From nalin.mathur at gmail.com Thu Nov 1 00:52:39 2007 From: nalin.mathur at gmail.com (Nalin Mathur) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 00:52:39 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] B - Grade Engineering College Culture / Sixth Posting / Nalin N. Mathur Message-ID: <7c0063460710311222i5c8f0fc8sc69ac6ed9c7a0d1f@mail.gmail.com> B - Grade Engineering College Culture / Sixth Posting / Nalin N. Mathur I had planned to make trhis posting a visual one. But was unable to load the same over the relevent medium. Hence, the post below speaks on a couple of topics over which I had begun some work. During the course of discussion with fellow batchmates and people at work I observed that one thing that is absolutely similar during ones engineering days are movies. Also, there is one moment or instant that one expireences, which defines ones engineering days. The post below describes the same. ********************************************** Random Thoughts I am sure it seems somewhat amusing to have a whole write up about the effect that movies have had on the cultural aspect of my college days. For anyone living in times like these, movies certainly play a significant role in shaping one's cultural outlook. I strongly believe in the maxim that movies reflect the society and vice versa. Hence, to state the obvious brings in no value add or insight to this project. However, when the thin line between one's cultural inhabitations and outlook and one's identity as a whole, begins to fade, movies, I would say, carve out a new dimension. For me and my college friends, there is an uncanny relation between the way our eventful days at college and the movies released every Friday. What we saw, we did. There were instances, when we engrossed in a particular scene, simply exclaimed – Hey that is us! I had just left school when I saw American Pie. Unabashed and voyeuristic, the fable of those high school friends initiated my romance with the college life. I knew something was missing, when unlike the majestic prom, I found myself purchasing tickets for Appu Ghar after my school farewell. The actual disappointment came in college. Girls were as scarce as genuine all-rounders in our cricket team. Highly inspired by the movie, my gang made a pact too. It was not fetch a girl friend each. We knew our strengths, hence decided not to let any of our batch mate have one. We tried our best to spoil the show where ever possible. Our cause gained momentum and a few more joined the endeavor. It was only after a solid bashing by the seniors we lost steam. We never went to 'the next step'. Apart from movies, there have been instances whose incidental timings were in sync with some important junctures. It all began with the day when I, tucked in the back seat of my uncle's car, sped through the highway to visit my college for the first time. We were traveling to do get me admitted. My parents were discussing the tuition fee, while I blessed the beautiful sunny day; supremely confident of myself having got through a college whose standing was somewhat above my grasp for science, I was dead sure that nothing could go wrong today. Upon reaching my college, among the first things I saw was the coverage of airplanes crashing through the World Trade Center. The date was 9/11/2001. The Gods were showing me the signs and a gullible that I am, sank them in. The ominous day set the tone for my time ahead at the college. From yasir.media at gmail.com Thu Nov 1 03:20:02 2007 From: yasir.media at gmail.com (yasir ~) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:50:02 -0700 Subject: [Reader-list] Regarding India Map #2 In-Reply-To: <814964.24329.qm@web45504.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: <814964.24329.qm@web45504.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <5af37bb0710311450p54da8fc5y7051fd18479dfba4@mail.gmail.com> dear dhatri / martin / all any guesses as to why this one is not on the map (apart from many others) http://www.hinglajmata.com/index2.htm the map in question seems to be this one http://sacredsites.com/asia/india/india.html it seems to be based on the current line of control LOC (see map) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_of_control read more http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060212/asp/frontpage/story_5836362.asp pictures of the trip http://www.pawspakistan.org/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=256 http://offroadpakistan.com/pictures/hingol_2005/index.html?page=all as for the the country pakistan (where this is...), it seems to be missing from both (sacred sites) categories asia and middle east - something that commonly happens in borderlands, frontier lands or as the article says nowherelands. iran gets its share, india its, .... its an old story... an older colleague was born in karachi, india in the 1930s. his passport from a north american country said so, which was endless problem for him as you can imagine a frequent traveller having to argue with the kids at immigration counters about whether karachi was india or pakistan. thats a version of manto's toba tek singh all over again ... its here http://www.findpk.com/SV/Toba_Tek_Singh.htm http://www.ttsinghpolice.gov.pk/Page.aspx?id=7 http://www.sacw.net/partition/tobateksingh.html On 10/31/07, we wi wrote: > Dear All, > > FYI. > > Jai Hind. > Dhatri. > > > > Martin Gray wrote: > > Yes, this correction will indeed be made. It, and several others, are going to be some time soon...........thanks for the reminder anyway.............martin > > On Oct 30, 2007, at 12:13 AM, we wi wrote: > > Hi Martin, > > Hope you are doing well. This is just a reminder to your previous mail. > > Regards, > Dhatri. > > Martin Gray wrote: > Dhatri, > > I see what you mean. My map of India does indeed need to be corrected. I will not be able to do this until a few days after October 15 since I will be away from Sedona, Arizona, where I live, presenting several slide shows around the states. > > Thank you for alerting me to this matter. > > Sincerely, > > Martin Gray > SacredSites.com > > > > --------------------------------- > From: we wi > Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:24:47 -0700 (PDT) > To: Martin Gray > Subject: Re: Regarding India Map > > > Martin, > > > > Jammu and Kashmir of India should be like this. Please find the attachment. > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > Martin Gray wrote: > > Tell me which parts. > > > > > --------------------------------- > From: we wi > Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 05:07:01 -0700 (PDT) > To: , , > Subject: Regarding India Map > > Hi Martin, > > > > Could you please correct the India Map. Some parts of Jammu and Kashmir of India are mistakenly joined into Pakistan and China. > > > > Regards, > > Dhatri. > > > > --------------------------------- > Building a website is a piece of cake. > Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online. > > > > > --------------------------------- > Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: From anivar.aravind at gmail.com Thu Nov 1 10:04:40 2007 From: anivar.aravind at gmail.com (Anivar Aravind) Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:04:40 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Janadesh & corporate land grab Message-ID: <47295760.9090407@gmail.com> An Interesting forward -------- Original Message -------- Subject: corporate land grab Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:25:22 +0530 From: willy Reply-To: willy Organization: INSAF Talking about love in time of cholera ==================================== The proposed draft of Land Policy while expresses a lot of good intentions of Nehruvian era where the policy focus was on “self cultivation” utterly fails in taking into account the developments that have already taken place during last one and half decade. The most important point that these good intentions miss is the National Agriculture Policy 2000, which commits itself to promote (a) lease markets in land, (b) contract farming, and (c) corporate farming. This all is approved with the intentions of improving the productivity of land and making transfer of land easier for the ‘efficient users’ (who else is more efficient than private Corporations?). For accomplishment of these goals the essential preconditions are worked out by World Bank in association with DFID and they are (i) computerization of land record (between the lines accessible by internet), (ii) regularization/legalization of all kinds of tenancy, and (iii) flexibility in protective (existing) measures in land transfers, (iv) drop restrictions on sale of land to non-agriculturalists and subdivision which have little economic justification, (v) allow transferability of land by land reform beneficiaries at least through lease and explore options for making the gains from such reform permanent, (vi) review legislation on compulsory land acquisition and, subject to the prevention of undesirable externalities, allow farmers or their representatives to negotiate with and if desired transfer land directly to investors rather than having to go through government and often receive only very limited compensation. This well intentioned effort of advocacy also seems to be oblivious to the fact that after pronouncement of the National Agriculture Policy 2000, several states had gone ahead (as it is part of the State List in Constitution of India) with providing relaxations in ‘land use transfers’ and ‘ceiling’ related regulations. This proposed policy draft is also unmindful of the fact that several state governments including the government of Madhya Pradesh has already given affidavit in Supreme Court stating that no land is available that can be provided for rehabilitation based on land for land. The latest Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy approved by the cabinet also mentions about ‘Land for Land’ but suffices it with ‘if possible’ (and every one knows in present era will be never possible). The draft is also ignorant about the fact that ‘common land’ had already disappeared to a substantial extend and whatever little is leftover is targeted by the corporate sector in the name of plantations for “Agro-fuels” namely Jatropha in concerted manner. Selling rosy dreams listed in the draft policy stink of what is called ‘ostrich approach’ which calls for dipping your neck in sand at the time of storm and feel safe. The wish list expressed in the draft reminds the title of the famous novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez called ‘love in times of cholera’. At time when Government is looking for means to wriggle out of the business of ‘land acquisition’ and leave the matters to ‘market forces’ by making ‘land a freely tradable’ commodity the effort best can be termed as dangerously novice. It is this context, while the intentions of draft policy sound plausible, the implications of the draft provide the government the basis to fiddle with existing laws and procedure to make it smooth for the corporate takeover of the land and fulfillment of its promise to its Creditor and Donor like World Bank and DFID. Statement of Concern -draft (30/10/2007) ======================================== We highly appreciate the efforts by the participants of the JANADESH 2007 yatra for their contribution in bringing the perennial issue of Land and its equitable distribution back on National agenda. Some of the demands raised by this mammoth effort have their roots in the struggle for India’s independence which raised the aspirations of the peasantry by the promise of ‘land to tiller’ once the country has done away with the shackles of colonial rule. The Land laws and the agrarian policies in the initial phase of Interdependent India were also guided by the urge to promote “self cultivation” but with the pressure of achieving ‘self sufficiency’ in food and the advice from international agencies like Ford Foundation the government of India had embarked upon ‘green revolution’ and began to slag behind on its commitment to the promise of ‘Land to the tiller’. The Agriculture Commission set by the Government of India in its report’s volume XV on land reforms in 1972 (20 years after Ford Foundation funded pilot programme in 1952) brought out the fact that in major part of the country which were governed by the Zamidari and Mahalbari systems till the colonial rule the implementation of land reforms was utter failure. To insulate the Government from the fallout such report the process of initiating Land Ceiling Laws was initiated the same year and all most all the states have come up with the required law with slight variance. During the ‘Emergency Era’ the famous 20-point programme also incorporated agenda of distribution of land to the land less and deprived communities. There was a rush of competition among the Chief Ministers and other functionaries in getting photographed distributing land titles. All of us connected to grassroots in one way the other know very well that half of the land that was claimed to be distributed never been able to be ‘possessed’ by the legal claimant. On other this ‘claimed to be distributed land’ was not the acquired ceiling surplus land. A lot of militant ‘land grab’ movements by the peasant organisations from verity of ideological shades in various parts of the country were witnessed during 70s and 80s. But with the beginning of World Bank backed programme of Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) in 1989 and the fast transforming functioning of parliamentary system in India (particularly with the demise of opposition as institution) had taken the steam out of the struggles and slowly but surely the question of land and its equitable distribution was tendered redundant. In 1991, when Mr. Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister in Mr. Narsimha Rao’s Government laid down the agenda of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation the foundations were laid to change the fundamentals of the previous ‘policy framework’ in all sectors of economy including Land and Agriculture. Gradually the focus of agrarian policy began to drift from ‘self cultivation’ to smooth transfer the land from the ‘inefficient users’ that is small and marginal farmers to ‘efficient users’ that is private corporations. The context of land question and its ‘equitable distribution’ has transformed completely as the impact of joining WTO and giving a twist to Indian agriculture towards ‘export orientation’ saying good bye to the legacy of ‘food self sufficiency’ as hallmark of official policy framework. The National Agriculture Policy 2000 loudly and clearly pronounced to promote (a) lease markets in land, (b) contract farming, and (c) corporate farming. This all is approved with the intentions of improving the productivity of land and making transfer of land easier for the ‘efficient users’ (who else is more efficient than private Corporations?). It has also stated to promote biotechnology and genetic engineering as the basis to improve productivity of Indian agriculture. For the accomplishment of these goals the essential preconditions are worked out by World Bank in association with DFID and they are (i) computerization of land record (between the lines accessible by internet), (ii) regularization/legalization of all kinds of tenancy, and (iii) flexibility in protective (existing) measures in land transfers, (iv) drop restrictions on sale of land to non-agriculturalists and subdivision which have little economic justification, (v) allow transferability of land by land reform beneficiaries at least through lease and explore options for making the gains from such reform permanent, (vi) review legislation on compulsory land acquisition and, subject to the prevention of undesirable externalities, allow farmers or their representatives to negotiate with and if desired transfer land directly to investors rather than having to go through government and often receive only very limited compensation. After pronouncement of the National Agriculture Policy 2000, several states had gone ahead (as it is part of the State List in Constitution of India) with providing relaxations in ‘land use transfers’ and ‘ceiling’ related regulations. The Government further reinforced its commitment to transfer of land to the private corporations by enacting Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 which provides lot of concessions to the developers at the cost public exchequer and violates the fundamentals of even neo-liberal dictums of ‘equal playing field’ and ‘fair competition. The Government’s efforts of promoting plantation of Jatropha to meet targets of its own policy of mixing Ethanol with diesel on common and government lands for feeding “Agro-fuel” refinery set up by private corporation also create doubts on the credentials of both the government in general and its present leadership in general. It is this context that we take the response of the government to the plausible effort of JANADESH 2007 by announcing setting up of a Commission under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with pinch of salt. We have serious doubt that the commission of this sort will be capable of standing against the commitment and enthusiasm of the government in implementing the obligations of WTO that are adversely affecting the small and marginal farmers; SEZ Act 2005 and non implementation of Forest Right Act, 2006 which are essential to pave way for any effective pro-poor land reforms. We also do not see much scope of justice to be done for the poor and the marginalized by a commission comprising of ‘stakeholders’ which includes colonizers, builders and developers, funded NGOs along with the token representation of the farmers. Hence we do not see these promises made by the Government as victory but see it at most as the beginning of a crucial and decisive phase of long history and traditions of Land Struggles. To be endoresed by several activists & intellectuals. If you want to endorse this pl mail to: Anil Chaudhary at anilpeace at gmail.com or insaf at vsnl.com Links to IFI documents: 1. DFID study done by CCDS & Ekta Parishad in PACS programme - "Towards a people's land policy": http://www.empowerpoor.org/downloads/people's%20land%20policy.pdf 2. World Bank report- "India - Land policies for growth & poverty reduction (July 9, 2007)": http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/08/31/000310607_20070831102106/Rendered/PDF/382980INoptmzd.pdf 3. FAO working paper "Land and livelihoods - Making land rights real for India’s rural poor (May 2004)" - Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) funded by DFID: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/J2602E/J2602E00.pdf From announcer at crit.org.in Thu Nov 1 09:28:40 2007 From: announcer at crit.org.in (CAMP) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:58:40 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] Launch on Friday 2 November Message-ID: <1193889520.6565.28.camel@nowhereman> Announcing the Launch Event of CAMP, Mumbai FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2007 at 6:00 P.M. at Jnanapravaha 3rd Floor, Queens Mansion (opposite New Chemould) G. Talwatkar Marg Fort, Mumbai 400001 for directions http://camputer.org/?rocket=launch CAMP is a new city-based initiative around art, media and technology practices, in collaboration with the Khoj International Artists Association. http://www.camputer.org CAMP's founding members are: Shaina Anand, filmmaker, artist and media activist, founder of http://www.chitrakarkhana.net Sanjay Bhangar, who trained in indymedia and urban studies, now works as an independent web developer and technology writer. Ashok Sukumaran, who trained as an architect and artist, and now develops speculative technical and conceptual projects. http://0ut.in The evening consists of an extended screening-cum-talk by the CAMP initiators, as an introduction to the context, politics and practices that CAMP will promote. This includes a discussion of Chitrakarkhana's ongoing work with alternative cable TV and CCTV systems, a social history of the internet in Bombay as told by Sanjay Bhangar, and Ashok Sukumaran's recent projects around electrical redistribution. They will also discuss the CAMP program for this year, and invite participation in various forms. The program will be interrupted by refreshments. -- About CAMP: CAMP is a platform to organise, and then to do, such artistic and media practices that build interfaces between themselves and urban activities, at various scales. The project is being undertaken with a broad shared experience (among CAMP members, its advisors and peers) of questioning the "digital", in the past decade. CAMP promises bold interpretations of current technology contexts, and their various micro-political implications. CAMP will begin its relationship with various Mumbai publics through 'weekends', fortnightly events that look intensively at specific histories, futures, and areas of multi-disciplinary collaboration. For example there are planned weekends around the history of broadcast as an artistic medium, on the art market, on censorship, on building technological "confidence", on various kinds of maps, rooftop "real-estate" surveys and so on, mostly with an orientation towards practitioners and projects. While CAMP is beginning with such small-scale activities, it also seeds two long term projects: a) New Documentary: On the future of the documentary image, in times of video's material abundance.To test the boundaries of production, reception and redistribution of video by adopting a range of existing technigues and technologies. This is related to chitrakarkhana's ongoing work, and will address artistic, ethical and pragmatic questions around video. b) On Design: on what "making things for others" means now, when you- and i- can both seemingly contribute. The project will engage with questions of "participation" in design, and of how knowledge moves across its different forms. It will take the form of institutional and pedagogic interventions into the broad field of activity presently known as Design. And finally, on its name: CAMP has various possible "backronyms", a large number in fact. This came from our inability to claim a singular identity within a field of ideas, to say that this and not that, is what will actually happen with CAMP. For more see www.camputer.org/?acronyms=many -- chitrakarkhana.net camputer.org _____ CRIT (Collective Research Initiatives Trust), Mumbai Announcements List http://www.crit.org.in http://lists.crit.org.in/mailman/listinfo/announcer From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Thu Nov 1 16:06:40 2007 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 18:36:40 +0800 Subject: [Reader-list] Secular Bengalis Find "Mohammad Cat" moment? Message-ID: A month ago, Bangladeshi Islamists made a fiery national issue over "Mohammad Biral (cat)" cartoon and were handed head of ex-Communist leader Motiur Rahman. http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/picture-of-the-day/ http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/09/30/chronology-of-major-blasphemy-cases-in-bangladesh-1972-2007/ Can Secularists learn from tactics of opponents? Can they take Jamaat's statement "there are no 1971 War Criminals" and 1971 was a "civil war" and turn it into a mega-issue? Watch the video (Bengali only), and read the links (English, below video) http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/10/29/jamaat-1971/ As a tactical firestorm breaks out, the key is to not get hysterical about "opoman" (insult) or "aspordha" (audacity). Or to dream about trials, or banning Jamaat (will NEVER happen), but to use this as a tool to pry loose the Jamaat's current position as the reliable chess piece that is totally within Army's gameset. http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/10/25/jamaat-ec/ This is the Secularists' Mohammed Biral moment...? From shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com Thu Nov 1 16:19:49 2007 From: shambhu.rahmat at gmail.com (Shambhu Rahmat) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 18:49:49 +0800 Subject: [Reader-list] Yaba Drug Crisis Helps Army To Split BNP? Message-ID: Suddenly, overnight Yaba the amphetamine/speed/party drug is everywhere in Dhaka. Epidemic scream the papers. And just like that the ring is broken. BMWs, porn tapes, druglords arrested, dual passports huge haul. Code names for the drug varieties are Lal Koottha (red dog) and Golapjam (bangla sweet, I have no clue what is translation?). PINK DEATH screams Shaptahik 2000. Only Rumi Ahmed seems to have noticed that the Yaba crackdown dovetails very neatly with the Army's now-in-motion move to split the rightist BNP into two. DAILY STAR and PROTHOM ALO buy into Yaba coverage http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/little-different/ Where is Khondoker? http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/where-is-khondokar-delwar-hossain/ BNP Hijacked http://rumiahmed.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/the-hijack-of-bnp/ From ysaeed7 at yahoo.com Thu Nov 1 20:42:44 2007 From: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com (Yousuf) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 08:12:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Reader-list] "The New Muslim" in Hindustan Times In-Reply-To: <962b9f89ab32e2565b44e2e0ad4eabb4@sarai.net> Message-ID: <825743.62948.qm@web51406.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Dear Sadan Of course the difference of perception is there and I can't help it - can't shut my eyes. And its not just a two-level difference - there are so many levels to it. A lot of grey area in between, which is probably being erased too. You know what, some of the HT reporters wrote back to me saying that "its the sheer number of people they are talking about - there are so many "New Muslims" that people like you don't count - you would be unacceptable among your community - so why should we listen to your views" (the quoted text is not their exact words - but a gist). And that's why I was worried - my shock was not to see the euphoric Muslim response (I already knew how they'll respond), but the fact that it is a medium like HT which is the most powerful at the end of the day. They have just created a new truth (one reader says "thank you for giving birth to the new muslim", some NRIs have offered dollar donations for the New muslim!). So, going back to the "difference" - even if people like us wrongly (and arrogantly) assume that we are at the top of this intellectual hierarchy, we are helpless, it doesn't provide us any power. HT remains the most powerful finally. I know that they recieved a whole lot of negative criticism too about this series but they ignored most of it, highlighting only the euphoric emails. Also because they wanted to match this story with the surging stock market, I guess. That's what today's media all about - no space for nuances and subtleties. If they had published equal amount of negative or different-type-of criticism, maybe it could help reduce this difference we are talking about. Yousuf --- "sadan at sarai.net" wrote: > Dear Yousuf, > I agree with you and certainly do not find these > reportings in the series > 'cool' or anyway acceptable. I think i mentioned > this in my first mail too. > I in my first mail tried to address your anxiety at > another level and this > was in a way related to the methodology ( i know > t5his is a loaded word yet > using it). > You were upset by the way in which some of the > readers found these images > cool and away from thed ominant media image of > muslims as terrorists. This > leads to a difference between how you or Sohail look > at these images and > how people who do not have nuanced and critical > orientation (like you two > have or certain others may posses). From your first > post, what I gathered > was your difficulty to come to terms with this > difference. > We know that mainstream media constantly bombards > images producing muslims > as Others. Kabir Khan in Chak de India lives in a > locality full of > symbolism and markers that on the one hand confirms > to these dominant Hindu > image of how a muslim locality should look like. > Now, a lot of people did > not find any objectionable on the ground that > mainstream commercial film > main itana to chalta hai. I found it quite > problematic on different > grounds. And my concern was not merely about what > was shown but with the > degree with which these scenes are accepted as a > kind of compromise that we > unconsciously attain with our critical outlook while > watching a mainstream > movie. > Coming back to Hindustan Times series, I would > suggest to maintain the > difference between yourself and how others percieve, > between your > discomfort and others celebration and between your > rejection and others > acceptance. I would personally try to address this > difference rather than > keep going back to the logic in which images are > produced. It is this > difference that allow us not merely to reject > communal images but also > provides us analytical space to understand why > people accept such images. > wishes, > sadan. > > > > > On 10:23 pm 10/30/07 Yousuf > wrote: > > Dear Sadan > > Thanks for your comments. I will try to clarify on > > the use of certain words that you mentioned from my > > letter. When I say "dishonest images of Muslims" I > > don't mean to say that there is something called > "the > > honest image" and I know it – certainly not. You > and I > > know that some images in the popular media are > > definitely dishonest as their intention is to > vilify a > > certain community. But in the case of the New > Muslim > > series in HT, I found many images problematic or > > naively dishonest since the author assumes that to > be > > a Muslim is to be deeply religious and to be > coming > > out of a ghetto, and so on. In fact, someone asked > me > > if I have a problem with these images (in HT), > then > > what is my ideal and honest picture of the > Muslims. I > > said the only way to portray an honest picture of > > Muslims (or any other community) is to portray > them > > not so conspicuously at all - let them be ordinary > > people trying to live ordinary lives. And I think > > that's what should answer your question about > > objectification. Why make them objects or museum > > specimens on the front page. > > > > You may be right about the aspirations. Yes, most > > readers who liked these writings find them at par > with > > their aspirations. And I don't know about my > > aspirations, but my discomfort is mostly due to > the > > generous use of religion and the newly defined > jihad > > and so on, that is shown to be their aspiration. > Do > > you find that cool? Should we promote such role > models > > for the Muslim community’s future? > > > > Cheers > > > > Yousuf > > > > > > --- "sadan at sarai.net" wrote: > > > > > Dear Yousuf, > > > thanks for sharing your anxiety about Hindustan > > > Times series on 'the new > > > muslim'. I have been following your postings ( > on > > > reader list) and your > > > work on religious posters as well as > representations > > > of muslim steriotypes > > > and hence thought to respond to you by raising > few > > > questions back to you. > > > This may help you to think about your anxiety > from a > > > different vantage > > > point. If so I would be happy. > > > You have used certain words and I want you to > go > > > back to them. these are > > > 'dishonest images' and objectified community ( > > > 'objectification'). While I > > > can , to some extent, anticipate your anxiety I > am > > > not certain about why > > > you have used this word dishonest image. Do > mean to > > > say that these images > > > are not true representatives of the social > realities > > > they are trying to > > > convey? What is true representation? what is > honest > > > image? Can we portray > > > this 'true' this honest picture? > > > We both know ( i hope so) that this would be a > > > dream. I think your anxiety > > > is not about the truthfulness of these images > but > > > the way these reports, > > > this series bracket muslim identity and portray > an > > > image that are > > > fossilised within majoritarian politics of > > > representing 'muslim subject'. > > > The series claims to break stereotypification > but > > > accroding to you it fails > > > to do so and actually caters to the same > mindset. > > > So, in a way you have > > > deciphered a set of meanings, certain politics > that > > > operate there. > > > However, many readers prefer this image. They > > > receive this series > > > differently then you. Now, to say that they > cant > > > understand the politics > > > that you can would be unfare. At the same time, > you > > > cant not say that > > > because some readers like it as iconoclastic > images > > > the purpose of this > > > series is achieved. > > > This is all about aspirations that an image > > > generates. You have your own > > > aspiration and your own criticism. Other > readers > > > have their own way of > > > looking at same representation. And your > anxiety > > > comes from the fact that > > > you do not find a voice that can echo your > > > viewpoint, your anxiety. > > > Having said this, I must say that I fully agree > with > > > your concerns, your > > > anxiety that this series certainly produces > another > > > set of otherness and > > > hence politically quite problematic and > difficult to > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From nc-agricowi at netcologne.de Thu Nov 1 21:32:51 2007 From: nc-agricowi at netcologne.de (NewMediaFest2007) Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:02:51 +0100 Subject: [Reader-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?