Chengara Land Struggle Story

Is this an unfortunate, grievous repetition - an aberration by the country's Left? or are the so called People's parties now setting up a new fad of prostituting ideologies, philosophies, changing sides from representing the injured, down trodden, to sucking up those injuring? selling rights of the weak majority for the favor from the privileged few? Again the CPI(M) govt. , in Kerela this time, is choosing a clash course with tribals in Chengera by reversing promises made for land.....however, I got this story at Mutiny which carries it in fuller detail here- and then following up other video documentaries links in Youtube.

Individual, Social Growth

It appears that organization of societies fall in two broad categories. One, the actions of individuals are governed, primarily, by the well being of all, or the larger common good. In the other, individual actions focus towards the betterment of self, and expressions of individual freedom. The former category broadly describes a classic oriental model, where historically, civilizations and societies of east, flourished without particular individual influences -where social movements forward in arts and sciences were a progression of social evolution under benign monarchies during times of peace. Thus, some of the outstanding examples in early Indian arts and architecture are symphonies of orchestrated effort, where individual artistry although recognisable, is subsidiary to the movement of the piece as a whole.

Diametrically opposed to this was the occidental model. In Renaissance- an individual was born, created , shone brilliantly, and by his light, illuminated a great social movement forward in arts, sciences, literary and philosophical thought. Great masters lived, ruled, swayed entire societies, becoming heroes, inspirations to generations yet waiting to be born. These masters too were nurtured by discerning patrons who supported their lifestyles and liberties required to evolve as artists.

Within the current homogenised and globalised world, market trends govern growth-individual or social; more accurately, certain aspects of profitable, profiteering growth. Are these pertinent to either individual or social movement forward? in terms of basic rights to life, liberty, pursuits of happiness? for all?

Some cud for me to chew on....

The Other Indian Side

Check out two reports at

http://www.indiatogether.org/2008/jul/psa-finebal.htm
http://www.indiatogether.org/2008/jul/psa-mumbai.htm

Trading Science

Last night, a senior scientist was overheard advising a junior colleague "Don't sell yourself short", in a discussion on scientific exchanges, research funding, and generally you-scratch-my-back and I'll-scratch-yours. I lost the rest of the conversation, since I was struck that neither paused on the part "don't sell yourself"-it was "selling short" that was the issue. The message was clear, SELL- but not for less. Optimize profits, evaluate personal gains, learn the ropes, climb the ladder. We are a nation of the free now, free to choose our bidders with care, scout the market, hunt.

Most scientific research, at least in academic institutions, here and abroad, is based largely on finding funding- funding for equipment, facilities, conferences, travel, student support and sundry - this is just how the game is played. In a climate of application based research, industrial alliances, scientific research is dictated by need, the need of the providers-so, the goal is to become a part of a market driven, fashionable funded, operation. Market is driven by profits, usually profits for those that have enough funding to invest in future prospects of further profits with research projects, proposals, swaying and setting trends in entire communities of scientists, thinkers. Higher thought is now guided by who is paying our elite to think, not about relevance of this thought for the benefit of society as a whole, or even driven by a curiosity to know more. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not propounding that all work have social relevance, or even higher moralistic goals-in fact, I firmly believe that there is space for diversity, of people, desires, and dreams. However, diversity is no longer the call of the day-markets choose mono-trends, drive mono-dreams, sold enmass in media through identical advertisements in all the multitudes of television channels. And it is this consumerism driven happiness-dream that drives most searches for funding - supplementing salary, affording happiness luxuries, traveling abroad - a sign of status symbol.

And then, when times are good, like now, the researchers run out enough man power, people, students, to assist with larger scale output, fuelled by a need/greed for more and more funding. This then sets off an entire other chain reaction, of how to attract more students, publish more papers, have more office/lab space...again a repetition of the more, more, more mantra by our most elite.

But what does all this really achieve, for us as a people? Will there be less bomb blasts, fewer communal riots, cleaner water to drink, fresher air to breathe, further dissemination of the scientific thought and process to strata lower down, a trickling down of our profits to those who are also part of us, our 'democracy'? Who will think, when all thought is already sold-and not short?

