India Unleashed

A different take on the Jinnah episode

2005-06-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

Much has been said on the "secular Jinnah" subject, but Ashish Nandy's
Shiting Sands of History was an interesting take.

Shifting Sands of History by Ashish Nandy
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1143126.cms

Some excerpts:

Everything said, secularism is an ideology and like other ideologies -
nationalism, socialism, feminism or pacifism - can be an anchor for
passionate commitments, an invitation to ethical politics and the last
refuge of scoundrels. It is also a mask that does not look like a
mask...

In 2005, these questions are relevant mainly for the biographers of
Jinnah, not for young Indians and Pakistanis facing more serious
political choices.

Is this attempt to empower the other Jinnah also a self-confession, an
unconscious invitation to reaffirm and rediscover the other Advani,
not the one who led the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, but the one who was
brought up and lived his formative years in a Muslim-majority society
where Islam and Hinduism were not two antagonistic creeds but two
intertwined cultural and spiritual streams?

--
Insanity is a sane reaction to an insane world.

O. V. Vijayan

2005-05-08T03:44:00.000-07:00

The problem with Indian writings is that Indian English writings
overshadow the regional language writings, so much so that if you are
from a different region, you at times haven't even heard of regional
greats. When I read an article about O.V. Vijayan, Malyalam writer, in
Frontline who died recently, I thought this is exactly the kind of
writing that I'd want to read, if there are translations around. Of
course, translations of regional language works will rarely be close
to their sources, it's still better than not reading them.

Frontline's article on Vijayan:
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2208/stories/20050422003113200.htm

Another one from Hindu Literary Review:
http://www.hindu.com/lr/2005/05/01/stories/2005050100050100.htm

-Amit.

--
Insanity is a sane reaction to an insane world.

Space science in the lord’s hands

2005-05-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

The launch went ok..

Space science in the lord's hands
G.S. RADHAKRISHNA
PSLV C-6

Hyderabad, May 4: If the rocket crashes tomorrow, blame Lord Balaji.

Indian space scientists placed miniature replicas of the rocket that
is set to blast off tomorrow morning from the Sriharikota spaceport
and the two satellites it would carry at a shrine to the god for his
blessings.

The replicas were taken to the sanctum sanctorum of the reigning deity
of the Tirupati Tirumala Dewasthanam and ordained as priests chanted
Vedic hymns.

Authorities of the temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, where the
spaceport is located, confirmed that 15 scientists from the Indian
Space Research Organisation, led by its chief, Dr G. Madhavan Nair,
came to the town yesterday to seek the deity's blessings.

A temple spokesman quoted Nair as saying: "I am in Tirupati to offer
prayers for the success of the launch."

"I cannot believe they actually did this," said Prof. Ajay Sood, head
of physical sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

"For an individual, going to a temple may be an issue of faith, but to
mix the space programme with religion is very wrong," said Prof.
Kasturi Lal Chopra, president of India's Society for Scientific Values
and former director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Tomorrow's launch is aimed at putting every Indian household on the
map. One of the satellites, the 1.5-tonne CARTOSAT-1, mounted with two
cameras for "stereographic" imaging, carries with it the ambitions of
India's space programme.

Once lodged into orbit 618 km above earth, the satellite can read
images smaller than a motorcar by identifying features down to 2.5
metres across.

The satellite will help urban and rural planning, land and water
management, relief operations and environmental assessments.

CARTOSAT-1, which represents the highest payload carried so far by a
polar satellite launch vehicle, will also carry a 42.5-kg HAMSAT, a
micro-satellite that provides amateur radio services.

The scientists spent almost half an hour in the sanctum sanctorum and
later took part in an elaborate ritual for another hour when priests
showered ashirvachanam (blessings) of the deity on them.

"Some of the scientists even put currency notes in the temple hundi
(container) for the success of the launch," said the temple spokesman.
Sources said the prayers followed astrological predictions that the
launch could be delayed.

This is not the first time space scientists have turned to god before
an expedition into the distant heavens. Former Isro chief K.
Kasturirangan, too, had invoked divine blessings before a launch.

"This practice is in vogue since the days of Kasturirangan," said D.
Narayana Rao, director of the MSP radar station at Tirupati who had
organised the temple trip.

Tomorrow's launch is scheduled for 10.19 am when the PSLV C-6 will
take off from the newly-built second launch pad, 1.5 km south of the
first launch pad in Sriharikota.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who has a scientific background,
inaugurated the second launch pad today.

