Only a radical Ambedkar can give us mukti’

Activist and lead actor of Marathi film 'Court', Vira Sathidar, says unless the Dalit movement is active, discontent among the Dalits will only continue to grow

“I am not an actor, I am an activist,” asserts Nagpur-based Vira Sathidar. The 55-year-old gritty lead actor of the Marathi film 'Court,' India’s official entry to the Oscars, feels he has depicted his own struggle as a Dalit rights activist through the role of Narayan Kamble in the film. He met Omar Rashid in Nagpur on October 14, the 59th anniversary of B.R Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism, to talk about what is ailing the Dalit movement today. Excerpts:

Omar Rashid

What meaning does Ambedkar’s conversion have for you?

It has a personal connect. My parents (who belonged to Ambedkar’s caste, Mahar) got married in June that year. My father didn’t have the money to attend the conversion day, so he mortgaged all the utensils in the house to be able to travel to Nagpur. Babasaheb was the icon who struggled to give human dignity to people enslaved and most deprived. For that, he has a place in our hearts. People today understand the Buddhism he adopted in terms of a religion. But for me, Buddha was not the founder of any religion. He was a scientific philosopher, a guide.

How do you relate to the character of Narayan Kamble?

Until I was cast, I had no idea who the filmmakers were or why they wanted me. I am a street fighter [smiles], not an actor. But in the course of the film, I realised that the on-screen character of Narayan Kamble was being lived out every day in the form of activists like Vira Sathidar. The way he was intimidated and mistreated by the state, I have faced similar torment in my life... When [the] police raided my house twice, they seized many magazines and books, including the Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar and the Communist Party of India’s mouthpiece Yugantar.

Has the fame achieved following Court changed that?

The police and intelligence bureau are always after me. They followed me even during the shooting of the film! In May, Gondia police came to our studio in Mumbai looking for a “Naxalvadi actor.” The crew, including the director and producer, were scared. I was in my make-up van. I knew the police had come for me, but to ease the tension I lied to my crew. I tried to assure them that if the police had come to arrest me, they would have done it from Nagpur. The police wanted to intimidate me and disturb work. And the crew was disturbed; we had to cancel two days of shooting. Their (police) political bosses knew that if the film hit the big screen, I would get emboldened and become taller than an ordinary activist. They would not be able to control me. In a way, I am emboldened. Court has given me strength.

How has the government responded on the Oscar nomination?

After the film’s release and despite winning many awards, policemen came to my house and asked me, ‘Why have we been asked to keep a tab on you?’ I told them, ‘It’s obvious, I fight for common people.’ Not a single member of the State or Central government has come to congratulate me. The Chief Minister [Devendra Fadnavis] is from my city but I have not received a single word or intimation of acknowledgment.

You were a product of the Dalit Panthers. Why is the Dalit movement so shaky today?

When Babasaheb began his movement, the generation of my father and grandfather stood by him. Only a handful of Dalits were educated then. They had no access to education, resources or means of livelihood. If an animal died in the village, Dalits would feed on it for survival. Babasaheb educated and ‘politicalised’ such a generation. But today we talk of the ‘ghar wapsi’ of Dalits. And with Dalits visiting temples and installing Ganpati idols at home, we must realise that we have already completed our ‘ghar wapsi.’ Babasaheb sacrificed a lot for his community. It’s unfortunate that Dalits have betrayed him.

Where are the shortcomings?

You need to go back in history. When the Dalit Panthers was formed in 1972, by people like Namdeo Dhasal and J. Pawar, they presented a manifesto that they would dismantle the present system and bring in a new one. It took inspiration from the Black Panthers movement in the U.S. Today, however, we have no such legacy. The Dalit Andolan has erased its history and ideology. If the Dalit movement needs to stand again, the Dalits must understand the historical trajectory of the Naxal movement, which ran parallel to it. How and why a tiny movement spread to over 200 districts. One reason was that they never compromised on their ideology. There was no Ambedkar born in that movement. But Dalits, regrettably, do not have any role models other than Babasaheb.

You say Dalits can learn a lot from the Naxal movement. Without endorsing the violence, of course.

“ When Babasaheb began his movement, the generation of my father and grandfather stood by him.”

