Lokavidya Jan Andolan (LJA)लोकविद्या जन आन्दोलन: March 2011

Vidya Ashram National Meeting 27-28 Feb. 2011 at Hyderabad.

The Hyderabad Meet of 27-28 Feb. 2011 held at Jeevan Jyothi Retreat House, Begumpet, went of well. As planned the first day was devoted largely to conceptual discussion and the second day to discussing the building of the Lokavidya Jan Andolan. There were some 40 participants on the first day. But some of them could not come for the second day and we had about 30 persons on 28^th. Just to recount, there were participants from Wardha, Nagpur, Pune, Valsad, Varanasi, Singrauli, Delhi, Indore, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Vijaywada, Vishakhapattanam and of course from Hyderabad. We take this opportunity to thank all the participants, particularly those from other organizations like Knowledge In Civil Society, Center For Resource Education, Prayas, Life-HRG, Hyderabad Central University, IIIT etc. Friends from Kolkata could not come but their substantial posts on the blog brought them in. The list of participants is given at the end.

Vidya Ashram was of course happy to have this face to face discussion with persons of capacity and concern on the question of lokavidya and whether and how it can be the main thrust of a people’s knowledge movement. There was general agreement to proceed on the main course being suggested by Vidya Ashram. However, a variety of views came in and there was relatively open discussion on the question of the politics of lokavidya. Philosophical and practical questions often found a blended expression. A report of the meeting is under preparation and should be shortly on this blog.

This post is to express our desire to continue debate on this blog. That a debate be continued was also a consensual thought at the meeting. The broad decisions of the meeting arrived at late on the second day are given below.

Decisions of the Meeting

1. The first conference of Lokavidya Jan Andolan be held in Varanasi in November 2011.

2. Let Lokavidya Ashrams be planned at various places. This may begin where Vidya Ashram associates are active, e.g. Singrauli, Indore, Andhra Pradesh, Vidarbha and Varanasi. In this connection a meeting will be held in Indore in May/June 2011.

3. A lokavidya kala yatra, with sculptures depicting various artisanal and livelihood skills, to be started from Andhra Pradesh and taken to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

4. A media and culture initiative to be developed with the Lokavidya Kala Yatra.

5. A Darshan Samiti to be formed with Surendran, Avinash and Suresh in it to start with.

6. A Prakashan Samiti to be formed. Chitra, Girish and Krishnarajulu to coordinate to finalize this committee.

7. Sangathan Samiti and Prastav Samiti formed in the Varanasi Meet in Nov. 2010 to be activated. Prastav Samiti to be headed by Krishnarajulu and the Sangathan Samiti convenorship to remain with Vidya Ashram, Varanasi.

8. Lokavidya Panchayat periodical to be continued and publications in Telugu and Marathi to be planned.

9. Lokavidya Jan Andolan blog to be continued for debate on practical, political and philosophical issues.

10. The lokavidya activists must keep going to the people for work and with responsibility. To do active work in and to be connected with people’s organizations is the chief path.

List of participants

1. Krishnarajulu kkbandi@gmail.com

2. Naresh Sharma na.ku.sharma@gmail.com

3. Abhijit Mitra abi_chem@iiit.ac.in

4. Mohan Rao rcjs_hl@yahoo.co.in

5. L.K. Kaul lily_kaul@gmail.com

6. C.N.Srinivasan srinivasancn@rediffmail.com

7. I.V. Rao ivaturi48@yahoo.com

8. T.Narayan Rao tnrkondinyasa@yahoo.com

9. A.Appa Rao 9912378300

10. D.V. Nageswara Rao 9441682106

11. S.G. Kulkarni sgkhcu@gmail.com