Founder Editor: M.N. Roy

499

THE RADICAL HUMANISTOCTOBER 2011 Rs. 20 / monthVol. 75 No 7

(Since April 1949)

Formerly : Independent India (April 1937- March 1949)

Dashrathlal Thakar 1911-1979Birth Centenary Year

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Roy’s Group (1942)

1st. Row Fromleft Mr. Mansuri, Dasharathlal Thaker, Champaklal Bhatt, Chandrakant

Daru, 2nd. Row left Mr. Durgashankar Trivedi, Bhupendrakumar Shelat

Dashrathlal Thaker(1911-1979)

Birth Centenary Year

Glowing compliments to a Humanist!

(These tributes have been written on the occasion

of the centenary year of Dashrathlal Thaker. Mr.

Dashrathlal was a veteran Royist and was the

General Secretary of Gujarat RDP & Secretary

of IRHA in the seventies.)

Mentor of all

—by Gopal Bhatt

The topic of ‘Royism in Gujarat’ is capable

of being a subject matter of a thesis for

Ph.D. because the staunch disciple and loyal friend,

Mr. Taiyab Shaikh had once upon a time

established a camp and formed a Royist Group

here. Socialist ideology of Roy was distinctly

different from that of the communists and of the

socialists followed by Congress. Chandrakant Daru

and Dasharathlal Thaker had remained life-long

supporters of Royism. The impression of Royist

ideology was clearly visible in the thoughts and

conduct of both these co-workers, who were

mutually different friends. Many freedom fighters

had emerged from the village Borsad from Kheda

district which was also Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s

field of activities. In the freedom movement

spearheaded by Gandhiji, contribution of three

young students – Thakorprasad, Dashrathlal,

Champaklal has indeed been unforgettable. All the

three young students became Royist later on.

Dashrathlal Mohanlal Thaker was born on 2nd

October 1911. In Dashrathlal’s personality, I found

a distinguished friend and a perennially flowing

fountainhead of knowledge and, therefore, during

my college days I always preferred to stay in his

company. I indeed felt a sense of honour and

privilege to have enjoyed the companionship of

such a valiant, brilliant and visionary person. Also,

I had the opportunity of frequently meeting

Dashrathlal’s co-workers and eminent personalities

personally. Hence, to-day, I wish to recall my fond

memories about him from this platform.

Dashrathlal was brilliant right from his childhood.

He had unparalleled command on Mathematics,

Sanskrit and English language. He had expert

knowledge of labour laws and of fundamental

rights. He took severe pains in shaping his physical

stature. Doing physical exercises regularly by

visiting the gymnasium was his daily chore.

Basically being a teacher, Dashrathlal rode the

bicycle all the way from Ahmedabad to Jetalpur (20

Kms.) in those days of unpaved and dusty roads, for

giving tuitions to the students.

Inherently possessed with inborn virtues like

revolutionary thoughts, regularity and unflinching

perseverance, Dashrathlal willingly joined in the

then prevalent Gandhian movement of Gujarat

College headed by Acharya J. B. Kripalani. Not

only that, even by ignoring the numbing cold of

winter or similar adverse circumstances, he was in

the forefront to remain present at 6 O’clock in the

morning and never abstained even for a single day.

Moreover, even in the teeth of opposition from the

family members, he persisted participating in the

morning rounds, agitation, picketing and the like

activities after enrolling himself as a soldier in the

mainstream battle of salt agitation. When he was

arrested along with Champaklal Bhatt, at that time

the judge happened to be friend of Dashrathlal’s

father, who conveyed that he would release him

only if the boy tenders apology or gives written

undertaking that he will not participate in the

agitation. However, in defiance of this proposition,

Dashrathlal shouted ‘Vande Mataram’ within the

court premises and agreed to court imprisonment.

During the battle of 1932, he courted arrest from

Jambusar and was imprisoned in Visapur jail.

There he came in close contacts with revolutionary

1

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

intellectuals of Gujarat, Maharashtra and

Karnataka. Lots of books containing various and

yet best ideologies used to be received there. These

knowledge seekers were broadening their mental

horizons of political outlook. Due to this and also

because of an inborn perception and outlook

Dashrathlal gained greater clarity, depth and

foresight gradually. During imprisonment, his

experiences had really been exciting and

memorable. Some of them are produced below:

The inmates in the prison were offered loafs of

bread containing pebbles mixed with flour in the

jail’s kitchen so as to demoralize them. Although

having to eat such inedible bread, Dashrathlal never

became perturbed. On the contrary, he offered

courage to other inmates saying that “We want

freedom; hence we have to endure such small or big

troubles.” In jail, all prisoners’ hair used to be cut to

too short. During that time, one person (Comrade

Harry) having curly, long hair had been newly

sentenced to jail. To him, having to trim his hair too

short was painful just like having his head sheared

off. When his turn came and seeing him weeping,

Dashrathlal consolingly told him “Brother, don’t be

so sad. As soon as independence will be attained,

new hair will also grow which will be as curly as

now.” On hearing this, every one present there

burst out into laughter and the tense atmosphere

changed to a light and relaxed one.

When the freedom movement was in progress, a

meeting of Youth Congress was convened at

Nadiad in the year 1936. The trio of Thakor

Pandya, Champaklal Bhatt and Dashrathlal Thaker

was famous in those days for their hot-headed

temperament. These three leaders intended to hand

over a memorandum to Pandit Nehru about Youth

Congress. When Sardar Patel came to know that the

three friends have come together, he cautiously told

Nehru, “Let us now go as it is quite late and it is also

time for you to take bath and snacks”. Since Nehru

went for bath, the trio, at that point of time

suppressed their anger. What else to do? Sardar

Patel was a Gujarati and that too a native of Kheda

district. They could not afford to displease him too?

When now-a-days co-operative movement is

advocated with much fanfare, to-day’s youth must

remember that the foundation for co-operative

movement was laid in Gujarat way back in 1940s

by the Roy Group. India’s great revolutionary

thinker Manavendra Nath Roy had laid foundation

for a humanist philosophy in which a strong

rational thinking process was inculcated on the

national level for the communist ideology. In those

days very few people could discern the difference

between communism and Roy’s ideology and

among them one was Dashrathlal and another was

his inmate during the jail term, Mr. V.B. Karnik.

Dashrathlal Thaker made all out efforts to explain

M.N. Roy’s writings on political revolution in

China and on the new aspects of nationalism and

humanism in that period of colonialism and

imperialism. He had especially decided to have a

philosophical approach of remaining a life-long

activist to strive for the betterment of the deprived

masses of society and for humanist social reforms.

Only occasionally could people come across such

individuals as Dashrathlal who stood steadfast as a

pillar in support of Royist ideology in his group in

Gujarat.

To make notes of Dashrathlal’s contributions in the

area of Trade Union will require composing an

entire book. To prepare a Charter of Demand based

on careful calculation of salary and allowances

drawn by large number of employees of Govt.,

Semi-Govt. and private institutions, to hand it over

to the competent authority, to fight a legal battle or

confrontation and ultimately to find a solution in

the best interests of the workers. He remained

constantly engrossed in such highly tiresome tasks.

He was preparing briefs very carefully even for

cases of very small men. One such case he fought

on behalf of some of the gardeners against the mill

owners even up to the Supreme Court and finally

won the case. Not only that, he, never in his life,

was pretentious nor did he yearn for any kind of

publicity.

Dashrathlal spent his entire life to safe guard the

rights of textile mills workers of Ahmedabad and of

2

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

miscellaneous factory workers. He never took

financial benefit for his services from the Union.

He was working as a teacher and felt satisfied with

that income. In spite of insistence from the workers,

he had never taken a single paisa for his work. Even

when during financial crisis, there was no laxity in

his selfless services. He ritually followed the rule of

coming to the office ahead of all and was last to

leave the office. While talking to someone on this

point, Dashrathlal selflessly admitted that it is my

good luck that these people offer me opportunity to

work on their behalf. I enjoy doing work for them.

He often told that he is indebted to these workers. It

would appear as a dream to-day if any trade

unionist indeed possessed such noble feelings.

Earlier, the employees of the Gujarat Chamber of

Commerce and Industry were receiving very less

salary. For that he sat with the delegation of the mill

owners and pleaded that such less pay scale was not

acceptable. Simultaneously he collected

information of salary offered by the Chambers of

Commerce at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and

Madras. Upon receiving the reply from the

representatives that ‘This is not possible’,

Dashrathlal produced all the information he had

already collected beforehand. On seeing it, the mill

owners immediately agreed to increase the salaries.

Further, he also cleverly persuaded them to draw up

a Charter of Demands. In true sense, this was in the

interest of the workers. After a long time, the

mill-owners’ representatives realized that although

they themselves were shrewd businessmen, they

were in fact outsmarted by an honest trade unionist.

Further, upon the argument by the then Director,

Dr. Vanikar of Gulabbai General Hospital about

less salary and allowances that “this is a public

service institution”, Dashrathlal had replied that

“facilities provided in the public service

institutions are for the benefit of the people,

whereas Ward Boy, Nurse and other staff must be

given enough compensation. Thus, after going

deep in to the case and presenting logical and

coherent arguments he finally triumphed. This

could be possible only by the diligent efforts of

Dashrathlal.

When the then Minister of Gujarat Govt.,

Thakorbhai Desai took a decision that English will

be taught in the schools of Gujarat from 8th

standard, Roy’s Group filed a writ petition in the

High Court by making Thakorbhai Thakor,

Principal of Dewan Ballubhai High School, a party.

His demand was that English should be taught right

from 5th standard. The entire Roy Group believed

that it is the prerogative of the parents to decide

from which standard and in which medium their

wards should be given education. Needless to say,

the interest of Gujarat got the upper hand.

Contribution of Dashrathlal in this matter shall

always be cherished for centuries to come.

The duo of Dashrathlal and Chandrakant Daru was

world famous. As was the position of Shri

Mahadevbhai Desai as P.A., in the life of Mahatma

Gandhiji, so was the position of Dashrathlal in the

life of Chandrakant Daru. Nirubhai Desai who

remained with these friends during the Freedom

Movement has written a very nice article about

these two friends in his column ‘Vasarika’

published in Gujarat Samachar whose title was

quite apt and meaningful ‘Daru would have been a

nobody without Dashrathlal’. It is worthy to note

that upon insistence from Dashrathlal Shri Daru

was persuaded to accept the ‘Sanad’ for practicing

law.

When the Mahagujarat Movement of 1956 was

going on, at that time, the strength of Labour Union

of Roy Group had almost reached to one lac even

then he never criticized or passed comments about

Majoor Mahajan (founded by Mahatma Gandhi) or

its office-bearers like Khandubhai Desai, Somnath

Dave, Arivindbhai Buch or Navinchandra Barot.

At that time, if he would have thought, he could

have easily got the Majoor Mahajan premises

situated at Lal Darwaja. But he had never harbored

such trivial temptations. Having stayed in a rented

house at Madalpur for many years, he gave back

vacant possession to the original owner and shifted

3

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

to some other residence. In Mirzapur, Labour Union’s

office was functional in a two storey building. When the

Land Lord was in need of ground floor, he immediately

returned it in spite of displeasure of some of the

colleagues and said “we are indebted to this land lord;

we have used his steps lacs of times. Now when a tenant

is eager to illegally take over land lord’s house, in that

situation, Dashrathlal’s sense of renunciation was

indeed exemplary.

Dashrathlal was equally aware of his own rights

and was an expert of laws and legal matters. In the

initial years, Office of the Radical Democratic

Party was situated in Nava Vas of Gol Limda. In

view of certain disagreements with the ideologies

of Delhi based Head Office, Shri V.M. Tarkunde

came for taking back possession of the office space

but on seeing the hot temperament of Dashrathlal,

he quietly went away.

During the agitation of 1942, Dashrathlal was

handling the newspaper of Independent India. His

performance both as a Reporter and as an Editor

was praiseworthy. His handling of bulletins and

periodicals like Manav Samaj and Chetan was

equally noteworthy. When Indiraji imposed

emergency in the entire country in 1975, Daru

Saheb was in jail and at that time, Dashrathlal took

over the dual and extra responsibility. When not

very ruthless write-ups were in circulation against

the emergency at that time, he composed a

sensational article ‘Resistance is the only way’ in

Manav Samaj and published it. This article became

the best example of his fearlessness and intuitive

inherent powers. It did not come to the knowledge

of police during the emergency that ‘most wanted’

George Fernandez and Karpuri Thakur were in the

hide-out of otherwise peaceful and serene person

like Dashrathlal. But even to-day hardly few people

may know that the responsibility for giving shelter

to Shri Fernandez in Ahmedabad was also

shouldered by Dashrathlal, in addition to

Prasannadas Patwari.

After declaration of emergency, All India

Conference of All India Radical Humanists was

convened. At that time, when Maniben Kara and

Karnik Saheb in their address appealed to overlook

the dictatorship triggered by Indiraji, and when it

was said “You should not push the cat in the

corner”, then Dashrathlal to the surprise of the

audience, spoke aloud, “Friends is Indira a tigress

that you are advocating to overlook her

dictatorship? How can she ban the entire country’s

freedom? He further added that in a democracy,

only freedom and liberty are the most important

aspects. Dashrathlal possessing such strong will

power motivated lacs of people and we can proudly

say that only such acts of bravery, could force the

dictatorship of Indiraji to come to an end.

Revered Dashrathlal was a man to be cherished as

an affectionate stalwart, sincere friend and a loving

father. Dashrathlal had made special efforts in

helping one of his neighbours in Madalpur, named,

Manu Patel in pursuing studies of B.A., and B. Ed.

He had also helped another ordinary person Safi

Mohammad Baluch in becoming a successful

advocate. To-day, family members of both these

persons gratefully remember Dashrathlal. He also

carefully nurtured his sons and daughters and

provided them a backing as long as he lived. In

spite of his weak economic condition and both the

daughters mentally ill, Dashrathlal did not accept

the Freedom Fighter’s pension offered by the Govt.

He never hankered after popularity for his noble

deeds. He also did not apply for Copper Plate

offered by the Govt.

He suffered a heart attack during the last week of

his life but before getting admitted in the I.C.U.

ward of Civil Hospital in the evening he called the

Executive Committee of Workers Union at his

house; ignoring breathlessness and chest pain he

kept giving them advice and directions as a dutiful

leader. Like Daru, he also had suffered from lungs

cancer and Daru also insisted for taking him along

to U.S.A. But he was not prepared to go along with

him saying, “It is not a question of money, but if I

come by leaving these workers’ jobs unfinished it

may amount to a breach of trust.” And thereafter

also, it never became possible because, after the

demise of Daru at U.S.A. he continued to shoulder

4

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

the burden of many such tasks.

He had taken a solemn promise from his son

Gautambhai never to recover any pending dues

from many of the trade unions.

On 19th May 1979 the blazing lamp extinguished its

light. His motto was to do the maximum work, to

remain at the rear and to speak the least. His loss

will be felt by the labour workers to the utmost. A

leader giving right guidance by himself remaining

completely desireless and selfless is really difficult

to find. In the to-day’s crowd of corrupt and power

greedy politicians, impartial, unattached and

unwavering personality of Dashrathlal Thaker will

emerge as a lighthouse or lamp post. ‘Big’ or

‘Mota’ was his nick name. I feel he was really

possessing ‘bigness’ and hence, he became popular

as ‘Big’ or ‘Mota’.

