A MAN AND HIS MISSION: GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY

Dr.M.Nadarajah is a quintessential social activist,a crusader of environmental protection,an outstanding social scientist and a brilliant documentary maker.He spent his entire life working in the interconnected issues of social change,development,urbanism,environmentalism,sustainabilty and spirituality.A serious student of Marxism, Nadarajah found the class-reductionist perspective of historical materialism inadequate in addressing various issues related to culture ,ethnicity,gender,ecology,etc .Based on his extensive and in-depth research ,he formulated a "non-workerist model of historical materialism",and the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)awarded Nadarajah PhD for his thesis. His work was published as a critically acclaimed book" Culture,Gender,Ecology:Beyond Workerism" in 1999.Besides contributing numerous socially provocative columns in the print media in Malaysia being an Indian Malaysian,Nadarajah w is no doubtbooks on society,culture,politics,consumerism, etc,and co-edited a famous volume on Urban Crisis which was brought out by the Tokyo-based UN University.

The Asian Public Intellectual Fellowship of the NIPPON Foundation in 2005  took Dr.Nadarajah to various culturally rich and religiously diverse communities in the different countries in the Asia on his "Research Pilgrimage" to understand the  urgency of global sustainabilty as the "business as usual "approach our routine daily existence hides a devastating crisis awaiting to engulf the humanity as a whole.His work has partly been consolidated in  his latest volume LIVING PATHWAYS (published by Areca books) :a combination of  attractive as well as thought provoking photographs of nature captured by his lens and text.The text is divided into different sections or "meditations" on the "cosmologies"of Asia to help self-introspection and social analysis by the reader.The photographs on the opposite side of the texts accentuate the intensity of the meditations.The pictures are to be LOOKED INTO and not merely looked at.There absolutely is no doubt that  LIVING PATHWAYS is a classic on sustainability and spirituality to be read by all and taught to children in all schools.

A  self-effacing Dr.Nadarajah has not found time to set up a family of his own.At 61 he looks forward to many unfinished tasks for accomplishing his mission.Nat (Nadarajah's friends call him so)joined the Madras School of Social Work to understand social work,but discontinued the MA course after the first year feeling disappointed with the lack of depth in social work despite my persuasion. At JNU he found the significance of "social" and since then he has been  in social activism without rest.He keeps a low profile and never seeks recognition for his remarkable academic and societal contribution.I consider it a privilege of being a close associate of the great social scientist Dr. M.Nadarajah

LET US HAVE PRIDE IN BEING AN INDIAN

Science is systematically accumulated body of knowledge. For the sake of discussion science may be categorised into modern science and ancient science. Modern science is the knowledge after the Industrial Revolution. It has,thus,a history of around two centuries. The science and technology after the Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism in the West made phenomenally rapid expansion. Ancient science has been evolving steadily in different societies . But the colonisation of most countries by Western powers and the massive exploitation of the weak nations by the capitalist-colonial hegemony retarded and in many instances paralysed the continuity of the ancient science. India is one such exploited nation.

Italian mathematician of the 12th century Leonardo Fibonacci acknowledged in his writing  the pioneering contributions of Hindus in the fields of algebra.arithmetics,algorithm,geometry and astronomy. It is he who introduced the new Indian numerals (now popularly known as Arabic numerals ) through Arabic texts to Europe. There is universal acceptance of the path breaking invention of ZERO by Indian mathematicians  around 520 AD .Prominent names mentioned in the invention of 0 are Arya Bhatta and Varaha Mihira. 0 opened the world of mathematics and other sciences  to many frontiers of knowledge.

Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine has a history of more than 5,000 years .Classical Sanskrit text on medicine Susrat Samhita describes anatomical science much ahead of Hippocrates.Well known writer and International diplomat Shashi Tharoor says that there is no doubt that Sage Susrata was the first surgeon in the world .He performed surgeries using certain instruments within the constraints of his period . Despite lack of support from the World Health Organization which favoured  Western allopathic medicine with enormous funding support ,Ayurveda has survived to be a globally sought after system of health care even by thousands and thousands of patients from UK,US and European countries.

