to holy book and other items and told that all these belong to Abdul baba.

Devotees are coming inside and Rahim baba blesses them. They put a few coins in return. “Have you seen Saibaba?” ‘I don’t lie and I don’t want to talk on this issue. Everything is commercialized nowadays. Who is bothered about Saibaba and his whereabouts?’ He vented his sorrow. ‘Is there any original snapshot of Saibaba?’ ‘You see, Abdul baba was his contemporary and we have his genuine photographs. I don’t know about anything else. No place for the truth, Sir”. There is one more place known as Dwarakamai’s Mosque. The items, like wheat bag, bath stone, Chulha etc. have been displayed in this place like in historical museum and people come to this place with all the reverence, The wheat bag has fresh look as though purchased very recently and certainly not 100 years old. The Chulla is painted in various colours. The fireplace is still burning. All devotees bow in front of each item very piously expecting blessings from Saibaba. No one seems to have any doubts in their

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minds about whether these artifacts are genuine or fake. No one displays inquisitiveness while looking at these almost fake items. Thinking power, rationality, spirit of enquiry are totally absent. The manipulators of religious values have made everyone slave. Baba has all the remedies for any problems. He can cure all the diseases. Ashes given by him (or his associates) is an ultimate medicine for diseases ranging form common cold to severe type of cancer. Tatyasheb Noolkar recovered from blindness. Padmanabh Swamy was able to hear clearly though he was deaf right from birth since he had received blessings of Baba. Balasaheb Shimpi recovered from Malaria fully by just feeding the food to dog by Baba. Shrimant recovered from diarrhea. Like these, there may be thousands of myths percolating every generation and at every place. No one dares to doubt Baba’s glory, his super power and his compassion. Mahadevrao Deshpande was cured of his piles by eating peanuts given by Saibaba. Just by exhaling, Baba cured the snake and scorpion bites. Swallowing the holy ash cured Dattopant’s stomachache. Although the whole village was suffering from plague, Chandorkar’s friend was saved because she had put holy ash on her face. TB patient of Malegaon could recover by just applying the holy ash all over the body. All these miracles printed in Sai Leelamrit, are told, retold, modified, glorified and improved so that no one will have an iota of doubt about its truthfulness. Everything is described as though the narrator was invisibly present all the while and at all the places till the end. Mind is conditioned and devotees are addicted to listen to such trash. If the diseases can be cured by Darshan or by applying the holy ash, why has the trust built an ultra modern hospital? The hospital incurs Rs.25 lakh loss every year since it subsidizes the medical bills of ‘poor’ devotees. Why is Saibaba not able to prevent any diseases? Why is he not able to cure poor without any medical assistance? If the place and person are so powerful why do you need diagnostic centers, operation theatres, surgical facilities, ICUs, trained medical staff, experienced surgeons? Shamdas

Foundation owned by a devotee of Saibaba had built an ultra modern hospital at Hong Kong.

Hundreds of medical experts from all over the world are attending this Hospital in one or the other capacity. In spite of all these modern facilities and blessings received from Saibaba, the recovery rates are at par with any other hospitals of the same caliber. Saibaba did not make any difference, in spite of all these statistical probabilities, realities and apparent evidences, the Trust still publish various types of miracles in its monthly bulletin Sai Leela. One can understand the illiterate devotees may not be aware of the process of spread/origin of diseases or may not know the nuances of diagnostics, immunization, recovery process, or healing methods. However one thing is clear that anything good that is happening in the life is attributed to Saibaba. This mindset is playing a major role in the spread of curing power of Saibaba.

Nowadays the patients suffering from polio, cancer, and heart ailments are visiting in large numbers. Couples come here very often to be blessed with a child. Offerings are made at the spur of the moment. Enormous amount is promised if the wish is granted without taking into consideration the financial conditions. To fulfill the vow one has to be in the clutches of pawnbrokers.

However, main beneficiary is the Trust which is hoarding a large sum donated by the gullible devotees. The stories of miraculous curing power of Saibaba plays greater role in amassing wealth.

Trust goes on printing and reprinting the books, magazines and other materials depicting the miraculous power of Saibaba, just changing names here and there. All stories read alike.

Sometime back KS Pathak, an IAS officer was nominated as receiving officer of the Trust. He found that misappropriation of large fund by the local trustees. They were looting the public. The golden and silver ornaments, belonging to the Trust, were found in the houses of the trustees.

When police raided their houses, they threw the ornaments in the nearby fields. Charity commissioner imposed inquiries. CID officials

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investigated the frauds. Trustees tried their best to put political pressure on the receiving officer and charity commissioner to stall further investigations.

A few of the trustees were punished and put into jail. In spite of these headlines in the media, the devotees are deterred to visit. ‘Saibaba is great! He will take care of our sins’. That is the attitude of the devotees. Political leaders come here to enhance their ‘power’. But sometimes they too suffer badly.

Ex-President Shankar Dayal Sharma paid a visit with all its pomposity: within a few days after the visit he was suffering with severe ailments. Sharad Pawar visited the temple while he was experimenting with like-minded parties. Three months after the visit his experiment utterly failed.

Shankarrao Chavan, Vasantdada Patil also suffered very badly. P.V. Narasimha Rao came to this place as a Prime Minister, but by the time he returned Delhi he was no more a minister! This may also be a miracle of Saibaba!

Even if we keep aside the devotees and their problems, the trustees and local population are at daggers head. Each party wants its share of flesh in this money game. One of the trustees was arguing that villagers don’t know what they are missing since too much familiarity breeds contempt.

Villagers argue that Trust has turned whole villages into five star hotels with money flowing like water.

High rise buildings, asphalt roads, even airport but local population is still deprived of basic necessities... Trustees want that the local people should also cooperate with trust so that they too can get benefited. Villagers erected shanty shops all around the temple and started earning their livelihood by selling the goods required by the devotees. This irritated the trustees. They wanted these ugly structures should be removed immediately. Since years together this confrontation is continuing and sometimes the situation is turning violent. If Saibaba cannot solve these problems amicably how can one expect him to take up problems of other individuals?

Nowadays devotees have to take care of their belongings, cash etc. The question that arises is that 11

why pick-pockets and thieves are flourishing at a place that is blessed by Saibaba? Even while one is inside the main temple bags, purses etc. are stolen.

While devotees are gathering on auspicious days like Ram Navami, Guru Purnima, Dasera it becomes very easy for thieves to do their own business! But ardent belief in Saibaba gives the devotees to absolve these misdeeds. To overcome the minor problems trust has started ‘Sai Darshan’ on internet. The prominent message on the internet is “If you look at me, I will look at you”. Devotees from distant places can have instant Darshan and get blessed by Saibaba. A few foreigners’ e-mails pasted on the website make very interesting readings. Varah Appikatla is an NRI staying in US. He took ‘Darshanam’ of Saibaba and managed to secure top position in IBM. Now he is ready to send huge donation to the trust. The assistance of advanced science and technology is sought to strengthen their superstitions. Saibaba cult is contagious and is not restricted to only Maharashtra region. In the south Puttaparthy Saibaba has surpassed the original Saibaba in all respects.

Dharma Sai Seva Trust has already spread its tentacles asking for huge donations to feed the children of downtrodden and marginalized poor people and to construct Hindu nationality and Veda teaching school. People from all over India come to Shirdi. All of them are emotionally choking while they visit this place. Each one’s story is quite unique. But if one probes deeper, the devotees have lost their self-confidence and are afraid of everything – the wealth, luxuries, people around them, the place where they stay, family members etc. They are not in a position to trust anybody. A sort of mental disease has taken over these devotees. From outside they all look normal human beings who can believe all these legends, miracles and power of blessings and artifacts like amulets and charms. While returning from a place like this, even a rational human being will start doubting whether this society is normal enough to realize in what trap it is bound. Once again you are amidst “Saibaba Bolo ... Saibaba Bolo...”

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Mastram Kapoor [Mr. Mastram Kapoor is a freelance writer and journalist in Hindi. He has written, edited and translated more than 100 books and pamphlets on literature, social and political thought, education and children’s literature including 11 volumes of documents on freedom movement and 17 volumes of collected works of Dr. Lohia. He has had a long association with the socialist movement.

Mr_kapoor22@ymail.com]

Two Historical Judgements Supreme Court Bench of Justice TheSudarshan Reddy and Justice SS Nijjar has delivered a historical judgment on July 4, 2011 which has triggered a serious discussion among the intellectuals. This judgement was given on the petition of senior advocate Ram Jethmalani who had requested the court to intervene in getting back the black money stashed in the foreign banks.

The Bench expressed dissatisfaction over efforts made in this connection by the government and said that it was a failure that goes to the very heart of the constitutional imperatives of the government. It said: “unaccounted monies, especially large sums held by nationals and entities with a large presence in the nation, in banks abroad, especially in tax-havens or in a jurisdiction with a known history of silence about sources of monies, clearly indicate a compromise of the ability of the state to manage the affairs in consonance with what is required from a constitutional perspective.”

The court appointed a 13-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by former judge, Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, assisted by another retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice M.B. Shah, as vice-chairman and directed that the high level 12

committee, constituted by the government recently to look after the issue of black money would be part of the Special Investigation Team.

Justifying the creation of SIT the court said: “we are of the firm opinion that in these matters, fragmentation of the government expertise and knowledge across many departments, agencies and across various jurisdictions, both within the country and across the globe, is a serious impediment to the conduct of a proper investigation. It is therefore necessary to create a body that coordinates, directs and where necessary, orders timely and urgent action by various institutions of the state.” The court said that the SIT would have continued involvement of this court in a broad oversight capacity.

The court rejected the government’s argument that the double taxation agreement with some countries was an obstacle to disclosure of the black money deposited in foreign banks. The court said that it did not find merit in such arguments since such agreements transgressed upon the boundary erected by our Constitution and that could not be permitted.

The court ordered the government to disclose the names of all individuals who have accounts in Liechtenstein, as revealed by German authorities, against whom investigations have been concluded, partially or wholly and show cause notices have been issued and proceedings initiated. The court, has directed the government to file compliance reports.

The other judgment delivered by the same Bench two days later, relates to the recruitment, training and use of special police officers, against the Maoists by the Chhattisgarh government, under the name of Salva Judum. The Bench asked the Union Government to cease and desist forth with from using any of its funds in supporting directly or indirectly, the recruitment of SPOs for the purpose of engaging in any form of counter-insurgency activities against Maoists-Naxalite groups. It observed that appointment of tribal youth as SPOs,

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who are barely literate for temporary periods, will necessarily, endanger the human rights of others in society. In these judgements, the court has also criticized the socio-economic policies of the government in the following words: “The primordial problem lies deep within the socio-economic policies pursued by the state on a society that was already endemically and horrifically suffering from gross inequalities.

Consequently, the fight against the Maoists-Naxalites is no less a fight for moral, constitutional and legal authority over the minds and hearts of our people.” According to the S.C. Bench, the policy of privatization has also meant that the state has in capacitated itself, actually and ideologically from devoting adequate financial resources in building the capacity to control the social unrest that has been unleashed. Both-these judgements have created a furor among the votaries of the status-quoism, hard state and the neo-liberal economic policies dictated by the corporate regime.

Shekhar Gupta, editor, Indian Express, in his article wrote on July 9, that the ideological bent of the higher judiciary has never been a significant aspect of glorious (and sometimes not quite so) uncertainties of democratic politics in India.

Commenting on the judgement, the article said: “Not only is the language out of tune with the time, it is also as if the apex court had made a dramatic ideological shift or almost as if a new president in America had just made a bunch of his own appointments. Large parts of these judgements are just lectures on political economy that makes you ask a legitimate question. What is the job of the judges, to interpret law or to criticize make/change economic policy?”