[Mr. Gopal Bhatt Retired as Senior Manager of

State Bank of India, Ahmedabad. He is closely

associated with the Radical Humanist Movement

since 1970. He may be contacted at 6 - Punam

Appartment, Bhudarpura, Ambawadi,

Ahmedabad-15. Phone: 079-26465315]

A True Follower of the RadicalHumanist Movement and a

True Royist

—by Dhirubhai Chhotalal Bhatt

When I was asked to recount my

memories about Dashrathlal,

immediately, in my mind flashed a picture of his

positive and proactive personality, possessing

inspirational virtues of an untiring and great

visionary. Due to him I had a chance of personally

meeting M.N. Roy during the freedom movement.

Dashrathlal lived a detached life and never imposed

on others his thoughts or ideologies. He patiently

and attentively listened to everybody and thereafter

gave his considered views. He remained unattached

whether in trouble or happiness and never

grumbled but quietly endured what was inevitable

or incurable. He lived truth, lived for truth and

finally bid adieu from the world of truth.

Strengthening of Democracy asmission of life

—by Hasmukh Patel

In the wake of Navnirman Movement

emanating from Gujarat (1974), a massive

wave of change emerged all over the country. The

agitation based on limited ills of price-rise and

corruption got transformed into a cyclonic storm of

change, thanks to the involvement of Lok Nayak

Jay Prakashji. Gujarat became the epicenter for

arousing political and people’s resistance which

gave rise to active involvement of non-political

organizations and formation of non-congress

‘Janata’ government. The ideology of total

revolution took its roots which brought closer

together the Sarvodayi, Gandhian and Radical

Humanist groups.

The torch-bearers of the Radical Humanist

Movement at Gujarat level, Chandrakant Daru,

Dasharathlal and his co-workers’ contribution was

significant and many of them were sentenced to

jail. With the initiative of Chandrakant Daru, two

congregations were organized in Gujarat aiming at

preserving sanctity of constitution which strongly

challenged Indiraji’s regime. As a young soldier of

J.P. Movement, I got opportunity of participating

with these leaders and also got the jail term.

Daru saheb was soft-spoken but possessed

child-like candidness. I am well aware of the

ideological convictions of Shri Daru’s colleagues

who were all averse and immune to the evils of

hunger for power and publicity. Fortunately, new

generation’s activists like Gautam Thaker are

striving to march ahead bearing the blazing torch of

5

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

democratic values. Attempts of Gautam Thaker and

the like minded to unite secular forces for political

and social wellbeing deserve special mention at this

moment of overall turmoil in the country as a

whole.

[Hasmukh Patel is a Gandhian & Sarvodaya

leader.]

Labour Union’s ‘Big Brother’:Dashrathlal Thaker

—by Ramesh Korade

Dashrathbhai had never attempted to be a

great man but lived his life as a good

man. His friends and relatives called him ‘Mota’ or

‘Dashubhai’.

He was an iron man possessing strong will power.

On first impression, one might have thought that he

was devoid of any feelings or sentiments but on

knowing him more and more, one found him to be a

very kind and affectionate person. All through his

life, he struggled to instill the values of freedom,

equality and brotherhood among the people. He

was kind, truth loving and courageous. He had the

patience to listen to the opponents and never felt

shy of mending his ways if he realized their point.

He believed that man alone can bring change in the

society and mould his future. He expressed any

new idea with his original intelligence and did not

bother about narrow minded and conventional

society which could not recognize him. It is easy to

pay tributes to him but difficult to follow, adhere

and to emulate his work and life.

He started his public career in 1930. He willingly

joined in the agitation of Gujarat College and

participated in the morning rounds, picketing and

protest marches. During his jail term he had chance

of reading books containing radical ideologies,

which broadened his perception, and was

impressed with socialist ideology especially

advocated by M.N. Roy, who was in favor of giving

organizational turn to the national movement. At

Bhatt Saheb’s place Dashrathbhai came in close

contacts with Mr. Daru and on knowing each

other’s views and concerns they became fast

friends and remained close workers till death and

both had expired around the same time.

Daru and Dashrathbhai were bosom friends and

engrossed in all activities like close co-workers so

much that it was difficult to identify who is the

lamp and who the light. Daru told that he was lucky

to have Dashrathlal as his friend and that without

him he was a ‘nobody’ and could not have done

anything at all without Dashrathlal.

During the war between Britain and Hitler the then

Govt. of India obviously declared war against

Hitler. At that time, Dashrathlal was an active

worker of League of Radicals whereas M.N. Roy

was the main organizer, who was in favor of

supporting Britain in the hope that if Britain wins

then India will get independence, and hence parted

his ways from Congress party and established

Radical Democratic Party where Dashrathlal

became Secretary of Gujarat Region.

During the war, his group published a daily called

(Independent India) and worked for many long

hours. During the emergency imposed by Indira, he

helped Daru a lot. He and Daru were together in

forming Ahmedabad Textile Workers’ Union and

secured many benefits in favor of mill workers.

Dashrathlal spoke very less but worked very hard.

In the Royist Group of Gujarat, Dashrathlal was a

pillar and also handled labour activities. In spite of

weak economic condition, he did not take any

financial benefit unlike other Trade Union leaders

and worked for labourers till his death.

Dashrathlal did not hanker after publicity nor

applied for Freedom Fighters’ Pension. His life is a

lamp post to those disillusioned by to-day’s politics

of power and self-interest.

6

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

7

The Radical Humanist

Monthly journal of the Indian Renaissance

Institute

Devoted to the development of the Renaissance

Movement; and for promotion of human rights,

scientific-temper, rational thinking and a humanist

view of life.

Founder Editor:

M.N. Roy

Editor:

Dr. Rekha Saraswat

Contributory Editors:

Prof. A.F. Salahuddin Ahmed, Dr. R.M. Pal, Professor

Rama Kundu

Publisher:

Mr. N.D. Pancholi

Printer:

Mr. N.D. Pancholi

Send articles to: Dr. Rekha Saraswat, C-8, Defence

Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India, Ph.

91-121-2620690, 09719333011,

E-mail articles at: rheditor@gmail.com

Send Subscription / Donation Cheques in favour of

‘The Radical Humanist’to:

Mr. Narottam Vyas (Advocate), Chamber Number

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Ph. 91-11-22712434, 91-11-23782836, 09811944600

Please Note: Authors will bear sole accountability

for corroborating the facts that they give in their

write-ups. Neither IRI / the Publisher nor the Editor

of this journal will be responsible for testing the

validity and authenticity of statements &

information cited by the authors. Also, sometimes

some articles published in this journal may carry

opinions not similar to the Radical Humanist

philosophy; but they would be entertained here if the

need is felt to debate and discuss upon them.

—Rekha Saraswat

Vol. 75 Number 7 October 2011

Download and read the journal at

www.theradicalhumanist.com

- Contents -Dashrathlal Thaker: Birth Centenary Year

Glowing compliments to a Humanist! 1-6

1. From the Editor’s Desk:

The Cataclysm of Contrasts

—Rekha Saraswat 8

2. From the Writings of Laxmanshastri Joshi:

Spiritual Materialism: A case for Atheism 10

3. Guests’ Section:

Social Media Revolutions

—Uday Dandavate 14

Crises of Credibility:

Management Analysis of Anna Hazare Agitation

—Sharu S. Rangnekar 18

Materialism in India: A Synoptic View

—Ramkrishna Bhattacharya 20

4. Current Affairs:

Electoral reform:

Will the Central Govt. Redeem itself?

—Rajindar Sachar 25

5. IRI / IRHA Members’ Section:

Unique Radical Humanists from A.P.

—N. Innaiah 27

PUCL’s History of Struggle

—Mahipal Singh 30

6. Teachers’ & Research Scholars’ Section:

Right To Education Bill:

Provisions And Shortcomings

—Surendra Bhaskar 32

7. Book Review Section:

A Human Portraiture

—Dipavali Sen 35

8. Humanist News Section

I. Minutes of IRI General Body Meeting 37

II. Radicals at Kerala Rationalists’ Meet 39

From the Editor’s Desk:

The Cataclysm of Contrasts

Tell me who is continuously concerned

about values and ideals?

The philosopher?

Who bothers about what form of government is

good?

The academician?

Who is worried about the economic policies?

The businessman?

Who is engrossed in the nitty-gritty of

power-politics?

The politician?

Who is obsessed about ranks and positions?

The bureaucrat?

Who is gripped with the ego of social status?

The educated & prosperous middle-class?

Who decides about the ‘rights’ and the ‘wrongs’ in

life?

The priest?

And what do ‘we’ the commoners do?

We ‘BELIEVE!

We believe upon the philosopher and try to pursue

his values and ideals, most of the times, neither

knowing the meaning nor the need to follow his

philosophy; may be, sometimes just to appear great

or sometimes to simply follow a cult!

We believe upon the academician and try to support

the particular form of government promoted by him

with an expectation that it would best serve as a

panacea to all our problems and help us meet our

basic needs.

We believe upon the businessman’s promise of

customer-service on its face-value, very rarely

mustering courage to protest against the

sub-standard services and products supplied by

him; forgetting that his only motive to continue to

interfere in the formation of national economic

policies is his personal profit and nothing else.

We believe upon the politician and see in him our

mentor who will work for our welfare and

happiness without seeking his personal

aggrandizement. Each time, before the election

process starts, he promises to deliver us everything

on earth, and each time we believe in him with a

renewed vigour. Hoping against hope is human

nature!!

We believe upon the bureaucrat every time a new

officer comes to our village/town/city/district that

this one would be fair to us, that this one will give

us a patient hearing, that this one will implement

the public policy in all sincerity and to our benefit.

We believe upon the educated & prosperous

middle-class and try to emulate it to reach up to its

standards of success and prosperity but it is always

beyond us and it never seems to hear our call for

help.

We believe upon the priest and try to live up to the

religious norms set by him to get a better deal in the

next life not knowing that he himself is entangled in

the present life’s uncertainties and complexities.

We believe upon all those things which keep us

busy in the rigmaroles of life in the desire to make it

better each day!

The fact is that the philosopher is the most alienated

person in the society. He thinks, he contemplates,

he imagines and he writes for his own satisfaction.

His purpose is over, the moment he gives words to

his conception. It is the later generations who try to

find meanings in what he wrote and why he wrote;

to form ideals, principles and values from his

documents and manuscripts!

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

8

Rekha Saraswat

The reality is that the academician is a theoretician

who keeps brushing up his scholastic traits in his

lectures, discussions, debates, seminars and

conferences; most of the times not abreast with the

practical realities of his canvassing; living in his

self-esteem and egotistic contentment of his

over-pouring knowledge!

The truth is that the businessman neither cares

about our welfare nor about our satisfaction. These

can only come to us as the bi-products of his open

competition with other businessmen in his

desperate efforts to maximize his profit!

The actual fact is that the politician takes his

assignment like any other professional. He is not a

social worker. He has to continue in his job as long

as he can; as well as get maximum incentives and

promotions as soon as possible to make up for the

future uncertainty of his service-tenure!

The verity is that the bureaucrat has chosen his

vocation because he has aspired to be included in

the top echelons of the society. He is interested in

living near power and in using authority as a means

of enhancing or exaggerating his own importance,

power, or reputation. So he follows the dictates of

the politicians and simultaneously, uses his

executive authority upon us in the most estranged

manner.

The bottom line of the educated & prosperous

middle class is ‘me and mine alone’. With the vast

majority and ocean full of ‘commoners’ around, it

is always gripped with the fear of being cheated and

deceived by them. It wants to remain at the top,

even if lonely!

And when, as a last resort, we, in our desolation,

rush to our religious leader, the priest, trying to

cling to him as our helmsman, to help us make a

better life for ourselves in this world and beyond,

he begins to threaten and warn us through the

doctrine of ‘fate’ and ‘karma’ to remember and

follow most rigidly, the ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’

preached by him lest the lord too leaves us alone to

our plight!!

What a cataclysm of contrasts in our expectations

with this oligarchic world and its protagonists!!

9

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

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¨You may also send in news and write-ups from your part of the land for uploading on the Website.

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¨It is your own inter-active portal formed with a purpose of social interaction amongst all Radical

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¨Do make it a practice to click on the RH Website http://www.theradicalhumanist.com URL daily,

ceremoniously.

¨Please utilise the RH Website to come closer for the common cause of ushering in a renaissance in our

country. —Rekha Saraswat, (Editor & Administrator RH Website)

From The Writings of Laxmanshastri Joshi:

Spiritual Materialism – A casefor Atheism

Translated by —Arundhati Khandkar

[The book Spiritual Materialism – A case for

Atheism, A New Interpretation of the

Philosophy of Materialism written by

Tarkateertha Laxmanshastri Joshi has been

translated by his daughter, Arundhati

Khandkar, who was formerly Professor of

Philosophy at S.I.E.S. College, University of

Mumbai, India. He passed away many decades

ago but his contribution in building up the

philosophical base of Radical Humanism has

been no less. Roy acknowledged it in his life time

and the followers of the philosophy continue to do

so. I had requested Ms. Khandkar to translate her

father’s major works from to Marathi to English

for the benefit of the contemporary readers of RH.

And to our pleasant surprise she informed that

there is already the above mentioned book in

English done by her. It is being serialised in The

Radical Humanist June 2010 onwards. She has

also promised to send us in English, gradually,

more of his Marathi literature.

Laxmanshastri wrote this essay with the title

Materialism or Atheism in 1941. How

meaningful and necessary it is, even now, 70

years later, can be understood by the following

paragraph given on the cover page of the book.

—Rekha Saraswat]

“That religion more often than not tends to

perpetuate the existing social structure rather than

being reformist and that it benefits the upper

classes. They perpetrate the illusions and are used

for impressing the weaker sections of the society.

Many taboos which might have had some

beneficial effects are given a permanent sanction

and these put a fetter on further progress. The

argument that religion promotes social stability and

social harmony is examined and rejected. Without

the dubious benefit of religion various secular

worldly values have been developed and they have

benefited mankind more than the vaunted religious

values. With no sops of religion men have laboured

hard and the finest admirable qualities of men’s

spirit have been developed inspite of religious

influence – the scientists and the reformers are

examples. The humility that should force itself in

the presence of the infinite and the unknown is

more to be seen with the scientist, the philosopher

than the religious leaders and often this drives them

to fathom the depths of thought in the quest for

truth. Rarely does religion explain the how and

why. These have become the preoccupations of

people in secular fields. With a sense of

self-reliance and self-confidence guiding him, man

has dropped the earlier props of religion. In India

too, the social order was seen as embodying moral

values.”

Contd. from the previous issue............

Nature and Structure of Substance: Four

Principles of Materialism

While searching for the meaning of the plan of the

universe, materialists have decided upon the

following four principles which reveal its nature.

