Messages In This Digest (3
Messages)
Messages
- 1.
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Thu Apr 2, 2009 4:54 am (PDT)
Immediately withdraw Charges against Dr. Sen : UK-academics Letter to
Guardian from UK-academics
We urge that Dr Sen be released, and be treated in the spirit of Indias own
constitution.
30th March
The Editor,
The Guardian,
London,
UK
As the worlds economic powers gather in London this week, with India
featuring prominently among them, we hope they will take the time to
consider human rights as well as the credit crunch. In particular, we,
U.K-based academics, call attention to the continuing imprisonment of Dr
Binayak Sen, the first Indian recipient of the 2008 Jonathan Mann award for
Global Health and Human Rights. Dr Sen, a public health professional, has
worked tirelessly for decades on issues of basic livelihood, health services
and social justice. He has been incarcerated solely for peacefully
exercising his fundamental rights, as twenty-two Nobel Laureates, British
politicians and many other prominent figures have noted. Dr. Sen has been a
political prisoner since 14th May 2007 in the Indian State of Chhattisgarh,
and has been denied bail and appropriate medical treatment. He is on Amnesty
Internationals list of Prisoners at Risk. No credible charges have been
brought against him but anti-terror legislation has been used to extend his
detention. Supplementary charges and additional witnesses have been
introduced with the apparent intention of endlessly prolonging his trial.
The needs of the worlds underprivileged must be at the forefront of the
G-20s discussions. The Government of India must act immediately to withdraw
the charges against one of the strongest champions of social justice. We
urge that Dr Sen be released, and be treated in the spirit of Indias own
constitution. At a time when the global economic situation has made the poor
even more vulnerable, governments must support and work with, not
incarcerate and abuse, those like Dr Sen and other human rights activists
who work for positive change.
1. Dr. Riaz Ahmad, Part-time Lecturer in Mathematical Finance, University
College London, London
2. Prof. Ravi Ahuja, Professor of Modern South Asian History, School of
Oriental and African Studies, London
3. Dr Sundari Anitha, Research Fellow, University of Leeds, Leeds
4. Prof. Gautam Appa, Professor of Operational Research London School of
Economics, London
5. Dr. Thankom Gopinath Arun, Honorary Senior Fellow, Manchester University,
Manchester
6. Dr Rita Astuti, Reader, London School of Economics, London
7. Ms Holly Aylett, Senior Research Fellow, The Global Policy Institute,
London Metropolitan University
8. Dr. Mukulika Banerjee, Reader, University College London, London
9. Prof. Marcus Banks, Professor, University of Oxford, Oxford
10. Prof. Upendra Baxi, Professor of Law, University of Warwick, Coventry
11. Dr. Laura Bear, Lecturer, London School of Economics, London
12. Prof. Gillian Bendelow, Professor and Head of Department, Department of
Sociology, University of Sussex, Brighton
13. Dr. Veronique Benei, Senior Research Fellow, London School of Economics,
London
14. Dr. Philippa Berry, Visiting Fellow, University of Bristol, Bristol
15. Dr. Brenna Bhandar, Lecturer, Kent Law School, Kent
16. Prof. Maurice Bloch, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, London School
of Economics, London
17. Dr Monica M.E Bonaccorso-Rothe, Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow,
Goldsmiths College, University of London, London
18. Dr. Gabriele vom Bruck, Senior Lecturer, School of Oriental and African
Studies, London
19. Prof. Lionel Caplan, Emeritus Professor, School of Oriental and African
Studies, London
20. Prof. Joshua Castellino, Professor of Law, Middlesex University, London
21. Dr Sharad Chari, Lecturer, London School of Economics
22. Dr. Shraddha Chigateri, Lecturer in Law, Keele University, Keele
23. Dr. Andrew Chitty, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Sussex,
Brighton
24. Dr Michael Collins, Department of History, University College London,
London
25. Prof. Anthony Costello, Professor of International Child Health and
Development, UCL Institute for Global Health, University College London,
London
26. Dr. Radha D'Souza, Reader in Law, University of Westminster, London
27. Dr. Dimitris Dalakoglou, Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Sussex,
Brighton
28. Dr Eliza Darling, Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
29. Dr. Susan Daruvala, Senior Lecturer, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
30. Dr. Santanu Das, Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London, London
31. Dr Jonathan S Davies, Reader in Public Policy Governance and Public
Management Group, Warwick Business School, Coventry
32. Prof Sophie Day, Professor of Anthropology, Goldsmiths, London
33. Dr. Lucy Delap, Lecturer in History, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
