The Language Issue In New Europe - a Lingual Hodgepodge The local language and local needs Pseudoculture Culture Cultural Exploitation through Pseudo-Culture --- The Language Issue By P.R. Sarkar Every living being has its own inherent tendency to express and symbolize. In the evolutionary process of creation, where higher species have evolved, living beings try to express their feelings by gesture, posture or by some sound. In a general sense, this acoustic expression of ideas is called language. The chirping sound of a bird is its language. Zoologists and ornithologists have established this fact. Even monkeys have their own language, which consists of about 850 sounds. In the case of human beings, who are the highest creations of this cosmological order, acoustic expression has developed into a well-knit and well-integrated linguistic system. Language is a powerful medium for the expression of the inner thoughts of human beings - it is a vital inner asset, which is inseparably linked with their fundamental characteristics (pra'na'dharma). Either from the psychophysical or theoretical viewpoint, all the people of the world have the same language. This is because the essence of language, that is idea, is one and the same for all languages. Phonetics may differ amongst languages because of differences in geographical environment, which causes differences in racial and ethnic factors and results in variations in the biological structure of the vocal chord. Thus when the idea to drink water appears in the mind, then human beings may express this idea differently. Some say,"A'mi jal kha'ba" while others say, "Mu jala pivu". Behind these different expressions is the same idea. About 300 languages have evolved in the world today through this process. Culture is the same for all humanity though there are differences in cultural expressions due to time, space and person. These differences are not evidence of many different cultures as all languages of the world are fundamentally one and the same. That is human culture consists of many expressions and human language is ideas expressed in many forms Consequently, all languages should carry equal importance and equal respect. Keeping all these points in mind, we should look deeply into the question of language problems. According to Prout there are eight constituent factors of a full-fledged language: 1. Case endings 2. Verb endings 3. Pronouns 4. Vocabulary 5. Pronunciation 6. Written or unwritten literature including folk literature 7. Psycho-acoustic notes and inferential acoustic notes 8. Syntax If either pronunciation or literature or unwritten literature is missing, then the language is called dialect or "part of a dialect". On this earth there are many such dialects. For example, in Bhojpuri there are three dialects, in Oriya there are two dialects and in Chatisgarhii there are three dialects. Now, let us observe if there is a close relationship between language and progress and cultural development. I have already said that language is the vehicle of inner thoughts and ideas. Naturally it is inseparably linked with the fundamental characteristics (pra'na' dharma) of human beings. The way people can express their thoughts and ideas in their own mother tongue cannot be done in any other language. People feel uneasy when they speak in a language other than their mother tongue. If they constantly feel such uneasiness, their vital energy (pra'n'a shakta) will be disturbed. Consequently their vital force will be weakened. In such circumstance a sort of psychological crisis will occur in the collective mental body as well as in the individual mind. This will result in the emergence of inferiority complexes, which will cause debility in the human mind. Those people whose language is suppressed loose their moral courage, initiative and power to protest. Ultimately a defeatist psychology develops in them, and as a group such people face the prospect of total annihilation. Thus, the suppression of language has a very dangerous effect on the human mind. As a result of this unrelenting suppression, people will never be able to raise their heads and they will die a premature and unnatural death. The most important point in this regard is that such a linguistically suppressed group of people will always remain economically backward due to continuous psycho-economic exploitation. It is a matter of great regret that this tragedy is going on all over the world, including India. The meaning of the word society is to move together. People should make every effort to carry those who are lagging behind with them. This is the spirit of society. Prout clearly advocates that in every progressive and dynamic social system, all languages should enjoy equal rights, equal opportunity and equal recognition. One should also remember that this recognition should not remain confined to theory or to reading and writing only. Languages should be utilized in day-to-day life and in all related activities. In all spheres of life--offices, courts, railways, airports, trade, commerce, and private concerns--the medium of expression should be the mother tongue. However, in the educational sphere there should be no bar in learning languages other than one's mother tongue so as to expand the horizon and depth of one's knowledge. It happens that in the practical field, where there is some special or technical necessity, whether in public or private life, the compulsory use of one's mother tongue may create confusion. In such circumstances an appropriate common language may be used. Concerning the spirit of society, it should be remembered that there is no conflict in propagating and popularizing a particular language as a national or international link language or lingua franca, providing all other languages get equal scope for their development. Such an approach depends upon the goodwill and benevolent attitudes of humanity. In reality many countries of the world are multilingual, but they are managing their affairs very smoothly, like Switzerland, for example. If a man from Allahabad comes to Calcutta to live he may feel difficulty in seeing or reading the signboards, name plates, advertisements, cash memos, official papers, etc which are written in Bengali. He may think that if he were in France for business purposes he would have encountered the same sort of difficulties. Under such circumstances one should develop an urge to learn the local language, as this is helpful