1) First principle: The knower and the knowable, in

fact all existing things or real things are continually

transformable. The positions of the object shifts, so

its composition alters and with it, its qualities

undergo change. This earth is shifting its position

every moment. This is being taught to man

continuously by the circadian rotation of the earth

and its seasonal cycle. The history of the earth and

10

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Laxman S. Joshi

geology inform us that the earth has passed through

three stages viz. gaseous, liquid and solid. There

were no plants before; they grew; there were no

animals; they were born later; there was no man; he

descended. Man has transformed this world

considerably. Domesticated animals are no more in

their original natural state. Man has induced

transition in their natural state. Most of the grains,

fruits and other plant products being used by man

are no more in their natural form. Man has

broughtnto effect substantial changes in them.

Nature and the social organisation of men have

undergone lots of changes. Huge transformations

have frequently occurred in their ideologies,

upbringing and feelings. Such continuous series of

transformation coming in the range of sight is a

stream of change which is ceaseless. In the science

of astronomy, one obtains corroborative testimony

for the extensive dynamic nature of the universe

outside the earth. The Sun emits light and heat

continuously. As a result, its structure and

attributes are undergoing alteration.

2) Second principle:28 Real object is not annihilated

totally and from total non existence no object is

created. This principle is consistent (p.96) with the

Latin Proverb- Ex nihilo nihil fit- quoted by Max

Planck, which in English means ‘from nothing,

nothing is produced.’ This is also consistent with

the Bhagavat Geeta, ‘A real thing is born out of

only another real thing; it is also made of real thing

only; any real object if destroyed, therein is

produced another real object; and this routine

succession continues ceaselessly.’ Cotton becomes

cloth; clay becomes a pot; stones, bricks, wood and

other things make a house. From seed, fertiliser,

and water, a plant is born. Molecules of oxygen and

hydrogen are formed out of their atoms and

electrons, and electrons are energetic matter. Ex

nihilo nihil fit! If this would not have been the case,

beggars would have become rich by simply riding

the imaginary chariots. New world is born from the

old one! The thing from which another thing is

born, is called substance. That thing from which

another thing is born possesses qualities. The thing

possessing qualities is the substance. The universe

is a collection of substances and qualities.

The universe is an unbroken series of causes and

effects. Every thing is an effect of something and

cause of something. Every event is the effect of a

prior event. Every event is the link in the endless

series of cause-effect events without traceable

beginning. Each and every event is bound by a

specific law of cause and effect.

3) Third principle: every object does possess

inherent energy of motion and transformable

energy. The universe constructs itself out of atomic

substances: The motion received for atomic union

and division is the natural attribute of these atoms.

There exists no one else who moves these atoms,

who collects those atoms and who scatters these

atoms. In this universe, the driving force that exists,

the motion that endures, is produced from the

inherent nature of things. If a wheel in a machine is

turned, another rotates automatically and after the

first movement, the second movement is born of

itself. Just like that, all the wheels of the universe

are rotating from time with no traceable beginning.

In a man made machine, human driving force is a

necessity. This is not the case of the universe in the

form of a machine. There exists a successional

series of motions with incomprehensible

beginning. At the beginning, who created the

motion in this universe, is a wrong question. To

think, of the time when there was no motion, no

transformation of any kind, is beyond the range of

logical enquiry, because imagining such a time

when there was nothing is the same as

contemplating of zeroness or nothingness.

Thinking of some object that exists implies that the

object is governed by the laws of causality, and

therefore at that time, there has to be motion and

transformation. From the state of ‘all-zero’,

nothing can come into existence. Ex nihilo nihil fit.

An illiterate man not knowing how the rain falls

believes that someone brings it and drops it. That

ignorant man imagined god Indra as the rainmaker.

Exposure of the oceans to the sun’s rays and heat

11

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

creates the rainfall. After this realisation, there is no

need for god that brings clouds and rain. When the

causality of the important events in nature that

relate to human life was not understood, the

concept of deities came into being. When the

physical cause-effect relationship of the

phenomena such as sunrise and sunset, moon-rise

and moon-set, the seasonal rotation, the oceanic

low and high tide, the stellar motions and the other

regular events were not understood, human

imagination gave rise to the Vedic and the Avedic

deities. In modern times, having understood the

mechanics of the solar system and the theory of the

environment, science acting as a weapon incarnate,

has massacred all those deities.

The composition of every object changes in two

ways. Firstly, transformation inside an object

occurs naturally. Secondly, surrounding objects

affect a given object. In this manner, every object is

interlinked with another. This relationship of

interlinkage is three fold:

1) An object possesses relation with the

surrounding objects,

2) Cause-effect relation exists between an object

and the object from which it originated,

3) Within an event, exists another event within

which exists still another event.

If we understand all the above inter linkages among

objects or events connected with the objects, we

accept also the serious error involved in assuming

the necessity of the concept of Prime Mover for the

motion or the action of objects. No action is ever

first, each and every motion or action is preceded

by another motion or action!

Nature of this action is not confined only to the

movement of an object from place to place. Energy

of action does not mean its applicability only to

transference of motions or rotation of objects. A

seed grows into a seedling and the seedling grows

into a tree; atoms of oxygen and hydrogen combine

to form water; light becomes photonic particles or

waves; all this becoming and being are also actions.

Actions like these are the intrinsic nature of objects.

If it were not so, the Prime Mover also will not be

able to create motion in an object. The universe is

self propelled. It has no need for the external

mover. Self-propulsion is only its nature. No

individual pushes the universe. Water flows itself

down the slope; light travels itself away from the

lamp; floods of the rays of the sun themselves

spread and occupy the vast distances of the

universe with ultimate speed; the earth rotates

automatically around the sun with nobody helping

it spin; galaxies and stars circle in the sky-dome on

their own without someone spinning them; and

electric winds and storms similarly flow in infinite

directions in infinitesimal times. Physics and other

sciences do provide countless such examples of

intrinsic propulsion.

4) Fourth Principle: Self-Organisation in Nature

Structure, design, organisation, law-abidance or

consistency constitute the elemental nature of an

object. When we describe an object or a collection

of objects whatsoever, we are describing in fact, the

structure or the organisation of the object. When no

design organisation exists, it means the very object

is absent. When we portray the solar system, we are

truly outlining its design or organisation. If that

design or the organisation is not there, it is the same

thing as the non existence of the solar system.

Description of chemical compounds constitutes

chemistry. The major objective of every science is

to display relationships between quantitative

measurements and the corresponding attributes. If

these relationships between quantity are excluded,

what remains is zero. If we say an object exists, it

means that a specific type of implied design or

inherent organisation exists. Knowing the design of

an object is nothing but apprehending the object

itself.

No other ‘someone’ has introduced structure or

design in the universe. Burning is the property of

heat. It is a kind of design or plan. This design or

plan has not been established by someone in

particular. It is an aspect of the very existence of

heat. Water is organised in the form of an

12

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

elementary structure as H20. This is the true nature

of water. It is not imposed on water by someone

else. Various different forms, different smells and

colours associate with the geological or physical

substances. These different shapes, aromas or hues

are not the filled in substances by any artist. They

are the nature of the substances. Mathematical

organisation and abidance by the laws of causality

have not been externally superimposed. Number,

measure and cause-effect relation are the inherent

aspects of the nature of substance. We cannot

create numerical value in substance; it inheres truly

in the substance. The cause-effect relationships of

objects can be understood, but cannot be created. A

skilled farmer or a horticulturalist does the work of

understanding the causal relation between a seed

and a plant, but does not create the cause-effect

relation between the seed and the plant. One whom

we call the designer, manager or worker, works,

taking into account the plan and design inhering in

the substance. He creates neither its plan nor

design.

............................................to be continued.

Reference:

28- Dualists: Dwaitavadi, Vaishnava etc. in India.

13

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Important Announcements

IRI Study camp at Murshidabad:

31ST December, 2011/1st January, 2012.

1) A Seminar will be held on behalf of Indian Renaissance Institute (IRI) on 31st December, 2011

and 1st January, 2012 at Murshidabad (West Bengal) on the following subject:

“STATUS OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES IN INDIA AT PRESENT: CRISIS AND HUMANIST APPROACH.”

2) A meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Indian Renaissance Institute (IRI) shall also be held

during this period.

—N.D. Pancholi, Secretary, Indian Renaissance, (IRI) Delhi

3) Meeting of the Indian Radical Humanist Association (IRHA) at Murshidabad

The Organizing Committee of the West Bengal unit of the Indian Radical Humanist Association has

called upon all the members of the Indian Radical Humanist Association to attend the Study camp at

Murshidabad organized by the Indian Renaissance Institute on 31st December, 2011 and 1st January,

2012. On this occasion West Bengal unit of the IRHA wishes to have a separate session of the members

of the Radical Humanist Association for 2/3 hours to discuss ways and means of reorganizing and

strengthening the activities and programmes of the IRHA at the state level and to make suggestions for

the national level. Organizing Committee of the West Bengal unit therefore appeals to all the members

of the Indian Radical Humanist Association to participate in the study camp at Murshidabad. Agenda of

the Study camp and other meetings shall follow in due course.

For booking of accommodation etc. please contact Shri Ajit Bhattacharya, Mobile No: 09433224517.

—Ajit Bhattacharyya, on behalf of the West Bengal Organizing Unit, IRHA

Guests’ Section:

[Mr. Uday Dandavate studies people, cultures and

trends worldwide and uses the understanding gained

from such studies to inspire people centered

innovation strategies. Uday Dandavate heads up a

design research consulting firm called SonicRim. He

frequently writes and speaks on topics related to

people centered design and innovation in international

journals and conferences. uday@sonicrim.com]

Social Media Revolutions

The year 2011 marks sudden awakening of

popular sentiments against authoritarian

and corrupt regimes in Middle East and North

Africa. Protests have occurred throughout the

region, including Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti,

Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya,

Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian

Territories, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,

Tunisia, Western Sahara, Yemen and more recently

in India.

The role of social networks like Facebook and

Twitter in organization of recent uprisings against

corrupt and or authoritarian regimes has become a

matter of great interest amongst sociologists. Many

of these uprisings are being hailed as Facebook

revolutions or Twitter revolutions. Wael Ghonim, a

marketing manager for Google, played a key role in

organizing the January 25 protest at the Tahrir

Square in Egypt by reaching out to Egyptian youths

on Facebook. Speaking at the international One

Young World summit in Zurich he said, “My

prescription for a revolution driven by social

network is to make it leaderless. If you want to use

the Internet to change a problem you are facing or

create an opportunity for a lot of people, you have

to make sure that everyone is engaged. It’s not only

important that you have a cause, it’s important to

make sure that that cause is not centrally managed

by a small bunch of people.”

More recently In India, Anna Hazare’s youthful

followers have also proved themselves savvy in

using the social media space, including Twitter and

Facebook in their fight against corruption. Though

recent mass movement against corruption in India

is termed by the critics as a movement of urban

middle class, Team Anna has been able to generate

enormous political groundswell in small towns and

villages of India. It appears that activism on the

Internet, especially on the social networks is

igniting an inferno promising to take down corrupt

and autocratic regimes around the world.

Malcolm Gladwell, a Canadian journalist and a

bestselling author of books like “Tipping Point”,

“Blink”, and “Outliers”, has recently triggered a

passionate debate online by challenging the

enthusiastic claims of social scientists who

maintain that with the advent of social media the

traditional relationship between political authority

and popular will has been upended, making it easier

for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and

give voice to their concerns. Gladwell argues that

social media is not a revolution but just a starting

point for people to find information, learn and have

the opportunity to make a considered choice about

whether they should get involved in a cause. He

asserted his point of view while speaking at the

Ringling College Library Association Town Hall

lecture series, “Social media such as Facebook and

Twitter have create so-called “weak ties” —

acquaintanceship rather than deep personal

connections — that are more useful for job searches

than revolutions. Successful revolutions and

movements, he believes, have their roots in years of

deliberate planning and strategy among small

14

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Uday Dandavate

groups of people united by the “strong ties” of trust

and deep knowledge of one another.

It is a fact that social networks have played a big

part in getting the youth to express their frustrations

and coordinate their actions. However, there is a

message for the revolutionary youth participating

in these protests in Malcolm Gladwell’s words of

caution. The euphoria and connectivity enabled by

the Social media will not serve well in building a

sustained movement of committed citizens who

share a vision of an alternative social or political

order.

Social Media revolutions may trigger mass protest,

which may also lead to displacement of

governments. However, the change sought by the

revolution will not materialize unless concurrently

public discussions about alternative visions for the

future take place and an organization is put in place

for implementation of the vision.

The current wave of protests in North Africa and

Middle East is a second wave of revolutions of

global significance since collapse of communism

in Europe between 1989 and 1992. After the

collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, though

European countries adopted varying forms of

market economy, and many Communist and

Socialist organizations in the West turned their

guiding principles over to social democracy,

Europe’s struggle for ideological clarity about a

sustainable model of governance continues. I

believe that post-recession world is ready to

question the globalized, liberalized and capitalistic

model of development. Current wave of mass

movements (and the recent riots in London) is

indicators of the failure of the capitalistic model

and widening chasm between classes.

Almantas Samalavicius, an associate professor in

the Department of Architectural Fundamentals and

Theory at the Vilnius Gediminas Technical

University in Lithuania refers to the breakdown of

old political structures and ideologies and the need

for reconstruction of aims and ideas of social

democracy in a post communist space in his blog,

“The present financial crisis of world capitalism,

with all its side effects, should lead us to a

reconsideration of recent neoliberal policies – and

also of the social practices that Europe has

experienced since the fall of the Iron Curtain…. No

one in Eastern Europe today, outside of a small

number of individuals, has any trust in social

democrats, who have proved to be corrupt, unjust,

and too willing to sell off the social state to the

powers of the global market…. the era of

traditional party-making and party politics might

be approaching its end, and that new ways of

pursuing policy and political decisions are slowly

emerging. If this guess is tight, it is a hint that

social-democratic parties all over Europe need to

be reconstructed, to become less rigid and more

fluid broad civic coalitions, capable of finding their

allies among numerous alternative grass-roots

movements and other civic initiatives, no matter

how small they seem to be at the moment.

…Perhaps the time has come to reconsider the

ideas and social criticism provided by such thinkers

as Ivan Illich, Lewis Mumford or E.F. Schumacher,

who once tried to make us understand the roots of

the failure of modern society and its institutions”.

Ivan Illich, introduced the concept of a convivial

society as a society that confers on individuals

freedom realized in personal interdependence and,

as such, an intrinsic ethical value. He believes

People need not only to obtain things (as in a

market driven society), they need above all the

freedom to make things among which they can live,

to give shape to them according to their own tastes,

and to put them to use in caring for and about

others.

I envision future societies to be comprised of

individual citizens driven by conscience, empathy

and creativity. Trust, reciprocity and strong

networks of interdependent relationships will

characterize a convivial society of the future. In this

background Malcolm Gladwell’s analysis of the

inherent weakness of online social networks needs

to be recognized and be compensated for through

direct action for building deep personal

15

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

connections. Just expressing dissent through

Facebook and Twitter, and merely organizing

public demonstrations will not help translate the

energy unleashed through initial bursts of protest in

the streets into a systemic framework for a new

society. The need of the hour is to harness the

enthusiasm and patriotism of the youth to cultivate

new mindsets, and to mobilize organizations and

communities for long-term transformation. As

suggested in Almantas Samalavicius’ blog, the new

structure would not be monolithic nor be driven by

a single ideology. Rather, it would be a “long tail”

of grass-root level movements.