Economics of Education

It is a prevalent belief in certain circles, that education is a panacea for all social evils...I belonged to that club. The belief is founded on a myth, that education gives you a choice, a determination of livelihood, if not of life itself. Granted, if education gives you awareness, ability to think, assess, critically analyse, have an opinion...then those are all steps in the right direction. But, one usually takes a more particular stance of education removing global hunger, poverty, environmental crises, class disparities. Somehow, even within the educated class, providing education to the poor, is seen as a solution, that by providing economic security, resolves all other individual and social manifestation of poverty.

I have recently been thinking...questioning the premise...if all 6 billion of us were educated, capable of making a choice, would there still be choice?Would the world turn into a Lenon-ish Imagine-able utopia? or would the 'choice' still remain select, finite, now drawing from a much larger pool of wannabe capables? would not the global, market driven systems, then quickly short change the now redundant educated masses, for a rarer species of say, garbage collectors?

Probing, further, into shakier economic grounds, it appears that education cannot create wealth. Education leads (most frequently) to white collar jobs and allows flourishing of service sectors that help redistribute wealth. But can the entire global population become service providers-to the top percent of the truly wealthy, individuals, corporations, governments -the ones with wealth and capacity/power to generate wealth? What creates wealth? or more pertinently, who creates wealth? And can this wealth be created without the support (willing or abused) of global people, global resources. Is wealth, not just commodity - necessary or desirable?monetary currency just a facilitator of the earliest barter system for exchanges of goods? Then, how can education, generate wealth, prosperity, and ultimately peace? Are we chasing a pipe dream - or deliberately keeping our eyes closed, that we can dream a dream, not fully black?

Or...I am thinking completely wrong about this, and someone will tell me how- to let me dream a dream.

Grass Roots Impotence

Yesterday, CONCERN- a student organisation of IISc. campus, screened two highly disturbing documentaries related to globalisation, and development focusing on the "other side" of the great progress in free India - the victims who pay the cost.

"Development Flows from the Barrel of a Gun" documented the demonic, vengeful operations by our police force to suppress any local resistance to large development projects ranging from big dams and mining, to world bank supported forestry projects in the tribal areas within the country. With organised and ruthless use of state sanctioned power, the police in each instance resorted to the use of force and firearms to silence protesters, imprisoning many and causing several fatalities.

On a more optimistic note "The Bitter Drink" documented the people's protest in Plachimada against the Coca Cola plant that caused drastic scarcity of potable water in the area, and the subsequent closing down of the unit.

In the active discussion that followed the screening, the foremost concern that stood out was, " I care, but what can I do....???" There was amongst the younger generation, empathy for the plight of the victims in these struggles, but also a great feeling of helplessness, impotence about an individual's role in our so called democracy where the political will, social drive, corruption, ineffective judicial system all conspired to silence the voices of those most adversely affected by India's rush towards development.

So what can one do? What can I do? Can a country really be called free, democratic, when its progress is geared towards blind consumerism, for the already consuming- more malls, more cars, more roads, more airports, more , more, more....when the elitist institutes like IISc. parrot the popular middle class mantra of 'more'- more fundings, more buildings, and aspire only for higher international standards, better international facilities, agressive international competitiveness...when we fail to include , locally, socially, ethically, individual, personal, environmental, and national needs-and are proud at our own 'exclusiveness' what message are we sending out to the younger generation? Is it a message of any value, to all of us? of equity and equality? when did we stop pondering about all of this? who else will think about this, can think about this? except the well fed , free thinkers of our sabotaged society? You!

Crappy Energy

Its been about a decade since I took a serious interest in biogas as a viable alternative, for cheap and local energy source, to meet the urgent and growing energy needs of a developing nation like India. The idea was appealing - to convert waste organic matter into energy and digested slurry- a good fertiliser for reuse in agriculture based systems. At that time, most attention was directed towards turning farm and food waste to producing biogas for cooking and heating purposes. I had encountered only one bio-digester in Bangalore, set up specially to treat human waste for a slum district within the city. This had been done using financial and technological support of a European nation in alliance with a local NGO. While the system was operational, I felt that the set up cost, and the corresponding energy generated, did not tally up to an attractive enough prototype for further duplication or benefit.

