When There Is No Getting Over That Rainbow

Day after day I must face a world of strangers
where I don't belong, I am not that strong
Its nice to know that there is someone I can turn to
who will always care, you are always there
when there is no getting over that rainbow
when my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
but I won't last a day without you
So many times when the city seems to be without a friendly face
a lonely place
Its nice to know that you will be there, if I need you
and you will always smile, its all worthwhile..........
This 1970s Carpenters number captures the bewildering urban life and its emotional ups and downs which so many of us(both young and not so young) lead. It is in this context that the Ruchika case and its aftermath sends shivers down our spines.Molestation of a young student and an aspiring tennis player, misuse of power,harassment of family and friends and the eventual suicide of Ruchika have been highlighted by the press and the media.So also the hounding which continued for 19 long years.Ms.Brinda Karat,the Rajya Sabha MP, described this aptly as the 'sickness of the system'. Not only was the young girl traumatised and isolated by the incident but the operations of the 'political state' further reinforced her feelings of debasement and isolation. How else do we look at the political and state machinery nexus which as the media points out swung in to operation for these many years? India inherited the structures of its state system from the British colonial times. As an eminent writer and thinker of the 19th century, Frederick Engels,has pointed out that the British system had drawn up its legal institutions 'almost exactly in the the same terms as in the (absoloutist) Prussia'. Framing of cases against Ruchika's brother,his torture and then concomitant harassment of her friends and their isolation reflects methods of operation reminiscent of these practices under British imperialism. The British political state, as Engels points out had perfected the methods of 'debasement through isolation' and 'debasement through association'(which he also found in reports on Australia) both designed to'ruin systematically and consistently the victims of the state and law physically, intellectually and morally and to reduce them to below the level of beasts.' Today this works through what the Slovenian thinker Zizek calls the technological totalitarianism of 'emotional democracy' Witness how Chautala in a media interview almost labelled Ruchika's family cowards-'dubak ke baith gaye'( they are cowering like weak animals in a corner) thus appealing to the macho emotionalism which he presumed would isolate her 'cowering' family and friends. They have infact taken up the cudgels with the help of a fledgling but determined civil society movement. We in the IGNOU SFC and PG have taken up the issues of our study processes and life processes getting caught up in the machinations of the political state both here as well as in supporting Indian students in Australia. We need to concomitantly exercise this vigil. Otherwise there will be 'no getting over that rainbow.' (SFC, PG IGNOU with the help of Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Clouds Coming From the South

