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