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    INDIA REPORT
No. 23
JULY 2006

INTRODUCTION:

The euphoria of the summer of 2004 (post national Elections in May 2004) has, once again, turned into facing the grim realities (during the summer of 2006) of systemic degradation and structural poverty experienced by the majority of the people of India.

Resistance to the basic causes of the widespread existence of misery continues to grow.** According to reported figures from the Home Ministry (Govt. of India), the government has lost control of administrative authority in about 80 districts — up from about 16 a decade ago. Independent Human Rights organizations report that the actual loss of administrative authority extends to, perhaps, 200 districts out of a total of little over 600 districts or nearly ONE-THIRD of the total land area of India.

Not long ago the media hype of the previous BJP led Government was “India Shining”. The current Congress Party led government attempts to depict its policies/programs as delivering conditions of “Feeling Good”. A very small minority is the beneficiary of the “goodies” in contemporary India.

The editor of this report was in India between November 2005 and April 2006. The travel covered 6 States at 9 locations, which included film screenings, discussions and public talks. For the first time film screenings were held in a district town in the hinterland of Andhra Pradesh. New friends have come forward to link with Azad Reading Room (ARR) and expand the use of its resources.

This report will cover some aspects about the economy, politics and social conditions. The usual segments of books, films, plays, toons and pics are included. The report concludes with ARR’s annual appeal for support.

ECONOMY:
15 years have passed (since the summer of 1991) when the New Economic Reforms (NEP) were initiated. Two years have gone by since the UPA (United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress Party) replaced/routed the NDA (National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP). “Shining India” and “Feel Good India” have been/are the dominant media descriptions given about the economy and by implication the condition of the lives of people in India. The “Shining” characterization about the economy was used by the NDA and the “Feel Good” phrase by the UPA. Both have an element of fact given a macro-division of the population between a 20% elite and 80% masses. The former are the prime beneficiaries of the reforms (economic growth and change) while the latter face stagnation plus degradation in their daily lives (See: Atul Kohli. Economic & Political Weekly. I & II. April 1 & 8, 2006). As one economic analyst has noted: “... around 3 per cent of the households (in the organized sector and self employed) will see their average incomes rise, about 60 percent in agriculture will see average incomes fall and the rest will have stagnant or marginally rising average incomes”. (Arun Kumar. Alternative Economic Survey, 2004-2005. Delhi, 2005 P.45).


The key economic policy choices contributing to/determining the above outcomes being privatization with a decisive emphasis favouring large-scale corporations, big commercial farmers and substantial traders. Opening of the economy to PFI (private foreign investment by Trans National Corporations) and liberalization that refers to weakening/eliminating business regulations along with lowering trade barriers. (See: Barbara Harris-White. India’s Market Society. New Delhi, 2005; Francine Frankel. India’s Political Economy, 1947-2004. New Delhi, 2005).

Since over 70% of the population is rural and derives all or a substantial portion of their income from agriculture, this sector holds a significant key regarding a sustainable and equitable economy. Of course land and access to this resource becomes important when it was recognized as a critical need immediately after independence (1947) as well as during the 1950’s. Land reforms have remained distorted and incomplete. The well known economist, Amartya Sen (Nobel Laureate) recently noted: “... though the process of land reforms began in the right earnest in India not long after Independence they still remain ‘substantially incomplete’ after nearly half a century” (The Deccan Chronicle. January 4, ’06. p.1. Emphasis added); Land disparities have been an important factor for the growth of a grave human crisis– farmer suicides in Western India. News reports have highlighted the suicides of hundreds of farmers facing crop failures (cotton) and declining market prices in the state of Maharashtra – BBC World Radio News. June 30,2006).

An important consequence of the weak, incomplete land reforms is reflected in both the fragility and inadequacy of food security – “In India per capita food grain consumption declined from 476 grams per day in 1990 to only 418 grams per day in 2001 and even aggregate calorific consumption per capita declined from just over 2200 calories per day in 1987-1988 to around 2150 in 1999-2000. This decline was marked even among the bottom 40 per cent of the population” (Jayati Ghosh. “Food Insecurity in South Asia”.

The Deccan Chronicle. December 28, ’05. P.6; also see: Alpana Sagar. “Health”. In, Alternative Economic Survey, 2004-2005. New Delhi, 2005). Annually the tendencies, trends and robustness of the economy are partially observable in the national budget. On examination, one economist observer concluded, “It is a budget for rich”. (Kamal Mitra Chenoy. The Deccan Chronicle. March 1, 2006. Pp.1 & 10). Commenting on the performance of the economy, the editor of a leading economics weekly noted with concern “over the sustenance of the impressive economic growth registered by the Indian economy if the widespread economic disparities prevailing in the country were not removed.” (The Hindu. December 25,’05. P.5).