Swaminomics: Miracles for Rs 7.50

2005-04-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Swaminathan Aiyar's piece in Sunday TOI (Apr 17) talks about a group insurance scheme that covers medical operations at absurdly low premiums. Interesting read.

Swaminomics: Miracles for Rs 7.50
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1080153.cms

One point which Aiyar thinks works for the scheme is that it's NOT voluntary. That bugs me a bit because however low premium might be, taking away choice is someone else deciding the "common good". On the other hand, choice is a misnomer even in democracy. Knowing that lot of my taxes go down the drain, I still have to pay them. That brings me to a (no doubt utopian) idea:

As government anyway spends a lots of it's coffers on numerous such schemes without any kind of accountibility mechanism, the tax payer should have the choice of deciding where a part (say 20%) of his taxes should be diverted. This would do three things:

1) It will give the tax-payer an added incentive to pay taxes (again utopian, but at least they cannot give the "i dunno where my money goes" excuse with a moral certitude)

2) It will reduce the "centralization" in the socail spending decisions.

3) It will mean those who use the funds, partially compete for the funds, thus forcing them to be more accountable.

This would of course mean some of administrative overhead, but it's not that difficult in the times when tax info is computerised.

-Amit.

Re: Politics/humanitarianism in the tsunami relief effort

2005-01-18T01:23:00.000-08:00

I myself have no problems as long as people help even if its for their own
selfish motivation, as we often do, when we send checques, hoping to get
that 80GG or whatever tax reduction/rebate, to help others get back on their
feet-if we were saints then man we wouldnt probably be even thinking of such
things, we would probably be sitting peacefully in the himalayas, at peace
with ourselves and the world around be dammed (pardon if this is read as a
bad word-its meant exactly what is meant) . however, with regard to the RSS
or any other religio-politicla party, the good work often has an ulterior
motive. A friend of mine (herself being a Hindu from this pround land of
Maharashtra) who had gone to volunteer during the Bhuj earthquake came back
disgusted-reason being that these very same "good hearted "individuals were
building homes for the homeless-were doing it based on caste lines! So only
the upper caste families were getting their homes redone whereas the lower
caste and the "minority" community were sidelined! So hence one wonders
about such selfless acts and is wary of such organizations going in. Once
upon a time in the distant past the RSS were a very disciplined and
Nationalistic goup which had done selfless service-but like most
organizations these days, have gone downhill and become very parochial, if i
can use that word.

Yes of course since i have been born on the wrong side of the religious
divide can't do anything abt it nor do i want to as all religious have their
good and bad side and i can stand here and call the POPE a stupid foolish
man who has no empathy or any divine justice within himself- many would love
to tear me apart-however, in the end we are but flesh, bones and blood.

>From: Amit Phansalkar
>Reply-To: India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
>To: India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: Politics/humanitarianism in the tsunami relief effort
>Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 06:23:53 +0000
>
>
>Welcome SSM. You deserve a cookie for this :D. Next time you come to
>pune, u'll get a Kayani cookie Jar, in fact.
>
>Onto a serious note, i read the blog from India Uncut (and I swear, I
>didn't get the title of this list from here! I got it from Gurcharan
>Das's book India Unbound, which I think should have been India
>Unleashed, but that's a topic of another posting), and here are my
>thoughts:
>
> > To those who are worried that DYFI or the RSS might extract political
>gain from their work, I have only one thing to say: if you oppose them in
>the political arena, nothing stops you from going out to the villages
>yourself and working as hard as they do to neutralise the goodwill that you
>are so scared they're getting. That kind of competition, in doing good,
>would surely be healthy. But complaining about people who are saving lives
>and helping survivors rebuild lives is just plain wrong.
>
>Exactly! I think the problem today is politics at the national level
>is so far ditached from the grass-route work, as it is. I wouldn't
>want the scenario turned into a dilemma for quassi-political setups --
>damned if I do, dammed if I don't. Expecting a selfless service is
>pretty much utopian -- and counterproductive. Yes, one can question
>motives, and brand the work as "political" in nature, but of course
>they deserve the political gains out of it! It's lot better than they
>getting their political capital through meaningless rhetoric (and I'm
>nost just talking about RSS).
>
>And SSM, lol@the-flame-shield. I say, we need more flames here...
>
>-Amit.
>
>On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 14:33:48 -0800, SSM wrote:
> >
> >
> > Interesting couple of articles ...
> >
> > one from today's edition of Christian Science Monitor talking about
> > JVP, the Sri Lankan marxist group in the forefront of relief efforts in
> > that country (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0114/p01s03-wosc.html)
> >
> > and then, an older yet interesting post in Amit Varma's India Uncut
> > blog, on separating politics from social work
> >
>(http://indiauncut-tsunami.blogspot.com/2005/01/despatches-26-separating-politics-from.html)
> >
> > On one level, it seems cynical to leverage a tragedy to maximize the
> > "eye-balls" those organizations might want for themselves. And perhaps
> > even more cynical to connect the dots thus.
> >
> > But, on the other hand, I tend to agree with Amit Varma. If, at the end
> > of the day, these organizations are helping to plug the holes that
> > inevitably exist in govt-led relief efforts in 3rd world countries,
> > bully for them. And if they do get those "eye-balls" as a result of
> > their hard work, so be it - they fully deserve it.
> >
> > Flame-shield-on (my first post here), but I have a feeling the
> > flame-shield is totally unnecessary in a community like this one :)
> >
> >
>
>
>--
>Insanity is a sane reaction to an insane world.