Friends, We are posting an account of travel to the Yunan province of China by one of our friends from IGNOU. Mr. Vats went to China from IGNOU about seven years back. Since then he has taught at the Beijing university and not only learnt the Chinese language but also is now engaged in translating Chinese literature. In the process he has made many friends and was even nominated for an award for promoting India-China friendship. Currently he works at the China radio international. He has travelled extensively in China, keenly studying the issues of development and the questions of harmony in the Chinese experiment.As you know, recently the ethnic riots in Xinjiang province recently placed these issues centre stage in the context of China. There have been analyses pointing out departures from Mao Zedong's approach towards minority- majority communities' relationships in the current day China.Mr. Vats has decided to study the situation himself. His account of travels in Yunan(which in Chinese he tells us means 'clouds coming from the south') is at the moment a page from his diary. He is open to your comments.You can write to him directly at c/o Mr. Rakesh Vats, China Radio International (we will subsequently post his email address)or you can query him through this blog.It is perhaps these issues of harmony and development which have enhanced interest in Asian studies and China in universities such as the Australian National University, as reported by the ABC news on 8th Jan. 2009.This news report also suggested that one of the factors in this interest is the dream of the Australian PM, Kevin Rudd (who speaks the Chinese language fluently), that Australian children will learn Chinese to reach out to the region.Mr. Kevin Rudd, who was in India recently in the context of race attacks on the Indian students in Australia could perhaps also include these Indian students in such dreams of multiculturalism. "Development in the border areas of Yunnan in China
Run up to the much awaited celebration of 60th anniversary of People’s Republic of china on October 1st ; CRI gave us an opportunity to travel to the vast border areas of south western part of Yunnan province inhabited mostly by minorities of china. The purpose of the travel was to observe and see the development taken place in the last thirty years after china implemented reforms and open policies in those far flung areas that usually don’t shine in the cities neon lights. We were flown from Beijing to Kunming the capital of Yunnan province from where we had to start our journey of two weeks mostly by bus. Yunnan province is the sixth largest province of china and home to two third of 56 minorities, half of the total plants and animals found in china. If someone travels to Kunming and want to see the cultural varieties of these minorities, one can visit minority’s village in the city which showcase the cultural diversity of almost all the minorities in one place. On 12th August early morning we started our journey by bus and our destination was 700 km far away in the mountainous region a small town Manshi which is a town under the jurisdiction of Luxi,which is the capital of the Deihong Dai & Jingpo nationalities autonomous Prefecture. I was very apprehensive before the travel and was sure to get all the joints of the body loosen by the end of day’s journey in the mountainous region. My experience of traveling in the hometown mountains in Himachal Pradesh, India was an indication of the trouble ahead. As our bus journey progressed I was utterly surprised to witness the wide four lane road in the lap of the serpent shaped mountain track, and the minimum speed of the vehicle is prescribed 60 to 80 km for heavy vehicle and 100 km for smaller one. By cutting open the hearts of mountains, by erecting tall pillars, by cementing and iron netting the slope of the mountains, hundreds of tunnels as small as 50 meter and as long as 3900 meters, a wondrous straight highway has been made till Manshi. If you drive on this road and in case your car’s breakdown, there is a safety net on this mountainous highway, after every ten twenty kilometers there is a bifurcated safety road peace going up and been filled with sand and rubber tier wall, it can save the life in the emergent situation. And there were also signs on the road of the length of the descent and ascend lying ahead, and numerous water stations on the way.
It’s not only the highway and vehicles whose speed was a matter of surprise, but the overall development of the region which lay both sides of the road was an eye opener. Village by village we witnessed the progress of rural areas of minorities in the mountains. Even traveling in the bus and seeing from the window, we could clearly recognize which minority village we are passing by. The well built houses of the villages clearly have some symbol painted on the walls of each and every house which indicate their identity.
Next four days we spent in the border towns of Manshi, Baoshan ,Ruil, Wanding, talking with the officials, meeting local peoples, criss-cross the border market and enjoying the local feast in the minorities villages. In Manshi,we found the language, the costumes and the customs are more like those in Burma, Laos and Thailand. Even the sign board in the market, road sides are mostly in three languages, Chinese, Burmese and Thai. After reforms and opening up these areas have witnessed an unprecedented growth in the border trade which has benefited people’s income and their life. Most of the minority’s villages in this region enjoy all the facilities accorded by the central government’s policies for minorities, school with in radius of four kilometer for every village, electricity, health care center, nine years compulsory education, tax rebate and insurance for the farmers. Normally where a couple can have only one child as a rule in China, minorities can have more then one. To protect their languages, and to curb drop out rate in the schools, the teachers are appointed after giving them training from their own communities so that the children can get basic education in their mother tongue. When you pass through the city, you tend to forget that you are walking through the streets of a small border town, the streets are as wide as in Beijing and all the facilities of modern city town can be seen here. ATM, Carrie four, KTV, net bar and high rise buildings. Ruili also has the largest jewelry market of china, mostly jade articles and jewelry is being traded here.
Our next destination was Tengchong County which lies at the western foot of Gaolinggong Mountains, in the western part of Yunnan province. Bordering on keqinbang of Burma on the west with a boundary of 148.7 kilometers. The population here consists of more than 10 ethnic groups, such as Hans,Dais,Bais,Huis,Lisus,Achangs and others, each with their own rich and colorful culture and traditions. Tengchong is a famous historical and culture town, known as “The hometown of Overseas Chinese”. It is situated in a border area and is a town of strategic importance. During the anti-Japanese war Tengchong was a main battle field in the western part of Yunnan Today It has seen much development, thanks to the bubbling border trade and it has emerged as a famous tourist attraction for scientists, and inland Chinese travelers for “Geological Museum”,” Natural Botanical Garden” and” a “Natural Museum”. Anti-Japanese war memorial is a new edition in the city’s tourist spots which attracts nearly a 1000 visitor everyday.
Our first leg of travel was coming to an end and we traveled back from Tengchong to Kunming, a day’s journey again by bus. In the last six days we had seen many new places, unknown to us before and our purpose was to know first hand how far these places have benefited with the reforms and open policies of the Chinese government of the last thirty years. And how much impact these policies have made on the life of so called ‘Aam Admi’ (common man) .Is he getting ‘Roti,Kapra aur Makan’ and other facilities, such as electricity, clean water, roads, schools ,hospitals and social security? How can we do that? To know about all this firstly we need to talk to those, who have power and responsibility to provide all these things, and we did talk to those people, although we also know its not sufficient but the fact remain that a society which has zero tolerance for corruption, government officials tried to do their job with a sense of responsibility, honesty, hard work and with utmost transparency provided us all the figures and information we needed. .secondly, we should look around with open eyes and ears and try to see those forms of development which don’t require any discussion or figures and information. They speak for themselves, such as basic infrastructure in the city, roads, transport, market,etc.We can clearly have an idea after seeing this if the society is moving ahead or not. Third, we need to talk to those who are the recipient of all this development. We tried to use all these three methods to see how much developed has taken place in these areas. I met with a 14 year old girl of Jingpho minority in her village named Lucy and she for me represents the new face of upcoming generation of these minorities. She likes English, can use Internet and after graduation she want to work in a media. The new generation of minorities in this region has got a chance to dream and to fulfill it also." (Pages from Mr. Vats's diary.We are grateful for sharing his thoughts with us.).(SFC, PG with the help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Matthew)

