pogrom in Gujarat two years ago that saw some two thousand murders and numerous rapes. The seminar also pointed towards the mindless terrorist attacks and the killing of the innocent, custodial and domestic torture, forced child labour and starvation deaths in places with surplusfood-grains in government godowns.

      Attempts were made at analyzing the phenomenon of violence in India. Some traced it to the communalism fostered by Britain’s colonial policy of divide and rule, which the elite castes and classes used to gain political advantage and economic power. At present, there is the new form of communalism, which creates the categories of "they" or "the other", then demonizes them and violence follows. Religions seem to be ambivalent with regard to violence; and they are easily hijacked by haters and butchers. Exclusivist religions easily pave the way to violent conflicts. Planned riots use popular religious symbols for political purposes, but more often than not,the root cause of conflict, violence and wars is material and economic. Violence has a class basis; it is a way of creating space for one’s own group or class and therefore one finds that most conflicts and wars may be traced to rivalry, jealousy, desire and greed.Violence is anti-life; it dehumanizes us, deforms society and distorts history. Therefore, it was felt that we must set our hearts on overcoming it and tracing a new path to an authentically human future. The new millennium would fundamentally imply stepping into a new culture of human fellowship marked by respect and love, and one abounding in peace. The way to that future lies across a terrain, rugged yet beautiful, of forgiveness and reconciliation.

   The ways of overcoming conflicts and violence, and the rebuilding of fellowship and peace was considered from several angles: from the perspective of religion, from the viewpoint of philosophy, social history, social psychology, law and the Gandhian tradition, and especially from the experiential angle of the victims of violence, both actual and structural, the dalits, the poor, women and the survivors of conflicts.

   The seminar raised several questions as regards to the concept, need, viability and relevance of the idea of forgiveness, reconciliation and social healing. One of the most important questions that emerged was "Is another world possible?" There was a sense of critical acceptance of the central idea and the participants felt the need of more intense discussions through seminars, workshops and colloquia. In a situation of growing identity-based violence, it was felt that the initiatives of the civil society are indeed very crucial in exploring and evolving alternative theoretical models by undermining the structures of domination. The challenge is to initiate processes of dialogues at various levels and to institutionalize them in order to have effective resolution of conflict without overlooking or underestimating the importance of justice in the backdrop of a wounded history.

    Feel, my children, feel; feel for the poor, the ignorant, the downtrodden; feel till the heart stops and the brain reels and you think you will go mad; then pour the soul out at the feet of the Lord, and then will come power, help, and indomitable energy.
Swami Vivekananda.

         Fortnightly Tuesday Seminars
An Analysis of Anti-Dumping Cases in India
   A presentation was made by Mr Samir Kumar Singh on An Analysis of Anti-Dumping Cases in India at DCRC on August 24, 2004. The speaker discussed as to how and why there has been a proliferation in the use of anti-dumping policies in recent years in India. The investigations reveal that in the case of India, non-economic motives play a large role in rise of anti-dumping policies rather than predatory motives of foreign firms.The talk focused on broadening of the horizon of anti-dumping law in India to accomodate many serious and genuine concerns. The speaker suggested that given the possibilities and actualities of exploitation of ambiguities in various clauses of the law that give undesirable protection to domestic industries, current use of law must be changed to serve the larger interest of the entire economy. The anti-dumping policy should not be seen in isolation; rather, the contradictions and complementarity with other economic policies should be duly considered. 

Gandhi and Gutierrez: Two Paradigms of Liberative Transformation

DCRC held a discussion on the book "Gandhi and Gutierrez: Two Paradigms of Liberative Transformation" authored by Prof. John Chathanatt on September 14, 2004, under its Tuesday fortnightly seminar series. The discussion was chaired by Dr. K. P. Shankaran while Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty and Dr. John Dayal were the discussants. The discussants analyzed the relevance of Gandhi in the contem-porary world. The book deals with the comparative study of philosophy, principles and methodology of the two legends: M. K. Gandhi and Guiterrez. The discussion was attended by students and scholars from the University and Gandhi Bhavan who offered critical insights on the concerned topic. Prof. Mohanty observed that this beautifully written book by Prof Chathanatt had great significance for the present day society that is undergoing great turmoil. The two principles of truth and non-violence as advanced by Gandhi not only provide guidance to the society but also offer a methodology to resolve conflict, violence and crisis.

Africa and State Building: Regression or Social Transformation?
A seminar on ‘Africa and State Building: Regression or Social Transformation?’ was held at DCRC on August 31, 2004 by Dr. Devnathan from National Media Centre, Gurgaon. The discussants were Prof J.P. Sharma, Department of African Studies, DU and Dr. Rupak Dattagupta, Department of Political Science, Kirori Mal College.The paper analysed the social transformation that Africa is undergoing in terms of the formation of the state and classes. The speaker discussed that Africa especially the Sub-Saharan Africa, has become the center of the world’s humanitarian crises. Hunger is endemic and famine is an ever-present danger; one which breaks out with seeming regularity in one or the other African nation. At the same time, Africa is also the arena of the majority of the world’s ‘internal conflicts’, (which have, 1990s onwards, predominantly replaced wars between states in the post-Cold War world). With this backdrop, the speaker discussed the problems and the context of the emer-

ging states of Africa in the contemporary world. However, the speaker pointed out that such a description seems to suggest that Africa is in a state of regression. In opposition to such a retrogressive view of Africa, this paper argued that in fact what Africa is going through is a massive social transformation, of a dimension not seen before in history. He highlighted that the African state too participates in these conflicts, favouring one or the other ethnic community. The unequal incorporation of different ethnic groups into a single political economy has ethnicized the struggle over resources.

