Thursday, 13 January, 2005, India Votes bbc
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2 Docs 2006 CV VITHAL RAJAN BRIEF .doc | narrative.doc
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Web exclusive, January 2006 The McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives : Confidence Index,
Economic confidence is up worldwide but varies from country to country, notably in the booming economies of China and India.
2006
There are nonetheless notes of caution, such as the infrastructure problems of India [see Wednesday Night with Vithal Rajan Wed1282 and nyt], the emerging problem between India and Bangladesh and China’s movement into the Himalayas in search of water.
Hi Diana : Here's is a glowing review of Vithal's "Holmes of the Raj" from the
Sherlock Holmes Bookstore and Cafe, Cincinnati, Ohio. Copies of the book have
been available from that bookstore. See address and email at end of review.
However, readers who want a copy of the book should email the publisher which
is Writers Workshop located in Calcutta. The email address is:
profsky@cal.vsnl.net.in
To get an idea of his publisher you could look it up under Google under Writers
Workshop. This publisher, a well\known literary figure in India has published
more than 800 books over the past 25 years of Indian writers in English. He
runs a cottage industry press with everything done by hand, and covers using
sari material.
Here's the review from the Holmes book store.
We have imported Holmes of the Raj from India and offer it to you with
considerable pride. Here is what our reviewer (who, we might add, is not prone
to give praise lightly) had to say about the book:
"This is a very charming book. The author tells the adventures of Holmes and
Watson in India in a series of interconnected short stories strung together
like a string of pearls. Holmes and Watson have been called to India and go
with the blessings of The Government.
The tales are of politics, blackmail and murder. This book is much better
written than a number of pastiches I have read recently and the author provides
more of the 'feel' of the original canonical cases. The author has cleverly,
and interestingly, interwoven his fiction with real historical events and
characters. A skillfully written and entertaining work. It would be a welcomed
addition to any Sherlockian library. Highly recommended."
It is clear that this author has an extensive knowledge of the Canon as well as
Indian, British, and world history. The book contains 211 pages within its
rigid binding which has been covered with a multicolored woven cloth imprinted
with gold lettering and decoration. The books have actually been hand-bound in
a variety of fabric colors and are singular examples of the bookbinders' art
(the book you get may not have the same color binding as the one shown here).
Only 500 copies of the book have been published! It is a gem of a collectors'
item in addition to being a "charming" read.
Holmes of the Raj
by Vithal Rajan
Price: US$19.95
P.O. Box 19058 Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
sherlock@sherlock-holmes.com>
Tuesday Jul 25, 2006 Named to Order of Canada Vithal Rajan, who divides his time between Montreal and his native India, is a graduate of the London School of Economics. He became a Canadian in the 1960s and is head of the Confederation of Voluntary Associations, which works with Hindus and Muslims in the Indian slums.
For the past 40 years, Rajan has been active in promoting literacy and community health programs in India.
>Alan Hustak
Brief CV of Vithal Rajan
Vithal Rajan (BA Hons McGill, PhD London School of Economics) immigrated to Canada from India in the mid 1960's, and worked for several years as Information Officer for Canadian Industries Ltd. in Montreal. A special task assigned to him was developing a program of 'social consciousness' for the company.
Following the intensification of the Vietnam War, he involved himself in the peace movement, and even served as a 'mediator' in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the early 1970's on behalf of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Commission for Peace. Later, he was a founder faculty member of the School of Peace Studies, Bradford University, U.K.
Following the suspension of civil liberties in India by Mrs Indira Gandhi, he felt impelled to return to India, and based at Hyderabad, he has worked in an honorary capacity with several civil society organizations, and especially with ' untouchable' communities of very poor women.
He was founder volunteer chair of the Deccan Development Society, which promotes integrated rural development in the semi-arid poverty-stricken Deccan plateau, literacy and community health programs, and ecological agriculture. Several NGOs like his own helped establish the fact that poor women can save and manage very successfully large funds in their community interest.
He is now volunteer chair, governing body of the Confederation of Voluntary Associations, which works through community empowerment for harmony between poor Hindu and Muslim communities living in Indian slums. This association also plays a vital role in the Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy, a citizens' initiative to bring peace to the two great powers of South Asia. He also chairs an advisory committee of a federation of over a hundred grassroots 'dalit' or 'untouchables' organizations.
Special projects he has initiated include ecological management of agricultural pests without resort to dangerous pesticides; and the introduction of solar energy for the benefit of poor communities; and information technologies for basic education. He is an advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, on new development strategies for the 21st century.
Over the last two decades, he has also worked on brief stints in Europe, as Chair of World Studies, International School of Geneva; as Director, Ethics and Education, World Wide Fund for Nature International, Switzerland; and as Executive Director, the Right Livelihood Awards, Sweden (better known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize' in Europe).
He lives some of the time in Hyderabad, India, with his wife, K. Lalita, a well-known feminist and writer. As a Canadian citizen, he treasures hopes of being of service some day to Canadian communities; especially in BC, since his daughter is now studying at UBC.
REBUILDING COMMUNITIES: Experiences and experiments in Europe
edited by Vithal Rajan
The ideas, the stories and the struggles of people from many walks of life who are concerned with restoring the health and vitality of communities and their natural environments. Includes many case studies, including conservation and development projects which are being undertaken by WWF with local organisations in several European countries. Resurgence in assn. with WWF 288 pp with 20 b/w photos 234 x 156mm ISBN 1 870098 50 1 £9.95 pb
"Ce livre devrait être le point de départ d'une enquête publique, à l'échelle mondiale, sur le fonctionnement des institutions et des politiques internationales axées sur la préservation de la nature." Vithal Rajan, membre fondateur de la Société de développement du Deccan et de la Confédération des associations bénévoles, Inde et membre du jury du Right Livelihood Award (Prix des justes moyens d'existence).
The 50th anniversary of independence of India and Pakistan, with a broad program of political and cultural activities which started with an evening talk on child labour by Vithal Rajan, the leader of an Indian NGO which is very active on this issue. (Alternatives publishes a page in HOUR magazine, one of Montreal's major independant English papers which has a weekly circulation of over 60,000 copies. ...a group of Alternatives activists in Quebec City broadcast a weekly program of international and regional news linked with the work of Alternatives.
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