Tributes to Smitu Kothari
Lysa John
From: Jai Sen [mailto:jai...@cacim.net]
Dear friends everywhere,
This is just to forward to you some very sad news, in case you do not already have it… Smitu Kothari, who many of you might have known or known of, passed away yesterday morning, very suddenly. In Smitu’s memory, and thinking today of his father Rajni, partner Bindya, daughter Emma, brothers Miloon and Ashish, and all his many friends and near and extended family.
Jai Sen
CACIM, A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India
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From: Delhi Forum <delhi...@delhiforum.net>
Date: March 23 2009 11:04:41 AM GMT+05:30
Subject: Smitu Kothari passes away
Friends,
Noted scholar, author and activist Smitu Kothari passed away today early
morning (India
time 23rd March 6 a.m.). He died of a cardiac attack after having undergone a
heart surgery yesterday at AIIMS in Delhi.
The cremation was held at Lodi
Road electric Crematorium in South
Delhi at 4pm on the 23rd March.
Smithu was attending a Delhi Solidarity Group meeting with Himalaya Niti Abhiyan friends and others to discuss strategies and support for the people's struggles in Himachal Pradesh against displacement, mining and environmental destruction on the 20th afternoon, when he had a cardiac attack. From Indian Social Institute, he was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He was discharged the same day as his ECG was found to be normal. However, on 21st, doctors did detail investigations, where it was found out that he had already developed a serious rupture on his main artery and an immediate surgery was undertaken on the 22nd. However, that also could not help him as he collapsed during post-operative care to a cardiac arrest today early morning.
Smitu Kothari is one of the founders of Lokayan ("Dialogue of the People"), and Intercultural Resources, two centres in Delhi, India promoting exchange between non-party political formations and concerned scholars and other citizens from India and the rest of the world. Trained in physics, communications and sociology, he is involved in ecological, cultural and human rights issues striving to collectively forge a national and global alternative that is socially just and ecologically sane. He has been a visiting Professor at Cornell and Princeton Universities. He is President of the International Group for Grassroots Initiatives and a Contributing Editor of The Ecologist and of Development. He has published extensively on critiques of contemporary economic and cultural development, the relationship of nature, culture and democracy, developmental displacement, people’s governance and social movements. Smitu was always a source of inspiration and support to not just people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent and alternatives across the globe.
Among the books he has edited are: Voices of Struggle. Social Movements in Asia (2006); Voices of Sanity, In Search of Democratic
Space (2002); A Watershed in Global Governance? An Independent Assessment of
the World Commission on Dams; The Value of Nature: Ecological Politics in India
(2003); Out of the Nuclear Shadow (with Zia Mian, 2001); Rethinking Human
Rights: Challenges for Theory and Action (1991); and, The Non-Party Political
Process: Uncertain Alternatives (with H. Sethi, 1988); He was currently working
on a new book, Ecological Justice: Nature, Culture and Democracy.
Jibin
--
In Solidarity,
Delhi Forum
F-10/12, Malviya Nagar
New Delhi -
110017. INDIA
Ph: + 91-11-26680883 / 26680914
Fax: +91-11-26687724
Email: delhi...@gmail.com / delhi...@delhiforum.net / dfo...@bol.net.in
On Mar 23 09, at 3:28 PM, me...@narmada.org wrote:
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
· 62 M.G Marg, Badwani, Madhya Pradesh - 451551
Telefax: 07290-222464; E-mail: nba....@gmail.com
·Maitri Niwas, Tembewadi, Behind Kakawadi, Dhadgav, Dist. Nandurbar,
Maharashtra - 425414 – Telefax: 02595-220620
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA salutes the life-long contribution of
Smitu Kothari to people's movements
Resolves to carry forward his vision for a just and pro-poor development
Narmada Bachao Andolan joins other people's movements in expressing its shock
and grief at the most untimely demise of Smitu Kothari, one of the most active,
progressive and consistent voices against the neo-liberal anti-poor agenda of
privatization, globalization and liberalization in recent times. A widely
respected scholar, visiting academic at the Cornell and Princeton Universities,
author of several publications on contemporary socio-political and economic
discourses and above all an indomitable activist, Smitu Kothari, 59 passed away
today early morning at 6 a.m owing to a cardiac attack after having undergone a
heart surgery yesterday at AIIMS in Delhi. The cremation will be held at Lodi
Road electric Crematorium in South Delhi at 4pm on the 23rd March.
The most unexpected stroke came when Smitu was at a meeting of the Delhi
Solidarity Group and Himalaya Niti Abhiyan to discuss strategies for
strengthening the people's struggles in Himachal Pradesh against displacement,
mining and environmental destruction on the 20th afternoon, from where he was
rushed to the AIIMS and was discharged the same day as his ECG was found to be
normal. However he was again hospitalized a day later due to arterial
complications and succumbed during the post-operative care.
One of the founders of Lokayan ("Dialogue of the People"), and Intercultural
Resources, two centres in Delhi promoting exchange between non-party political
formations and concerned scholars and other citizens from India and the rest of
the world, he was actively involved in ecological, cultural and human rights
issues striving to collectively forge a national and global alternative that is
socially just and ecologically sane and in this capacity has been vigorously
pursuing multifarious academic and activist initiatives. Development induced
displacement, people’s governance and social-environmental movements were
some of his core concerns. He was also one of the striving spirits behind the
Independent People's Tribunal on the World Bank Group in India held in 2007.
Smitu has also been a long time vocal supporter of the struggle of the
thousands of adivasis, farmers, labourers, fishworkers, potters and all the
project-affected people in the Narmada valley and articulated their concerns at
various fora both within India and across continents.
A truly loving person, Smitu continues to be a source of inspiration not just
for people's movements and struggles in India, but also to voices of dissent
and alternatives across the globe. NBA expresses its heartfelt condolences to
Smitu's extended family of activists, supporters and all peace and justice
loving people. We salute his decades of invaluable contribution to diverse
people's movements and resolves to take forward his message and commitment to
come together and be united against all odds and strengthen our collective
force for justice.
Medha Patkar Ashish Mandloi Kamla Yadav Kailash Awasya
______________________________
Lysa John
From: NCE India [mailto:ncei...@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:12 AM
To: wnta+...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [WNTA] Tributes to Smitu Kothari
We lost a good friend activist and fellow traveller of social cause.
May God bless the family with the courage to face this loss.
Rama Kant rai and colleagues