Thursday, December 30, 2010

Kolkata converts: Kaleidoscope sleeps in a strange bed


Kaleidoscope cannot say that he sacrifices things for the city he likes. First, because kaleidoscope has never abandon anything to live for the city. Second, and more importantly, he never has something to abandon for the city. As a participant (Can he say? well make it clear, he resides about 15 km away from the heart of the city) he has stronger attachment with his city. "His city" means Kolkata in late 1990s and early 2000s.

The inevitable:

While, the market principles dominate Kaleidoscope's world's governance, some say the transformation is inevitable. The question is what is this transformation. Transformation which makes Kaleidoscope feel that he is sleeping in some strange bed.

Principal nodes:
With his dangerously biased eyes, Kaleidoscope finds several nodes speeding up the transformation. First, the software boom - eighty percent of Kaleidoscope's friends work in this sector. "A lot" is the most suitable adjective - they work (a lot), earn (a lot) and spend (a lot). Second, and ever-increasing - the not bengali businessmen - they earn a lot, they chew a lot and their sons and daughters spend a lot. Third, and finally the bengalis who invest so much of their brain in imitation. Therefore, they cannot earn as much as the first two, they try to spend as much as them, and they obviously chew a lot...!

Reflections:

Kaleidoscope finds both material and social/mental reflection of the inevitable.

The material part:
The material part represents monotony. Kaleidoscope finds worlds are becoming world.




Two shopping malls, the first one is from USA (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/online-shopping-vs-driving-mall-greener.php) and second one is Kolkata's south city mall.

The social/mental part:
This segment represents increasing love and faith on brand-names, increasing calculability in every sphere from dot pen refill to relationships. Kaleidoscope finds increasing use of electronic gadgets, a displacement of privacy of body by privacy of the mobile phone!

Come on - sleep on
Kaleidoscope continues to live in this world with increasingly small and yet large number of available alternatives and tries to win over his self which finds this city as a strange bed to sleep on. However, he is also getting a reminder that this rapid transformation makes it easier for Kaleidoscope to grow old!


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Personapub: the political egology of facebookish friendsphere


When kaleidoscope and the queen face uninvited troubles to be ended up in complete absense of one of the most precious components of their life, their life experiences personapub.

Personapub is a perfect imbalance of emotional shower and political egology. A complete conflict between expectations and actual situation preoccupied with egoistic selves. For Kaleidoscope it is a trendy facebookish friendsphere where he presents his unknown self and expects those facebookish masks to operate.

The inactive network: onslaught of Publics
As the queen opens her heart with narratives of pain, fear, anxiety and restlessness in thought of possible future, Kaleidoscope consoles without proper language. As he lacks the language, he thinks only the presence has the ability to create a comforting firewall to ease queen's pain.

Relying on this thought Kaleidoscope uses (tests) his facebookish 'strong' network by intimating their uninvited trouble to one of the endusers, whom they have faith. The experimentation yields unexpected result as the rest of the network remains inactive until the final loss. With his emotional self, Kaleidoscope blames the enduser for his failure to yield expected result. The enduser, however, wonders and questions Kaleidoscope's authority. As Kaleidoscope's stronger message remains ignored he does a restudy of the failure to find his repeated inability to empathise the enduser.

Bridging the gap:
When Kaleidoscope finds his empathic inability he forces himself to activate more endusers. This time he gets prompt response.