The funny argument, the writer has advanced against the judgement is that it is not the economic reforms, that is responsible for the corruption but the too much discretion still left in the system, is the real cause of prevailing corruption and to overcome this corruption, all discretion on the part of the government functionaries should end and give place to free-for-all loot by the corporate sector. In 13

this connection Karnataka Lokayukta Justice: Santosh Hegde’s report on mining in the so called ‘zero-permit-regime’ of Yeddyurappa will make an interesting reading.

Shri T.R. Andhyarujina, the former solicitor general of India, has also criticized the judgements in his article dated July 20, in ‘The Indian Express’.

It said: “Regrettably, given the pressure of work from such PILs and other minor cases on its working, the Supreme Courts’ historic and essential role of laying down the constitutional and national law of the country in important matters is being sidelined-as if the court is only meant to be a supreme correction body for administration in the country.” Quoting Justice Jackson of the U.S. Supreme Court, he said that the doctrine of judicial activism which justifies easy and constant readiness to set aside decisions of other branches of government is wholly incompatible with a faith in democracy. He however, adds that the legitimacy and accountability of the judicial activism depends on its being exercised within the confines of the power conferred by the Constitution on the judiciary.

An other dignified court singer of the neo-liberal economic policies, Shri Pratap Bhanu Mehta of the Centre for Policy Research in his article in Indian Express of July 22, connects this debate with 20th anniversary of this neo-liberal economic revolution and deplores that the Congress Party is doggedly determined to undo the major gains of economic reforms, by empowering an intellectual climate where all the constricted psychological inhibitions are coming back and by shifting the emphasis from vibrant job-creation and empowerment to welfare as if success will be measured by the more people we can make dependent. He says that the two pillars of the current crisis are: (1) The sense that the gains of growth are uneven and (2) The scale and depth of corruption has irremediably eroded us.

But surprisingly, he does not blame the economic reforms for this crisis. Instead he blames the government saying that uneven governance is primary cause of uneven growth. It is indirectly an

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attack on the judgement criticizing economic policies. Explaining it further, he says that our conflicts on land or mining are not a sign that economic reforms did not work, it is a sign that two tectonic plates are colliding: a pre-liberalisation state practice that has failed to understand the new dynamics of aspiration. Even after admitting that no society, whether the United State, Korea, Japan, China or Britain experienced rapid growth without massive corruption accompanying it, it is unpalatable to these intellectuals if the highest court comments on the injustice that result from these policies. Shri Mehta compares the economic revolution with mythological episode of churning of the ocean and corruption with the poison which requires a Neelkanth (Shiva) to hold. Perhaps he wants to assign the role of Neelkantha to Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and of Vishnu to himself.

Not satisfied with all this denunciation of the judiciary this paper on 5th August brought out a full page article by Krishnadas Rajagopal on recent pronouncements of Supreme Court judges against the government policies of neo-liberalism and counter-terrorism and their contradiction by eminent people. But these judgments must have been silently hailed by the dumb masses and are definitely appreciated by intellectuals sympathetic to these masses. ‘The Mainstream’, a reputed weekly founded by Nikhil Chakravarty, commented in its editorial of July 9 issue, that “those who are well aware of the ground realities and whose vision is not blurred by the machinations of vested interests, have no hesitation in conveying their whole-hearted endorsement of such rulings which definitely help in restoring the concepts of a welfare state and justice for all in equal measure.

Nandani Sundar, a Delhi University scholar, on whose petition (along with co-petitioners) the judgement relating to Salva Judum was given, called this judgement against the institutionalisation of the policing paradigm (Indian Express July 22). She described this judgement, as continued views of the Supreme 14

Court which has observed in 2008: “You cannot give arms to somebody (a civilian) and allow him to kill. You will be an abettor of the offence under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.” The article further says that if the government succeeds in review petition, the court will be going back on the collective wisdom of at least 10 judges who have heard this matter at one time or the other.

Endorsement of the judgement appointing Special Investigating Team to supervise the black money operations, has also come from the former secretary and chairman of the TRAI, Shri Nripendra Mishra who had given authentic detail of the black money in the foreign banks, in his article in Hindi Daily Dainik Bhaskar of July 22, 2011.

Happily, these two judgments, one against the corrupt state and the other against the brute state, have come at the moment when the needs of the two-third population of this country are being contemptuously ignored by the advocates of the one third population benefited by the neo-liberal economic policies. The corporate regime, which is creating a new heaven for the one-third and new hell for the two-third of population, has only two things to give to the masses i.e. corruption and terror, and it has made the state an agency to deliver these two ‘rewards’ to them. It is but natural that the votaries of the corporate regime, react maliciously to these judgments, but these judgments will remain as memorable judgments in the history of our democracy, like the judgment of the Supreme Court of USA in the case of Brown vs Board of Education, which broke the colour bar in America.

Of course, the three wings of the state __ legislature, executive and judiciary are autonomous but they together are there to protect the state and if one or two fail to act in the interest of the state due to neglect or compulsion, the third must come forward to help them even if it means going beyond its jurisdiction. This was what Eart Warren’s judgment did in USA and this is expected of our judiciary now. What else does the organic unity of the Constitution mean?

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Current Affairs’ Section:

N.K. Acharya [Sri N.K. Acharya is an advocate, columnist and

author of several books on law. He was formerly Secretary of Indian Rationalist Association and had edited the Indian Rationalist, then published from Hyderabad on behalf of the Association prior to its transfer to Madras.]

I Crop Holiday: Crop holiday is a protest by the riots of East-Godavari Dist. of Andhra Pradesh against the Government of India demanding fixation of the minimum procurement price at rs.4, 000/-per quintal as against the present rate of less than Rs. 1,000/- per quintal of paddy. Their demand for higher price is based on their contention that the cost of production of paddy per acre exceeds Rs.40, 000/- per year. The costs of production include the price of seed, fertilizers, pesticides wages for labour and rents for machinery etc. Rural labourers are demanding, they say, more than Rs. 200/- to Rs.300/- per day while the Government is paying Rs.60/- to Rs. 100/- to unskilled labour under the Employment Guarantee Scheme. The season for cultivation (khariff) commences in June and ends with October, the stoppage of agricultural operations for cultivating paddy this year has become operational. Such stoppage called crop holiday would certainly result in the loss of return for the whole year. A strike in the case of workers deprives them of their wages for the days they

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absent themselves from work. In the case of businessmen, a bandh by them results in the loss of business for a day. A strike by professionals does not result in any loss to them. But in the case of crop holiday observed by the riots, it deprives them of their livelihood for the whole year.

The possibility of the Government yielding to the riots demand is very remote, for it is sure to result in high consumer prices for rice which may affect the general public who are already suffering due to inflation and may burden the Government with huge subsidies. Possibility of export of paddy and rice to other states within India and abroad gets affected adversely.

In the near future, crop holiday may give rise to demands for financial help for those who lost their livelihood. As a step to avoid such contingency and mitigate the hardship, it appears some of the riots have taken up cultivation of alternative crops in the place of paddy.

II European economic crisis: America and Europe are once again facing an economic crisis. Previous crisis which engulfed America and Europe a few years ago arose out of the failure of the debtors to pay back the housing loans liberally granted by the banks earlier in U.S. The failure of the customers to repay their debts deprived the banks of cash availability. The U.S. Government provided the necessary cash to the banks and save the crisis. Now, the problem is about inflation. The Federal Bank of America has, as a measure of controlling inflation reduced the interest rate to near 0 or 0.5% and assured that such interest rates will prevail for at least two years from now. The stock markets then stabilized in America and the markets in Europe which are dependent on American Stock Markets which went haywire got settled.

In India what was feared was that foreign investors operating in Indian share markets might withdraw.

But, that did not happen for the reason that foreign

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investments were allowed only in the field of infrastructure and such others which have a very strong foundation. Since, infrastructure industry remained stable and z strong. The inflow of foreign investments is not adversely affected. Thus, the impact of fluctuations in the share markets in U.S. and Europe is proved to be negligible. It may be mentioned here, incidentally that policy makers in India have seen to it that the foreign investments have been so regulated that they are allowed only in the fields which are strongly built.

III Strategy of the Opposition: In India today, the strategy of the opposition commences with issuing public statements against the Government and the party in power. Then follows, the holding of demonstrations in various forms including forcing bandhs, and undertaking fasts, the futility of which has been a deprecated matter particularly after the judiciary has lain as a rule that the Government shall take all steps including forced feeding to save the life of the person fasting. Now, the latest form of protest by opposition is to stall proceedings in Parliament and legislatures. In order, allegedly to force a discussion, a situation is created whereby the discussion itself could not take place. Often, violent scenes are enacted; abusive language unbecoming of Parliamentarians is hurled at each other with inevitable result of adjourning the house for the day. There are plenty of incidences where such actions are repeated till the end of the session. Even as the public are condemning such conduct, it is highly regrettable to hear the leaders of the opposition, particularly of BJP, threatening to resort to such things even before the scheduled meeting of the Parliament is held or the session is commenced.

Parliament is the place where discussions take place. In democracy, this is the only way in which different opinions can be focused on the basis of which decisions are made. It is certainly not a place

where opinions are forced against those who hold different views. Scuttling democracy is not a democratic process. Co-operation of all political parties is achieving the welfare of the people is the need of the hour.

IV Bill on Telangana: The demand of Telangana protagonists that the Central Government shall introduce in Parliament a Bill creating Telangana is premature since it is not a matter of routine legislative procedure. A Bill to that effect may be introduced in Parliament only after the President recommends it. Therefore, it necessarily implies the drafting of a detailed bill in the first instance. Such Bill shall be approved by the Cabinet. It is only after it is forwarded to the President accompanied by the Cabinet Resolution, the President will make his recommendations to the Parliament to consider the Draft Bill.

The Bill to be drafted shall contain all the particulars regarding the territory division of assets and liabilities, apportionment of river waters, allotment of service personnel, application and adoption of the existing laws, transfer of proceedings pending with one authority to the other and finally the Constitution of Legislatures and the High Court. All these issues, being controversial, the Central Government have to decide upon them before the Bill is drafted. A mere intention or a mere decision to create a new State cannot be g the whole content and substance of the Bill.

Another condition is that the President shall refer such Bill to the State Legislature for its opinion on the different aspects contained in the Bill. At this stage, the President is not bound by the opinion of the state but must take into consideration the opinions expressed by the State Legislature. What is required here is the opinion of the legislature and not its resolution. Opinion of the Legislature includes the opinions of the legislators on the contents of the Bill. The President while referring the Bill to the State Legislature may fix a period

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during which the State Legislature shall consider the Bill and render its opinions If the State Legislatures remains silent, the President is not in any way prevented to recommend the Bill to the Parliament, The Bill so drafted, approved by the Central Cabinet, considered and discussed by the State Legislatures and recommended by the President may be adopted by both the Houses viz., the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, by simple majority of the Members present and voting. Thereafter, the Bill becomes Act on its being accented to by the President.

When that being the procedure, the demand that Central Government shall introduce the Bill, even before any as such is drafted after due consideration of the several matters which are incidental and consequential to the formation of a new State out of the existing state, is premature.

On December 9, 2010, the then Home Minister, P. Chidambaram has committed an error in indicating that the matter be considered first by the State Assembly. The legal and constitutional position is that it is only the Central Government which has the absolute power to create a new state out of the existing state. Moreover, to imply in such suggestion a non-existing decision of the Central Government is untenable. The allegation that the Central Government has retracted from its decision is imaginary. The present discussion the Government of India is holding with the political parties in Andhra Pradesh after it received and circulated the report of the Commission it has appointed to study the problem, is the proper procedure. The discussions are centered on the issues. It is open to the Government of India only to finally decide not only the principle, whether to form a new state or not and also the several issues which arise out of the bifurcation. Excepting the Ruling Congress, no political party has yet said that they would abide by the decisions of Centre.

Therefore, the stalemate continues.