34. Dr. Manali Desai, Lecturer, London School of Economics and Political
Science, London
35. Professor Lord Meghnad Desai, Professor Emeritus of Economics, London
School of Economics
36. Dr. Henrike Donner, Lecturer, London School of Economics and Political
Science, London
37. Prof. Elizabeth Dowler, Professor of Food and Social Policy, University
of Warwick, Coventry
38. Dr. Jean Dreze, former Lecturer, London School of Economics, London
39. Dr. Ziad Elmarsafy, Department of English & Related Literature,
University of York Heslington, York
40. Dr. Peggy Froerer, Lecturer in Anthropology, Brunel University, Uxbridge
41. Prof. David Gellner, Professor, University of Oxford, Oxford
42. Prof. Sayantan Ghosal, Professor of Economics, Department of Economics,
University of Warwick, Coventry
43. Dr Aisha Gill, Criminologist, Roehampton University, London
44. Dr. Jay Ginn, Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender Surrey
University, Guildford
45. Dr. Priyamvada Gopal, Senior Lecturer, Cambridge University, Cambridge
46. Dr Gianluca Grimalda, Visiting fellow at the Centre for the Study of
Globalisation and Regionalisation, Warwick University, Coventry
47. Dr. Sudeshna Guha, Lecturer (Affiliate), Cambridge University, Cambridge
48. Prof. David Hardiman, Professor, University of Warwick, Coventry
49. Dr. James Harrison, Assistant Professor School of Law University of
Warwick, Coventry
50. Prof. Barbara Harriss-White, Professor of Development Studies, Oxford
University, Oxford
51. Prof. Keith Hart, Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, Goldsmiths
College, London
52. Prof. Sylvia Harvey, Professor of Broadcasting Policy, University of
Lincoln, Lincoln
53. Prof John Hinnells, Professor Emeritus at Liverpool Hope University and
Honorary Professorial Research Associate at SOAS, London
54. Dr. Leo Howe, Senior Lecturer, Cambridge University, Cambridge
55. Dr. Michael Hrebeniak, Fellow, Tutor & Director of Studies in English,
Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
56. Prof. C. Humphrey, Professor, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
57. Prof. Michael Hutt, Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies, School of
Oriental and African Studies, London
58. Prof. Deborah James, Professor, London School of Economics, London
59. Prof. Patricia Jeffery, Professor, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
60. Prof. Roger Jeffery, Professor, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
61. Anuradha Joshi, Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of
Sussex, Brighton
62. Prof. Mushtaq Khan, Professor, School of Oriental and African Studies,
London
63. Prof. Ursula King, FRSA Professor Emerita of Theology and Religious
Studies and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies,
University of Bristol and School of Oriental and African Studies, University
of London
64. Prof. Udaya Kumar, Leverhulme Visiting Professor School of English
Literature, Language and Linguistics University of Newcastle
65. Dr. Helen Lambert, Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol, Bristol
66. Prof. Neil Lazarus, Professor, University of Warwick, Coventry
67. Dr. Alana Lentin, Senior Lecturer, Sociology, University of Sussex,
Brighton
68. Dr. Les Levidow, Senior Research Fellow, Open University, Milton Keynes
69. Prof. Alan Macfarlane, Professor of Anthropological Science, University
of Cambridge
70. Dr. Sumi Madhok Lecturer, London School of Economics and Political
Science, London.
71. Dr. Luke Martell, Reader, University of Sussex, Brighton
72. Charlie Masquelier, Part-time lecturer in Sociology, Sussex University,
Brighton
73. Reginald Massey, Independent Researcher, member of Society of Authors &
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
74. Dr Emma Mawdsley, Lecturer, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
75. Dr. Lyla Mehta, Research Fellow, University of Sussex, Brighton
76. Dr. Usha Menon, Senior Lecturer, University College London, London
77. Dr. Perveez Mody, Lecturer, Cambridge University, Cambridge
78. Dr. Massimiliano Mollona, Lecturer, Goldsmiths University, London
79. Dr Sian Moore, Reader, Working Lives Research Institute, London
Metropolitan University
80. Dr Subha Mukherji, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
81. Dr. Parita Mukta, Senior Lecturer, University of Warwick, Coventry
82. Professor Sally R Munt, Director: Sussex Centre for Cultural Studies,
University of Sussex, Brighton
83. Dr. Khalid Nadvi, Senior Lecturer, Manchester University, Manchester
84. Dr. Uttara Natarajan, Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London
85. Professor Jonothan Neelands, National Teaching Fellow, Chair of Drama
and Theatre Education, University of Warwick, Coventry
86. Prof Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor in Religions and Education, University
of Warwick, Coventry
87. Dr. Eleanor Newbigin, Junior Research Fellow, Trinity College,