Network reactivates: the sphere is personal again!
While his facebookish friendsphere reactivates, the queen develops apathy to the existing network. The network tries to instigate personal discourse which now faces another firewall of Queen's apathy. Kaleidoscope knows only a few endusers will survive while facing this firewall. With the friendsphere increasing tries to restart the personal mode of existence, a threat of political egology remains the same.

~~~Kaleidoscope can now visualise an emptiness in ever increasing number~~~

Fundamental assumptions:
1. Facebook is not about faces its about masks.
2. Political egology or egoistic politics is a virus that is spreading across networks.
3. Political egology will bring a complete transformation (if not end) of weness or community feeling.
4. Loss of community feeling is capitalised by the corporates.
5. Presentation of self and/or wearing masks is most prominent sublimation of this time.

See if you wish:






Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Why did we fail to make Rizwanur a hero?






‘…mysterious death of 30-year-old graphics designer Rizwanur Rahman on September 21, just over a month after he married Priyanka Todi, the daughter of prominent city businessman Ashok Todi, chairman and managing director of Lux Hosiery…’ [Indian Express, 30.9.2007].

I don't know what happens to Rizwanur's case. Yeah, thats how we refer to Mr. Rizwanur - a case!

Okay, a case!
The final verdict according to CBI probe confirms Rizwanur's death as suicide (find here). However, CBI charged Ashok Todi, Pradip Todi, Anil Saraogi - all Priyanka's close relatives and former deputy commissioner Ajoy Kumar, ACP Sukanti Chakraborty, Sub Inspector Krishnendu Das and Mohiuddin Alias Pappu, who was the link between Todi's and police. They are said to responsible with abetment to suicide of Rizwanur. One of the investigating officers Arindam Manna is found death in 2009 (Find here). We are yet to know the actual phenomenon.

We don't know about future of this case.


The civil and voices:


We have witnessed civil protests. Their demand for justice, and movement have a stake in quick disposal of the issue. Thanks to our conscious(?) civil society which raises voice, but, eventually fades out when politics enters.


Progress stopped: politics does not




With time we witness politicisation of the tragic love story. We have seen Rizwanur's brother participating in election. His mother walking with Mamta Banerjee. As the mainstream politics enters, the civil tends to fade away.


Why did we fail to continue the process:


It is difficult to ascertain, but I wish to reflect on a few issues:

First, we are preoccupied.

Second, we are taught to be self centered during our early days of socialisation.

Third, Being for others is an impossibility.

Fourth, We have short memory.

Fifth, We avoid mainstream politics.

Sixth, Civil is highly politicised.



The result:
We appreciate Bollywood films depicting cases like Rizwanur, but we fail to empathise real people and real life.


Farmers’ Suicide: The fragmented class and their unconsciousness

With his inquisitive mindset Kaleidoscope travels through some of the highest potato producing villages in West Bengal a few months back. Last week one of the villagers calls him to inform that one of his research participants, Mr. X has committed suicide.


Why?

Apparently, it is a heated debate between Mr. X and his wife which compels Mr. X to consume pesticide to die eventually. Pretty straight in surface. However, underneath of this incident there is an endless story of his debt to the cold storage owner and local money lenders. Cumulated by the huge loss with potato cultivation and business for last two years.


What happens in potato business?

It’s a tricky game of investment and return. Sometimes you are paid enough. Sometimes your property is at stake. An unpredictable fluctuation can haunt you and can change you. Usually, the small scale cultivators invest in the business, as series of middlemen hinders them from profit making. When you are into the business, you are given loan from storage owners, middlemen, and local money lenders. Either you pay back with high rate of interest or you sell the “potato bond” – the paper containing information of stored potato. When you take loan, you are to exchange the “bond” to pay off or simply to sustain as the interest increases rapidly. When you exchange “bond” the buyer takes loan – again a debt remains unpaid.


A journey to nowhere!

A small scale farmer can have a big dream with potato investment. Kaleidoscope finds examples and rumours about investment in potato business and overnight profit. When, one enters in the business chain he is aided. With aids, and cheap availability of potato (highly perishable) he is easily motivated to invest even more. Eventually, even if the price raises, existing debt, family maintenance, and labour cost gives a marginal return.


What does it have to do with class consciousness?