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V Clause 14 (f): Central Cabinet accepted deletion of Clause 14(f) of the Presidential Order issued under Article 371D of the Constitution. The concerned original Presidential Order was issued while settling the unrest created by the previous agitation (1969) for separate Telangana. Instead of providing safeguards for all Telangana employees in Government service in general, Central Government divided the whole state of Andhra Pradesh into Six Zones wherein the employment is reserved to the extent of 85% to the locals. A local is defined as one who belongs originally to the Telangana region by birth and residence and in the case any other person who had his education in Telangana region for five years. And, the Sixth Zone is called Hyderabad Zone is left out as free zone where anybody from any zone can be employed. Telangana agitators demanded the Sixth Zone shall not be left free lest the employment opportunities in this zone may not be shared by the persons of other zones. In order to comply with this demand which happened to be unanimously supported by the State Legislature, the Government of India has decided to delete Clause 14(f) of the Presidential Order and the same is also notified on 13th August from which date the notification will become operational.

The legal question now raised is whether the President can amend his order or the Parliament only can do the same? Under General Clauses Act which applies to the Constitution also, the authority which passes any Order is competent to withdraw the same or amend it unless any special enactment restricts that power. Since, there is no bar under any enactment in this regard; the President undoubtedly has powers to delete Clause 14(f).

The other legal question which is raised is whether the deletion of Clause 14(f) would affect the employments made under it prior to its deletion.

Presidential Order deleting Clause 14(f) is not made retrospective.

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IRI/IRHA Members’ Section:

Innaiah Narisetti

[Dr. N. Innaiah, former Director, Centre for Inquiry (CFI), India, did his Ph.D on Philosophy of Modern Science. He is a veteran Radical Humanist who has translated maximum books written by M.N Roy as well as other books on humanism in Telugu.]

Humanist movement in India with special reference to Andhra Pradesh Contd. from the last issue......................... is one journal now running from There Chirala town edited by R Venkatadri and Mr. M. Satyanaryana. One dynamic group of radicals from Inkole is continuously devoting its time and energy from Inkole village. They are Mr. M Satyanarayana, Hanumantharao Hharibabu, Shaik Babu who devote their time and energy for the radical humanist center.

Mr. Lavu Ankamma from Pedanandipadu worked for the Humanist movement when Roy was alive.

Mr. Gumma Veeranna who just retired from government service devoting his time and energy to the humanist movement since three decades. He contributed several thoughtful articles in Telugu journals and published books on humanist thought.

He also translated books into Telugu for the cause of Humanism. Veeranna participated in several study camps, meetings and continuously putting all his efforts to sustain the movement. He published

translations of V.M. Tarkunde’s humanist thought into Telugu.

From outside Mr. Aramalla Purnachandra (now in New York) constantly helped the humanist movement and humanist center. He wrote scientific books and articles.

Persons who extend their help in Andhra Pradesh are Mr. Kotapati Murahari Rao, supported the movement with financial help and cooperated for bringinout many publications.

Mr. Narra Kotaiah, Mr. Narne Venkatasubaiah, Mr. C. Ranganayakulu, Raghavarao, Parvataiah.

Mr. Paula from Tenali contributed his thoughtful writings to the movement. Mr. C.L. Gandhi in Hyderabad is not only helpful but very encouraging for the movement.

Malladi Subbamma worked constantly for the upliftment of women and stood for secular humanism. She functioned from her residence. She edited one monthly for sometime and spread the thought of Humanism.

Mr. Avula Sambasivarao, who was chief justice of Andhra Pradesh High court gave inspiration and help to the humanist movement throughout his life.

He contributed several articles on Humanist thought.

Mr. Mandava Sriramamurty from Vijayawada, Mr. Koneru Kutumbarao from Avanigadda, Mr. Gokulchand, Polu Satyanarayana, Y. Raghavaiah, and B.A.V. Sharma Mr. Aleru Bhujangarao worked for the movement at various levels.

Several all India humanist leaders visited the state on many occasions and gave speeches, participated in meetings, conferences and inspired workers, and writers. They are: Sunil Bhattacharya, Maniben Kara, Indumati Parekh, A.B. Shah, C.T. Daru, G.R. Dalvi, V.M. Tarkunde, K K Sinha, V.K. sinha, Gauri Bazaz, Pancholi, R S Yadav, Laxman Sastri Joshi, Jayanti Patel, J.B.H. Wadia, and numerous others.

Mr. Bandaru Vandanam worked with the movement at early stage and also contests as

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candidate of Radical Democratic candidate in 1946.

Mr. Jampala Syama Sundararao, Mr. Kosaraju Sambasivarao, Kosaraju Ammaiah, Vasireddi Sivalingaiah worked for the movement.

Mr. Ravela Somaiah from 1960 onwards cooperated with the movement and had correspondence with all veterans of the movement.

Mr. P.V. Subbarao, advocate from Tenali worked for the movement in early stages and contributed books and articles.

Mr. Paramaiah, Chalamaiah Chunchu Seshaiah, Jana Nageswararao, Kolla Subbarao. Mr. Kolla Subbarao propagated the ideas of Roy especially the cooperative economy and also translated couple of books into Telugu. Guruvulu, P.S. Raju, Satyanarayana Raju worked for the movement.

Jasti Ramaswami, Jasti Jawahalral, PSR worked for the movement from various angles and spread the literature. He along with Mr. Venkatadri published the history of rationalist and humanist movement’s in Andrha Pradesh. PSR did field work through blood donation, eye donation banks that helped several people.

After the death of Roy: After 1955, several persons were inactive in the movement. Mr. Pemmaraju Venkatarao joined Congress party with a hope to introduce Radical thought into that party. Later he moved close to Telugu Desam party.

Mr. M.V. Sastry joined Swatantra party. He was elected as legislator in council from graduate’s constituency.

Mr. A. Ramakrishnarao retired from active cultural activities and drifted into faith.

Mr. Guttikonda Narahari joined N.G. Ranga and started his own tobacco business.

Mr. Tripuraneni Gopichand gradually moved towards Aurobindo and became a devotee.

Ellen Roy frequently visited the state and kept contacts.

19

Mr. V.M. Tarkunde joined hands with Jayaprakash Narayan in partyless politics and civil liberties. At one juncture communists also worked with Tarkunde through their front organization like People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Sibnarayan Ray published the biography of M.N. Roy which was translated into Telugu by N. Innaiah and published by Potti Sriramulu Telugu University.

Mr. A.B. Shah established secular society and frequently visited state established state unit. He also worked with Congress for cultural freedom.

A.B. Shah’s Scientific Method was translated into Telugu by N. Innaiah which ran into three editions.

Osmania University Philosophy department put Scientific Method in M.A. Syllabi for few years during 1970s.

The Political Science department taught M.N. Roy political philosophy for M.A. students.

A.B. Shah introduced much discussion on 22 theses. He suggested that the Philosophical Consequences of Modern Science should be edited and updated with modern scientific developments.

His magazines Quest, New Quest, Secularist helped to further the discussion. Prof Daya Krishna from Rajasthan participated in the discussion. But the main task of editing Roy’s thesis is still pending. Dr. Pushpa Bhargava also discussed 22 theses thoroughly. Prof. Sibnarayan Ray also suggested proper updating of it is a must. A.B. Shah established Secular Society Andhra Pradesh branch with N. Innaiah as in charge. Several intellectual discussions were held and seminars were conducted in Andhra. Muslim, Christian and Hindu organizations participated in the seminars along with intellectuals from universities. Prof B.A.V. Sharma and Mr. V.K. Sinha, Prof. Alam Khundmiri, Prof K. Seshadri contributed much thought for promoting secular ideas. Many of the writings of Shah were brought into Telugu by N. Innaiah. The fundamentalists of all religions attacked A.B. Shah and secularists in Andhra but they withstood the onslaught. Mr. V.R. Narla

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participated in the secular and humanist camps.

Justice Pingle Jagan Mohan Reddi, Justice A. Gangadhararao, Justice Jeevan Reddi, Justice Chinnapa Reddi participated in the humanist and secularist study camps and encouraged in Andhra Pradesh. After the premature death of A.B. Shah in 1982 secular movement had a set back.

Mr. V.B. Karnik worked in Leslie Sahney organization to develop panchayat raj and visited the state to encourage study camps. He was in constant touch with Andhra Pradesh. His biography of M.N. Roy both large edition and abridged edition were translated into Telugu by N. Innaiah and published by Telugu Academy. Mr. W.S. Kane brought out these volumes and visited Andhra Pradesh several times.

Dr. G.R. Dalvi was another inspiring economist who developed many contacts with Andhra radicals. He was working in the Administrative Staff College of India. During his tenure he invited famous radicals like V.B. Karnik, A.B. Shah, Nissim Ezekiel to Hyderabad. They gave many lectures and toured the state. Similarly J.B.H. Wadia, Laxman Sastri Joshi visited the state. Prem Nath Bazaz also constantly kept in touch with Hyderabad. Prof Jayanti Patel toured the state when he was president of Indian Radical Humanist Association.

Indumati Parekh kept constant touch with the state as president of Radical Humanist Association.

Maniben Kara visited the state in her capacity as Chairman of All India Women Organization.

Within the state Mr. Avula Gopalakrishna Murty carried the torch of humanist flame and struggled to

sustain the interest. His early death in 1967 was a shock to the movement. Then Mr. M.V. Ramamurthy took the responsibility and carried the burden. Later Mr. Ravipudi Venkatadri continued the Rationalist organization and Hetuvadi magazine which has become a link to all the organizers.

Telugu field is rich with literature of Radical Humanist writers, translations and magazines.

M.N. Roy Centenary year was celebrated in Andhra Pradesh in 1987.The whole set of books of and by Roy and books of V.B. Karnik’s biography of M.N. Roy were released by Telugu Akademi. A big function was held in Vijayawada with Indra Reddi, education minister, Mr. Daggupati Venkateswararao, Prof. C. Laxmanna, Mr. R. Venkatadri and Mr. N. Innaiah.

Mr. Gahanna Bharati delivered lectures on Roy in Osmania University and Ambedkar Open University during M.N. Roy Centenary Year.

Some sister organizations cooperated for camps, meetings, magic performances and rallies.

Several times efforts were made to establish a Humanist Center, but in vain. Only individuals are working from their houses or offices.

One center was established in Inkole, a big village near Chirala town. Few committed humanists are working for the center with annual celebrations, occasional meetings and publications.

Now The Radical Humanist movement is very weak in Andhra Pradesh. Very few people are there to work for it. Youth are not coming forward.

Educational institutions are not teaching Humanist thought. It is a challenge for the future.

Concluded...........................

Letter to the Editor: Dear Rékhâ, Behind an immediately enigmatic appearance, some personalities inspire our confidence. You have helped me better situate Anna's move. Thanks. Warm regards.

Prithwindra-dâ

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Mahi Pal Singh [Mr. Mahi Pal Singh is the President of Indian Radical Humanist Association (IRHA) of the Delhi Unit and Gen. Secy. of Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Delhi-unit. C-105, D.D.A. Flats, Sindhora kalan, Delhi-110 052.Mahi_pal_singh@yahoo.co.uk]

PUCL: Its History of Struggle in Fighting the Structures Introduction: The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) was founded by Jayaprakash Narayan, and originally named as People’s Union for Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights (PUCLDR) in 1976, in the wake of the internal Emergency which was imposed by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of the country, on the nation on the midnight of 25th and 26th June 1975.

The imposition of the Emergency was intended by her to destroy the democratic fiber of the country in order to concentrate unlimited power in her own hands. With the declaration of the Emergency Fundamental Rights of the people enshrined in the Constitution, including the right to life, liberty and freedom of speech and expression were suspended, more than a lakh of persons including ailing Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Atal Behari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Madhu Dandavate, and all the other leaders of opposition parties were illegally detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), the most draconian law at that time, without trial, stringent censorship was introduced on newspapers and, above all, even the right to life could not be enforced by the courts. Virtual dictatorship was imposed on the country and all the institutions of democratic rule 21

faced severe threat at the hands of Indira Gandhi.