_________________________________________________________________
Trailblazer Narain Karthikeyan. Know more about him �n his life.
http://server1.msn.co.in/sp04/tataracing/ Stay in the loop with Tata Racing!

Re: Politics/humanitarianism in the tsunami relief effort

2005-01-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome SSM. You deserve a cookie for this :D. Next time you come to
pune, u'll get a Kayani cookie Jar, in fact.

Onto a serious note, i read the blog from India Uncut (and I swear, I
didn't get the title of this list from here! I got it from Gurcharan
Das's book India Unbound, which I think should have been India
Unleashed, but that's a topic of another posting), and here are my
thoughts:

> To those who are worried that DYFI or the RSS might extract political gain from their work, I have only one thing to say: if you oppose them in the political arena, nothing stops you from going out to the villages yourself and working as hard as they do to neutralise the goodwill that you are so scared they're getting. That kind of competition, in doing good, would surely be healthy. But complaining about people who are saving lives and helping survivors rebuild lives is just plain wrong.

Exactly! I think the problem today is politics at the national level
is so far ditached from the grass-route work, as it is. I wouldn't
want the scenario turned into a dilemma for quassi-political setups --
damned if I do, dammed if I don't. Expecting a selfless service is
pretty much utopian -- and counterproductive. Yes, one can question
motives, and brand the work as "political" in nature, but of course
they deserve the political gains out of it! It's lot better than they
getting their political capital through meaningless rhetoric (and I'm
nost just talking about RSS).

And SSM, lol@the-flame-shield. I say, we need more flames here...

-Amit.

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 14:33:48 -0800, SSM wrote:
>
>
> Interesting couple of articles ...
>
> one from today's edition of Christian Science Monitor talking about
> JVP, the Sri Lankan marxist group in the forefront of relief efforts in
> that country (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0114/p01s03-wosc.html)
>
> and then, an older yet interesting post in Amit Varma's India Uncut
> blog, on separating politics from social work
> (http://indiauncut-tsunami.blogspot.com/2005/01/despatches-26-separating-politics-from.html)
>
> On one level, it seems cynical to leverage a tragedy to maximize the
> "eye-balls" those organizations might want for themselves. And perhaps
> even more cynical to connect the dots thus.
>
> But, on the other hand, I tend to agree with Amit Varma. If, at the end
> of the day, these organizations are helping to plug the holes that
> inevitably exist in govt-led relief efforts in 3rd world countries,
> bully for them. And if they do get those "eye-balls" as a result of
> their hard work, so be it - they fully deserve it.
>
> Flame-shield-on (my first post here), but I have a feeling the
> flame-shield is totally unnecessary in a community like this one :)
>
>

--
Insanity is a sane reaction to an insane world.

Politics/humanitarianism in the tsunami relief effort

2005-01-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

Interesting couple of articles ...

one from today's edition of Christian Science Monitor talking about
JVP, the Sri Lankan marxist group in the forefront of relief efforts in
that country (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0114/p01s03-wosc.html)

and then, an older yet interesting post in Amit Varma's India Uncut
blog, on separating politics from social work
(http://indiauncut-tsunami.blogspot.com/2005/01/despatches-26-separating-politics-from.html)

On one level, it seems cynical to leverage a tragedy to maximize the
"eye-balls" those organizations might want for themselves. And perhaps
even more cynical to connect the dots thus.