in developing love and respect for everything in that local area. If such a practice is encouraged, there will be true communication of thoughts and feelings between people and the rapid mutual exchange of ideas and cultural expressions between social groups. Governments should not be in a hurry in dealing with a knotty problem like language. In a country like India, which has numerous languages and varied cultural expressions arising from constant clash and cohesion, to introduce new language policies quickly without proper consideration would be foolish. While all languages should have compulsory constitutional recognition and all languages should enjoy equal importance, the language chosen as the lingua franca should not suppress any other language. In a multi-lingual country like India, either a common language, which is the basis of all languages, should be used to tie languages together, like Sanskrit, or some link language should be used which will not give preference or suppress any of the local languages. In due course, with the development of various languages, a national language will gradually emerge and be accepted by all. Until this stage is reached through natural evolution, English should continue as a link language even after the establishment and proper recognition of local mother tongues. We should not forget that today, because of historical and many other practical reasons, English is not only the language of England, but has become a world language. All the people of the world should have equal rights to this language. In the future some other language may occupy the status of the lingua franca, but today English should be accepted as the link language of the world. Without introducing and adopting a policy based on the natural process of language selection, if someone tries to forcibly impose any particular language on others, it will lead to clash, dissension and disintegration amongst different interest groups in a country. Such a situation will encourage linguist fanaticism amongst the people and poison the environment of the whole society. To solve the language problem and to adopt the right course of action in this regard, we need foresight, tolerance, practical knowledge, universal love, a proper ideology, earnestness and intelligence. If we move along the stormy path of our lives with a constant source of inspiration then not only language problems but all problems, no matter how difficult they seem, can be easily solved, and human existence will become glorified with the radiance of victory. 1981 Calcutta Prout in a Nutshell, Part 13 --- In New Europe - a Lingual Hodgepodge Old Tongues Are Flourishing in a Revival of Regional Cultures By Marlise Simons New York Times QUEVEN, France -- Day and night on France's windy western coast, Radio Kerne transmits a bright mix of music sprinkled with local news. It is a new station run by young people for a young audience -- but with a difference. Most of Radio Kerne's operators are volunteers, working with the zeal of missionaries. Their preferred music comes from bagpipes and flutes. And they broadcast only in Breton, a Celtic language spoken for more than 2,000 years that until recently seemed doomed to disappear. "Saving the culture of Brittany is very much on people's minds," said Isig Flatres, who is the manager of the station. "This generation is no longer embarrassed about speaking or being Breton." What is more, the language of the druids --- who had kept writing secret -- is now out on the Internet with its own Web sites. After being banished for more than a century from Brittany's schools, the language has found new defenders in the pro-Breton movement, and its activists are developing software, translating centuries-old texts and sending their children to new bilingual schools that teach Breton and French. Reflecting a growing trend in Europe, all the minority languages of France -- banned after the revolution in the name of the equality -- are getting a new lease on life. Since the Socialist Government took office in 1997, greater tolerance has allowed for more teaching of Occitan, Basque, Corsican and Alsatian in France's schools. The change is not undisputed: President Jacques Chirac, several Government ministers and the nation's highest court have weighed in on the unresolved argument over whether it is constitutional to promote a language other than French. Teaching regional languages is "an enterprise that can destroy the unity of the nation," said Maurice Druon, the head of the French Academy. "We risk pulverizing French. Why sacrifice a glorious language to local dialects?" But the renaissance of local cultures is not confined to France. This is one of the more intriguing side effects of a uniting Europe: as national boundaries fade within the 15-member European Union, more political power flows to Brussels and more countries beg to join the group, local cultures and languages are reasserting their strength. And while a blanket of sameness has settled over consumer trends and styles in Europe, historians say that more people are interested in protecting minority languages and asserting local differences then at any other time in this century. Gaelic has returned to schools in Scotland and Wales, which have both gained more political power from the once highly centralized Government in London. Northern Italy has courses in Friulian. Dutch radio stations broadcast in Frisian and Limburgs. "In Finland, we can now get the news in Saami," said Tom Moring, a Finnish linguist. Regionalism is perhaps strongest in Spain, where Basque is making a comeback in the north, bolstered by the local government. In Catalonia, Barcelona's authorities insist on doing all official business in Catalan, which now prevails over Spanish. "Brussels bureaucrats may try to steamroller us into oneness, but people are stubborn," said Hans Magnus Enzensberger, a German who has written often on European and regional identity. "The more global and uniform our civilization, the more people want to anchor themselves in their own culture. The fact is, Europe has a few thousand years of settled cultures -- it can't simply turn into an American-type melting pot." Some students of the trend believe the identity of Europe's ethnic groups is strengthening because anchors like religion and nationality have weakened. "Being a citizen of Europe is still rather vague, rather abstract as an identity", Mr. Moring said. Some Europe-wide