Without endorsing the ways of the ideologies, we can learn a lot from it. Both were honest attempts at change and had committed activists who knew their goals — achievable either through guns or elections. The Dalit movement was spread across India. But look at it today. It’s on the verge of annihilation. What are the reasons for it? Personal limitation of its leaders? Problems in its structure? Or its leadership? Or faults in its ideology? The state offered similar baits to cripple both movements. In a very short time, a lot of Dalit leaders jumped on those little crumbs. The Naxals didn’t even bother and footed their movement on the support of poor tribals. So, one movement sustained despite the resistance of the state, its machinery and armed forces. They have no scope to print material, or meet or propagate their ideology. But the Dalits have full scope, are allowed to hold big sammelans, hold press conferences, take our rallies, or shout slogans on the road. Yet, their movement is missing.

Is that why Dalits are being saffronised today?

They don’t have honesty towards themselves or their society or ideology. Dalits don’t have faith in their ideology and doubt if they can achieve their goals through Ambedkar’s movement. They consider it a failure. Ambedkar never compromised with the State. If ever he stepped back, it was due to compulsions or to buy time for another strategy. Ambedkar always stood against radical Hindutva. In history, he emerged as a friend of Muslims. One reason why Dalits are being saffronised is that even today the jati sytem is prevalent among the Dalits. That is a gift of Hinduism. The Buddhism Dalits adopted has been in the form of a religion, not as an ideology. For them, Buddha is not a progressive icon or Ambedkar a ladaku sainik. He is a god. Saffron forces are trying to eliminate those who stood against Hindutva, and it that fails, co-opt them. And today, the process of saffronisation of Dalits is catching pace. The current system does not solve the problems of the masses but only of a few. The saffron forces are capitalising on that discontent among the Dalit youth. Previously, no Congress or Jan Sangh jeep would dare enter my village even during elections. Now, in my village Dalits are organising RSS ‘path sanchalans’ (customary route march). This is a betrayal of Ambedkar.

Is there a way back?

Time will tell. When Dalits will learn that despite coming into the saffron fold, their status has not changed, discontent will grow. They do not have commitment towards anybody, how can they be committed to saffron forces? But we should not rush and blame it on the Dalit youth. The damage was done long back, when Republican Party of India leaders like R.S. Gawai joined hands with the Shiv Sena. Then Dhasal, Ramdas Athawale and Joginder Kawade followed suit. The Dalit movement needs to be aggressive. There is no other way.

But doesn’t the co-opting of Ambedkar pose fresh obstacles for any revival?

Today, Ambedkar is projected as an anti-Muslim, anti-communist, samriddhavadi (prosperous) Ambedkar, a social reformer of Hinduism. A saffron Ambedkar is being erected. It is our responsibility that we project what he actually was, a radical Ambedkar. Only a radical Ambedkar can give us mukti.

omar.rashid@thehindu.co.in

Keywords: Vira Sathidar, Court, dalit, Ambedkar

Source: The Hindu, 27-10-2015

Can India Really Be the `Next China'?