At Cooper Street

The reported racial attack on a Sikh youth at Cooper Street in Melbourne last Sunday again shows that the problem has not yet gone away. However, one positive point was that there was an attempt to prevent the attack by the companions of the attacking youth and also by the bus driver and a passenger at the bus station where the attack took place. We have in the past also drawn attention to this positive aspect of the Australian society. This indeed is an indication that getting out of what the French thinker Paul Virilio called the 'social swamp' is actually possible. This 'social swamp' is a result of individuals cooped up in their 'own black holes' and complementing the micro- fascism of local gangs who dictate local laws and local conditions of living, interacting and thinking in the modern(hyper modern) urban settings. This 'social swamp' according to him actually completes the 'obvious and super organised society' of the western world in the current times. This technologically super organised society he points out is driven by the relentless logic of speed which plays a crucial part in the militarization of urban space and the transformation of social, political and cultural life. Indeed history itself makes 'progress at the speed of its weapons system' It is here that Virilio tries to rescue a sense of history in his critique of the famous cyber Australian artists such as Stelarc. This critique by the humanist Virilio is to prevent situations where political power aided by technoscience turns against its own people. This happened, for example, recently in September 2009 when the military ruler of Guinea in Africa turned the guns at his own people who were holding a protest rally. Hundreds were killed and injured. Really a tragic consequence of attempts to control the mind and body. In India we need to be careful of the ' black hole' phenomenon as evidenced in the bizarre case of the murder committed by the 'brilliant' Phd student of IIT which was reported yesterday. At the same time the attempts to dictate what and how people should think in the wake of the condemnable Maoist violence can only throw us in to a 'social swamp'.(SFC, PG with the help of Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Wake Up Sid

In yet another race attack, an Indian student was hit and robbed in North - West Melbourne in Australia on the 29th of September, reports of which are still coming in. We have been commenting on and actively mobilising opinion on the safety of the Indian students in Australia.Clearly more needs to be done both in India and Australia. However, equally shocking are the reports coming from Mumbai where a leading film maker was made to apologise for his characters using the name Bombay instead of Mumbai for the city in the film 'Wake Up Sid'. Incidents of this kind hardly project the right impression of India and the Indians in an interconnected world.Needless to say such incidents would not help campaigns for the welfare and security of students and other sections of society studying, travelling and living in various destinations across the globe.Within India this kind of identity politics immensely sets back our social, educational and democratic processes.

This kind of identity politics has arisen within the context of the advanced industrial world with which we are supposed to be integrating. We must remember that even within that world this identity politics is a problem area creating enormous difficulties for everyday life of the common people.It has led to riots and frictions in France, U.S. , U.K. and other countries. In Australia it had led to movements such as 'Australian Universities for Australians'. The dynamics of these politics differ from country to country. However in the context of the post- industrial society they seem to be marked by what a leading American author called the union of 'total commercialisation and politics'.This leads to 'one of the many ways' in which discourse and communication becomes immune to artistic and creative expression. The notions of Maharashtrians, Indians or Australians etc. are fixed as some kind of constructs in this discourse and are sought to be imposed. All development of meanings or history is cut off in this way. Human beings in this situation are reduced to these constructs and are vulnerable to the stereotypes generated by them. The 'north Indian outsider' or the 'pesky Indian student' are some of the stereotypes. The defining feature of the post industrial society is the dominance of technology. It is this dominance which identity politics uses to create a closed universe in which fixed meanings and constructs have to be accepted and internalised by individuals in order to survive. In other words multiculturalism is out and the individual is expected to associate with a fixated structure of institutions, attitudes, aspirations and he/she is expected to react in fixated,specific manner.Thus, one of the Bollywood filmstars actually said that her respect for Karan Johar went up because he apologised to Raj Thackeray.It is this internalisation of repressive and fixed constructs which marks the identity politics of the post industrial society.This could be even reflected in undemocratic state systems of the post industrial world which thrive on identity politics. The language of interaction which comes up here, is that of what the famous French linguist and semiotician Roland Barthes called 'intimidation and glorification' It is thus through the intimidatory tactics of Raj Thackeray the glorification of the Marathi 'manoos'(man) is achieved. Likewise glorification of such fixed identity constructs are achieved elsewhere in the world. This creates a hypnotic reality (as Barthes points out) and it is to this reality that we along with Sid actually need to wake up to.(SFC and PG of IGNOU with the help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew).

