Foliole Friends

Fuming, steaming, stimulating. A Camaraderie Cafe

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

DEVIL IN WAITING.

"Beautiful feelings" wrote Andre Gide in an essay on Dostoevsky,"make bad art and without the devil's help there would be no art ". We are a violent race devouring our own kind ... riots, wars, murders, rapes, and the daily bloodbath that continues as routine. Even horrendous crimes get flagged as newslines only to be trashed in some dumpyard of our mind [where the most heinous remain speechless ... with the memory struggling to forget ... that violence in the name of ... love and ironically, it is home.] For Shakespeare, "Appetite" is an "universal wolf, so doubly seconded with will and power, must make...an universal prey".
Power and will get reduced to appetites which operate everywhere. It is a great fault of the younger generation who remain passive and oblivious to them. Most of the recent protests [against Fanaa, DVC ... anti-reservation ... except 'NBA'] in the counry are against things driven by a negative vision of future. Based on fear of insecurity and change, they are defensive and conveniently forget that what follows such revolts is the increasing represention instrumental in unleashing forces that would perpetrate fear in the generations to come. The home is increasingly burdened with fear, violence, and cannibalism- subtly indoctrined as 'security' and 'peaceful confinement'. This stifling conformity suffocates the local culture. "The survival of humanity" wrote Stephen Hawking will depend on its ability to find a home in new universes as the home is increasingly threatened to destruction. [Well ...we may plan a home ... say on ... MOON ... or MARS...!] Perhaps, sanity would begin with enlightened speculation and undoing thought control that defines the whole matrix of this 'fear' culture.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Stars Of A Five Star University

Child-labour has become a usual phenomenon in the university. You can easily see small hands catering to the graduate and post-graduates students at almost every eating-joint on the campus.
It is like a summer school for Mahesh, a resident of Sultanpur district in U.P. He works with ‘Mona-Refreshment’— a popular joint at student-centre and generally collects dishes which students scatter here and there. “I am in class seventh . I am working in my vacations. My parents are farmers.” He claims be 15 years old but it doesn’t look like so. He didn’t have time for further questioning and left. If we go round towards the Arts-block, many canteens are closed due to vacations but English Department’s canteen is open. Manwar-short and lean built who claims his age above 14 years, washes dishes and serves tea and other snacks here.He is a resident of Bihar and doesn't know about his education.Similar is the situation at the 'Chemistry-Canteen'.The owner replied while counting the currency,"After all we are providing them employment and food.They are above 14 years."
The other canteens have workers who also started working as child -labourers but now they are grown-ups.In the sector-14 market ,the situation is even worse. At 'University Sweets',there are three to four child-labourers.Badal serves water and Santosh Kumar other food items.A small boy was scrubbing the floor. I asked his name.He looked at me but didn't reply.Even others do not know his name.Another one was washing dishes in the kitchen,customers are not allowed there.That's why I couldn't talk to him.These children are poor,illitrate and honest.They are ready to work on low wages.That's why they are employed. Most of them are from U.P. and Bihar.They are taught to state their age above 14 years.These shops and canteens work for several hours and even on Sundays.The employment of children below 14 years in these eastablishments is a clear violation of the Child Labour(Prohibtion and Regulatoin)Act,1986.It is also morally wrong for a university which fosters such labourers and boasts of its five star status.