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Categorized research-works of Debaprasad-29
ENVIRONMENTALISM:
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
(ECO-ECONOMICS OR GEO-SOCIOLOGY?)
DEBAPRASAD BANDYOPADHYAY
LA FILOLÓGICA POR LA CAUSA
Abstract
The following papers, mainly written in Bangla, concentrate on the roles of social
science and humanities in the domain of specialized environmental science. If the
disasters caused by climate change are believed to be inevitable fact, as predicted
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by some of the scientists, what shall be done by the social “engineers” (!)? Is it not
the moral responsibility of the organic intellectuals, barring technical intelligentsia,
to leave their mechanical reproduction of cultural capital and join their hands to
reduce the poisonous effects of contemporary military-industrial society?
Many of them, specially my institutional colleagues (both geologists and
economists) do not ‘believe’ the entire notion of anthropogenic global warming and
the sustainable retreat from the developmental paradigm is not in their priority list;
some of my communist friends and students do not care for such ‘myth’. All of them
ridicule me for my concern.
However, my body is burning. I have never felt such heat. I can’t cope with this
situation….. (cf. Anthropogenic Global Heating and the Condition of Creative
Speaking Subject) I, a member of social scientist tribe, subjectively felt this unusual
warming with my corporeal, not with the scientific devices or instrumental
rationality…..
When I wrote a series of articles on the conditions of Jute mills, brick industries and
mines and in quarries West Bengal (cf. - NEGATION OF ECONOMICS)
l, one of his empathetic geologist friends suggested that all these writings should
be categorized under a new discipline: Geo-Sociology (sociological interpretations
of geology). I loved that name though I was thinking about another discipline,
another portmanteau word: Eco-Economics—Ecology plus Economies, but not
about Econophysics, where the fallacy of misplaced concreteness is evident enough
as supposed nature is confused with supposed cultural phenomenon.
However, it is not the time for creating a new disciplinary technology—it is high
time for retreating from the civilized funded developmental paradigm. A popular
Hollywood movie messaged: “Now we do not need engineers; we need farmers—
caretakers of earth!”(Not a verbatim), but, it is matter of regret, my academic
training did not facilitate me to perform farming, animal husbandry or weaving, i.e.
socially necessary labor instead that had alienated me from the supposed ‘nature’!
I had realized such alienation, when I had seen the supplementation of green
architecture by anti-green buildings (cf. in an institute of science. If SALE-brated
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scientists (many of them are Padmashree and Bhatnagar-awardees) are digging
their own grave, who am I to speak?
Keywords: samaśṛṇgāra, nisarga śṛṇgāra
SUMMARIES OF THE MAIN ARTICLES:
: Re-Thinking Environmentalism
VIEW HEREThere are five parts in this booklet on non-conventional
environmental science:
[a] A prologue written by Bandyopadhyay on the issues of image processing and
remote sensing techniques by means of which the wealth of the earth is ruthlessly
extracted by hedge account holders by using satellites and surveillance helicopters
with rudders that emit gamma-rays, infra red etc. According to Bandyopadhyay
that type of planetary–corpo[rate]real politics led to anthropogenic climate
change. He also cited Lila Majumdar’s prediction from a science fiction [1983]
according which, the ice were not only melting but the axis of the earth was also
displaced due to violent anthropogenic intervention into the corpoREAL of the
earth. Surprisingly enough, that prediction in the eighties of the last century was
subscribed by the Geo-Physical Society’s Report [2008].