Descent In To Hell

The recent physical attack on a cab driver of Indian origin by the rising Australian sports star, Michael Hurley, in Melbourne, is quite disturbing. At a time when the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby is on a confidence building tour of India(after the racial attacks on the Indian students there), this incident could not have been more badly timed. The dispute was over the cab fare to be paid. It was then that the drunk Hurley punched and kicked the cab driver in the loins.
"Melbourne is a big city and this happens" said Brumby while reacting to the incident. Acts of similar kind in France, the U.S.and elsewhere tend to get explained away as urban crime and misdemeanour. While we leave it to the experts to debate the complex nature of today's urbanization, we do need to take in to account the increasing number of incidents of such 'crime' which are taking place in the Indian cities as well as cities abroad.What seems to be shaping the attitudes as the recent media reports suggest, is what 19th century writers called the 'Mammon Gospel'. Witness the recent furore over austerity drives etc. in India for example.
Perhaps here we could turn to the eminent English educationist, historian and writer of the 19th century, Thomas Carlyle, for some insight.(He had also visited and travelled in Australia). Carlyle's book 'Past and Present', published in 1843, was an attempt to understand the early modern society in England. It "is the only one which strikes a human chord,presents human relations and shows traces of a human point of view" said one progressive commentator of the time. Though Carlyle in his later works was to move away from his 'forward looking' views and was even accused of racism, his comments on the Mammon Gospel are instructive.He was to argue that the 19th century England had acquired an 'unchristian' new hell.The hell of modern England is the consciousness of "not succeeding, of not making money" To quote him:
"True we with our Mammon Gospel have come to strange conclusions.We call it Society;and go about professing openly the total separation, isolation.Our life is not a mutual helpfulness; but rather, cloaked under due laws-of-war,named 'competition' and so forth,it is a mutual hostility.We have profoundly forgotten that Cash payment is not the sole relation of human beings.'
Perhaps we need to address these 'strange conclusions' as they keep cropping up in the reactions to the various incidents, Australian and others.(SFC, PG with the help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew).

In the Cattle Class Now?

The recent racial attacks on three Indians in Melbourne by a mob of eighty again highlights the fact that the problem has not gone away.The repeated assaults indicate a mindset which refuses to see a human being as a human being.We have pointed out before that the problem is systemic. Clearly in this system the human body is being treated as a means to accomplish a racist end. Otherwise how do you explain this brutal physical assault degrading human beings?
At our end, in India, it could have been a matter of battling attitudes which lead up to the racial tensions.This is however not helped by the unseemly controversy in which our MOS for external affairs has got caught up in. Calling a large section of society 'cattle class' is hardly the way to build the right national and international attitudes.Being a former contender of the top United Nations job, he should have known that the majority of the nations in the U.N. are those who have fought these 'cattle class' attitudes to emerge out of war and colonialism and in to freedom. These 'cattle class' attitudes led to the racial segregation and the 'koi hai' culture of the British in India in the 19th century.This 'cattle class' culture also keeps a vast number of people today under 'techno-political' subjugation.Inherent in these 'cattle class' classifications are the attitudes of patriarchy, communalism and disdain for human life.In the last twenty odd years of India integrating with a globalized world, these were the issues to have been tackled by us. In tackling these we could have moved towards the right attitudes for tackling issues such as racism which seem to be emerging in Australia and as well as in the issue of health care reform in the U.S or attacks upon Muslims in Germany.
This is not to run down Mr. Tharoor whom we respect as a writer and a gentleman. However, his comments have given us an occasion to reflect upon the enormity of tasks ahead of us at a time when study processes have got caught up in racial and political tensions.Here we must stress to him that it is this historical and juridical positing of man to the animal nature by the German jurist, Gustav Hugo(1764-1844) which was criticised by a famous radical thinker in the 19th century as the German theory of the French ancien regime.The only conclusion which stems from this, as this radical points out, is "the right of arbitrary power". This ofcourse we must oppose.(SFC and PG IGNOU with Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

