Sunday, January 26, 2020

Genesis And Causes Of Naxalism History Essay

Genesis And Causes Of Naxalism History Essay Genesis The origin of the Naxalite movement can be located in the contemporary global context of the 1960s. The Naxalite movement was a part of the contemporary, worldwide impulse among radicals to return to the roots of revolutionary idealism. The Naxal leaders drew inspiration from the Indian peasant uprisings of the18th and 19th centuries and the more modern organized armed peasants struggles led by Communists in Telengana in south India in the late 1940s. Naxalism is essentially an outcome of socio-economic problems, mal-administration, un-accountability, perceived injustice and is an end product of agrarian tensions. The contention of Naxalites is that the existing system is corrupt, rotten and can be destroyed by violence alone. Naxals feel that it is the landlords and the state administrators who keep violence on their agenda. Naxals feel justified to counter it by violence so as to achieve radical reforms.  [1]  The genesis of this movement is based on peasants movement and agrarian discontent.  [2]  The primary aim of the movement was to liberate the poor through land and social reforms. Although, the aim was a noble one, the method chosen to achieve it was completely misguided and unlawful. The Naxalite movement quickly veered away from its professed agenda of social justice and, today, various Naxalite factions are nothing more than tools at the disposal of external forces that want to create internal turmoil in India.  [3]   3. Naxalism grew from a tiny movement of Charu Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal of village Naxalbari in the foothills of the Himalayas in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, carved out by him in 1967 after a split, from the ultra left sections of CPI (Marxists). Mazumdar greatly admired Mao Zedong and advocated that Indian peasants and lower classes must follow in his footsteps and overthrow the government and upper classes whom he held responsible for their plight. The movement, basically anti-landlord, acquired the nomenclature of CPI (Marxist- Leninist) in Nov 1967. A similar group, calling itself Marxist Communist Centre (MCC) was operating in the South. CPI (M) and MCC merged in 2004 and became CPI (Maoist), accepting Maoist doctrine of revolutionary agrarian war of seeking power through armed violence and surrounding the urban centres from the countryside. Their activities soon accounted for approximately 90% of revolutionary armed action in India. This brand of revolutionary activities came to be described broadly as Naxalism in recognition of the village Naxalbari from where the bugle of armed revolutionary agrarian revolt was first sounded.  [4]  Ã‚   4. Naxalism and its threat to the state have been growing steadily in the past forty years. Their ideology appeals to the deprived and downtrodden. They have a coherent organisation whose members are ready for sacrifice. They have visionary plans of seizing political power through armed violence. They display a robust will and determination of purpose.    Naxal Ideology 5. Naxalism is the ideology followed by Naxalites in India. It is based on the principles of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism. 6. The Marxist Communist Centre (MCC) is distinguished by its commitment to an earlier version of the Charu Mazumdar, which envisions protracted armed struggle. The MCCs philosophy revolves around two grounds. The first is that, within the country, a revolutionary mass struggle existed and the people were fully conscious and even prepared to take part in revolution immediately. The second was that militant struggles must be carried on, not for land, crops, or other immediate goals, but for the seizure of power. These assumptions are reflected in all their views, whether on organization, on strategy or on tactics. As a result, all efforts and attention is firmly focused on revolutionary activities to undermine the state and seize power. Though the Peoples War Group (PWG) also held a similar view till the early 1980s, it has since shifted focus and established several political front organisations. The PWG gradually discarded its initial assessment of the peoples level of preparedness for an armed struggle, and consequently revised its strategy of immediate seizure of power. Though the armed struggle is not discarded, considerable differences emerged on the issue of the appropriate methodology. There is now increasing emphasis on the process of party building and the encouragement of mass political organizations. Their perspectives on strategy and tactics are also somewhat more nuanced, and there is an acknowledgement that the issues on which the struggle should be conducted necessarily depend on the level of peoples consciousness and the nature of problems faced by them.  [5]  . The PWG has remained unwavering in its ideological commitment to class annihilation, to capturing power through revolutionary warfare on the Maoist pattern, and in its rejection of Parliamentary democracy. This strategy entails building up of bases in rural and remote areas and transforming them, first, into guerrilla zones, and then into liberated zones, even as an area-wise seizure is consolidated, and cities are encircled. Within the theoretical constructs of its peoples war strategy, as well as the PWGs past practices, moreover, negotiations have been used as a tactic and opportunity for recovery, consolidation and expansion.  [6]   Causes for Growth of Naxalism 9. The region, over which the Naxalites have established their presence, is marked by widespread poverty, corruption, unemployment, lack of development, poor governance and an under-equipped police force. In many of these areas, the state machinery either does not exist or has a very limited existence. Naxalites fill the vacuum and exploit the poor performance of the institutions of governance on issues such as land rights, minimum wages, education and anti-corruption. In some areas they have assumed many of the tasks of the state and run a parallel administration.  [7]  The major causes for growth of naxalism are as follows:- Social Inequalities. Atrocities, subjugation, discriminatory treatment of dalits and lower caste peasants by the upper caste landlords continue to be very common in naxalite affected parts of the country. Economic Deprivation. There is extreme poverty and utter lack of economic development in many parts of the country. The landlords do not follow the stipulated minimum wage rule as laid down by the government. Infrastructure Inadequacies. The areas affected by the naxal movement are one of the richest in terms of natural resources. Even then, these areas have not seen any infrastructure development and continue to remain neglected by the authorities. Tribal and Forest Policies. The primitive methods of cultivation have left the tribal people economically fear behind in comparison with other peasants. The tribals have been denied their traditional means of livelihood and hence, their only means of survival has been taken away from them in the name of our forest policies. Inadequate Governance. It is a known fact that in many of these areas, there is no governance at all and the state and civil administrative infrastructure is virtually non-existent. Strategy 10. The Naxals follow the strategy of armed uprising and the theory of revolutionary base. From such revolutionary bases they would strategically be in a position to launch a frontal attack on the enemies of the peasantries and the backward classes. Having complete possession of the revolutionary bases, Naxalites would be launching attacks on large villages, and eventually, guerrilla attack upon cities. The aim of the above naxalite strategy was the annihilation of the landlords, moneylenders, police and its informers and those who would prevent them from establishing a strong hold over the villages.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Isolation of Eugenol from Cloves

