Thanks elizabeth. In fact debate was elaborate and many points were taken up critically. Perhaps I could summarise some later on. madhu and gopalakrishnan read out articles published earlier. Thus I omited thier presentations. damodar Prasad is very much here.. so waiting for him to present those points!!
On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 12:01 PM, elizabeth philip <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > Thanks for that elaborate summary, even though it is supposedly > only partial; > it was quite interesting,and enlightening. Thanks Dileep. > > > > On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 10:20 AM, Dileep Raj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Yesterday, a group of people came together under BookPort's intative to >> share thoughts on >> relevance of readings of Gandhi in the present. >> >> Dr.Nizar Ahmed: >> >> The notion of reading had an edifying nature in its modern sense. Reading >> was meant for self development and self enlightenment. >> In order to reach majority from minority, as Kant described it. Classical >> reading was different.there one read scripts reverently, repeating it >> without knowing meaning.Then reading only indicated that you belong to a >> tradition.Contemporary reading is different from both these >> traditions. It is neither ritualistic, nor edifying.Whether it be Gandhi, >> geeta or Bible, the reading now is not ritualistic.It has got a new >> dimention.In a technical sense, while reading a text there happens a one - >> to- one mapping.We actulally suck those things from text with which we can >> identify. >> >> Gandhi himself was constructed as modern subject through certain readings >> .He was partly formed through reading Ruskin.He was seeking confirmation for >> certain positions in Ruskin.Not that Ruskin showed him someting new. >> >> While we take Gandhi as a text, his actions are also included, drawing on >> paul Ricoeur's notion, "actions are text as well". >> His writings and interventins for four decades were purposive, informed >> by and influenced by the struggles.The other who mattered over and above >> every others to him was state.His view of state and approach toward the >> opponent in struggles demand close consideration. >> There ofcourse were conflicts, contradictions and inconsistencies in his >> life and positions. pointing this out have no significance in itself, as >> everybody's life is inconsistent. >> >> One among the contradictions was his simultaneous upholding of >> communitarian and liberal standpoints. Against state he tried to protect >> community life.On another level he stood for individual rights confronting >> both community and state. Was he aware of the conflict between these two >> uncompromising positions? >> >> We may try to find out a solution to this problem through reading his >> texts. take his notion of Satyagraha.Its literal meaning is, clinging to >> one's position.Gandhian model of individualisation is mediated by the >> concept of satyagraha. Thus he was a cripto-communitarian and >> cripto-liberal. >> >> Why Gandhi is not a liberal?Its answer could be found in the lifeworld of >> that period. State was the arbitrator / umpire of public justifications >> then.As an anrchist Gandhi didn't conceive a state. In the social world >> conceived by him, major moving principle and force of social organisation is >> Satyagraha.Every individual has to resolve the problem.Whatever be the other >> ( state, individual or community), >> we will never find a reification of any of those terms in Gandhi.All >> others are subject to negotiations. >> >> the following are some problems we come across while reading gandhi today. >> 1.Is Satyagraha a solution when state undergoes radical transformations >> under neoliberal economic changes? Gandhi's specialisation was in struggles >> and he encountered state as the dominant adversary.Today people face >> corporates as well as state in struggles. >> 2.What will be gandhi's answers to questins on public debate today?Public >> justification of one's political programmes is the most important priciple >> in a world where liberal ddemocracy has become commonsense.Actually all >> debates are interest--national, market , individual as well as >> communitarian-- based. >> >> S.Gopalakrishnan,T.V.Madhu and Damodar Prasad presented papers(Hope Prasad >> will summarise the points he presented.) . K K Baburaj,K P Sethunath, N P >> Johnson and Devarajan tokk part in discussions. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Dileep R I thuravoor >> >> >> > > > > -- Dileep R I thuravoor --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
