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Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 10:42:47 -0400
From: Charudatt <charu@iced.com>
To: "'owner-india_policy@cinenet.net'" <owner-india_policy@cinenet.net>
Subject: RE: Nationalism

> a) The effort seemed to be entirely privately funded. No doubt, the
local
> police and fire department experts were involved, but at the gate were
> huge glass jars where people were putting in money as their
contribution
> for next year's fireworks. In addition, private sponsors such as Coke,
> various car companies, etc., had clearly spent a lot of money on this
> effort. 

It is always inspiring to see the power of the concerted action
of people acting together to make something happen that would not be
possible if they remained isolated individuals. I can't help drawing
parallels with the neighborhood organized Ram-Lila shows I
watched as a kid growing up in Delhi. My favorites were the very
small affairs that were so much fun precisely because they were
not slick and well funded- the actors kept forgetting their lines
and would improvise in ways that kept to the spirit as in one
intense confrontational scene between Lakshman and Meghnad where
they forgot their lines and ended up hurling insults at each other
in not-so-classical language while Sita collapsed in giggles.
Sort of like Shakespeare in rap ;^D.

My Point: There still are privately funded grass roots
institutions and functions that have not been seized by our
self-appointed rulers, and they offer hope that the people can
create, take back, and own these institutions.

> Who owns America? The answer seemed very clear: the People. They not
only . . .

I think you're getting a little carried away here. Consider:

>From _The New Field Guide to the U.S. Economy_, by Nancy Folbre
and The Center for Popular Economics; The New Press, N.Y., 1995,
ISBN 1-56584-153-0 --

    Share of total value of family-owned assets in 1989 
                                                        
    The richest 1% of families held:                    
                                                        
    45% of all nonresidential real estate               
    62% of all business assets                          
    49% of all publicly held stock                      
    78% of all bonds                                    
                                                        
    The richest 10% of families held:                   
                                                        
    80% of all nonresidential real estate               
    91% of all business assets                          
    85% of all stocks                                   
    94% of all bonds                                    

> . . . I almost doubt if any young
> man exists in India who knows the entire words of our anthem. 

Actually surveys show that very few US-born citizens know the
entire words either. IMO, if you put together a function where
everyone comes out with family and friends in a relaxed
atmosphere on a balmy summer night to watch the wonderful
spectacle of fireworks, they'll go along with the singing of just
about anything.

This is not to say that local community organized events aren't
wonderful to behold. Let's not get carried away and describe them as
things that they are not.

-Charu