ALMORA SFC PG

As per the requirements of our experiment we are in the process of inviting volunteers for a remote area Student Faculty Cell and Peer Group at the Almora study centre under the Dehradun regional centre. Last weekend we visited the Almora study centre and met the coordinator Mr. Durgesh Pant. He has enthusiastically assured us his cooperation and help. Almora is a part of the famous Kumaon hills and our students there live in the scattered towns and hamlets characteristic of a hill region. In many places both road and telephone connectivity is difficult. Hence the students have difficulties in getting study materials etc. and in communicating with the study centre. The coordinator told us that as a result the attendance at counselling sessions is low. We hope that our study groups will be able to help out. We will also be watching with interest the progress made by the students of one of our peer group members who will be studying the development activities in this area.These students will be staying with families in remote villages like Dulum. They are expected to live like family members, help out the families with different chores and also carry out their studies. These students belong to different parts of India and in a sense in living with families of different communities of this region will experiment with multiculturalism.We can draw appropriate lessons from their experiences in their study process in this region for our study groups.For those of you who have been following the comments on the Australian incidents on this blog it may be of interest that one of the earliest Australian writers John Lang is almost regarded as a folk hero in this region(He had stayed here). He wrote with equal sensitivity about the Tasmanian and Kumaon-Garhwal landscapes and had taken up cudgels for Rani Laxmi Bai (of the first war of Indian independence fame ) against the annexationist designs of the East India Company during the British rule in India.
Those of you interested in coming forward may please contact Mr. Durgesh Pant:(M)09412375384. email:durgesh_pant@yahoo.com. Messages can be left with two counsellors suggested by Mr. Pant; Dr. M.M. Joshi:9690676632.Dr. Bheema Manral:9412514596.(Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Welcome

We the Student Faculty Cell and the Peer Group members extend a warm welcome to Hon.Julia Gillard MP and Deputy PM of Australia on her visit to India. Her visit is significant at a time when both the people and the governments of India and Australia are moving towards resolving the tensions caused by a spate of racial incidents in which a number of Indian students were attacked in Australia. Her positive interactions with the students of the LSR of Delhi University have sent the right signals to the student community and the country at large. We have also given our representation when she visited IGNOU today on the 1st september2009 for a university ceremony. Following is the text of the pamphlet:
"STUDENT FACULTY CELLS AND THE PEER GROUPS OF IGNOU
SUB: TREATMENT OF INDIAN STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIAHON. Ms. Gillard, MP and the Deputy PM of Australia,
We express our greatest concern regarding the recent reports of racial attacks on the Indian students in Australia. We have been expressing our concern by appealing both to the Australian public opinion through our blog http://www.expressionssfcpg.blogspot.com/ and to the MPs and political parties in Australia who have been taking up the battle against racism and for multiculturalism. We have also appealed to the Indian students in Australia and India to approach the issue through upholding multiculturalism. In this context we welcome your visit to strengthen India-Australia ties and your assurances for the safety and wellbeing of the Indian and the international students. The backdrop of the recent visit of the Indian Foreign Minister to your country, where we believe this issue was taken up in right earnest, underscores the importance both governments have attached to countering the ugly issue of racism in the modern world. However we believe that more needs to be done to counter racism by addressing systemic factors which give rise to it. Meanwhile steps towards genuine multiculturalism taken by the governments and the peoples of India and Australia will, we hope, counter this menace. We appeal to you and your government to maintain a constant vigilance in this regard.
THANK YOU AND A VERY WARM WELCOME TO INDIA "
(SFC and PG members with the help of Mr.Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Lessons From The Flying Club Get Together