[b] Bandyopadhyay then wrote a lengthy report on the basalt [a ‘minor’ mineral as
per legal term] quarries of Birbhum, West Bengal, India, where a kowm
[Bandyopadhyay was reluctant to use the term ‘tribe’ for a group of homo sapiens]
is exploited illegally with slim wage and had become null workers—with or/and
without existential status. This report, written in a feminist narrative style through
the voice of a victim of West Bengal academiocracy, was published in 2008 “
” ” [Life in the Stone Quarries].Sen, Ashok ed. Baromas. XXX. (pp.145-
51)] and in this re-presentation the whole scoop was extended with many
theoretical tools, viz. the question of ownership [svatva, cf. “
” (On my-ness and economic entitlement) and Language: From I-
Dentity to My-Dentity] of land, anti-green architectural imperialism etc. He also
cited new Minor Mineral Acts to show the lacuna of administration, who,
surprisingly enough, [voluntarily?] did not even know it. Environmental laws are
also violated and the administration was merely a puppet.
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[c] Bandyopadhyay repeatedly visited the geo-political areas of Birbhum, Bankura,
Medinipur, Purulia and Bardhaman, West Bengal, India in 2010 and the report was
published in a newspaper [2010. (Dances of Fire in Basalt
Quarries). Post-Editorial column. Chattopadhyay, Suman ed. Ekdin. 17/09/10
(pg.4)] and here re-presented by deploying theoretical tools.
The situation was worst at that time. The kowms were revolting against
disembodied owners [a specter-like entity. Though they were not owners, they
were enjoying the ‘tribal’ land that could not be ‘owned’ by the so-called non-tribal
people. (cf.“- [Jute Industry in West Bengal]”) in guise by
means of huge money-sign] of the quarries. These disembodied owners also took
revenge with armed goons. So-called Maoists were also reigning with arms and
ammunition. Bandyopadhyay observed [1] the ‘Maoist’ terrorism was a construct
of state-corporate-sponsored political parties-industrialist/hedge account holders
collusion and the Maoists had nothing to do with the Maoism as an ideology per se
[2] and thus it is a simulated war for the strategic evacuation of the land so that the
collusion could establish ownership of the wealth underneath; [3] despite the fact
of simulation [a la Baudrillard] of irreal, ‘real’ was the
DEATH/TERMINATION/ANNIHILATION of many homo sapiens as well as flora and
fauna of the ‘natural’ geography of the above mentioned four districts; [4] the
Malthusian mindset of the collusion was also discussed; [5] State controlled [legal]
terrorism was reflected in the mirror of state-sponsored/-branded terrorism
through mutual resemblance [anyonyopratibimba] or reverse mimicry.
[d] This self-funded qualitative survey with little bit of statistics, when was executed
in the fields and with the help of Google Earth, Bandyopadhyay and Chakrabarti [at
that time he was at the Boston University] were engaged in a lengthy dialogue, an
‘other’ session—they were rendezvousing through phones and E-mails. Both of
them related this micro-incidence with the lager question of environmental
disaster. Bandyopadhyay initially posed three problematic questions: [1] What was
going on? [2] What was the matter? [3] What was to be done? Chakrabarti, after
criticizing the organized institutionalized funded scientific enterprises born out of
enlightenment-project, answered that [1] was the result of capitalocentric
economy; [2] was the consequences of post-Manhattan project so-called
‘objective’ scientific enterprise; [3] would be solved by real politic of eco-ethos.
Chakrabarti discussed the feminist positional subjectivity and Jaina anekantavada
[theory of many probable perspectives] . Bandyopadhyay showed the instances of
internal sabotages within the scientific enterprise that negated the hegemonization
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of single science by introducing the concept of “sciences” in plural number. He also
questioned the nature-culture binary following Derrida.
[e] After finishing the three-years’ conversation, both of them proposed [1]
economics of austerity; [2] real politic of eco-ethos; [3]Anekantavadin eco-ethos
and of course [4] extinction of surplus labor extraction . The joint statement was
written by Chakrabarti with little verbal input from Bandyopadhyay. Thus the
booklet had become an instance of a performance of non-conventional
environmental science.
