Dear Aryan When I said Smart cities are here to stay - thought it carried an element of dissent, disapproval and the agony of facing a world celebrating it. your categories of dissent sounded a bit unconvincing, How they contribute to the political dissent. the fear they may displace the political can be dismissed but think of a world manufacturing dissent and a situation where you are funded for the same? we are bound to miss the wood!. Will you treat my skepticism a dissent? will be away for a couple of days, wanted to write on dileeps confessions!. may be later. Best C
----- Original Message ----- From: "aryakrishnan ramakrishnan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 7:17 PM Subject: {greenyouth} Re: ??????????????????? ???????????? ?.?? ????? > Dear Cherian, > > I guess, Dileep explained it clearly, from where the feeling 'smart > cities are here to stay' comes from. Also please refer to Devika's > letter. > > But a short note. The major contradiction in your position (and many > other party people)is that it starts with an assumption that 'in the > beginning there were smart cities'. Are you saying that they are God > given? I do not see it in that way. It doesn't just happen like that. > It is deliberated. People do have agency to decide whether they need > it or not. > > It is easy to label and categorise people. I can explain it this way. > When people raise the issue of the viabilty of a project, then they > are 'too technical', if it is well argumented then it is 'too > academic' , when it comes from the affected people then it is 'blind > protest' or 'maoist'. This branding makes it easier to sideline the > voices of dissent. But I dont think it will help us any more. > > Well, > regards > Aryan > > On 5/30/07, PJ Cherian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> >> Fault finding and accusations would hardly lead us anywhere. In Kerala, >> we >> have heroes and scapegoats in plenty and each day media choke you with >> such >> binaries. it's depressing that we also behave the 'suresh gopi' way - of >> course for other reasons. Well, the smart cities are here to stay >> ........not just here- all over the world. and alternatives cannot evolve >> in >> vacuum. AK please don't tell we have the only 'god given' academic role >> of >> making judgments . it's where history and democracy should come to help. >> >> Why Munnar happened ? for the first time in the last fifty years, we >> have a >> ruling coalition without the direct progenies of the liberation >> struggle - >> the Kottayam based kerala congress lobby - in any decisive role. the >> media >> never brought out the real process behind the encroachment and its >> demolition. equally naive is to see a beaurocratic force emerging. public >> institutions/spaces are facing unprecedented degeneration and those who >> are >> part of it -whether clerks or ministers can only pretend to be heroes and >> the scope is plenty. >> >> >> from the road side-in a TV show . 'Its heartening to see this demolition, >> for long there was this feeling that if you have money you can get away >> with >> anything." this and the philosophy of neo-liberalism, its accumulative >> encroachments varies only in degrees. Munnar leveling is a small but >> significant step and may be the smart city two steps backward !?. >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: aryakrishnan ramakrishnan >> To: [email protected] >> Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 11:04 AM >> Subject: {greenyouth} Re: ??????????????????? ???????????? ?.?? ????? >> >> Dear Cherian, >> >> Why we are still so self righteous? Why the arguement should start from >> an >> alternative for smart city? The problem is 'why smart city'. We all know >> the >> transparency of the poor comrades in >> kerala and other parts too. >> We need alternatives for Athirappilly dam, we >> need alternatives for Smart city. >> But we conveniently forget to think why, in the first >> hand it should come. And for whom, and in >> consultancy with whom the plan and proposal is going? The assumption that >> 'poor comrades' are always doing public >> good is a factual error, which can be >> understood by any one living/lived in Kerala. Well, I >> am not getting in to the anti-cpm blabla, >> because we all know that. But we should >> also think for whom these projects are >> designed. >> >> thanks >> Aryan >> ps. I am not with you for 'smart city' , for 'Athirappilly project', for >> the >> 'landgrab in west Bengal' >> >> On 5/29/07, PJ Cherian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > >> > >> > Hi, strange why Dileep raj- can't address issues 'independently' and >> forget the UDF - LDF sort of obvious. He tried in the beginning but soon >> got >> lost with anti-CPM bla bla. don't accuse of being in service .......In >> fact >> all of us are. Now to job talk .... was how the capital imprisoned the >> world of both communists and anti communists alike, leave alone the >> pro-capital, Yes to come out - you said it - democracy is the way. But >> the >> democracy we know has accepted, legitimized and internalized the >> accumulation through encroachment, and neo-liberals celebrate it. Don't >> get >> frustrated when poor comrades try to do it with some transparency. Tell >> the alternative for Smart city.. am with you. >> > pjc >> > >> > >> > >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > >> > From: Dileep Raj >> > To: [email protected] >> > Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 6:50 PM >> > Subject: {greenyouth} Re: സ്മാര്ട്ട്സിറ്റിയും കേരളത്തിന്റെ ഐ.ടി നയവും >> > >> > Hi, >> > >> > I was wondering at the reappearence of 'job talk' in order to >> > legitimise >> a move >> > made by the present government. In the age of industrial capitalism, >> > the >> EMS government brought Birla to Mavoor with the support of a crude >> version >> of this argument. Now in >> > neoliberal times, intellectuals and experts are desperately relying on >> this one and only only >> > 'pragmatic' excuse to rationalise their complacency in government >> policies. >> > >> > The erstwhile Soviet Union [ under the leadership of Lenin and >> > Stalin ] >> was >> > praised by some intellectuals for the giant leaps made in industrial >> development , job creation, economic growth etc.which was comparable to >> Capitalist world. At hindsight we realise that people of that country >> were >> not satisfied with such 'development' >> > and opportunities and demanded 'democracy' !!! >> > >> > It is high time we take democracy as criterion to assess policy >> > decisions >> and its consequences. While speaking of 'jobs being created' are we >> speaking >> as beneficiaries or >> > 'speaking for others' ? If the second instance is the case, get lost >> > with >> your patronising blabla!!! This has long been the undemocratic strategy >> followed by all experts >> > siding with undemocratic governmnets in order to nullify the struggles >> > by >> affected people >> > at umpteen number of locations including Narmada. >> > >> > Will anybody convince me why Smart city is to be welcomed? Mind you! I >> > am >> not >> > in the least interested in the future or past of CPIM!! So please spare >> > me >> of comparisons with UDF policy and the like. I wish experts and >> intellectuals serving CPI M >> > could at least learn a language in which they could address publlic >> instead of assuming everybody to be CPIM sympathisers. >> > >> > Regards >> > Dileep >> > >> > >> > >> > On 5/29/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > > >> > > On May 28, 2:31 pm, Anivar Aravind < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > > .."right to recall".. >> > > >> > > We need to be critical about this "right to recall". Indian >> > > subcontinent appears to be undergoing a constant demographic change, >> > > though its pace and extent varies from place to place. Legislators >> > > are >> > > now increasingly getting conscious and excited over the new found >> > > phenomenon that a *development initiative* is all what is needed to >> > > drive out their adversaries from their habitats. A new project >> > > inserted in such a premise would soon see a new demographic contour, >> > > whose appearance will be to the liking of every legislator, one that >> > > will fetch the legislator more rewards than punishment. >> > > >> > > Against this backdrop, a right to recall is worthless - especially >> > > since the antagonising voters would have already evicted their >> > > territory. The newly moved in *voters* would find nothing wrong with >> > > the legislator. >> > > >> > > If election commission came out with a report on how much voters have >> > > been effected during every franchise, the extent of this cunningness >> > > will get exposed. Till now, we were given to understand that its to >> > > incorporate the new eligible voters or make corrections on existing >> > > voters list that such an exercise is being carried out. Unless this >> > > comes, we may not be able to silence the development-pied-piper and >> > > its followers. >> > > CK Raju >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Dileep Raj >> > Tel: 09447316701 >> > >> > > > >> > >> > > > -- > "...ironically, perhaps, the best organised dissenters in > the world today are anarchists, who are busily > undermining capitalism while the rest of the left is > still trying to form committees." > -- Jeremy Hardy, The Guardian (UK) > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