We the SFC and the Peer Group members take satisfaction from the free and frank exchange of views which took place on the subject of formation of study groups at the Flying Club study centre on the 26th July 2009. .We have noted the several suggestions made by the students including the formation of a website to display counselling schedules and other matters. In the process of organising the get together we met a large number of students at the study centre. We also talked on phone, corresponded through email,SMS and ordinary post to exchange views on formation of study groups and also on the student problems in Australia(which we have been discussing on the blog). In this way we were able to interract with majority of the active students of the 700 strong study centre.
It is correct that the expected number of students did not turn up on that day.But the positive side was the free and frank exchange of views on that day. Several students who were nervous about interracting got a chance to speak and socialise.Some of the parents who had come also expressed happiness that such opportunities for interraction existed. IGNOU students tend to miss out on these aspects of university life which the students of other universities tend to take for granted. Matters have not been helped by a market driven logic employed by the university where students are clients/customers and the university is a firm supplying materials etc. to the students. The student here becomes a customer looking for goods on the shelf rather than an active participant in the corporate life of the university.
Moreover we were not mobilising for a student demonstration.The purpose of the Student Faculty Cell and Peer Group is to enable students to solve their study related problems at their own pace and voluntarily with the senior students or ex students who in turn join this group voluntarily.(This indeed is the concept in UKOU).We want the students to work on this with the Peer Group at a time and place of their mutual convenience. The taking forward of the study processes is basic to this.You can at your pace of study avail the option of going to the peer group members to sort out your problems relating to studying, study materials etc.You can do it individually or in a group.This is merely a facilitative mechanism.
Too often we get caught in the logic of 'political' or 'political state' in evaluating and setting forth our study processes.This perhaps comes from the perspectives of 'Open University' as a political institution; a point emphasised, argued and taken up by several authors in the recent issues of UKOU's journal of 'Open Learning'.In these perspectives the civil society and the political state are confused.As a result the open universities have become entangled in a 'bureaucratic mindset. 'While we do not discount the importance of a healthy and facilitative educational bureaucracy, we definitely need to tackle the unresponsive situations the IGNOU students get caught up in.Everytime we go to a study centre we encounter student helplessness in the questions of getting study materials, assignments, grades not being entered on their cards etc.
It is here that we need to point out that our concepts facilitating study processes are not just a 'particularisation of the political state'(to paraphrase a well known 19th century thinker) and need to be demonstrated as such.It is in this demarcation that we will be able to tackle the 'political' and 'civil society' aspects which building up of study processes encounter.It is perhaps only in building up these study processes that we will be able to sort out the (19th century debate) whether it is with the notion of equation of 'political state' with 'civil society' which suspends the 'political' in the air or whether these differences of political and civil society exist historically and the political life is life in the airy regions-the ethereal regions of the civil society.Either way the university of the air and we have a task ahead.(SFC and PG Flying Club with the help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Dear Friends,

The students appeared for the exams (Dec 2008) are still waiting to get the assignments grades. we all received the grade card without the assignment grades, so the result is NOT COMPLETED the course. I went personally to the Regional Centre in May 2009 to see the staff who is handling the assingment grades and requested them about the situation of Delhi Flying Students and she has promised me to update the website within a week time . They showed me the file from the Delhi Flying Club which shows the assignment grades. Unfortunately the website is showing the same old grade card of all of us.

Dolly Maam, Ajay Sir, could you please do something to solve our problem. Thanks,

Beena Nandakumar

Australian Lessons

We the Student-Faculty Cell and the Peer Group members of the Indira Gandhi National Open University welcome the statement of the Australian PM Kevin Rudd that he will do all he can to prevent hate attacks and that even a single racist attack is 'unacceptable'. This statement comes after another Indian student and an Indian taxi driver were attacked in Melbourne.The Indian government too has responded well by suggesting a facilitative mechanism for students seeking work in Australia to help in carrying on their studies.Meanwhile welcome confidence building measures are being taken by the students such as harmony walks and even a Victoria police and Indian students cricket match. As we have been pointing out the spaces for building racial harmony are there and student bodies like FISA should move to consolidate them.Our concern by doing all this is to advance the process of studying in Australia. It is indeed ironical in this context that the student, Mr.MKA Khan, who was racially assaulted in Melbourne was in the process of studying hospitality management.Is it that the process of studying and teaching-learning is not getting its due weightage in the current context? Is this a result of racial or other kinds of narrow stereotyping which is hampering the educational process?Here we could well draw a lesson from Australia's past where the the narrow minded proponent of political economy, E.G. Wakefield ,was astonished to find that in Australia in the 19th century bourgeois socio-economic relations were in the process of becoming and were 'neither present by nature nor are they things'-a common presupposition in the already industrialised countries in the 19th century. Ofcourse we will not follow the disastorous path of imperial economics he imposed on Australia. But we could very well draw upon the lessons of socio-economic 'becoming' as a part of our studying process.A cooperative emphasis on the processes of studying to overcome our individual limitations on our own could help in building a study process.This approach could also help in participating in the broader multicultural processes of which both students in India and Australia could become a part. Afterall multicultural processes too are processes of becoming. In the current contexts in Australia and India this is often overlooked and it is often assumed that socio-economic relations are either present by nature or they are things.Thereby a whole range of educational options are missed. (SFC and Peer Group members of IGNOU with the help of Mr.Ajay Mahurkar and Dr.Dolly Mathew)

