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

[Navayana Publishing]

Dear All

Am coming a bit late into this.

Jebeesh had raised two issues: libraries and their poor state and way
garbage bins are designed so badly. I was wondering how and why this
discussion list took up the library question more eagerly and has nothing to
say on the question of garbage and the way we dispose it. This perhaps owes
to the fact that millions of unnamed/ unknown dalits out there who do the
job of garbage disposal without any recourse to decent gear or equipment. I
had written exentesively on this in Tehelka
series<http://www.tehelka.com/story_main36.asp?filename=Ne081207LIFE_INSIDE.asp>nearly
two years ago. Our garbage bins/ disposal sites are ill-designed
because the designers look down on any labour that involves dirtying one's
hands; and there are anyway faceless dalits to do the job. There's no
concept of social design in India. Which probably explains why have such
shoddy urban planning as such.

 While some Rs 50,000 crores is being spent on the Metro in Delhi, the network
of 5,600 km of sewers with about 1.5 lakh manholes, managed by the DJB is
pathetically designed. It needs to be yanked out, redesigned and relaid. But
no one thinks it necessary to do so. There are no pressure groups for that.
DJB will tell you it is impossible to do so. Why?

Anand
www.navayana.org


On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 5:32 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> 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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