=5BAnnouncements=5D_Launch_of_NewMed?= =?iso-8859-1?q?iaFest2007?= Message-ID: <20071101170251.BADBB681.B475988A@192.168.0.3> Press Release ----------------------------------------- On 1 November, NewMediafest2007 is launched online. NewMediaFest2007 is the 1st common festival of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne - www.nmartproject.net - developed, organised and directed by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne, founder and director of this global network. This press release is the first and general one, individual press releases will follow during the 1st November week, each day featuring another festival aspect. -------------------------------------------- NewMediaFest2007 consists of 2 components 1. the online showcase including the common festival interface on -->> http://2007.newmediafest.org 2. NewMediaFest2007 Blog - http://www.newmediafest.org/blog/ which is publishing all news and program schedules. ad 1) presentation of the featured festival contributions includes programm available as PDF for free download http://downloads.nmartproject.net/NewMediaFest_2007.pdf a) CologneOFF - Cologne Online Film Festival - --> CologneOFF III - Cologne Online Film Festival 2007 "Toon! Toon! - art cartoons and animated narratives b) JavaMuseum - Forum for Internet Technology in Contemporary Art 5 features--> ---> "Seven Ways of Saying Internet Through Netart" curated by Elena Giulia Rossi (Italy) ---> "a+b=ba?" - a showcase about blog art curated by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne ---> solo feature: 10 years netart by the US artist Jody Zellen ---> net.NET - 1st of a series of netart features --> re-launch of JIP - JavaMuseum Interview Project c) VideoChannel - video project environments 4 features--> --> solo feature: 7 videos by the Icelandic video artist Unnur. A. Einarsdottir --> selection: "art cartoons and animated narratives" --> Women Directors Cut - Edition III --> official launch of VIP - VideoChannel Interview Project d) SoundLAB - sonic art project environments 4 features---> SoundLAB Edition V --->soundSTORY - sound as a tool for storytelling --> special feature: soundart from South Africa curated by Julian Jonker --> special feature: soundart from Spain curated by Ruben Garcia --> ofiicial launch of SIP - SoundLAB Interview Project e) Cinematheque - streaming media project environments two features---> -->Slowtime2007? - Quicktime as an artistic medium 1st program of a six months lasting series --> a series of web performances by the Israeli artists duo Lital Dotan & Eyal Perry f) official launch of "AND - Artists Network Database" incorporating the biographies of more than 1400 media artists and curators from 70 countries collaborating with [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne. -------------------------------------------- NewMediaFest2007 is launched and organised on two levels: 1. online on http://2007.newmediafest.org 2. in physical space generally via cooperations, in this special case NewMediaFest2007 becomes physical in cooperation with 3rd International Digital Art Festival Rosario/Argentina - 15-17 November 2007 -->additional physical manifestations are planned in sequence. NewMediaFest2007 is further linked in November to FONLAD - Digital Art Festival Coimbra/Portugal and will be connected to numerous media art events during the coming months. It is planned to run NewMediaFest2007 actively until May 2008 to be replaced by a new festival edition later on - whereby all online components remain for permanent online afterwards. -------------------------------------------- NewMediaFest2007 is planning to issue in sequence PDF catalogues of the presented festival components. Two basic publications are issued as PDF for free download on occasion of the festival launch 1. general program - NewMediaFest2007 --->http://downloads.nmartproject.net/NewMediaFest_2007.pdf 2. catalogue --> CologneOFF III - 3rd edition of Cologne Online Film Festival -->http://downloads.nmartproject.net/CologneOFF_3rd_edition_2007.pdf -------------------------------------------- NewMediaFest2007 is a free cultural production powered by [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne the experimental platform for art and new media from Cologne/Germany) Technical note--> All browsers welcome, but they need to be Flash enabled - Flash 9 plug-in required - -------------------------------------------- This press release is issued by netEX - networked experience http://netex.nmartproject.net powered by [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne info (at) nmartproject.net -------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From turbulence at turbulence.org Fri Nov 2 03:23:19 2007 From: turbulence at turbulence.org (Turbulence) Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 17:53:19 -0400 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] Networked_Music_Review: Interview with Bill Fontana Message-ID: <014801c81cd1$b1133df0$1339b9d0$@org> Interview with Bill Fontana [excerpt] by Peter Traub Networked_Music_Review http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review Bill Fontana has been creating musical networks and making "sound sculptures" since the early 1970s. His works are usually large in scale and often involve the transmission of sounds from one 'listening' location with a network of microphones and/or sensors to another location where the sounds are overlayed onto the local sonic environment. Fontana's work focuses strongly on the idea of listening as a compositional act - that is, it is driven by the idea that music surrounds us constantly and that the patterns of music are audible if we just take the time to listen... Peter Traub: Natural sound is central to many of your pieces, especially the use of natural sound transplanted or displaced (or "trans-placed" as Anthony Moore termed it) into urban or man-made settings, such as your 1987 piece, "Sound Sculptures through the Golden Gate". The displacement and recontextualization of these sounds within new spaces is part of what makes your work effective. In the process of displacing the natural sounds, how do you treat them? That is, do you do any sort of processing on the sounds to transform them, do you prefer that they speak for themselves? Bill Fontana: There is no processing applied to the sounds except the artistic choice of putting a microphone near it or to map it. All my editing takes place before the recording or transmission is made. The transformation occurs in the re-contextualization of the sound. "Sound Sculptures through the Golden Gate", with its combination of vivid sea bird sounds and the deep musical tones of the Golden Gate Bridge Fog Horns has a musical quality that is almost Wagnerian. Many compositional details, such as how the placement of 8 microphones on different parts and dimensions of the Bridge would reveal natural acoustic delays was a type of acoustic processing that was deliberately chosen.. Bill Fontana will be answering reader's questions in the comments section until December 6, 2007. Read the complete interview here: http://tinyurl.com/2m3du3 Jo-Anne Green, Co-Director New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc.: http://new-radio.org New York: 917.548.7780 . Boston: 617.522.3856 Turbulence: http://turbulence.org Networked_Performance Blog: http://turbulence.org/blog Networked_Music_Review: http://turbulence.org/networked_music_review Upgrade! Boston: http://turbulence.org/upgrade New American Radio: http://somewhere.org _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From vrjogi at hotmail.com Sat Nov 3 10:46:53 2007 From: vrjogi at hotmail.com (Vedavati Jogi) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 05:16:53 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house In-Reply-To: <602CC652-A4B4-4C09-9489-CAE87865E02E@sarai.net> References: <843470.23386.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <602CC652-A4B4-4C09-9489-CAE87865E02E@sarai.net> Message-ID: lot must have been discussed by readers list members about tehelka, as i am not receiving any mail from r-list i don't have the priviledge to read the secular thoughts. i want to express my views which may or may not be published by r-list. i feel if tehelka is so much fond of digging the past things, i can suggest few more subjects. 1) for thousands of years muslimss killed/ looted/ converted hindus, pulled down their temples, humiliated their women. tehelka can study & find out how many of muslims in india are originally hindus. how many mandirs have been dismantled & converted into masjids. 2) why was india partitioned in 1947? inspite of gandhi's appeasement policy, why was jinnah & his followers remained so adamant? what was meant by 'has ke liya pakistan, ladh ke lenge hindustan'? 3) who masterminded 1993 bombay- bombblast? 4) was rubiya syed abduction episode, a true story? or mufti m. syed the then first muslim home minister had joined hands with pakistan to release 5 hardcore terrorists? > CC: vrjogi at hotmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net> From: monica at sarai.net> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 11:50:44 +0530> To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> > Vedavati,> > If you have disabled receiving mails, then it does not mean that your > mails are being blocked by anyone except yourself for yourself.> > Mots du jour like banned are easy to bandy but utterly pointless if > untrue. Useful however for creating an atmosphere of allegations and > defensiveness. Perhaps that was the intention?> > This is an administered - NOT moderated - list. As everyone by now > knows, to their edification (or boredom).> > best> M> > Monica Narula> Raqs> Sarai-CSDS> 29 Rajpur Road> Delhi 110 054> www.raqsmediacollective.net> www.sarai.net> > > On 06-Sep-07, at 10:09 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote:> > > Dear VJ> >> > I do not know what the glitch was if any, but this last mail of > > yours has come through SARAI.> >> > Your address in Subscribers List continues to show in parentheses > > which means your list delivery is disabled.> >> > KK> >> > Vedavati Jogi wrote:> > .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage > > { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } yes, kshemendra, my > > mails are being blocked by sarai and i am not surprised because > > this is the real nature of secularism practiced in india.> >> > this secularism will lead to disaster i am sure.> >> > few decades back britishers encouraged muslim separatism which > > ultimately resulted into partition. today same great job is being > > done by psudosecularists and i will not be surprised if one day > > muslims again start giving same slogan 'islam khatareme hai' > > leading the nation to many more partitions.> >> > 'gujrat' is a 'shame' but 'kashmir' is not!> > when one babri was pulled down then so many riots (initiated by > > muslims) took place more over their acts were justified by > > psudosecularists> > but many temples were pulled down in kashmir ...spineless hindus > > did not feel bad and ofcourse psudo secularists kept their mouths > > shut.> >> > list is very big. this is secularism. if you feel what i have > > written is not wrong please distribute it.> >> > thanks> > vj> >> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > From: vrjogi at hotmail.com> > To: tapasrayx at gmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net> > Subject: RE: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> > Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 02:21:04 +0000> >> > .ExternalClass .EC_hmmessage P {padding: > > 0px;} .ExternalClass EC_body.hmmessage {font-size:10pt;font- > > family:Tahoma;} no i am not suffering from any mental problem, i > > only tell the truth which psudo secularists can not digest.> >> > vedavati> >> >> >> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:02:38 +0530> >> From: tapasrayx at gmail.com> >> To: vrjogi at hotmail.com> >>>> >> Please do not forward anything to me in future. I do not > >> appreciate it.> >>> >> For your information, I have already received from Reader-list the > >> mail> >> you claim was blocked and have forwarded to me offlist.> >>> >> I suspect you may be suffering from some type of delusion or > >> paranoia.> >>> >> TR> >>> >>> >> Vedavati Jogi wrote:> >>> i have no alternative but to forward this mail to all of you> >>> individually as readers list people don't dare to publish my mail.> >>> i request all of you to please read this correspondance. views > >>> expressed> >>> by people like roger are posing real threat to this country' unity.> >>>> >>> vedavati> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> ----> >>> From: vrjogi at hotmail.com> >>> To: rgdj12 at yahoo.com; reader-list at sarai.net> >>> Subject: RE: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> >>> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 04:55:48 +0000> >>>> >>> pakistan is an enemy so i don't blame them as they are doing what an> >>> enemy is supposed to do. i am talking against psudoseculars like> >>> you. nobody has blocked minority advancement in india otherwise> >>> shahruhk, irfan pathan, zakir hussin, javed akhtar would not have > >>> > >> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > Download the latest version of Windows Live Messenger NOW! Click > > here!> >> > ---------------------------------> > Download the latest version of Windows Live Messenger NOW! Click > > here!> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone > > who knows.> > Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.> > _________________________________________> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.> > Critiques & Collaborations> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > > subscribe in the subject header.> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>> _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live Spaces is here! It’s easy to create your own personal Web site. http://spaces.live.com/?mkt=en-in From pawan.durani at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 11:23:43 2007 From: pawan.durani at gmail.com (Pawan Durani) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 11:23:43 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Is Subsidy Islamic or UnIslamic ? Message-ID: <6b79f1a70711022253o58f0ba66qbab807178b5a07dd@mail.gmail.com> GOI to spend 387 Crore Rupees on Haj Subsidy this year! Union Cabinet approves continuation of Hajj subsidy New Delhi, Nov 2: The Government has decided that the number of pilgrims under the Government subsidy scheme during Hajj 2007 will remain 1, 10,000. The other approvals/decisions of the Government in this regard are inclusion of Varnasi as an embarkation point over and above the existing ones for Hajj 2007, retaining subsidized airfare to be charged per pilgrim for the round trip to Jeddah/Madinah at Rs 12000. The remaining cost is to be paid as subsidy by the Government of India to Air India. The Airport Tax levied by Saudi Government @ 50 Saudi Arabian Riyals per passenger to be paid by the pilgrim. Transportation of up to 59000 pilgrims by Saudi Arabian Airways (SAA) at the return fare of US$ 772 for Mumbai-Delhi, Ahemdabad and Hyderabad and US$ 849 from Chennai and Bangalore. Transportation of balance pilgrims by Air India from Lucknow, Kolkata, Calicut, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Patna, Guwahati, Srinagar and Varanasi. The movement of Hajj is scheduled to commence from November 10, 2007. Air India and Saudi Arabian Airlines will together be managing the air transportation of pilgrims for Hajj 2007 operations. The total cost of operation for Hajj 2007 is estimated to be around Rs 519 crores. With the pilgrims fare remaining at Rs 12,000 an amount of Rs 132 crores will be received from the pilgrims. The subsidy will be around Rs. 387 crores for Haj 2007 operations. Due to capacity constraints Air India proposes to undertake Haj operations through wet leasing of aircraft even as efforts are being made to minimize the cost of operations, the estimated per pilgrim cost in respect of Air India operations is expected to be US$ 1535 for Hajj 2007. The subsidy amount will be reimbursed to Air India by the Government. PIB From harilalms at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 11:37:11 2007 From: harilalms at gmail.com (harilal madhavan) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 11:37:11 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Ayurveda in Transnational contexts Message-ID: <786e9c3e0711022307m793e59e1w4943288ac9b0de72@mail.gmail.com> *M S HARILAL/ SARAI INDEPENDENT FELLOW 2007/ SIXTH POSTING/AYURVEDA IN TRANS-NATIONAL CONTEXTS * The traditional systems like ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine is undergoing an unprecedented shift in its presentation in global market. Some elements of shift are very briefly presented below in the case of ayurveda. Manufacturing of ayurveda is least affected (compared to health practice and education) by the disturbances and conflicts within the sector. This has helped ayurveda to extent its influence in the domestic market. This could be understood from the establishment of small and big manufacturing companies and the mechanization efforts. But again standardization has become a problem, when the concept of "global ayurveda" has come into forefront. Even to surpass these hurdles different companies had to rely on various awareness programmes and product differentiation in such an extent to include in another category where regulations are least affected. Increasing production in the form of food supplements and health nutrients are evident for this. Modern development has shown that Ayurvedic companies have adopted various ways to nurture their industry in different countries. For example, in the case of United States of America, although ayurveda was introduced as a form of alternative healing, its link with religion and its constitutional guarantees of freedom allowed it to circumvent professionalizing routes of licensing and regulation that were usually sought by strictly medical practices. So the extension of ayurveda into other categories was a "circumvention strategy" to cope with the modern regulations as a system of medicine. Ayurveda in the South Asian contexts, transformed through a series of ideological and thematic interactions and negotiations, whether it is orientalist debate in the 19th and 20th century or biomedical confrontations in 20th century or the nationalist struggles of the same time the arguments were mainly hovering around the scientific authenticity, mostly restricted it as a system of medicine. But what we have mentioned as a "circumvention strategy" to deal with the same problem of 'less scientific' by introducing new product and market categories in the transnational contexts doesn't seem to have a long life. On contrary, what was claimed as cultural and original have to again attain proof. In a sense, what is realized that, in the transnational context, ayurveda's encounters with the west are not actually restricted to biomedicine alone, but mostly by global health care trends such as the interest in holistic medicine (Leslie and Young 1992; Langford 1995). This new trend works both as a support and hindrance for the "circumvention strategy". While the increased trust and demand woks as a positive outcome of this realization, this in turn, puts pressure on the institutions to develop more standardization and discipline in the practices and hence qualitative regulations on herbal systems. State level regulation of herbs and drugs or Food and Drug Association proscriptions against herbal imports might have influenced a shift in Ayurvedic therapeutics away from herbal medication and towards physical manipulation or massage treatments and inclusion of many non-medical therapeutic techniques like Yoga and meditations and, mass based spa like therapeutic centres that focus on health maintenance, non-clinical individualized self-help procedures like dietary regimes (Reddy 2002). This was mainly because the satisfying the larger audience, unlike other transplanters like Chinese medicine, of mostly non-Asian profile. But there are instances, where distortions are made even in ideological base of Ayurvedic therapeutics to 'fit' the holistic health care market in America. Zimmermann (1992) noted that how North American Panchakarma treatment packages selectively emphasize the gentle, non-violent, evacuative elements. During the past two decades, alternative medical groups in the United States have been marked by a distinct ideological shift towards an increased spiritualization, a shift Robert Fuller (1989) terms from 'physic to metaphysic' (Reddy 2002). Recently, the policies of many countries have a strong say in the development and shaping of traditional medicine both in the health system and in the market, whether it is Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine. This re-modeling the system as such in a trans-national context calls for some kind of homogeneity in acceptance. This acceptance works in tandem with scientificity and proof of efficacy. Hence the traditional systems are not only equipped with the acceptance of modernization not only in its systemic approach but also in its product market. Traditional medicine, especially ayurveda, which is considered to be one of the examples for reverse globalization, i.e. a move from "east to west", how far able to negotiate with the identity and market seems to be a significant concern in the coming future. *(Address for correspondence: harims at cds.ac.in)* From shijusam at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 13:22:44 2007 From: shijusam at gmail.com (Shiju Sam Varughese) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 13:22:44 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] =?windows-1252?q?Local_negotiations_on_Science=3A_F?= =?windows-1252?q?rom_the_=91Public_Understanding_of_Science=92_to_?= =?windows-1252?q?the_=91Public_Engagement_with_Science=92?= Message-ID: <345848710711030052nd56bbd9y9ac3cf5f02b50f9a@mail.gmail.com> Local negotiations on Science: From the 'Public Understanding of Science' to the 'Public Engagement with Science'. Dear friends, This is my sixth posting. Here I would like to make some preliminary comments about the unusual geological phenomena that struck Kerala in 2001. Along with a series of tremors, several unusual geological phenomena started appearing in the region in 2001. The collapsing wells all over the region were the major among them. The phenomenon started appearing in the month of March. The regional press often named the event as 'well vanishing'. It was because the wells literally 'disappeared' being filled with mud due to the collapse of its walls. According to one report, more than 300 cases of well collapse occurred in the region during the period. Since the month of July, well collapses became more intense and the newspapers reported such cases from all over the state. A major fear that was raised in the regional press was the phenomenon's linkage with the Gujarat earthquake that occurred on 26 January 2001. In this context however the scientists from institutions like the CESS kept on arguing that the phenomenon was mainly due to the ground water pressure variations as it was the monsoon season, and they denied any possible connection of the phenomenon with the seismic activity in the Indian peninsula. This was the axis of the tension between scientists and the public that facilitated deliberations on the phenomenon in the regional press. Several new unusual geological phenomena also have been reported along with increasing number of well collapses. Cracks on the walls of buildings, ground fissures, leaf fall, tunnel/well formation, watercolour change as well as bubbling and boiling of water in wells, ponds and paddy fields, coloured rains and so on have been widely reported. At least 26 kinds of phenomena appeared in the region at this juncture. None of the scientific institutions could provide a satisfactory explanation to the phenomena. This inability from the side of the scientific community deteriorated the public's trust in the scientists and the legitimacy of the scientists and the scientific institutions have been questioned in the regional press. The unleashing of such a large spectrum of unusual geophysical incidents in the region created new problems for the scientists, as the local public demanded their visit to the locality where such incidents occurred in order to give expert opinion. In several instances the local public entered into heated arguments with the experts challenging the scientific explanations being offered. The fuming of a hill called Idinjimala at Irattayar, near Kattappana in the Idukki district was a specific case that further revealed this tension between the experts and the local public. The local people observed fumes coming out from the top of the hill and the regional press reported the incident. The local public became panic as the phenomenon resembled the formation of a volcano, and they also doubted its linkage with the increased seismic activity in the region. Therefore the villagers demanded scientific investigations on the matter and an expert team from the CESS visited the place. The expert team explained that there was no such fuming. The local public alleged that the scientists trivialised the issue when the district collector, quoting the scientists, declared the phenomenon as nothing but 'mist'. Reports in some newspapers also cited the scientists giving the same explanation. The villagers challenged the scientific explanation pointing out that there was no fuming of the hill when scientists were there and that the scientific explanation was not based on any detailed investigation of the phenomenon. The controversy between the local public and the scientists was reported in the regional newspapers and it further got amplified when this local incident was situated and interpreted in connection with other geological incidents in the region. The case of unusual geological phenomena and the deliberations over it in the regional press is thus giving a rare chance to understand the public engagement with modern science in their daily lives in a new light. Beyond the common allegations that the public misunderstand science and the media distort science, such incidents help us examine the complex process of negotiation between the scientists and the public in the context of a scientific controversy. Such an investigation leads to the portrayal of the 'public understanding of science' as a constructive political process of 'public engagement with science', where the public emerge as a political category rather than 'passive and ignorant masses', as usually branded in the science popularisation discourse. 02.11.2007 -- shiju sam varughese http://shijusam.blogspot.com/ From indersalim at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 14:22:36 2007 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 14:22:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house In-Reply-To: References: <843470.23386.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <602CC652-A4B4-4C09-9489-CAE87865E02E@sarai.net> Message-ID: <47e122a70711030152s7ce5465dr6a50e2fcca65c968@mail.gmail.com> dear jogi ji i am myself a guest in the reader list, but if i was the host, i would have thought twice about ciculation of your hate mails. But actually, may be there is some need to look into the minds of angry Hindu mindsets, but believe me, for that even you need to intensify your debate. What you are writing is too shallow. This is what i feel, but may be there are millions out there who agree with you, so i am again in minority without being a muslim. You have nothing to lose except your chains... with lot of love is On 11/3/07, Vedavati Jogi wrote: > > lot must have been discussed by readers list members about tehelka, as i am not receiving any mail from r-list i don't have the priviledge to read the secular thoughts. i want to express my views which may or may not be published by r-list. > > i feel if tehelka is so much fond of digging the past things, i can suggest few more subjects. 1) for thousands of years muslimss killed/ looted/ converted hindus, pulled down their temples, humiliated their women. tehelka can study & find out how many of muslims in india are originally hindus. how many mandirs have been dismantled & converted into masjids. 2) why was india partitioned in 1947? inspite of gandhi's appeasement policy, why was jinnah & his followers remained so adamant? what was meant by 'has ke liya pakistan, ladh ke lenge hindustan'? 3) who masterminded 1993 bombay- bombblast? 4) was rubiya syed abduction episode, a true story? or mufti m. syed the then first muslim home minister had joined hands with pakistan to release 5 hardcore terrorists? > CC: vrjogi at hotmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net> From: monica at sarai.net> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 11:50:44 +0530> To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> > Vedavati,> > If you have disabled receiving mails, then it does not mean that your > mails are being blocked by anyone except yourself for yourself.> > Mots du jour like banned are easy to bandy but utterly pointless if > untrue. Useful however for creating an atmosphere of allegations and > defensiveness. Perhaps that was the intention?> > This is an administered - NOT moderated - list. As everyone by now > knows, to their edification (or boredom).> > best> M> > Monica Narula> Raqs> Sarai-CSDS> 29 Rajpur Road> Delhi 110 054> www.raqsmediacollective.net> www.sarai.net> > > On 06-Sep-07, at 10:09 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote:> > > Dear VJ> >> > I do not know what the glitch was if any, but this last mail of > > yours has come through SARAI.> >> > Your address in Subscribers List continues to show in parentheses > > which means your list delivery is disabled.> >> > KK> >> > Vedavati Jogi wrote:> > .