Author: oiop

Sterling banker, selfless philanthropist (1914-2014) Eknath Thakur will be remembered as a leader of men, motivation and of course, money. A selfless philanthropist and an Indian politician who did not hanker for a post or for another term in the Rajya Sabha, Thakur helped a score of social causes without any ado. He took over as Chairman of the Saraswat Bank in 2001 and continued at its helm till his end. During these 13 years, the Bank expanded its network in states like Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa and Madhya Pradesh. His one unfulfilled wish was to obtain a Reserve Bank…

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Prof. Vinay Kumar Srivastava discusses at length the definition of the word ‘Tribe’ and the 2006 Draft National Policy on Tribals which covers all relevant topics related to tribal welfare. All that remains he says, is for the Draft to be discussed, improved and adopted with the active involvement of the tribal community. The Draft of the National Policy on Tribals was released in February 2004, during the tenure of the NDA government. In the past, on many occasions, the need for a tribal policy was felt, but a properly formed policy document could never emerge. In fact, it was…

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For all the fuss we make over our tribes and tribals, there was a time when they figured prominently in our cricket agenda, discovers V Gangadhar. Independent India had many problems to face from its infancy. These created tensions which led to divisions, sometimes leading to bloodshed, and figured prominently in the political agenda and in the Indian Constitution. But there was considerable goodwill for India. Many nations extended their hand in friendship and offered co-operation and economic aid. A huge, poor, over-populated, and newly-independent India suffered shortages of all kinds – food, fuel, technology, transport facilities, schools, roads, materials…

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India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri was also born on October 2, in 1904. His father died when he was 18 months old and he grew up at his grandfather’s house. Since he was very slightly built his grandpa affectionately called him ‘Nanhe’. One day Nanhe and his friends were raiding a mango tree when they were surprised by the gardener. The gardener caught Nanhe and slapped him. “Why did you slap me?” asked the boy. “Don’t you know I have no father?” “That means you’ll have to look after your mother and how can a thief do that?”…

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The sloth bear is under threat and it’s imperative that we discourage all practices which lead to the bears and bear cubs being captured or poached. This clumsy and beloved denizen of the Indian jungle, with roots going back a million years, has to be protected at all costs. The shadow to our right moved ever so gently. We reversed the vehicle slowly and switched off the engine. And there it was – Melursus Ursinus, the sloth bear. My daughter Miel and I were with Fateh Singh Rathore, en route to High Point, in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve on February…

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Democratic Reforms for a Resurgent India by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe (New Delhi: Wisdom Tree, 2013) The book under review is based on the author’s revised Ph. D. thesis. But it is not merely a theoretical work, written on the basis of study of published materials; Dr. Sahasrabuddhe draws heavily from his rich experience as a student activist, journalist, and of over 30 years in politics as the Secretary General of the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP), the political training centre of the BJP. The author, in 300 pages divided into seven chapters, discusses India’s democracy, its political culture, populism, electoral compulsions and…

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Tribals of India have for centuries lived in peace and harmony with nature. But postindependence India has shattered this harmony and trodden on their lands, dignity and rights in the name of globalisation and progress. None of the benefits of this progress have reached the tribals. Is it a surprise then, that tribal areas today are seething cauldrons of discontent? asks Prof. S.N.Chaudhary. After realising the pitiable and worsening socioeconomic status of tribes, efforts have been made to restore their human rights by different change agents since independence. A number of constitutional provisions have been made, the National Commission for…

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Satyajit Ray’s masterpiece Charulata based on Rabindranath Tagore’s Nastaneer turns 50 this year and the appeal of this film revolving around a young, married woman who is deeply attracted to her brother in law, still holds true. Shoma A Chatterji discusses this appeal and the immense controversies and comparisons to Tagore’s original work this film triggered, when it was released in 1964. Satyajit Ray’s film Charulata (released in 1964) is based on Nastaneer (The Broken Nest) a novelette of around 80 pages, written by Tagore in 1901. Its translator, Mary M. Lago, describes it as “one of Tagore’s best works…

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The number of scheduled tribes in India has grown from 212 in the 1950s to about 650 today. While more groups are clamouring to be classified as tribals to take advantage of the special status accorded to them, no group wants to be declassified. Many tribes today have successfully assimilated with the general population while preserving their unique identity. Then, should they still be accorded special status? asks Prof. Yogesh Atal. Gone are the days when India was neatly classified into three geographical zones: Tribal, Rural, and Urban. Such classification is no longer tenable. While rural and urban are designations…

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A Radhakrishnan reflects on the meaning of happiness and how the definition varies across philoshopies. Happiness comes from within, not without, he notes. Happiness, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is ‘the state of being happy; an experience that makes you happy.’ Different people have a different take on what happiness is. For some it is splurging on shopping or having a lot of money, and for others, it is spending quality time at home. It is something which comes from within, not without. You have to be happy to make others happy. There is no formula for happiness. It has…

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