The experiment conducted, isolation of eugenol from cloves, is the extraction of the essential oil. To perform this experiment cloves and water were mixed together and heated by a heating mantle in a round-bottom flask. A direct stem distillation took place, and the oil product was out aside for a week. After one week, the isolation of the eugenol actually takes place. Next the thin-layer chromatographic analysis takes place, but the experiment did not proceed to that step due to the incorrect amount of NaOH. Introduction The isolation of eugenol from cloves is isolated from ground cloves using the technique of steam distillation, which is often used to isolate liquid natural products from plants. Essential oils are also used to produce flavoring, fragrance, and cleaning products. The compounds found in the essential oil of cloves are eugenol, eugenol acetate, and B-caryophyllene. Smaller amounts of compounds found in the essential oil of cloves are hydrocarbons, alcohol, phenol, ether, aldehyde, ketone, acid, and ester. Essential oils are volatile and have an odor. Essential oils are often flammable, soluble in alcohol and ether but partially soluble in water. The technique used was steam distillation. The steam distillation technique was used because it lowers the pressure in the flask so that it does not have to be heated at such a high temperature. High temperatures could possibly decompose organic compounds. Experiment The first procedure used in the experiment was 25.3g of whole cloves into a 500ml round flask. Then add 150ml of water into the 500ml round flask. Connect the apparatus, funnel with water, distillation head, condenser, and receiver using grease and clips to hold the equipment together. Connect the equipment to a stand by the separatory funnel so it can stand alone. Place the 500 round flask into the heating mantle. Place two pipes in the two openings of the equipment. The opening closest to the 500ml round ball flask, the water will be exiting into the drain. The opening closest to the 250ml round ball flask, the water will be entering. A pipe was placed in the water outlet and turned on The water began to boil the cloves. Distilling continued until 75ml of the liquid was collected. When the water boiled to high the heat was decreased to prevent bumping. When the water level got low water was released in the 500ml round ball flask from the separatory funnel. The liquid collected was sealed with a stopper and set aside until the next lab. The next lab, 6g of NaCl was assed to 100ml distillacte. The solution was poured into the separatory funnel. In the separatory funnel 25ml of CH2Cl2 was added, and the two solutions separated. The dichloromethane was higher density liquid and the aqueous solution was the lower density liquid. Pressure was released from the separatory funnel and tipped over 3 times. The dichloromethane which was the bottom layer was drained and collected into Erlenmeyer flask. After repeating this step 3 times, the aqueous solution was discarded which appeared white and cloudy. Next CaCl2 was added to the flask containing CH2Cl2 extract into a graduated cylinder which was 58ml. From the total amount of the 58ml CaCl2 and CH2Cl2, one-fifth of the solution which was 11.6ml was added into an erlenmeyer flask and boiled. While boiling the CH2Cl2 evaporated. Before the solution was transferred into the vial, the vial was pre-weighed. After the solution was added the vial a hairdryer was used. The vial weighted 2.17g. Four-fifth of the CH2Cl2 extract was transferred in the separatory funnel. 25 percent of the 50 percent NaOH was added to the separatory funnel, and collected the aqueous layers. The process was repeated 3 times. The CH2Cl2 solution was kept as well. The separatory funnel was washed with 25ml of CH2Cl2. The CH2Cl2 was then discarded and the aqueous solution was capped and left for next lab. Before CaCl2 was added to CH2Cl2 extract an Erlenmeyer was pre-weighed at 117.26g. The solvent then evaporated and weighed in at 142.45. The solvent was stored to the next lab. The next week the experiment did not go to completion. Results The amount of the essential oil was the little vial times 5 which was 10.85g. The amount used to isolate the essential oil was the little vial times 4 which was 8.68g. From the amount CaCl2 and CH2Cl2 solvent was 25.19g. The other results were not completed due to an error in the experiment. Discussion The experiment did not go to completion, because 50 percent of NaOH was used instead of 5 percent of NaOH. The pH was 15 percent. The complete process of the experiment is steam distillation of the eugenol in cloves. After the eugenol is in the distillate extract with dichloromethane. Eugenol in the dichloromethane extract is extract with potassium hydroxide. The eugenol in base extract is wash with dichloromethane, acidify with hydrochloric acid, extract with dichloromethane. Eugenol in dichloromethane extract is washed with distilled water, wash with sodium chloride, dry with sodium sulfate, and distill off dichloromethane. The result will be pure eugenol.

