A whole generation of easy talking, easy going, real politicking middle class barring an exceptionally few number of them already seems to welcome the kind of 'final solutions' proposed by the State ; they need simple, one word answers for the complex socio- economic and political challenges faced by the entire country!
For example, how do you feel about it, when a couple of well known, articulate leaders of an adivasi organization in Kerala together with a prominent feminist story writer and another human rights activist- writer from Kerala travel up to New Delhi to issue statement advising Arundhati Roy virtually to stop expressing her views about the ongoing tribal-Maoist- State confrontation in Dandevada? On May 21, 7:18 am, venukm <[email protected]> wrote: > [Another Response from Rinita Mazumdar, forwarded from other forum] > > Some Comments: I am thinking of several issues that the left has kept > under theorized in its discourse and which could be added to some of > the the deeper issues of the construction of Indian National identity. > > First, a thorough question of identity and population as well as > ethnicity has been under-theorized here; for example, is there any > data or research to show that the support for the "Naxals" are coming > from tribals only of these places, whereas the non tribals are fleeing > the area, because they cannot relate to the exact issues Naxals are > fighting for. > > Second, what is the exact relationship between the tribals and the non- > tribals in the areas where in the name of development land is being > grabbed and people are left with nothing; this will take us well > beyond a simple economic determinism to a larger context of the > question how even amongst subalterns in India there is a sense of > identification with the Nation State and its Brahmanical hegemony > which does not exist amongst the tribals. > > Third, and this is grossly undertheorized in left literature, the > politics of place; is the sense of "belonging or home" as opposed to > the other or the refugee (with no homeland) a modern phenomena, or has > deeper roots (I am more in agreement with Arun Agarwal's theory that > certain places as tribals "home" seems to be a modern reaction to a > modern problem > > Fourth, and this is grossly undertheorized in not only later Marxists, > but also in both Marx and Engels (probably the CPI ML) are following > their ideology, of the construction of subaltern masculinty and its > relation to the hegemonic masculinity of the bourgeois and the Nation > State; even while theorizing the class structure of the 19th century > England, Marx and Engels failed to theorize the evolution of working > class (Irish) masculinity. Similarly, the act of violence ("otherwise > called terrorism by the Nation), says something about the identity > crisis of the subaltern masculine construction. > > Again, congratualations on Arun Agrawal for a brilliant and eye > opening article on the his comments on the home Minister's lies and > deceptions, > > [Rinita is currently working as Asst Professor in > Gender Studies Dept, University of New Mexico] > > On May 20, 9:08 pm, Venugopalan K M <[email protected]> wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > From: Shiva Shankar <[email protected]> > > Date: Thu, May 20, 2010 at 8:17 PM > > Subject: Interview on NDTV: Response from a member of civil society (fwd) > > To: > > > Arun Agarwal's letter must be shared on the internet widely. - Anil Sadgopal > > > Below is Arun Agarwal's brilliant letter to Chidambaram on his taunts > > towards Civil Society. It should be widely circulated. Warmly, Prashant > > Bhushan > > ------------------- > > > Dear Shri Chidambaram, > > > This is in response to your repeated taunts on NDTV that the civil society > > must respond to the wanton killing by the Naxals. It appears that the > > interview was tailor made for getting the consent of the Cabinet for more > > firepower and airpower to combat the Maoist. The diabolic support of Arun > > Jaitly, be it by describing you an injured martyr, was designed to achieve > > his ambition through the support of the mining barons of the BJP ruled > > states. > > > As a member of society I hope I am being civil in disagreeing with you on > > your hard line approach against the innocent tribal. I also hope you will > > not find it too shocking for being accused of being largely responsible for > > the rise and growth of Naxalism, as the following happened on your watch as > > Finance minister. > > > Is it not true that Naxalism grew exponentially in the last ten years to > > become the present menace? In fact you have yourself identified the time > > frame of the last ten years in your interview with NDTV. > > > Is it not true that the rise in popularity of Naxalism is also coincidental > > with the rise in iron ore mining profits which increased from around Rs50 > > per tonne to over Rs5000 per tonne in the last ten years? > > > Is it not true that the map of Naxalism is also the map of the Indian > > Minerals. These minerals belong to the people of India but have been handed > > over to mining barons and corporate in a relationship of mutual benefit, > > more appropriately described as crony capitalism. It is for this reason that > > Arun Jaitly is your staunchest supporter because the fate of four state > > government ruled by BJP is dependent on the money from the mining mafia. > > > Is it not true that during your watch