Further Lessons From Australia

We the Student- Faculty Cell (SFC) and the Peer Group members of the Indira Gandhi National Open University congratulate the large number of people who turned out in thousands to campaign for an effective environmental policy for Australia in different Australian cities.These included people of diverse nationalities and ethnic groups.The attempt was to create an alliance of students, members of trade unions, members of different religious groups and environment campaigners who could strongly counter" the fossil fuel industry that currently has such a strong grip on climate policy in Australia". Multiculturalism thus acquired an environmental dimension.It is the greed of the fossil fuel industry which in the past and in the present has been held responsible for the threat of droughts, global warming and the threats to the survival of the coastal communities in Australia.This they do by opposing cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.This rally accused the current PM of Australia of surrendering to this lobby and showed a white flag.Now corporate greed backed by the state have been held responsible for the rise of fascism and racism in various historical contexts such as Germany in 1930s. It is in this context that the alliance of multiculturalism and environment is such a positive contribution of the 'emergency rallies ' today in Australia.If the struggle for survival against racism is to succeed in Australia the FISA must take a stand on the environmental issues and educate the Indian students on its links to their struggle to study in Australia.We in IGNOU too should draw appropriate lessons on this issue. (SFC and Peer Group members of IGNOU with the help 0f Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

The Way Forward

We the SFC(Student-Faculty Cell ) and the Peer Group of Indira Gandhi National Open University condemn the violent path taken by some Indians to counter racial abuse in Australia. We refer to the stabbing incident highlighted by the media today. While we support all the peaceful means to establish racial harmony, we totally deplore the way today's incidence was caught up in the cycle of violence we have been witnessing in Australia.By being caught up in these revenge attacks the very purpose of students being in Australia will be defeated. That purpose we have stressed is to continue to study in Australia by creating a racially harmonious atmosphere or by contributing to the goals of multiculturalism of that country and its people.This also builds up the confidence of people back home in India.The racist groups all over the world operate by spreading fear , terror ,vengeance and violence. To fall in to that trap by indulging in violence is to defeat the very purpose we are trying to achieve-that is to build a conducive study atmosphere.The students of IGNOU should take particular note of this lesson we are drawing from the Australian incidents.(The members of the SFC and the Peer Group,IGNOU, with the help of Ajay Mahurkar and Dr.Dolly Mathew)

Defend The Students

We the Student Faculty Cell and Peer Group members of IGNOU view the attempts to denigrate the student community in the wake of racist attacks in Australia on the Indian students with extreme concern. We have condemned the racist attacks in an email to the FISA(Federation of Indian Students of Australia) and expressed our support for its attempts towards racial harmony.In this context it must be noted that students of diverse ethnic groups including the Australian students joined together to promote racial harmony with the Indian students.This is the right approach towards building a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere for continuing to study in Australia or anywhere in the world. The attempts by the Australian media to isolate the Indian students from this atmosphere by labelling them as 'smelly' or 'pesky'or by pointing to the limitations of language skills etc. only feeds in to the racial stereotyping which has contributed to the present violence. Students and learners everywhere( including IGNOU) study to overcome their limitations and if these limitations are racially or otherwise put in to a stereotypical mould then the entire process of teaching learning becomes counterproductive. We urge upon the Australian government and people to demonstrate the genuineness of the multicultural ethos which they put forward in their tourism advertisements.This will enable the students to study and work their way through their study programmes in Australia.Their families too will feel more secure back home.We in India and IGNOU too need to draw appropriate lessons from these horrifying episodes in Australia.The need to build a genuine teaching learning process free from prejudice is evermore the need of the hour.In IGNOU we will take this up in our meetings of the student faculty cells and the peer groups.We need more people like Mr.Amitabh Bacchan to stand up to this lawless counter world of prejudice both amongst the students and the wider fraternity.(Members of the Student Faculty Cells and Peer Groups of theFlying Club Study Centre and the Guru Dronacharya College Study Centre of IGNOU,India with the help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Students Against Racist Attacks/Kudos To Amitabh Bacchan