The economic theory of “the Long Tail” is drawn

from the idea that our culture and economy is

increasingly shifting away from a focus on a

relatively small number of “hits” (mainstream

products and markets) at the head of the demand

curve and toward a huge number of niches in the

tail. As the costs of production and distribution fall,

especially online, there is now less need to lump

products and consumers into one-size-fits-all

containers. (Chris Anderson in Wired Magazine)

Long Tail economic model helps me foresee a new

framework of governance conducive to incubating

local ideas and institutions each catering to local

conditions replacing one-size fits all ideologies.

Individuals in a convivial society of the future will

need to embrace a new mindset. Every individual

will need to learn from and be respectful of the laws

of nature and assume responsibility for collective

good. For a long time modern civilization has been

driven by cravings for superiority over other

species, over nature and over other classes of

people. Our selfish pursuit of wealth, power and

happiness has made us confrontational. In this

pursuit we have destroyed our environment,

escalated conflicts in the society and lost our ability

to experience harmony within us and with our

surroundings. Nature did not set human specie on a

confrontational course. We were designed to live in

harmony with our surroundings.

An interesting experience opened my eyes to some

of the innate harmonizing abilities human beings

are endowed with, but have lost track of. Over

twelve years go I was attending a workshop on

Aikido conducted by Wendy Palmer. One of the

exercises we did during the workshop left a

profound impression on me. Wendy asked the

workshop participants to stand in pairs facing each

other. She then asked one person from each pair to

push his/her partner. Some of us in the group

pushed back the persons pushing us. A few people

from the group stumbled back on the ground and a

small number of pairs continued to push each other

until Wendy asked them to stop. Then she

introduced a new rule. She said the person who is

being pushed should concentrate on maintaining

his/her balance. “When your partner pushes you, do

not push back, and make sure that you do not fall

back. Just try and stay balanced on your feet.” She

had us repeat the exercise. To our surprise,

regardless of how strong a person pushing the other

person was, all of us continued to stand straight and

balanced. After trying hard, the persons pushing the

partners gave up. Wendy explained. “It takes very

little energy to maintain one’s balance. Pushing

someone hard and pushing back involves a lot of

energy. That is why, when the focus was on

maintaining balance, even the strongest in the

workshop was not able to throw the weakest person

off his or her feet.” In this physical experience I

realized we waste a lot of energy pushing people

around or in being a push over.

This experience truly opened my mind to Aikido as

a physical metaphor for resolving conflicts in “real

life.” Aikido has been described as a “A martial art

for peace...” Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido’s founder

invented it as a way of achieving harmony with Ki.

Ki is an old Japanese word. It involves letting go of

the conflict we perceive in the relative world

around us and in us and becoming aware of the

infinite stillness of the absolute world where there

is no other. It involves developing capacity for

connecting to others in a compassionate, authentic

way that enriches life and nourishes the spirit. In

Aikido there is a belief that an attacker is no

16

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

different from the defender, who by following the

attack, entering in or turning around it, can guide

the aggressor into a fall, away from harm. In the

Aikido Journal, summer 1997 Mark Binder

explains the spirit of Aikido,

Most of us have been raised in a practical machine

age. Power is measured in megawatts, in

megabytes, in chip speed, and in bank balances. We

are only just beginning to understand the idea of

“hara,” of centering oneself regardless of the

circumstances. In the practice of Aikido you are

protecting yourself, but you are also protecting

your attacker. It is as if a favorite uncle has too

much to drink at a wedding, and gets into a fistfight.

No one wants to hurt the uncle, and no one wants

the uncle to hurt anyone else. So, the student of

Aikido steps in, and uses the least amount of force

to protect the Uncle from hurting himself, and

anyone else. He would envelop his attacker,

bringing the aggressor gently to the floor with

soothing words, “Are you ok? It looked for a

moment like you were going to fall.”

The philosophy behind Aikido resonates with my

curiosity for harnessing untapped human energy,

intuition and imagination. It makes me respect

those who continue to live closer to nature and draw

upon the native wisdom and their innate capacity

for resonance with nature. Thomas Edison, the

inventor of electric bulb, best expresses the

connection between non-violence and evolutionary

imperative “Non-violence leads to the highest

ethics which is the goal of all evolution. Until we

stop harming all other living beings, we are still

savages.” The path of non-violent transformation

followed by Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King,

Jr., Nelson Mandela, the revolutionaries in Egypt

and recently by Anna Hazare in India will

ultimately help us find a sustainable model of

development and help rid our system of corruption.

Revolutions may begin on Facebook or Twitter but

they will be sustained through participation of

people committing to work with each other in the

real world on the basis of shared values.

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

17

Letter to the Editor:

Dear Dr. Rekha Saraswat,

Greetings. I am one of the old Members, inducted by my uncle Advocate Mr. M. A. Rane, Mumbai,

while I was abroad on UN Assignments. Since then, I have been receiving regularly The Radical

Humanist and read the same with great interest.

It is indeed a pleasure reading this time your Editorial: “Systems vs the People”, which I find quite

interesting and feel that such message must reach to the Civil Society and to our Young India. Its high

time for all of us to come out from Three Monkey Gesture, and bring a change, if we really want to

achieve a Vision for the New Millennium : “INDIA 2020”, and offer a Better Living Place to Our Next

Generations.

Best regards.

Dr. Ganesh P. Rane

+919820215330

drraneg@gmail.com

Former UN Staff Member & UN Consultant/Advisor

A/109, Ansa Indl. Estate, Saki-Vihar Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400 072, India.

Tel.: +91-22-28471974 / 28471685 / 65865179; Fax: 66925178 ;

Website: www.rrrindustries.com

e-mail: rrri@vsnl.net; drrane@vsnl.com;

Mr. Sharu S. Rangnekar is a Chemical Engineer

from Bombay with a Master of Business

Administration degree from the U.S.A. He carried

out research work in Mathematical Economics at

the Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh,

U.S.A. He had management training with

Imperial Chemical Industries, UK and computer

training with IBM and Union Carbide

Corporation, U.S.A.

He taught as Visiting Faculty at Tata Institute of

Social Sciences and Management Institutes

attached to Bombay University from 1979 to

1986.

He has been a popular lecturer and writer on

management topics. His books: “In the

Wonderland of Indian Managers” and “In the

World of Corporate Managers” have become

management classics.

His lectures on management topics have been

issued in audio-CD. He has featured in several

management development video-CDs. He has

participated as a faculty in nearly 5000

management development programmes in India

and abroad since 1966.

Rangnekar Associates, 31 Neelamber, 37 G.

Deshmukh Marg (Peddar Road) Mumbai

400026. Phone: (022) 6664 0030 Fax (022)2

352-1722 Mobile: 98200 53005

website: www.sharurangnekar.com

Crises of Credibility:Management Analysis of Anna

Hazare Agitation

Managing any situation requires “Power”.

Power is best defined by Sanskrit

phrase: “Kartum, Akartum, Anyatha Kartum Wa”

(To do, To undo or To do otherwise). Thirty five

hundred years ago Confucius gave the basic

sources of power which he called “Guns, Rice and

Faith”. Translated into management language it

means power comes from fear created by

possibility of damage, inducement through ability

of giving benefit and credibility which gives the

affinity amongst those involved. During Anna

Hazare Agitation the word “blackmailing” was

banded about as a bad word. In fact all means of

power involve blackmail by fear, temptation or

faith.

Anna Hazare made a significant statement during

his agitation that he is not only using Gandhiji, but

he also using Shivaji. Gandhiji’s approach was to

create faith through non-violent agitation. Shivaji’s

strategy was to use what was called in history as

“Ganimi Kawa” (guerilla tactics). It comprised of

having a force attacking suddenly and moving

away before it was dealt with - causing damage

without suffering much damage itself. With his

Ganimi Kawa attacks, Shivaji created terror in the

heart of the mighty Mogul army; once he attacked

even the tent of Aurangzeb and cut the summit of

his tent. These tactics demoralized the Mogul army

and ultimately led to their retreat.

Anna Hazare used the basic source of power:

Faith/Credibility. Everybody was talking against

corruption but most political party leaders were

suspected of being corrupt themselves and hence

did not have credibility. Anna Hazare used this to

his advantage. His agitation for the last 20 years did

not generate any assets for himself. He did not have

even his own house and stayed in a temple. This

created a high credibility for him.

Government on the other hand tried to fight this

credibility by using force. Force or temptations

tend to have a rebound effect. The Government

steps to imprison Anna Hazare and harass “Team

Anna” had this rebound effect. Government tactics

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

18

Sharu S. Rangnekar

did work in Baba Ramdev case because Baba

Ramdev having accumulated thousands of crores

of rupees did not have credibility in the eyes of the

common man - only his loyal followers believed

him. Anna did not create any direct followers. He

encouraged people to wear a cap saying “I am Anna

Hazare”. This created a sense of identity which is

the source of highest motivation. Consequently the

tactics that worked in the case of Baba Ramdev had

an opposite effect. As somebody put it, these were

instrumental in recruiting followers for Anna

Hazare. He insisted on non-violence causing no

damage to any public or private property. This

increased his credibility. The Government had no

antidote for this and even now is in confusion as

how to deal with this situation.

Historically we had experience of similar agitation

in 1930’s by Gandhiji and 1974 by Jayaprakash

Narayan. Gandhiji’s agitation along with the

economic and political upheavals of the Second

World War forced all colonial nations to give up

their colonies and Gandhiji was considered the

father of our independence.

In the case of Jayaprakash Narayan, the agitation

led to a change of regime and the opposition came

into power under the banner of “Janata Party”.

However, the credibility can be lost faster than it

can be acquired and the Janata Party lost its

credibility due to internal strife.

The internal strife diminished the credibility of

Janata Party and brought back Mrs. Indira Gandhi

into power.

The government is trying to create internal strife in

Team Anna and in the opposition parties which are

backing Anna Hazare. Only if the government is

successful in breaking the group through the

internal strife it has a chance to reduce the

credibility of Anna Hazare and rebuild its own

credibility. The steps required are:

1.Leadership which is relatively free from the

stigma of corruption.

2.Visible efforts to curb corruption and recovery of

black money.

3.Control of inflation. The rising prices are

affecting people daily and directly (even more than

corruption) and the government’s ability to control

the prices would build its credibility.

The traditional strategies using affinity groups of

caste, community, language, religion, state etc., to

create vote banks might not prove effective in the

onslaught of the Anna Hazare type of agitation.

Concrete and visible demonstration of steps taken

to improve the situation will be the only way the

agitation can be countered.

Particularly in the next step, Anna is likely to use

the Shivaji Strategy. He will get people to gherao

each of the Loksabha members to ensure voting for

Anna version of the bill. It will be again called

coercion and blackmailing, but as long as the “aam

public” is behind it, it will succeed. Anna cannot be

countered by force or inducements – because this is

a battle for credibility.

19

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Letter to the Editor:

Dear Rekhaji,

I read your latest editorial “System vs. the People!” It is indeed well written.

I have myself written an article on this aspect under the title “Crises of Credibility: Management

Analysis of Anna Hazare Agitation”.

If you would like to publish this article in The Radical Humanist please do so.

With kind regards.

Yours sincerely,

Sharu S. Rangnekar

Materialism in India: ASynoptic View

—By Ramkrishna Bhattacharya

[Prof. Ramkrishna Bhattacharya taught English

at the University of Calcutta, Kolkata and was an

Emeritus Fellow of University Grants

Commission. He is now a Fellow of PAVLOV

Institute, Kolkata.

ramkrishna.bhattacharya@gmail.com]

(Courtesy:http://en.krishna.deltoso.net/catego

ry/carvakalokayata/)

Many, if not most, people nowadays go

straight to the internet rather than look

up a book to know something about anything under

the sun. There are hundreds, if not thousands of

files on the Carvaka/Lokayata system of

philosophy there. Regrettably, many of them,

though well-intentioned, are ill-informed and

highly misleading. I am an old hand researching for

decades on the history of materialism in India (see

my Studies on the Carvaka/Lokayata, Firenze

(Florence): Società Editrice Fiorentina, 2009; New

Delhi: Manohar Books, 2010. A brief exposition

will be found in my essay, “Lokayata Darsana and a

Comparative Study with Greek materialism” in:

Materialism and Immaterialism in India and the

West: Varying Vistas, ed. Partha Ghose, New

Delhi: Centre for the Studies on Civilizations,

2010, pp. 21-34). I, therefore, find it necessary to

disabuse enquirers of several false notions.

1. Carvaka or Lokayata is not a “brand name” for

all sorts of materialist ideas that flourished in India

over the ages. There were several proto-materialist

thinkers in India right from the time of the Buddha

(sixth/fifth century BCE) or even earlier. The

system that came to be known finally as the

Carvaka/Lokayata did not flourish before the sixth

century CE or a bit later. It is only from the eighth

century CE that the name Carvaka is associated

with a materialist school (some later writers such as

Santaraksita and Sankara continued to call it

Lokayata). Both names, however, came to refer to

the same school of thought after the eighth century

CE. Neither of the two words occurs in Vedic

literature. Lokayata in Pali and Buddhist Sanskrit

works means ‘the science of disputation’, or in a

narrower sense, ‘point of dispute’, not materialism.

The word is ambiguous. There are reasons to

believe that the adherents of this materialist school

themselves called themselves Carvaka, using it as

a nickname. The word might have been chosen

from the Mahabharata but the demon in that work

has nothing to do with materialism.

2. The Carvaka/Lokayata is the only systematized

form of materialist philosophy in India that is

known to date. There were other pre-Carvaka

proto-materialist schools too that preached certain

materialist views but their views were not

systematically set down in the form of aphorisms as

the Carvaka-s did. Some of these pre-Carvaka

proto-materialist views are encountered in the

Upanisad-s, Pali and Prakrit canonical works (of

the Buddhists and the Jains respectively) and their

commentaries as well as in the Jabali episode in the

Ramayana, the Moksadharma-parvadhyaya in the

Mahabharata and some of the Purana-s

(particularly the Visnupurana and the

Padmapurana), and last but not least, in old Tamil

poems such as the Manimekalai. All of these are

not to be equated with the Carvaka/Lokayata. Some

of the views recorded in them are authentic

expositions of this or that proto-materialist view,

but some are of dubious authenticity. There is a

tendency in the Ramayana and some Purana-s to

treat the Buddhists, the Jains and the Carvaka-s as

representing a single school of nastika-s, that is,

defilers of the Vedas, and to ascribe the views of

one to the other quite inappropriately.