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage > > { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } yes, kshemendra, my > > mails are being blocked by sarai and i am not surprised because > > this is the real nature of secularism practiced in india.> >> > this secularism will lead to disaster i am sure.> >> > few decades back britishers encouraged muslim separatism which > > ultimately resulted into partition. today same great job is being > > done by psudosecularists and i will not be surprised if one day > > muslims again start giving same slogan 'islam khatareme hai' > > leading the nation to many more partitions.> >> > 'gujrat' is a 'shame' but 'kashmir' is not!> > when one babri was pulled down then so many riots (initiated by > > muslims) took place more over their acts were justified by > > psudosecularists> > but many temples were pulled down in kashmir ...spineless hindus > > did not feel bad and ofcourse psudo secularists kept their mouths > > shut.> >> > list is very big. this is secularism. if you feel what i have > > written is not wrong please distribute it.> >> > thanks> > vj> >> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > From: vrjogi at hotmail.com> > To: tapasrayx at gmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net> > Subject: RE: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> > Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 02:21:04 +0000> >> > .ExternalClass .EC_hmmessage P {padding: > > 0px;} .ExternalClass EC_body.hmmessage {font-size:10pt;font- > > family:Tahoma;} no i am not suffering from any mental problem, i > > only tell the truth which psudo secularists can not digest.> >> > vedavati> >> >> >> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:02:38 +0530> >> From: tapasrayx at gmail.com> >> To: vrjogi at hotmail.com> >>>> >> Please do not forward anything to me in future. I do not > >> appreciate it.> >>> >> For your information, I have already received from Reader-list the > >> mail> >> you claim was blocked and have forwarded to me offlist.> >>> >> I suspect you may be suffering from some type of delusion or > >> paranoia.> >>> >> TR> >>> >>> >> Vedavati Jogi wrote:> >>> i have no alternative but to forward this mail to all of you> >>> individually as readers list people don't dare to publish my mail.> >>> i request all of you to please read this correspondance. views > >>> expressed> >>> by people like roger are posing real threat to this country' unity.> >>>> >>> vedavati> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> ----> >>> From: vrjogi at hotmail.com> >>> To: rgdj12 at yahoo.com; reader-list at sarai.net> >>> Subject: RE: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> >>> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 04:55:48 +0000> >>>> >>> pakistan is an enemy so i don't blame them as they are doing what an> >>> enemy is supposed to do. i am talking against psudoseculars like> >>> you. nobody has blocked minority advancement in india otherwise> >>> shahruhk, irfan pathan, zakir hussin, javed akhtar would not have > >>> > >> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > Download the latest version of Windows Live Messenger NOW! Click > > here!> >> > ---------------------------------> > Download the latest version of Windows Live Messenger NOW! Click > > here!> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone > > who knows.> > Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.> > _________________________________________> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.> > Critiques & Collaborations> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > > subscribe in the subject header.> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list> > List archive: > > _________________________________________________________________ > Windows Live Spaces is here! It's easy to create your own personal Web site. > http://spaces.live.com/?mkt=en-in > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From ysikand at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 14:48:00 2007 From: ysikand at gmail.com (Yogi Sikand) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 14:48:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Modi A Psychic Killer, Worse Than Hitler, says Father of Slain Gujarat BJP Home Minister Message-ID: <48097acc0711030218w4b0baf74i8d9ffe67ee90664a@mail.gmail.com> *Modi A Psychic Killer, Worse Than Hitler, Should Be Jailed, says Father of Slain Gujarat BJP Home Minister * * * *Interview of Vithalbhai Pandya by Yoginder Sikand* *Q:* What do you feel about the recent judgment by the POTA court in the Haren Pandya murder case? *A:* I firmly believe that my son Haren Pandya was killed at Modi's behest through D.G. Vanjara, head of Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad and Modi's blue-eyed boy. This was because Haren was a transparent and efficient man, whom Modi thought of as a threat to his power. Haren was opposed to the worship of any individual, and so became a thorn in Modi's flesh. He was the only BJP MLA in Gujarat who did not act according to Modi's will. When the train coach was set alight in Godhra, Haren told Modi to confine the incident to Godhra itself and not to spread violence in the rest of Gujarat, as that would tear apart the fabric of our society and cause irreparable economic, besides human, destruction. But, yet, Modi went ahead, and organized a meeting in Sabarkantha where he plotted the genocide of Muslims throughout the state. These were state-sponsored massacres. I am saying this in the capacity of the father of the then Gujarat Home Minister, because I knew this from Haren himself. I have leveled specific charges against Modi but the CBI did not interrogate him. Under stiff pressure from Modi and his mentor, Lal Krishen Advani, then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India, the CBI did not conduct a proper probe. Modi, Advani and Vanjara are all criminals. It is the height of tragedy that the criminals I have pointed to have not been interrogated and punished and key witnesses have not been called to court. Advani and Modi must be arrested and sentenced for their anti-national activities, for spreading communal hatred and violence and thereby tearing apart our country and destroying its unity and integrity. >From the very beginning I have been arguing that Modi was not killed in his Maruti car outside the Law Gardens in Ahmedabad, contrary to what the CBI claims in order to pass the blame on to the arrested Muslim youth. A team of top forensic scientists who studied the matter also concurred with me on this. No blood drops were found in the car, nor was there any residue of the bullets. Haren was shot at in the scrotum and the bullet traveled vertically from there, which would not have been possible if he had been shot at in the car. Since the data in the form of investigation is wrong, how can the judgment be right? The court did not consider the opinion of the forensic experts due to political interference in the case. I demanded that Modi be first removed from the post of Chief Minister of Gujarat and then let the CBI conduct its probe if it is to be fair and impartial, but, sadly, this did not happen, for obvious political reasons. *Q:* Have you appealed in the court to present your case? *A:* I applied to the court to file my appeal. I wanted to appear as a party in person but I did not get any reply from the court. I then wrote to the Supreme Court, but from there, too, I got no response. I also appealed to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and leaders of various political parties to take up the case, but no one showed any sincere interest. I sent letters to BJP and RSS letters, but they, too, did not reply, despite the fact that my son was a top BJP leader, the Home Minister of Gujarat. *Q:* What, then, do you think of the RSS and the BJP? *A:* The BJP is today not a genuine political party at all. It is a gang of a few sophisticated ruffians. These people are hungry for money and power. Their speech and their actions do not match. They want to spread communal hatred in the name of Hinduism and thereby climb to power. According to the noted scholar Ashish Nandy, Modi shows all signs of being a psychopathic dictator. He, Advani and their likes have worked against the unity and integrity of this great nation. For their anti-national and anti-Constitutional crimes they must be arrested and jailed. People are losing faith in the RSS. Modi has created a vertical split in the RSS, and many RSS leaders tell me that they dislike him. He has also put aside the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and is, instead, patronizing a bunch of *sadhu*s who constantly flatter him. Ambitious, selfish people have taken control of the RSS and the VHP. Look at Modi's ministry—it contains so many criminals and ruffians. Modi's government in Gujarat is being run on *jhoot*(lies), *julm* (oppression) and *jasusi* (spying). Modi has his spies in every office. And Gujarat is now engulfed in crime, in riots. RSS and VHP leaders have amassed vast amounts of money in the name of destroying the Babri Masjid and building a temple in Ayodhya. Some time ago, Gauri Advani, Lal Krishen Advani's daughter-in-law came out with a statement that Advani was not a true Hindu, that he was misusing the name of Rama. Such is the state of the BJP. *Q:* So, do you feel that the Muslims arrested and sentenced in the Haren Pandya case are actually innocent? *A:* I am concerned with the actual motivator of the murder, who, I say, is Narendra Modi. The Muslims who were arrested are poor and illiterate, and such people can be used. Modi is worse than Hitler. He will use all means to protect himself, including threats and enticements. *Q:* But what about the Muslims arrested? Do you think they are innocent and have been wrongly framed? *A:* Maybe they are innocent. This is something that should be properly investigated. How can I cite my own opinion? I am in touch with the families of these Muslim men. They respect me greatly. They have told me that their sons were not at all involved in Haren's murder. It may be that the CBI has fabricated the whole story about these Muslims in order to save Modi. *Q:* So, are you saying that you think that these Muslims were not involved in the killing? *A:* They were not involved. They did not kill Haren. They had no role in his murder. But, still, this is a matter for the court, so what can I say? The court should have been impartial but it was not. Key witnesses, such as myself and Haren's secretary, have not been examined. I believe Vanjara arranged for Haren's murder to please Modi in order to get a promotion, and the story of these innocent Muslims being involved was concocted in order to further fan Hindu emotions while getting rid of a major rival to Modi. One man, Mufti Sufiyan, who was under constant police vigil, was allowed to cross over to Pakistan so that witnesses could be made hostile and Modi could escape conviction. Further, efforts were made to destroy all possible evidence. All the telephone numbers on Haren's mobile phone of calls made on the 25th and 26thof March, that is the day before and the day of his murder, were later deleted. The Hutch company may have been bribed or led astray or put under pressure to do so. Had the numbers not been deleted, it could easily have been ascertained who it was who had called him the morning he was murdered, because it was after getting this call that he left home in haste, shortly after which he was killed. Obviously, that person must have been very familiar to him, otherwise he would not have rushed out like that. And then when he reached the place which he must have mentioned to this caller, he must have been surrounded by the killers, who pushed him on the ground, because of which some gravel got lodged in his knees. They must have shot him there, then put him in his car and taken it and his corpse to the Law Gardens. The fact of the gravel in his knees clearly indicates that he was not shot inside the car, but that he was killed elsewhere. I have clear-cut evidence to prove that Modi was responsible for Haren's murder. It is as good as a dying declaration. Some two or three months before Haren's murder, Modi asked the President of the Gujarat unit of the BJP to issue Haren a show-cause notice, because he felt that Haren was emerging as a powerful challenge to him. Haren said that he feared that he might fall a victim to Modi's ego, vendetta and revenge. Haren did not follow Modi's whims, and so Modi arranged for this show-cause notice to be issued. The President of the BJP state unit had to do as Modi had told him, although he held Haren in great respect, and was literally in tears when he informed Haren about the notice. On 24th March, two days before he was killed, Haren, referring to Modi, told me, 'Take it from me, this Ghanchi (oil-presser, the caste to which Modi belongs) may be rusticated from Gujarat within 15 days, by around the 10thof April, otherwise I am not a Brahmin.' And that matter leaked out. Haren may have told the same thing to someone else, who might have informed Modi, and then became the apple of Modi's eye. *Q:* And who is that person? *A:* Oh, let that person go to hell. As I said, Haren might have told some friends of his the same thing that he told me. It may have been a very big builder in Ahmedabad, who might have told this to Advani, and maybe Modi came to know of this through him. That is why Modi might have conspired to have him killed. Haren wanted to drive Modi out of Gujarat using constitutional means. He disliked Modi's attitude, his arrogance and his unconstitutional deeds. *Q:* What do you feel about the burning of the coach of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra, which was then used by Modi to engineer a genocide of Muslims across Gujarat? *A:* I think it was a pre-planned strategy of Modi to use the Hindutva card to keep himself in power at any cost. *Q:* So, are you saying that you think that the train was set alight on Modi's instructions? A: Yes. *Q:* Not by some Muslims in Godhra? *A:* No, no, no. *Q:* So are you saying that you believe that Modi was involved in the burning of the coach? *A:* Definitely. *Q:* Did Haren Pandya tell you that? *A:* He told me that Modi would certainly do something (*Modi zaroor kuch na kuch karega*). *Q:* But did he explicitly tell you that Modi had planned the burning of the coach? *A:* No, he did not tell me this. But I believe that the Muslims of Godhra were not responsible for the burning of the coach. The *karesevak*s returning from Ayodhya in the train were absolutely frenzied and then this happened. *Q:* But do you mean to say that you think the coach was burnt at Modi's instigation? *A:* Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. *Q:* Since you believe that the Gujarat High Court's judgmnent is wrong, have you demanded a reinvestigation into the Haren Pandya murder case? *A:* Yes, yes. I have sent numerous letters to leaders of the country demanding a reinvestigation. I wrote to the President of India, the Chief Justice and also delivered a letter to Sonia Gandhi in person. However, I have got no response at all. Maybe there is some pressure not to go ahead with the reinvestigation. I've been moving heaven and earth to get at the truth but as long as Modi and Advani are not punished justice will elude me. *Q:* What do you feel about Modi's chances of winning in the coming elections in Gujarat? *A:* He is feeding the people with sleeping pills, fanning communal hatred. But this time I don't think he will be elected. Who knows, prior to that he might be behind bars? I wish I could file a suit against him to disqualify him, but I am an ordinary middle-class man and cannot afford the exorbitant cost that this would entail. And then, only a lawyer who will not succumb to Modi's tactics—bribes and intimdation—can take him on. But I will continue my struggle against Modi. It is not a struggle for my son, but for Gujarat, for