While one might find difficulty in placing these phenomena with the concept of trade union, it is not difficult to understand the nature of exploitation through formal and informal channels. The small scale investors do not form a group. They are not organised, they do not have an organisation. The oligopoly of cold storages, coalition between existing power groups use this fragmented sector to maximise their utility.

Well, bringing class consciousness and organising their activities is a day dream. The sector is inherently fragmented in different ways including location, class, caste, religion, and political ideology.


Either we can wait for class consciousness to disembark and watch thousands (more than 17,500 farmers between 2002 – 2006, Patel, 2007) of farmers committing suicide which is increasing each year (Meeta and Rajivlochan, 2006) or we can raise our voices compelling our Govt. to come with concrete policy principally by breaking this oligopoly and developing micro credit facilities.


See for more details:

Harris-White, B. (2008). Rural Commercial Capital: Agricultural Markets in West bengal. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

http://books.google.com/books?id=npZ3xnaY7FYC&dq=Meeta+and+Rajivlochan+(2006)+Farmers+suicide:+facts+and+possible+policy+interventions&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My 2010 publication

Find my co-authored paper on recent political situation in rural West Bengal in Common Wealth Journal of Local Governance

click on the link:

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

For the poor and the environment: a victory

Civil matters.

Orissa's unrestricted mining by vedanta groups has been halted by Ministry of Environment and Forest. A reason to celebrate. The order has been issued yesterday. Have a look by clicking here


Cheers

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Neoliberal loot in mining: the self and governance


We do have an utility maximising self. Governing mechanism or state in other words is the only outlet (apart from self morality) to protect resources from this inherent greed. The morality mechanism is already paralyzed, since we have stepped into Durkheimian Organic Solidarity, that has installed impersonal, contractual relationships.

The case:
We live in a world filled with resources, and our country is exceptionally rich in some regions. An estimate by Ramakrishnan (2010) suggests that 1.64 lakh hectares of forest land has been diverted for mining in India. Only Iron-ore mining used up 77 million tonnes of water in 2005-06. States like Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Nocobar Islands, etc. are the major share holders of this diversion.

The liberalised loot:
India is investing $300 billion in 2009 (statistics by Indian Institute of Metals), six times of the total investment made since independence. Orissa sites one of the worst examples. Here, an in other states illegal mining occurs at places inhabited by tribal people. They are working as labourers and no benefit is redistributed to the locality. With the change in mining policy which encourages private sector intervention in the sector initiates displacements, and environmental degradation manifold. As a result a few people and corporations get benefitted at the cost of enormous environmental, social and human cost. Ramakrishnan (2010) focuses on expert's argument that regulatory mechanisms are paralysed or near absent.

Disasters and displacements:
A study by Amnesty International on Vedanta's operations in Orissa focuses on violation of environmental laws that prevents contamination of air, water and human condition. The history of mining reflects displacement of 2.5 crore people and not even 25% of them gets replacement.

State: politico-corporate nexus
Now coming back to the larger issue, its about the self's interest maxmisation and the control over that pursuit. It is only state and civil society that can and should work as a filter to control the unlimited maximising pursuit of a few individuals and corporations. However, these mechanisms are not working in the way it should work as the state is promoting corporations. The civil is voiceless. Even, states are using Maoist tag for legitimising their intervention in these tribal inhabited regions.

Taking the picture as a whole, it is found that miners operate with support from politicians. There are instances where they enter into active politics and run businesses while being part of the government (Das 2010, Menon 2010).

Interestingly, the rationality of state, as reflected historically: "doing for others", "controling subjects for better ends", "optimal use of resources", etc. are all engulfed or eclipsed in the deep blue sea of capitalism.

May be the civil, may be the subaltern keep looking for an alternative, however, we don't know who is wearing what mask? what lies behind the mask? and whether, the mask has anything real, i.e., really different from the mask?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Sacred mountain, corporates and mao: the case from Niyamgiri hills



Parallel to kaleidoscope's skepticism regarding corporate promotion as we see in the annual budget, Orissa is siting example of the darker side of neoliberal dreams and an "effective" strategy of corporate promotion.

