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INDIA REPORT
No. 21
JULY 2004

Page 2

POLITICS:
The main political news concerns the elections of 2004. They were held in April-May,’04 and the results declared in the second week of May.’04. The results were a dramatic surprise – the Congress party emerged as the single largest constituent of the Lok Sabha (National parliament) and with a coalition of other parties has formed the government in New Delhi. The BJP (leader of the last coalition government) was defeated yet remains an authoritarian threat across India.
A shift has taken place in the coalition making up the government perhaps towards a projected attempt to rule with a ‘softer face’. However one must recall that it was under Congress party leadership that an Emergency was declared suspending civil & human rights followed by the enactment of TADA (a so called prevention of terrorism bill) leading to a deeper erosion of democratic rights. Furthermore the Congress party is the architect of the Indian version of neo-liberalism emphasizing structural adjustment programs ala the World Bank/IMF.

The following comments underscore some salient aspects regarding the limitations of electoral politics in contemporary India.

"---- The insatiable appetite of leaders to be Kings and King-makers and the reduced vote share of two principal parties, the Congress and the BJP provide the context within which the politics of alliance has to work itself out. Since 1999, the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance has provided the coalitions-are-inevitable theme as the overarching myth that legitimates any kind of power-sharing arrangement. Questions of morality or principles are not asked; only expediency matters. (Khare, Harish. The big, the small and the not-so-small". THE HINDU. Feb.1,’04. Emphasis added).

"The weaknesses of the Congress party (are) – lack of a defining idea & identity; poor communication at all levels; ageing leaders". (Koya, Neelima.Congress makes a Confession". NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS. Feb.2,’04).

"How do the voters manage to get it right? --- Before every election the country witnesses a ‘wave’ from which emerges a knight in shining armour who promises to rescue the country from all ills and evils, and the people vote for him (or her). But the building up of this wave is not based on any logic. In fact it is based on something purely illogical – emotion"(Ghosh, Bishwanath."Waves that swept elections". NEW SUNDAY EXPRESS. Feb.1,’04).

"We have often seen how our system of checks and balances to prevent corruption, in fact encourages it and the larger the scope of the scam, the more likely it is to succeed spectacularly" (Dharker, Anil. "Telgi is so Indian". THE HINDU. Nov.30,’03. Sec.II).

The early comments about the election results were euphoric. Since June’04 ground realities have begun to direct attention towards persisting systemic and structural dangers facing the majority of India’s population.

Noting the possible opportunities before the current Congress led government, an observer states, "The Congress has this opportunity but is throwing it away. For, far from chalking out a new future for India, it has, through its own actions, put itself on the defensive in parliament and before the people"(Jha, Prem Shanker. "The First Cardinal Sin". OUTLOOK. June 21,’04).

"A initial scrutiny of the leadership members of the new government, led by the Congress party, clearly indicates their substantial links with corporate business – transnational as well as Indian "(Srinivas, Alam. "A Share in Power?". OUTLOOK. June 1,’04).

Coalition politics necessitates adjustments/accommodations between questionable partners accompanied, often, by unprincipled policies. This is exemplified by the choice of the individuals heading various ministries (See: "Sonia sarkar?" OUTLOOK. May 24,’04; "The life and times of your MP-at large". OUTLOOK. June 21,’04; Deb, Sandipan & A.Mukherjee. "Middle March". OUTLOOK. June 7,’04; and "See You on Saturday". OUTLOOK. June 21,’04).

Finally, focusing on the recent upsurge of inter-community violence in India, one observer sums up the looming dangers ahead, as follows: "In order to undo the damage that had been inflicted on us by the previous regime, it is necessary to go beyond the immediate task of cleansing the crucial institutions. Merely shunting out the heads of institutions and bureaucrats will not do". (Banerjee, Sumanta. "Need of the Hour". ECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY. JUNE 5,’04).

ANDHRA PRADESH:

The election defeat of the Telugu Desam (the governing party in Andhra Pradesh) is, in reality, a shift within the local ruling circles. The Congress party in Andhra Pradesh personifies the current change.

The defeat of the Telugu Desam took place despite the last minute attempts to make deals between it and big business, large commercial farmers as well as the World Bank and Coca Cola. (See: "World Bank comes to CM’s rescue". DECCAN CHRONICLE.Feb.12,’04; "Coke makes a thanda deal". DECCAN CHRONICLE. Feb.15,’04).

Leadership of governance has indeed changed, however, as one analyst/commentator notes: ---" in the matter of change of helmsman, it has merely replaced a man who would find nothing too crooked if it is in his political interest, with one who would find nothing too brutal. ---- Such precisely are the men neo-liberalism wishes to find in power in countries such as ours which it wants to subordinate to its logic". (Balagopal, K. "Andhra Pradesh: Beyond Media Images". ECONOMIC & POLITICAL WEEKLY. June 12,’04).

A far more serious condition has been unfolding in Andhra Pradesh over the past few years: "A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding in Andhra Pradesh. ----- Close to 300 peasants in the state have committed suicide after the Congress government ------ assumed office on May 14,’04 (Sridhar, V. "An Agrarian Tragedy". FRONTLINE. June 19-July 2,’04. Emphasis added).