Geoffrey Garrett





The bulls say India is the `next China'. Odds are they are right, if not today then within a decade or so.But even if this proves to be right in terms of growth, India is a very different country than China on many fundamental dimensions, demography and democracy being key . But most importantly, China has been built on infrastructure, investment and manufacturing, while India has barely scratched the surface on all three.India began its economic reform in the early 1990s, more than a decade after China. But in the past 25 years, China has turbocharged its economy while India has languished in relative terms. Why?
Chinese growth has been driven by some of the world's highest investment rates. This has, in turn, made possible an infrastructure revolution of new cities, high-speed rail lines, airports and ports and manufacturing muscle that is the envy of the world. China has also been the world's factory for 20 years. Its ability to quickly and efficiently move what it produces domestically and around the world has been a critical ingredient in its growth miracle.
Today , India lags far behind China on all three dimensions. India invests about 30% of its GDP, compared with about 50% in China.Manufacturing is about 20% of the Indian economy, compared to China's about 30%. China has arguably the best physical infrastructure outside the western world. India's looks more like the poor country that it still is.
But this is a real opportunity for India. Increase investment. Improve infrastructure. Grow economic output. This is a tried and true path to growth, and it is one India is poised to follow.
Consider India's vaunted tech sector. We all know about the incredible Indian talent running some of America's tech icons. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai did his undergraduate degree in India before coming to the US for a Stanford Masters and a Wharton MBA. Likewise, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella received his undergraduate degree in India and followed up with diplomas from US graduate schools. These and so many other Indian-American tech sector executives are testament to the power of the immigration-inno vation nexus in the US.
However, don't let these rock star CEOs fool anyone into thinking the only way for Indian technologists to succeed is to work in the US for American firms. Homegrown, and still home-centered, companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys and Wipro are real world leaders when it comes to information technology . And Indian entrepreneurs are killing it today in startups with people like Punit Soni at FlipKart and Kunal Bahl at SnapDeal.
The growth of Indian tech has been fuelled by large-scale private sector investment, from both India and abroad. These companies needed infrastructure to thrive, but the infrastructure was digital not physical -allowing Indian IT firms to beam information and analysis from India to the world and back, long before anyone was talking about `the Cloud'. They didn't need to ship widgets because their products were all in bits.
About a decade ago, some optimists thought India could leapfrog over the manufacturing and physical infrastructure stage of development (widgets) to build the whole economy around digital (bits). Today , it is clear that while India's tech sector is fantastic and growing, the country will have to develop the old-fashioned way, with better infrastructure and more manufacturing.
What will determine whether India can become a bit more `Chinese' when it comes to infrastructure and manufacturing?
Unlike China, the answer will not be government investment, because the Indian state is hamstrung by endemic budget deficits of big subsidies and limited taxation.
The `Make in India' initiative is so promising because it does not rely on the Indian government. Boldly launched with a goal of India surpassing China in direct foreign investment, `Make in India' is a clarion call for global firms to increase their financial commitment to India.Now innovative firms as diverse as Samsung, Lenovo and Boeing have publically supported the initiative proving that the private sector is ready to step in.
Yet it seems that the private sector won't act until it is more confident about politics. Nowhere is India more different from China than in the world of politics. But this doesn't mean that India won't go on a growth charge the way China has. The raw material India has to work with is so rich. The challenge now is to catalyse it.
The writer is Dean, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Source: Economic Times, 27-10-2015

The Birth of a New World

DAVID BOWERS





Few would have believed, when the Bab was born 185 years ago, that the son of an Iranian merchant would herald the first world religion that would proclaim the equality of gender, the abolishment of slavery and the oneness of the human race. He took on the title `The Bab' -`gate' in Arabic -to symbolise his acting as a gateway leading people from the old era to the new, and as the herald of another messenger of God, Baha'u'llah.While the teachings of the Bab and Baha'u'llah recognise that we now live in the darkest times the world has ever seen, they are optimistic about the future of the human race. As people everywhere become aware of the inadequacies of fanaticism, materialism and extreme nationalism to solve the problems of a changing world, the Baha'i teachings point to a new way , “We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death pangs of the old order and the birth pangs of the new.“
Each time a messianic figure comes to a society greatly in need of spiritual rebirth, his message stirs society to the core. His early believers experience great turmoil, followed by obscurity and weakness, and only later emerge in the form of a developed civilisation that can bring undreamt of glory to the human race.
One religious civilisation becomes the mother of the next, and although all religions exist for the same purpose, with the same essence of the faiths that have preceded them, each one represents a unique link in the family of human civilisations.

BOOST TO SKILL INDIA MISSION - Legislation on Right to Skill Likely

New Delhi Our Bureau





Panel suggests using funds from the education cess and half of corporate profits for CSR to provide vocational training