justice and democracy, for humanity, for the victims of those thousands of innocent Muslims who Modi arranged to have massacred. I am 80 years-old, and now at the fag end of my life. I am doing what I can to see that Modi and Advani and their likes are brought to justice. I send off letters to various leaders demanding justice. I cannot even remember the number of these letters. I have yet to get any positive response, even from the Congress. But still I shall continue to raise my voice. Otherwise, what is the use of living? I don't want to live like an inert corpse. Modi behaves like the monarch of all he surveys. But I know in my heart that God will not let him go unpunished. He will die a dog's death. These are the words of a Brahmin. -- Sukhia Sab Sansar Khaye Aur Soye Dukhia Das Kabir Jagey Aur Roye The world is 'happy', eating and sleeping The forlorn Kabir Das is awake and weeping From ramanchima at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 18:28:17 2007 From: ramanchima at gmail.com (Raman Chima) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 18:28:17 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Regulation of the Internet by the Indian State (Sarai I-Fellowship) - Update on Posts In-Reply-To: <6e39cab40711030542m6797ded8m853587c1c4669446@mail.gmail.com> References: <2fbb8fe0711030519t67b2f07fm4ad244619a945866@mail.gmail.com> <6e39cab40711030542m6797ded8m853587c1c4669446@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <2fbb8fe0711030558g6a00d5dcw2bd9bb33e1cd4adf@mail.gmail.com> Dear all, Apologies for the long leave of absence from the Reader List- I've been stuck with lots of things, which made it difficult to post as regularly as I ought to have. I have, however, continued with my research all through, and I've been posting my progress via individual entries on my work blog at http://stateoftheweb.blogspot.com. It is currently at eight entries under various post headings. I've currently put up the entries grouped under post 4 (i.e. entries 4.1. and 4.2) and will be have the entries under post 5 up in two days or so. This email is to summarize the various entries that I've posted right now, specifically those grouped under posts 4 and 5. With the entries under posts 4 and 5, you see a shape emerging as to the form of regulation by which the Indian State has chosen to control speech and expression on the Internet in the national context. In our now bordered Internet, where the founding libertarian belief that the Internet was beyond the power of the nation state to regulate has lost credence, the Indian State has been steadily and quietly expanding its structure of regulation. Flowing from vague legislative authority in the form of the Information Technology Act passed by Parliament in 2000, executive agencies have sought to ensure that Internet regulation takes place not only with respect to online content, subject to opaque control in the form of website blocking requests decided by agencies such as CERT-In; but also control over the infrastructure of the network itself. This network information infrastructure (NII; a term coined by Giampiero Giacomello) is dominated at every stage by the Indian State, which had from the outset sought to regulate ISPs as well as cybercafes. We see regulation happening at the central level, with notifications empowering agencies such as CERT-In to coordinate and sanction direct acts of censorship by issuing website blocking instructions to ISPs, and the creation of ISP license agreements which not only call for compliance with such broad censorship powers, but which also call for frighteningly invasive forms of communication monitoring and interception at the level of the ISP complexes themselves. What is most notable about all of this perhaps is not as much the potentially Orwellian powers that the Indian State has granted itself, but rather the near abysmal public awareness and protest against the same. The Indian State is in fact particularly vulnerable to public outrage based on claims of violation of our rights to free speech and expression, as typified by its response to the widely recognized public outrage against the blog blocking incident of July 2006. As a result of this, the Indian State seems to be determined to avoid any public inquiry into its regulatory framework vis-a-vis speech and expression on the Internet, which can be seen in my observations from my interview with Dr. Gulshan Rai of CERT. The executive was stung by the outrage triggered in the blog blocking incident into being more careful and circumspect, but it still considers the continuance, and arguably also an expansion, of its regulatory framework (based on extremely flimsy legal authority) necessary and without opposition. The Centre is only one part of the matter, with there state governments also taking up the mantle of having to regulate matters which touch upon speech and expression on the Internet in India, most notably with regards the framework in which cybercafes operate. In their vitally important role of being cheap publicly available providers of access to the Internet, cybercafes have been systematically brought withing the ambit of local jurisdiction by the police acting on behalf of state governments. In certain cases, as in Karnataka, this is given some clarity in the form of a government order, dubiously authorized supposedly under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, putting in place a structure by which the state monitors usage of such fora, with details having to be maintained in registers of "prescribed formats". These are all broad observations based on my more specific and comprehensive entries posted at http://stateoftheweb.blogspot.com . I do hope that whoever is interested does go through my current and past entries there. Feel free to comment. I'll be posting several more entries as soon as possible. Sincerely, Raman. From amitabh at sarai.net Sat Nov 3 19:14:42 2007 From: amitabh at sarai.net (Amitabh Kumar) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 19:14:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] COMIC BOOK WORKSHOP- Call for entries. Message-ID: <64912B42-59FB-4DAB-93AF-396D4F7AE2A7@sarai.net> Sarai-CSDS and the French Information and Resource Center (FIRC) are collaborating on a series of events to popularize and promote a wider dissemination of comic books, graphic novels and graphic literature. The first in this series of events was a Comic Book reading by Orijit Sen at FIRC on the 26 October 2007. We now invite applications for a 9- day Comic Book/Graphic Novel Workshop (3 three day sessions). Intended for aspiring graphic artists and writers who are interested in learning the craft from some of the top practitioners of the form. We have invited two comic book authors from France and three of India's premier comic book practitioners to contribute to this workshop. France has a rich history of comic book practice and has been a focal point in the emergence of the new genre in the comic form – the Graphic Novel. Mathieu Sapin and Francois Dermaut will conduct the first session (3 days) of the workshop. Francois Dermaut is a renowned comic book author who has been creating comics for almost 30 years. Mathieu Sapin has worked extensively in almost all genres of the form, ranging from illustrations for children's books to graphic novels. Parismita Singh and Sarnath Banerjee will conduct the second session (3 days) of the workshop. Sarnath Banerjee is India's most recognized comic book author. His graphic novels ('Corridors', [1994] and `The Barn Owl's Wondrous Capers',[2006] ) have been critically acclaimed and significant in promoting a comic book culture in India. Parismita Singh's first graphic novel is soon to be published by Penguin. Orijit Sen will conduct the third and final session(3 days) of the workshop. One of the earliest practitioners of the form in India,Orijit authored 'The River of Stories' in 1994. He is presently working on a texto-visual representation of Kabir's poetry and is making his first animation film. The Comic Book workshop will be conducted over a period of three weeks. There will be 3 sessions per week. Session 1: 17, 18, 19 DECEMBER 2007 Venue: French information & Resource Center 2 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi Facilitators: Mathieu Sapin & Francois Dermaut Session 2: 4, 5, 6 JANUARY 2008 Venue: The ATTIC 36 Regal Building Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001. Facilitators: Sarnath Banerjee & Parismita Singh Session 3: 17, 18, 19 JANUARY 2008 Venue: Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road Civil Lines, Delhi -110054 Facilitator: Orijit Sen People interested in participation should: Send in an original story/plot, drawing or a 2 page comic strip on any of the following themes: - DELHI 2084 - A BIZZARE EXPERIENCE - GETTING LOST:GETTING FOUND - SIGNAGES IN THE CITY Send the submissions by post/email to : Marielle Morin, Director, French Information Resource Centre 2 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi 110011 (director at fircdel.com) OR Amitabh Kumar, Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Civil Lines, Delhi -110054 (amitabh at sarai.net) Please send your submissions by 21 NOVEMBER 2007 Note: Those selected for the workshop will be required to pay a fee of Rs. 2000/-. A fee waiver for special cases will be decided by the selection committee, whose decision is final. From amitabh at sarai.net Sat Nov 3 19:14:42 2007 From: amitabh at sarai.net (Amitabh Kumar) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 19:14:42 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] [Announcements] COMIC BOOK WORKSHOP- Call for entries. Message-ID: <64912B42-59FB-4DAB-93AF-396D4F7AE2A7@sarai.net> Sarai-CSDS and the French Information and Resource Center (FIRC) are collaborating on a series of events to popularize and promote a wider dissemination of comic books, graphic novels and graphic literature. The first in this series of events was a Comic Book reading by Orijit Sen at FIRC on the 26 October 2007. We now invite applications for a 9- day Comic Book/Graphic Novel Workshop (3 three day sessions). Intended for aspiring graphic artists and writers who are interested in learning the craft from some of the top practitioners of the form. We have invited two comic book authors from France and three of India's premier comic book practitioners to contribute to this workshop. France has a rich history of comic book practice and has been a focal point in the emergence of the new genre in the comic form – the Graphic Novel. Mathieu Sapin and Francois Dermaut will conduct the first session (3 days) of the workshop. Francois Dermaut is a renowned comic book author who has been creating comics for almost 30 years. Mathieu Sapin has worked extensively in almost all genres of the form, ranging from illustrations for children's books to graphic novels. Parismita Singh and Sarnath Banerjee will conduct the second session (3 days) of the workshop. Sarnath Banerjee is India's most recognized comic book author. His graphic novels ('Corridors', [1994] and `The Barn Owl's Wondrous Capers',[2006] ) have been critically acclaimed and significant in promoting a comic book culture in India. Parismita Singh's first graphic novel is soon to be published by Penguin. Orijit Sen will conduct the third and final session(3 days) of the workshop. One of the earliest practitioners of the form in India,Orijit authored 'The River of Stories' in 1994. He is presently working on a texto-visual representation of Kabir's poetry and is making his first animation film. The Comic Book workshop will be conducted over a period of three weeks. There will be 3 sessions per week. Session 1: 17, 18, 19 DECEMBER 2007 Venue: French information & Resource Center 2 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi Facilitators: Mathieu Sapin & Francois Dermaut Session 2: 4, 5, 6 JANUARY 2008 Venue: The ATTIC 36 Regal Building Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001. Facilitators: Sarnath Banerjee & Parismita Singh Session 3: 17, 18, 19 JANUARY 2008 Venue: Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road Civil Lines, Delhi -110054 Facilitator: Orijit Sen People interested in participation should: Send in an original story/plot, drawing or a 2 page comic strip on any of the following themes: - DELHI 2084 - A BIZZARE EXPERIENCE - GETTING LOST:GETTING FOUND - SIGNAGES IN THE CITY Send the submissions by post/email to : Marielle Morin, Director, French Information Resource Centre 2 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi 110011 (director at fircdel.com) OR Amitabh Kumar, Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road, Civil Lines, Delhi -110054 (amitabh at sarai.net) Please send your submissions by 21 NOVEMBER 2007 Note: Those selected for the workshop will be required to pay a fee of Rs. 2000/-. A fee waiver for special cases will be decided by the selection committee, whose decision is final. _______________________________________________ announcements mailing list announcements at sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/announcements From pawan.durani at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 20:08:36 2007 From: pawan.durani at gmail.com (Pawan Durani) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 20:08:36 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house In-Reply-To: <47e122a70711030152s7ce5465dr6a50e2fcca65c968@mail.gmail.com> References: <843470.23386.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <602CC652-A4B4-4C09-9489-CAE87865E02E@sarai.net> <47e122a70711030152s7ce5465dr6a50e2fcca65c968@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <6b79f1a70711030738kc28dcafy58c67c6a481a5131@mail.gmail.com> And what do you thing was wrong in Ms Vedavati's question ? Pawan On 11/3/07, inder salim wrote: > > dear jogi ji > i am myself a guest in the reader list, but if i was the host, i would > have thought twice about > ciculation of your hate mails. But actually, may be there is some need > to look into the minds of angry Hindu mindsets, but believe me, for > that even you need to intensify your debate. What you are writing is > too shallow. > This is what i feel, but may be there are millions out there who agree > with you, so i am again in minority without being a muslim. You have > nothing to lose except your chains... > > with lot of love > is > > On 11/3/07, Vedavati Jogi wrote: > > > > lot must have been discussed by readers list members about tehelka, as i > am not receiving any mail from r-list i don't have the priviledge to read > the secular thoughts. i want to express my views which may or may not be > published by r-list. > > > > i feel if tehelka is so much fond of digging the past things, i can > suggest few more subjects. 1) for thousands of years muslimss killed/ > looted/ converted hindus, pulled down their temples, humiliated their women. > tehelka can study & find out how many of muslims in india are originally > hindus. how many mandirs have been dismantled & converted into masjids. 2) > why was india partitioned in 1947? inspite of gandhi's appeasement policy, > why was jinnah & his followers remained so adamant? what was meant by 'has > ke liya pakistan, ladh ke lenge hindustan'? 3) who masterminded 1993 bombay- > bombblast? 4) was rubiya syed abduction episode, a true story? or mufti m. > syed the then first muslim home minister had joined hands with pakistan to > release 5 hardcore terrorists? > CC: vrjogi at hotmail.com; > reader-list at sarai.net> From: monica at sarai.net> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] > FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 11:50:44 +0530> > To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> > Vedavati,> > If you have disabled receiving > mails, then it does not mean that your > mails are being blocked by anyone > except yourself for yourself.