3.1. All the Carvaka/Lokayata works were lost

before the fourteenth century CE, so much so that

Sayana-Madhava, aka Madhavacarya and

Vidyaranya, or whoever was the author of the first

chapter of this digest of a compendium of

philosophies (Sarva-darsana-sangraha), could not

20

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

quote a single sentence from any Lokayata text nor

name a single authority other than the mythical

Brhaspati. Yet this book, first edited and published

by Iswarcandra Vidyasagara, better known as an

educationist and social reformer, in 1853-58 from

the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, has proved to be more

influential than any other work. However, it is

worth noticing that the reading of several lines of

some verses attributed to the Carvakas are willfully

distorted in this compendium. The original reading

of a line in a verse, for example, was as follows:

“Live happily as long as you live; nothing is beyond

the ken of death.” It is so found in all other works

(no fewer than thirteen). The last part of the line

was changed in this compendium to read: “eat ghee

(clarified butter) even by running into debts.” To

many educated Indians and maybe others abroad

this distorted reading is granted to be the epitome of

the Carvaka/Lokayata. It is amusing that the digest

itself quotes the original reading at the beginning of

the chapter but quotes the distorted reading at the

end of the same chapter.

3.2. However, from the available fragments found

quoted or paraphrased in the works of

anti-materialist philosophers it is evident that the

Carvaka/Lokayata system had developed along the

same lines as Mimamsa, Vedanta, Nyaya and

Vaisesika. This means:

(a) There was a base text, that is, a collection of

sutras or aphorisms, tersely phrased because they

were meant to be memorized, and

(b) Several commentaries (and probably

sub-commentaries) were written to explicate the

aphorisms,

(c) Besides the above sources, a number of verses

have traditionally been ascribed to the Carvakas.

Some of these epigrams make fun of the

performance of religious rites, particularly

sacrificial acts, and deny the existence of an

extracorporeal soul which can survive the death of

a person. Some other verses, however, might have

originated in the Buddhist and Jain circles. The

denunciation of ritual violence (killing of animals

in a Vedic sacrifice) and condemnation of

non-vegetarian diet accord better with the Buddhist

and the Jain teachings than with any other school.

There might have been some materialists who

renounced both marriage and eating of animal

flesh. In that case, the charge of promiscuity and

indulgence in flesh and wine brought against the

Carvakas by Gunaratna, a fifteenth-century Jain

writer, loses its force.

3.3. The Tattvopaplavasimha by Jayarasi Bhatta is

not a Carvaka/Lokayata work: it represents the

view of a totally different school that challenged

the very concept of pramana (means of

knowledge). The Carvakas did believe in pramana

and whatever else it entails (knowledge, the

knower, and the object to be known). Even those

who, like Eli Franco, prefer to call it the only

surviving Carvaka text do not claim that it is a

materialist text. So the work is quite irrelevant to

the study of materialism in India.

4. The basic plank of the Carvaka/Lokayata may be

summed up as: i) denial of rebirth and the other-

world (heaven and hell), and of the immortal soul,

ii) refusal to believe in the efficacy of performing

religious acts, iii) acceptance of the natural origin

of the universe, without any creator God or any

other supernatural agency, iv) belief in the primacy

of matter over consciousness, and hence of the

human body over the spirit (soul), and finally, v)

advocacy of the primacy of perception over all

other means of knowledge; inference, etc. are

secondary, and acceptable if and only if they are

based on perception, not on scriptures.

The first three refer to the ontology, and the rest to

the epistemology of the Carvaka/Lokayata. As to

ethics all that can be said is that the Carvakas did

not believe in practising asceticism and advised

seeking of pleasure in this world rather in the next,

for there is no such world. This teaching has been

misinterpreted as a recommendation for

unrestrained sensual enjoyment. Regarding their

social outlook it may be said that the Carvakas

were opposed to gender discrimination and caste

21

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

(varna) distinctions (see the Prabodha-candrodaya

by Krsnamisra, Act 2 verse 18 and the

Naisadha-carita by Sriharsa, Canto 17 verses 40,42,

58). They relied on human endeavour (purusakara),

not on fate (daiva), and rejected the concept of

adrsta or karman.

This is how materialism as a full-fledged

philosophical doctrine made its debut in ancient

India. It is evident that the issues are peculiarly

relevant to the Indian context (rebirth being the

most noteworthy). The Carvaka/Lokayata then

obviously had an indigenous origin.

5. There was no continuity in the Carvaka/Lokayata

tradition after the twelfth century CE or

thereabouts. Whatever is written on the

Carvaka/Lokayata after the twelfth century is based

on second-hand knowledge, learned from

preceptors to disciples, who in their turn could only

teach what they had heard from their preceptors,

not what they had actually studied. Some of their

knowledge correspond to what the

Carvaka/Lokayata philosophers had or might have

really said, but much of their accounts are biased

against materialism and are mere fabrications.

6. The Yogacara Buddhists, Jains, Advaita

Vedantins and Nyaya philosophers considered the

Carvaka/Lokayata as one of their chief opponents

and tried hard to refute materialist views. Such

refutations were made even after all the authentic

Carvaka/Lokayata texts had been lost. So, the

representation of the Carvaka/Lokayata in the

works of these schools are not always firmly

grounded on first-hand knowledge of the

Carvaka/Lokayata texts.

7. Because of this lack of acquaintance with

original sources, the opponents, and many modern

scholars, often confuse pre-Carvaka and Carvaka

views, considering them as one and the same. This

gives an impression that there were several kinds of

Carvaka-s while the fact is that there were several

kinds of materialists, but all of them were not

Carvaka-s. Some of them were definitely

pre-Carvaka and held different views. For example,

regarding the number of natural elements, the

Carvakas admitted four, namely, earth, air, fire and

water, while others spoke of five, adding ether or

space to the list.

8. We have no evidence of any post-Carvaka

materialist school in India, existing or flourishing

after the thirteenth century CE. What Abul Fadl

(Fazl) had gathered from the North Indian pundits

about the Carvaka system (most probably from a

Jain scholar) and recorded it in Persian in his Ain-i

Akbari, betrays the same lack of information as

evinced in his contemporary and later Sanskrit

digests of Indian philosophy. Only a few highlights

of the materialist system were known to all of them.

In addition to this a few verses attributed to the

Carvaka-s had been orally transmitted from one

generation to another. Their accounts therefore are

removed from the original sources and should be

taken with the customary pinch of salt.

9. Some Sanskrit poems and plays (particularly

Naisadha-carita,Prabodha-candrodaya,Agama-da

mbara and Vidvanmoda-tarangini) and one prose

work (Kadambari) contain representations of the

Carvakas. The evidence is dubious, for the authors

of these works were thoroughly opposed to

materialism and tried to portray the Carvaka in

unfavourable light. Hence whatever is written there

should not be accepted uncritically.

10. The commonest charge levelled against the

Carvaka-s is that they did not believe in any other

means of knowledge except perception. But there is

enough evidence to suggest that some of the

pre-Carvaka schools as well as the Carvaka-s

considered inference based on perception to be a

valid means of knowledge, although it is of

secondary importance. It was well known from the

eighth century CE.. Nevertheless, the opponents

continued to level the same charge almost in the

fashion of Goebbels (“Repeat a lie ten times and it

will sound like the truth.” Whether Goebbels had

actually said so or not is irrelevant, since such

strategy was followed by him in practice).

11. Another baseless charge made by the opponents

22

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

is the alleged heedless hedonism of the Carvakas.

Of course, there is enough evidence to show that

the Carvaka-s did not consider human life to be full

of misery but there is absolutely no evidence to

prove that they prescribed sensual enjoyment to be

the end of life. The case is similar to that of

Epicurus, the Greek philosopher. Although he used

to lead a very austere life, his name has been

maligned as a spokesperson of an ’eat, drink and be

merry’ view of life. Ajita Kesakambala, a senior

contemporary of the Buddha and one of the earliest

proto-materialists known to us, had in fact made a

cult of austerity. The Sa?khya doctrine too has been

satirized as one advocating sensual enjoyment. No

serious student of Samkhya has ever paid any heed

to this absurd charge. However, in case of the

Carvaka such a groundless allegation is repeated ad

nauseam by the present-day textbook writers of

Indian philosophy.

12. Yet another misconception circulated by many

authors past and present is that there were several

Carvaka schools, believing in the mind as the spirit,

life breaths as the spirit, the sense organs as the

spirit, etc. Such doctrines might have been

prevalent before the Common Era, for some of

them are mentioned in several Upanisads. Such

views, however, are not only pre-Carvaka but also

pre-philosophical. The Carvaka/Lokayata was

systematized much later and there is nothing to

show that its exponents drew anything from such

older sources. Only the doctrine of

bhutacaitanyavada or dehatmavada is the doctrine

of the Carvaka-s. It was a unitary school although

the commentary tradition is not uniform and the

commentators are not always unanimous in their

interpretation of certain aphorisms.

13. All the commentators of the Carvakasutra were

not Carvakas themselves. Some of them are known

to be adherents of Nyaya who, besides their works

on Nyaya, had also written commentaries on the

Carvakasutra. Quite naturally they had introduced a

number of sophisticated Nyaya terms, quite alien to

the original Carvaka tradition. Nevertheless what is

common to all the commentators is their firm

adherence to the basic doctrine of considering the

spirit to be nothing but consciousness in a living

body and the rejection of the view that inference

independent of perception and/or based on

scriptures should be accepted as a valid means of

knowledge.

14. In brief, then, the Carvaka/Lokayata system

emerged as the culmination of all previous

proto-materialist views which, however, had never

been systematized into the prevailing sutra-bhasya

(base text and commentary) style before the sixth

century CE. These views are mainly known to us as

floating ideas current among some freethinkers,

who were opposed to futile religious practices

sanctioned by the Vedas and refused to offer gifts to

Brahmin priests. The early materialists did not

believe in the existence of heaven and hell, and,

therefore, in the immortality of the spirit. That is all

there is to it in the pre-Carvaka/Lokayata tradition.

Ontological issues seem to have been their chief

preoccupation and this was their contribution to the

later Carvaka/Lokayata system which inherited and

assimilated all this. The epistemological issues

might have underlain in their teachings, but no such

formulation is met with in available evidence.

15. Whether the Carvaka-s had any affinity with the

Kapalika-s or some such obscure folk cults (such as

the Sahajiya-s, Baul-s, etc. in Bengal), is a vexed

question. It is probable that the these cults had

adopted some ideas from the pre-Carvaka and/or

the Carvaka teachings, such as, accepting

perception to be the only means of knowledge,

opposition to Vedism, caste system, gender

discrimination, etc. But it should be noted that these

cults are all guru-oriented, the adherents compose

songs in local dialects as the vehicle of expressing

their ideas (not write philosophical discourses), and

all of them consider themselves affiliated to one or

the other Saiva or Vaisnava or Sakti-worshipping

community. They constitute themselves as the

‘other’, belonging to the Little Tradition – similar

in some respects to the Great Tradition religious

communities but differing from them by virtue of

abjuring Brahminical priesthood, avoiding the

23

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

conventional places of pilgrimage, and setting up

their own meeting-spots in village fairs. The

Carvakas, on the other hand, belong to the Great

Tradition: they redacted a sutra work and

composed elaborate commentaries on it in Sanskrit,

not in any vernacular. In short, the two belong to

two different traditions – the Great and the Little –

and their ends are more often than not quite

different. While the Carvaka/Lokayata was

interested in true knowledge (tattva), the Little

Tradition cults aspire for liberation (mukti) alone.

The former studiedly rejected all rituals based

solely on faith but the latter had developed

elaborate systems of worship and religious practice

(sadhana-paddhati) as taught by their gurus. Thus

there is a fundamental incompatibility between the

two that cannot be resolved by juxtaposing them as

reflecting the same approach in two different ways.

It should, however, be borne in mind that the Little

Tradition cults were very much present in India

even in the Upanisadic times, as testified by the

Maitri (or Maitrayani or Maitrayaniya) Upanisad.

Most probably both the traditions had a common

source, but they diverged into two separate streams,

one thoroughly rational and atheistic; the other,

irrational and theistic. The Carvaka/Lokayata is a

system of philosophy but the anti-Brahminical folk

cults are nothing but religious coteries outside the

Brahminical (Vedist) fold. In spite of some

similarities in approach (such as, insistence on

sense perception, denial of the Vedas as

authoritative texts, and rejection of Brahminical

priesthood) they belong to two different domains.

Philosophy and religion are not to be treated on a

par with each other.

Grateful acknowledgements are made to Amitava

Bhattacharyya, Johannes Bronkhorst, Siddhartha

Dutta, Pradeep Gokhale, Ashish Lahiri, and

Krishna Del Toso for offering comments and

suggestions on the draft.

24

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Indian Renaissance Institute

is organizing

M.N. ROY MEMORIAL LECTURE: 2011,

Subject: “DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION : AN IMPASSE?”

By Prof. Ghanshyam Shah,

National fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla,

4.30 PM, Thursday, the 29th September, 2011, at

Indian Law Institute, (In front of Supreme Court)

Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi-110001.

Shri Praful Bidwai, eminent journalist will preside.

All are invited to attend.

—N.D.Pancholi, Secretary, IRI

G-3, Plot 617, Shalimar Garden Extn. I, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad (UP) 201005.

Ph: 0120 -2648691, (M) 09811099532

Current Affairs:

[Justice Rajindar Sachar is Retd. Chief Justice of

High Court of Delhi, New Delhi. He is UN Special

Rapportuer on Housing, Ex. Member, U.N.

Sub-Commission on Prevention of

Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and

Ex-President, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties

(PUCL) India.]

Electoral reform – will theCentral Govt. Redeem itself?

Anna Hazare when he gave up his fast

announced that the next movement is for

electoral Reform and especially prioritized “Right

to Reject candidate” at the elections and the right to

recall a legislator earlier than the end of his term.

Central government is seeking to project itself as

responsive to public opinion. Here then is an

opportunity to do so. I say this because the public

demand for effectuating right to reject vote or more

clearly “None of the Above” (NOTA) is very easy

to effectuate. The Representation of People

Act.1951 and its rules provide a detailed

mechanism for standing and voting at elections.

Govt. of India has framed Conduct of Election

Rules 1961 to provide the manner how votes are to

be cast, and the precaution to maintain the secrecy

of voting which is absolutely necessary for a

healthy democracy.

Prior to the introduction of Electronic Voting

Machine (EVM), voting was by means of ballot

paper. Rule 49 M provides for maintaining of

secrecy and voting procedure by E.V.M., whereby

the voter presses the button against the name of the

candidate for whom he intends to vote.

Rule 49(o) further provides that if an elector

decides not to record his vote, a remark will be

made by presiding officer on Form 17, and

signature of the voter shall also be taken. But this

procedure is faulty and outdated, because it does

not take into account mode of change of voting to

EVM instead of by ballot paper. This procedure is

also illegal because by this the identity of the voter

who decides not to vote will be disclosed thus

violating the fundamental right of voting in

secrecy.

Realizing this anomaly and lacuna the Election

Commission of India as far back as 2001 and ever

since has been writing to the Central Government

to make necessary modification in the rules by

providing a slot of NOTA in E.V.M.

Finding the inaction of the Government, Peoples

Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), filed a writ

petition in 2004 in the Supreme Court asking for

direction to the Central government to suitably

amend Rule 49 (0). The writ petition was heard by a

two judge Bench which referred it to a larger Bench

in 2009 – because of the congestion in the Supreme

Court, the matter has not yet come up for hearing.