But, on the other hand, I tend to agree with Amit Varma. If, at the end
of the day, these organizations are helping to plug the holes that
inevitably exist in govt-led relief efforts in 3rd world countries,
bully for them. And if they do get those "eye-balls" as a result of
their hard work, so be it - they fully deserve it.

Flame-shield-on (my first post here), but I have a feeling the
flame-shield is totally unnecessary in a community like this one :)

Being Indian is more important than being in India!

2005-01-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,
I know NRI's get a rap for India's woes.I heard the above line in a
chat program('Arratai Arangam') in Sun TV held in Abhudabhi where one
of the participants said it. It was succint and very impressive.Thought
i would share it with everyone in this group.

Prout - the Progressive Utilization Theory

2005-01-16T03:19:00.001-08:00

Prout - the Progressive Utilization Theory

Prout is the socio-economics of all-round liberation.

You can get your friends to subscribe at:
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You can unsubscribe any time through the Google web link. If that is
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The regular ezine is availablet. To obtain issue 30 go to:
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You can also download back copies at:
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Prout is based on a spiritual rather than materialistic conceptions of
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Formulated in 1959 by Indian socio-spiritual activist thinker P.R.
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The cardinal values of Prout are those of neo-humanism, which takes
into consideration the good and happiness of all living beings; humans,
animals, plants.

"The world needs new socioeconomic structures that are more just,
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"Alternative visions are crucial at this moment in history. Prout's
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and sharing the resources of the planet for the welfare of everyone,
deserves our serious consideration."
- Noam Chomsky, Critic of U.S foreign policy, supporter of libertarian
socialist objectives

"Sarkar's theory is far superior to Adam Smith's or that of Marx."
- Johan Galtung, Founder UN Institute of Peace Studies

"P.R. Sarkar was one of the greatest modern philosophers of India."
- Giani Zail Singh, former President of India

"Prout's vision is both holistic and systemic, with a concrete way of
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revolutionary, and I support all of its dimensions."
- Marcos Arruda, leading Brazilian activist, economist and
educationalist, expert on the international financial institutions, and
head of an influential NGO.

Chavez welcomes Prout writer: "Your visit has come at such an opportune
moment," Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez told Prout writer and author
of 'After Capitalism: Prout's Vision for a New World', Dada
Maheshvarananda on national television.

Learn the Science of Meditation.

2005-01-16T03:19:00.000-08:00

Sharing with you.

Spirituality and science combine in this wonderful series. See
details below. Good for dealing with all sort of problems and worries. .

Regards

Dharmad

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Re: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest

2005-01-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

have you guys seen 'agantuk'? i think it was the last feature film he
made. it features another great actor in utpal dutt.

