[Reader-list] Dilip D'Souza, first posting

[Aditi thorat]

I don't agree with you at all Zainab on this. I think your understanding and
definition of humanity is extremely narrow and I would argue, incorrect, in
this context. The dictionary definition of humanity (and I quote from the
Websters dictionary)

1. the quality or state of being humane<http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/humane>
*2 a* *:* the quality or state of being
human<http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/human>
*b* *plural* *:* human <http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/human> attributes or
qualities <his work has the ripeness of the 18th century, and its rough *
humanities* -- Pamela H. Johnson>
*3* *plural* *:* the branches of learning (as philosophy, arts, or
languages) that investigate human
<http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/human>constructs and concerns as
opposed to natural processes (as in physics or
chemistry) and social relations (as in anthropology or economics)

Being human or humane (even if you include both these in the context of
Dilip's work) is neither romantic or teary-eyed. After all humanism, even
though there are several critiques of it now which I agree with you, was one
of the tenets of Renaissance Europe as also modern western civilization.
Here, humanism refers to not merely the shift to a more secular world
vision, but also the inclusion of modern science/scientific methods,
technology, ancient wisdom (in the form of Greek and Latin texts), but above
of all of accessibility -
which is why a number of these texts were translated into the local
languages in several parts of Europe.

Even if you understand Dilip's definition of humanity as the focus on being
humane, I would argue this is not romantic. In fact if you read his proposed
research carefully,  you will see that he wishes to juxtapose these against
the values of secularism, liberalization etc.

I have a huge issue with this kind of value judgement, without understanding
the social, historical or political context of someon'e work.

In fact, if you come to the matter of subjectivity, I think you will find a
lot of material on anthropological research that talks of the involvement of
the researcher with his subject and this is definitely not teary -eyed. I
suspect that subjectivity is very much present in your work.



On 1/21/06, zainab at xtdnet.nl <zainab at xtdnet.nl> wrote:
>
> Dear Dilip,
>
> I cursorily ran through your idea of the fellowship project. Just a quick
> comment. I am not exactly sure at this point where you will be getting
> to/at through the process and period of six months, but an important
> things to think through is not just the humanity aspect of the city, but
> aspects of local relationships, systems and practices which are being
> transformed in the making of the global city - what are these local
> relationships? why are they important that is if they are at all? what
> happens in the making of the global city?
>
> Focussing exclusively on the humanity aspect makes things very
> mushy-mushy, romantic and teary eyed which is something that I consciously
> avoid in my methodology and processes of research.
>
> Cheers,
> Zainab
>
>
>
> > Jan 20 2006
> >
> > Good day to all! My name is Dilip D'Souza. I'm a once-computer
> > scientist, now-writer, in Bombay. I'm honoured and delighted to be
> > part of this eclectic group of people, humbled by the range of things
> > all of you are attempting. I'm appending below a summary of what I
> > want to do with this fellowship. Any comments/help/critiques welcome.
> >
> > cheers,
> > dilip d'souza.
> >
> > Death Ends Fun: http://dcubed.blogspot.com
> > ---
> >
> > Village in the City: Bombay in microcosm
> >
> > Bombay, the big city, and everywhere else seems rustic. That's the way
> > I invariably feel whenever I return home to Bombay after a trip
> > somewhere in the country. And yet the oldest truth about Bombay is
> > that it, too, was once a collection of villages. What's more, there
> > are ways in which the big city has not lost that character. Or let's
> > say this: in this big city, you can still find traces of that
> > character.
> >
> > There are parts of Bombay that are still essentially villages. In my
> > suburb of Bandra alone, lanes narrow to warrens, houses look over low
> > walls into each other, you can even see ducks being raised. Ranwar,
> > Chimbai, Sherly, Pali Malla, these are the old villages of the Queen
> > of Bombay's suburbs. And there is also Khotachiwadi in Girgaum, still
> > held up as a model of urban living; also parts of Agripada, CP Tank,
> > Kalbadevi and more.
> >
> > Yet there's another theme I'm trying to get at here. This lies in the
> > way people deal with each other in these neighbourhoods, the humanity
> > that large cities make us pessimistic about finding.
> >
> > For example, in CP Tank I once saw first- and higher-floor residents
> > lowering baskets on ropes to the pavement, to buy vegetables from
> > cooperative vendors. Seems to me a small indicator of a different
> > time, a different place, a different pace. More and more city
> > residents go to large  supermarkets for their supplies, or pick up the
> > phone and get their vegetables delivered in minutes. Yet in Bombay's
> > congested heartland, some housewives use baskets on ropes.
> >
> > Bits of humanity intrigue and appeal to me, not least because I fear
> > they are vanishing as even these little spaces in the city get torn
> > down and built over. So my plan is simple: go hunting for them and
> > tell those stories. I want to document not just the physical reality
> > of these villages in Bombay, but the little signs in them that speak
> > of a possibly disappearing, or at least forgotten, humanity. My
> > interest is also in the larger lessons: what do these daily
> > interactions say about life in a city? Or about the great conundrums
> > of modern India: secularism, liberalization, poverty?
> >
> > I want to emphasize that I don't see this project as a paean to the
> > past, nor as a mournful ode to a nearly-vanished history. I'm
> > interested in making the case that life in a city is an experience
> > made of these small interstices. That these may have been villages,
> > but they are the foundation of great metropolises. Very simply, I
> > would like my essays to get my readers thinking about the people who
> > make up a city. Not the buildings or parks or flyovers, but the
> > people.
> > _________________________________________
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>
>
> Zainab Bawa
> Bombay
> www.xanga.com/CityBytes
> http://crimsonfeet.recut.org/rubrique53.html
>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
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--
Aditi Thorat
Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister
Government of Rajasthan
0141-5116629 (Tele/Fax)
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