But notwithstanding the pendency, in law there is

no prohibition to make the necessary change by

amending rule 49(o) by providing “NOTA”.

I believe that by introduction of NOTA in E.V.M. a

radical change will be brought about in political

arena. At present the voter is treated as dumb driven

cattle that must choose one, even if he finds all of

them to be thoroughly undesirable. A voter at

present has no role in selecting the candidate, as in

U.S.A. Primaries and even in Britain by

constituency members. Here selection of a

candidate is done by a small cabal of party leaders

and in some parties even by one or two so called

super leaders. The provision of NOTA voting will

make a sea change in the power equation in favour

25

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Rajindar Sachar

of the small voter as against the monster of a big political

party. Such a provision will enable the voter to exercise

his right in secrecy and to send a message of his anger at

the unsuitability of contesting candidates and their

political mentors.

It is not as if at present many voters will not like to

record their disapprobation of the contesting

candidates but they are afraid to do so because of

the unholy alliance of mafia crowd with many of

the contesting candidates. But NOTA being

available in the voting machine, the voter will be

able to speak his mind without fear and thus defeat

politicalisation of criminals.

At the present, when voters feel disgusted at the

nomination of undesirable candidates, they just sit

at home and sulk, but are not able to convey their

resentment effectually. But in the changed position

the voter will be assured of secrecy and will

exercise his right which will send a strong message

to the smug political bosses against their

manipulation and force them to listen to the small

man/woman who in fact have the power with

his/her little finger on the button to decide the fate

of so called tallest of them.

Thus NOTA can be effectuated immediately by the

Central Government by amending the rule,

provided it is genuinely concerned with clean

polities. The principles justifying NOTA are self

evident, namely;

(A) All legitimate consent requires the ability to

withhold consent;

(B) Would end the farce where voters are often

forced to vote for the least unacceptable candidate,

the all too familiar “lesser evil.”

(C) Voters would decide the fate of the political

parties’ choices, instead of the parties deciding the

voters’ choices.

(D) Many voters and non voters, who now register

their disapproval of all candidates for an office by

not voting, could cast a meaningful vote.

(E) Improves checks and balances between voters

and political parties.

In any election when “NOTA” will be put on EVM,

the list of candidates would be followed by the

button of “NOTA”. If NOTA gets more votes than

any of the candidates, then no one is declared

elected, instead, a follow-up by-election with new

candidates, old being ineligible, would be held to

fill the seat, until a candidate wins a plurality of

votes among all other candidates including

“NOTA”.

NOTA have many thoughtful advocates in various

countries in the world including the most well

known Ralph Nader, the consumer activist. U.S.A.

Australia, Norway and other countries have a very

strong constituency favouring NOTA.

Of course legislation would need to be enacted to

provide that if NOTA votes exceed the maximum

cast for the highest vote getting candidate, the

election will be countermanded and a fresh election

ordered. This change will be warning to the

political parties that decision about the choice of

candidate is not the sole prerogative of a clique

within the party. It must involve the voters at the

initial stage of selection. A wrong choice will result

in fresh elections.

I feel the Central Government can redeem its self

damaging conduct during Anna Hazare Fast (as

even some of the Ministers have said it openly) by

immediately amending Rule 49(o), as demanded by

Election Commission since 2001 and by providing

a slot of NOTA in the voting machine straight away

for all future elections, thus recognizing the

supremacy of the voters.

26

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

PLEASE DO NOT SEND ARTICLES BEYOND 1500-2000 WORDS: Dear Friends, Also, inform me whether they have

been published elsewhere. And, please try to email them at rheditor@gmail.com instead of sending them by post. You may

post them (only if email is not possible) at C-8 Defence Colony, Meerut, 250001, U.P., India. Do also email your passport

size photographs as separate attachments (in JPG format) as well as your small introduction, if you are contributing for the first

time. Please feel free to contact me at 91-9719333011 for any other querry.—Rekha Saraswat

IRHA/IRI Members’ Section:

I

Musini Narayana: UniqueRadical Humanist in Telengana

Under Nizam’s rule in former Hyderabad

state no freedom is allowed to citizens

until the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956.

While Radical Humanist movement was

vigorously campaigned for human values in

Andhra area, the neighboring Telengana area was

denied all such golden opportunities.

At such critical juncture Mr. Musini Narayana from

Telangana came into contact with Radical

Humanists in Andhra and particularly the writings

of M.N. Roy. He was deeply impressed with

Radical thought which he adopted his life mission.

Narayana Musini

Born (1929) in a weavers community family at

Janampet, Mahaboob Nagar district, Andhra

Pradesh. Narayana studied up to post graduation.

His father Mr. Sivaiah was Ayurveda practitioner

while his mother Venkamma was simple house

wife.

Mr. Narayana joined government service in

revenue department as Tahslidar.

Simultaneously Narayana came in touch with

Radical Humanist movement in Andhra and with

the literature of Radical Humanism, especially the

writings of M.N. Roy.

From the day he joined government duty, Narayana

started propagating the ideas of Radical Humanism

to villagers, teachers and students. He always

carried latest issue of Radical Humanist magazine

and monographs of Radical literature.

Narayana was mainly attracted to the ideas of

decentralization, power to people, recall of elected

representatives, and education as power and so on.

Narayana took the help of school teachers to spread

the Radical Humanist philosophy in a practical

way.

Mr. Narayana participated in several study camps,

meetings, conferences of Radical Humanism held

in Andhra area and thus came closer to Mr. Avula

Gopalakrishna Murthy, Mr. M.V. Ramamurthy,

Mr. Avula Sambasivarao, Mr. N. Innaiah and

others.

While doing government duty, Mr. Narayana

encountered several hurdles for his straightforward

approach and radical ideas.

He had an encounter with Jalagam Vengalarao for

the same reason.

As Block development officer in Kallur, Khamma

district where Mr. Jalagam Vengalarao was a

powerful local congress leader, Mr. Narayana was

appreciated very much. But when personal

favoritism came up, Vengalarao was angry since

Narayana did not favor any nepotism of

Vengalarao. His brother Kondalarao was local

leader who sought favour but Narayana did not

support. As a result Narayana was shunted to a

corner place in the state-Srikakulam district.

While facing higher authorities he again faced

similar kind of discrimination.

Mr. Nukala Ramachandra Reddy was revenue

minister in Andhra Pradesh who appointed Mr.

Narayana for enquiry into land grabbing cases. In

due course Mr. Narayana had to give notice to Mr.

M.T. Raju, who was then chief secretary of Andhra

Pradesh. Instead of appreciating the approach of

Narayana, he was again transferred!

Narayana did not budge.

He did service as Block development officer, as

revenue officer; as special officer in Printing press

in Kurnool; as training officer for village officers

27

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

called patwaris and Patels; and finally retired as

special deputy collector in Hyderabad revenue

board.

While participating in Radical Humanist meetings,

Narayana used to raise many doubts and put

legitimate questions for clarification. He was

friendly to poor and down trodden and helped them

as far as possible.

He raised his children in secular way. His daughter

Suvarna got married to Mr. Vijaya Kumar, bank

officer. The marriage was performed in secular way

where Mr. N. Innaiah participated as special guest.

Narayana named his last son after M.N. Roy. Now

Mr. Manavendra lives in Ottowa, Canada.

Mr. Ravi Prakash, another son followed the foot

steps of Narayana in developing the Junior college

teachers association. He is now living in Atlanta,

USA.

Dr. Raghuramulu, the brother in law of Narayana

retired from Nutrition labs in Hyderabad who

followed the scientific approach of Mr. Narayana.

Mr. Raghuramulu ceremoniously participated in

secular training camps.

Narayan died in 2003. He always lived a simple but

honest radical humanist life.

The specialty of Narayana was his rise as a Radical

Humanist in Telengana, which is a historical and

memorable feat.

II

Remembering a VeteranRadical Humanist - Guttikonda

Narahari profile (1920-1986)

Guttikonda Narahari was born in

Yelavarru, Tenali Tq, Guntur district,

Andhra Pradesh, India. His parents were Mr.

Anjaneyulu and Ms. Raghavamma. He had his

elementary education in Turumella School under

Dakshinamurthy, Head Master. Yelavarthi Rosaiah

and Mallampati Madhusudhana Prasad were his

colleagues.

He married Sarojini (1944-45 April) who hailed

from Gudavalli, Repalle Tq. It was a registered

wedding which was in vogue during pre

independence days.

He completed graduation from Andhra Christian

College, Guntur. Later in 1930s he worked as P.A.

to Professor N.G. Ranga and traveled along with

him to Burma.

1940 onwards he worked in Radical Democratic

Party, and remained its state secretary for some

years. He was a virulent propagandist for M.N.

Roy’s Humanist ideas. He acted as teacher in study

camps and training classes of Radical Democratic

Party.

He attacked Congress and Communist parties and

their ideology during 1940s. During 1946 elections

he was election campaigner for RDP and he toured

the entire state. Mr. Tripuraneni Gopichand, Mr.

P.V. Subbarao toured along with him. He pleaded

that youth should resign and jump into freedom

fight.

He was a pamphleteer and a good draftsman.

He participated in study camps conducted at all

India level by M.N. Roy and Ellen Roy in

Dehradun, Kolkata, Mussorie, and Delhi. He

continued to attend the camps even after the death

of Roy until his last days.

He was a close friend of Kotta Raghuramaiah in

early 1950s. He started tobacco business, and lost

heavily. While indulging in tobacco business he

was active in tours abroad to get orders for tobacco.

He covered Far East, European countries and got

orders of tobacco export. That included Soviet

Union, Japan, China, Czechoslovakia, Britain etc.

These tours took place during 1954-1964. While

28

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

organizing conferences of tobacco merchants, Mr.

Narahari gave speeches and contributed articles in

the souvenirs on tobacco industry.

During 1952 first general elections, he started a

political party called Kshatra Dharma Parishad.

He contested from Guntur to Lok Sabha but lost the

elections and his party is gone.

Later he studied law and enrolled in Andhra

Pradesh High Court, and practiced for sometime in

High Court at Hyderabad. He was associated with

Mr. N.K. Acharya, another rationalist advocate in

Hyderabad.

Mr. Narahari was a close friend of Mr. Avula

Gopalakrishna Murty, Mr. Alapati Ravindranath,

Mr. Koganti Radhakrishna Murty, Mr. M.V.

Ramamurthy, Bachina Subbarao, Mr. N.V.

Brahmam, Mr. Ravipudi Venkatadri, Mr. Koganti

Radhakrishna Murty, and Mr. Subrahmanyam

Koganti.

On the request of late Narla Venkateswararao,

Editor Andhra Prabha, he sent the literature of

M.N. Roy to him in 1955.

He was a powerful speaker in English and Telugu.

He was a close friend of Mr. T.S. Paulus, Principal

of Andhra Christian College, Guntur. He

campaigned for him during elections in favor of

Paulus.

He died on 27 March, 1986 in Hyderabad. During

last days stayed with his brother Lakshminarayana

for sometime in Repalle.

Narahari used to argue that Man is not only

essentially rational but also have other essential

qualities. He was influenced by Roy’s Philosophy

and Science.

Sent by —Innaiah Narisetti

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

29

Stop Forced Amputations, Now!

The Institute for Science and Human Values, founded by Prof Paul Kurtz, joins with the Nigerian

Humanist Movement in condemning a Nigerian sharia (Islamic law) court’s ruling that two young men

are to be punished with amputation.

A Muslim court in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara has ruled that Auwalu Abubaka, 23, and

Lawalli Musa 22, must have their right wrists cut off in public for stealing a bull. The punishment is

scheduled to be carried out on October 8, 2011. However, the two men have the right to appeal the

sentence.

Amputation is cruel and unusual punishment. Even judges in sharia courts in Nigeria and other nations

are reluctant to impose it. The international community rightfully expresses horror and disdain

whenever this kind of punishment is proposed.

There is a tendency on the part of many to retreat into cultural relativism, or the notion that each culture

has the right to its own practices, no matter how detrimental they might be to individuals and societies.

However, most national governments today, at least in theory, recognize the need to defend human

rights for all citizens of the world.

Though Nigeria has a secular constitution, there are 12 sharia states in the northern, predominantly

Muslim, part of the country. Recognition of these states by the national government continues to be a

major challenge to national unity and human rights.

Freedom loving people of conscience must oppose the merging of religion and state. A great first step in

doing so is to oppose the sentence of amputation for these two Nigerian men. It is time to sweep cruel

and unusual punishment into the dustbin of human history.

http://www.instituteforscienceandhumanvalues.net/articles/Forced_Amputations.htm

PUCL: Its History of Struggle inFighting the Structures

Continued from the previous issue.........

The PUCL Bulletin and Fact-finding

Reports: The PUCL also started

publication of the ‘PUCL Bulletin’ in 1980, which

publishes fact-finding reports on custodial deaths,

fake encounters, and atrocities on Scheduled

Castes/Tribes, communal violence and cases of

gross human rights violation received from the

State Branches, the most prominent among them

being the fact finding reports on the anti-Sikh riots

of 1984 (During October 31 to November 3, 1984

there were large scale killings of Sikhs in the wake

of assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira

Gandhi. In Delhi a joint team of People’s Union for

Civil Liberties and People’s Union of Democratic

Rights published a report titled ‘Who are the

guilty?’ after detailed investigation and collection

of evidence.), on the anti-Sikh flare up in Bidar,

Karnataka, on communal riots in Hashimpura,

Meerut in May 1987 by a PUCL team consisting of

Justice Rajinder Sachar, I. K. Gujaral, A.M.

Khusro, and Dalip Swami, a comprehensive report

on the situation in Kashmir by Justice V.M.

Tarkunde, Justice Rajindar Sachar, Prof. Amrik

Singh, Inder Mohan, N.D. Pancholi, and others.

The demolition of Babri masjid in 1992 and the

subsequent anti-Muslim violence at a number of

places including Mumbai, State sponsored

anti-Muslim Gujarat riots of 2002 and the

anti-Christian riots of Kandhmal perpetrated by the

Hindutva forces engaged the attention of the PUCL

and various fact-finding reports on these riots were

published in the Bulletin. It published a detailed

report on the Hindutva Parivar’s war against the

Christian minority entitled ‘Crossed and Crucified’

by PUCL Bhubneshwar & Kashipur Solidarity

Group, Delhi. The Bulletin also carries press

statements on incidents of human rights violation,

which happen all over the country. Articles on

various human rights issues by prominent writers

and leaders of human rights movement are also

published in it. Because of the authentic material

published in the Bulletin, research scholars make

use of its material for their research work.

Editorials written by (Justice) V.M. Tarkunde, Dr.

Y.P. Chhibbar, (Justice) Rajindar Sachar, Dr. R.M.

Pal, K.G. Kannabiran, Dr. George Mathew, Prof.

Prabhakar Sinha and others have been providing

insight into various issues of human rights and

democratic governance and clarifying the stand of

the PUCL on these issues. The PUCL had instituted

an annual ‘Human Rights Journalist award of the

year’ for the best work done by a journalist for the

promotion and protection of civil liberties and

human rights, which carried a citation, and a cash

award of Rs. 20,000/-. It has however been

discontinued for paucity of funds. An annual JP

Memorial Lecture on March 23rd by a prominent

speaker continues to be the organization’s regular

feature. An annual lecture in memory of Justice

V.M. Tarkunde has also been started in

collaboration with The Tarkunde Memorial

Foundation on 3rd September. The text of both the

lectures is published in the PUCL Bulletin.