institutions are helping in the belief that grass-roots movements fostering local pride are good for democracy. The Council of Europe, a 41-nation group that promotes democracy and human rights, has adopted a charter pledging to encourage the use of indigenous languages in schools, media and public life. The council says that of the 500 million or so Europeans, more than 50 million speak a local language that is not their country's official tongue. The European Union has created the Bureau for Lesser-used Languages, which finances projects such as developing Internet browsers in Welsh and cartoon books in Alsation. Next, it promises a news agency. "When the media report on ethnic groups, it's usually about conflict", said Bertrand Menciassi out of the language bureau. "We want to provide some balance. There's so much else going on that's very rich". In Brittany, some linguists wonder whether the revival is not coming too late. Of Brittany's four million people, only about 10 percent still know Breton, and most of these are elderly. But 10,000 adults are enrolled in evening classes in Breton, and in the past 20 years, the Diwan movement -- Diwan is Breton for "seed" -- has built up 34 Breton-speaking schools, with 5,000 pupils. Valerie le Gal, the director of a Diwan school in Lorient, said that unlike state-run institutions, teachers are short of money and materials. They have adapted some textbooks by pasting Breton passages over them. In her class, 7-year-olds were learning to read and write in a language that has few ties to French. For zero, they wrote "mann"; the word "keriaden" means village. Breton linguists working with Celtic specialists in Ireland, Scotland and Wales have created modern words such as skinwell (television), pellgomz (telephone) urzhiataer (computer). The cultural revival may thrive if it continues to produce economic benefits. Julien le Mentec has just opened his second Breton tavern in Lorient, where he serves local dishes and offers Breton music and language courses to a clientele mostly under 25. Young activists network with Celtic counterparts in Wales, Cornwall, Scotland and Ireland. This year's Inter Celtic Music Festival in Lorient drew 400,000 visitors, many of them from Britain. The young people have helped the language and culture to open up, which may be a key to survival, said Michel Le Bris, a Breton novelist. "We now except that our identity can have several layers", Mr. Le Bris said. "We can feel European and French and Breton all at once. But the answer is to remain open. If not, you become a bastion, a Serbia." --- The local language and local needs By P.R. Sarkar Prout's approach is that the medium of instruction from primary to tertiary level should be in the local language. The sum total of human expression is culture, and language is the best medium to express human culture. While different groups should encourage every language, each unit should use the local language to inspire self-confidence and self-respect amongst the local people. Encouraging a positive cultural identity is an important ingredient in the development of the local area, and is an essential factor in generating a sense of affinity and unity amongst the people. The use of non-local languages as the medium of instruction only results in the suppression and subjugation of the local language and inevitably means the suppression of the local culture. This in turn leads to psychic demoralization, inferiority complexes and a defeatist mentality. Whenever the sentimental legacy of a group of people is undermined, they become easy prey to the economic, political and psycho-economic exploitation of vested interests. The English, French, Dutch, Spanish, American and other colonial powers adopted such a strategy of cultural suppression. If local people develop a sublime awareness of their cultural heritage they can readily throw off all psychic inferiority complexes, which prevent them from attaining self-reliance. The introduction of the local language as the medium of instruction from primary to tertiary level will also put the local people in control of their educational institutions, thus ridding them of those cultural prejudices, biases and teachings which perpetuate subjugation. In Bengal and Chattisgarhi, for example, non-local people, who have migrated from outside the region and who still maintain their cultural prejudices, control many of the educational institutions. The same situation occurs in many undeveloped and developing countries. Another point of Prout's approach is that the local language should be the medium of communication in governmental, and non-governmental institutions and offices. When the British were ruling India, they concentrated their economic activities in a few centers like Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras. The indigenous capitalist class, who were in collusion with the Britishers, usually brought in labourers and managers from outside the local area to disrupt the local economy and make it amenable to their control. The English language was imposed on local people, and the British administration went to great lengths to train up tens of thousands of Indian clerks in the English system of education to ensure British cultural dominance of the Indian economy. So, if the local people demand that the local language should be the medium of expression in the workplace, the nonlocal people who control the local industries can be forced out of the local area, creating more opportunities for the local people. The approach of the movements of Prout is that particular demands pertaining to the local area should be implemented. The local situation should be carefully studied and programmes should be adopted as per the requirements of the particular locality. For the groups in Germany, Ireland and Korea for example, the major focus should be on the unification of their divided nations. In other groups, local people may demand the construction of bridges and roads to make raw materials more accessible as the first step in developing new industries. And in those places that are dependent on agriculture, small-scale irrigation projects may be necessary to increase the availability of irrigation water and thus increase the number of crops grown per year. Thus, this last point includes all the local needs necessary to expedite the development of the local area. Prout's approach is that maximum industries should be developed in the local