Sunday, May 6, 2012

Fwd: Best Wishes for Buddha Purnima

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Round Table India <contact@roundtableindia.co.in>
Date: Sun, May 6, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Subject: Best Wishes for Buddha Purnima
To: Palash <palashbiswaskl@gmail.com>

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Round Table India

For an Informed Ambedkar Age

Dear Palash,

Best wishes and greetings to you on Buddha Purnima. On this momentous day, Round Table India thanks you all, readers and writers, for all the love and support extended to us until now and pledges to rededicate itself to working 'For an Informed Ambedkar Age'.

Jai Bhim!

Thought

Dr Ambedkar and Engaged Buddhism

Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar

Introduction

It must be mentioned in the beginning that, though Dr Ambedkar took oath in Yeola (in District Nasik of Maharashtra) in 1935 that, though 'he was born a Hindu, he would not die a Hindu', and he fulfilled his mission after nearly 21 years, by formally embracing Buddhism on 14th October, 1956 on the occasion of his historic conversion in the city of Nagpur, he was attracted towards the Tathagata since his childhood. The incident was of his passing of the Matriculation, when Shri Keluskar, his esteemed and learned teacher, gave him a complimentary copy of the Tathagata's biography written by the teacher himself. A brilliant and inquisitive student that the young Bhimrao was, got attracted towards the Buddha's message and came under its influence since then and remained so throughout his life.

The open eyed Buddha and Dr. Ambedkar

(Excerpt from a recent article by Dr. Yashwant Manohar in the Marathi daily 'Sakal'. Thanks, Gouri Patwardhan, for the translation-- Round Table India)

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had a special interest in painting. He loved seeing paintings and really wanted to be able to draw well. He learned to draw from B R Madilagekar. He bought many books to study painting. He used to lose himself completely while painting. It was after reading Churchill's book 'Painting as a pastime' that he developed such passion in painting.

Freedom, dignity, happiness, or simply, life!

P. Dayanandan

Comments on Oxford India Anthology of Tamil Dalit Writing (Part I)

P. Dayanandan

(Paper presented on 10th April, 2012 on the occasion of the release of the Oxford India Anthology of Tamil Dalit Writing)

tamil_dalit_writers

• I congratulate Ravikumar, Azhagarsan and Mini for bringing Dalit thoughts to English language readers at large. A quick look at Ravi's writing, speaking and publishing record gives you some inkling of how Iyothee Thass must have managed his time to accomplish all his outpourings. Many folks gathered here, from the writing and publishing professions, defy time. I am grateful to all of you for this honor to receive a copy of the Anthology containing your precious writings, and make some observations on them.

• If we spend 3 minutes on each of the 78 selections it will take 4 hours. How then can we do justice to the 41 authors, translators, editors and the publisher? I will not attempt that. Neither will we discuss, at this stage, about the selection of themes nor authors, nor quality of translation and editing. I will not discuss if the segments selected from the books truly represent the whole. Plenty of that will follow as reviewers examine this Anthology.