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 08:21:32 +0000, India-Unleashed group
wrote:
>
> India Unleashed
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
>
> Today's topics:
>
> * 1 new message in 1 topic - digest - 1 messages, 1 author
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/4c6d64a145b7c536
>
> ==============================================================================
> TOPIC: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest
> http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/4c6d64a145b7c536
> ==============================================================================
>
> == 1 of 1 ==
> Date: Thurs, Jan 13 2005 9:51 pm
> From: Mahendra Palsule
>
> Yes, he did say that. Specifically, he mentioned that even if he were
> given a chance to make Charulata again, each and every frame would
> look the same. I have Ray's interview in which he mentions this. (This
> interview is by Shyam Benegal).
>
> Charulata is my favorite Ray film, leaps and bounds over Pather
> Panchali. I think part of the reason Pather Panchali became so famous
> was because it was the first time the Western world paid attention to
> an Indian film maker. And that caused our Indian folks to take greater
> pride it it...
>
> On a related note, let us take a moment to grieve the passing of the
> great character actor, who never got a chance to work with Ray (as far
> as I know) - Amrish Puri.
>
> Amit - thanks much for a wonderful post! I think "a complex Mozartian
> tapestry of images, sounds and ideas organised around Madhabi
> Chakrabarty's luminous performance" is the most wonderful description
> of Charulata I've ever come across!
>
> Regards,
> Mahendra
>
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 12:14:16 +0530, Aletha Tavares wrote:
> >
> > profound indeed specially when one is very sue of what one does and has no
> > regrets about doing it! Its like living life without an eraser!
> >
> > >From: Shailesh Phansalkar
> > >Reply-To: India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
> > >To: India-Unleashed digest subscribers
> > >Subject: Re: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest
> > >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 13:04:45 -0800
> > >
> > >
> > >Didn't Ray say something to the effect that if he had to make
> > >charulata again, he would make it the same way he did the first time.
> > >
> > >looks like a casual statement, but if you think about it, it is profound.
> > >
> > >-shailesh
> > >
> > >
> > >On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 08:22:35 +0000, India-Unleashed group
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > India Unleashed
> > > > http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> > > > India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
> > > >
> > > > Today's topics:
> > > >
> > > > * TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50 - 1 messages, 1 author
> > > >
> > >http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/c3f64b73ee4db5ba
> > > >
> > > >
> > >==============================================================================
> > > > TOPIC: TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50
> > > >
> > >http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/c3f64b73ee4db5ba
> > > >
> > >==============================================================================
> > > >
> > > > == 1 of 1 ==
> > > > Date: Tues, Jan 11 2005 12:04 pm
> > > > From: Amit Phansalkar
> > > >
> > > > Yes, Times of India can at times surprise you with something worth
> > >reading.
> > > > Pather Panchali Turns 50, The Leader Article (Jan 08, 2005), is a
> > > > concise look at Satyajit Ray's work, beyond Pather Panchali.
> > > >
> > > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/984092.cms
> > > >
> > > > The author starts with:
> > > >
> > > > "Some works of art acquire such an inflated reputation that they hang
> > > > like an albatross round the artist's neck. That is what happened with
> > > > Pather Panchali . Satyajit Ray's first film became so famous and was
> > > > praised so universally that many people to this day refuse to believe
> > > > that Ray made anything else of comparable merit in his long career. An
> > > > artist may, of course, peak early and then slip permanently into
> > > > mediocrity Ã¢â‚¬" is that what happened to Ray? "
> > > >
> > > > And answering the question negatively, he goes and gives us a brief
> > > > tour of Ray's illustrious career. An excellent article for those who
> > > > want a guide to Ray that does not read into a book legnth :).
> > > >
> > > > -Amit.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >==============================================================================
> > > >
> > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> > > > Groups "India Unleashed" group.
> > > >
> > > > To post to this group, send email to India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com or
> > > > visit http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> > > >
> > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> > > > India-Unleashed-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
> > > >
> > > > To change the way you get mail from this group, visit:
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> > > >
> > > > To report abuse, send email explaining the problem to
> > >abuse@googlegroups.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > >==============================================================================
> > > > Google Groups: http://groups-beta.google.com
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >Shailesh Phansalkar
> > >pshailesh@gmail.com
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Get head hunted by 5000 tech recruiters.
> > http://www.naukri.com/tieups/tieups.php?othersrcp=534 Post your CV on
> > Naukri.com.
> >
> >
>
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--
Shailesh Phansalkar
pshailesh@gmail.com

Re: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest

2005-01-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, he did say that. Specifically, he mentioned that even if he were
given a chance to make Charulata again, each and every frame would
look the same. I have Ray's interview in which he mentions this. (This
interview is by Shyam Benegal).

Charulata is my favorite Ray film, leaps and bounds over Pather
Panchali. I think part of the reason Pather Panchali became so famous
was because it was the first time the Western world paid attention to
an Indian film maker. And that caused our Indian folks to take greater
pride it it...

On a related note, let us take a moment to grieve the passing of the
great character actor, who never got a chance to work with Ray (as far
as I know) - Amrish Puri.

Amit - thanks much for a wonderful post! I think "a complex Mozartian
tapestry of images, sounds and ideas organised around Madhabi
Chakrabarty's luminous performance" is the most wonderful description
of Charulata I've ever come across!