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
88. Ines Newman, Principal Research Fellow, Warwick Business School,
Coventry
89. Dr. Pippa Oakeshott, Reader in General Practice, Community Health
Sciences, St George's, University of London
90. Dr. Daniel O'Connor, Honorary Fellow, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh
91. Professor Judith Okely, Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology,
University of Hull & Deputy Director of the International Gender Studies
Centre, Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford
92. Dr. Harsh Pant, Lecturer, King's College London
93. Professor Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Professor of Political Philosophy,
University of Westminster, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory at the
University of Hull, U.K
94. Prof. Jonathan P. Parry, Professor, London School of Economics, London
95. Prof Benita Parry, Professor, University of Warwick, Coventry
96. Dr. Daniela M. Peluso, Lecturer, University of Kent, Canterbury
97. Dr. Frances Pine, Reader in Anthropology, Goldsmiths University of
London
98. Prof. Chistopher Pinney, Professor of Anthropology, University College
London, London
99. Prof. Allyson Pollock, Professor of International Public Health Policy,
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
100. Dr. Mike Poltorak, Lecturer, University of Kent, Canterbury
101. Prof. Shirin M. Rai, Professor, University of Warwick, Coventry
102. Dr. Dwijen Rangnekar, Senior Research Fellow, Warwick University,
Coventry
103. Dr. Manav Ratti, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick, Coventry
104. Prof. Andrew Rigby, Professor of Peace Studies, Coventry University,
Coventry
105. Dr. Ben Rogaly, Senior Lecturer, University of Sussex, Brighton
106. Prof. Jonathan Rosenhead, Emeritus Professor, London School of
Economics, London
107. Prof. Vaskar Saha, Professor, Manchester University, Manchester
108. Dr. Minoli Salgado, Senior Lecturer, University of Sussex, Sussex
109. Dr. Esther Saraga, Senior Lecturer, The Open University, Milton Keynes
110. Prof. Shaheen Sardar Ali, Professor, School of Law, University of
Warwick, Coventry
111. Dr. Eurig Scandrett, Lecturer in Sociology, Queen Margaret University,
Edinburgh
112. Dr. Michael W. Scott Lecturer, London School of Economics, London
113. Prof. Kunal Sen, Professor of Development Economics and Policy,
Manchester University, Manchester
114. Prof. Sanjay Seth, Professor of Politics, Goldsmiths, University of
London, London
115. Dr. Esha Shah, Research Fellow, IDS, University of Sussex Brighton
116. Prof. Martin Shaw, Research Professor, Dept. of International
Relations, University of Sussex
117. Dr Taylor C. Sherman, Royal Holloway University of London
118. Dr. Pritam Singh, Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
119. Dr. Subir Sinha, Senior Lecturer, SOAS, London
120. Tamara Sivanandan, Head of Social Sciences Department, Middlesex
University, London
121. Prof. Angela Smith, Professor Emeritus, University of Stirling,
Stirling
122. Dr. S. Sreenivasaprasad, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick,
Coventry
123. Dr Colin Stolkin, Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, Kings College London,
London
124. Dr. Clarinda Still, Lecturer in Modern India Studies, University of
Oxford, Oxford
125. Dr Nikita Sud, Lecturer, University of Oxford, Oxford
126. Dr. Deborah Sutton, Lecturer, University of Lancaster, Lancaster
127. Dr. Emma Tarlo Reader, Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths,
University of London
128. Dr. Dania Thomas, Lecturer, School of Law, Keele University, Keele
129. Eva Turner, Principal Lecturer, University of East London, London
130. Dr. Maya Unnithan, Reader in Social Anthropology, University of Sussex,
Brighton
131. Dr. Rashmi Varma, Senior Lecturer, University of Warwick, Coventry
132. Dr. Penny Vera-Sanso, Lecturer, Birkbeck College, University of London
133. Dr. Bhaskar Vira, Senior Lecturer, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
134. Dr Chrstopher Warnes, Lecturer, Cambridge University, Cambridge
135. Dr. Maya Warrier, Senior Lecturer, University of Wales, Lampeter
136. Dr. Sari Wastell, Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London, London
137. Dr Karen Wells, Programme Director International Childhood Studies,
Birkbeck College, London
138. Prof. Ann Whitehead, Professor of Anthropology, University of Sussex
139. Professor Janet Wilson, The University of Northampton
140. Dr Kalpana Wilson, LSE Fellow in Transnational Gender Studies, Gender
Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, London
141. Dr Benjamin Zachariah, Reader in South Asian History, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield
- 2.
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Thu Apr 2, 2009 7:15 pm (PDT)
Dear Friends,
Here is the News about Chhattisgarh in the media today...
