[Urbanstudy] An appeal against section 377

[Curt Gambetta]

Dear Ninad and Dr. Sridharan,

Thanks for your postings on the Urban Study Group
list. I am sure they raised eyebrows and provoked
questions for members on the list about what a list
like this is about, and what kind of discussions we
all seek to foster.

I would like to begin from the outset by saying that I
do not, as the moderator, censor any postings made by
group members. You all post directly to the list. I
think we all agree that an environment of openness is
beneficial to dicussions on the list, and I would like
to maintain that mode of operating, free of moderator
approval. Naturally, postings will occassionally slip
in that may or may not address the Urban Study Group's
intended content. I think it is best to live with
that, and continue to maintain this an open list to
group members.

I would like to address what I see as the larger issue
here. I have recently posted messages regarding list
content, in the hopes that we can keep our list
focused on cities and urban life. Many of us are
members of a number of mailing lists, and see it in
our best interest to keep this list focused on issues
that bring us together under the particular auspices
of urban studies and urbanism. I say this cautiously,
however, because we need to keep in mind, and always
remain open to, content or questions that are not
considered proper subjects of study regarding "urban
issues", such as sexuality. After all, urbanism and
urban studies itself is a relatively young phenomenon
in India, and should remain an interdisciplinary
platform that is open to new debates and new
questions. Part of the strength of a collective of
people joined together on a mailing list is that we
are able to reframe what constitutes "urban issues".
In order for us to be critical of the how the state,
the media and other forces construct notions of what
are supposedly 'proper' urban issues for study or
activism, then I would encourage us to remain open to
a diversity of perspectives. Sexuality is only one of
many of these important alternative lenses by which we
may read the experience of urban life.

However sympathetic I may personally feel about the
appeal against section 377, I do think it would be
productive for postings on this list to reflect on
what Section 377 has meant for the policing of public
space, as well as fostering in an extra-official
manner (rarely has it been implemented in court)
certain normative standards of behaviour. That said, I
think it would be best, if postings such as this are
to enter into discussion, to frame the issue being
presented for those on the list who are interested in
a politics of urban space as a contested landscape.
Though the list is oriented towards and research and
reportage, this does not mean that petitions cannot
appear on the list. Please, however, be sure to relate
the content of these petitions to a discussion that
group members can join in on. Tell us a little about
the history or politics of what you are posting, and
try to relate it to questions that interest list
members. I would prefer if list members did not post
'bare' petitions, without any contextualization or
relation to list content. Please refer those postings
to other lists, where your readership will be more
responsive to the issue you are raising.

If you do not share this perspective, by all means,
say so!

Curt

--- ninad pandit <furrylogic at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Dr. N. Sridharan
> 
> I would like to disagree with you about this issue.
> The issue of Section 377 
> impacts every individual, as it attempts to control
> behaviours of mature 
> adults in public and private space. I therefore am
> unable to see how this 
> issue is divorced from "Urban issues", especially
> when it is seen in the 
> context of rampant moral policing in our cities.
> Section 377 represents yet 
> another way in which personal expression is sought
> to be controlled by the 
> state in our society.
> 
> I would like to believe that the urbanstudygroup has
> mature and liberal 
> members who would genuinely like to support a cause
> that is against personal 
> freedom. If such an appeal is a misfit in this
> group, I believe we would end 
> up using it merely to circulate our submissions for
> the Sarai Student 
> Stipendship. I strongly feel that this group needs
> to grow beyond that. 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Ninad Pandit
> 
> 
> 
> On 19/08/05, Dr. N. Sridharan <sri at nsridharan.com>
> wrote:
> > 
> > Open letter to moderator:
> >  Please do not allow a letter like comment on
> Section 377 to enter into 
> > this group discussion. So far we have an healthy
> discussion on urban issues 
> > so far. Let us maintain it in the same way.
> >  Thanks
> > Sridharan
> >  
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> There is no intellectual exercise that is not
> ultimately pointless. - Jorge 
> Luis Borges
> > _______________________________________________
> Urbanstudygroup mailing list
> Urban Study Group: Reading the South Asian City
> 
> To subscribe or browse the Urban Study Group
> archives, please visit
>
https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/urbanstudygroup
> 


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