Regards,
Mahendra

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 12:14:16 +0530, Aletha Tavares wrote:
>
> profound indeed specially when one is very sue of what one does and has no
> regrets about doing it! Its like living life without an eraser!
>
> >From: Shailesh Phansalkar
> >Reply-To: India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
> >To: India-Unleashed digest subscribers
> >Subject: Re: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest
> >Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 13:04:45 -0800
> >
> >
> >Didn't Ray say something to the effect that if he had to make
> >charulata again, he would make it the same way he did the first time.
> >
> >looks like a casual statement, but if you think about it, it is profound.
> >
> >-shailesh
> >
> >
> >On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 08:22:35 +0000, India-Unleashed group
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > India Unleashed
> > > http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> > > India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
> > >
> > > Today's topics:
> > >
> > > * TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50 - 1 messages, 1 author
> > >
> >http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/c3f64b73ee4db5ba
> > >
> > >
> >==============================================================================
> > > TOPIC: TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50
> > >
> >http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/c3f64b73ee4db5ba
> > >
> >==============================================================================
> > >
> > > == 1 of 1 ==
> > > Date: Tues, Jan 11 2005 12:04 pm
> > > From: Amit Phansalkar
> > >
> > > Yes, Times of India can at times surprise you with something worth
> >reading.
> > > Pather Panchali Turns 50, The Leader Article (Jan 08, 2005), is a
> > > concise look at Satyajit Ray's work, beyond Pather Panchali.
> > >
> > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/984092.cms
> > >
> > > The author starts with:
> > >
> > > "Some works of art acquire such an inflated reputation that they hang
> > > like an albatross round the artist's neck. That is what happened with
> > > Pather Panchali . Satyajit Ray's first film became so famous and was
> > > praised so universally that many people to this day refuse to believe
> > > that Ray made anything else of comparable merit in his long career. An
> > > artist may, of course, peak early and then slip permanently into
> > > mediocrity â€" is that what happened to Ray? "
> > >
> > > And answering the question negatively, he goes and gives us a brief
> > > tour of Ray's illustrious career. An excellent article for those who
> > > want a guide to Ray that does not read into a book legnth :).
> > >
> > > -Amit.
> > >
> > >
> >==============================================================================
> > >
> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> > > Groups "India Unleashed" group.
> > >
> > > To post to this group, send email to India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com or
> > > visit http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> > > India-Unleashed-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
> > >
> > > To change the way you get mail from this group, visit:
> > > http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/subscribe
> > >
> > > To report abuse, send email explaining the problem to
> >abuse@googlegroups.com
> > >
> > >
> >==============================================================================
> > > Google Groups: http://groups-beta.google.com
> > >
> >
> >
> >--
> >Shailesh Phansalkar
> >pshailesh@gmail.com
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get head hunted by 5000 tech recruiters.
> http://www.naukri.com/tieups/tieups.php?othersrcp=534 Post your CV on
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>
>

Re: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest

2005-01-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

profound indeed specially when one is very sue of what one does and has no
regrets about doing it! Its like living life without an eraser!

>From: Shailesh Phansalkar
>Reply-To: India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
>To: India-Unleashed digest subscribers
>Subject: Re: 1 new message in 1 topic - digest
>Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 13:04:45 -0800
>
>
>Didn't Ray say something to the effect that if he had to make
>charulata again, he would make it the same way he did the first time.
>
>looks like a casual statement, but if you think about it, it is profound.
>
>-shailesh
>
>
>On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 08:22:35 +0000, India-Unleashed group
> wrote:
> >
> > India Unleashed
> > http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> > India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com
> >
> > Today's topics:
> >
> > * TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50 - 1 messages, 1 author
> >
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/c3f64b73ee4db5ba
> >
> >
>==============================================================================
> > TOPIC: TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50
> >
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/browse_thread/thread/c3f64b73ee4db5ba
> >
>==============================================================================
> >
> > == 1 of 1 ==
> > Date: Tues, Jan 11 2005 12:04 pm
> > From: Amit Phansalkar
> >
> > Yes, Times of India can at times surprise you with something worth
>reading.
> > Pather Panchali Turns 50, The Leader Article (Jan 08, 2005), is a
> > concise look at Satyajit Ray's work, beyond Pather Panchali.
> >
> > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/984092.cms
> >
> > The author starts with:
> >
> > "Some works of art acquire such an inflated reputation that they hang
> > like an albatross round the artist's neck. That is what happened with
> > Pather Panchali . Satyajit Ray's first film became so famous and was
> > praised so universally that many people to this day refuse to believe
> > that Ray made anything else of comparable merit in his long career. An
> > artist may, of course, peak early and then slip permanently into
> > mediocrity ÃÂ¢Ã¢ÂÂ¬" is that what happened to Ray? "
> >
> > And answering the question negatively, he goes and gives us a brief
> > tour of Ray's illustrious career. An excellent article for those who
> > want a guide to Ray that does not read into a book legnth :).
> >
> > -Amit.
> >
> >
>==============================================================================
> >
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> > Groups "India Unleashed" group.
> >
> > To post to this group, send email to India-Unleashed@googlegroups.com or
> > visit http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed
> >
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> > India-Unleashed-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
> >
> > To change the way you get mail from this group, visit:
> > http://groups-beta.google.com/group/India-Unleashed/subscribe
> >
> > To report abuse, send email explaining the problem to
>abuse@googlegroups.com
> >
> >
>==============================================================================
> > Google Groups: http://groups-beta.google.com
> >
>
>
>--
>Shailesh Phansalkar
>pshailesh@gmail.com

