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| Sunday, February 15, 2004 |
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| Sunday, February 15, 2004 |
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Social Exclusion: Essays in Honour of
Dr Bindeshwar Pathak (Volume I & II)
This set of 44 essays, edited or may be compiled by A.K. Lal are in severn sections—A Sociologist and His Mission; State & Society, Exterior and Intermediate; Environment and Rural Development; Urban Development and Regional Planning; Women & Child Issues; and Social Sciences for Social Development. The contributors are recognised, famous professional academicians who have thought, analysed and sometimes taken position against discrimination, disparity and exclusion. The styles, commitments and diagnoses and treatments displayed in these essays are interesting as well as thought provoking. The sociological flavour is more dominant than the deeper intrusion into the possibilities of churning a practical manual for social reconstruction. Rajni Kothari provides excellent insight into the historical, and ideological aspects of social exclusion by emphasising upon unifying Indian model, global demands, humane government making dispensable, indispensable and assigning a role of intellectuals in producing more humane governance in a deprofessionalised cognitive role. It is a position of early 1970s relevant even today. Atal wrote on managing multiplicity a few years back and insists on understanding the insider-outsider model of society. Walter Fernadez is comical in his labelling criminal action of some in his attack on fundamentalists. Similarly, many stalwarts and distinguished scholars have contributed to these volumes without any definite programme or perception to reverse the process of social exclusion. Some of them do not visualise the importance of having a second look at the emergence of the Dalit identity as a dominant political force and the necessities underlying readjustment, reallocation and starting a campaign for social inclusion. The data as well as the typical westernised tools of analysis belie the fuller and complete understanding of situation and practices, which have deep cultural, historical, religious, economic, philosophical, psychological and political dimensions. To say the least, social change is so vital and serious a business that it cannot be left to academic sociologists alone. It has to be handled by a social visionary and practitioner of human change. The section on environment and rural development is most remarkable because of its systematic and sensitive handling as well as portrayal of success-experience stories bereft of intellectualisation. Perhaps, the section on Social Sciences for Social Development deserved larger and more detailed programme-development and action-research-oriented inputs. This tribute to a man with a practical mission remains incomplete without adding a chapter on organisation and function of the NGO—Sulabh—as a guide to those who would rather work than write. In an era of intolerance, intensification of differences and enlargement of "politically useful identities", the act of social inclusion and upgrading by Bindeshwar Pathak is rightly recognised and highlighted. The publication and editing values of the book further enhance the spotlight on an admirable attempt at social inclusion. One prays many more Brahmins join the crusade to reverse the practices of unjust exclusion, to create a positive, all-inclusive social order. |
THE festschrift in honour of Dr Bindeshwar Pathak,
the man who established Sulabh Shauchalaya Sansthan, an NGO setting a
revolution in sanitation movement in India, is the one who transformed
the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi into practice. Shorn of mere words of
idealism, he developed a system to reverse the process and practice of
exclusion to inclusion. Perhaps, Dr Pathak is the true Brahmin who
institutionalised the uplift of the work, status, life and outlook of
the Dalit—Untouchables—Shudra. In short, he gave Gandhi’s ideas a
technology-backed practical shape.
