congrats for the malayalam translator too..!! On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 2:23 PM, S sanjeev <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > great news! > > i feel a bit proud, being the malayalam translator of the work. > > for those who may wish to congragulate kancha ilaiah here's his email id: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > --- On *Thu, 26/6/08, ranju radha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > > From: ranju radha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [GreenYouth] International award for Kancha Ilaiah's "Why I am Not > a Hindu" > To: [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Thursday, 26 June, 2008, 4:54 PM > > International award for Kancha Ilaiah's "Why I am Not a Hindu" > 3 Blacklands Drive, Hayes (Middlesex) UB4 8EU. Tel: 020-8797.3729 E-Mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED],com > > " Why I am not a Hindu" by Professor Kancha Ilaiah > Chosen for Annual lisa Book Award 2008 to be presented > on 17 July 2008 at Westminster > > London Institute of South Asia (LISA) makes an award every year to an > author from South Asia for a "book that made a difference". The award is Two > Thousand Pounds and a return air ticket to receive the award at a ceremony > held in London. This year, the book chosen for the award is " Why I am not a > Hindu" written by Professor Kancha Ilaiah, former Head of the Department of > Political Science at the Osmania University, Hyderbad, India. The Award > Ceremony will be held at Thatcher Room, Portcullis Hose, Westminster, > London, on July 17. Professor Ilaiah will give lecture on BEING AN UNHINDU > WRITER after his acceptance speech. > > Ever since this book was first published in 1996, it did not only become > the bestseller of the year, it has been declared one of the Five Great > Millennium Books in Dalitbahujan stream of thought by the Indian National > Daily, PIONEER. It has influenced a whole range of new discourse on > understanding of India and South Asia. It has been translated not only into > several Indian languages but also European languages – French and German. It > has been adopted as the common core text of New Reading on South Asia by > several American and European Universities. Most Indian Universities include > it in the curriculum of courses in Sociology and Anthropology. > > The native peoples of India (erstwhile untouchables) called Dalitbahujan by > Prof. Ilaiah have been denied a separate identity by denying them education; > they were not even allowed to be lettered. Under British rule, they were > given an identity; they were grouped into Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled > Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Castes (OBCs). They also got two things they > never had before – reserved seats in education and right to vote. That > caused a slow change in the beginning but a veritable revolution in the new > millennium. > > The caste Hindus are at best 15 % of the population of India today. The > Dalitbahujan may be as many as 65% of the population depending on who is > included. Realising the power of the vote, Mahatma Gandhi condescendingly > called them Harijan (children of Hindu god Hari) and insisted they were > Hindus. In 1932, under the Communal Award, the British Government offered > them 'Separate Electorate' alongside the faith groups – the Muslims, Sikhs > and Christians. The leader of the Dalitbahujan, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, accepted > the Award. But Mahatma Gandhi went on 'fast unto death' opposing the > principle of separate electorate. Mahatma Gandhi pressurised Dr.Ambedkar > under the duress his death to accept the present principle of Reserved Seats > for SCs and STs. The pressure worked; Dalitbahujan agreed to 'Joint > Electorate' under which they were put on electoral rolls of the Hindus. That > is how the myth of India being a Hindu majority country was born. > > Universal adult franchise makes Dalitbahujan the majority in India. Dalit > parties, by themselves or in coalition, rule several states. The voice of > Dalitbahujan is heard loud and clear all over India; more and more of them > are seen in high office of state; yet alienation is so acute as to be almost > unbearable. The repression of Dalitbahujan is not so overt but it is still > vicious and highly effective as the Brahmin priest caste is adept at > evolving covert methods. Complaining about discrimination and securing more > places in education and in government jobs has run its course; it still > leaves Dalitbahujan at the bottom of the social pile. > > The book "Why I am not a Hindu" is chosen because it has 'made a > difference' since it was first published in 1996. The Constitution of India > describes a Hindu as one who is 'not a Muslim, Christian or a Parsi'; the > Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and all the animal/ancestor worshipping faiths, are > thus denied their separate identity. This definition portrays India as > overwhelmingly Hindu and puts a tight lid on the repression on the basis of > faith and castes. Perhaps taking a cue from the Constitution, Prof. Ilaiah > defines Dalitbahujan as all except the 'twice born'. Thus, he also defines > the Indian nation as a 'coalition' but of different elements. The elements > he excludes are those who preach, uphold or practise 'apartheid'. > > Language, race, faith and culture define nations. Prof. Ilaiah has > described at length in his book that Dalibahujan are different, indeed > better, on every score. He urges his compatriots to stop complaining and > begging. Dalibahujan should define their own identity; everything else would > follows. > > > > > ------------------------------ > Not happy with your email address? > Get the one you really want <http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/ymail/new.html> - > millions of new email addresses available now at > Yahoo!<http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/ymail/new.html> > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
