[Reader-list] Statement of Criticism on Jaipur Literature Festival 2012

[Prakash K Ray]

This year too as in 2011, the organizers and participants of Jaipur
Literature Festival have revealed their deplorable callousness towards
collapsing ecosystem, rampant human rights violations and corrupt practices
of many of its sponsors. The festival is being organized at Diggi Palace,
Jaipur during 20th - 24th January 2012. Last year, when a statement of
concern was released, Festival Directors had claimed that “No one's brought
this to our notice yet. If someone does we shall certainly examine the
issue.” In 2012, they cannot say so.


One of Festival’s sponsors, Bank of America has announced that “it would no
longer service requests to transfer funds to WikiLeaks, stating that "Bank
of America joins in the actions previously announced by MasterCard, PayPal,
Visa Europe and others and will not process transactions of any type that
we have reason to believe are intended for WikiLeaks” in December 2010. Is
it a coincidence that Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries Limited is on
the Board of Directors of the Bank? Do the authors and poets who are
expected to join the festival approve of such behavior? It is sad that
reputed publications who have been appreciative of Wikileaks too have
chosen to be a co-sponsor alongside questionable entities like Bank of
America.



Recalling the UN Declaration on Cultural Diversity that came in to force in
March 2007 isolating global agenda setters like USA and Israel recommends
“such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow
of ideas by word and image”. While ensuring the free flow of ideas by word
and image care should be exercised so that all cultures can express
themselves and make themselves known. Freedom of expression, media
pluralism, multilingualism, equal access to art and to scientific and
technological knowledge, including in digital form, and the possibility for
all cultures to have access to the means of expression and dissemination
are the guarantees of cultural diversity.;


Supporting a New International Information and Communication Order as
envisaged in the UNESCO's MacBride Report of 1980 to counter motivated
information flow amidst diminishing geo-political boundaries and shaping of
the mental landscapes through internet;


Remembering how US Congress that recommended the passage of the US
Information and Educational Exchange Act on January 27, 1948 declared that
"truth can be a powerful weapon". Drawing lessons from the amendments to
the US Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1972 in July 2010 that banned
disseminating within the USA any "information about the United States, its
people, and its policies" prepared for dissemination abroad with the aim to
engage in a global struggle for minds and wills to bolster its “strategic
communications and public diplomacy capacity on all fronts and mediums –
especially online” This reveals that US government’s relationship with the
non US citizens is not healthy;


Questioning literature festival’s sponsorship by the US government
institutions like American Centre that have failed to reveal as to why
there are some 702 military installations of world’s super power throughout
the world in 132 countries along with 8,000 active and operational nuclear
warheads?


Objecting to sponsorship by Coca Cola Company that has dried up groundwater
and local wells that has forced residents to rely on water supplies from
outside their areas and the immorality of the Company’s water-intensive
bottling plants in Plachimada, Kerala and Kala Dera, Rajasthan and some 52
water-intensive bottling plants of the company in India;


Outraged at the festival’s sponsorship by Rio Tinto Group, the world’s
third- largest mining company has been deemed guilty of collusion with
fascist and racist regimes and faces allegations of human, labour and
environmental rights violations around the world and over decades;


Taking note of the fact that DSC Limited, the principal sponsor was awarded
23% higher rates in the matter of scam ridden Commonwealth Games as per the
observation of Central Vigilance Commission;


Observing the ongoing co-option of literary figures by powers of all shades
so that they can facilitate the maintenance of that power by creating a
make belief reality;


Recollecting the complicity of sponsors in promoting status quo which
censors the creative freedom of writers, poets and artists;


We contend that a literature festival supported by unethical and immoral
business enterprises is an exercise aimed at ‘clinical manipulation’
masquerading as a feel good event akin to be an ‘act of hypnosis’.


We express grave concern at the emotional and intellectual depth to fathom
the cognitive ramifications of ‘full spectrum dominance’ ideology on the
present and future generations.


We appeal to the writers, poets and artists intending to attend the 5 day
festival that commences on 20st January, 2012 to condemn corporate crimes,
motivated public opinion engineering and state sponsored acts against
humanity and disassociate from events that are sponsored by dubious sources.

Sd-

Gopal Krishna, Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties, Mb: 9818089660,
Email:krishna1715 at gmail.com

Prakash K Ray, Jawaharlal Nehru University Researchers Association, Mb:
9873313315, E-mail-pkray11 at gmail.com

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