It must be mentioned that the cover of this Bangla booklet was de-sign-ed by
Debraj Goswami, who reinterpreted the sculpture, “Santhal Family” by the famous
sculptor Ramkinkar Baij by inserting a bulldozer within it and thus captured the
secret moment of primitive accumulation. In this way, the critique of
‘development’ was re-re-presented and had become part of the text. The photo of
surveillance helicopter [Barughutu, Bankura], the secret moment of primitive
accumulation, was captured by Akhar Bandyopadhyay and edited by Biswajit
Biswas.
- (Negation of Money: After Reading Marx) VIEW
HERE
This paper concentrates on the discourse of Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6 of Marx’s Capital,
Vol. I to understand the metaphysical nature of money-sign, though frequent
references are made to Grundrisse, Mathematical Manuscripts and other chapters
of the book, The Capital. Author (a) found the epistemic impact of the then
scientific discourse in the Capital; (b) added a new variable N or ecological
entitlement (this points towards scarcity of raw materials, unplanned utilization
of which makes an impact on the environment) in the circuit of c-m-c`; (c)
discussed the role of hyper-real and irreal in case of monetary economy. The paper
headed towards the concept of moneyless green society.
“- [Jute Industry in West Bengal]” VIEW HERE
The investigator, out of his severe guilt feeling as he is a member of the leisure
class, executed some self-funded projects related to socio-economic conditions of
West Bengal. One of them is jute industry in West Bengal, India. He had surveyed
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jute cultivation and industry(59 Factories). Methodologically speaking, he had not
followed any statistical sample survey techniques as he wished to reject state-
statistics unholy nexus following Foucauldian paradigm; secondly, under the
deployment of scheduled survey techniques, subjects were objectified and they
underwent metonymic transformation. According to investigator, a Foucauldian,
that is a sever violence. Therefore, instead of this technique he followed his own
version of qualitative ethno-methodology or snow-ball method for understanding
such domains. His findings are as follows: • Economics is not a so-called natural
science that could be guided by the laws of physics. Thus the universalization of
economic laws is not at all possible. Econometric analysis does not able to predict
future economic condition. • The governmental statistics does not match with the
ground-reality narratives. • The so-called binary division between organized and
unorganized sector does not work at all— a fuzzy zone of organized-unorganized
sector has been evolved in the West Bengal industrial scenario. • The existence of
disembodied (a phantom or ghost-like entity) owners of several industries has been
observed in organized jute industry, coal industry as well as in unorganized basalt-
quarries. • Due to automation and manipulative procedures taken by the owners
of industries and due to the conversion of surplus labour-necessary labour ratio in
the form of money-sign, null-workers are “working” without any work in the sphere
of economy. The extraction is possible due to the diachronically accumulated
surplus labor from the deceased null workers. Null workers exist and do not exist.
• By the virtue of the labour of the deceased null workers, owners are creating a
accumulative space, where one can convert money-sign to another money-sign,
i.e., the domain of dangerous share market. Specters of the null workers are not at
all haunting here, where capital to commodity transformation has become merely
a place of conspicuous consumption of the minority super-rich people, who have
the fetish for the ostentatious display of eco-enemy commodities. • The role of
state is minimal—collusion of super-rich, a minority, is reigning with the help of
ideological state apparatuses. • The investigator is emphasizing on using local
terms to depict the nature of economics as it is found in glocal (global+local)
context of West Bengal. If Sahibs could use so-called anti-languages like plum or
lemon market, what is wrong with the terms like lokkhibar (no consuming day), tola
(illegal levy), pORta (covert weight), gunda tax (tax to be paid to the goons), bani
(the hidden residue of the gold at the time of reselling), Soru line (illegal path)
phoRe (the ‘illegal’ agent), cinHat (signs or a type of archewriting that regulates the
parallel market with legal conflict)? • The role of political parties here surprising
enough. There is no question of ideology as advertised by the respective parties,
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rather they are using ideology as a mask. They are acting as private limited
company as the corporatization of those parties guided by management gurus has
successfully established in the dollar-controlled democracy.