The government could frame a new law to grant the youth the right to skill as well as impose a cess to fund its robust Skill India Mission if the recommendations of a high-level subgroup are accepted.In a comprehensive report submitted recently, the sub-group of chief ministers chief ministers chaired by Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, also recommended using funds from the education cess and half of corporate profits set aside for corporate social responsibility to create a non-lapsable pool of funds that could be used to provide vocational training to millions of youth over the next seven years.
“The Centre and all the states may explore the need for enacting legislation on Right of Youth to Skill Development in line with the law in the state of Chhattisgarh,“ the sub-group of chief ministers said in a report.
According to the report, such a right-based legislation backed by robust implementation will generate greater demand, remove the low esteem attached to vocational education and encourage more young persons to seek skill training. “This should be backed by adequate infrastructure and resources especially for less resource rich states,“ the report said. Highlighting the need for adequate funds as a key to the success of the Skill India Mission, the sub-group has recommended some innovative mechanisms for mobilising resources.
“Funds should not be a constraint for Skill India Mission. Today most finances are from the government budgetary resources. There is need to explore innovative mechanisms for mobilising more resources for achieving the vision of the National Skill Mission,“ the report said.
“The funds collected out of education cess could also be provided for vocationalisation of school education given that India has achieved near universalisation of the Primary Education,“ it said.
The sub-group of chief ministers further recommended that half of the 2% of the average net profit of companies earning a net . 5 crore or more may be profit of ` earmarked for skill development activities.
Besides, it proposed to use the additional funds available with Employees' State Insurance Corporation, Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and building and other construction workers which add up to more than ` . 80,000 crore for skill development for workers and fresh trainees.
The sub-group suggested that even foreign investors investing money in the country should earmark 1% of their investment for skill development in their sector and also adopt ITIs in the vicinity.
“Funds under major flagship programmes can be earmarked for skill development as success of these programmes such as Digital India, Housing for All, Smart Cities and Swachh Bharat depends on the availability of skilled manpower,“ the report said.
Acknowledging that the accessibility of skill training is a huge challenge in the country, the subgroup recommended using the expertise of retired government officers and defence personnel for imparting skills besides using the available machines, technical specialists and premises of public sector units and major private sector units.
The government has set a target to skill 119 million people by 2022 in 24 sectors and reskill the existing 460 million as projected by the National Skill Development Corporation based on its skill gap studies across states.

Source: Economic Times, 27-10-2015

Unesco Heritage Status for Kumbh Mela Mooted

UP FOR IT Culture ministry receives a proposal in this regard from Trimbakeshwar Devatsthan Trust

After Yoga, the next thing that the Modi government could take to global attention is the famous Kumbh festival. The mass Hindu pilgrimage could soon be nominated by the Indian government for inscription on the global Intangible Cultural Heritage list by Unesco. The first move has already been made.A formal written proposal has been made by a trustee of the Trimbakeshwar Devatsthan Trust and submitted to the Union ministry of culture. Culture minister Mahesh Sharma confirmed to ET that he is closely examining the proposal to take it ahead.
“We have received a formal proposal in written and request from some groups to nominate the Kumbh Mela as Intangible Cultural Heritage under Unesco. Kumbh is something exclusive and unique to our country and definitely worth considering. The proposal is under examination by the culture ministry which will now consider issues like which category to nominate it under and other finer points necessary to take it ahead,“ Sharma told ET.
India has already nominated Yoga for inclusion as intangible heritage in 2016. One of those who has proposed nominating the Kumbh to the world heritage sites register is Lalita Shinde, Trustee of the Trimbakeshwar Devatsthan Trust-the ancient temple that houses 12 jyotirlingas and is also the site for the famous Kumbh festival.
“The Kumbh Mela is a unique part of culture and heritage where no one needs an invitation to come and where no one is asked his name or caste. The whole world should know about it so we want to propose it be declared a world heritage site. We have been advised that it should be nominated in the intangible heritage category of the Unesco register. We met the culture minister and have submitted a proposal on the same and hope to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi also for the same,“ Lalita Shinde, trustee with the Trimbakeshwar Devatsthan Trust told ET. The Simhastha Kumbha Mela was organised only last month in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.The Kumbh Festival is held at NashikTrimbakeshwar, at the banks of river Godavari, Prayag (Allahabad) -the confluence of the rivers Ganga-Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati, at Haridwar on the banks of the Ganga and at Ujjain at the Kshipra river. While the Kumbh is held every 12 years, the Ardh Kumbh is held at Prayag and Haridwar after every six years.
The Kumbh festival attracts a record number of pilgrims from all over the country. Eleven elements from India have so far been inscribed on Unesco's lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and inscription helps in demonstrating the diversity of heritage and also generates global awareness and attention for the same.
Source: Economic Times, 27-10-2015