POLITICS:

The contemporary political conditions were dominated by India’s tilt towards the USA and a further increase of authoritarian violence characterizing governance regarding the rights of workers.

The tilt towards the USA was underscored by the preparations for the impending visit of President Bush in early 2006. Military alliance (nuclear association and sales of weapons including joint “defense” exercises), trade understanding (WTO) and rights of workers to strike (airports). On the nuclear deal, a leading scientist noted: “We must also recognize that it is demeaning for India to accept the US offer to join its Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) as a ‘client state’. ... the US President has decided to remove India from the exalted status of a country with advanced nuclear technology to one among some 180 nations who have no such capability” (Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan. “Don’t Compromise India’s Dignity”. The Deccan Chronicle. March 1,2006. P.9; also see the commentary in the same newspaper by Bharat Karnad. “George’s Nuclear Durbar”.). An important component of the nuclear deal is its financial burden — this aspect has drawn scant attention even though when the economic costs of imported plants may range between US $1.5 million to $2 million per Mwe – mega watts of energy (See: R. Ramachandran. “The complicated World of Nuclear Deals”. The Hindu. February 9,2006). It is in such a context that India voted with the USA and against Iran in the board meetings of the International Atomic Energy Association.

The expected increase in further modernizing “farm research” to the tune of US $100/- million will enhance the internal advantage of the large-scale commercial farmers. (“Bush to Sign $100m 2nd Green Revolution Deal”. The Deccan Chronicle. March 2,2006).

At the end of February 2006 and in the first week of March 2006 widespread protests in the form of demonstrations, petitions and parliamentary debates made it clear that substantial segments of India’s population opposed the visit of President Bush along with the reported deals being discussed in New Delhi. (Seema Mustafa. “Democracy Crumbles the Cookie”. The Deccan Chronicle. March 2, 2006; also see: Rajat Pandit. “Arm’s Majors Eye Border Security Market”. The Times of India. February 2, 2006).

The pro-big corporate business stance of the government of India was underscored by the sustained (since 1962) rulings of the Supreme Court denying the “right to strike” – at this time (2006) reiterated in the case of the airport workers strike. (See: Pranab D. Samanta. “Centre arms itself with toughest aviation law”. Indian Express. February 2, 2006; also see:Manoj Mitta. “SC has repeatedly rejected Right to strike since 1962”. The Times of India. February 2, 2006).

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

The Corporate globalization and its contemporary modernizing consequences are visible as the three D’s – displacement, division and degradation among major segments of the population. In Andhra Pradesh the Polavaram project, one of the Godavri river schemes established to provide irrigation has brought about a large-scale displacement of the local population – “It is unimaginable how the Government is going ahead with a project involving such large scale displacement of poor and vulnerable sections. It was not even prepared to look at the alternatives”. (K. Venkateshwarlu. “Displaced Development”. The Hindu, Magazine Section. January 8,2006. p.4). The displaced farmers and forest dwellers are forced to move and become part of the growing migrant, casual labor force facing uncertain employment at lower wages with intensified insecurity. (See: Prafulla Das. “Orissa Bandh Passes off Peacefully”. The Hindu. January 8,2006).

At the middle and upper-middle income range outsourced jobs are given prominence since allegedly they provide upward mobility and higher incomes. Yet this job market affects a miniscule number and proportion of the massively expanding urban workforce. However, outsourcing does provide incomes that fuels the rampant “consumer culture” in urban India. (See: Paromita Pain. “A Paradigm Shift”. The Hindu, Magazine Section. January 8,2006; Ron and Anil Hira. “Outsourcing America”. Amacom. 2005; RUPE. “Global Power, Client State”. Aspects of India’s Economy, #41. Mumbai 2005).

Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi is one illustration of the growth of urban space accompanied by degraded urban land use, “keeping up with the Singh’s” vulgarly flamboyant consumer life style, traffic congestion, spreading pollution (air & water) and intensified social stress (“Meltdown”. Down to Earth. February 15, 2006).

The devastation of the combined results of displacement, division and degradation become starkly evident in the legacy of the Tsunami tragedy – continuing misery. (Somini Sengupta and Seth Mydans. “Tsunami Legacy: Hope and Struggle”. The Deccan Chronicle. December 26, 2005).

AZAD READING ROOM

The Resource Center (ARR) has moved to its NEW location in Hyderabad**. Aman Vedika, the current coordinator of Azad Reading Room activities, carried out the relocation. Once the re-settlement is complete the work of ARR will both continue and expand to make available the resources to local groups, organizations and individuals

Azad Reading Room/Aman Vedika organized a series of joint meetings on Child Rights, Food Rights, Human Rights and Relief efforts for Poor Farmers during April-June'06.

The training and supervision of a select group of student volunteers was undertaken - the students subsequently visited vilages assisting in the relief efforts of distressed farmers.