Many Sanskrit texts contain rich information on various scientific themes .Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has admiration for Sanskrit ,which according to him , is more than a mere language.Germans understood the value of Sanskrit and utilised the knowledge for research .But in India, Sanskrit learning has been inhibited by successive governments. The present Indian government has realised the value of our own prestigious language and has made it compulsory for Students under the Central Board of Secondary Education. Sanskrit is now acknowledged as a computer friendly language besides its other advantages.

Recently at the I02th Indian Science Congress, Captain Anand  J Boda presented a well documented paper on " Vedic Science through Sanskrit" and the section on Vedic Science was the most sought after session ( on 4,January ,2015 ). Expectedly various dissenting voices were raised by politicians and scientific followers of "vote bank" politicians. New political and ideological squabbles prevented an objective understanding of the contents of the paper by Capt .Boda.Many did not even hesitate to reject anything by ancient Indians preferring only what the Westerners say : unabashed colonial mentality of the worst order. The government of India may extend funding support to objective minded researchers to document the efforts of early Indians to expand the frontiers of knowledge for the benefit of humanity.

JEWELS OF INDIA: NOT ALWAYS GENUINE

Bharat Ratna was awarded to  Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the former Prime Minister and statesman. He was the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete the full term of five years. That too as PM of a coalition govenment .Known for politics of consensus instead of confrontation, his contribution to the nation was immense. A poet, a great orator and a great humanist, Vajpayee was acceptable to political parties of different ideological shades across the national spectrum.He was on the verge of making an historical breakthrough in settling the Kasmir dispute which unfortunately did not materialize at the last stage.Such a great person of his stature was denied Bharat Ratna by the Congress-led UPA govt which ruled India for ten years purely because of political considerations.Now the Congress questions the credibility of the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee just because the present BJP govt nominated him.

It has been pointed out that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi nominated themselves their names for Bharat Ratna.Shocking, if Dr Subramanian Swamy is telling the truth.He must be correct because no one disputed Dr Swamy in an authentic manner.That is about the credbility of the source of nominations raised by Congress leaders.

The  UPA govt amended the rules of eligibilty of Bharat Ratna to sports personalties.Fair enough.But the motive was questionable.Hockey wizard late Dhyanchand, world renowned Chess champion Viswanathan Anand, and other deserving sports personslities were ignored.Instead it was conferred on Sachin Tendulkar on the last day of retirement from cricket hoping to reap political gains .The legendary cricketer Kapil Dev who led India to the World Cup victory and who was chosen cricketer of the century by Wisden, cricket's final authority, was not considered for the award.Rahul Gandhi was present at the Mumbai stadium perhaps to receive gratitude from Sachin for the award. The great scientist Professor C.N.R. Rao was also given the award along with Sachin giving the impression that he was awarded to give company to Sachin Tendulkar,and not for his outstanding scientifc  contribution.

The Indian nation will be grateful to the political  power structure of the country when Bharat Ratnas are unblemished jewels of India.

JUSTICE V R KRISHNA IYER: INCARNATION OF JUSTICE

A colossus of justice is no more after completing 100 years of mortal existence .

A synonym of  justice , VR Krishna Iyer's life and contribution has only few parallels in post-Independent India. As Minister of Law in the first democratically elected Communist government on earth led by EMS Namboodiripad in Kerala, iyer piloted the epochmaking land reform legislation  which conferred land rights to the dispossessed landless poor and the Dalits. Since then,for nearly 60 years ,Iyer carried his crusade for justice for the deprived and the  neglected as Minister, Lawyer,Supreme Court judge,and social activist.

Justice Iyer changed the political, social and legal landscape of India through his landmark judgements. His judgement on the redefinition of INDUSTRY under the Industrial Disputes Act has brought unimaginable benefits to the working class.He abolished the cruel practice of routine handcuffing of prisoners.He ordered that the prisoners could study, write examinations ,write articles and books during their jail sentence . Justice Iyer is the main father figure of PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the country which has revolutionised Indian jurisprudence ,and ensured  justice to the millions and protected  people from the arbitrariness of the politicians,bureaucracy , police and other oppressive forces .Justice Iyer's  social change making judicial pronouncements are legion.His siglehanded contribution for the well-being and development of the people of India is more than even that of a goverment.

Till the last breath Justice Iyer worked for people's causes through speeches, campaigns , letters, etc.. His was the voice of hope for the desperate. A personal experience is unforgettable.He inaugurated a conference on human rights at Chennai straight from the hospital after a heart related surgery despite the advice of the doctors because he had  earlier assured us that he would inaugurate the programme.After the inauguration, we dropped him at the hospital. A rare commitment.