_________________________________________________________________
Get head hunted by 5000 tech recruiters.
http://www.naukri.com/tieups/tieups.php?othersrcp=534 Post your CV on
Naukri.com.

TOI: Pather PAnchali Turns 50

2005-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, Times of India can at times surprise you with something worth reading.
Pather Panchali Turns 50, The Leader Article (Jan 08, 2005), is a
concise look at Satyajit Ray's work, beyond Pather Panchali.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/984092.cms

The author starts with:

"Some works of art acquire such an inflated reputation that they hang
like an albatross round the artist's neck. That is what happened with
Pather Panchali . Satyajit Ray's first film became so famous and was
praised so universally that many people to this day refuse to believe
that Ray made anything else of comparable merit in his long career. An
artist may, of course, peak early and then slip permanently into
mediocrity â is that what happened to Ray? "

And answering the question negatively, he goes and gives us a brief
tour of Ray's illustrious career. An excellent article for those who
want a guide to Ray that does not read into a book legnth :).

-Amit.

The M.S. phenomenon

2005-01-03T02:32:00.000-08:00

A tribute to M.S. Subbulakshmi -- a long and in depth article about
her life, from Frontline (http://www.frontlineonnet.com), the Hindu
Group publication. Frontline is to India Today what The Hindu is to
TOI. You could accuse them of intellectual biases, but never of
compromising content. The only main-stream Indian magazine that can
still claim that, IMO.

Here is the link:
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2126/stories/20041231006400900.htm

-Amit

Wishes, Apologies and Sermons

2005-01-03T01:37:00.000-08:00

Another year, and I'm trying to revive this group as part of my
umpteenth new year's resolutions. So, let me start with saying happy
new year to all of you. And then let me go on on a apology spree.

First, to all those new-members, whose subscription requests were left
stranded, because all of us moderators were sleeping on the job. The
good news is, you didn't miss anything at all.

That brings me to my second apology and first sermon. Sorry guys,
(again) especially those who have joined this list with the hope that
it would be interesting. The truth is, this list is as good as dead
right now. I had intentionally kept the list without any agenda as
such, trying to see how it evolves. It evolved into an eerie silence.
:) May be that is what people want, but I have this habit of
disturbing it once in a while. I'll be glad if more of you pick it up.

And now sermon number two for the new members: share your thoughts,
your interesting reads, or blogs or whatever. We don't have any
problems if you want to be just the listeners around here. But it
would be more meaningful list if you actually speak up your mind (even
if to tell me to shut up or get lost or whatever).

So with the hope that the new year will revive this list, I'll sign
off. I promise to do my own bit to that end.

regards,
Amit.

Gudiya And Media

2004-10-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Is the tele-Media (in particular) playing the watch dog in all wrong ways?
Is the audience so gullible that the mention of word Kargil and TRPs go up?

http://www.sacw.net/Wmov/Openletter30092004.html

Open Letter to the Media

[September 30, 2004]

We are appalled by at the media's (especially television) coverage of
the 'Gudiya-Taufiq-Arif' case. We strongly resent the growing
instances of trial by media, the media's self-appointed role as
resolvers of conflict, and the use of people's personal tragedies to
increase network ratings. Headlines like 'Kiski Gudiya?'also
symbolised the regressive image of women as property that informed the
media's coverage.

