Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 20:25:15 -0500
From: rahul-AT-peaches.ph.utexas.edu (Rahul Mahajan)
Subject: India again


>Hi Romi,
>
>I'll make my case again, publicly - if you find people around you who say
>they are Marxists and are not interested in India, well, sigh, that's the
>"West" for you. Most people there seem to be not interested period. And not
>interesting either.
>
>There are exceptions of course, some people seem to have been made without
>the aid of too much "outside capital". Minority though.
>
>I was happy to learn you posting about India to M2, it made the list seem
>worthwhile. Go on please.
>
>As for interest, here, we are very much interested in India. Last month,
>there was an UN conference in Istanbul and my friends and I chat most with
>two groups - the Cubans, and the Indians mostly from the SEWA -
>Self-Employed Womens' Association. They have organised tens of thousands of
>women who work from their homes. It is so hard to organise such dispersed
>activity - often sewing, done for very little money. We were amazed by the
>accomplishment of the Indian comrades. It is a mobile, disturbed
>country/region. We/I get publications, news from India and are still much
>interested in the place.
>
>Anyway back to the subject- the point is this, bluntly. While I understand
>your disturbance by the lack of interest in India, think of it this way.
>What if the people you interact with were interested? You go on telling
>people about India. They listen. So?
>
>I'd humbly suggest - forget the audience. Forget the spectators. Ignore who
>listens and who doesn't. Think, instead, of what you can do for your people,
>as you seem to care, that would matter, that could make a change. Could be a
>lot of things, I'm sure. Disseminating information is probably just one.
>
>Two wonderful statements comrade Gary posted a few days ago:
>
>This one is obvious -
>
>Gary:
>>Better to light a single candle than
>>to sit and curse the darkness.
>
>This one, I can't really elucidate in a post to *this* list, but take it as
>an attempt at a hint.
>
>Gary:
>>I strongly believe in
>>the old 60 s slogan of "Don't trust anyone over 25"
>
>Zeynep


Hello Zeynep:

The first quote is fine, the second quite ridiculous.

Yes, I agree that  to tell people about India is a good thing.

I am glad that you had good conversations with people from SEWA, a group
with which I am quite familiar.  My stepmother did a lot of work with them
when she lived in Ahmedabad, India, for  a year.  Their so called leader
Elaben Bhatt is a very dynamic and progressive woman.

BTW, was the Istanbul conference a farce as most such conferences are?

My style is a bit different than Rahul's.  That is in fact an
understatement.  I just want everyone on this list to answer my question
personally --I am actually quite aware of why India has not been considered
important, but as you say, why curse the darkness.

But to say that this is the "West" and therefore... is not fair.  For even
the people who are so conscious of being from the West, as these l*st
members are, do not do their duty vis-a-vis India.

Romi




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