Ambedkar Action Alert: Fwd: James Laine ke kitaab ke virudh Andolan vahi kar sakte hain jinhone kitaab padhi nahin!!!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Fwd: James Laine ke kitaab ke virudh Andolan vahi kar sakte hain jinhone kitaab padhi nahin!!!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Feroze Mithiborwala <feroze.moses777@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: James Laine ke kitaab ke virudh Andolan vahi kar sakte hain jinhone kitaab padhi nahin!!!

Dear All,

For the latest news on the Dadai Konddeo / James Laine controversy - over which our emails circles are totally silent.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/08/27/ArticleHtmls/Pune-mayor-backtracks;-Konddeo-statue-to-stay-for-27082010011002.shtml?Mode=1

Search Results

Dadoji Konddeo's statue will be shifted from Lal Mahal
Uddhav blasts Pune Mayor for assuring to remove Konddeo's statue
Shiv Sena protests shifting of Shivaji`s mentor`s statue

Now the BJP-Shiv Sena-RSS & their front organizations (with the help of Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar) have all come out to support Dadaji Konddeo - whilst the Phule-Shahu-Ambedkarite movement is challenging the religio-cultural hegemony of the Brahminists on their interpretation & imposition of history & SHIVAJI & his legacy are the contested battlefield in the terrain of the rising BAHUJAN consciousness.

Thus as previously stated, the entire controversy over the James Laine book, is one essentially, i reiterate - essentially one that of caste struggle.

regards

Feroze

On 20 July 2010 11:34, Feroze Mithiborwala <feroze.moses777@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Sanjay bhai, That is perfectly fine.

Books are banned in Democracies if they cross the line set by the norms, parameters set under the Freedom of Expression, the nrms which are again different for different nations & societies. That is again determined by the political system & social mores.

There are other far more important issues at stake out here as well.

The Right to Critique I will defend, but the Right to Insult, I will not. Arguably, the defining line is very thin indeed, agreed.

I believe that Laine has crossed that line, by the supposed 'Joke', which has been a Brahmanical verbal concoction, that never found its way into print, until the Purandare's & Bedekar's could get Laine to do their dirty little job for them.

The offensive lines on Page No. 93 in the Laine book is all that we are opposed. The rest of the book is ok, though from what I've gathered, pretty much second-rate.

On this issue, one angle is the Freedom of Expression & rightly so, but the other angle is the entire issue of Caste Struggle.

Today the likes of Baba Purandare & Ninad Bedekar stand exposed for their Brahmanical interpretation of the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj & the offensive lines on page no 93 are being traced back to them.

The major sections of Shahu-Phule-Ambedkari movement have a very different understanding on the issue & I think you should discuss the matter with them as well.

The Dalit-OBC-Maratha & Muslim organizations & political parties are now coalescing on this issue.

Leading Non-Brahmin scholars & ideologues like Retd Justice Kolse Patil, Shrimant Kokate, Bhalchandra Nemade, Purshottam Khedekar, Pravin Gaikwad amongst a host of others - all have a very different interpretation from the way you tend to view the issue.

For me both interpretation are valid as they both come from different progressive streams & schools of thought.

Regards

Feroze

On 20 July 2010 10:49, Sanjay Singhvi <xsanjayx@gmail.com> wrote:

On 19 July 2010 22:10, anand patwardhan <anandpat@gmail.com> wrote:

"...in a democracy it is unhealthy to ask for books to be banned. yesterday they asked for books by ambedkar to be banned. tomorrow it may something else. luckily at least this time the supreme court agreed with us and lifted the ban."

I have to totally agree with Anand on this. I have not yet read the book but hope to read it soon.
Sanjay.

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Feroze Mithiborwala