[Reader-list] Happy Sunday :) Library and Garbage bins

Mon May 11 17:32:27 IST 2009

Dear Anupam

Thanks.

Your blessings would have been more than enough since I have no belief invested in any such entity called God (or by whichever other name)

Take care

Kshmendra

--- On Mon, 5/11/09, anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com> wrote:

From: anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Happy Sunday :) Library and Garbage bins
To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Monday, May 11, 2009, 4:19 PM

thanks for clarifying kshmendra. may god bless you. the idea of a
temple-library is unique/

anupam

On 5/11/09, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>   Dear Anupam
>
> I put "strip" within quotes as I was not sure whether
"strip" is the
> appropiate word for that art-form.
>
> It was not meant to be an 'attack' on you or
'contradicting' you
>
> Kshmendra
>
> --- On *Sun, 5/10/09, anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>*
wrote:
>
>
> From: anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Happy Sunday :) Library and Garbage bins
> To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Sunday, May 10, 2009, 8:06 PM
>
> thanks kshmendra but why have u attached quotes to the word strip. i dont
> understand. pray tell.
>
> On 5/10/09, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >   Anupam
> > Delightful 'strip'. Thanks
> >
> > Rakesh
> > Public libraries would serve an excellent purpose. The poor and
homeless
> > could find temporary refuge in them, getting shielded from the cold
and
> > protected from heat.
> >
> > Only problem in that might be along the lines of the news story
"US
> library
> > bans 'offensive bodily odours' from entering!"
>
>http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090415/959/tod-us-library-bans-offensive-bodily-odo.html
> >
> > Wonder how 'library going elite' (for elite they would be in
> comparison)
> > would react to the poor and homeless in the 'public space' of
a
> public
> > library
> >
> > Kshmendra
> >
> >
> >
> > --- On *Sun, 5/10/09, anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>*
> wrote:
> >
> >
> > From: anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Happy Sunday :) Library and Garbage bins
> > To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Date: Sunday, May 10, 2009, 5:13 PM
> >
> > Here's a little library's story.
> > http://www.soundofdrowning.com/lib.html
> >
> > regards anupam
> >
> >
> > On 5/10/09, Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Dear Jeebesh (and all)
> > >
> > > While the heat in this list could have been tackled by means of
more
> > > personal chats and more respect of both sides' views from
the
> other
> > > sides, here I wish to express my views on the first issue you
have
> > > raised.
> > >
> > > Any issue, be it water, roads, health, education, or even a
public
> > > library, can be addressed. However, there are umpteen points
> regarding
> > > as to why it is not an issue. And they are numerous in our
system of
> > > democracy (or as in Gulaal they say, it's just autocracy in
the
> name
> > > of democracy).
> > >
> > > The first issue here is about the way our democratic system
works. It
> > > is a system which is half full and half empty, meaning that it
is 50%
> > > democratic and 50% not, if one were to quote Ramachandra Guha
from
> his
> > > book 'India After Gandhi'. And it certainly is. We do
have a
> > system
> > > which has elections and the transition of power after elections
is
> > > also smooth. However, that's it. Our system begins and ends
with
> > > elections. After that, nobody cares. We never look at things
beyond
> > > elections. Any criticism of a government takes place only with
the
> > > point of view of elections.
> > >
> > > What this means is that only those issues which are important
from
> the
> > > election point of view, would be addressed. But the question
arises,
> > > as to then which issues are important, if they are there at all?
> Here,
> > > our media and the grassroots are totally at crossroads. The
media
> > > feels the PM or the CM at the state level are more important
issues
> > > than say water supply, health or education. On the other hand,
the
> > > candidates realize that is not necessarily the case, and they
> > > concentrate on the kind of developmental works undertaken and
some or
> > > the other sops being given.
> > >
> > > And what are these developmental works actually? The issues of
> > > livelihood. The issues of roti, kapda and makan. And if one may
add
> to
> > > it, in a certain way they are related to bijli, sadak aur paani.
> These
> > > are the issues which are uppermost in the minds of the people.
One
> > > must understand that with the kind of society we are, a caste
and
> > > religion-biased society, where Brahmins wouldn't eat with
Muslims
> or
> > > Dalits, where now even the OBC's live separately from them
and
> where
> > > inter-caste marriages are even now abhorred, at least in rural
areas,