The lawyers led by eminent persons like Chief Justice M.C. Chagla, Chief Justice C.J. Shah, Justice V.M. Tarkunde, Ram Jethmalani and others waged a relentless battle against the Emergency and the consequent suspension of the fundamental rights. Jayaprakash Narayan had been instrumental in the formation of the Citizens For Democracy (CFD) earlier before the Emergency was declared.

CFD was established as a result of the mass movement built up by JP in response to the political and economic crisis in which the country had been plunged through Indira Gandhi’s attempt to subvert the freedom of the Judiciary. The CFD was established on April 13, 1974 with Jayaprakash Narayan as its President and V.M. Tarkunde as the General Secretary. It was then that Jayaprakash Narayan called for a movement against this tyranny and subversion of democracy. Lakhs of People joined the massive protest rallies on the call of JP and thronged the meetings organized by him. Mass opinion was mobilized in favour of safeguarding the Indian democracy. When the Emergency was imposed and the very institution of democracy was subverted, a national seminar was held at New Delhi on October 17, 1976 to consider how the civil liberties of the people could be defended. Acharya J.B. Kripalani inaugurated it and a decision to form the PUCLDR was taken. It was originally intended to be an organization free from political ideologies, bringing those concerned about defending civil liberties and human rights from different backgrounds onto a common platform. The PUCLDR was a loosely organized group of people who were working with Jayaprakash Narayan.

(Justice) V.M. Tarkunde was elected as its President and Krishna Kant as General Secretary.

Jayaprakash Narayan died on October 8, 1979, after a prolonged kidney problem. In the year 1980 Indira Gandhi returned to power. Her Government resumed its assaults on rights of the people. Efforts were made once again to put some life in the PUCLDR and to bring about co-operation among various civil liberties groups. Learning a lesson

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from the past experience, it was decided that the organization should be put on a more firm footing.

A conference of all those interested in the cause of civil liberties was called. A consensus emerged among civil liberties activists and various political parties that such an organization should remain non-partisan. The founding conference held in November 1980 drafted and adopted the constitution of the PUCL declaring the aims and objects of the PUCL and made it a membership based organization, aiming to have branches all over the country. The organization was re-christened as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). What is different about this organization from a score of human rights NGOs, which have come up over the years, is that in order to protect its independence, neutrality and credibility the PUCL does not accept any funds from the government, foreign countries and the corporate world and manages its working solely with the funds collected as membership and donations from friendly donors only. Besides, though members of political parties can join the organization, they cannot be elected as its office bearers at the State or national level so that the organization remains free from political influences too. The PUCL believes in upholding the rule of law and does not believe in the use of violence even for laudable objects. The founding conference of the PUCL elected (Justice) V.M. Tarkunde as its President and Arun Shourie as the General Secretary. Later, Dr. Y.P. Chhibbar was appointed as Executive Secretary. Those elected as President and General Secretary in the following years were: President: V.M. Tarkunde (1982 to 1984); Prof.

Rajni Kothari (1984 to 1986); (Justice) Rajindar

Sachar (1986 to 1995); K.G. Kannabiran (1995 to 2009). General Secretary: Arun Shourie (1982 to 1986); Prof. Rajni Kothari (1982 to 1984); Dr. Y.P. Chhibbar (1984 to 2008); Prof. Dalip S. Swami (1986 to 1990). (Justice) V.M. Tarkunde was named Advisor in 1986 and remained in that capacity till his death on 22 March 2004. During the last 35 years of its existence, the PUCL has not only gained credibility and fame as the largest civil liberties organization of the country, it has established itself, through filing of various Public Interest Litigations (PILs) in the courts of law, launching movements against draconian laws like the MISA, Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for the defense of civil liberties and democratic rights of the people. It has also initiated and been at the forefront of the movements for making free and compulsory education a fundamental right, granting of the right to information and the right to food and for introduction of judicial, police and prison and electoral reforms, thereby intending to make elections free from muscle and money power.

It has raised the question of accountability of all public servants, including the politicians, and also the question of judicial accountability. It has fought against all sorts of communalism and societal violation of human rights of the Dalits. The PUCL has had former Justices, Chief Justices, leading lawyers, academics and intellectuals as well as social and human rights activists as its members.

Today it has a nationwide network with State Branches in almost all the States.

Continued..........................

Announcement: Friends, a General Body Meeting of Indian Radical Humanist Association will be held in MURSHIDABAD, West Bengal on 1st December 2011 and 1st January 2012 . Please try to come there in large numbers to contribute in galvanizing the activities of the Association and to give your valuable suggestions in spearheading the Radical Humanist Movement. The details of the programme will follow in the October 2011 issue. Meanwhile please contact: Md. Nazimuddin Sk. at 1- 4752277 5 or at 1- 7 2 45 for an early query regarding your travel and stay information.—Rekha Saraswat 22

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Teachers’ & Research Scholars’ Section:

Ashok K.Chaudhury

Nilmani Phookan: A Distinctive Poet-Laureate of Assam man is searching for a soul. It is “Modern through poetry that one day he would find that soul, will find a clue to world of love, new spiritual value and a human ear in its entirety. Since time immemorial, poetry, the living objects, has been reverberating with its sound in the deep recesses of mortal humans. Whenever one tries to listen, each person can hear in the quietness of his own mind the flowing cadence of dawn and dusk, of truth and beauty”, says Nilmani Phookan, who has created “a unique voice” through his poetry, a poetry cargoes with his simple sounding unpunctuated lines, his minute observation, extrasensory perception, emotional restraint, compactness of frames and designs, generation of internal music. Regarded as a ‘saga-like presence’ in Assamese literature, he has a distinctive voice.

His poetry has a universal appeal with a fresh diction reflecting hopes, dreams, anguish, love, death, horrors of contemporary life and so on. In their construction his poems seem to be simple, but there is a complex pattern of experiences at an inner level. It takes the reader into regions of what can be called racial memories and the unconscious recesses of the individual mind.

To him, “Poetry is ‘the voice of humanity’.

Whenever there is a man, there is a poetry, which enlivens all the living and the inanimate alike. The 23

poem will continue to live even amongst those who have never read the poem. This is because the poem is the ultimate language of man- the general as well as the concrete embodiment of the agony and ecstasy of life”. Phookan’s poetry is polished with a rare artistry and imbued with a deep sensitivity and deeper understanding of life and reality. His compositions contemplate the plight of society with an equal embrace of Assamese landscape in its theme and imagery. His canvas is vast, his imagination mythopoeia, his voice bardic, his concerns ranging from the political to the cosmic, from the contemporary to the primeval. The metrical compositions seems be simple, but there is a complex pattern of experiences at an inner level.

His poetry has richness and intensity that immediately strike a chord in the hearts of discerning readers.

His concern for society is deep-rooted. He speaks of fire and water, planet and star, forest and desert, man and rock, time and space, war and peace, and life and death. Epic and elemental are the landscapes he evokes. Phookan is an epitome and humanism. He believes that poem is a human moment, a moment of inexpressible joy and sorrow, culminating in a silent but sure regeneration and awareness. His poem endeavours to establish a transition from transparent imagery to symbolism, and creates archetypal imagery and a style in which folklore and living language of a community provide a deep resonance. Phookan’s poems strike a delicate balance between the subjective and the objective. It is marked by intense involvement with the reality of life and people. Its diction is highly evocative.

Phookan conferred Fellowship of Sahitya Akademi on 24 April 2002 for his eminence as poet. Ramakanta Rath, then President of the Akademi, honouring him said, “Phookan was instrumental in giving Assamese poetry a distinctly modern form and voice together with two other poets: Navakanta Barua and Ajit Barua. The Fellowship is recognition of the exceptionally valuable contribution made by Phookan to Indian

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literature”. Prior to Fellowship, he was awarded Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 for Kavita (1980), which is considered an outstanding contribution, to Assamese literature.

One of the most acclaimed and forefront Assamese poets, Phookan began writing poetry in the early ‘50s. But established his reputation when together with contemporary poets like Navakanta Barua and Ajit Barua, he adopted the modern free verse which was started by the veterans like Hema Barua, Amulya Barua, and Maheswar Neog in the mid‘40s. His dedication to the task of writing poetry, over the years, is, perhaps, due to the most distinguishing characteristic of his personality. The Assamese countryside, of the rich heritage of tribal myth and folklore, the rhythms and village life, all of which have helped shape his sensibility as a poet.

Influenced by the French symbolist poets as well as the imagists and formalists of the West, his style is unreal that flows naturally and bears an untouched sequence. He emphasizes the importance of the expression of personal feelings through symbols, images and suggestions. Its appeal lies in its inherent masculine qualities.

He has used novel themes and has generated a high pitch of social consciousness in his poetry. The common themes of his poems are nature, love, the death instinct, and the basic loneliness of the human soul. Phookan says, “Since my childhood days in some unknown village, I struck a perceptive relationship with nature, life and reality, and slowly it blossomed into an awakening of life, thought and grief. Even after fifty long years in the city, it is the village itself that is my memory, dream, grief and happiness, and countless other things: melody, smell, colour and glimpses of day and night. All this has constantly stirred my mind, heart and imagination”. His intimate knowledge of traditional Japanese and Chinese poetry finds expression in many of his poems.

So far he is the author of thirteen volumes of poetry, two anthologies, including one Indian tribal love poems, and four volumes of essays on art criticism.

Phookan is deeply aware of the painfulness of life and often seeks peace and shelter in feminine love, which he expressed in his first collection of poems, Surya Heno Nami Ahe Ei Nadiedi (The Sun they say comes down along this River, 1963). The volume, significant in more ways than one, expresses the loneliness and isolation of modern man in a society that seems to have lost its moorings. The second and third collection of poems, Nirjanatar Sabda (Sound of Silence, 1966) and Aru Ki Naisabda (What more Soundlessness, 1968) show a looseness of structure. But the imagistic quality of the poems in these volumes points to a major new direction for Assamese poetry. The publication of Phuli Thoka Suryamukhi Phultor Phale (Toward the Sunflower in Bloom, 1972) is, in fact, the turning point in Assamese poetry. The anthology suggests new possibilities in the use of language. It generates vibrations that were to last long and exert considerable influence in the development of modern Assamese poetry. The poems here are marked not only by the bold thematic innovations but also by skilful handling of craft.

His other well-known poetical collections are Kaint, Golap Aru Kaint (Thorns, Roses and Thorns, 1975), and Nirtyarata Prithvi (Relentless Earth, 1985). Phookan received the State’s most prestigious ‘Publication Board Literary Award’ in 1997 for Kaint, Golap Aru Kaint. His last collection Olop Agate Ami Ki Katha Pati Achilo was published in 2003. Some of the recurring images in these anthologies are sunflower, house, river, tree, mountain, snow covered peaks, etc. The uniquely evocative language used in these poems and recurrent symbols of death, loneliness and the sorrow of self, redefined Phookan’s poetic personality. Through these poems, he made the transition from a phase of imagism to symbolism.

These poems are deceptively simple in construction, but there is a complex pattern of experience at an inner level.

Phookan used archetypal imagery and a style in which folklore and the current language of a human

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community intermingle to province.

Though youngest of the group of poets Phookan has done more than any other poet to set these trends in modern Assamese poetry. A few young talents in the ‘60s joined his school, but his personal contribution remains the greatest. He adopts the more colloquial syntax but, on the whole, his work is considerable demanding. The reader has to be sensitive to the overtones of words as well as the association of images in a specific context. His poetry took a new turn in the ‘80s as more of his works came close to the folk motifs and culture and to life of the masses in subtle ways.