 Justice Iyer's judgements are literary pieces worth reading again and again. The government of India should commission a team of scholars to document Justice Iyer's judgements, speeches and letters for wider dissemination.

One debatable spot in Justice Iyer's unblemished career is his judgement on the Allahabad High Court order which enabled Indira Gandhi to continue as Prime Minister in 1975 .The declaration of National Emergency by Mrs. Gandhi is attributed to Iyer's judgement. This controversy in no way undermines the phenomenal life and service to the nation and the people by Justice Iyer.The eminent jurist deserved Bharath Ratna during his life time. Having failed to do so, his memory may be honoured with a posthumous Bharath Ratna as that would be a recognition of the causes of human rights, social justce, and equity

so dear to the great man and so vital for the Indian nation.

CORRUPTION COUNTRY INDIA

India has too many public servants both elected and selected.Barring a fraction of these servants, the public servants loot the public  without fear of law or feeling of guilt.

Yadav Singh is a public servant in Uttar Pradesh. He without an engineering degree moved up the ladder of government service till 1995 from 1980. When he was to be promoted as Project Engineer there was a minor technical hurdle. He needed an engineering degree, and it appears that he managed to get the four year degree in three years.A brilliant man.Singh moved ahead and became Engineer-in-Chief of Noida. He was very humble to all persons around him. He built a house for his family: a sprawling three-storied mansion or palace. A recent Income Tax department raids located movable and immovable property worth at least Rs 1,000 crore.Singh appears to be a lover of exquisite art work as his collections included a two kilogram diamond studded ornament suitable for gods and goddesses in Temples. Yadav Singh is now rated as India's Corrupt Number One. Sachin Tendulkar's cricket records may be difficult to be broken. But Yadav Singh's ranking may be overtaken by some other enterprising public servant as the batting ground is flat and the bowling/fielding attack is weak. These can be fixed.

Recently a senior IAS officer of the rank of Principal Secretary in Kerala  Mr.Suraj has been in the electronic and print media for disproportionate assets and unaccounted cash. Suraj has  strong political blessing and he has come forward with "explanations justifying the cash in his house". The case is on and may be he will be promoted one day. A similar case of an IPS officer in Kerala has been in the news often. But he is now IG of police !


From peon to principal secretary, corruption is an hourly occurrence in India.
No department or daily activity of the common man is corruption-free.But we should remember that these public servants create enormous wealth,though not for the nation. Many share the bribe amount with Gods as penance. As  no givernment in Independent India has succeeded in eliminating or even reducing  the menace of corruption, let the state and central governments institute Arjuna Awards to these public sernants. After all, corruption is an art and a sport.

REGULATING SOCIAL WORK IN INDIA

Ever since the early years of the emergence of schools of social work in India, serious concerns were expressed by social work professionals and others actively engaged in social welfare in the country. The Indian Conference of Social Work ( now, Indian Council of Social Welfare ) was the first organization to propose the creation of a statutory body to regulate social work education in India in the late 1950s .Since then the Ministry of Social Welfare/ Ministry of Welfare ,two UGC review committees on social work education ,and organizations like the Association of Schools of Social Work in India were demanding the establishment of a regulatory council .Finally a draft bill was formulated in the early 1990s and that was referred to the Ministry of Education ,which ,in turn ,referred the same to the UGC for its opinion. The UGC did not favour a council for social work education as it was of the view that the UGC itself was competent to regulate education in social work as per the UGC Act. Subsequently the UGC itself reversed its earlier opinion and finally the draft bill was sent to the Department of Higher Education (MHRD) for clearance. For the past two decades the draft bill has been gathering dust at the MHRD. In between hopes were created in the social work circles at Delhi and Mumbai regarding the enactment of the bill by the Parliament and no tangible result could be seen. In March 2008, the Delhi School of Social Work organized a national consultation on the bill.