Social Science Database Committee (SSDB) Meeting
A meeting of the Social Science Database Committee, DCRC was held on September 9, 2004 at 2.00 p.m., in DCRC. The members present were: Prof. S K Agrawal, Department of Geography, DU (in Chair), Dr. M. N. Thakur, Dr. Seema Parihar, Department of Geography, Kirori Mal College, Dr. G S Tuteja (Special Invitee), Vinay Kumar (Special Invitee), Ravi Ranjan and Krishna Prasad.It was noted that there is need to prepare a comprehensive database on Social Science by digitizing M.Phil/ PhD/ Research Projects in Delhi University. The committee proposed that DCRC should develop a comprehensive data bank to support the Social Science research at Delhi University. Apart from these, the following issues were raised:
  In A detailed proposal for the Social Science Database needs to be finalized by DCRC at the earliest possible.
  In DCRC would request the University as well as other funding agencies for financial support, so that basic infrastructure can be developed at the Centre to facilitate this programme.
  In The Committee suggested the Social Science Database to consider both primary as well as secondary data sources, and that it be arranged according to different themes such as poverty, gender, conflict, etc. 
   In In the first phase, a data depository will be generated by collecting information on M.Phil and PhD dissertations of different Departments of the University. The following Departments would be approached for the same: Economics, Geography, Commerce, Management, Political Science, Anthropology, Geology, History and Education.
  In The committee’s advice was to start a digital library by using the data depository to support the academic research by providing CDs and floppies of the database to researchers.
  In The classification of data will be further organized by research themes by providing details about authors, and an abstract of the research.
   In At the initial stage, DCRC will request the concerned departments of DU to volunteer support in organizing the research materials of different departments at DCRC by providing help in terms of research materials and human resource.
    In The designing of Social Science Database would be worked out gradually in different phases.The Committee proposed to request Dr R K Shukla, Principal Statician, NCAER and Manish Kumar from GIS Development to be the consultants to SSDB. The SSDB programme has Prof. S K Agrawal as the Convener and Dr Manindra N. Thakur as the Co-Convener.

   Research Projects Completed Project
Evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness of the Food for Work Element in the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana in Orissa
The objective of this project located in DCRC under the supervision of Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty was to assess, mainly, the implementation of Food for Work Programme (FWP) in SGRY, identify problems and make suggestions. This exercise was conducted within the broader framework of understanding of the causes of poverty in rural India and the dynamics of welfare policies in the poorest areas as in Orissa. The study was conducted in Sambalpur, Angul,Cuttack and Kendrapara districts of Orissa.
Four districts were identified by the Planning Commission. Two blocks in each district and two Panchayats in each block were selected as sample of the study. This was done on the criterion of the extent of food grains drawn. The sample blocks were Jamankira and Maneswar in Sambalpur, Angul andChhendipada in Angul, Athagarh and Salepur in Cuttack, Pattamundai and Rajkanika in Kendrapara. Five beneficiaries from each project were selected randomly.

Findings
The main finding is that SGRY is a very small intervention as an anti-poverty programme providing only 15 days employment on an average in a year. The minimum wage of Rs 50 is not paid in most of the cases. In some cases, the prescribed amount of food grains is not given at all. Discrimination of women is evident in this programme. They are paid less wage than men in Angul and Cuttack. No women were employed in Kendrapara at all. In the ITDA Block of Jamankira the tribal people, including women did take advantage of the SGRY opportunity for wage labour. Scheduled Caste labour took part in some areas including Salepur and Pattamundai. Some community assets have been created as a result of this programme. Most visible are the Gram Panchayat godowns and community centres in some places, and small patchesof cement and concrete roads in every Panchayat. But they are too few to make a difference to the economy.Very little attention is paid to water works whether for irriga tion or drinking water. Grain stocks are not made available on time from the FCI, thus, causing delay in payment of laborers. 

There were cases of recycling of food grains with joint maneuver by the grain transporter, store manager, contractor and the officials. Designed as a participatory grassroots programme, the SGRY in practice however, has become an instrument of village power groups manipulating Palli Sabha meetings. Equal distribution of SGRY funds is done by meeting the claims of representatives at Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and Panchayat Ward members at each level. It has thus become an extension of the MP LAD and MLA LAD programmes. Excessive fragmentation of funds has made it difficult to undertake major infrastructural programmes.

Recommendations
Local people suggested that SGRY should provide employment during the lean season by undertaking suitable projects that can be executed during the rainy season. Agricultural and rural industrial work compatible to women’s specific needs together with the provision of facilities at the work sites should form an essential component of SGRY.The various streams of SGRY should be merged into one and be put in charge of the Gram Panchayat without bureaucratic interference.