[Goanet] cedric prakash
i have observed with keen interest the back and forth on the activities of cedric prakash. nothing i have read so far convinces me that he stands for a positive cause. all his platitudes about human rights and social justice are planks in a long discredited platform, especially in the age of genuine liberalism (which prakash and his leftist and jholewala supporters call 'neo-liberalism'). as leaders of the world's two largest democracies, sonia gandhi and barack obama have revived the liberal cause that prakash and his ilk had expropriated. like medha patkar's, his is an oppositional mentality: he opposes modi and the bjp (and so do we all), he opposes the congress; he opposed the indo-us nuclear deal; he opposes all forms of development. his ideology seems to a confused mix between the left that stands for very little but knee jerk diatribes against capitalism (especially the usa) and the hind swaraj mindset that excoriates modernity (seen as something that is not indian). as such cedric prakash has no appreciation for the two most transformative forces of the 20th century: capitalism and modernization. he can get the 'alternate nobel' for what it's worth. but he remains today a destructive force in gujarat and indeed in the rest of india; especially among us liberals.
Re: [Goanet] cedric prakash
The following is a very interesting perspective. It reinforces my sense of disillusionment towards activists who claim to be fighting for various left-wing and right-wing causes. The following excerpt is particularly illuminating in this regard: "Prakash and his band somehow seemed to convey that Gujaratis, as a people, were communal and that their work was a missionary crusade to help save Gujarat from the Gujaratis. They have become hate objects much like Medha Patkar over the Narmada Dam issue." Rajiv Desai Cheers, Santosh --- On Thu, 7/16/09, Rajiv Desai wrote: > > I'm afraid I would have to disagree > with the suggestion that Fr Cedric Prakash > has rendered "yeoman service" in Gujarat. In 2002, when I > was the chief publicist > for the Congress Party during the state elections, I had > the opportunity to meet Fr > Prakash. I arranged as meeting for the Congress campaign > team with him and his band > of activists, mostly left-wing ideologues and jholewalas > from outside Gujarat. Their > behavior was boorish to say the least; they lambasted the > Congress "culture" and > told the Congress team that they were constrained to > support it for the lack of > options. My colleagues were shocked and speechless, > wondering if the Congress needed > their support or just how much of a difference Prakash and > his band of "activists" > would make to the outcome of the election. >
Re: [Goanet] cedric prakash
Are you suggesting that the Congress should be taking a "soft Hindutva" line, as it has been doing sometimes in the past (1984, Babri Masjid locks, anti-Sikh riots, Ramayana-induced religiosity via nationalised television, and on a number of other issues including under the Digambar Kamat "secular" regime in Goa)? While the secular lobby has been sometimes blamed for alienating religious Hindus with their strong campaigning, it is also true that the Congress itself has allowed itself to become a vehicle of promoting a softer form of communalism (sometimes, multiple communalism, as see in the North East, or the Bhindranwala phenomenon) while cloaking itself in "secular" clothes. This can be lethal too. There has been some study (if I recall right) of how the logic of upper-caste dominated Gandhianism in the Gujarat of yesterday has lent itself to grow into the blatant communalism of today. I think there is space for the stands that a Cedric Prakash takes, which to me seems to come more from a commitment to a sense of justice and human rights than mere I-have-to-protect-my-coreligionists kind of approach. Right livelihood or nothing, Prakash has made his mark. Btw, I'm curious to know if Prakash has a Goan expat connection (we started talking about Bandra, etc when we once met, but didn't have the time to complete the conversation!) FN 2009/7/17 Rajiv Desai > I'm afraid I would have to disagree with > the suggestion that Fr Cedric Prakash > has rendered "yeoman service" in Gujarat. > In 2002, when I was the chief publicist > for the Congress Party during the state > elections, I had the opportunity to meet Fr > Prakash. I arranged as meeting for the > Congress campaign team with him and his band > of activists, mostly left-wing ideologues > and jholewalas from outside Gujarat. Their > behavior was boorish to say the least; they > lambasted the Congress "culture" and > told the Congress team that they were >constrained to support it for the lack of > options. My colleagues were shocked > and speechless, wondering if the Congress needed > their support or just how much of a > difference Prakash and his band of "activists" > would make to the outcome of the election
[Goanet] cedric prakash
I'm afraid I would have to disagree with the suggestion that Fr Cedric Prakash has rendered "yeoman service" in Gujarat. In 2002, when I was the chief publicist for the Congress Party during the state elections, I had the opportunity to meet Fr Prakash. I arranged as meeting for the Congress campaign team with him and his band of activists, mostly left-wing ideologues and jholewalas from outside Gujarat. Their behavior was boorish to say the least; they lambasted the Congress "culture" and told the Congress team that they were constrained to support it for the lack of options. My colleagues were shocked and speechless, wondering if the Congress needed their support or just how much of a difference Prakash and his band of "activists" would make to the outcome of the election. Later, in talking to other groups opposed to Narendra Modi and the BJP including the small community of Catholics in Ahmedabad, we learned that the activities of Prakash and his group were in fact a disservice, helping to consolidate support for Modi. From several such groups, we heard that the activists aroused such ire that even those who supported the Congress were put off. Prakash and his band somehow seemed to convey that Gujaratis, as a people, were communal and that their work was a missionary crusade to help save Gujarat from the Gujaratis. They have become hate objects much like Medha Patkar over the Narmada Dam issue. I have a special concern for Gujarat in that I was born there as was my Goan Catholic wife. Fr Prakash and his group are seen as outsiders and their activities only served to facilitate Modi's clever switch from Hindutva to Gujarati pride. In view of the recommendation made in your digest of July 9, 2009 that Cedric Prakash be nominated for the "Alternate Nobel" award, I thought I'd share this information with your readers. comma Communications Management Comma Consulting A1/288 Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi 110 029 India Phone +91 11 4135 4400 Fax +91 11 2616 1578
[Goanet] Cedric Prakash
I've known Cedric Prakash sj and his work for some time now. We have met briefly, apart from reading him often online. It is interesting to see the attempt to discredit his campaigns, coming from that shrill voice which otherwise defends the indefensible. If I'm not mistaken, he's a Bandra 'boy', who has made Gujarat his field of work (though I might be wrong on this, we only had a short time to exchange views when we met at Benaulim ... and this is an aside, it is not particularly related to the discussion). But, what is more relevant is that, to me, Cedric's work is admirable, and represents all that is admirable in these 'Clash of Civilization' times, when religious infighting is replacing the Cold War, in the global need to quickly find The Enemy and get into conflict mode. Cedric Prakash has been consistently taking the side of the underdog, articulating the cause of the voiceless (even if 'we' don't have any direct reason to feel 'their' hurt) and speaking out boldly. It is no surprise that he comes in for criticism from those who critique him now. When I encounter his work, I believe those years we spent in liberal and pro-underdog groups like the All India Catholic Universities' Federation might just have been worth it. In my view, we definitely need more Cedric Prakashs. --FN -- FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org M: +91-9822122436 P: +91-832-2409490