Chilli farmers of Warrangal district in Andhra Pradesh illustrated an early indication of an upsurge in resistance in the countryside. Triggered by falling MSP (minimum support price) hundreds of farmers confronted government officials and traders to demand justice". (See: "Ire of chilli farmers to hot for yard officials". DECCAN CHRONICLE. Feb.3,’04).

AZAD READING ROOM (ARR):

Azad Reading Room has shifted its location within Secunderabd – the new address is indicated on ARR’s web pages. Explorations are underway to establish an additional site for ARR in Hyderabad. It is expected that such an expansion will be accomplished in the near future.
A librarian has completed the cataloguing of the holdings of ARR, which makes them user friendly.
Over the past year 2 shipments of books, magazines and films have gone to ARR. Many thanks are extended to supporters.

Film screenings, on behalf of ARR, during ’03-’04 were extended to 8 locations across India. There are continuing requests to do the same over ’04-’05.

Initial progress has been made in the ‘shooting’ of video footage. Soon, hopefully, ARR may be in a position of exhibiting its own video film(s).

ARR, jointly with other local organizations, is actively exploring the possibilities of developing/delivering low-cost housing for ‘bustee’ (slum) dwellers.

BOOKS:

Ali, Monica. BRICK LANE.
Ali, Tariq. BUSH IN BABYLON.
Basu, Sumit. THE SIMOGIN PROPHESIES
Bajwa, Rupa. THE SARI SHOP.
Bama. KARUKKU.
Chakravarty, Radha. (Compiler&Translator). CROSSINGS.
Das, Kamla. A CHILDHOOD IN MALABAR.
Ghosh, Chandan. REDISCOVERING HIMALAYAS.
Hartung, William. HOW MUCH ARE YOU MAKING ON THE WAR, DADDY?
Jain, Jasbir. GENDERED REALITIES, HUMAN SPECIES.
Jung, Anees. BEYOND THE COURTYARD.
Khair, Tabish. AMITAV GHOSH – A CRITICAL COMPANION.
Kunzru, Hari. TRANSMISSION.
Lal, Shyam. INDIAN REALITIES.
Laine, James. SHIVAJI.
Mathai, Manorama. WHISPERING GENERATION.
Mazari, Shireen. KARGIL CONFLICT, 1999.
Mehra, Ajay K. & Gert W. Kueck. THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT.
Murshid, Ghulam. LURED BY HYPE: A BIOGRAPHY OF MICHAEL
MADHUSUDAN DUTT.
Muthiah, S. THE INDO-LANKANS –THEIR 2000 YEAR SAGA.
Naqui, Tahira & Syeda S. Hameed (Translators). A CHUGTAI COLLECTION.
Possehi, G.L. THE INDUS CIVILIZATION.
Rajagopal, Balakrishnan. INTERNATIONAL LAW FROM BELOW.
Ramaswamy, Sethu. BRIDE AT TEN, MOTHER AT FIFTEEN.
Ramaswamy, Vijaya (ed.). RESEARCHING INDIAN WOMEN.
Sheikh, Moazzam (ed.). A LETTER FROM INDIA.
Thapar, Romila. SOMANTHAPUR.
Thussu, Dayak & Des. Freedman. WAR AS SPECTACLE.
Tripathi, Dwijendra. THE OXFORD HISTORY OF INDIAN BUSINESS.
Vanaik,Achin(ed.) GLOBALIZATION AND SOUTH ASIA.
Vidal, Gore. IMPERIAL AMERICA: UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA.
Veluthat, Kesavan & P. Sudhakaran (eds.). ADVANCES IN HISTORY: ESSAYS IN
MEMORY OF PROF. M.P. SRIDHARAN.
Zaman, Kadir. BRIBERY.


FILMS:

AMU
BRIDE & PREJUDICE
BORN INTO BROTHELS
CHOKER BALI
CHAMELI
DANCE LIKE A MAN
GANGA JAL
GULEL
GIRLFRIEND
HARI BHARI (Lush Green)
HAASIL (Accomplish)
JOGGERS PARK
MANGO SOUFFLE
MAQBOOL
MORNING RAGA
NETAJI
PAAP (Sin)
PINJAR (Caged)
RAINCOAT
SAMAY (Time)
SPLIT WIDE OPEN
VANITY FAIR
WHITE NOISE
YUVA

AUDIO:
BOOM
CHAAHAT
IN THE NAME OF NATION (Songs from Narmada Valley)
JHINI
MAQBOOL (Sound Track)
PAAP (Sound Track)
PINJAR (Sound Track)
TRIBOLOGY (Songs/Music of Dalits)

PLAYS:
AZAD – Michael Alter
ADOLF – Guy Masterson
ERINDIRA -Amal Allana
SUNO NADI KYA KEHTI HAI (Listen to What the River is saying).

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH: AYURVEDA – Contact, S.K.Nanda
[email protected]