as Finance Minister for four and half > > years, corporate raked in a profit of over two lac crores through legal and > > illegal mining, mostly in the iron ore sector? How was this profit shared? > > > Is it not true that during your entire tenure as FM the royalty on iron ore > > was not revised and remained at a ridiculous Rs 7 to 27/ tonne (depending on > > the type and grade of iron ore) with the average of around Rs 15 per tonne. > > This royalty was neither made ad valorem nor was it revised from year 2000 > > onwards when the international price of iron ore rose to dizzy levels. > > > Is it not true that the minerals are owned by the people of the State? Is a > > meager 0.5% royalty on iron ore profits adequate compensation to the owner > > of the resources? Would you sell your one crore property for Rs 50,000? > > > Did your fulfill the oath that you took as a Minister to abide by the > > Constitution, in particular Article 39 (b) and (c) of the constitution which > > directs the government to use natural resources owned by the people of the > > country are used to subserve the common good? > > > Would the Naxal problem have been there if 25% of the mining profit was > > spent on the poor and the tribal living in the mining area and whose life > > was uprooted by the greedy corporate/mining mafia with active connivance of > > the law enforcers and policy makers? > > > What prevented the government from nationalizing the iron ore mine industry > > and handing it over to a PSU or NMDC whose shares of Re1/- was lapped at a > > premium of Rs300(30000% premium) and using the profit for benefit of the > > people? > > > Are you aware that even a resource rich and affluent country like Australia > > with a low population base is imposing an additional 40% windfall tax on the > > mining profits? Can a poor country like India afford to forgo these windfall > > profits? > > > Will you reveal as to how many times you have defended public interest > > through PIL and how many times you have defended corporate interest during > > your professional career as a lawyer? The question is relevant because of > > your empathy for the corporate sector is in apparent conflict with that > > towards the toiling masses. > > > Is it wrong for the civil society to conclude that both as Home Minister and > > Finance Minister you have been protecting the corporate profiteers (by first > > allowing them to loot the mineral wealth belonging to the people and now > > securing these mines for them) and not protecting the interest of the poor > > and tribal people who are victims of corporate greed and crony capitalism of > > the political parties? You in particular should have known better having > > been a Director of Vedanta Resources! > > > In your appearance on NDTV you talked about the two prong approach and one > > of them having been weakened. It is the prong of development which has been > > weakened and is non existent. The royalty collected is not sufficient to pay > > for the various types of direct damages done by the mining industry (health, > > environment, water, roads, rehabilitation etc) let alone the cost of > > security forces. > > > Is it not true that the killing of innocent security forces and tribal is > > the direct result of the policy of securing the mineral wealth for the > > corporate profiteers and political parties who share the loot? > > > It was shocking to know that you were more concerned about your CV falling > > short by a few months of completing five years as Finance Minister when you > > met your maker (refer the NDTV interview) than about the blood of the > > innocent that has been spilled on both sides as a consequence of corporate > > profiteering. > > > It is not surprising that all the State government which get reelected on > > the money of the mining mafia are interested in using air cover to make > > mining safe and profitable ever after. You should know better the role of > > money in elections after having managed to squeak past the post while the > > DMK MPs romped home with handsome margin. Mr Raja retained his portfolio! > > > What is at stake is the credibility of the State: that it is using force to > > benefit the mining mafia and that it has a vested interest in the > > profiteering of the mining mafia which is prospering because of crony > > capitalism. > > > To restore its credibility the Government should resume all the mines which > > in any case belong to the people and give a solemn pledge that a minimum of > > 25% of the mining profits will be used for the benefit of the local people. > > The solution is not only just but one mandated by the Constitution. It is > > only after restoring its credibility that the State will have the right to > > act. That one hopes, will not be necessary because honest development based > > on the resources belonging to the people is the best contraceptive against > > the Maoist ideology. (One is happy to note that according to newspaper > > report the Mining Minister has made a similar proposal and not surprisingly > > facing resistence.) > > > What happened Mr Chidambaram, you used to be a nice guy? You resigned over > > the Fairgrowth affair when you were not even guilty. > > > Life is not about arguing a brief in Court for money. It is about arguing > > for what is right. You have wrongly accused > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an 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.