The draft bill is aimed at creating a Council of Professional Social Work. Medical Council of India, Bar Council of India ,and similar regulatory councils do not have the prefix professional .Rather Professional Medical Council ,Professional Bar Council, etc appear strange and amusing .So why does social work need the prefix professional ? So why does social work need the prefix professional ? Is there still ambivalence among social work professionals as to the self-sufficiency of social work ? Like the Council on Social Work Education in the US, the draft bill ought to have been independent of the adjective professional. The bill defines professional social work as a form of practice which follows established and acknowledged methods of social work carried out by professional social workers. While the "established and acknowledged methods” are wide open to interpretation, the definition implies that professional social work is what professional social workers, with BSW or MSW, do. A confusing explanation! The bill defines a social work teacher as one who teaches or engaged in research, while a social work practitioner is one who is engaged in social work practice and/or administration .Further, a social work researcher is one engaged in full time research in social work. An unnecessary and unwelcome compartmentalization of a social work professional. If the architects of the bill substitute social work with any other profession the contradictions will be apparent. The bill can help itself well without trying to bring in paraprofessionals into its fold.

The composition of the Council is educator -centred with the chairperson ,vice-chairperson ,member-secretary and at least eight members belonging to the category "social work educator " out of twenty eight in the Council, Social work practitioners are fewer in number .Strangely ,the Council will have two representatives of the recently formed National Association of Professional Social Workers in India (NAPSWI). This Delhi-based association with 1,200 members in June 2013 ( New Indian Express) has been treated National ,while there are professional social work associations in Chennai, Bangalore ,Kerala ,and possibly in other states too , in addition to the Indian Society of Professional Social Work ,which has been functioning for the past many years.

There is a provision for a national register of social work professionals, a compulsory requirement for teaching and practice. A fair provision. The functions of the Council are exhaustive .The Council ,as the statement specifies ,shall take all steps for the promotion, maintenance ,co-ordination of standards of education, training ,research and practice . A vast range of issues to be covered! In many countries like the US ,there is a council for social work education and a national association of social work professionals .In India too professions like medicine ,law, nursing, and engineering have similar organizational arrangements .Social work ,somehow, is out of sync with other professions. Anyhow, there is a draft bill before us to hope for a law one day. Let us wait.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR RIGHTS

Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousufzai are awarded  the 2014 Nobel Prize for Peace for their fight and work for the rights of children suffering in India, Pakistan and other countries in the world under bondage, sweat labour , and other conditions of deprivation.  Bachpan  Bachao Andolan ,the NGO founded by Kailash Satyaethi , has so far saved more than 83,000 children from  child labour, trafficking ,and bondage ,and arranged education for them. Malala after the fatal attack on her life by the Taliban has been popular not only in her state Pakistan, but all over the world for her campaign for education of girls. But Kailash Satyarthi  has been known only in limited regions in India.

Recognition for Satyarthi's  work was rewarded by US, Germany ,Italy and other countries . But in India he has been almost a persona non grata. Neither any state government nor the government of India considered his work any award. In other words, his work has not been to the liking of the power structure in India which pays lip service to abolition of child labour (which of course is legally prohibited ), but continues to exploit cheap child labour. Match industry,  textile mills, garment industry, small scale production units, etc do utilise  the labour of children without any feeling of guilt or  fear of accountability to gain competitive advantage in the market. The notorious Sumangali Scheme promoted by many textile mills in Tamilnadu as a dowry earning scheme is a cruel bonded labour practice with the government officials not bothering to take any action and the politicians extending their support .

The way the  corporate organizations and many politicians reacted to the prestigious Nobel Prize to Kailash Satyarthi has been MUTE or HOSTILE. One argument is that the award is to put a break on the Make  in India measure and the general manufacturing sector's progress. Equating Hindu with Muslim  as well as Indian with Pakistani by the Nobel Committee spokesperson while announcing the award has been interpreted as Award with Suspicios Motive. These reactions deserve to be thrown to the dustbin of human rights struggles.

Even the ubiquitous  Padma Shri award was not given to Kailash Satyarthi by the self-styled great champions of the underprivileged, while the leaders of the previous ruling dispensation hurriedly awarded the Bharat Ratna to a sports person  after amending the originally prescribed eligibility norms specified in the  Indian Constitution by rushing to the stadium where the awardee was playing  the farewell match. .

Whether the business sector likes it or not, and whether the political patrons of crony capitalism criticises it or not , the Nobel Prize has brought Child Rights before the media's essential attention for serious debates and also  as a key political issue.