> > > the kind of politicians who would emerge would also concentrate
only
> > > on giving doles to their supporters or caste/religion members as
cash
> > > or some kind of incentive.
> > >
> > > With the competition between people of different castes and
religions
> > > for such govt. doles and rewards like jobs, rather than them
fighting
> > > together for a common cause (long back this happened under
> Gandhi's
> > > movements), and with the kind of society we are (where people
revel
> in
> > > having contacts with the powerful and the rich rather than
following
> > > rules), all want a common minimum level of existence, from where
> > > education is excluded.
> > >
> > > Also, no political party has been imaginative enough to put
health
> and
> > > education as basic issues in their campaigns and trying to
corner the
> > > incumbent governments either during elections or during other
times
> > > through mass based movements. Neither have non-political
> organizations
> > > played a successful role in this part during such times to
ensure
> that
> > > such issues are addressed, which does not mean that they
haven't
> > > tried; it simply means they haven't tried enough or the
results
> are
> > > not enough.
> > >
> > > People in general also have little patience to understand the
> > > complexity of issues. That is why we have experts to understand
them.
> > > But one must remember that things should also be made palatable
to
> the
> > > electorate to back you. In this case, Manmohan Singh is a huge
> > > failure, precisely because he has never contested an election
> himself.
> > > And Advani may have an advantage here mainly because he has won
a Lok
> > > Sabha election before this at least, so he could understand
possibly
> > > how to make an issue and its solution palatable to the public.
(This
> > > is a possibility, not necessarily the actuality).
> > >
> > > The second issue we have forgotten is in our society who is
doing
> > > what. The poor don't have the power to actually undertake
> movements on
> > > their own and fight a battle which can yield results. I
don't
> mean to
> > > say that the poor can't undertake movements. The poor in
many
> states
> > > may have actually done so, but one must remember that in
today's
> > > times, when our politicians are image-conscious, things which
are not
> > > popular are not going to make much headway. Therefore, one must
> > > realize that unless such things are popular or in the mainstream
> > > media, it is very difficult to get the point across.
> > >
> > > Moreover, the poor are more concerned with their livelihoods,
which
> is
> > > the most important issue for them. Things like library are
non-issues
> > > from their point of view.
> > >
> > > The rich on the other hand do have the power, so also the middle
> > > class. The media is also on this side. However, we have tended
to
> > > concentrate more on issues which are not going to help the poor
at
> > > all. Forget that, we have not even concentrated on issues which
can
> > > help the society at large. Even in the voting campaigns, people
are
> > > being encouraged to vote. But the moot point remains this: if
all the
> > > candidates are corrupt, what is the point of voting, even if for
the
> > > least corrupt candidate? After all, corruption be it of Re. 1 or
> lakhs
> > > can and should not be tolerated. If terrorism is not tolerated,
how
> > > come corruption is tolerated?
> > >
> > > Similarly, Hindutva seems also to be an issue going by some
great
> > > Rediff articles and views expressed on them. Malls and removal
of
> > > slums are issues, even though people don't try to understand
at
> all
> > > the situational changes which can take place by having malls at
> > > certain places, or even the problems in slums and how they can
be
> > > corrected without removing them. And of course, we have some
other
> > > nonsense things to talk about.
> > >
> > > Conclusion:
> > >
> > > The library is a public good, and ultimately the library will
benefit
> > > the public. The problem is that the rich don't want to fight
for
> it as
> > > they think it's useless to involve themselves in such fights
> which are
> > > unprofitable (or non-money yielding). The poor don't fight
for it
> as
> > > they have more important issues to look at. The media
doesn't
> take it
> > > up as it's not a 'TRP-giving' news to be looked at,
or it
> is
> > too
> > > serious. And our politicians being image-conscious, believe that
> > > these are not the things which will fetch them votes.
> > >
> > > So the library is a non-starter in our cities.
> > >
> > > And so, we don't have spaces in public to debate with on a
> personal
> > > level by and large.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > >
> > > Rakesh
> > > _________________________________________
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> >
> _________________________________________
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> Critiques & Collaborations
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