Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (SH&SS)

Editorial

Malati Mathur — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

A Synthesized World of Ideas

Chahat Rampal — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Tagore’s idea of ‘Visvasahitya’ presents a deeply philosophical understanding and successfully threads together Upanishadic high theory with contemporary popular folk culture. His ideas speak of the universal values that world literature can embody and its cross-cultural articulation is truly reflected in his aesthetic philosophy, concerning how truth and beauty cannot be understood unless human nature is studied in tandem with the world in its totality. This paper will look at Tagore’s writings (in the 21st century through a Cultural Materialist lens) in tandem with the philosophical ideology that he exhibited for a united-synthesized world and will try to bring the contemporary reader on the same theoretical plane.

Geo-Politics and China as a Factor in Indo-Sri Lankan Relations After 2005

Joginder Singh Saklani, Sunil Kumar, Rattan Lal — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

China has emerged as a significant factor between India and Sri Lanka relations. Historically, the Indian Ocean has had significant geographical importance and has attracted the interest of major countries owing to its economic significance in facilitating East and West maritime commerce. In the 21st century, India and China have emerged as influential countries in Asia, and now whomever dominates the Indian Ocean would dominate Asia in the coming times. China is strategically surrounding India by establishing its presence in several regions, including the Indian Ocean, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Burma, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. This is achieved via initiatives such as the 'new silk road', 'string of pearls', and the 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI). The Chinese government was actively involved in the construction of Hambantota in Sri Lanka as a strategic port to secure its energy supply from the Gulf area. The Chinese policy has a direct impact on the relationship between India and Sri Lanka. In response, India initiated the ‘Security and Growth for All in the in the Region’ (SAGAR) programme in 2015. The objective of this programme is to promote the development of the 'blue economy' among the countries located around the Indian Ocean Rim. This initiative aims to offset the growing influence of China in the area. This research paper focuses on the diplomatic ties between India and Sri Lanka after 2005, with particular emphasis on the tenure of Mahinda Rajapaksa due to his favourable posture towards China.

The Brain-Brahman Dichotomy and the Hard Problem of Fourth Consciousness

Madhu Mangal Chaturvedi — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

In this paper, we aim to contrast the contemporary notion of phenomenal consciousness with the chatushpad or four-foot doctrine of consciousness discussed in the Mandukya Upanishad and further developed by Gaudpada in his Mandukya Karika and Shankara in his Advaita Vedanta. We aim to show that the phenomenal consciousness is subsumed under the first three states of consciousness of the Self, mentioned in the chatushpad doctrine. The hard problem of consciousness is accounting for the fourth consciousness or Turiya with respect to the Brain-Brahman dichotomy: how the Cosmic, Universal, Brahman-Consciousness is related to experienced individual, particular Brain-Consciousness.

Gender Responsive Budgeting

Mahendra R. Mishra — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

The concept of Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) is a kind of fiscal tool that uses fiscal-related goals in the budgetary process and helps the country to achieve gender equality. The current study is an attempt to examine Gender Budgeting: a progressive approach towards women in India. The study uses secondary time series data to find out the trends and progress of gender budgeting in India. The study is divided into four sections section one is based on an overview of Gender Budgeting and its origin, the Second Section is based on a Review of the literature on Gender Responsive Budgeting, the third section deals with the trends and progress of gender budgeting in India, and fourth section leads to opportunities and challenges of the gender budgeting in India. The study shows that the overall trends and progress of gender-responsive budgetinghave improved in terms of volume and number of programs but in terms of percentage it has declined slowly.

Taste of Traditions

Maitreyee Borthakur, Prashanta Puzari — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

The inherent significance of food in an individual’s life is widely recognized, as it often remains unwavering in the face of deep-seated emotions. This novel Undertow (2020), introduces varying interpretations through its diverse characters. Culinary narratives provide us with a fresh perspective, allowing us to comprehend humans through a lens of curiosity rather than hastily jumping to conclusions about their character. In this article, we aim to explore the psychological foundations of our relationship with food, shedding light on the diverse array of approaches available for emotional release and healing through this culinary connection.