The background:
This is the case of a state where two-thirds of rural families live below poverty line with other dismal social indicators. While straightway industrialisation is seen as a ray of hope for the people of Orissa, however, the reverse is the true, at least, in local people's versions. Recent cases with Posco, Tata Steel and Vedanta Aluminium Limited show strong opposition from people, as they are threatened to snatch off their fertile lands. Lands which fall within scheduled areas!

Government and people:
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's voice is for peaceful industrialisation process. However, the protests from people stays unheard and state armed forces are in operation which results in killing of 14 tribal people at Kalinganagar near proposed Tata steel plant on January 2, 2006. More than 700 armed policeman are deployed to facilitate industrialisation. The construction of road for Tata steel is harshly protested as a result hundreds of policemen fired rubber bullet injuring people and on May 12 a policeman open fire to kill a tribesman.

The government is alleged of taking unfair benefits from the corporations.

Sacred mountain and their inhabitants:
Vedanta finds Bauxite in and arround Niyamgiri mountains inhabited by Dongria Kondhs, a denotified Premitive Tribal Group (PTG) who believe Niyamgiri mountain to be their king and God. Once the company gets clearance to mine the hills, they will be thoroughly displaced. This will not only ruin the entire mountain, but also thousands of inhabitants will be homeless, thereby seriously affecting their culture, peaceful living and basic amenities.

Rules and the ministry:
Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, scheduled tribal area act (5th and 6th schedule), protects tribal rights on forest and land. Union minister Jairam Ramesh declared that ministry is not in a hurry to give clearance which shows a ray of hope for the people after sacrificing a lot.

Escape from the rules: Mao smell
Dongria Kondh movements backed by Communist Party of India (CPI) maintains absolute secrecy. They do it because of the fear of being tagged as having Communist Party of India Maoist connection. The chief leaders of the movement are ready to confront the being tagged as maoist and killed by Central Reserved Police Forces (CRPF).

The scenario:
If Mao connection is established and CRPFs are deployed to help corporations getting clearance - it is highly likely that this would be standard strategy with three steps:
1. identify an area suitable for corporates and initiate acquisition.
2. use state machinery to help the corporation.
3. when all else fails declare it as Maoist inhabited area and deploy CRPF troops to initiate "Clear, Hold and Build" strategy!!!!!

The VAL chief operations officer Mukesh Kumar argues that mining area does not have a settlement therefore, it does not involve displacement. It indicates serious lack of understanding of tribal life, as they depend of natural resources for three Fs - Food, fodder and fuel along with other requirements like medicine and also emotional attachments.

See yourself:





Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Exceptionally Commoner

Clicked in February 2009 at book fair

I have spotted you among so many others!

I have spotted you being the common man.

You are the one to keep us moving through ages

You are the one beyond the ballot…

Beyond the identity – “voter”

You are yet another…

Exceptional being called the common man

Thursday, May 20, 2010

STOPERGEIC


When Kaleidoscope writes on his lethargic self, he mentions about his wish to lengthen his infancy. However, he fails to address his privileged social selves. First Kaleidoscope is a male entitled to numerous privileges. Second, he belongs to "not so bad" material world as economics things are settled. Kaleidoscope worries about another room and not about a missing roof! Now he has a less challenging "descent" job.

This is a phase when Kaleidoscope thinks he will grow. But he sees something like this.

Kaleidoscope can visualise the blue infinity, but its beyond the STOP. This is not some reified situation which compels him to stop. This is his well known lethargic self, which he defines as stopergic. Its his lethargy which compels him to stop.

Kaleidoscope is trying to analyse a very rich, but considerably boring 3000 pages transcript. He is failing again and again. To legitimise his failure he keeps on deferring the process!!

He knows that its just a button he needs to press. Something like this


However, its just not happening. He wishes to see beyond the stop sign. But somehow for last one month its just not working.

As Kaleidoscope's economics is secured, he might not get enough kick from basics.

Kaleidoscope is kinda concerned!

Monday, May 17, 2010

IPLism: the commodification and neoliberal dreams



