Korel, Chandigarh March 5, 2020

Professor Ashok Modak, National Research Professor and Chancellor, GGD Central University Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, delivered the PU Bharat- Bharat Bodh Vyakhyan on “ Remembering Lokamanya Tilak Today: Some Reflections”, here today.

Prof Raj Kumar, the Vice Chancellor, PU Chandigarh presided over the Bharat Bodh Vyakhyan.

Prof Raj Kumar, in his Presidential Address, underlined the perennial significance of the vision of Lokamanya Tilak for the youth of today in the frightening contexts of loss of moral values, corruption, anti- India discourses, communalism, consumerism and terrorism.

A monograph, written by Prof Ashok Modak, – “ The Satalinist Phenomenon: A Critical Study” ( published by the Publication Bureau, P U Chandigarh) was also released by PU VC.

While welcoming the guests, Prof Sudhir Kumar, Coord of PU Colloquium Committee, emphaised the need not to uncritically accept the such imported concepts as “ nation/ nationalism, modernity “ as India does  not  offers not translated or morphed versions of western concepts, it offers alternatives and its own concepts rooted in Indic wisdom traditions.  Prof Ashok Modak in his seminal speech highlighted different hitherto ignored but interconnected aspects of Lokamanya Tilak’s life and work- a great patriot, a great nationalist, a great thinker, a great karmayogi and a great social reformer, an exemplar of selfless service and sacrifice. Prof Modak , in his lecture, underscored how Tilak ji invested the cultural vocabulary ( particularly such loaded words as “ Swaraj” and “ Swadeshi “) with new meanings and used them for unifying the prople of India against their collective struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule as well as all other forms or  injustice. To Tilak ji, “ swaraj” and “ swadeshi” were not mere slogans to arouse the masses. He was the first to realise that these concepts were well- entrenched in the collective consciousness but remained in the dormant form. Lokamanya Tilak ji awakened the masses of India , about the dangers of uncritically accepting “ western modernity” as “Indian modernity” and gave a clarion call to be “ Karmayogis” – full of selfless service and sacrifice.

Prof Modak said , quoting extensively from Lokamanya Tolak’s writings, that “ it is only from India’s sanatan – dharma ( eternally relevant morality or ethical duty )that a space and time – specific “ newness or modernity “ can manifest itself , else the imposed western modernity would make the Indians mimics and imposters ! He said that it was Lokamanya Tilak who made the people of India realise the holistic meanings of “Swaraj” and “ Swadeshi “ that implied the attainment of true freedom from all kinds of bondage- political, social, economic and cultural. As a social- cultural activist, his nationalistic writings published in the two papers founded by him- “ Kesari” and “ Maharatta” , his speeches delivered during 1906-1919 on different occasions on such topics as education, local self-administration, promotion of all Indian languages, national integration, anti- colonialism, the meanings of the Gita , his role in starting the mass- celebrations of “ Ganesh Utsav “ and “ Shivaji Jayanti”, his founding of “ Deccan Educational Society,” etc bear ample proof of his greatness as a thinker, institution- builder and freedom fighter.

            Prof Ashok Modak also pointed out the fact that Lokamanya Tilak ( as also Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal) was dubbed and presented as a “ communal nationalist” in the ideologically- driven historiography of modern India. Prof Modak asked the teachers as well as researchers in social sciences and cultural studies to conduct further studies on the hitherto unexplored and ignored aspects of Lokamanya Tilakji’s  vision, life and work.

            Those present on the occasion included Prof Shankar ji Jha, Dean University Instruction, Prof Karamjeet Singh, Registrar, Prof Nandita Singh, Dean International Students, Prof. (Retd) Romesh Pandey and Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, the Vice Chairman, Indian Institute of Advanced Study , Shimla, Prof Gurpal Singh, Prof Harsukhjit Kaur, Prof Keshav Malhotra, faculty and students of the University.

Korel, Chandigarh March 5, 2020

Weekly seminar on ‘Women Empowerment Policies’ was organised by the Department of Education, Panjab University, Chandigarh by Prof Pam Rajput, PU Fellow.  was invited to give a talk and have an interactive session with the students of the department (Research Scholars, M.Ed. (General) and M.A.).

Prof Pam Rajput introduced the topic by initially discussing gender related terms such as difference between sex and gender, gender roles, gender equality, gender stereotypes etc. She urged the students to break various stereotypes such as last rites ceremonies being performed by both women and men. 

She explained to the students that the term ‘Empowerment’ meant being able to make critical choices for one-self. Steps had been taken to empower women in rural India by electing them to local bodies. But the political exercise turned out to be futile in most cases as, husbands of the women elected to local bodies were making all the important decisions relating to the local area.

The students were familiarised with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, out of which ‘Gender Equality’ is the fifth developmental goal. Prof. Pam Rajput also spoke to the students about Global Gender Gap Index which is annually released by The World Economic Forum. According to the Global Gender Gap Index (2020) India’s position is as follows-

In the year 2020, Global Gender Gap Index ranked India 112^th among 153 nations. On a scale of 0 (inequality) to 1(equality) it scored .668. The country score card on four sub-indexes was as follows:

Global Gender Gap Index Score Card – India, 2020

(Source: World Economic Forum, 2019)

Even though India is one of the largest economies in the world, in the view of Prof. Pam Rajput, it still has a long way to go when it comes to women’s empowerment.

Some of the important Articles, of the Constitution of India related to Women’s Empowerment, which were discussed in the seminar included –

1. Article 14 of the Constitution of India provides for equality before the law or equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. It states:

“The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.”

In the eyes of the Constitution of India all individuals are equal irrespective of gender.

• Article 15 of the Constitution of India states that no citizen of India shall be discriminated on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Every person shall have equal access to public places like public parks, museums, wells, bathing ghats, etc. However, the State may make any special provision for women and children.
•  Article 21 declares that no citizen can be denied his life and liberty except by law. Protection of life and personal liberty is also stated under the right to life and personal liberty.

Prof.Pam Rajput discussed various policies relating to ‘Women’s Empowerment in India’ including – National Policy for the Empowerment of Women was adopted in the year 2001 and its various committees (2013 & 2015).

Students were familiarised with six ways the government is pushing for women’s empowerment in India:

1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana. …
2. Mahila-E-Haat. …
3. Mahila Shakti Kendra. …
4. Working Women Hostel. …
5. Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) …
6. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

  A number of women’s related issues including malpractices in the area of women being elected to local bodies; the need for gender budgeting; and laws relating to gender based violence, including crimes committed by juveniles were discussed in the seminar. Students also discussed with the speaker , various issues relating to the Panjab University Campus such as eve teasing; safety of women on the campus; providing security within the campus; creation of safe spaces for women on campus; and A.C.Joshi Library being made easily accessible and safe for women and girls at night. The vote of thanks was proposed by the seminar coordinator Prof. Latika Sharma.