rescuing things

[Anil Gupta]

Indian governmnet has extractive policies such as in Ethnobotany research.
iN THSI OPROGRAM TRIBAL AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE IS COLLeCTED BUT
ARCHIVED IN FORMAL SCIENTIfIC INStITUTES AND NOT MADE AVAILBLE TO LOCAL
COMMUNITIES ON CASSETS ( ORAL HIStory) or in print form

we know that literacy levels and drop out rates are highest in regions with
highest diversity ( cultural as well as biological).

I do feel that we need to have a comprehensive initiative in Voluntary
sector in which local art, literature and folk history etc., are recorded
and mae avaoilbale to local communities to foster lateral learning as well
as for future geenrations.

To me any research which is not fed back to those who provided data in
their language is unethical. At least that is my position and I do not want
to pass judjments on nay body else's morals.

We shoudl not look up to governmnets. Literature will survive not just by
Indology insitutes but by keeping it alive as a subject of discourse.
----------
all the best



> From: Bijoy Misra <bmisra at FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
> To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
> Subject: Re: rescuing things
> Date: Sunday, December 07, 1997 07:15
>
> We need to make a whole team of people in India to locate
> scripts and help microfilm/digitize.  Any idea on what the
> government's interest has been on preservation?
> Facilities?
>
> Kindly advise.
>
> Bijoy Misra
>
>
> On Sat, 6 Dec 1997, Anil Gupta wrote:
>
> > I am not an indologist nor am I a scholar in sanskrit. But I do have
> > interest in culture and its conections with systems of thought.
> >
> > I do feel that stemming erosion of knowledge is un urgent task. Thsu
not
> > just written material but also oral material. I also realise that soem
of
> > teh inetrnational scholars are more serious and systematic in doing
this
> > just as many Indian scholars do this very carefully.
> >
> > The point Bijoy made was simple. Unless local community of scholars and
> > students can access  teh so conserevd knowledge, it will only increase
the
> > assymetry in knowledge and power to use it for different purposes.
> > Obviously no body is arguing here that outsdiers in nay society can be
more
> > concerned about how that society should progress, move forward and
engage
> > in discourse on nay subject. But, I will also not argue that my stake
in my
> > society stem merely because I am born here. There are any number of
Indians
> > who are unfair, unjust and unethical as far as knowledge prodcution and
> > reprodcution is concrend. It took me long time ( 15 years) to discover
in
> > 1986 that much of my work was published in English langauge which most
> > peopel whose knowledeg I wrote about did not understand aND THUS coudl
not
> > critique.
> > That is how metaphor of Hoeny bee was discovered and network on local
> > langauge comunication of local innovations was started in 1988-89. (
> > http://csf.colorado.edu/sristi/)
> >
> > I think rescuing, restoring, rehabilitation and reconstruction are al
> > required. Who does it how and when and for how long and with whom in
mind
> > will determine who benefits from it.
> >
> >
> > I think it was agood discussion, notwithstanding teh anger and
impatience
> > shown by a few
> >
> >
> > anil
> >