File spoon-archives/seminar-12.archive/transl-asia_1997/seminar-12.9710, message 5


Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 22:36:56 -0800
From: Indian Progressive Study Group <ipsg-AT-maestro.com>
To: Indian Progressive Study Group <ipsg-AT-maestro.com>
Subject: 7th Annual AIPSG Conference


Status:   

                      - NEWS RELEASE -

7th ANNUAL AIPSG CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS THE LINK BETWEEN SOUTH ASIAN
IDENTITY AND SOCIAL PROGRESS IN THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH ASIA

This year's annual conference of the AIPSG, to be held in Boston on
November 15, 1997 will take place within the context of the 50th
anniversary of India's formal independence.  It also coincides with
India passing through a great political and economic crisis.  The Golden
Jubilee celebrations this year have put the international spotlight on
India and made it clear that serious problems exist there which require
bold solutions.

People from all walks of life want to see an end to the human tragedy in
India perpetuated by poverty, conflicts, and enrichment of a few at the
cost of many.  They are beginning to activise themselves to make a
contribution towards the solution of India's problems, and do not want
to remain on the sidelines as passive spectators.

For people of Indian origin living abroad in particular, it is emerging
as a matter of collective consciousness that they will not be able to
affirm their identity by remaining aloof from the developments in
India.  At the same time, their realities are very distinct from those
living in India.

The current debate on identity presents "cosmopolitan" values and
"traditional" values as the twin options available to address the
identity crisis of the youth growing up outside India.  But these
options themselves are anachronistic and contrary to the social
consciousness of the new generation which yearns to fully be a part of
its polity and retain and yet affirm its cultural and national identity.

Political rights and national rights are not the same things.  The
former pertains to equality in the polity and is opposed to any notion
of hierarchical rights or of a hyphenated-citizenry.  The latter
pertains to the rights of a collective belonging to a nation, which must
preserve and develop its national identity as an integral part of the
process of participating in the political affairs and life of any
society.  For a nationality, it can mean having the right to
self-determination, while for national minorities, it can boil down to
the preservation, development and propagation of languages and cultures,
which will assist its collective to fully participate in the polity.

This conference will, as a start, discuss the problems of the countries
of South Asia and the problems of South Asians living abroad connected
together as struggles against marginalization, which takes diverse
forms.  Everyone has a contribution to make to this discussion because
marginalization is not a local problem, or something that affects people
selectively.  We invite everyone to participate in the discussion and
contribute towards a solution to the problem.

If you would like to present a participate in the conference, or present
a paper, please contact the AIPSG as follows:

Association of Indian Progressive Study Groups
c/o IPSG - Boston, (617) 864-0579
Email: ipsg-AT-maestro.com










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