Forging Prosperity

Navendu Shekhar — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Gulab Singh’s era in Indian history, which began when he joined the Lahore court as a humble soldier in 1809, was nothing short of transformative. His rise from obscurity to greatness was marked by significant military campaigns, including the siege of Kashmir in 1812-13, the Jallundher campaign, the conquest of Resai (1815-16), and the Frontier Campaigns (1815-19). These victories and others established Gulab Singh’s authority over a vast area in the Jammu region by 1821, leading to his appointment as the Raja of Jammu in 1822. However, Gulab Singh’s legacy goes beyond military conquests. He implemented a uniform taxation system, fostering economic stability and equitable resource distribution. His recognition of the potential in the shawl industry and his support for it spurred economic growth and preserved local craftsmanship and culture. In addition, Gulab Singh promoted collaboration and cooperation among the Gyalpos in Ladakh, ensuring the integration of the region’s economy. His hands-off approach to agriculture allowed peasants to cultivate crops of their choice, embodying a progressive and inclusive governance style. The British, however, saw Gulab Singh’s independent approach as a threat and attempted to interfere in his developmental efforts, particularly in Ladakh. Fortunately, Gulab Singh’s resilience minimised British interference, preventing his state from suffering the same fate as other provinces under oppressive British policies. Gulab Singh’s rule left an indelible mark on the region, combining territorial expansion with economic development. His forward-thinking reforms laid the foundation for prosperity and cultural vibrancy. His ability to resist British interference preserved his state’s well-being. Gulab Singh’s legacy remains celebrated in Indian history, embodying ideals of progress, inclusivity, and self-determination.

Transnational and Cosmopolitan Echoes in Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown

Roshan Lal Sharma, Manish Kumar — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

This paper has two parts. The first part deals with the theorisation of the notions of ‘transnationalism’ and ‘cosmopolitanism’ based on theoretical postulations of thinkers such as Bill Ashcroft, Gerard Delanty, Robert Fine, Kwame Antony Appiah and Homi K. Bhabha. The second part undertakes textual analysis of Salman Rushdie’s novel, Shalimar the Clown published in 2005 from the viewpoint of transnational and cosmopolitan perspective with a view to establishing the fact that the core of Rushdie’s fictional ethics comprises a borderless view of the world constricted and fragmented by a narrow sense of nationality. The world that Rushdie portrays in the novel is diasporic characterized by national, intra-national and transnational mobility of his characters viz. Max Ophuls, Shalimar, and Boonyi. Rushdie’s insightful observation concerning the strife-torn world of today makes us realize instantaneously how “everywhere is everywhere,” which stands as evidence of the fact that we live in a world wherein borders are meaningless geopolitical markers and where the sense of globality prevails powerfully. It in no way implies that the local/native is in any way denigrated; it rather gets problematized in an ever-changing global/transnational context.

Educational Attainments among Chenchu Tribe

Ramesh B — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Chenchus are one among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) Communities of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, confined to the Nallamalai forest. Haimendorf states that the Chenchus, in their physical make-up, conform largely to a racial Veddoid, a primitive tribe of Sri Lanka. Chenchus are unique in their culture, customs, and identity. Ignoring this fact, the government has treated them on par with other tribal communities and initiated unsuited developmental programs for their upliftment. Their education level has not exceeded 32 percent despite many provisions, recognizing the importance of this often-ignored aspect and the gaps in earlier studies, this study has made a comprehensive attempt to trace the root causes of their low literacy rate. To fulfill the study objectives, extensive and prolonged fieldwork was conducted across selected Ashram schools in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. Deep interactions with primary stakeholders, including students, parents, and teachers, provided the opportunity to examine the root causes of low literacy in detail. Based on the researcher's observations and the perceptions of primary stakeholders, the study suggests some tailor-made recommendations for the improvement of education among the Chenchu tribes.

