Category: Uncategorized

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled.

October 27, 2018 7:00 pm Saturday
Book Release-cum-Discussion

‘Alternative Futures: India Unshackled’ Editors – Ashish Kothari and K. J. Joy Publisher – AuthorsUpFront

A remarkable, first-ever collection of 35 essays on India’s future, by a diverse set of authors – activists, researchers, media practitioners, those who have influenced policies and those working at the grassroots. This book brings together scenarios of an India that is politically and socially egalitarian, radically democratic, economically sustainable and equitable, and socio-culturally diverse and harmonious.

Alternative Futures: India Unshackled covers a wide range of issues, organized under four sections. It explores ecological futures including environmental governance, biodiversity conservation, water and energy. Next, it envisions political futures including those of democracy and power, law, ideology, and India’s role in the globe. A number of essays then look at economic futures, including agriculture, pastoralism, industry, crafts, villages and cities, localization, markets, transportation and technology. Finally, it explores socio-cultural futures, encompassing languages, learning and education, knowledge, health, sexuality and gender, and marginalized sections like dalits, adivasis, and religious minorities.

Introductory and concluding essays tie these diverse visions together. Most essays include both futuristic scenarios and present initiatives that demonstrate the possibility of such futures. t a time when India faces increasing polarization along parochial, physical and mental boundaries, these essays provide a breath of fresh air and hope in the grounded possibilities for an alternative, decentralized, eco-culturally centred future. The essays range from the dreamy-eyed to the hard-headed, from the provocative to the gently persuasive.

EDITORS: ASHISH KOTHARI coordinates the Alternatives programme of Kalpavriksh, has taught at Indian Institute of Public Administration, and chairs the Board of Greenpeace India.

K. J. JOY is Senior Fellow with Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM), Pune and has been an activist-researcher for more than 30 years.

In the past few weeks, we have seen an increasing conversation around sexual harassment, owing to the huge number of women who have come forward with their own stories of exploitation. The viral hash tag #metoo has thrust the issue of sexual violence onto a global stage and Indian women are also joining in. While survivors from all walks of lives are speaking about their experiences and demanding justice, organizations have responded by removing people, against whom these allegations have been made, from their positions, pending investigation. However, the movement has also faced criticism from a number of people for its back falls. The movement has helped de-stigmatize the act of surviving sexual assault, primarily by bringing out the breadth and impact of it. It is still imperative to expand the conversation to speak to the needs of a broader spectrum of survivors. It is also essential to hold the perpetrators accountable and have a long term, sustainable strategy in place to disrupt the system that allows for sexual violence.

While the movement did make the issue of sexual violence an important topic, it is important to discuss the issues being brought out and the future of the movement itself. We invite the victims, allies and all those who care about the movement, to join a conversation on what the movement in India is doing and what is the possible future for it.

AgricultureCrisis &FarmersIssues

October 23, 2018 7:30 pm Tuesday

Lamakaan invites Nirmala, a social activist, currently working with farmers to give us an insight into policies that are less inclusive of small and marginal land holding farmers. On October 23, Lamakaan wants to throw light on the key issues plaguing agriculture, crippling the farmers and the shameful politics around it.

She says, ‘Each of us (the non-farming folks) have our plates full of food at the cost of farmers. It is time to raise our voice in solidarity, march in solidarity. Agricultural crisis is no longer the crisis of the farmer alone, it is a national crisis.’

Recently the central government declared the MSP for 22 mandated crops. Firstly, the declared MSP is not in line with recommendations of the Swaminathan committee of weighted average cost of production + 50%. Farmers had a short-lived smile on their face with the announcement. What is the point of declaring an MSP, when the government has expressed no intention of opening up procurement centres.

In August and September this year, farmers sold green gram (moong dal) anywhere from ₹3,900 to ₹5,300 per quintal in the open market. The MSP for moong was declared ₹6,975 per quintal, but no procurement centre was opened. Unable to hold on to their produce, many small and marginal farmers dumped moong in market yards bearing losses. Some medium and large farmers believed that the centres would open and held on to their produce. As more and more moong reached markets, the price stumbled further, procurement centres were not opened and farmers finally realized that it was not worth the wait.

Declaring MSP turned out to be an election stunt, with no results, or even genuine productive intentions behind it.

Even in cases where procurement centres were opened, like in the case of Karnataka, the government declared that it will only procure a small amount which meant that many farmers were left out and resorted to selling in open markets at low prices, paying exploitative commissions to traders, getting cheated in weighing etc.

To quote another instance, black gram which we buy at ₹80 to ₹90 per kilo in Hyderabad is sold by farmers at ₹25 per kilo in Narayanpet.

The event will discuss these issues in the context of the futility of only enhancing and increasing loan waivers. The aim of this discussion is to spread awareness of the angst of small and marginal land holding farmers, and the need to participate in the march for justice.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!