Recently, a friend's appeal re-ignited that interest and I spent this morning searching the net for current status of biogas digesters - technological advances, and operational costs. A google search showed up the usual meta-zillion entries including sufficient numbers of commercial providers of bio-digesters for community to family size usages. Further more, human crap definitely featured as a usable source for energy generation with claims that waste from a family of four could sustain their cooking and lighting needs via biogas generation. Of particular interest for India, was the entry of Sintex Industries into the alternative energy market, with ready-to-use bio-digesters. While the affordibility of such units is still an issue for majority of Indian householders, long term energy, economic, and health benefits, far off-set the initial financial costs, making biogas a desirable option for residential communities, health care units, educational facilities. Further details on the subject can be read here.

Biased Towards a Conscience

About a year back, I was telling my kids a story about 'living by one's conscience', and realised that neither had come across the word 'conscience'. They were twelve and fourteen at that time. I was surprised and more than a bit upset that as a mother I had failed to introduce this important concept to them. It also occured to me, then, that this word was neither introduced, nor nurtured in education systems designed to produce future generations of upwardly mobile, western imitating Indian middle class consumers - 'conscience' was probably outdated, and mostly non-relevant in the present age.

I was reminded of this incidence recently when I came across a vehemently pro-environmental argument by a youngster who worked as a financial advisor to a MNC of questionable integrity; he also stated one of his favourite hobby as playing at the stock market. It was laudable that the person spoke up for saving the natural spaces, forests, rivers, but, did he realise that his environmental interests were probably in conflict with his professional life and hobbies that were so closely tied to developing global markets, finances. It then occured to me that professional choices are seldom governed by enquiry or thoughts of right versus wrong, consistency with personal values, whether this choice impinges on other freedoms- for species to exist, equitable rights to resources, common natural heritage, questions of better livelihood, and further development? The question to ask, "If I gain, who loses?" is rarely pondered. Final choices are made based primarily on financial considerations, and future prospects by the fastest accrument of wealth.

So, have we as parents, and a society failed in someway-not provided a map, a compass, to judge ourselves and our lives by? Are the glittering towers of USA, fancy possessions, heavy real estate become our sole aspirations, a scale on which we measure our self worth? our worth within a peer group? To answer these questions-one needs to step back and ask "what is conscience?", "is conscience necessary?" and only then "why have we failed?"

Conscience, I was taught at an early age, is that little voice, your friend, who tells you right from wrong, good from bad. As a young child, this mysterious, unseen friend, was real-as real as parents' love, home security. When in doubt, I tried to listen to my friend-did not always succeed, since worldly temptations were on the rise even then-but this friend prevented several wrong doings, that would necessarily have changed the course of my life. Now I realise that 'conscience' is a social construct, a conditioning, a facilitator of decision making keeping a social perspective invisibly present. This voice was no doubt introduced and nourished both at home and school, and also the environment I grew up in.

When I was in school, we had a class every week called "moral science"-it consisted of short stories of real people-and via this clearly separated righteousness, from wrong, true from false, conflicts of personal freedom, versus social responsibility-it moralised by real examples, by separating true heroes, acts of courage. I remember both the scoff of the more worldly in the class, but also the deep impression these stories made on me. The present younger generation would no doubt call such classes or stories "lame" but how else does one teach the young to both be socially participative, responsible? Isn't that a necessary condition for the existence of a peaceful, prosperous society-to realise that one is also a strand in a social web? Even if 'conscience' is just a social construct, laying down rules for operation and growth of both individual and group, can purely individual gains suffice in an atmosphere of social strife and conflict? Isn't the larger common good, also good at a personal level-a freedom from fears, insecurities that the 'haves' suffer in societies with severe disparities of wealth and opportunities. While our individual citizens compete to hold global titles of the wealthiest, our society boasts of largest debt-deaths by farmers, shameful infant-mortality, rampant dowry-deaths; lack of drinking water is our bane, sanitation not even a priority, education a means to export children out for dollars-the choice of our enlightened.

We do not have a pause to consider, make a conscious choice-when choosing a bride, a car, a school-market chooses our career, advertisements our lifestyles. Instead of looking outward, all the time, for happiness - imitating fake pictures advertising happiness as wealth, accumulation, power, isn't it time to look closer home, at the world we have made, are a part of, all the way inwards to our heart, to our little voice, our friend?