Global Liquidity and the International Monetary System

S Krishnakumar — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

The series of crises in the global economy: Global Financial Crisis, European Sovereign Debt Crisis and the COVID-19 crisis exposed the severe symmetries in the international monetary system. With the rising share of dollar borrowings from the part of the non-financial corporations by the emerging market economies in the course of the low interest environment in the global economy till a year back, there has been large demand for dollar liquidity towards rollover of the liabilities.As per the 2022 Triennial Survey of the Bank for International Settlements, the daily foreign exchange turnover is at $7.5 trillion. Understandably, the share of foreign exchange swaps has risen to 51%. Indeed as the developing countries were forced to resort to the sales of US Treasuries in March 20220, the Fed Reserve has to intervene opening up facilities of swap lines and repo financing. Even as the demand for dollar liquidity was met both during the time of the global financial crisis as well as during the outbreak of COVID-19, the same was due to initiatives from the part of the Federal Reserves through swap line facilities as well as repo facilities. In the contemporary global economy where the resources at the command of the IMF in terms of the total external liabilities of the world has been on a decline in comparison to the eighties, wouldn’t it be desirable to think in terms of reform of the international monetary system. This paper explores the same.

Loyalty to the Monarch

Siddharth Satpathy — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Relevance of Basavanna in Contemporary Society

Soma Das — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

In this contemporary world mired with religious and ethnic divisibility, we are constantly aware of a sense of conflict, uncertainty that percolate in our social structure; a condition which is aggravated by hegemonic divisions, non-inclusive policies, religious polarization and hate politics which often culminate into violence and carnage. In such a social context the philosophical visions of Basavanna seem to be compelling and relevant, his ideology sustains as a hope to establish our faith in humanity. In his play Talé-Danda, Girish Karnad brings out the essential themes that are critically engaged with Basavanna’s life and philosophy to enlighten us more on human values which perhaps are more valuable than pursuing any spiritual path. My paper is an attempt to capture the contemporaneity of Basavanna’s philosophy and ethical ideas through a detailed analysis of Karnad’s text Talé-Danda in order to conceptualize a world that looks beyond narrow sectarianism and identity politics.

Representation of Kashmiriyat in Rehman Rahi’s Poetry

Tasleem Ahmad War — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Abdul Rehman Rahi, popularly known as Rehman Rahi, is one of the most distinguished poets of Kashmir who has made a significant contribution to Kashmiri literature and poetry. Though a literary figure of diverse interests he eventually consolidated his position as a poet of Kashmiri language. He was awarded prestigious awards like SahityaAkademi Award for his poetry collection Nawroz-i-Saba, Padma Shri and Jnanpith Award. He is the first and the only Kashmiri to be awarded the Jnanpith Award for his poetry collection Siyah Rood Jaren Manz. The argument of the present paper is that Rahi as a poet foregrounds the essential inclusiveness of Kashmiri culture across his poetry. It will not be an exaggeration to call him a poet of all Kashmiris-be they Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. The present paper attempt to highlight how how Rahi blends the pluralistic, cosmopolitan and syncretic ethos of Kashmir represented by both Islamic Sufism and Hindu Shaivism. In his poetical works like Nawroz-i-Saba (Advent of the Spring Breeze, 1958) to SiyahRoode Jaren Manz (In Dark Downpours, 1998) he has crafted a new poetics of literary modernity which is that of an intellectual engagement with Kashmir’s dense spiritual and intellectual history from Abhinavgupta, Lal Ded and Sheikh NuruddinNoorani. He is also influenced by the mystic poetry of Lalla and Shams Faqir, modern Persian writers and Western writers like Hopkins and Eliot. He also uses symbols of Greek, Islamic and Hindu mythology. He gives expression to the great, grand, noble, profound and perennial elements of the tradition of Kashmir. The best example of it is his poem which Kashmir University has adopted as it’s tarana which highlights Rahi’s boundless horizon of imagination, his assimilative power and his grasp of the quintessential intellectual, spiritual, religious, artistic genius of Kashmir. In short, the attempt of this paper is to foreground what has been called Kashmiriyat by many critics as is manifested in many of his poems.

Contributors

IIAS Shimla — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0530