Besides, many law students from Law Institutes

from all over the country come to the PUCL office

every year as interns to get their first experience in

research work. Some of their best research papers

are published in the Bulletin. In July 1994 PUCL

was awarded the first M.A. Thomas Human Rights

Award instituted by the Vigil India movement for

its extraordinary work for the propagation and

protection of civil liberties and human rights of the

people.

PUCL and the role of the Radical Humanists:

The PUCL has been led by leading radical

30

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Mahi Pal Singh

humanists from its very inception. Being the

followers of M.N. Roy, the revolutionary freedom

fighter, philosopher and intellectual, who was a

strong votary of the democratic freedoms of the

individual and participatory grassroots democracy

for the empowerment and emancipation of the

people whom he considered the sole source of the

sovereign power of the State, the PUCL in its

attempt to fight against the dictatorial Emergency

regime of Indira Gandhi in order to defend the civil

liberties of the people was the fraternal and natural

ally of the radical humanists. That was the reason

why Jayaprakash Narayan asked Justice V.M.

Tarkunde, the leading light among the radical

humanists committed to the defense of democratic

freedoms, to head the PUCLDR in 1976 and he was

the natural choice as the President of the PUCL

when it was formed in 1980. Besides him, there

were hundreds of radical humanists who joined the

PUCL and many have played an important role in

the organization. C.R. Dalvi has been active in

Mumbai. M.A. Rane not only filed many Habeas

Corpus petitions in the Bombay High Court for the

release of those detained during the Emergency, but

also served the Mumbai Branch of the PUCL for a

long time and was its Secretary till his death on 24

July 2008 apart from being the President of the

Mumbai Branch of the Indian Radical Humanist

Association. Apart from being the Secretary of the

Indian Renaissance Institute, which was founded

primarily as a research and publication institute

with the purpose of development of the

Renaissance Movement and is the parent body of

the Indian Radical Humanist Association, N.D.

Pancholi has been a founding member of the

organization and has participated in many

important fact-finding enquiries. He has also been a

Vice-President of the Delhi PUCL along with Fr.

T.K. John, Dr. Anup Saraya etc. and he was elected

as the President of the Delhi PUCL in December

2010. A close associate of M.N. Roy and

well-known Royist ideologue and thinker, Dr.

R.M. Pal has been a President of the Delhi PUCL.

He also edited the PUCL Bulletin for a long time

from March 1984 to September 2010. He has led

the movement for free and compulsory education

as a Fundamental Right through his editorials

besides writing very strongly against

communalism and societal violation of human

rights of the Dalits. Among the younger generation,

Gautam Thaker, General Secretary, Gujarat PUCL,

has been amongst the leaders of the civil liberties

movement in the State besides being the President

of the Gujarat Branch of the Radical Humanist

Association and Mahipal Singh, also the President

of the Delhi Branch of the IRHA, served the Delhi

PUCL first as its Treasurer and for more than five

years as its General Secretary. He was elected as

the PUCL’s National Secretary at its Ranchi

Convention in 2009. He is also the Editor of the

PUCL Bulletin. Contd.......................

31

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Letter to the Editor: About Name Change

Dear Rekhaji,

This is in reference to the letter dated 23.8.2011 of Mr.Vishu Bhai of Baroda, published in the RH of

September 2011. He has suggested that in the present scenario of global life time it is better to change

the name of ‘Radical Humanist’ to ‘Rational Humanist’. I respectfully beg to differ. The word ‘Radical’

has a definite meaning for the movement. Trying to bring about revolutionary changes at the root, that

is, in the minds of the people; in their ideas and thinking process. It stands for a materialistic philosphy

and for giving a major role to man as the maker of his destiny. One can dwell upon the topic in a full

fleged article. I will therefore request Mr Vishu Bhai to reconsider his suggestion. With Regards.

BD Sharma (Chairman, IRI)

badridas408@gmail.com

Teachers’ & Research Scholars’ Section:

Right To Education Bill:Provisions And Shortcomings

Man is the wisest of the entire animal on

the earth by his mental abilities. Thus

forth basic need of a human being apart from food,

shelter and clothing is education. As the modern

world is completely propelled by the knowledge

acquired by all means, education has become the

main agenda of all the countries. Education in the

largest sense is any act or experience that has a

formative effect on the mind, character or physical

ability of an individual. In its technical sense,

education is the process by which society

deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge,

skill and value from one generation to another.

According to an estimate at present there are 19

million children in the age group of 6-14 years of

age out of that 8 million do not go to school and

dropout rate by class is 25 percent. Illiteracy has

been identified as the basic root of all the social

evils prevailed in the society. No country develops

fully without providing education to its citizen. By

keeping this in mind, government made some

constitutional provisions to ensure education for

all. This historic landmark came in the existence

from April 1, 2010.

India has always suffered by the exploitation of

foreign rulers and result of this they remained poor

and illiterate. Education was the main point for

development and empowerment of the society

before the Independent India. Finally, after 60

years of independence our country has formally

committed to provide free and compulsory

education to all its children aged 6 to 14 years of

age. The right of children to Free and Compulsory

Education Bill, 2009 is passed in 2010 by an Act in

Parliament. Though it was already mentioned in

our Constitution to provide education to its entire

citizen but it is legally bounded for state. Article

21-A of the constitution has been amended by 86th

amendment in constitution which now says “The

state shall provide free and compulsory education

to all children of the age of six to fourteen in such a

manner as the state may, by law, determine.” The

salient features of the Free and Compulsory

Education Bill are as follow-

1.The Bill makes it incumbent on all the states to

provide free and compulsory elementary education

to children of the age of six to fourteen.

2.For elementary education from class one to fifth

school should be situated within a walking distance

of one kilometer.

3.No child can be put through any kind of

examination. Means all students will clear their

class every year in the specified age group.

4.There will be no entrance exams for children and

screening of parents for admission. Nobody will be

denied for admission and even no birth certificate

and transfer certificate is required for this process.

5.No child can be expelled from school and

harassed either. This Bill makes corporal

punishment unlawful.

6.No capitation fee can be charged from the

students. If State gets the complaint of such a fine

up to ten times the amount collected will be attract.

The Bill also provides the legal authority to

withdraw the recognition if school fails to fulfill all

laid down norms.

7.All the school will have to adhere to some

common minimum standards such as the facilities

of drinking water, play grounds, library and toilets.

8.For the first time teacher – student ratio is more

32

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Surendra Bhaskar

emphasized which made 1:40. The Bill also assures

that no non-teaching work should be given to them.

Schools have to recruit trained teacher and all

untrained teachers have to upgrade themselves in

next five years. This Bill also states that no teacher

shall engage himself in private teaching.

9.Quality of the school also ensured in which they

have to provide basic facilities, School

management committee to have fifty percent of

women members and minimum 75 percent parents

will constitute management committees.

10. 25 per cent of seats in every private school will

be reserved for poor and disadvantaged group of

people.

11. The Bill mandates that it shall be the duty of

every parent to admit his child to a neighborhood

school.

12. This Bill clearly says that the National and State

Commissions for the Protection of Child right

would monitor the effective implementation of the

measures in the Act and inquire into complaints.

13. The provisions of the Bill also say that the

Center and State Government would have

concurrent responsibility for providing funds for its

legislation.

14. It is expected that the implementation of this

Bill will cost 12,000 crore annually and Rs.2 lakh

crore over the next five years.

This bill has covered many things which are as of

now not discussed at any suitable platform. But

ground realities are still far away from what we

actually see in papers. Hardly any private school

accepted it in true sense. Following are some

shortcomings of the Bill:-

1.This Bill is only cover the children group of six to

fourteen years of age leaving away the cold

children aged fourteen to eighteen who are also

minor.

2.This Bill not defines the word ‘free education’.

What does it mean? Free books, uniform or any

other things.

3.Bill is also silent on the children below six years

of age who are the primary target of the private

school for play classes. It does not mention any age

limit for the admission of class one.

4.The Bill is not able to describe which is

neighboring school a government or a private in

case where both are situated.

5.It is also putting a doubt on minority institutions

which are not exempted from reservation.

6.In a big lacuna this bill kept mum on the fate of

children on reaching of fifteen year of age when

they face examination system all of sudden.

7.In another big hole this Bill does not state the

legal consequence of parents not following their

duty nor does it address or even touch the issues due

to which parents fail to admit their children to

school.

8.This plan is short of the funds. It admitted by

HRD Ministry that estimated shortfall is about

60,000 crore for the first five years. The

government estimates that it will require Rs. 1.71

lakh crore for implementation of the RTE Act over

the next five years. The Financial Commission has

released Rs. 13,000 crore to the states to kick start

the implementation process, and the ministry is in

process of getting a 65:35/75:25 Centre- state fund.

9.In a countrywide estimate drawn up by the

ministry of HRM show that of 13.3 new teachers

who need to be inducted over the next three years to

provide education to every child between the ages

of six to fourteen years.UP has to take at least 3.9

lakh followed by Bihar and west Bengal 2.2 and

one lakh respectively. These states are also lacking

in required class rooms for the students. They have

not given due attention to education over the years.

The negligence has led to a pile-up of teacher

vacancies and worsened schools infrastructures. In

contrast, states like Tamilnadu, Maharastra and

AndhraPradesh are more educationally enlightened

Conclusion:

The enforcement of this right has a very symbolic

and historic value, because it is a step ahead in the

country-long struggle for universalizing the

33

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

elementary education. This Act will definitely

prove the success if it is implemented properly. It is

law that can change country’s future provided it is

implemented in letters and spirit by one of all.

Government needs to launch a massive awareness

campaign programme. The parents of the children

must be made aware of the Act and advantage of it.

As far fund is concerned, government expects that

8-8.5 percent growth in 2011 will take care of its

financial resources to a larger extent.

Dr. Surendra Bhaskar hails from Sikar district of

Rajasthan. He is Ph.D. in Sociology from Jai

Narayan Vyas University Jodhpur. He is a social

worker and providing service to rural area through

a NGO named ‘Saviour Education Welfare &

Awareness Samiti’.

34

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Appeal to Parliament to Abolish Death Penalty

In the wake of ongoing controversy on the justification of death penalty, it is high time that Parliament

takes appropriate steps to abolish such provision from our statue books. The provision of Death Penalty

had been introduced by the British in the Indian Penal Code in 1860 but the same has itself been

abolished by the British from their own statue books- being incompatible with the values of a civilized

society, as done by large number of other countries.

Judgments of the courts are not always correct. Supreme Court itself has stated that its judgments are

correct not because they always may be correct but because they are final. Recognizing ‘the fallibility

of human judgment being undeniable even in the most trained mind’ the five judges bench of the

Supreme Court in the matter of ‘Kehar Singh & another Vs. Union of India and others’ as reported in

AIR 1989 SC 653, while examining powers of the President and Governors under article 72 and 161 of

the Constitution of India, has quoted with approval the following classic exposition of law stated in Ex

parte Philip Grossman (1924) 267 US 87: 69 Law ed 527:-

“Executive clemency exists to afford relief from undue harshness or evident mistake in the operation or

the enforcement of the criminal law. The administration of justice by the courts is not necessarily

always wise or certainly considerate of circumstances which may properly mitigate guilt. To afford a

remedy, it has always been thought essential in popular governments, as well as in monarchies, to vest

in some other authority than the courts power to ameliorate or avoid particular criminal

judgments…….”

Thus in a situation where Supreme Court itself has given due consideration to the fact that courts

judgments may not necessarily be always correct, to deprive a person of his life would be nothing short

of a barbarous act.

The people of India, including the Government of India, have appealed to Pakistan on humanitarian

grounds to commute death sentence of an Indian, namely Sarabjit Singh, facing the death penalty in that

country. Can we make such an appeal when we are blind to such appeals within our own country?

We, therefore, on behalf of PUCL appeal to the members of Parliament to take immediate appropriate

steps to abolish the provisions of death penalty from our statue books.

N.D. Pancholi,

President,

PUCL (Delhi unit)

Book Review Section:

[Ms. Dipavali Sen has been a student of Delhi

School of Economics and Gokhale Institute of

Politics and Economics (Pune). She has taught at

Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, and

various colleges of Delhi University. She is, at

present, teaching at Sri Guru Gobind Singh

College of Commerce, Delhi University. She is a

prolific writer and has written creative pieces and

articles for children as well as adults, both in

English and Bengali. Dipavali@gmail.com]

A Human Portraiture

[Indira Priyadarshini, by Manorama Jafa,

illustrated by Bodhraj, published by Khaas Kitab

Foundation, 2011, paperback, pp 60, price Rs 99]

When I was a child of about eight or nine,

‘Chacha’ Nehru was a living, moving

figure, appearing on the daily newspapers and

addressing the nation occasionally on the radio. His

daughter’s figure too was familiar but as a thin

shadow of his. By the time I was emerging out of

my teens, it was Emergency and Indira Gandhi had

become a single potent force in the entire country.

In between I had grown and so had Indira Gandhi’s

stature.

But there was no book available to me – or the

children growing up in those times – about her

process of growing up. Children in those times did

not get to know her.

So I was delighted to lay my hands on this slim but

informative book telling the children of today what

Indira Priyadarshini was like.

Indira was born in November 1917, soon after the

October Revolution and the birth of the U.S.S.R. It

was Motilal Nehru who named her Indira after his

own mother and Jawaharlal Nehru who named her

Priyadarshini.

The book provides bits of information that make

her come across as a very human figure. One gets to

know various lively details. Some instances:

‘Indu’ as a child was fond of sweets. So her

grandmother, whom she called ‘Dolima’, kept a

separate cupboard of sweets, just for her.

One day ‘Dadu’, that is, Motilal Nehru announced

that all foreign-made clothes in the household

should be collected on the terrace of Anand

Bhavan, Allahabad. Indu found a lovely, soft pile

and rolled on them playfully. Next morning she

went to do the same and found a pile of ashes.

Sometime later, the police came and took Motilal

and Jawaharlal away to prison. Indu cried. Another

day, the police came and took carpets and other

expensive things away. This time Indu caught hold

of one of the policemen and tried to bite him!

At six, Indu started going to school. A teacher gave

her a beating that she felt was only because her

father was a freedom-fighter. Indu stopped going to

school.

At the age of eight, Indu had a brother, but lost him

within two days. Then came her mother’s illness

and hospitalization in Geneva, and her own visit to

Europe.

…..and so the details go on … to Feroze Gandhi

bringing her sweets, and she getting him guavas,

Rajiv and Sanjay having bears and tigers as pets at

Teen Murti House, Jawaharlal Nehru’s aging, and

later and better-known phases of Indira’s own life

– ending climatically on 31 October 1984.

35

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Dipavali Sen

Thus this book provides lots of information that

would capture children’s interest. Some of it has

been gleaned from original material preserved in

the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New

Delhi. What is more, the information is presented in

clear and unpretentious language.