> > Mots du jour like banned are easy to bandy > but utterly pointless if > untrue. Useful however for creating an atmosphere > of allegations and > defensiveness. Perhaps that was the intention?> > This > is an administered - NOT moderated - list. As everyone by now > knows, to > their edification (or boredom).> > best> M> > Monica Narula> Raqs> > Sarai-CSDS> 29 Rajpur Road> Delhi 110 054> www.raqsmediacollective.net> > www.sarai.net> > > On 06-Sep-07, at 10:09 PM, Kshmendra Kaul wrote:> > > > Dear VJ> >> > I do not know what the glitch was if any, but this last mail > of > > yours has come through SARAI.> >> > Your address in Subscribers List > continues to show in parentheses > > which means your list delivery is > disabled.> >> > KK> >> > Vedavati Jogi wrote:> > > .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage > > { FONT-SIZE: > 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } yes, kshemendra, my > > mails are being blocked > by sarai and i am not surprised because > > this is the real nature of > secularism practiced in india.> >> > this secularism will lead to disaster i > am sure.> >> > few decades back britishers encouraged muslim separatism > which > > ultimately resulted into partition. today same great job is being > > > done by psudosecularists and i will not be surprised if one day > > > muslims again start giving same slogan 'islam khatareme hai' > > leading the > nation to many more partitions.> >> > 'gujrat' is a 'shame' but 'kashmir' is > not!> > when one babri was pulled down then so many riots (initiated by > > > muslims) took place more over their acts were justified by > > > psudosecularists> > but many temples were pulled down in kashmir > ...spineless hindus > > did not feel bad and ofcourse psudo secularists kept > their mouths > > shut.> >> > list is very big. this is secularism. if you > feel what i have > > written is not wrong please distribute it.> >> > > thanks> > vj> >> >> >> > ---------------------------------> > From: > vrjogi at hotmail.com> > To: tapasrayx at gmail.com; reader-list at sarai.net> > > Subject: RE: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house> > Date: Tue, > 4 Sep 2007 02:21:04 +0000> >> > .ExternalClass .EC_hmmessage P {padding: > > > 0px;} .ExternalClass EC_body.hmmessage {font-size:10pt;font- > > > family:Tahoma;} no i am not suffering from any mental problem, i > > only > tell the truth which psudo secularists can not digest.> >> > vedavati> >> >> > >> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:02:38 +0530> >> From: tapasrayx at gmail.com> >> > To: vrjogi at hotmail.com> >>>> >> Please do not forward anything to me in > future. I do not > >> appreciate it.> >>> >> For your information, I have > already received from Reader-list the > >> mail> >> you claim was blocked > and have forwarded to me offlist.> >>> >> I suspect you may be suffering > from some type of delusion or > >> paranoia.> >>> >> TR> >>> >>> >> Vedavati > Jogi wrote:> >>> i have no alternative but to forward this mail to all of > you> >>> individually as readers list people don't dare to publish my mail.> > >>> i request all of you to please read this correspondance. views > >>> > expressed> >>> by people like roger are posing real threat to this country' > unity.> >>>> >>> vedavati> >>> > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > >>> > ----> >>> From: vrjogi at hotmail.com> >>> To: rgdj12 at yahoo.com; > reader-list at sarai.net> >>> Subject: RE: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in > Vedavati's house> >>> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 04:55:48 +0000> >>>> >>> > pakistan is an enemy so i don't blame them as they are doing what an> >>> > enemy is supposed to do. i am talking against psudoseculars like> >>> you. > nobody has blocked minority advancement in india otherwise> >>> shahruhk, > irfan pathan, zakir hussin, javed akhtar would not have > >>> > >> >> > >> > ---------------------------------> > Download the latest version of > Windows Live Messenger NOW! Click > > here!> >> > > ---------------------------------> > Download the latest version of Windows > Live Messenger NOW! Click > > here!> >> >> > > ---------------------------------> > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better > travel answers from someone > > who knows.> > Yahoo! Answers - Check it > out.> > _________________________________________> > reader-list: an open > discussion list on media and the city.> > Critiques & Collaborations> > To > subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > > > subscribe in the subject header.> > To unsubscribe: > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list> > List archive: < > https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>> > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Windows Live Spaces is here! It's easy to create your own personal Web > site. > > http://spaces.live.com/?mkt=en-in > > _________________________________________ > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > > Critiques & Collaborations > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > > List archive: > > > -- > > http://indersalim.livejournal.com > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From anu.mukh at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 21:16:14 2007 From: anu.mukh at gmail.com (anuradha mukherjee) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 15:46:14 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house In-Reply-To: <47e122a70711030152s7ce5465dr6a50e2fcca65c968@mail.gmail.com> References: <843470.23386.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <602CC652-A4B4-4C09-9489-CAE87865E02E@sarai.net> <47e122a70711030152s7ce5465dr6a50e2fcca65c968@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Dear Vedavati, I have been reading your posts for a long time. Without going into their merits or demerits, they seriously need to be structured better in order to say what you want to convey. Otherwise it is simply a rant. Rants are also valid, but this may not be the best forum for that. I suggest, start a blog. And may I also add that you don't ever say anything new. Not a new line of thought or even facts. You just go on repeating yourself. I have been a most invisible reader here, but you inspired me to write in. Continue the good work, but do at least make an effort to make what you write readable and therefore more easy to understand. Your scorn for "pseudo-secularists" is well-known, but since many of them are your readers, at least be legible. But I also find it funny that words like intellectual and pseudo-secularists are tossed about with such ease without even sparing a thought about their meaning or genesis. Almost every totalitarian regime or mindset that wanted to attack free-thinking has used such terms regardless which side of the fence they were on. The earth-shattering questions you ask can all be answered. But only somebody with immense patience can do it, take up your arguments point-wise and shred them. May be it is high time somebody should. But then what's the point, you don't ever listen to others, do you? Frankly, for most of us, it's not worth the effort. I agree with Inder when he says that you need to shape your debate better. Before you lump me with him and declare us a part of some "pseudo-secularist agenda" let me add that I may or may not agree with him on other things. Best Anuradha From anu.mukh at gmail.com Sat Nov 3 21:51:14 2007 From: anu.mukh at gmail.com (anuradha mukherjee) Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 16:21:14 +0000 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house In-Reply-To: <6b79f1a70711030849h6f166c22gf7431adb73812aa1@mail.gmail.com> References: <843470.23386.qm@web57214.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <602CC652-A4B4-4C09-9489-CAE87865E02E@sarai.net> <47e122a70711030152s7ce5465dr6a50e2fcca65c968@mail.gmail.com> <6b79f1a70711030849h6f166c22gf7431adb73812aa1@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Pawan, I don't acknowledge pseudo-secularists here. I am merely saying that since most of her posts are peppered with references to "psuedo-secularists" and rants against them, it appears she feels she is speaking to that particular set identified by her (Not me) when she makes postings to the Reader List. I personally have a problem with the term "psuedo secularists". What does it mean? Either you are secular or you are not. It is thrown at people as an insult like saying "you a feminist" if you feel a woman is too assertive. So if you say a riot is very unfortunate and people should not be killed and the person in question does not agree, you are a psuedo-secularist. All I am saying is that such terminology is extremely dangerous and we should think twice before using it. Best Anuradha ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Pawan Durani Date: Nov 3, 2007 3:49 PM Subject: Re: [Reader-list] FW: FW: Guests in Vedavati's house To: anuradha mukherjee Good ...atleast you do acknowledge Psuedo secularist.......I agree with most of ur points ...though.... On 11/3/07, anuradha mukherjee wrote: > Dear Vedavati, > > I have been reading your posts for a long time. Without going into their > merits or demerits, they seriously need to be structured better in order > to > say what you want to convey. Otherwise it is simply a rant. Rants are also > valid, but this may not be the best forum for that. I suggest, start a > blog. > And may I also add that you don't ever say anything new. Not a new line of > > thought or even facts. You just go on repeating yourself. > > I have been a most invisible reader here, but you inspired me to write in. > Continue the good work, but do at least make an effort to make what you > write readable and therefore more easy to understand. Your scorn for > "pseudo-secularists" is well-known, but since many of them are your > readers, > at least be legible. But I also find it funny that words like intellectual > > and pseudo-secularists are tossed about with such ease without even > sparing > a thought about their meaning or genesis. Almost every totalitarian regime > or mindset that wanted to attack free-thinking has used such terms > regardless which side of the fence they were on. > > The earth-shattering questions you ask can all be answered. But only > somebody with immense patience can do it, take up your arguments > point-wise > and shred them. May be it is high time somebody should. But then what's > the > point, you don't ever listen to others, do you? Frankly, for most of us, > it's not worth the effort. I agree with Inder when he says that you need > to > shape your debate better. Before you lump me with him and declare us a > part > of some "pseudo-secularist agenda" let me add that I may or may not agree > with him on other things. > Best > Anuradha > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with > subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> From monica at sarai.net Sun Nov 4 08:10:00 2007 From: monica at sarai.net (Monica Narula) Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 08:10:00 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd: [cr-india] World's smallest radio fits in the palm of the hand...of an ant References: <472C475C.7010401@ideosyncmedia.org> Message-ID: <39FA8519-B1BE-455D-9E81-9EE3BD81AE14@sarai.net> dear all sometimes the things that are invented!! :-) best M Monica Narula Raqs Sarai-CSDS 29 Rajpur Road Delhi 110 054 www.raqsmediacollective.net www.sarai.net Begin forwarded message: > From: "N.Ramakrishnan" > Date: 3 November 2007 3:33:08 PM GMT+05:30 > To: "cr-india at sarai.net" > Subject: [cr-india] World's smallest radio fits in the palm of the > hand...of an ant > > *World's smallest radio fits in the palm of the hand...of an ant* > > *Single carbon nanotube is fully functional radio, receiving music > over > standard radio bandwidth* > > Harnessing the electrical and mechanical properties of the carbon > nanotube, a team of researchers has crafted a working radio from a > single fiber of that material, according to Eurekalert, the news > service > of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. > > Fixed between two electrodes, the vibrating tube successfully > performed > the four critical roles of a radio--antenna, tunable filter, amplifier > and demodulator--to tune in a radio signal generated in the room and > play it back through an attached speaker. > > Functional across a bandwidth widely used for commercial radio, the > tiny > device could have applications far beyond novelty, from radio- > controlled > devices that could flow in the human bloodstream to highly efficient, > miniscule, cell phone devices. > > Developed at the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Center of > Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, a research team led by Alex > Zettl of > the University of California at Berkeley announced the findings online > on Oct. 31, 2007 (http://pubs.acs.org/journals/nalefd/index.html). The > findings are scheduled to be printed in Nano Letters in November. > > "This breakthrough is a perfect example of how the unique behavior of > matter in the nanoworld enables startling new technologies," says > Bruce > Kramer, a senior advisor for engineering at NSF and the officer > overseeing the center's work. "The key functions of a radio, the > quintessential device that heralded the electronic age, have now been > radically miniaturized using the mechanical vibration of a single > carbon > nanotube." > > The source content for the first laboratory test of the radio was > "Layla," by Derek and the Dominos, followed soon after by "Good > Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. > > One of the primary goals for the center is to develop minuscule > sensors > that can communicate wirelessly, says Settle. "A key issue is how to > integrate individual molecular-scale components together into a system > that maintains the nanometer scale. The nanoradio achieves this by > having one molecular structure, the nanotube, simultaneously > perform all > critical functions," he adds. > > The new device works in a manner more similar to the vacuum tubes from > the 1930s than the transistors found in modern radios. In the new > radio, > a single carbon fiber a few hundred nanometers (billionths of a meter) > long, and only a few molecules thick, stands glued to a negatively > charged base of tungsten that acts as a cathode. Roughly one millionth > of a meter directly across from the base lies a positively charged > piece > of copper that acts as an anode. > > Power in the form of streaming electrons travels from an attached > battery through the cathode, into the nanotube, and across a vacuum to > the anode via a field-emission tunneling process. > > "The field emission process could be likened to a runner jumping > across > a ditch; you only make it across if you have enough speed, i.e. > energy, > to begin with," says Zettl. "So electrons jump the physical gap from > cathode to anode when you supply enough energy to the device from the > battery." > > The stream of electrons along the nanotube changes when a radio wave > encoded with information--simply a wave of photons that travels in a > controlled manner--washes across the tube and causes it to resonate. > This mechanical action is what amplifies and demodulates, or decodes, > the radio signal. > > Returning to Zettl's runner analogy, the vibrating nanotube is akin > to a > ditch with a constantly changing width. Just as the runner's > chances of > making the leap depend on how far the gap is, the chances of electrons > making the leap depend on the distance of the nanotube tip from the > anode. > > "This coupling of the mechanical waving motion of the nanotube to the > success rate of electrons jumping the gap is key to the functioning of > the radio," says Zettl. "What emerges from the anode is then the > information signal, which can be transferred to additional amplifiers > and a speaker to reveal the originally encoded music or any other > data." > > By permanently lengthening or shortening