MEN FOR WOMEN 'UNDERSTANDING GENDER EQUALLY'

On Friday, I was busy with my work, filling up some application for JNU, and NEUPA with my friends; suddenly one call came to my friend 'will you join for seminar' I was without much thinking told him, 'yes'. I was busy and coming day morning he came to my room waking me up to go for seminar. We were five us total, went to Puducherry; I was confused always what will be the topic for seminar, I ask my friends, they did reply me, just told me; it is based on women issues as the occasion of 'Women Day special' but when we reach there we come to know the topic "Men for Women understanding gender equally'.

The seminar was held for two to three hours followed by scrumptious food and there were close to two hundred participant. In seminar there were panelist to discuss on 'Men for women - Understanding Gender, Equally' and it was organised by Indian Women Network, an initiative taken by Confederation of Indian Industry.

In this Penal discussion, one of the heart- touching spoke person was none other than VC Bashir Ahmad Khan who called for change in mindset and the flawed belief system in our society that demean women. Later he put forward the argument saying 'it important to understand gender equality but not talking about family-oriented values; we still grappling with old ideas which need to change in mind set and belief systems to perpetuate gender equality'. And it was fascinating because men had to talk about women in their lives but Khan put 'I am not going to talk about my role for success of my wife- it is the other way round'.

But I will talk it from the lay men or subaltern scenario, see if we talk women and men, whatever you call balancing or making equilibrium or bringing equality with regards to jobs, opportunity and others. And looking the celebration of women day in grand manner, having organized by elite the power, position and authority holder, yes they can talk about 'successes' in their lives. Some tells we celebrate women days every day each minutes of our lives; what about those who are marginalized groups women, tribal women, peasant women, dalit women who don't hold power, position and authority; are they not succeed in their own way and maintain balance between men and women gender equality, like these lot of question arise.

If you ponder over the past in tribal, dalit, peasant society; there is gender equality which exists because both work balance and gender equality is seen, they don't make distinguish men vs women, boys vs girls rather they always try to make equal; don't make me mistake I am not talking about opportunity, jobs or education, it is the work balance which we can find in those society.

I am critical about this seminar because it was conducted for women of upper/orthodoxy (mean hegemonic powerful class) elites in their outlook, can afford time as leisure class, they belong to conspicuous consumption groups. It was surprising and annoying because introduction to this event make it clear that 'there are many women who are not privilege because they don't know and not invited'  yes because you didn't invited them to be part of you, denied them, you don't them to come up in their social, economic and education status.

How can you tell, there are not present because you selected the groups, class, of your choice those who are of power, position, authority in visible success of recognition, you left out those invisible success of those marginalized and vulnerable groups of women, who also recognize as women, as human being, you betray them from equating or balancing between rich and power, educated and uneducated in different dimension. I will be really grateful if this kind of inequality is set out or erase from society in which all women come in one fold and all men come in one fold balancing as human of both men and women.

TRAIN JOURNEY FROM MUMBAI TO CHENNAI

While Travelling by Train from Mumbai to Chennai…. 13/02/2016

It was a pathetic and inhuman experience from my part in train; I could find different people men and women, boys and girls, transgender and many other if I wish to classify; but I am not interested in classification of travellers rather the incident which I show and I realize; there was a man of 40 to 50 years of age who had unreserved ticket, he might have thought because of his defacement of body people will allow him to seat at least near door of 2^nd class reserved compartment, he boarded between the station thinking I could be safe without much tension of overcrowd or hanging with each other in general compartment since I am having acute wounds in my body. And there were people of different behavior towards to acute wounded man; some could buy eatable things and served him, some could talk to him with hopefully, some could not see his wounded body, could spited on him, and some are indifferent to him, some gave some money and so many observation that was on mind. My mind flashed back to the treatment that upper class and caste gives to lower class or caste; the form of discrimination, the untouchability, and in the form of purity and pollution. And also lot of things like dharma and karma which usually varna system indulge in Hindu caste system, since he is getting painful life, because of his karma or dharma which always we relates.

In this train people of different class, caste, groups, genders and religion present but it was the upset to see as we belong to 21^st century of globalized, modernized and westernized era, things that are happening is really intolerable. And it was the whole episode of Tamil Brahmins who were travelling to Chennai who deny the person and look down upon him; they don’t even bother to see his condition. They actually forced him to get down in between the station; as we know everybody has some destination to reach, may be he had also some destination to reached, actually speaking he was not a beggar; I could see him having more than thousand rupees in his hand; may be he was on the way to treatment or assume it like that. I think what is wrong with them simply forcing him to get out from train.

Later the train arrived at station; these groups of Brahmin called railway police and let the wounded man has to get down- this was just usual but later Tamil Brahmin called the railway clearers (toilet and washroom) and tell them to clean the whole compartment; which I was not expecting at all; though clearers clear toilet and washing bowls where we usually do hand wash and brash our teeth; they were so adamant and insisted them to clean because a wounded man was polluted the compartment which will polluted them too. There is a stereotype which haunted in the incident.

If one can analyze this point in other way as western and modernized free thinking man; I think they would have been much rational and scientific in their outlook and nature; would have helped him to cure; since they were of upper class, economically sound and possess power, position and prestige. And they would have been highlighted as one of the Good Samaritan. But it never happen in this circumstance; and there was an interesting things to be noted which really caught my mind there was a transgender who was also travelling in this compartment to Chennai; and this transgender was had reserved ticket but people in this the compartment were not happy to see the transgender; they were not giving any respect to the transgender but some of the people who are of free thinking they would ask and talk with transgender which usually first and second gender people don’t mix with third gender people; they always ignore and make fun of them, but this transgender was given some kinds of human dignity some coffee and some eatable were sponsored for the transgender.