“ ?” [Brick Industry in West Bengal]
VIEW HERE
After self-funded surveying of jute-industry, basalt quarries, consumerist
wholesale-retail -ostentatious mall culture in West Bengal, India, the author
ventured to reveal the nature of Brick industry in West Bengal and he connected it
with the larger question of green architecture (as it was found in Indian Statistical
Institute, Kolkata, in which hollow bricks were used once upon a time by minimizing
the use of reinforced concrete and basalt-bitumen combination in the context of
constructing roads, but now the new buildings and concrete roads are perfect
examples of ecological imperialism that metaphorically tallies with the mimic
academic enterprise that practices clerical deployment of raw data in a pre-given
model), anthropogenic climate change, food scarcity etc. In this context, the
question is: which one is “modern” architecture? Age-old hollow-brick-buildings,
roads without pitch-bitumen, conservation of ponds, rain water harvesting or the
recently built anti-green buildings?
The author showed, taking cue from history of Harappa-Mohenjo-Daro, that the
unplanned usages of top soils led to scarcity of ground-water and lastly the end
of the city that depends on the surpluses of village-economy. According to
Bandyopadhyay, anthroposes do not learn from the pages of history and they are
executing same mistake by constructing damns. The author surveyed the adjacent
areas of Farakka barrage, a single purpose damn to serve Kolkata port. The fact is
that this dam disrupts the biodiversity as it ignores the neo-tectonic movement of
the river Bhagirathi. It is also depriving Bangladesh, India’s neighboring country
from the free flow of water.
"(-) " [City and Village" & "(Non-) Economist
Rabindranath Tagore]", VIEW HERE In this paper, the author tried
to establish Rabindranath Tagore as a non-mainstream non-conventional
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economist/fiscal auditor on the basis of Tagore’s different texts, viz. novels, verses,
songs, plays and essays. The author emphasized on the following points:
a) Tagore thought that he was a parasite as he was not capable of doing necessary
labor and he was depending on surplus labor of the other.
b) According to Tagore, city is also a parasite as it is sucking the blood of the villages.
c) Tagore reinterpreted the concept of necessary labor by introducing a new
category: voluntary labor with pleasure/toiling with full of joissance and of course
without alienation.
d) He condemned the extraction of others’ labor-time/ surplus labor and criticized
usuries.
e) He had given the different semantics of private property, which was not merely
property in the material sense of the term, but it is a possession of creative mind.
f) Tagore interpreted money-sign as /taka-rupak/ “money-simile”, by means of
which inequals have become equals by some necessary and sufficient conditions.
In the “rupaka” figure of speech the identify and difference between the object
compared and comparable are blurred.
g) The “body-politic” of democracy is the joy-ride of the super-rich. Here “opinions
are manufactured” (1924). Tagore anticipated the concept of dollar-vote and
entered into the domain of political economy.
h) Tagore introduced a novel concept of surplus freedom provided by the cessation
of activities (karmavirati) / leisure (udbritto ObokaS) that could be executed if and
only if the voluntary labor with pleasure might be performed.
i) He introduced ecology as a variable as a part of his economics. This is one of the
unprecedented contributions of Tagore. He was against the extraction of wealth of
earth by the violent anthropogenic intervention.
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j) He emphasized on the passion of greed as a part of his epistemology. It can be
reinterpreted in psychoanalytic terms.
k) Tagore introduced “samavaya” (Co-operative) through the activities of a society
called “Sriniketan”, though the semantics of this term is totally different. The
author of this paper explained the difference between the detachable (samjoga)
and non-detachable (samavaya)relations. As for example, suppose that we are
connected by some non-eco-friendly electronic gadgets like CPU, satellites etc. , i.e.
we are connected in the web—we have some definite relations. These relations
can easily be disconnected according to our whims or by some catastrophic
situation. However, may you detach the quivering and leaves when you perceive
quivering leaves? This is another type of non-detachable relation, which is de-sign-
ated as “samavaya”. The small-big i and I non-detachable
relationship/communication without any instruments is something different from
the anti-green techno-centric communication network between you and me.