Indira Gandhi had a very unusual life. To

summarize it without loss of nuances is next to

impossible, and yet this book does it.

But then it is Mrs Manorama Jafa who is its author.

Mrs Jafa is an internationally acclaimed children’s

writer and the author of about eighty books and

over eight hundred stories for children. She has

held several workshops for aspiring writers, in and

abroad. She has built up a unique organization, the

Association of Writers and Illustrators, and

presides over another; the Khaas Kitaab

Foundation dedicated to the publishing of books for

children with special needs. It is not often that

creative talent combines with administrative. But it

does so in Mrs Jafa.

The creation of her magic pen has been enhanced

by the deft pencil sketches of illustrator Bodhraj.

Reproducing photographs (some of them

well-known to the public) faithfully, right down to

the facial expressions, he supplements the text

superbly.

The AWIC has a system of evaluating children’s

books through children themselves. This book has

won that AWIC Children’s Choice Award.

Children have chosen it to be a book they

appreciate.

For, this book portrays Indira Gandhi as a person

rather than a phenomenon, a human being rather

than a political leader. It may create in children a

new, understanding of political leaders, so that they

learn to perceive the human face of those in (and

out) of power.

36

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

Humanist News Section:

I

Minutes of IRI General BodyMeeting Held on 20th & 21st

August 2011(A)

Meetings of the General Body of Indian

Renaissance Institute were held on 20th

& 21st August 2011 at Gandhi Peace Foundation,

New Delhi.

Following members participated in the same:

Shri. B.D. Sharma—Chairman

Shri. N.D. Pancholi—Secretary

Shri. Narottam Vyas—Treasurer

Shri. Gautam Thakkar—Life Trustee

Smt. Rekha Saraswat—Life Trustee

Shri. Vinod Jain—Life Trustee

Shri. Vikramjeet—Co-opted Trustee

Shri. Subhankar Ray—Member

Mohd. Nazimuddin—Member

Shri. Deepak Kumar—Member

Shri. Mahipal Singh—Member

Smt. Deepshikha Bhartya—Member

Smt. Amita Sharma—Member

Shri. Abdus Samad Gayen—Member

Shri. Kishan Kumar—Member

Shri. Bhaskar Sur—Member

Shri B.D. Sharma presided over the meeting.

At the start of the meeting, members observed a

two minutes’ silence in condolence for the

following departed members:

· Prof. Amlan Dutta

· Shri. G.R. Dalvi

· Shri. Ugam Raj Mohnot

Agenda:

Item 1 - Confirmation of the minutes of the

meeting of the last General Body Meeting of the

Indian Renaissance Institute held on 27th June,

2010.

Shri. N.D. Pancholi, Secretary, read out the minutes

of the last General Body Meeting of IRI held on 27th

June 2010 at Delhi. The same were confirmed.

Item 2 - Presentation and consideration of the

Secretary’s report.

Shri. N.D. Pancholi, Secretary IRI, presented his

report and the same was approved.

Item 3 - Status of Court Case regarding 13,

Mohini Road, pending at Dehradun and

Uttaranchal High Court.

Shri N.D. Pancholi, Secretary informed about the

status of the Court Case pending at Uttaranchal

High Court regarding 13, Mohini Road, Dehradun.

It was informed that Shri. Aseem Puri grandson of

Late Shri S.N. Puri, who had been substituted in

place of Shri. S.N. Puri, also died in the month of

June 2010 and thereafter none of his successors

filed any application for substitution in spite of

repeated adjournments. Ultimately on 8th March

2011 the case came up for hearing in the court but

nobody appeared on behalf of appellants and the

appeal of Late Shri. S.N. Puri was dismissed by the

court. Thereafter Shri Virender Kumar Puri S/o

Late Shri S.N. Puri has filed an application in the

month of May 2011 to implead himself in place of

his son late Shri Aseem Puri. Reply has been filed

on behalf of the Indian Renaissance Institute and

the said application is pending decision.

Item 4 - The publication of the Radical Humanist

and how to make it financially viable and

fruitful for the Radical Humanist movement.

It was decided that members would make efforts to

enroll more subscribers and would try to raise

donations for the Journal in order to make it

financially viable.

Item 5 - Publication of the Humanist literature

and M.N. Roy’s Selected Works, especially Vth

Volume of Selected Works.

i) Shri. N.D. Pancholi informed that manuscript of

the Vth Volume of the Selected Works had been

37

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

received by him from Kolkata. It was further

informed that large parts of the manuscript were

handwritten with many short notes. Many parts of

the same were manually typed with lot of

overwriting due to corrections and cuttings. He told

the house that the manuscript had six files

spreading over to around 1400 pages and required

prior arrangement before being given for electronic

typing. It was decided that Shri N.D. Pancholi

would get both these things done – proper

arrangement of the papers, and computer-typing of

the whole manuscript after making due corrections.

Shri N.D. Pancholi would also check the related

material and the footnotes to ensure that the work is

completed without any mistake.

Shri Gautam Thakar and Shri Vinod Jain suggested

that Shri Jayanti Patel may be approached to review

the manuscript and both would help Shri Jayanti

Patel in this regard. It was decided that Shri Gautam

Thakar would contact Shri Jayanti Patel to know

whether he would be able to undertake the task.

ii) It was decided that a complete list of books

written by M.N. Roy would be prepared and their

availability would also be ascertained. It was

decided that the members would submit necessary

information in this regard to the Secretary.

iii) It was further decided that a brochure

containing the formation, aims and objectives and

past activities of the Institute would be published. It

was decided that Shri Gautam Thakar would

prepare a draft of such a voucher which will be

finalized by the President and Secretary.

Item 6 - Transfer of account of IRI Mumbai

branch to Delhi.

It was decided that Mumbai office should be

approached in this regard i.e. to transfer funds of

IRI and RH to Delhi office. Shri Gautam Thakar

offered his assistance that he would visit Mumbai

office and would make efforts for transfer of the IRI

and RH funds to Delhi. His suggestion was

approved.

Item 7 - Other programs and activities of the

Indian Renaissance Institute.

i) It was decided that the year starting from 21st

March 2012 to 20th March 2013 should be

celebrated as the 125th Birth Anniversary Year of

M.N. Roy. Following names were suggested for

inviting eminent persons to deliver ‘M.N. Roy

Memorial Lecture – 2012’:

(a) Prof. Amartya Sen

(b) Lord Bhikhu Parekh

ii) It was further decided that seminars, study

camps and public meetings should be held during

this Birth Anniversary Year in various parts of

India.

iii) Accounts of the IRI for the year 31st March 2001

were presented and the same were approved.

Item 8 - Election of Trustees.

Following members were elected as elected

trustees:

1.Shri. Narottam Vyas

2.Shri. Ajit Bhattacharya

3. Shri. Manoj Datta

4.Shri. Niranjan Haldar

5.Shri. N. Innaiah

6.Shri. Ancha Bappa Rao

7.Shri. Bhaskar sur

No other issue was discussed. Meeting ended with

thanks to the chair.

(B)

Meeting of the newly elected trustees: 21st

August, 2011

Immediately after the General Body meeting, the

meeting of the trustees was held in which following

persons participated.

1.Shri B.D. Sharma ……. Life Trustee

2.Shri. N.D. Pancholi ……… Life Trustee

3.Dr. Rekha Sarswat ……….. Life Trustee

4.Shri. Gautam Thaker………… Life Trustee

5.Shri. Vinod Jain………………Life Trustee

6.Shri. Bhaskar Sur……………. Elected Trustee

7.Shri. Niranjan Haldar……… Elected Trustee

38

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

8.Shri. Narottam Vyas…… Elected Trustee

10. Shri. Subhankar Ray……… Invitee

11. Shri. Vikramjeet Sikand…… Invitee

Shri B.D. Sharma presided over the meeting.

Following decisions were taken:

(a) Shri Jayanti Patel and Shri Subhankar Ray were

elected as Life Trustees.

(b) Following Office bearers were elected:

(i) President: Shri. B.D. Sharma

(ii) Secretary: Shri. N.D. Pancholi

(iii) Treasurer: Shri. Narottam Vyas

(c) Following members were elected as co-opted

trustees:

(i) Shri Vikramjeet Sikand

(ii) Shri S.C. Jain

Meeting ended with thanks to the chair.

Humanist News II

Radical Humanists provide helpand support in Kerala

Rationalists’ Meet

Mr. Meduri Sathyanarayana, General

Secretary, Rationalist Association of

India inaugurated the two day annual conference of

Bharathiya Yukthivadi Samgham on14th August

2011 at Charvakapuri (Kollam Public Library Hall,

Quilon, Kerala). In his speech which got wide

publicity in the mainline media, he observed that

adherence to religious scriptures written centuries

back was retarding the society. Boundaries set by

the limited nature of knowledge contained in such

scriptures hamper the growth stifling the human

being. We have millions of believers in India.

Babas and Ammas are exploiting the believers

extorting their wealth. It is dangerous that political

parties extend help and support to these forces, he

warned. Man understands nature, events and

phenomena by the aid of science and technology.

The role and significance of rationalism are being

felt day by day. In order to bring about the

necessary transformation in society, the individual

has to undergo basic change. He added that certain

trends prevailing in our society are not conducive to

the welfare of human beings.

Mr. Abdul Ali K.K. (President, Bharathiya

Yukthivadi Samgham) presided over the session.

Mr. Sudan Jotting, Chief Guest of the session

delivered a short but beautiful speech. Other

speakers included Mr. Sreeni Pattathanam (Gen.

Sec., BYS), Dr. V. Nehru (President, Tamilnadu

Rationalist Forum), Mr. G. Veeranna (President,

Andhra Pradesh Rationalist Association), Mr. CLN

Gandhi (Treasurer, RAI), Mr. T. Parameswaran,

Mr. P.T. Varghese, and Mr. P. Sivan etc.

Mr. CLN Gandhi inaugurated the Seminar on

‘Resurgence of Casteism and Necessity of

Reservation for the Casteless. Mr. Sudan Jotting

inviting attention to the fact that the reservation

policies have strayed far away from the genuine

objectives, stated that the idea has to be done away

with.

Social activist Mrs. Nafeesa Syed Alavi

inaugurated the seminar on ‘Religious

Fundamentalism and Humanist Values’. She was

emphatic in suggesting that religions have always

obstructed endeavors aiming at women’s’ freedom.

Mr. Abdulla Meppayur presided. He briefly

touched upon rituals, fundamentalism and

terrorism and stressed the need to strengthen

rationalist activism. Mr. Syed Muhammad

Aanakkayam presented the theme of the session.

He drew attention to the Mappila rebellion of 1921

and pointed to the fact that even some Muslim

scholars could not approve the Khilafat movement.

Religions speak mostly about the other world and

not about the human individual or his problems on

this earth. They remain and act as anti-democratic

forces in the modern world. Mr. Vutla

Renganayakulu (Gen. Secretary, APRA) was a

prominent speaker in the seminar. Mr. Siddiq

Thodupuzha, Prof. Joseph Varghese, Mr.

P.V.Basheer and Mr. Raghu Lathoor were the

39

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

other speakers. Mr. Rajeev Memunda led the

‘Exposure of Miracles’ show.

On 15th August 2011 (Monday), Mr. Ravichandran

(University College, Trivandrum) conducted a

Study Class based on Richard Dawkins’ book, ’The

Greatest Show on Earth’.

The Study Class by Dr. Anil Kumar (Medical

College, Trivandrum) on superstitions, mental

health and Psychiatry shed light on superstitious

methods of treatment and modern psychiatric

approaches. He pointed to the change of life style

and stressed the need for giving more care and

attention to children by parents and guardians.

Recently, anxiety related ailments are widely

diagnosed in children which had, previously, been

limited to the older people, he observed. The class

attracted several queries from the audience to

which he provided necessary explanations.

The discussion on Non-Religious Literature was

chaired by Mr. Prabhakaran Elayavoor. The

famous Malayalam poet, Kureepuzha Sreekumar

inaugurated by reciting some poems of his own.

There was uneasiness and interruption from the

audience while some communists and

anti-modernists went on admonishing

rationalists. Mr. G.R. Indu Gopan, Mr. Nettiadan

(Ex- Marthoma priest) and Mr. Sasthamkotta Bhas

spoke. Mr. Siddique Thodupuzha helped to bring

the discussion to a proper direction and he wound

up in a manner that emphasized the rationalist

position.

Mr. Meduri Sathyanarayana was requested by the

Gen. Sec. of B.Y.S. to deliver a special speech. In

his instructive speech, he clarified the meaning and

intent of certain terms which were used to create

confusion among the Kerala Rationalists by certain

vested interests. The explanations given in simple

vocabulary were useful for activists as well as

sympathizers.

The following were elected as office bearers:

President: K.K. Abdul Ali, Kaappaad.

Vice Presidents: T. Parameswaran, Dr. P.

Raghavan, Johnson Ayiroor, Syed Mohamed

Aanakkayam, V.V. Prabhakaran, U.P. Abdul

Majeed, P.T. Varghese.

General Secretary: Sreeni Pattathanam.

Secretaries: R.K. Malayath, Casteless Junior, P.

Sivan, Mani Pezhakkappilli, C.V. Abdul Salam,

Bhaskaran Pekkadam.

Treasurer: Adv. Rajendran.

Resolutions:

The conference discussed the present state of a

petition which was filed by Adv. T.P. Sunder Rajan

Iyengar (who passed away recently) which led to

the revealing of treasure troves kept secretly in the

Padmanabha Swamy temple cellars. An experts’

panel has been appointed with directions to create

an inventory of the various items of the property.

The vested interests caused to conduct a

‘Devaprasnam’ by the seers which threatened

disaster if any ventured to open the vaults. The

conference, taking up the challenge of dire

consequences, passed a resolution announcing its

readiness to open the ‘B’ chamber (sixth cellar) of

the temple if the Supreme Court issues the

necessary permission. The court should not accept

the position taken by the temple authorities as the

astrologers were hoodwinking the public by

threatening with doom and disaster, it added.

Another resolution called for removal of caste

names from all records and prevention of activities

of Casteists and religious organizations. Profession

and not caste has to be the criterion for reservations,

it suggested.

A further resolution was against describing Kerala

as God’s Own Country in advertisements

sponsored by the Government departments and

agencies.

The attention and publicity by the mainstream

media added to the success of the conference.

—Report sent by

Abdul Majeed. U.P.

Vice President,

Bharathiya Yukthivadi Samgham

40

THE RADICAL HUMANIST OCTOBER 2011

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NEW FROM RENAISSANCE

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Between Renaissance and Revolution-Selected Essays: Vol. I- H.C.350.00

In Freedom’s Quest: A Study of the Life and Works of M.N. Roy:

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Against the Current - H.C.350.00

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Science and Superstition - H.C.125.00

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From the Communist Manifesto - P.B.100.00

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From the Absurdity to Creative Rationalism - P.B. 90.00

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Voice of A Great Sentinel - H.C.175.00

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Reflections - H.C 150.00

Science, Society and Secular Humanism - H.C. 125.00

By DEBALINA BANDOPADHYAY

The Woman-Question and Victorian Novel - H.C. 150.00