the nanotube, a modification > resulting from sending a short-lived larger-than-normal electrical > current through the device, the researchers were able to control the > frequency of the radio signal that the device could receive. > > The researchers believe it would be easy to produce such nanotube > radios > for receiving signals in the 40-400 megahertz range, a range within > which most FM radio broadcasts fall. > > The researchers fine tune the nanoradio to a frequency, akin to a > channel, by using the electrostatic field between the cathode and > anode > to tighten or loosen the nanotube, a process the researchers relate to > the tightening or loosening of a string on a guitar. According to > Zettl, > the sensitivity of the nanotube radio can be enhanced by attaching an > external antenna or by using an array of nanotubes that maintain the > extremely small size. > > While the concept of a miniaturized receiver for picking up broadcast > music signals has appeal, the technology has the potential to > assist in > a range of interesting uses. > > Adds Bruce Kramer, "The application of a fully functioning radio > receiver less than 50 millionths of an inch in length and one > millionth > of an inch in diameter potentially allows the radio control of almost > anything, from a single receiver in a living cell to a vast array > embedded in an airplane wing." > > -- > N.Ramakrishnan > > Director of Projects > Ideosync Media Combine > 177, Ashoka Enclave III > Sector 35, Faridabad - 121003 > Haryana - India > Tel: +91-0129-4131883/6510156/2254395/2254396 (Prefix 95129- from > Delhi) > Telfax: +91-0129-2254395 (Prefix 95129- from Delhi) > Mobile: +91-9810273883 > Email: nram at ideosyncmedia.org > > > YOU CAN SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY RADIO FORUM (India) BY JOINING AND > TAKING AN ACTIVE PART IN ONE OF THESE NETWORKS > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crforum-awareness (Awareness building) > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crforum-helpdesk (Offering help) > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crforum-policy-advocacy (Policy > advocacy) > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crforum-techoptions (Technical options) > > _______________________________________________ > cr-india mailing list > cr-india at sarai.net > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india From indersalim at gmail.com Sun Nov 4 11:58:01 2007 From: indersalim at gmail.com (inder salim) Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 11:58:01 +0530 Subject: [Reader-list] Is Subsidy Islamic or UnIslamic ? In-Reply-To: <6b79f1a70711022253o58f0ba66qbab807178b5a07dd@mail.gmail.com> References: <6b79f1a70711022253o58f0ba66qbab807178b5a07dd@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <47e122a70711032328w48c11f80k1bb0bbcd40ace1ba@mail.gmail.com> dear Pwan, Not to increase the fare "in keeping with the commitment of the United Progressive Alliance government to protect and promote the welfare of the Muslim community." We both can piss on Priyaranjan Dasmushi's statment when the proposal was made to increase the Haj Air fare.: Congress is congress, they have pusued this kind of policiy in the past.In the name of Muslim welfare they always do politics and keep the community where they are. That is sad. By the way, why (Hindu) nation's BJP govt never thought of subsidy cut. I agree, this subsidy money could have be used for special shcools for muslims or hospitals where they are in large numbers. But that is unlikely. But let us come to the fundamental question: Why afterall people donate money to the shrines. Why all the Hindu Musilm Sikh Shrines manage to get millions ( gold Jewellery currency ) And what is the end use of the money. In their own super style: a hospital, an university, some social service, what else. But this money was never meant for that. People donate money to Gods, so that their sins are forgiven, or the gods are pleased to give them more money. Yes, also to exhibit their stauts in society as we recently saw in case of Amitab Bachhan. Adn the Brahmins were scuessful in conincing him that Ashwariya Roy needs to get married to a Banana tree, if they yearn for a happy family. Have we ever thought that why Dhan Patter is kept in front of a God or Godess. Are they beggers or what. Gods ae supposed to give us money and why should we give money to them in the first place. So if we agree that one should give money to Gods then what is wrong with the Govt if they give money to the pliigrims. After all they are also using money in they own super style. Soem 700 crore were earmarked to buy speical air crafts for Mantris. Some 1600 crore is given to exporters so that they dont feel crashed against the fall of dollar. The list is long. Who knows how they actually spent billions and bilions ( people's money ) for their own power stuctures. Giving subsidy to Muslim Piligrims is also part of that policy. They want to ensure that they are in power, how does it matter that few crores are given this way or that way. People's welfare is not the agenda of our Govt. The question is not about Hindu nation or Mulsim appeasement. What we are suffering is deeper than that. more on that on deepawali lights with love is On 11/3/07, Pawan Durani wrote: > GOI to spend 387 Crore Rupees on Haj Subsidy this year! > > Union Cabinet approves continuation of Hajj subsidy > > New Delhi, Nov 2: The Government has decided that the number of pilgrims > under the Government subsidy scheme during Hajj 2007 will remain 1, > 10,000. > The other approvals/decisions of the Government in this regard are > inclusion of Varnasi as an embarkation point over and above the existing > ones for Hajj 2007, retaining subsidized airfare to be charged per pilgrim > for the round trip to Jeddah/Madinah at Rs 12000. > > The remaining cost is to be paid as subsidy by the Government of India to > Air India. > > The Airport Tax levied by Saudi Government @ 50 Saudi Arabian Riyals per > passenger to be paid by the pilgrim. > > Transportation of up to 59000 pilgrims by Saudi Arabian Airways (SAA) at > the return fare of US$ 772 for Mumbai-Delhi, Ahemdabad and Hyderabad and US$ > 849 from Chennai and Bangalore. > > Transportation of balance pilgrims by Air India from Lucknow, Kolkata, > Calicut, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Patna, Guwahati, Srinagar and Varanasi. > The movement of Hajj is scheduled to commence from November 10, 2007. Air > India and Saudi Arabian Airlines will together be managing the air > transportation of pilgrims for Hajj 2007 operations. > > The total cost of operation for Hajj 2007 is estimated to be around Rs 519 > crores. With the pilgrims fare remaining at Rs 12,000 an amount of Rs 132 > crores will be received from the pilgrims. The subsidy will be around Rs. > 387 crores for Haj 2007 operations. > > Due to capacity constraints Air India proposes to undertake Haj operations > through wet leasing of aircraft even as efforts are being made to minimize > the cost of operations, the estimated per pilgrim cost in respect of Air > India operations is expected to be US$ 1535 for Hajj 2007. The subsidy > amount will be reimbursed to Air India by the Government. PIB > _________________________________________ > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city. > Critiques & Collaborations > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header. > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/> -- http://indersalim.livejournal.com From dhatr1i at yahoo.com Sun Nov 4 16:29:15 2007 From: dhatr1i at yahoo.com (we wi) Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 02:59:15 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Reader-list] Modi A Psychic Killer, Worse Than Hitler, says Father of Slain Gujarat BJP Home Minister In-Reply-To: <48097acc0711030218w4b0baf74i8d9ffe67ee90664a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <573795.55056.qm@web45506.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Dear Yogi and readers, What an interview, but about these lines >>>But I know in my heart that God will not let him go unpunished. He will die a dog's >>>death. These are the words of a Brahmin. Hope the so called HINDU system and people should answer 1) Is this a MYTH or reality??? 2) Do the brahmins have that much power Still??? 3) People living throughout INDIA still have the same belief in these words and trust in brahmins? If YES thats great, if NO then why do people lost that faith in BRAHMINS(even vishnu do have faith n fear)??? DO THE BRAHMINS(All over India) LOST THE FAITH IN THEMSELVES or do they competing with rest of people whoever doing whatever with the evolving time??? If I quote from this link (vasudeva/krishna/VISHNU ) http://www.hinduism.co.za/vishnu.htm brahmanyo brahmakrit brahmaa brahma brahmavivardhanah brahmavid braahmano brahmee brahmagno braahmanapriyah. 661 brahmanyah 666 brahma-vid 662 brahmakrit 667 braahmanah 663 brahmaa 668 brahmee 664 brahma 669 brahma-gnah 665 brahma-vivardhanah 670 braahmana-priyah He that is the foremost object of silent recitation, of sacrifice, of the Vedas, and of all religious acts He that is the Creator of penances and the like He that is the form of (the grandsire) Brahma The Biggest, the Vastest, the All-pervading He that is the augmentor of penances He that is conversant with Brahma He that is the form of Brahmana (Brahmin) 668. He that has for His limbs Him that is called Brahma He that knows all the Vedas and everything in the universe He that is always fond of Brahmanas (Brahmins) and of whom the Brahmanas (Brahmins) also are fond Regards, Dhatri. Yogi Sikand wrote: *Modi A Psychic Killer, Worse Than Hitler, Should Be Jailed, says Father of Slain Gujarat BJP Home Minister * * * *Interview of Vithalbhai Pandya by Yoginder Sikand* *Q:* What do you feel about the recent judgment by the POTA court in the Haren Pandya murder case? *A:* I firmly believe that my son Haren Pandya was killed at Modi's behest through D.G. Vanjara, head of Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad and Modi's blue-eyed boy. This was because Haren was a transparent and efficient man, whom Modi thought of as a threat to his power. Haren was opposed to the worship of any individual, and so became a thorn in Modi's flesh. He was the only BJP MLA in Gujarat who did not act according to Modi's will. When the train coach was set alight in Godhra, Haren told Modi to confine the incident to Godhra itself and not to spread violence in the rest of Gujarat, as that would tear apart the fabric of our society and cause irreparable economic, besides human, destruction. But, yet, Modi went ahead, and organized a meeting in Sabarkantha where he plotted the genocide of Muslims throughout the state. These were state-sponsored massacres. I am saying this in the capacity of the father of the then Gujarat Home Minister, because I knew this from Haren himself. I have leveled specific charges against Modi but the CBI did not interrogate him. Under stiff pressure from Modi and his mentor, Lal Krishen Advani, then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India, the CBI did not conduct a proper probe. Modi, Advani and Vanjara are all criminals. It is the height of tragedy that the criminals I have pointed to have not been interrogated and punished and key witnesses have not been called to court. Advani and Modi must be arrested and sentenced for their anti-national activities, for spreading communal hatred and violence and thereby tearing apart our country and destroying its unity and integrity. >From the very beginning I have been arguing that Modi was not killed in his Maruti car outside the Law Gardens in Ahmedabad, contrary to what the CBI claims in order to pass the blame on to the arrested Muslim youth. A team of top forensic scientists who studied the matter also concurred with me on this. No blood drops were found in the car, nor was there any residue of the bullets. Haren was shot at in the scrotum and the bullet traveled vertically from there, which would not have been possible if he had been shot at in the car. Since the data in the form of investigation is wrong, how can the judgment be right? The court did not consider the opinion of the forensic experts due to political interference in the case. I demanded that Modi be first removed from the post of Chief Minister of Gujarat and then let the CBI conduct its probe if it is to be fair and impartial, but, sadly, this did not happen, for obvious political reasons. *Q:* Have you appealed in the court to present your case? *A:* I applied to the court to file my appeal. I wanted to appear as a party in person but I did not get any reply from the court. I then wrote to the Supreme Court, but from there, too, I got no response. I also appealed to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and leaders of various political parties to take up the case, but no one showed any sincere interest. I sent letters to BJP and RSS letters, but they, too, did not reply, despite the fact that my son was a top BJP leader, the Home Minister of Gujarat. *Q:* What, then, do you think of the RSS and the BJP? *A:* The BJP is today not a genuine political party at all. It is a gang of a few sophisticated ruffians. These people are hungry for money and power. Their speech and their actions do not match. They want to spread communal hatred in the name of Hinduism and thereby climb to power. According to the noted scholar Ashish Nandy, Modi shows all signs of being a psychopathic dictator. He, Advani and their likes have worked against the unity and integrity of this great nation. For their anti-national and anti-Constitutional crimes they must be arrested and jailed. People are losing faith in the RSS. Modi has created a vertical split in the RSS, and many RSS leaders tell me that they dislike him. He has also put aside the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and is, instead, patronizing a bunch of *sadhu*s who constantly flatter him. Ambitious, selfish people have taken control of the RSS and the VHP. Look at Modi's ministry—it contains so many criminals and ruffians. Modi's government in Gujarat is being run on *jhoot*(lies), *julm* (oppression) and *jasusi* (spying). Modi has his spies in every office. And Gujarat is now engulfed in crime, in riots. RSS and VHP leaders have amassed vast amounts of money in the name of destroying the Babri Masjid and building a temple in Ayodhya. Some time ago, Gauri Advani, Lal Krishen Advani's daughter-in-law came out with a statement that Advani was not a true Hindu, that he was misusing the name of Rama. Such is the state of the BJP. *Q:* So, do you feel that the Muslims arrested and sentenced in the Haren Pandya case are actually innocent? *A:* I am concerned with the actual motivator of the murder, who, I say, is Narendra Modi. The Muslims who were arrested are poor and illiterate, and such people can be used. Modi is worse than Hitler. He will use all means to protect himself, including threats and enticements. *Q:* But what about the Muslims arrested? Do you think they are innocent and have been wrongly framed? *A:* Maybe they are innocent. This is something that should be properly investigated. How can I cite my own opinion? I am in touch with the families of these Muslim men. They respect me greatly. They have told me that their sons were not at all involved in Haren's murder. It may be that the CBI has fabricated the whole story about these Muslims in order to save Modi. *Q:* So, are you saying that you think that these Muslims were not involved in the killing? *A:* They were not involved. They did not kill Haren. They had no role in his murder. But, still, this is a matter for the court, so what can I say? The court should have been impartial but it was not. Key witnesses, such as myself and Haren's secretary, have not been examined. I believe Vanjara arranged for Haren's murder to please Modi in order to get a promotion, and the story of these innocent Mus