(Kindly note that the escape route is depicted here following Tagore. Are we taking
cue from ‘literature’ in combating the effects of anthropogenic global heating?]
( Wild Rabindranath Tagore) VIEW HERE
In the paper, the author extended the previous paper and described Tagore’s
inclination towards ideal forest, hermitage, though the author pointed out some
problems in Tagore’s discursive formation. However, the discontents of modern
civilization were emphasized by referring to the problems of anthropogenic global
heating. (See also: o King, Stop Killing Deer of Our Hermitage: Environmental
consciousness in Indian science and technology)
O KING, STOP KILLING DEER OF OUR HERMITAGE Environmental
consciousness in Indian science and technology VIEW HERE
This paper is a simple refutation of the hypothesis, “Idealism is responsible for
decline or decay of Indian science and technology.” What is branded as “Idealism”
in opposition with Materialism (surprisingly enough, not with Realism!) and
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monotheism in Indian Philosophical thought, is not at all Idealism or Monotheism
as it is perceived by the Westerners. This Western gaze and that
allegation/hypothesis will be treated as purvapaksa (opponent’s view) and is
contested in this paper.
Instead, the author of this paper argues that the anticipation of pralaya
(dissolution) or mahapralaya (great dissolution) due to anthropogenic intervention
in the corporeal of prakrti led Indian thinkers to idealize the praxis of life in a
“different” way.
This “different” way is revealed in phase of Indian history, known as agraha (3rd C
A.D.), when it is observed, in that period onwards, that there were urban and
monetary anemia. Lack of urbanization and money(-signifer)-less society are
branded and perceived as a disease—anemia! After realizing the fate of two
urbanizations, both of which were not sustained, it was a great decision to revert
back to the life of aranyaka in connection with tapovana-culture. This point of
departure or sustainable retreat from the developmental paradigm
(“development” as it is understood today) will be discussed with a special
reference to Tagore’s “The Message of The Forest” (1919). The author of this paper
will try to show the embedded environmental consciousness that believed in the
least exploitation of nature, in Indian “scientific” thoughts and will compare that
with contemporary (last stage of Anthropocene) situation, which is threatened by
the anthropogenic global heating, the ultimate consequences of Industrial
Revolution, 1750.
For detailed discussion, kindly follow hyperlinks (blue-colored
titles)
,
যা
2021. (With Akhar Bandyopadhyay). CRISES, SUBJECTIVITY, POSSIBILITIES AND
CONTEMPORARY SPACES. Convergence to Praxis, Once in a Blue Moon Academia.
VIEW HERE ⤡
2020. (Water Crisis). Renaissance Page. VIEW HERE ⤡
2020. ...SOFIA VIEW HERE ⤡
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2019. (
) VIEW HERE ⤡
2018. "" VIEW HERE ⤡
2018. (With Goutam Majhi, and Akhar Bandyopadhyay). “ ”.
Download VIEW HERE ⤡
2017. (With Akhar Bandyopadhyay) “POLYCULTURE: DEFEATING THE MODERN LAB
STATE.” Dipta Memorial Symposium lecture. 15th December, 2017. Bose Institute,
Kolkata, Download VIEW HERE ⤡
2017. “, ”. . ,
: Beyond
Anthropocene, Capitalocene (- )Download VIEW HERE ⤡
2015. ( Wild Rabindranath Tagore) Pathik Basu ed. Shrayan Yearbook
2015. (pp.86-98) Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE
2014. “ - (Negation of Money: After Reading Marx)”.Basu, Pathik ed.