A Wealthy Man

There is a story that my husband likes to relate. It goes something like this.A CEO of giant MNC is scheduled to visit the chief of a small tropical island, known to contain some rare mineral deposits. Accordingly, the CEO flies to the nearest airport is his private jet, races to the island in his speedboat, to find no delegation to welcome him at the appointed hour. Irritated, he asks for the chief to the villagers loitering around and is pointed to a path. The path meanders through thickets, bushes, jungles with colorful flowers, clamoring birds, monkeys to finally end up at a beautiful lagoon- picture of a perfect tropical paradise. Here he spots the chief dozing on a hammock. Completely flustered at this nonchalant reception, he approaches the chief, introduces himself and presents his proposal to mine the mineral reserves with lucrative rewards for the chief and his villagers. The chief hears him through and then asks lazily why he was interested in the mineral. The CEO patiently explains how this would help promote the interests of his company and benefit the shareholders. "Then what?" asks the chief. The CEO lays out his grand plans to expand such operations to other areas, islands."Then what?"again asks the chief. The CEO replies that with such expansion, his company would be the biggest in the world. "Then what?" asks the chief again. Well, then the CEO replies that he would retire a happy man, and settle down in a tropical island to enjoy the rest of his life. At this the chief smiles and says "You can do that now".

It is a myth of our times that if we accumulate enough wealth we'll be able to be happy-both, capable of happiness and also deserving of it. I have met many very wealthy people none who consider that they might have enough to give themselves a chance to happiness. In fact it appears that ones perception of wealth is anti-correlated to the amount of one's wealth. The only three self proclaimed wealthy people I know are on the university campus where I live- with earnings that are considered modest by the current Indian urban standards.

At a completely different level are the farmers in the rural belt outside Bangalore. It appears that the comings and goings of wealth through their life has little or no bearing on how their days are lived. Thus, Anna (or 'older brother'), my neighboring farmer, smiles and raises his eyes heavenwards, both when his crops have fetched him a healthy market price or when the market has crashed, rending all the months of his hard work a waste. He, unknowingly, has become my mentor, my guide. He lives his karma uninfluenced by its outcome- the ultimate lesson in Bhagavad Gita. May I be blessed with his grace; may the world be similarly blessed.

Advertising Grief

I belong to a human rights' group in India, that posts me regularly of violations to human life, freedom, voice. Often these mails are accompanied with a "please respond" request on the subject line-a shaming, but necessary request. With all the mails filling up our Inboxes, we are liable to ignore, or read and ignore. The request creates a pause, attention to possible action, or atleast an urgent need to reaction.

On the other hand, the large colorful advertisements of consumer products, on our radios, computers, TVs, billboards, newspapers, magazines, T-shirts walking by, buses, pamphlets handed to us, stuck in our post boxes-often warrant more attention; especially if they carry key words like "Sale", "Prices Slashed","50% off". Then we queue up, to take advantage of these special offers,to save money, to spend money and to make more money.

What is it about accumulating "stuff" that draws us more than lost lives, wrongful deaths, suppressed childhoods, violated women, the right of all to be free, equal. How should we advertise grief thats all around? on colorful bill boards? with a buy one, get one free? Or does our consumerism not extend to accepting responsibilty for the ones that bear burdens of our bought happiness?

A Decade of Decadence

Its been a decade since I made a honest living-or, for that matter, any living at all. I have been supported by my partner - in all respects, financially and otherwise-through adventures, mis-adventures, enterprise, endeavor, strife, frustrations and falls. Very soon into this 'retirment' I resolved not to 'earn' a living and thereby earn back a life - and the possibility of the 'unknown'.

Now, a decade later, I understand that the unexpected can only happen if allowed to happen, that the uncharted course is immensely fulfilling, and no goals is a reasonable choice for a life goal. The course is meandering, slowed and savouring-the choices more free, and momentuous, and the results more often surprising. I have learnt that this suits me - I like surprises.

Yet, a part of me still sometimes ponders - am I living off society? Definitely, even if I were earning, because I sit at the upper edge of a social pyramid where the contributions of the countless less financially abled to poor, sustain my lifestyle, my freedoms of choice, my consumption of more than my fair share of natural resources. My making a living has nothing to do with how I whittle away at all dwindling resources. I would probably "consume" much more had I earned a livelihood. So I swing wildly between attempts to practice a no-currency economy with ragi and saru, on my farm, to indulging in urban decadence, with gin-and-tonic and Japanese movies, in the city.

So while no-goal is still the goal, a desire to tread in balance remains-is that itself a goal? To tread, not just in balance, but to also tread lightly, carefully,
and consciously of my great priviledge - freedom to chart my own course.