Request to new members

[Sanjeev Sabhlok <sabhlok@almaak.usc.edu>]

Hi,

In the last few days, some new members have subscribed to the list.  We
have not heard much from many of these, new, as well as some older,
members. While welcoming you on board, I would like to remind you that we
have assembled here in this virtual round-table [See * below] to write a
document, and that this might, perhaps, some day, in some way, mean some
work (!) 

What! you exclaim! Work!!! I didn't know that! I thought this is a
spectator sport like a circus or a gladiator show where Sanjeev and a few
others are the contestants and I am there to watch them die out of
exhaustion, and give themselves the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! 

	[* The globe is round, that is why this is a round table, being
	completely global, and covering at least three continents!]

What new members can do: 
	(Psst! this guy is giving me work! shall I
	quietly slink out?!)

Please start off by reading the preamble, manifesto, etc., and try your
best to find fault with everything. Fault it in terms of language, in
terms of content, in terms of not being well-supported, in terms of
feasibility of implementation on the ground, in terms of not helping cut
down corruption in the ground, etc., etc. Scald these existing ideas on
the furnace of debate. 

We need to challenge everything that comes in front of us until the dross
is flushed out and only gold remains. The people of India will be happy
with only a few very good ideas that really work, and we all can happily
discard the rest.

I do not believe that it is possible for a very few, active participants,
despite their background, experience, knowledge, etc., in a matter of two
months, to have discovered the best ideas on all issues. A lot of dross
remains, I assure you. The gold is beginning to show up, but a lot of
rubbish remains, and the entire gold vein on each topic has not even been
mined.

While a few (like Utkarsh on local self-governance, Srini on urban
development)  work on some specific issues, please feel free to challenge
anything and everything done so far by the group. 

Please read the rules of debate and let us have your strongest criticism
of the ideas in the manifesto/ preamble, so far, in the structure of
debate suggested by the Rules. 

Well, that's it for now. Welcome aboard to some real hard work!

And thanks to Karthik for sending in some compilations on the debates on
Education. I am trying to see how to put them up on the web since these
are in Word format. 

We do need more volunteers like Karthik, really. 

This is a hold-up! Give me your time! 

Sanjeev