pher Marx o Capital: Shraban, Manan, Nididhysan. (Mediation & Marxization:
Capital) Vol. I. Kolkata: Shrayan. (pp. 226-48) Download (.pdf) VIEW
HERE ⤡
2014. “O KING, STOP KILLING DEER OF OUR HERMITAGE Environmental
consciousness in Indian science and technology” National Seminar on Science
and Technology in Ancient India. University Grants Commission; Dept of Sanskrit,
Lalbaba College, Belur; Ramkrishna Mission Vidyamandir. Nov 18,
2014. Download (.pptx) VIEW HERE ⤡
2014. Anthropogenic Global Heating And The Condition Of Creative Speaking
Subject Swedish-Indian International Research Conference: LandPost: Language
and Diversity in the Age of Post-Colonial Glocal Medialization. Download (.pptx)
Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
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2014. (Poisonous Cloud Harbinger). Sabdo. I:3 (pp.5-6) VIEW
HERE ⤡
2013. (with Akhar Bandyopadhyay) "Amra O Feluda" E-Pujabarshiki.
(pp.89-98). Kolkata. VIEW HERE ⤡
2012. (With Partha Chakroborti) : Re-Thinking
Environmentalism Sarkar, Dibakar ed. Akkha(r)jatra. 10: 12 (pp.7-50) .
, , . " : ".
. (). : . (- ). . Download (.pdf) VIEW
HERE ⤡
2011. "(-) " [City and Village" & "(Non-) Economist
Rabindranath Tagore]", [City and Village" & "(Non-) Economist Rabindranath
Tagore]", Sengupta, Arnab ed. Akkha(r)jatra. IX:11. (pp.7-46) Belghoria, Kolkata
Reprinted in 2011. Barun Kumar Chakroborty ed. Anna Rabindranath, Nana
Rabindranath. (pp.336-360), Kolkata: Pustak Bipani. ISBN 81-85471-106-1.
Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
2010. “ ?” [Brick Industry in West Bengal] [Brick Industry in
West Bengal] Sen, Asok ed. Baromas. Vol. 32 (pp.128-36) RNI:34830/78
Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
2010. “- ?"[Whose Voice Am I Hearing At This Disastrous
Moment?“] Barun Kumar Chakroborty ed. “
. : . ISBN 978-
81-910300-2- Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
2010. “- - [Imagining Alternatives with Possible Negations]”. Other Voice.
(pp.21-44). August'10. Kolkata. Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
2009. “
: ”[Aila tourism: A Petite Bourgeois'
Travelogue]" Prasanta Chattopadhyay ed. Kalodhoni. 14:2 (pp.43-50)
Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
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2009. - : [ Meta-History Of India & Return Of
The Repressed: Agriculture] Meta-History Of India & Return Of The Repressed:
Agriculture] Kalodhvani. XIV: 1. (pp.32-39) Download (.pdf) VIEW
HERE ⤡
2008. “ ” [Life in the Stone Quarries] [Dances of Fire at Basalt
Quarries]. Sen, Asok ed. Baromas. Vol.30 (pp.145-51) Download (.pdf)
VIEW HERE ⤡
2005. " , ” "Basu, Pathik ed. Swashroybhabana. Kolkata:
Shrayansthal. (pp.239-64) Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
2007. “ : ?”. [Dream-play: Why Should I Be Born?] [Dream-
play: Why Should I Be Born?] Ed. Basu, Pathik manus Hoye oTha (understanding
Children’s World). Kolkata: Shrayan.(pp. 224-37) Download (.pdf)
VIEW HERE ⤡
2002. "
" lekhan. Kolkata: Indian Statistical Institute Club. (pp.
160-168) Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
2001. Glocal Hyperreal and the Sad Demise of the Corporeal: An
Obituary“National Seminar on Food security in India.Indian Social Science
Academy. Download (.pdf) VIEW HERE ⤡
It is classified in the following SSRN abstracting journals: Food Politics &
Sociology eJournal
Public Economics: Miscellaneous Issues eJournal
RCRN: Cultural Analysis (Topic)
Rhetorical Analysis eJournal
SRPN: Other Food Politics & Sociology (Topic)
Sociology of Innovation eJournal