NEW address:
AZAD READING ROOM, C/O Aman Vedika
1-3-183/40/46/16, New Bakaram, Gandhinagar,
Hyderabad, A.P. 500 080. INDIA
Tel.: 91-40-27707179;
FAX: 91-40-7808808;
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Coordinator: Ms.Ambika,
Tel.# 011 91 9346988639 (cell phone)
[email protected]
[email protected]

BOOKS:

RESTLESS MOTHERS & TURBULENT DAUGHTERS. By, Sashank S Sinha.
MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MUSLIMS. By Rose Baring & Barnaby Rogerson (Eds.)
. INDIA THEN & NOW. By Rudrangshu Mukherjee & V Sanghvi.
POETICS, PLAYS & PERFORMANCES. By Vasudha Dalmia.
COLLECTED PLAYS. By Girish Karnad.
WRONG NUMBER & OTHER STORIES. By Maheshwati Devi
BEDENBALA. By Maheshwati Devi.
ISLAM IN KASHMIR. By Muhammad A. Wani.
AND THE WORLD CHANGED. By Muneeza Shamshie (Ed.).
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A SEX WORKER. By. Nalini Jameela.
CLUELESS & CO. By Pratik Basu.
PATNA ROUGHCUT. By Siddharth Chowdhury.
SACRED GAMES. By Vikram Chandra.
CHENNAI LATTE. By R. Ashok & B. Balasubramaniam.
THE HUNGRY TIDE. By Amitav Ghosh.
SHALIMAR, THE CLOWN. By Salman Rushdie.
Q & A. By Vikas Swarup.
OUTLINES OF THE REPUBLIC. By Siddharta Deb.
BABYJI. By Abha Daweswar.
THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS. Kiran Desai.
ANTHROPOLOGY AMONG MARXISTS & OTHER ESSAYS. By Ramchandra Guha.
HINDU WIFE, HINDU NATION. By Tanika Sarkar.
WEIGHT LOSS. By Upamanyu Chatterjee.
THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN PARASOL. By Uday Prakash.
OR THE DAY SEIZES YOU. By Rajashri Chakraborti.
RACISTS. By Kunal Basu.
HOME. By Manju Kapur.
PARTITIONS. By Kamleshwar.
THE HORSESHOE TABLE : AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. By Chinmaya Garekhan.
BANGLADESH – THE NEXT AFGHANISTAN. By Hiranmoy Karlekar.
DANCE OF THE FIREFLIES. By R. Humnabadkar.
SCARRED : EXPERIMENTS WITH VIOLENCE IN GUJRAT. By Dionne Bunsha.
LIVING WITH AYURVEDA. By Anuradha Singh.
THESE HILLS CALLED HOME. By Temsula Ao
GODS LITTLE SOLDIER. By Kiran Nagarkar.
AN IRON HARVEST. By C.P. Surendran.
SIX ACRES & A THIRD. By Fakir Mohan Senapati.

FILMS:
ADBUTHAM (ethics of Euthanasia). Dir. – Jayaraj. Malayalam/EST
SHE WRITE. Dir’s. – Anjali Monteiro & K.P.
Jayashankar. Tamil/EST.
PARINEETA. Dir. – Pradeep Sarkar. Hindi/EST.
WATER. Dir. – Deepa Mehta. Hindi/EST.
15 PARK LANE. Dir. – Aparna Sen. English.
LETTER FROM AN ORDINARY GIRL. Dir. – Sangeeta Dutta.
MY BROTHER, MY ENEMY. Dir’s. – Masood Khan & Kamaljeet Negi. Hindi-Urdu/EST.
PARAZANIA. Dir. – Rahul Dholakia. Hindi/EST.
RANG DE BASANTI. Dir. – Amir Khan. Hindi. /EST.
MIXED DOUBLES. Dir. – Rajat Kapoor. Hindi/EST.
DEADLINE. Dir. – Tanveer Khan. Hindi/EST.
DOSOR. Dir. – Rituparno Ghosh. Bengali/EST
BEING CYRUS. Dir. – Homi Adjani. EST
IQBAL. Dir. – Nagesh Kukunoor. EST.
THE HOUSE ON GULMOHAR AVENUE. Dir. – Samina Mishra Hindi. /EST.
JOHNNY & JANE. Dir. – Ashim Ahluwalia. Hindi/EST.

PLAYS:
SHAMBUK VAD. Dir. – Sadhana Deshpande. Hindi.
KALANTAK LAL PHITA. Dir. – Suman Mukhopadhyay. Bengali.
BHELUR BHASAN. Dir. – Jamil Khan. Bengali (Bangladesh).
LOOKING FOR A MISSING EMPLOYEE FROM BEIRUT. Dir. – Razbih Mroueh.
(Original Arabic – Urdu/English).

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