Noted Indian-American socio-cultural anthropologist Arjun Appadurai has cautioned against the cultural subtext within the idea of nationalism that often tend to be exclusionary and majoritarian.
Prof. Appadurai, the Goddard Professor in Media, Culture and Communication at New York University, added the problem of minorities was a massive fundamental crisis in democracy.
He was delivering the first Prof. Jacob John Kattakayam (JJK) memorial lecture, jointly organised by the Institute for Social Research and Action (ISRA) and JJK Students’ Collective, on ‘The culture of development and the development of culture’ on Monday.
Prof. Kattakayam was former Director of the UGC Academic Staff College and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences in Kerala University.
Prof. Appadurai said the idea of minority is a modern, liberal and social concept wherein such persons are viewed as incomplete citizens who had no place in the nation. The concept has led to a situation of greater impunity in the country where any person can commit any crime against those below them in the social strata.
He opined development hinged on expanding the ‘aspiring capacity’ of marginalised sections. “Aspiration acts a forward-looking motivation to develop oneself. However, development will never happen when hope is dead among a certain community. Such sections must be enabled to aspire for development by helping them attain experiences gained through mobility, education and others. Policy makers must introspect whether development policies had potential to strengthen the capacity of the poor to aspire,” he said.
Transport Minister Antony Raju, who inaugurated the commemoration, credited Prof. Kattakayam for influencing the State’s senior citizen policies, especially while formulating guidelines on road safety, old-age homes and the implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.
T.K. Oommen, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, presided over the programme. Antony Palackal, Head of the Sociology Department in Kerala University, also spoke.