Stop saying `He' for God: Top female UK bishop

Katie Grant

THE INDEPENDENT





The Church of England should stop using male pronouns when referring to God in order to counter the erroneous belief that the Almighty has a gender, the first female bishop to sit in the House of Lords has said.The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, the Church's most senior clergywoman, was being introduced to the Upper House on Monday as one of Parliament's 26 Lords Spiritual. Speaking before the event, the bishop raised the issue of God's gender, saying: “We're told that God created human beings in God's likeness... If I am made in the image of God, then God is not to be seen as male. God is God.“ Instead of using either “he“ or “she“ to describe God, Bishop Treweek said she prefers simply to use the word “God“.
“Sometimes I lapse, but I try not to,“ she told The Observer, reigniting a long-running debate in the Church of England about inclusion and gender equality . She added: “I am not in the business of wanting to offend anyone, but I do want to gently challenge people.“
Reverend Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, vicar of Belmont and Pittington in Durham, who is a member of the General Synod and also vicechair of pressure group Watch -Women and the Church -which promotes inclusive language in the Church of England, welcomed the bishop's comments. “God doesn't have a gender -God is beyond gender,“ she said.
Source: Times of India, 27-10-2015

The Technique Of Kundalini Awakening

Anup Taneja





Among various methods of awake energy ning the dormant kundalini, `shaktipat' or transmission of , says Swami Muktananda Paramhansa, is the easiest, safest and most potent method that, over a period of time, bestows upon the seeker the priceless gift of Self-realisation.Shaktipat is a spiritual technique through which the master “injects“ in the astral body of the seeker a current of psychic power or a dose of astral fluid. This can be effected by the master either through look, touch, word or simply thought.
At the time of shaktipat, some bad karmas of the seeker “attack“ the master and as a result the latter's body begins to ache severely and the top of his head becomes hot. The reason why the master takes upon himself the seeker's karma is that he wants to ensure that the seeker is able to withstand the powerful currents generated by the awake ned kundalini. Such masters, who are blessed with the power to bestow grace through shaktipat, are hard to come by .
In his magnum opus entitled, `The Play of Consciousness', Swami Muktananda describes his experience of receiving shaktipat-initiation from his master, Bhagwan Nityananda, in the following words: “As he looked into my eyes, I saw brilliant rays of light emana ting from his pupils, and going right inside me. Its brilliance dazzled my eyes like a highpowered bulb. I stood there, stunned, and my body was completely motionless.“
The conspicuous feature of shaktipat is that it not only helps the seeker in meditating deeply but also enables him to excel in his profession and other areas of worldly life. The seeker's health improves substantially , his memory gets sharpened, and he is blessed with the capacity to work at high efficiency and output levels. After having received shaktipat the seeker should constantly endeavour to nurture and develop the shakti given by the master. The seeker can sit in meditation on a regular basis, preferably in early morning hours, for at least 30 minutes and steadfastly follow the principles of `yama' ­ morality and `niyama' ­ discipline.
Adhering to the principles of nonviolence and truth, avoiding covetousness at all costs, doing good to others, performing one's duty with utmost sincerity , all constitute `yama'.Leading a highly disciplined life, avoiding negative company , total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and non-vegetarian food, and devotion to the Almighty , are some elements of `niyama'.
When the dormant kundalini is ignited through shaktipat, prana, the life-force moves through the sushumna, the central nadi, in the base chakra, at lightning speed; in the process the seeker experiences electric-like currents in the body. The fire of yoga then begins to blaze spontaneously within the seeker, purifying him at all levels and paving the way for his evolution to the highest level of consciousness. As the seeker's awareness gets stabilised in the upper spaces of sahasrara, the crown chakra, in deep meditation, he begins to listen to the celestial music that fills him with rapture.
Finally , the seeker is blessed by the beatific vision when, to his utter amazement, he sees a tiny blue pearl within the sahasrara that begins to expand infinitely , encompassing the entire universe. His ego then gets completely dissolved in the Divine Effulgence and all his past karmas are burnt in the fire of Atma-jnana, Self-knowledge.Realisation then dawns upon the seeker that the entire universe is nothing but a blissful sport of Consciousness.