Some of the poems are marked by a stark simplicity of diction and a new tone of urgency. But the intrinsic strength of Phookan’s poetry truly lies in concrete, visual imagery and metaphorical use of language. His tone of total acceptance of life is significant. One finds a clear and confident note in his work in the face of the traumatic vision of death and darkness. These poems in a way establish Phookan’s affinities with the Latin American rather than Anglo-American stream of modern poetry.

Phookan published an anthology of Indian tribal love poems titled Aranyara Gan (Songs of the Forest, 1993). His Golapi Jamurlanagne (Time for the Rosy Berries), a collection of poems selected by him, came out in 1997. Some of his poems selected and edited by Hiren Gohain have been published in 1994 with the title Sagartalir Sankha. Selected Poems of Nilamani Phookan (2007), sixty three poems culled from Phookan’s eight collections, published by Sahitya Akademi, translated by Krishna Dulal Barua, attempts to acquaint a wider readership with his poetry. The natural smooth flow of the rhythms and the pathos of the original are finely captured in the translation. The tragic, comparative mood of the original has also been retained. Phookan has translated a good number of Japanese poems from the 17th century till the present day and has brought out Japani Kavita (Japanese Poems, 1971), and the Japanese Haiku poems into Assamese. He has also published an anthology of Chinese poems 25

titled Cheena Kavita (Chinese Poetry, 1996). These translations bear witness to his intimate knowledge of traditional Japanese and Chinese poetry.

Besides, Phookan has rendered selected poems of the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca in Garca Lorkar Kavita (1981) into Assamese. He has brought out an anthology of modern Assamese poems chosen by him under the title Kuri Satikar Asamiya Kavita(1977).

He has developed a keen interest in the rich folk heritage and native rhythms of life in the countryside of the Brahmaputra Valley. This is seen in hisLoka Kalpadristi (Folk Vision, 1987), a book on Assamese folk art, which serves as an introduction to the rich variety of arts and craft of Assam. The book was awarded the ‘Jagadhattri Horomohan Award’ in 1988. His deep interest in the visual arts, especially in painting, is reflected in his writings on some great painters. So far he has published three books on visual arts: Rupa Barna Bak (1988) and Silpakala Darshan (1998), both containing essays on art and artists; and a lecture on art appreciation titled, Silapakalar Upalabdhi Aur Ananda (1997). He was an able editor of the now defunct weekly Navyug, and editor of Sanjaya, a leading Assamese literary and cultural quarterly, between 1977 and 79; Alochani; andNo-Son; and the editor of daily a Batori. He was also a member of the Assamese Selection Committee constituted for the preparation ofMasterpieces of Indian Literature (3 Volumes), brought out by NBT, India.

Phookan was born in a middle-class family at Dergaon near Jorhat, an important town in Upper Assam in 1933. A small sleepy hamlet is noted for its pristine natural beauty and gently rural charm.

Graduated from the prestigious Cotton College, Guwahati in 1957, he persuaded M.A. in History in 1961 from Guwahati University. He joined Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati as Lecturer in History in 1964 and worked there till his retirement in 1992. In childhood he came under two early influences that of his mother and his uncle Lakshminath Phookan, a well known figure in the field of literature and journalism. His creative

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pursuits won him many awards and honours. The major ones among these are: ‘Raghunath Choudhury Award’ of Asam Sahitya Sabha (1972); ‘Asam Prakashan Parishad Award’ (1977); ‘Padma Shri’ by the Government of India (1990); ‘Chaganlal Jain Award’ of Asam Sahitya Sabha (1991); ‘Kamal Kumari National Award’ (1994); ‘Assam Valley Award’ (1988); ‘Bhartiya Bhasa Parishad Award’ (2000), and ‘Joshua Foundation Award’ (2001). Phookan was Emeritus Fellow of the Department of Culture, Government of India during the period 1999-2001.

His dedication to pursuing of writing poetry is the most distinguishing characteristic of his personality. The range and depth of his poetic creation, especially and the surpassing brilliance of his later poetry place him among the frontline poets of Assam. Phookan, over the decades, has achieved a remarkable mastery over the poetic craft, acquiring a deep insight into human life. His poems magnificently express of his humanism, sunflower, river, pees, mountains, snow-covered peaks, some

of the recurring images of Nature, make a dominant presence in most of his poems. Rather Phookan set the trend for incorporating natural elements in Assamese poetry.

His biggest interest is the ‘social change’ in the country to bring all Indian languages and dialects under one platform so that literature and poetry becomes understandable to everybody. That will ensure a sense of ‘belongingness’ for the masses.

His poetic expression sincerely of feelings and contemplative responses to trials and tribulations of life, unravel before a reader a broad vision of life.

Being an explorer, he is always excited by life’s hidden mysteries and possibilities, pained by sufferings of ordinary men and women, and troubled by the inequality, exploitation and mindless violence that so often threaten to dismantle our social fabric and destabilize our individual selves.

Dr. Ashok K. Choudhury, a postdoctoral scholar & lit critic, is with Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.

Letter to the Editor: Gaps in Matrimonial Search for Atheist Youth - a Concern Dear Sir/Madam, Greetings of the day!

I'm an atheist from Andhra Pradesh, well-settled and am looking for a like-minded life partner. As part of my partner search, I found that there is a huge gap in this matrimonial search area for athiest youth.

There are an infinite number of websites for believers (based on caste/sub-cast/religion/region/etc/etc.) to find a life partner but for an atheist youth there is no single website available.

As the atheist societies are not quite active in many parts of the country, there are no networking opportunities available for us. This pushes the rationalist youth who want to marry somebody with similar mind-set towards compromising with their ideology when it comes to the most important part of their life, that is “marriage”! Why don't you launch some kind of a platform (online) for the rationalist/atheist youth who want to marry like-minded people irrespective of class/creed/religion/regional-bias? It would be great help not only for individuals but also for the society at large, as the rational thinking starts at home and rational parents creates rational future generations. Please think on these lines. Thank you. Warm regards, Anil Kumar, Hyderabad anila2zkumar@yahoo.com 26

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Land Acquiisition Bill —Ashish Saxena the post-independence period, India has Insought rapid economic growth through ‘planned development’. This has entailed large-scale public investments involving land acquisition. Unfortunately, large numbers of people, especially marginalized sections, have been displaced from their original habitats to make way for these development projects. Such projects have also permanently changed the patterns of land-use and natural resources that previously prevailed in these areas. Often, such acquisition of land leads to displacement of people, depriving them of their livelihood and shelter, restricting access to their traditional resource base, and uprooting them from their socio-cultural environment. These have traumatic, psychological and socio-cultural consequences for the affected population, especially ‘subalterns’. This thus results into doubly marginalization i.e. dislocation of indigenous people from their native inhabitants and also poor compensation in the form of resettlement and rehabilitation. Generally, they become passive owing to their under-dog position; however, in many instances they show resistance and adopt violent protests.

Glaring exemplifications of contemporary resistances are the resistance of the Singur farmers against the West Bengal government, protests by villagers of Bhatta & Parsaul villages against compensation for acquired land and liberal land policy for the Yamuna Expressway in U.P. It is in this context that the amendment Bill of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 gains credence. The Land Acquisition Act 1894, which has nation-wide coverage, was passed by the colonial government to make it possible for the state to acquire private land for any ‘public purpose’. Through them the colonial state took possession of property for schemes such as mines, plantations and other, and which latently were an integral part of the strategy to turn the country into a supplier of cheap raw material and

27

capital for the British industrial revolution. After minor amendments in 1914 and 1938, it were amended substantially in 1984 to “stream-line the process of acquisition” (see Upadhyay and Raman, 1998). Owing to this, post-independence economic development based on large projects and big industries entailed widespread displacement. The law gave very little scope to the affected party to challenge the process of acquisition or even to demand fair compensation and rehabilitation.

People’s impoverishment and marginalization were its consequences. But instead of giving it a pro-people orientation, the 1984 amendments made acquisition easier. It empowered the state to acquire land for private industry. Till then it was limited to the public sector. Contemporarily, in several cases, the original purpose for which the land was acquired has been changed after acquisition. One finds that in the name of globalization and land development the States had marginalized farmers by paying a pittance as compensation. Land is given for development which must be inclusive.

The State is taking advantage of the law against the poor. Land Acquisition Act has thus, become an engine of oppression for the common man. Several efforts were made in the past to amend the Act in the favour of land-owners. Some clauses were changed but could not bring the desired relief to the poor farmers and subalterns’ who were displaced due to acquisition. The NDA regime, in 2003, brought a Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill but, it lapsed. Another Bill brought by the UPA government in 2007 met the same fate. A revised version of the 2007 Bill was re-introduced in 2010, which is still pending. These initiatives could bring significant amendments like - redefining ‘public purpose’ as land acquired for defense purposes, infrastructure projects, or for any project useful to the general public, where 70 per cent of the land has already been purchased; strategically, the Bill contains some necessary provisions such as “under no circumstances should multi-cropped, irrigated land be acquired, and most of such land lies in the Indo-Gangetic plains covering Punjab, Haryana,

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Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar”, however, it does not address the challenge of large scale diversion of agricultural land across the country for non-agricultural purposes and the consequent impact on the nation’s food security and pauperization of communities. Regarding the monetary compensation, the bill incorporates issues like – “in case of urban areas, the award amount would be not less than twice that of the market value determined whereas in rural areas it would be not less than six times the original market value”; The draft bill thus proposes that the consent of 80 per cent of the project-affected families will be mandatory if the government acquires land for use by private companies for stated public purpose.

It also states that the public purpose once stated cannot be changed. Keeping in view the retrospective and prospective implications of the said bill, much awaited comprehensive ‘Draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation & Resettlement Bill, 2011’ was recently put forth by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. It is commendable that the Ministry has now agreed to reopen the whole process and focus on the pre-legislative consultations and not introduce such an important legislation in hurry in this Monsoon session, 2011 of the Parliament. This Bill is regressive that way, since the definition of public purpose covers almost everything from building educational institutions to airports to mining, where a large number of private companies are involved. These companies are not there for the public purpose but for making profit and it is in their private interest. Even, rehabilitation and resettlement of the persons and families affected by involuntary acquisition of private land and immovable property is of paramount importance.

Also, the ambit of the expression “person interested” under the Act is proposed to be expanded so as to include tribals and other traditional forest dwellers, who have lost any traditional rights recognized under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognitions of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (2 of

2007). The necessity of defining the sensitive term “public purpose” is the need of the hour, so as to restrict ambiguity and the scope of land acquisition under the Act. Often it is seen that the possession of land acquired is not taken over in time, and also there are delays in the payment of the compensation amount. It is also necessary to make a provision for ensuring physical possession of the land and its compensation within a defined period.

Subsequently, the issues around the utilization of the land acquired and their transfer are also areas of concern. Here, provisions are to be made so that the land acquired is not transferred to any other purpose except for a public purpose. Keeping in view the even doubt on the objectivity of immediate government regarding the land acquisition cases, the check mechanism can be made to regulate the State autonomy on the issue and it may be endorsed in consultation with the Centre, CM’s of neighboring states and affected population.

Need for an Inclusive model of land acquisition: With the growth of post-colonial studies and the indigenization of knowledge, and with reference also to post-structuralist and post-modern social theory, the field of development studies has undergone a significant critique and rethinking. To Toye (1987; 8) the interventionist approach was challenged by the rise of neo-liberalism in the 1980’s, a theoretical shift associated with a deepening of internationalization (globalization) and referred to as the ‘counter revolution’ in development economics. The globalists consider ‘too much government’ as a systemic fault. Good governance is thus defined as less government (Desai & R.B. Potter, 2000; 113). Thus, there is a strong body of thought, which points to alternative forms of development being necessary if inequality is seriously to be confronted. Now calls were made for ‘development from below’. Voluntary groups or NGO’s were seen as having greater diversity, credibility and creativity than official agencies (like the World Bank, U.N) in producing a ‘just development’ characterized by equity, democracy

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and social justice as well as by economic growth (Clark; 1991). As rightly emphasized by Mohammed Asif (1999), any understanding on land acquisition should start with the question, who are the stakeholders in the process and what are their respective interests? Contextually, the first set of stakeholders are the land losers, the owners of the ‘would-be’ acquired land. Their interest in the first place is to prevent land from being acquired.