Zee's advertisement for its show said, "A man gets his life
back....... a family gets its future: A soldier at Kargil spends 5
years as POW. His newly wed wife waits in futility and then
re-marries. The soldier returns to find his life turned upside down.
.... At Zee news we are happy to be the forum where the issue was
resolved. As India's largest media house, its our duty to the nation".
This is particularly tasteless and disturbing, but the other channels
like NDTV and Aaj Tak fared little better. It is bad enough having
village panchayats and religious representatives enforcing particular
decisions, without having the media act as an alternative court.

The terms of the 'debate' were backward to say the least. Television
anchors repeatedly asked Arif and Taufiq what they wanted, while
Gudiya was rarely given a chance. The 'public' at large, which has no
locus standi in the case, was asked for their opinion, and again the
terms of the debate were set as a choice of which of the two men
should get her. The media thus repeatedly reinforced the idea of a
woman as an object to be handed around between various men.

One of the questions concerned the status of the child - i.e. whether
Arif should keep the child or if Taufiq should take it back once it is
born. The decision of the Deoband Ulema that Arif should keep the
child, but Taufiq should pay for its upkeep also reduces parenting to
a question of money and 'ownership'. But most of all, one got no sense
in all this, that it is Gudiya's child as well, or rather, Gudiya's
child most of all. Far from displaying any sense of social
responsibility, the media have reinforced the idea that women should
have no control over their fertility, bodies and lives- and that these
should be controlled by the husband, family, panchayat and now the
media.

The media claims in its defense that noone forced the parties to come
to the media. However, there is a fine line between choice and
coercion when the media decides to take over an issue like this.
Besides, in complex situations of this kind, people may use any avenue
to get their point of view across. Rather than resolving conflict, as
Zee and others claimed to be doing, the media enhanced conflict in
this case by forcing relatives to give public statements against one
another. Gudiya and other family members have since complained of the
media's violation of their privacy (HT, 26.9.04).

We also note a communal subtext to the coverage. Even as the media
reduced Gudiya to silence, they kept focusing on how the decisions
were being made for her by the Ulema and the village panchayat, the
underlying message being that Muslim women have no choice and that the
community is ruled by fatwas. We wish to point out that retrogressive
caste or religious panchayats are a common feature of both Hindu and
Muslim life.

While one may have every sympathy for Arif's trauma as a Kargil POW,
this does not mean that 'the nation' owes him a wife. Nor does Taufiq
become a hero because he 'accepted soiled goods' as one interviewee
graciously informed us on television. If anyone is the real heroine,
it is Gudiya, who has endured both her village panchayat, clerics and
Arif's unreasonable demands that she abandon her child.

We also object to the way in which a woman who is eight months
pregnant and reportedly ill due to the pressure of decision-making was
virtually 'kidnapped' and subjected to long hours in the studio.

Finally, we believe that Gudiya should have been given the space to
make her decision, away from the media and the contending families,
village panchayats, clerics etc.

Kalam's Vision of Developed India

2004-10-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

While browsing through rediff found this article. This is A P J Kalam's vision

http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/nov/14spec.htm

- Aarati

The Infant We Killed

2004-10-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Infant We Killed
by Prem Shankar Jha

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20041011&fname=Column+Prem+%28F%29&sid=1

A tribute to Mukul Raj Anand
--------------------------------------------

Interesting read.

--Excerpts--

It is visible above all in our total neglect of our cultural heritage.
Am I exaggerating? Look at any new housing colonyâwhether built by the
government or by a private promoter: can you find a single feature in
the houses, hotels and shopping areas that you can identify as Indian?
Why are architects like Charles Correa, Raj Rival and Satish Grover,
who have studied Indian architectural forms exhaustively and sought to
incorporate some of their basic elements into their work, now doing
most of their work abroad? Why unlike every metropolitan nation does
India not have a classical music channel on FM radio anywhere in the
country? Why does Doordarshan give its classical arts channel, DD
Bharati, such stepmotherly treatment and why is it such a resounding
failure? Why, in the bookshops of Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore has Marg
been submerged under an avalanche of new magazines that 'sell'
Bollywood and beauty contests as Indian culture? Why, with one
honourable exception, The Hindu, does none of them consider trends and
developments in music, classical dance and the fine arts to be worthy
of even an occasional report? Why did Delhi's classical dancers become
so desperate a few years ago that they held a joint press conference
to warn the public that dance would die if the neglect in the media
continued? And why did their cry of distress only evoke snide reports
in the press about which dancer had been badmouthing which one after
the conference?