UNDERSTANDING CONCEPT AND ORIGIN OF SUBALTERN STUDIES

What is all about Subaltern Studies?

In critical theory and post-colonialism, ‘subaltern’ refers to population who are socially, politically and geographically outside the hegemonic power structure of colony and colonial homeland. To describe ‘history told from below’ the tern subaltern is derived from Antonio Gramsci’s work ‘cultural hegemony’ which identifies the groups that are excluded from established structure of society for political representation; therefore there is denial of means to have their voice heard in society.

The term subaltern and subaltern studies come to exist in post-colonial era with the work of subaltern studies group, a collection of south Asian historians who play political actor role of men and women as mass population rather than political role of social and economic elites in history of south Asia.

Marxist historian were investigating colonial history as told from perspectives of proletariat, using the concept of social class to determine economic relation between bourgeois and proletariat. In 1970s there was start of subaltern perspective in which history is told from colonized people from Indian subcontinent rather than colonizers.

The ‘Subaltern’ concept is of problematic, because it originates from Eurocentric method of enquiry in the study of non-western people of Asian, Africa and Middle East. From its inception as historical research model of study of Colonial experience in south Asian peoples, it transformed from model of intellectual discourse into method of ‘vigorous post-colonial critique’.

The term ‘subaltern’ is used in the field of history, anthropology, sociology, human geography and literature criticism.

In Postcolonial theory, subaltern describes as lower classes and social groups who are at the margin of a society- a subaltern is a person rendered without agency due to his/her social status.

In Phenomenology the other and the constituting other each identity a cumulative, constituting factor in the self-image of a person –the acknowledge of being real.

Imperialism/colonialism in which imperialist world systems, political and economic affairs of empires were fragmented and empires ‘provide for most...........

UNDERSTANDING CONVERSION IN RELIGIONS

Conversions are more about  the promise of a better life than faith. It is not mandatory or compulsion for every individual. When one read article Approaches to the study of Conversion to Islam in India by Richard M. Eaton from- Religion Movements in South Asia 600-1800 (book) ed. David N. Lorenzen; OUP New Delhi PP 105-127 which explain the thought of conversion in obvious manner but that's not sufficient to speak conversion such this or that. It is a complex social, political, and religious phenomena.

In this article author tries his best to explain the different approaches through which Islam is spread all over the world or do they covert or do have are forced or what it is so much so there is a talk of religious conversion; he put forward some approaches like

1. Religion of the Sword theory
2. Political patronage theory
3. Religion of social liberation 

These three approaches for him not convincing or inadequate to explain; that people covert to Islam, there is something called 

      4. Theory of Conversion: Accretion and Reform 

THE DAY I WAS WITH FRIENDS

Just the third semester examination over, I was overwhelm with joy; many times it is unpredictable and mysterious, you or me can't think of what will happen. My friends decides to go out for walk and later decided to have something; that's just when feel overjoy, it was the night, so cool and pleasant environment, I am person, always look at things and observes them critically, many times silence though I am with them, I lost myself in some curious and thoughtful imagination in the colorful world, because of which many times friends use to tell what are thinking- on the spot I just give them a smile and I disappear own my on world.

That day it was the shocking evening, though I knew the person... he is was quite fascinating and charming in his look but inside full of cow dunk, the mind he possess is so rigid...............I haven't forgotten

SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS ON HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Today in 21st century education system is globalized and it has shaped to commercial marketing phenomena rather quality and value education. I personally afraid of what will happen knowledge system of education; will it be reliable and appropriate for society to suit in the epistemology of social, religion, economic, and political sphere. It seems to be more of competing in educational institution for profit base; commercialization, process of which many people are denied of, though they have also thought or aspire of becoming someone great in some field. Contemporary education system really ruin the originality of gaining knowledge and wisdom of quality and value education; rather it has created division in society based on economy, social, religion, political. The education is totally look at in the frame of power, position, prestige and money. The real value of education has lost which suppose to be integrity of people and it has shaped big hurdle brought bridges between elite and powerless. The hegemony of education since precolonial, colonial,  and post colonial it has been for the higher caste, powerful economic and numerical strength; though powerless try to be educated and become educated, it is the elite decision always be prominent, the voice of subaltern never heard of.

The power relation of education in elite always operate and powerless always denied even though they suggest, the subaltern educated voice is heard very minimal. And when education system is look at far and wide  and  analysed, the standard of education always look at mostly perspective of money power, high digitized and smart classroom which is actually commercial and profit base extracting money values from people; they are also taught mostly targeting to become rather looking at hurdle of student without understand much about psycho- social life of student. They (teachers, professor or lectures) simply stress on technical or robotic way of teaching like machine without much understanding of humanness and feeling which actually students go through great pain and difficulties.

There is an unrecognized of human relation and human value, the educated and well-known person always become the victim of politicians and owner of multinational company. The government makes policy and implementation in favor of development for the sake of elite class forgetting the marginalized community (SCs,STs and Backward Class). In development they hurt the sentiment and culture of those people and they are in identity crisis. The subjects taught is always concentrated towards elite and powerful profit base like growth of science, technology, economy and development of infrastructure. 

Therefore today's contemporary education system should have sociological analysis on understand the nature of student, family background, economic life, livelihood and psycho-social mentality of student. By which real education will be attain and can be holistic for human behavior and human progress. And this will lead to less suicidal of student, they will grow full way. The education ministry should also look at social aspect of student by providing them medical and counseling based on psycho-social, look at whole student equally without discrimination or bias.

COMMODIFICATION OF LAND DE-PEASANTISATION

COMMODIFICATION OF LAND DE-PEASANTISATION