However, if they find it impossible to prevent acquisition, they then try to get compensation which is equivalent to the replacement value of the land and all other assets lost. The second sets of stakeholders are the acquiring bodies whose interest is going to be served. The third stakeholder is the government, interested in preventing any law and order problem from cropping up in the wake of the resultant disturbance in status quo. As one can realize the interests of the three stakeholders are mutually contradictory. In such a situation it is very difficult to legislate to everyone’s satisfaction owing to conflicting interests. Thus there is a need for a democratic and societal aspect in resolving such issues. Firstly, there is a need of holistic evaluation of the purpose and necessity of acquisition; secondly, the profile of the affected population owing to acquisition; and finally the assessment compensation in a justifiable way, in consensus with the affected population. For such resolution there is a need of multi-specialists having sensitivity towards social, economic, psychological and ecological impacts of acquisition. No doubt, there is a need for such an alternative paradigm of development i.e. participatory and down-top approach which takes into cognizance that the necessary land is available for ‘genuine’ public purposes and in the process the land losers are not impoverished. Apart from such societal and democratic concerns the approach of the decision-making body should be pro-poor, pro-rural and pro-sustainable development i.e. the policies should bridge the gaps and not creating conflicts and inequalities. In sum, land is a vital asset more so in India with its burgeoning populace 29

growth along-with high population density. The judicious use of land is very necessary keeping in mind the interests of the subalterns and economically weaker sections, which constitute majority of the Indian population. Therefore, the question of land acquisition and rehabilitation needs to be re-worked beyond elitist sections i.e. government, political parties and bureaucracy and should involve the intervention of civil societies, representatives of affected population, members of local bodies, human rights activists and others before arriving at a judicious decision.

References: Asif, Mohammed (1999). ‘Land Acquisition Act: Need for an Alternative Paradigm, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 34, No. 25 (Jun. 19-25, 1999), pp. 1564-1566 Clark.J, (1991). Democratizing Development; The role of voluntary organization, West Hartford; CT: Kumarian Press.

Desai.V & R.B.Potter (ed.) (2000). The Companion to Development Studies, (New York; Oxford Publisher), pp. 8.

Fernandes, Walter (1998).

‘Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 1998: Rights of Project-Affected People Ignored’ Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 33, No. 42/43 (Oct. 17-30, 1998), pp. 2703-2706 Toye. J (1987). Dillemas of development; reflections on the counterrevolution in development theory and policy, (Oxford: Basil Blackwell), pp. 8.

Upadhyay, Sanjay and Bhavani, Raman (1998).

Land Acquisition and Public Purpose, (New Delhi, The Other Media) http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article 2316972.ece, August 2, 2011, A better Land Acquisition Bill Http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Land%20 Aquisition/1197003952_Land_20Acq.pdf Dr. Ashish Saxena teaches Sociology at Central University of Allahabad. ashish.ju@gmail.com

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Book Review Section: [BOOK: The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World (Danish: Verdens sande tilstand, literal translation: The Real State of the World) by Danish environmentalist author Bjørn Lomborg. It was first published in Danish in 1998, and the English edition was published as a work in environmental economics by Cambridge University Press in 2001.]

—Reviewed by Subhankar Ray [Mr. Subhankar Ray is a researcher in Biochemistry and has been, for a long time, associated with the Renaissance movement.]

Impending Destruction of Environment: A Myth?

Continued from the previous issue.......

Biodiversity: The Chapter on biodiversity starts with a highly cited figure that purported to show that 40 thousand species per year are going to extinction. This calculation was presented by Norman Myers in his book The Sinking Arc. The Author opines that this has no scientific basis. Albert Gore also in his book The Earth in the Balance mentioned this figure.

Several scientists mentioned even much higher figures, even two fifty thousand per year. The Author feels that the presentation of this figure is motivated and if this is true then within our lifespan 25% of the existing species would extinguish.

Scientists have the tendency to exaggerate an issue.

If we say that 0.7 % species are being extinguished in 50 years then it will not raise any stir and no money will be provided for research. By citing sources the Author mentions that this estimation is more authentic and realistic. Life started on the earth 3.5 billion years ago with the advent of first bacterium. From then on species began to extinguish naturally.

It is difficult to calculate how many species existed and now exists. The number varies due to nature itself. We could roughly say that this number was highest when human species arrived on the Earth.

The reason is that atmosphere at that time was most congenial for biodiversity and differentiation amongst species was the most. Estimation from 1600 to the present day indicates the presence of 1.6 million species of which one thousand had been eliminated. How many species were/are there on the Earth? Several estimates suggest it might be from 2-80 million. We much heard about the extinction of dinosaurs, but more in the past about 200 million years ago it is thought that half of the existing population extinct. This type of research is often inferential and called soft science.

Before the advent of modern civilization human activity was one of the reasons of extinction of species. But there is no unknown big animal and their possible extinction is known to us. The Author rightly comments that when we think of biodiversity we think about large animals and plants that we notice in zoological gardens and reserved forests such as whale, tiger, pine tree etc.

We do not think of beetle, any fungus or virus. We have seen in our lifetime the coming of AIDS virus.

But where is the bedbug now, which was ubiquitous sometime ago?

He concludes that modern human being has some role in the extinction of species. But as 40% rainforests are still there so the biodiversity might be maintained there. The extinction of 0.7% of species in 50 years is not a disastrous although a problem. With more efficient modes of production and economic development the pressure on forests will be reduced. As we observe in Europe forests have increased considerably. On the other hand some environmentalists suggest such a remedy, which is nothing but to keep human society captive in certain pockets.

Global Warming: Climate change and global warming are now highly discussed and important issues in the present

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environmental thinking. Many environmental organizations and persons are very much worried about this. It is assumed that due to rapid and continuous industrialization and accessory activities the Earth will be warmer and the ecosystem will be destroyed.

The Author has dealt the possible reasons and consequences of global warming based upon the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a specialized team of UN. This Chapter is presented in a more complicated way than the other chapters of the Book possibly because the issue is complicated.

It is assumed that global warming is a result of the so called Green House Effect. What is this Green House Effect? Many gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitric oxide, CFC and ozone could retain or reflect heat. In normal situation this is good because without these gases the temperature of the surface of the Earth would be 33o C lesser and the present biological world would not be there. But the problem is that due to anthropogenic activity the amount of these gases specially of carbon dioxide have increased heavily, 30% more than pre-industrialized era. It is assumed that for this the surface temperature of the Earth has increased considerably and will increase further.

The first question is however how much global warming has actually happened? We should not forget that due to natural reasons Earth’s temperature changes cyclically. We now belong to Holocene Age, which started 10,000 years ago. It is assumed that at the beginning of this Age due to melting of ice sea level rose 120 meters and temperature increased 5-80C. There are many opinions regarding global warming and one of these is that anthropogenic activity contributes very little.

The brightness of Sun has increased 0.4% in the last 300-400 years and as a result the temperature of the Earth has also raised 0.40C. Also 1400-1900 is called little ice age. In this time there was severe cold in Europe; ice had increased considerably in

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Greenland, Iceland and in Scandinavian countries.

Even in China agriculture faced difficulty due to severe cold. On the other hand the early part of the second Millennium is called the ‘The Medieval Warm Period’. So it is not true that only in the last century the weather changed significantly.

Only in the last 150 years we are systematically measuring the temperature of the Earth’s surface and it is true that in comparison to 1850 in 2000 the temperature is 0.80C more. This increase was mostly in between 1919-1940 and from 1970 till date. However from the different models of changes of Earth’s temperature IPCC has chosen Mann’s model and claims that in the past one thousand years 20th century was the warmest century and 1990s and 1998 are the warmest decade and year respectively. By analyzing huge data through computer IPCC has developed certain scenario. Anthropogenic and other effects are considered. The Author feels that these analyses are often not flawless. He discusses the possible flaws at length. Our experience about the weather forecasts corroborates his view.

How agriculture, health, rise in sea-level, climate change etc will be influenced by global warming is discussed at length. He draws attention to the fact that there are also some benefits in warming such as it will help agriculture in cold region as also death will be reduced that used to be in severe cold. Extra carbon dioxide in air is beneficial for the production of wheat and rice. Rain might be more, which will benefit the draught-prone areas.

Moreover it has been observed that man-made sulfur particles help to reduce warming.

The Author questions whether a real solution of global warming is needed or this problem is used as a political weapon. The warning by IPCC in its different reports is gradually getting tougher. It advises on individual life style and also on social trends.

In consonance with the main theme of the book he reminds us that we would not be able tackle all the problems simultaneously, we have to set priorities.

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It is no use to slightly reduce global warming by incurring a huge expenditure. It is true that the Third World countries will suffer most from global warming, but if we could improve health, education, water resources etc there then it will be easier to tackle the problem.

Besides the Author emphasizes research to improve solar power, nuclear fission, geoengineering, which could send carbon dioxide to the earth than to take measures to directly reduce the carbon dioxide. In summary he feels that global warming is a limited problem and we could tackle it. The Reviewer feels that global warming will not bring any disaster immediately. We could wait for another 20-25 years. If we observe that the situation is moving towards what IPCC has suggested, their vision is validated then only we shall follow their advice.

Genetic Engineering in Food Production: In to-day’s environmental movement genetic engineering is a hot topic. The Author discusses at length the use of genetic techniques in food production because it is the most controversial issue. Between 1996 and 2000 the land, which is cultivated by using genetically engineered techniques has increased 26 times. Worldwide 2.9% of arable lands are cultivated by this technique, mostly in USA, Canada, Argentina and China. He feels that it has immense potential although has huge problem. This technique might improve production as well as quality and also might reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides.

But due to some movements by environmental and voluntary organizations it has gained bad images in the minds of people of Europe and USA. The Author mentions some instances of the use of this technology, which raised huge controversy. In many instances the possible deleterious effects are much exaggerated.

Those organizations themselves who tried to use the technique had closed the project for fear of danger.

The Author reminds us improvement in breeding by conventional means also sometimes create

many problems. The main issue is what we get, not the technique or method. In the process of advancement of human civilization there arose many problems, which we ourselves have solved.

There is some amount of risk in every new technique, but should we sit idle? In essence he welcomes genetic engineering as such and specially in food production but emphasizes its regulation.

Predicament or Progress: In this last Chapter the Author conveys us that if we could solve the present most important problem of hunger and poverty then it will be easy to encounter the environmental problem. We have to understand that environmental problem is one of the many problems. We should set our priority by analyzing the facts, not by the fear that the Earth will be destroyed shortly. We have to challenge the ‘environmental Pundits’. We do not know what will be the fate of our many decisions and endeavour, whether related to environment or unrelated. But we have no scope to return to the past. We often think it is better to be safe than sorry.

But we have to pay a price even to remain safe and there is risk in every work. If we want to remain safe in certain aspects then we will be handicapped to use resources for certain developments.

Individual and/or society will decide how much risk could be taken for a particular work.

The Author refers to a mega study conducted by Harvard University in which a relative assessment was made for different life-saving endeavours. As an example to arrange seat-belt in school bus for every passenger will cost 530 million. But with this expenditure we could save only one of them in a year. On the other hand to educate Negro women not to smoke during pregnancy will cost a little but will fetch more benefit. In general life-saving health services cost very little as compared to efforts to control environment.