When Kaleidoscope grows up, "oneday matches" are the most prominent mode of India's cricketing self. While he travels he often finds "If cricket is our religion/ then Sachin is our God" written on local trains. When he types the phrase in google in Quote unquote he finds 19000 results!!


THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF IPL:
But this is not enough for gaining capital. Kaleidoscope sees a new game begins, steered by something the country never seen before, Indian Premier League: Twenty twenty which speeds up the game perhaps a million times.

The game imports the following:

THE MAESTRO: Music


PEOPLE AND PLACES: cultural performances


MINIMISES THE US THEM DICHOTOMY: GLAMOUR ON GROUND

FLESH AND MOVEMENTS

Does Kaleidoscope miss something?

Yes of course


THE GAME

IPL IN A NUTSHELL:

Cheerleaders: Fantasy revised

City based teams staffed with international stars, and players: Regionalism at global scale

Private ownership of teams: Free market strategy

Player auction: Commodification of human talent


THEORETICAL CONCERNS :
Kaleidoscope's reading of the entire narratives bounds him to see some of the theoretical concerns. It makes him think IPL as a mixed bag of profit maximisation at unthinkable rate.

Selective application of neoliberal principal:
The local quotas, annual player auction show a selective strategy. However, the franchises are given exclusive right to exploit a designated market. It means while one has to secure resources in the beginning, but one can exploit the market with that limited resources (which also means limited investment) indefinitely.

Constructions of identities:
Kaleidoscope watches that M.S.Dhoni, originally from Jharkhand speaks for Chennai and wears a lungi. When the name bears a city name (like Kolkata or Delhi) and then adds a subtitle of aggression (Knight or daredevils) it creates a different form of fragmented identity within the country which is historically fragmented. Kaleidoscope finds that the national sentiment is also used while his country bans auction of Pakistani players.

Commodification:
IPL commodifies everything nakedly.
Player auction: commodification of human talent
Cheerleaders: commodification of body
Bollywood celebrity presence: Commodification of Indian glamour and everyday dreams
Advertisements: Commodification of everything, i.e. identities, players, bodies and material products.

Dependency, power and accountability:
While money flows, even one of worst performing teams like Kolkata Knight Riders makes huge profit. Everyone pats Modi! Board takes it for granted and believes that Modi will do things fairly and responsibly until he is suspended for rigging bids, receiving kickback from television deals, more recent addition to this is his indulgence to activities which is detrimental to world cricket.

This shows dependency, corruption and lack of accountability which stigmatises the nation as a whole.


THE QUESTION:

Kaleidoscope believe that he lives in a world which is finite in every respect and he compartmentalises himself from the people who fosters unlimited economic growth. Those who foster unlimited growth are either economists or are fools (as Kenneth Boulding comments)

The question is while India moves towards neoliberal pursuits in its budget (see my posts on Neoliberalism Unplugged? Pretty Confused and Deferred food security is denial of food grains, and also From bread to being: mcdonaldization) IPL mirrored the dark side of neoliberal dreams and cost of unleashing the private sector.


Would we learn anything from this?

Friday, May 14, 2010

Put off until tomorrow



Kaleidoscope is essentially lethargic. He belongs to a group which defines lethargic as being Lyad! Kaleidoscope knows, he belongs to this extended family of Lyad.


One of his favourite lines: "Will do it tomorrow"



Now when Kaleidoscope is given the world filled with practical people with practical goals... material pursuits... he speaks nonsense regarding his love for the material which is immaterial to many...


He is reminded "GROW UP!" again and again.He thinks for a while about his ungrown self, a song plays in his ears



"Give me another chance I wanna grow up once again!"

Kaleidoscope smiles and proudly declairs according to his conscious self (Which usually sleeps)

"I will grow up tomorrow"

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Blame it on others: from OGH to Ajmal Kasab


As kaleidoscope loves to see himself a conscious being, he often explores his own self in the world in which he belongs. The most recent discovery is his habit of blaming others.

Kaleidoscope breaks a glass and says "its broken" instead of "I broke it." He makes a mistake in interim report for his institute. He says "I am disturbed with this hot and humid environment. Its too difficult to concentrate." Kalidoscope's super mom says "if you want to blame, blame it on yourself." Kaleidoscope knows this is a dialogue by Saradamoyee Devi, wife of Shri Ramakrishna. Well he is confused while he relates his mother's action and her words, its like railway tracks... you know what it means.

Now Kaleidoscope places himself in the world, which he is given to live in. He finds the same blame game continues. Recently three major events touch him.