INDIA Christian woman challenges Hindu activist in polls
Union of Catholic Asian News - Asia
On March 27, Renu Jogi filed her papers as a candidate from Bilaspur
constituency, only hours after Dilip Singh Judeo, who spearheads a movement
to convert ...
âSuperstition hinders healthcare in tribal Maharashtra, Chhattisgarhâ
Thaindian.com - Bangkok,Bangkok, Thailand
Today it has a hospital that serves 45000 patients, many of whom are tribals
from adjoining Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. But medical experts working
...
It's raining populist freebies
Central Chronicle - Bhopal,India
Specially, as its 'rice politics' had led to the Party returning to power in
Chhattisgarh last year. With women comprising half the electorate, ...
More news can be found with full coverage at...
http://cgnet.in/Med/diary/2009/cgdiary030409
Pls send your suggestions on how do you find CG Diary and how to make it
more useful for all of us.
If you see/know/experience something which you think should be shared with
people pls write to us at cgnet...@gmail. com . If you want we can conceal
your identity.
Regards,
Yuvraj Gajpal
for CGnet moderators team
- 3.
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Thu Apr 2, 2009 7:16 pm (PDT)
*Bard steps into Chhattisgarh *
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2009/04/03/stories/2009040350090300.htm
*Chitra Ramaswamy *
Shakespeare in Chhattisgarhi? Yes, that is precisely what âDeenâ Mahavir
Prasad Chandra, a writer from Chhattisgarh, has done â opened up the
floodgates of English literature to the people of his State. He has
translated the Bardâs *Midsummer Nightâs Dream* as *Maya Ke Rang* in
Chhattisgarhi.
The translation won him local acclaim in 2006 when he staged it in Korba
district with the help of Bharat Aluminium Company, where he works as an
operator in the R&D department. His debut translation work, however, was
that of the Bhagwad Gita, in 2005, which he wrote in verse form, retaining
its original flavour.
Chandra admits he has slightly modified the Shakespearean drama to make it
more appealing to the local audience. Interestingly, he is not entirely
comfortable with the English language and has translated the Bardâs work
from a Hindi translation by Deepak Kumar Pachpore.
Hailing from a family of agriculturists, Chandra showed a flair for writing
even as a child; not surprisingly, perhaps, because his father, Vishram
Chandra, had been a renowned Chhattisgarhi poet and writer. Chandra was
inspired by his father, who often entertained the villagers with his musical
rendition of the Gita, which he had translated into Oriya besides holding
discourses in Chhattisgarhi. Goswami Tulsidasâs Ramayan inspired Chandra to
translate the Gita and he found encouragement after seeing several
Chhattisgarhi writers at literary programmes sponsored by BALCO.
Shy first steps
Shy by nature, Chandraâs creative outputs remained confined to his diaries,
until they were discovered recently and began to be published. Through the
Indian Peopleâs Theatre Association (IPTA) in Raigarh, Chandra staged *
Vasundhara*, a play with an environmental message, in 1995. In 2001, one of
his plays, *Bharam*, was made into a telefilm by the Government of
Chhattisgarh.
His first published work was a poem titled *Chhattisgarh la chhaon kare bhar
*, in 2004. He deeply acknowledges the support extended by his company
towards his literary endeavours. In fact, BALCO had financed the publication
of his translation of the Gita which had taken him three years to complete.
Next he undertook the translation of Kalidasaâs *Shakuntalam* . His aim, he
says, is to create a healthy interaction between the people of Chhattisgarh
and the outside world through literature. âThe Chhattisgarhi language has
acquired the status of a State language and, on paper, is recognised as an
Indian language. But it is yet to establish the feel of this status amongst
the people, in a literary sense. Even now, the language remains highly
confined as a dialect. So my translation of the Gita has been acclaimed as a
milestone in according the language its due importance,â he says. He is now
working on unearthing idioms that are indigenous to Chhattisgarh for
publication in a book form.
âOpenâ village library
In addition to promoting Chhattisgarhi literature and culture, Chandra aims
to cultivate the reading habit amongst the people of his village,
Belakacchar, and the surrounding areas in Korba.
Together with a group of likeminded individuals, called the Lok Sanskriti
Vikas Manch, he has set up an âopen libraryâ in the village. On a raised
platform in the village centre, a collection of nearly 300 books is arranged
every evening and people of all age groups can read here between 7 p.m. and
9 p.m.
The library and the reading hour have brought a whiff of fresh air to the
mindset and attitudes of the 4,000 inhabitants of this village. Says
Chandra, âBooks are no longer left strewn or scattered, or torn to make
packets for peanuts! The situation has changed so much now that people get
impatient for the library to open at 7 p.m. As all the group members are
employed, we are unable to reschedule the working hours of the library.â
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