This Chapter quotes many sentences from Albert Gore’s book Earth in the Balance. “Former vice-president Al Gore’s Earth in the Balance is an

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excellent example of the mood. The opening of its conclusion states plainly: ‘Modern industrial civilization as presently organized, is colliding violently with our planet’s ecological system. We have constructed ‘a false world of plastic flowers and Astroturf, air-conditioning and fluorescent lights, windows that don’t open and background music that never stops…sleepy hearts jump-started with caffeine, alcohol, drugs and illusions’.

We have forgotten our direct experience with real life.

Our civilization has achieved not only the destruction of the world but of ourselves. This is indeed a dysfunctional civilization’ ” .

Gore feels that the present industrial civilization is violently colliding with ecosystem and dooms day is imminent. He opines that the present movement to protect the environment is a continuation of the movement of the recent past against Nazism and totalitarian communism. However the Author feels that Gore’s branding of “dysfunctional civilization” is nothing but unjust glorification of the past and to turn away from the unprecedented progress the society has made. A brief description of the progress, which has been made, is also provided here again. Because of this progress Gore and similar others are able to meet their physical needs and are free from many limitations. And for this only they are privileged enough to comment like this. Gore is amongst the group of pessimists, who by giving analogy from Frankenstein to Jurassic Park wants to convince us that this ingenuity in technology is the reason for impending disaster.

Why we are so worried? The answer in one sentence is “no food, one problem; many foods,

many problems”. The Author emphasizes that vast number of people of the developing countries are at present able to meet many of the basic needs of life is surely not plastic flowers, micro oven-processed foods, alcohol and drugs as said by Gore, but an opportunity for a better life. We ought not to be ashamed for this. Global warming would not come as a punishment to us. The trend of this development will continue. The problem that might crop up could be dealt with adequately as we had done in the past.

The Author has rightly written the developing countries ought to make administrative reforms, they have to secure democracy and rule of law; they have to compete in the world market and to utilize those opportunities in which they have advantage.

On the other hand the developed countries have to abolish subsidy altogether. Very few of such countries are maintaining the promise they had made to donate 0.7 % of their GNP for the development of developing countries.

In Second Section of the book the Author shows that in all measurable indices development has occurred, ecosystem is not going to be destroyed, but getting improved, speially at certain economic level. His presentation of facts and arguments are mostly convincing. Still one might be scared in what direction we are moving considering the present racial clash, terrorism, increased production of highly destructive weapons, clash of civilization etc? However these are topics for different discussions.

Concluded...........................

Dear Friends, I am pleased to inform you that Prof. Ghanshyam Shah, National fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Rashtrapati Nivas, Shimla, has agreed to deliver the annual M.N. Roy Memorial Lecture on 29th Sept. 2011 at Indian Law Institute, (accross Supreme Court of India), New Delhi at 5 pm.

The topic of the Lecture will be: “Democratic Transformation: An Impasse?”

N.D. Pancholi, Secretary, IRI, 33

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Christopher Hitchens

The Real Mahatma Gandhi: Questioning The Moral Heroism Of India’s Most Revered Figure [BOOK – Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his Struggle with India by Joseph Lelyveld] Lelyveld subtly tips his hand in his Joseph title. The word Mahatma (often employed in ordinary journalistic usage without any definite article, as if it were Mohandas Gandhi’s first name) is actually the Sanskrit word for “Great Soul.” It is a religio-spiritual honorific, to be assumed or awarded only by acclaim, and it achieved most of its currency in the West by association with Madame Blavatsky’s somewhat risible “Theosophy” movement, forerunner of many American and European tendencies to be found in writers, as discrepant as Annie Besant and T.S. Eliot, who nurture themselves on the supposedly holy character of the subcontinent. The repetition, unlikely to be accidental in the case of a writer as scrupulous as Lelyveld, seems to amount to an endorsement. In a different way, the subtitle reinforces the same idea. Not Gandhi’s struggle for India, but with it: as if this vast and antique land was somehow too refractory and ungrateful (recalcitrant is a word to which Lelyveld recurs) to be fully deserving of Gandhi’s sacrificial endeavors on its behalf.

But with perhaps equivalent subtlety—because he

generally refrains from imposing any one interpretation upon the reader—Lelyveld furnishes us with the very material out of which one might constitute a refutation of this common opinion. The belief that India fell short of, and continues to disappoint, the ideals of one of its founding fathers is an extremely persistent one. The standard view of Gandhi is that he cut his ethical teeth by opposing racial discrimination in South Africa, failed to dent the intransigent system there but had greater success with nonviolent civil disobedience in British India, broke his heart and ruined his health by opposing the Hindu caste system, strove to reconcile Hindus and Muslims, failed to prevent a sanguinary partition, and was murdered just after attaining a partial and mutilated independence that nonetheless endures: a monument not to his own shortcomings but to those of others.

Lelyveld examines all these pious beliefs and finds, or permits us to conclude, that they belong in the realm of the not-quite-true. Thus, Gandhi and his followers were not much exercised by the treatment of black Africans in South Africa, alluding to them in print as “kaffirs” and even organizing medical orderlies and other noncombatant contributors for a punitive war against the Zulus. Then, Gandhi did fight quite tenaciously against the horrors of “untouchability” but for much of his life was less decided about the need to challenge the caste system tout court. He was not above making sectarian deals with (and against) India’s Muslims.

And he considered India’s chief enemy to be modernity, arguing until well into the 1940s that the new nation should abhor industry and technology and relocate its core identity and practice in the ancient rhythms of village life and the spinning wheel. “India’s salvation,” he wrote in 1909, “consists in unlearning what she has learnt during the past fifty years. The railways, telegraphs, hospitals, lawyers, doctors, and such like have all to go.” The rather sinister concept of “unlearning,” explicitly tied to the more ethereal notion of “salvation,” has more in common with Wahhabism than with the figures of Mandela,

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King, or the other moral heroes with whom Gandhi’s name is linked.

A related argument has to do with the moral texture and relevance of Gandhi’s concept of ahimsa, or nonviolence, with its counterpart of satyagraha, best translated as “civil disobedience.” It is most usually conceded that, without the declining and increasingly desperate British as his antagonist, Gandhi and his tactics would have fared no better than they had in the face of the remorseless pioneers of apartheid. This concession usually preserves intact the belief that Gandhi’s methods were pure in heart. But it may be observed that the threat to starve himself to death involved him in the deliberate and believable threat of violence, he himself once referring to this tactic as “the worst form of coercion.” It could certainly be argued that launching a full-blown “Quit India” campaign against the British in 1942 amounted to letting Hirohito do his fighting for him.

And it is not disputable that Gandhi himself regarded his own versions of ahimsa and satyagraha as universally applicable. By 1939, he was announcing that, if adopted by “a single Jew standing up and refusing to bow to Hitler’s decrees,” such methods might suffice to “melt Hitler’s heart.” This may read like mere foolishness, but a personal letter to the Führer in the same year began with the words My friend and went on, ingratiatingly, to ask: “Will you listen to the appeal of one who has deliberately shunned the method of war not without considerable success?”

Apart from its conceit, this would appear to be suggesting that Hitler, too, might hope to get more of what he wanted by adopting a more herbivorous

approach. Gandhi also instructed a Chinese visitor to “shame some Japanese” by passivity in the face of invasion, and found time to lecture a member of the South African National Congress about the vices of Western apparel. “You must not … feel ashamed of carrying an assagai, or of going around with only a tiny clout round your loins.” (One tries to picture Nelson Mandela taking this homespun counsel, which draws upon the most clichéd impression of African dress and tradition.) Gandhi was forever nominating himself as a mediator: in 1937 in Palestine, for example, where he concluded that Jews could demand a state of their own only if all Arab opinion were to become reconciled to it; and later unsolicitely advising the peoples of Czechoslovakia to try what Lelyveld calls “satyagraha to combat storm troopers.” The nullity of this needs no emphasis: what is more striking—in one venerated so widely for modest self-effacement—is its arrogance. Recording these successive efforts at quasi-diplomacy and “peacemaking,” Lelyveld lapses into near-euphemism. At one point he calls Gandhi’s initiatives “a mixed bag, full of trenchant moral insights, desperate appeals, and self-deluding simplicities.” The letter to Hitler, he summarizes as “a desperate, naive mix of humility and ego” and as one of a series of “futile, well-intentioned missives.” We can certainly detect the influence of Saul Bellow’s “Good Intentions Paving Company,” but the trenchant moral insights and the humility are distinctly less conspicuous. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2 011/07/the- real-mahatma-Gandhi/8550/

Seminar on Relevance of Tagore’s Thoughts in the present context: A seminar was held by the IRI on 21st August, 2011 between 2.30 - 5.30 PM on the relevance of Tagore’s ideas. The seminar was organized on the occasion of the “150th birth anniversary of Tagore, celebrations.” Prof. Debjani Sengupta of Indraprastha College, Delhi University spoke on ‘Tagore’s ideas of Nationalism and Secularism against the backdrop of the Swadeshi Andolan in Bengal. Prof. Abdus Samad Gayen, Department of Political Science, Presidency University, Kolkata (West Bengal) spoke on the Social Aspects of Tagore’s Ideas. Details will follow in October 2011 RH —N.D. Pancholi, Secretary, IRI

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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]

The Inner Bourgeois [BOOK: An Attempt To Assassinate My Inner Bourgeois, by Yann Kerninon, translated from the French by Asha Puri, published by Full Circle Publishing, Delhi, 2011, paperback, b/w illustrations, pp 216+8, price Rs 295] and pretty, with a smiling full-length Pink photograph of the author on the inside back cover this book has an attractive look.

It is also— as the outer back cover says —a fascinating read on a fascinating subject.

The original title of the book is D’Assassinat Du Bourgeois Qui Est En Moi, published in 2009.The translation is published by Full Circle in association with the French Embassy in India.

Yann Kerninon teaches at Essec and Centrale Paris, and is an author, artist and film-director as well.

Asha Puri has certainly not assassinated his work.

Her translation fully conveys the zest of the

original.

“This book is a tribute to the Dadaists, who, at the dawn of a ruinous century, had the temerity to celebrate life”.

With this, the book launches into the Prologue which puts across the question: Who is the ‘bourgeois’?

The actual book is in two parts. Part One consists of Theoretical Elements, whereas Part Two consists of certain Jumping Exercises.

The so-called Theoretical Elements part says that the author’s father had an untimely death due to cancer and this cancer was caused by the bourgeois spirit within him. It kept his natural self all bottled up and did not let him live, that is, be himself. What is more, the cancer caused by bourgeois spirit was not particular to himself but common to most people in the present social structure. “My father’s lymphoma did not go away when he died. It lurks hidden, latent and ready to reappear at any moment in me, the others, each one of us….” (p 33) It is symptomatic of the Bourgeois. But how is a Bourgeois defined? In this book, the ‘bourgeois’ has an eight-point definition.

To be Bourgeois is to lack courage, to be afraid of appearing ridiculous, to judge by appearances, to pay lip-service, to revere lofty principles, to be inconsistent, to act in good faith, and finally, to be false. It stands to reason then that the AntiBourgeois must be “the complete antithesis of all the above” and have a “radically Non-Bourgeois attitude.” (p 59-60) However, “Be they socialist, communist, Spartakist, Trotskyite, Marxist-Leninist, Maoist, alter globalist, situationist, punk, surrealist or anything else, the anti-bourgeois always are and always have been dreadfully wide-off the mark.”(p 60) The Anti-Bourgeois seem to be as bad as the Bourgeois. They are as limited or restricted in their ideas and behaviour patterns. What Yann Kerninon suggests is to stop being either Bourgeois or Anti Bourgeois, and be ourselves. “Dismissing the

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bourgeois and the anti-bougeois is a must for anyone who is really seeking to go beyond the bourgeois within himself.” (p 70) We must try to be Non Bourgeois. We must go out and breathe fresh air, find free space. Only then can we “prevent bourgeois cancer.” (pp 73-74) Part Two suggests positive ways of being Non Bourgeois. “Dada believes in nothing, not out of lack of conviction and cowardice, but out of conviction and courage…face life without any chattering or theory….No more dead speeches, no more dead morality, no more dead principles passed off as life!” (p 93) People may be critical of Dadaism. But they cannot deny that it had the courage of saying a colossal “no” to bourgeois society as a whole when it had to be said. (p 106) What Yann Kerninon exhorts people to do is to emulate Dadaists in daring to be different and to open up to all that life has to offer. He uses the term ‘microbial’ to describe this process of killing the bourgeois within. (pp 203-4) He makes it clear that there is no political agenda in this, but acting so as to liberate ourselves and end bourgeoism is to “seize power without ever saying it” and “change the world radically.” (p 204) “This will be the real revolution, my friends, the real silencing of the inner bourgeois! But shush!