We the peer group and the student faculty cell members of the IGNOU Flying Club and Guru Dronacharya study centres view with extreme concern and dismay the recent racist attacks on the Indian students in Australia. This violence is extremely counter productive for the serious study atmosphere we are trying to build. Racist attacks on students as they happened in Mumbai or anywhere in the country or abroad as in the UK or the US only tend to build a world of lawlessness which negates the constructive and peaceful world which students want to move towards.In this context we appreciate the stand of Mr. Amitabh Bacchan the famous Indian actor in refusing the honorary doctorate being conferred on him by an Australian university. Universities anywhere in the world have a major responsibility in countering racism.Mr. Bacchan's gesture is a step in the right direction for us students.We also hope given the fame and popularity of Mr.Bacchan the message goes to the right quarters.We urge upon him to continue to take such stances consistently. ( From the members of the SFC and Peer Group with the help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

Student Faculty Cell, Guru Dronacharya College, Gurgaon

Dear friends,
We are Ajay Gupta and Arun Varshney members of the student faculty cell,IGNOU Study Center at Guru Dronacharya College Gurgaon. We welcome you to the Student blog for our study center.We will take up problems of the students like non receipt of the study material,putting of grades on marksheet,counselling sessions problems etc.We are here to help you to resolve the problems. Our names and Telephone nos. are as below:
1.Ajay Kumar Gupta: 9899651241
2. Pinky Verma:9812685820
3.Satish Kumar:9015343836
4.Arun Kumar Varshney:9910631585
5.Deepashree N.S.:9899693529
6.Dr. Shashibhan:9999331033
7.Dr. Singla:9211309998
These numbers are for your help only. Please contact us whenever you face a problem.To further consolidate your study group we will be shortly posting the names of the peer group.
Thanking you ArunVarshney and Ajay Gupta with the advice and help of Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew of SOSS, IGNOU

LIST OF SFC AND PEER GROUP AT FLYING CLUB

Dear Friends,
Posting the list of the members of the peer group and the SFC members. They are all volunteers and will help you during the course of study at your study centre.

(Ajay Mahurkar & Dr. Dolly Mathew)

S.NO. NAME TELEPHONE NO. SPECIALISATION
1. Manisha Verma 9811644335
2. Rohit Ladsaria 9899363834
3. Sidharth Sandurea 9810746940
4. Pratibha Jha 9868733072
5. Jasmeet Kaur Bhasin 24626628
6. Bijo 9868603112
7. Navkiran 9350005110
8. J.S. Rana 25552530 (R) jagatsinghrana@yahoo.co.in
9. Beena 9899394081 nabinair@yahoo.com
10. Shilpa Sawant 9971110992 sawantshilp@gmail.com
11. Karuna 65862831
12. Reetu Sogani 9811222495
13. Prof. Ajay Dandekar 09904311995
14. Anjaneyulu 9868675119
15. Kapil Madan 9910447862
16. Rajesh 9891098090
17. Ms. Remya Francis 9990116330
18. Ms. Geeta 9212173041
19. Manzaruzzama 9910130424
20. M. Kiran 9911222086
21. Shikha Babbar 9810501439

Student Faculty Cell

1. Prof. A.C. Sharma 26266814 (R )
2. Prof. R.K. Gupta 9868865311
3. Mr. Jagat Singh Rana 25552530 (R)
4. Ms. Beena Nandkumar 9899394081 nabinair@yahoo.com
5. Ms. Shilpa Savant 9971110992
6. Ms. Remya Francis 9990116330 remyafrancis@gmail.com
7. Ms. Geeta 9212173041

Welcome

Dear Friends of the SFC and PG,
Welcome to your own blog. I am Ajay Mahurkar and along with Dr. Dolly Matthews am experimenting with the concepts of SFC and PG at your study centre.This experiment has been proposed in a call for a white paper on student support by the School Of Social Science School Council at IGNOU. We welcome you to the experiment. We will be coming and meeting you and explaining in detail how we could together make this work. Meanwhile we invite your suggestions on 1.How to resolve problems facing you as an enrolled student of IGNOU.2.Your own role in how to go for the resolution of your problems.3. Do you see yourself as individually doing this or with you friends and colleagues at the study centre.Post your responses on the blog in the comments section below.Thank You and best of luck. : Ajay Mahurkar, SOSS, IGNOU.