FB Discussions - Contradictions in Village Work

People talk of helping with village livlihoods. So do I. And then I wonder.

Every sustainable livlihood is there in the village, perfected thro' the generations to a fineness. The potter with his locally made, totally degradeable pots. The waver. The thatcher. The bamboo worker.
We urbans go there with plastics, and sell cheap unsutainable options, and destroy those potters and bamboo weavers. We go with schemes of cement houses for the poor and destroy their thatching. And then a few of us go again, and speak to the villager again of 'sustainable livlihoods'.
Because we cannot rein in the greed of our own community. So we go and preach to the gentlest, who have done no wrong. We, the educated community, are pests. All of us, the plastics engineer and the alternative wallah.

Shri Roy True, dear Aparna. So called educated preachers need to understand that they are the main reasons for the plight of society/ country being so.
In gratitude.

Nirmalangshu Mukherji Excellent. Survival of the species depends on exposing this contradiction.

Aparna Krishnan The unlettered unschooled majority are sane. This small over educated and over arrogant crowd - mainstream and also, sorry to say, activist - are collectively finishing the earth.

Aparna Krishnan And then all the NGOs go on about Corruption, which is violation of the legal. There is a far larger violation going on, outside the ambit of the Legal. That is convinietly pushed aunder the carper. As that cuts too close home, I'm afraid.

Nirmalangshu Mukherji Have you seen my recent paper on some related themes? In case you are unable to access this site, sending you the pdf also (check message). http://www.epw.in/.../32/perspectives/education-species.html

Aparna Krishnan Bingo. "However, indigenous knowledge systems are in radical conflict not only with global capitalism but with modern education itself,". And all 'activists' are also 'modern educated' !! God save the world from the Educated ! the Liberals !

Aparna Krishnan thanks, the link gives only the preview. Will read the pdf.

Nirmalangshu Mukherji I have a specific critique of liberal education, including Paulo Friere and the Maoists. :)

Aparna Krishnan :) send it sometime. I think i would tend to concur. This is a small writeup from my learnings and understandings from my village.

Aparna Krishnan http://paalaguttapalle.blogspot.in/.../the-fundamental...

The fundamental issue with schooling

Nirmalangshu Mukherji Thank you. The EPW article, sent the pdf, includes Friere etc.

Aparna Krishnan I think I lost many 'friends' after this. Schoolingis a holy cow for the alternative wallahs as much as for mainstream.

Aparna Krishnan This was more blasphemous to some ! http://paalaguttapalle.blogspot.in/.../literacy-other...

Aparna Krishnan Caveat - while I see the hollowness and worse of schooling, I also teach my village children, and ask them to pass. Because re-creating the vibrant village economy has not happenned, and there is no other way. But I see this as a defeated move, and certainly will not celebrate it. that celebration of Modern Educatin in village after village by NGOs and State is what appals. Both have a vested interest there, sometimes they dont even face it.

 

Nirmalangshu Mukherji Difficult choices.

Aparna Krishnan Yes, in an imperfect world, we need to make imperfect choices. Honesty demands that we face it as such, thats all.