Real revolutions are silent…” (p 205) The ultimate ‘jumping exercise’ he suggests is for us to shed the fear of being laughed at, and do

something non bourgeois which we afraid of doing because it would make us look ridiculous, and then follow it up by doing something which we were afraid of doing because it would make us look bourgeois. (p 206) In the Epilogue, Yann Kerninon writes that the time has come for “a new class” to form, that of the Non Bourgeois. It is “silent, informal microbial and smiling”, and free of “the bourgeois cancer” that Kerninon’s father had developed. (pp 210-11) The Non Bourgeois is “a new man” trying to build “heaven on earth” silently and clumsily, looking amazing and absurd, running and then taking off.

(214) The Bibliography mentions a handful of books on the Dada movement. But it links them together instead of simply listing them. There is a short Index, and an additional (blank and lined) page for the reader’s own observations and queries.

Altogether, it is a remarkable book in content and presentation. The original French did need an English translation to reach a global readership, and that is the need Asha Puri has fulfilled.

For, Liberalization and Globalization are aspects of the development of Non Bourgeoism. The true Non Bourgeois is a truly liberated personality who is in tune with himself as well as the whole world. Here this translation of Kerninon will be of great utility.

It will help transcend barriers both of language and bourgeoism.

Take a ‘jumping exercise’ – read this book.

Letter to the Editor: Mr. Karanth has passed away.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen at the Editorial and Subscription Office of the Radical Humanist, One of your life members Mr. Karanth has passed away. I am his grandson, and when I visited my grandfather's old place in Mumbai, I found the last issue of the Radical Humanist. The residents who now live in the apartment handed me this issue, along with my accumulated mail. (I live abroad, and do not get my mail regularly.) —Thank you.

Dileep Karanth (Dileepkaranth@hotmail.com) Note: The Radical Humanists, deeply condole Mr. Karanth’s passing away and convey their heartfelt sympathies to Mr. Dileep Karanth and all his family members.We sincerely hope that Mr. Dileep Karanth will keep in touch with us and our movement at least through the RH website: theradicalhumanist.com

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Humanist News Section: I First Academic Journal Dedicated to Secular Studies to be Launched International Publication will be titled “Secularism and Nonreligion” HARTFORD, CT, July 25, 2011 – The world’s first journal dedicated to the exploration of secularism and nonreligion will begin publication in January 2012. The new journal is a partnership of the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and the Non-religion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN), an international and interdisciplinary network of researchers founded in 2008.

The journal will be co-edited by Ryan T. Cragun, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa, and Barry A. Kosmin, Research Professor of Public Policy & Law and director of the ISSSC at Trinity College. Lois Lee of NSRN and the University of Cambridge, England will be Associate Editor.

The scope of the international academic journal, to be called Secularism and Nonreligion, will be interdisciplinary. Its aim is to advance research regarding all of the various aspects of “the secular” across societies and cultures.

Articles, written in English, will be accepted from experts in the social science disciplines of psychology, sociology, political science, women’s studies, economics, geography, demography, anthropology, public health, public policy, law and religious studies. However, contributions also will be considered from researchers in the fields of history, neuroscience, computer science, biology, philosophy and medicine.

Articles published in the new journal will focus on the secular at one of three levels: the micro or individual level, the meso or institutional level, or the macro or national and international level.

Submissions should explore all aspects of what it means to be secular at any of the above-cited levels,

what the lives of nonreligious individuals are like, and the interaction between secularity, nonreligion and other aspects of the world. Articles will explore the ideology and philosophy of the secular, secularism, nonreligion and atheism.

Although Secularism and Nonreligion will adhere to a traditional blind, peer-review referee process, it will be an open-access journal, meaning all articles will be freely available and able to be downloaded on the journal’s Web site: www.secularismandnonreligion.org The editors are now accepting submissions of academic articles and book reviews, with the first volume of the journal to be published in 2012.

Additional information about how to submit papers and publication procedures can be found on the Web site.

Members of the journal’s international editorial board include Kada Akacem at the University of Algiers in Algeria; Andrew Singleton at Monash University in Australia; Nathalie Caron at the Universite de Paris-Est Creteil in France; Stacey Gutkowski at the King’s College, London in the UK; Stephen Bullivant at St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham in the UK; David Voas at the University of Manchester in the UK; Will Gervais at the University of British Columbia in Canada; and Guy Ben-Porat at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

The editorial board members from the United States are John Alcorn at Trinity College; Daniel Blackburn at Trinity College; Deborah Cragun at the University of South Florida; Joseph Hugh Hammer at Iowa State University; Karen Hwang Center for Atheist Research; Ariela Keysar at Trinity College; Juhem Navarro-Rivera at the University of Connecticut; Terry Parssinen at the University of Tampa; Frank Pasquale at the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture; Darren Sherkat at Southern Illinois University; Donald Westbrook at Claremont Graduate University; David Wulff at Wheaton College; and Phil Zuckerman at Pitzer College.

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For more information, contact Barry Kosmin at: barry.kosmin@trincoll.edu, or Ryan Cragun at: ryantcragun@gmail.com Also contact: MicheleJacklin, 860-297-4285, Michele.Jaclin@trincoll.edu —News sent by Innaiah Narisetti II Convention of Unorganized workers held.

Gujarat Govt. receives labour cess of Rs.250 crores out of which only few crores are spent for welfare of the workers.

Social Security Board has not been constituted.

A Convention of ‘Gujarat Unorganized Workers’’ th was held here at Gujarat Vidyapeeth on 30 July.

This convention was addressed by the labour leaders from Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, besides from Gujarat. Organizers of this Convention, Gautam Thaker of PUCL and Vipul Pandya, General Secretary of Construction Workers’ Union informed that Gujarat Govt. receives labour cess amount from the factory owners and industries to be used for the welfare of the labourers and workers. This amount of Rs. 250 crores is received during a year. Out of this, Gujarat Govt. has been spending only few crores. They stated that as per recommendations of the Supreme Court announced in January 2010, every State has to constitute Social Security Board for welfare of the workers. Gujarat Govt. has not constituted such a Board. In this convention, Gitaben Ramkrishnan of Tamil Nadu, as a co-convenor of National Steering Committee for unorganized workers, Miraiben Chatterjee of SEWA, Jayantilal Panchal of Hind Majdoor Panchayat, Advocate Girish Patel etc. had made representations.

2 Shri Girish Patel informed that in Gujarat, Minimum Wages are not being paid to the unorganized workers. Maternity Mortality Rate in

39

Gujarat including the women workers is higher in comparison to that of Maharashtra, Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Labour Department Officer of Gujarat, Shri Vivek Bhatt, Asst. Commissioner of Rural Labour Department who attended this convention gave detailed information about Gujarat Government’s schemes formulated for the unorganized workers.

He stated that although Social Security Board has not been constituted in Gujarat, preparations are on for constituting this Board. Preparations are also on for issuing smart cards to the unorganized workers.

It was informed in this convention that the number of unorganized workers in India is of the order of 42 crores. In Gujarat, there are 2 crores 7 lacs. These unorganized workers are engaged in construction, diamond cutting and polishing, chemicals, power looms, ship breaking industry, agriculture etc. sectors. Especially labourers working in Kutch region are unorganized. These unorganized workers are not given the rights such as Minimum Wages, Health Safety, and Identity Cards etc.

There is not enough strength of officers, employees, factory inspectors required for implementation of labour laws in Gujarat.

Therefore, these unorganized workers do not get their benefits and rights. During discussions in the convention it was proposed that: A memorandum will be given to Govt. of Gujarat on following points.

1.After reaching an agreement on the minimum social security cover, this cover or scope may be extended to include all the workers of the unorganized sectors. In this, health insurance, pension, life and accident insurance, maternity benefits provided under the law may be included.

The coverage or reach of the present social scheme for workers of the unorganized sectors may be studied and appropriate changes therein may be suggested. Common features among the various similar schemes may also be studied.

2. Registration of workers may be immediately taken up on hand and all workers be issued portable

THE RADICAL HUMANIST

SEPTEMBER 2011

smart cards like those issued under the Rural Swashthya Bima Yojana.

3. Social Security Board may be constituted in Gujarat.

4. Discussions should be held about employment status and prospects of new forms of bonded labour, forced labour systems and migrant labourers presently prevailing in Gujarat.

5. Discussions and deliberations should be held with unions on the aspects of provisions and

implementation of “The Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Law, 2008” Gujarat.

6. Review about the steps taken for the welfare of unorganized sector workers in the State should be taken up.

7. Appointments of required No. of officers, employees and Factory Inspectors should be made to ensure implementation of labour laws in Gujarat.

—News sent by Gautam Thaker, (General Secretary), PUCL, Gujarat

Indian Renaissance Institute (IRI) Elections held on 21st August 2011 - Newly Elected Board Of Trustees Office Bearers:1. Mr. B.D. Sharma - President 2. Mr N.D. Pancholi- Secretary 3. Mr. Narottam Vyas Treasurer Elected Trustees: 1. Mr. Narottam Vyas 2. Mr. Ajit Bhattacharya 3. Mr. Manoj Data 4. Mr. Niranjan Haldar 5. Mr. N. Innaiah 6. Mr. Ancha Bappa Arao 7. Mr. Bhaskar Sur Co-Opted Trustees: 1. Mr. Suresh Chand Jain 2. Mr. Vikramjeet Sikand Life Trustees: 1. Mr. B.D. Sharma 2. Mr N.D. Pancholi 3.Mr. Shubhankar Ray 4. Mr. Jayanti Patel 5.

Dr. Rm Pal 6. Mr Gautam Thakar 7. Mr. Vinod Jain 8. Dr. Rekha Saraswat (Details of the Meeting will follow in the next issue of October 2011 RH)

Letter to the Editor:

23rd August, 2011 Subject: Appreciation of the Work :

Dear Dr. Rekhaben, This has reference to my telephonic talk I had with you this morning where in I heartily appreciated your handling the editorial work of The Radical Humanist. You have changed the body and soul of this esteem magazine which I read regularly since last 25 years so, more I think of it, more I get in involved in the verities of subject you publish.

By the way, as I mentioned on phone, since last few years after world became flat from round, Globalization is a way of life now and under these changed circumstances, the word ‘Radical’ should be changed to ‘Rational’ making “The Rational Humanist” as it sounds so positive and with time. Today everything is measured in rationality and so on. Then why not our name? Founder M.N. Roy and present Royists are the final thinkers on the subject.

This is just a humanist’s gesture to suggest something with global era. Kindly do the needful. Kindly let me know what I can do for R.H., either at central or state level? With personal regards, Visubhai Patel, Chairman, Simalin Chemical Industries Pvt. Ltd., 409, Premier Chambers, RC Dutt Road, Baroda - 390 005. Gujarat, India. Mob.:+91-0265-2344226, Phone:+91-0265-2398097 visubhai@simalin.com

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THE RADICAL HUMANIST

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