'Kosambi envisaged peace as pre-requisite for development' NT Staff Reporter : The Vice President, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari being honoured by the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat during the D D Kosambi Festival of Ideas, at Kala Academy, Panaji, on Monday. Also seen are the Governor, Mr S C Jamir, Dr Meera Kosambi and others.Rajtilak Naik Panaji, Feb 4 The Vice-President, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari today said that the vision of Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi envisaged peace as a pre-requisite for development and that true peace required true democracy where all human beings are equal.Honouring the legendary son of the soil on the occasion of his birth centenary year, the Vice-President said that the encyclopaedic personality endeared him to scholars beyond the fields of mathematics and numismatics. Mr Ansari also observed that D D Kosambi was an active fighter for peace and, in the hey days of the cold war, spent time analysing the causes that prevented peace. D D Kosambis focus was on peace in the global community and there is a little evidence to suggest that peaceful resolution of conflicts within societies was amongst his priorities, the Vice-President said, pointing out that DD Kosambis thought process was driven by his ideological orientation. Earlier, Mr Ansari inaugurated the 4-day lecture series - Festival of Ideas at the Dinanath Mangueshkar Kala Mandir, at Kala Academy, in the presence of the Governor, Mr S C Jamir, the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, the eminent sociologist and daughter of D D Kosambi, Dr Meera Kosambi, and the chairperson of the centenary celebration committee, Dr Maria Aurora Couto. The Speaker, Mr Pratapsingh Rane and the Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh were also present on the occasion. Mr Jamir, speaking on the occasion said that D D Kosambi was a man of multifarious qualities and sterling human values, and through the lecture series, we will be recapturing glory of the past and making it relevant for the future. The time has come to undertake analytical studies and in-depth research into the gamut of knowledge available, the Governor added. The Chief Minister, in his welcome speech lamented that modern generation does not know about the Kosambis D D Kosambi and his equally illustrious father Dharmanand Kosambi - and the government would include some lessons about them in the curriculum. Mr Kamat also informed that the government has taken a decision to depute an officer for ensuring proper maintenance of the samadhi of Dharmanand Kosambi, at Vardha, which is presently in dilapidated state. This is the time for introspection and retrospection on various problems which beset us on our challenges and our responses, he said, maintaining that the Kosambi father-son duo are role models for our times. Dr Meera Kosambi, delivering a talk on close-to-heart topic D D Kosambi, the Scholar and the Man said that her father was not an ivory tower scholar and his works were for practical utility and social relevance. Describing D D Kosambi as a renaissance man, Dr Kosambi said that his intellectual canvas was vast. She also traced amazing wide range and scope of her fathers knowledge in fields as diverse as mathematics, numismatics, genetics, history, text criticism and Indology, as well as his personality as a son, a father and a grandfather. For me, as the third generation, she said, the Kosambi surname is a heavy burden to bear, for people, especially from the intellectual circles have many expectations from me. Dr Couto, in her introductory speech stressed on the need to reflect constructively, adding that the Festival of Ideas would help us to look outwardly as well as inwardly. She also informed about various activities being held in the state commemorating the D D Kosambi centenary celebrations. The director of art and culture, Mr Prasad Lolyekar proposed the vote of thanks. Earlier today, the Vice-President, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, arrived in Goa today afternoon by a special India Air Force plane Rajdoot, on a two-day visit to the state. His wife, Ms Salma Ansari is accompanying him. The Governor, Mr S C Jamir, Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, the Speaker, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, and the Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh, received Mr Ansari, on his arrival at Dabolim Airport. Mr Diwan Chand, secretary (protocol), Ms Asha Kamat and Ms Maria Aurora Couto were also present on the occasion. The naval personnel gave a guard of honour to the Vice-President, on his arrival. He later proceeded to Raj Bhavan. (www.navhindtimes.com)
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