Every society has is own contradictions: Dr. Nand Kishor MS
Pune, June 25: Delivering the second lecture on “#BlackLivesMatter: 360-degree view”, Dr. Nand Kishor MS from Manipal University, said that violent incidents like this do happen because every society has its own contradictions.
This was not the only case that happened in the US. Similar cases did happen in that country and in other countries also in the past. There is an umpteen number of cases in the US and the world. He said that France today is also suffering for the deeds it did some years ago. They brought in slaves in the past and now when they are asserting them, France is facing troubles. France is also facing religious violence and terrorism, he said referring to the Charlie Hebdo attack case.
Even in India, we faced discrimination he said narrating how he faced discrimination when he was traveling in Finland on a bus. This is the normal way of things that happen in the world today, he said.
But the real problem begins when some groups or thinktanks try to equate such incidents with the happenings in other countries and parts of the world and try to draw a parallel between the two.
Dr. Kishor said that the US is not a civilizational state, it is an amalgamation of people from various parts of the world. But why nobody speaks about the violation of rights of the native people in the US? They are seen as savages and nobody has spoken in favor of the natives who were actually the owners of the land which was usurped by these immigrants.
As regards the standard of human rights or other values are concerned the US is not a model because they granted the voting rights to women only in 1920. Even Switzerland granted voting rights to fair sex members in 1927!
He said Indians new navigation and traveled to far off lands. But no text ever talks about Indians were being bullies or invaders.
When any case of violence or right violation happens in India or other parts, the US senators express them showing their concerns. Has any Indian parliamentarian written to the US authority about the atrocities against the Blacks, Dr. Kishor asked, adding that we need to understand that every society has its own contradictions and they have to deal with it.
He said that slavery existed in the world in some form or the other. Those who raise their voice are fashionable ‘Page Three’ people. We are the victims of racism that is why we are resonating with the Blacks or other such groups. Those who play politics in the name of secularism and racism are causing damage to this issue.
Some section in India has started equating this issue with castes and races in India. If we try to equate this, we would be betraying our own self. Those who write about racism in editorial columns, encourage publishing classified advertisements promoting castes. This is hypocrisy, he said.
The US Presidential elections are very close and this has brought this movement into perspective for they want to exploit this issue for political gains. But violence is the antithesis to what the movement speaks for, he added.
Exploiting such movements for political purposes will not help in finding correct solutions, he said referring to the Shahin bag movement in India. Those who started that movement must have been thrown out of the picture and movement must have been hijacked by the opportunists, he said.
We must think of different connotations of the movement. Equating such movement with the happenings in other countries may pose new problems. It should not end in hijacking by a certain section of the society and use it for their political benefits, Dr. Kishor concluded.
The passage of the minimum wage bill was responsible for giving rise to racism as companies tend to employ White people in preference over the Blacks. The Blacks were used as pawns. The middle class in the US is driving the black lives matter movement, he added.
Social capital is the vital component of culture and we have developed it. This was lost in the west. This social capital was taken away from the Blacks under the guise of social equality, he said adding that we should think of helping them restoring this social capital and sustainable long-term values that build the human personality.
Bharat is emerging power in the world and it can play a role in this, he added.
Dr. Sanjay Tambat made introductory remarks and conducted the proceedings while Avinash Mule, Director, SSF propose a vote of thanks.
Former Editor of Vivek Weekly and noted social thinker Ramesh Patange will be delivering the third and last lecture of this three-day webinar on Friday.