Friday, January 10, 2020

The Privilege of Being White: An Auto-ethnography

One of the most distinct and powerful aspects of the American society is diversity.   It is constituted by different people of various races, ethnicity, origin, color, beliefs and even languages.   America leads in this global phenomenon as it features itself as the home of the free, the land of cosmopolitanism and universality.Immigrants in the US such as Latin, African and Asian Americans have become an integral part of American society. And as part of the American culture, unique individual identities of immigrants are encouraged to be asserted and accepted for assimilation and continued growth of the American culture.Behind that so called American dream that many immigrants yearn for is the issue of racism that continues to pervade American society. Racial discrimination has metamorphosed in new forms and channels in the modern age.   It has been institutionalized and cunningly integrated within the fabric of society as both institutional and cultural phenomenon. (Kivisto a nd Rundblad)The established forms of racial inequalities before remains very much existent but manifests itself in institutional mechanisms today which provided a new dimension of racial segregation in the form of privileges and racial stigma.An ordinary everydayUpon getting this assignment, I quickly started a conscious reflection of my regular activities and made a critical analysis of my social environment in order to recognize the so called privilege that white people enjoys in society.  Ã‚   The first thing that come up in my mind on my way home is that in a society dominated by whites, the white people is a norm.Thus, non-whites are regarded as different or non customary.   In the most peculiar yet common way, I can easily socialize with or get into a company of white people most of the time.   On the other hand, I would have some hesitations in approaching or getting along with non whites.   At this point, I realize that there seems an unconscious prejudice within me that I can relate better with white people because I am one of them and subconscious assumption that they see me as a reflection of themselves as well because I am white.On the other hand, my hesitations to approach non white people may have also stemmed from some kind of bias that non whites are hostile or unwelcoming.   In worst scenarios especially towards non-whites in the streets, there seemed an automatic supposition on my part that they are gang members and are potentially dangerous.I believe that these subconscious feelings are reinforced and sustained by the popular media particularly how non whites have been negatively affected by stereotypical portrayals and the how whites are given privilege. (Branscombe and Doosje)The motion picture is one of the many media through which systematic racial, cultural, and historical discrimination and stratification in society is depicted as a reality in society.   The movie, â€Å"Boyz in the Hood† for instance, tells of the s truggles and perils of a young black man living in the ghetto were joining a gang is a survival kit and that violence in the neighborhood is a way of life.The controversial film â€Å"Do The Right Thing† in 1989, on the other hand accounts a series of events that described the racial tension in a predominantly black neighborhood that resulted to violent conflict in the end.   The movie, â€Å"higher learning† on the other hand, tells of the discrimination that extends in academic institutions that led to the murder of students as well.   The constant portrayal of non whites as gang members made me think that most blacks and Latinos are gang members and are therefore potentially treacherous and threatening.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Examination Hall

When there are only a couple of minutes before the examination begins, the students gather right before the hall, where the tests are going to take place. Some students come in their cars, while the others prefer bicycles. Some college attendants put on their finest outfits while the rest of them gives preference to the casual clothes. What is the Happy Gathering? Boys and girls are standing here and there in small groups. They never stop talking to each other. At some point they feel sad when it’s time for the examination hall to open and they get inside. They keep their eyes on the clock to know when the significant time comes. Their mothers, fathers and other relatives are there to support them and tell them about how to fare well in the process. The friends, who are also there and who have once been through it, instruct them in detail about the examination. They share their experiences and give hot tips. What’s Going on in the Candidate’s Mind? Every thought that pops up in the mind of a student is related only to the examination. They form themselves into many groups seen everywhere – on the benches, in the garden or in the green ground. They all suggest possible questions and immediately give various answers. As soon as a clever boy appears on their way, they catch him up and ask every question possible. Being Care Free Is a Part of the Process Although the whole group is bathing in fear, there are some individuals who are absolutely fear-less. They take every exam as a game. Making fun of everything is a part of the play. Being care free they tease those who is busy with books and laugh at the students praying for the best. Who Else? If you take a closer look around, you will find out that there are also other persons besides the examinees. They are here just to enjoy what is happening. The hawkers are there to hawk. The shopkeepers simply keep their shops. Nonetheless, none of the stuff grabs student’s attention this time. Here’s When the Examination Starts When there are only several minutes left before the examination, the examination superintendent appears with a peon, who opens the hall. This is the moment, when the students have an opportunity to enter the place. Some of them feel awkward, some behave uneasily. Their heart beat reaches the critical point when they enter the door. With the God’s name on their lips they take their seats. Meanwhile, someone hears the bell ringing and the sound of silence. Everybody is serious as never before. When every seat is occupied, the door of the examination hall is clothed. This is when the examination starts!