First, Operation Green Hunt (OGH, yes once-again!!). Kaleidoscope finds that basic participatory strategy in development is ignored in its Clear Hold and Build strategy. Which means state action forces will clear territory from Maoist occupation, will hold themselves for a while as a peace keeping strategy and then build, that is, state machinery will initiate development activities.

The adivasis of Bastar taking refuge owing to OGH, Courtesy The Hindu.

The question is development for whom? Most recent strategic meeting for OGH in Orissa has been done without inviting a single local people from a place where tribals are victimised by red rebels and state machinary.

kaleidoscope looks at his country's map and finds this


India's red corridor till 2007


This is a map of 2007, and now The frontline says they have spread in states like Gujrat, Rajastan, Hariyana, UP and Uttaranchal. Recent Dantewara incident on April 6, shows their skills and lack of information to OGH actors. While strategy remains the same, OGH implementers, common people, targeted groups (like CPIM leaders and workers in West Bengal) are dying everyday. Common people are living in prolonged strike condition, with constant threat.

The basic fact is clear in Dantewada's District Magistrate's voice, that lack of sensitivity from mainstreatm politics to address livelihood issues actively creates a vacuum where red rebels work. Planning commission recommends for opting Integrated Tribal Development Programme through Tribal Sub Plans, with encouragement of people's participation. They argue for this strategy can tackle the problems of injustice and can prevent people from taking guns. (see Frontline, May 7,2010)

Instead of looking at the basic problems and causes of Maoist spread, Kaleidoscope frustratingly finds that it is just a blame game. BLAME IT ON MAOISTS.

Second, IPL massacre. Suddenly all blame goes to Lalit Modi. BLAME IT ON MODI

Third and more sentimental is the death sentence of Ajmal Kasab. Kaleidoscope finds that the entire nation rejoices while a human bomb is in the process of being punished. While the country fails to address the issue of internal security, people are happy to see the alive terrorist being killed. So, BLAME IT ON PAKISTAN.

Kaleidoscope is happy to find like minded people and like minded national strategy.



Monday, April 26, 2010

Deferred food security is denial of food grains

Kaleidoscope comes across news papers and magazines regularly to make himself disappointed. Here is yet another story where Kaleidoscope is disappointed with the world he is given to live in.

A woman labourer in a tea estate in Assam holds a severely undernourished child. India's population pays the bulk of its healthcare expenses out-of-pocket, as governmental spending is low. Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar Accessed from http://beta.thehindu.com

Kaleidoscope hears about food security, which makes access to food a fundamental human right. It is an wonderful idea for a country which shows six percent growth even in the time of the great recession and bankruptcy.

It is a happy go moment for Kaleidoscope when he finds an actual acceptance of India's rural huger and poverty. UPA does not stop there, but think of changing it. Now three days back on April 23, eGoM (empowered group of ministers) asks the planning commission to submit comprehensive data on BPL families. Sharad Power says that food security was not on the agenda. The basic discussions are not even completed as they are skeptic about the Public Distribution System which is expected to play a nodal role in implementing food security as a major poverty alleviation scheme.


Kaleidoscope is extremely disappointed with this position

First, India does not have reliable data regarding BPL even Tendulkar Committee report which says the existence of 37% BPL is not taken seriously and government is thinking of curtailing the number of beneficiaries under food security coverage.

Second, criteria for BPL selection are problematic as it ignores simple ethnographic fact that people live in multiple worlds, not in a single world, therefore, BPL in one world is different from BPL in the other.

After months of preparation and agenda setting, UPA is unable rely on its own mechanism which indicates serious mismanagement.

kaleidoscope is frustrated to see that all these are happening in a situation when India is criticised for contributing highest (42%) percentage [UNICEF's Calculation] in world's Under nourished children which Manmohan Singh admits a National shame and India is blaming rural poor for supporting Naxalite movements across 195 districts in 16 states that already costs hundreds of lives according to South Asia Terrorism Portal.

SEE IT YOURSELF

http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article406431.ece?homepage=true

http://satp.org/

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Plan-panel-meet-on-Food-Security-Act-today/articleshow/5823276.cms

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100424/jsp/business/story_12375005.jsp