area according to the availability of raw materials or local consumption. This principle will develop the economic potential of a unit by placing economic power into the hands of the local people and divesting outsiders of their control over the economy. In a economy most industries will be run as agricultural, producer or consumer cooperatives creating a new kind of cooperative spirit or cooperative dynamo. Such an approach will place economic power into the hands of those who work physically or intellectually for proper production, stripping capitalists of their exploitative economic power. Thus maximum industrial development will be assured. Several corollaries arise from this principle. The first corallary is that industries should utilize locally available local raw materials and should not import raw materials from outside the unit. Raw materials are the basic ingredients or resources necessary to make finished products. The tyre industry, for example, requires rubber plantations as rubber sap is the basic raw material for this industry. If the topography of the local area favours the ample growth of rubber trees, then industries may be created around this raw material. Or, if alternative synthetic materials are available, a synthetic tyre industry may be developed. There are several reasons why industries should utilize locally available raw materials. First, not all areas have the same potential. Different areas will naturally be conducive to producing different kinds of raw materials, as in the case of plant-based raw materials. Industries based on locally available raw materials can produce commodities cheaply, be located near ready supplies of raw materials, and ensure their self-reliance. These advantages are not apparent where there is dependence on outside raw materials. Secondly, raw material producers, especially producer cooperatives, will prosper as there will be ready markets for their products. Thirdly, industries will feel secure when they know that sufficient raw materials are available to supply their needs, and they will be able to plan their future production efficiently. Fourthly, many large capitalists deliberately influence the economic and political policies of a local area by preventing the growth of local industries based on the local raw materials. They further exploit the local people by selling manufactured goods in the local markets which are made from locally produced raw materials. Australia, for example, imports many manufactured goods from Japan, which are produced from Australian raw materials. Encouraging the growth of local industries based on local raw materials will terminate the dominance that individual and collective capitalists exercise over the local markets, ending the drainage of capital vital for the local area's economic growth. A second corollary of the above principle is that local raw materials should not be exported--only manufactured goods should be exported. Local raw material prices in the export market are subject to manipulation and erratic fluctuations as they are currently traded through speculative commodity markets, which are controlled by vested interests. To root out dishonesty from the field of trade, free trade should be established throughout the world as far as possible. Manufactured goods, on the other hand, are generally subject to less price manipulation and command better prices than raw materials. By manufacturing locally finished products, a unit can conserve its reserve bullion and improve the purchasing capacity of the local people. A third corollary is that if no potential exists to produce the manufactured goods required by industry in the local area, only then should the importation of such goods be allowed. Importation of manufactured goods means that local capital is being transferred to another unit, which has produced the product. The drainage of capital is always detrimental to the economic growth of a unit, therefore unnecessary importation should always be discouraged. Barter agreements should be arranged between trading units so that no net loss occurs to either of the trading partners. Barter agreements in foreign trade are especially beneficial for those units which have very few commodities to sell but a large number of commodities to buy, and their saleable commodities, though few in number, are large in quantity. There are many such international bilateral and multilateral barter agreement in place, but are controlled by speculative capitalists. Thus, where there is a plentiful supply of local raw materials, industries can be developed for local demand according to local consumption, and if applicable the surplus may be exported. The availability of raw materials will ensure the long-term viability of local industries. Prout's approach is that outside finished products, which can be locally produced, should not be imported. This point implies that the local people should support their local industries by purchasing their own finished products. They should buy the finished goods of the local industries even if initially they may be of lesser quality than the finished goods manufactured outside the socio-economic unit, as this will ensure the continued economic viability and growth of the industries in the unit. With continued local support, the local industries will develop to a stage when they will be able to produce goods of better quality. [Japan developed like this to some extent.] But, if due to economic, political or psycho-economic exploitation, people purchase finished goods made outside their unit rather than those made locally, then local developing industries may be forced to close down creating unemployment and other social and economic problems. Thus, people's sentiments should be aroused so that they buy locally produced products rather than outside finished products wherever possible. To achieve this, popular movements should be started so that the economic awareness of local people is increased. When the British were ruling India, India imported salt even though the potential for manufacturing local salt existed in India. The Indian leaders then organized a civil disobedience movement and proceeded to make their own salt, boycotting British made salt. This movement caught the imagination of the people and won their support, thus the Indian people became conscious of British exploitation. This movement brought down the price of salt, an indispensable part of most Indian dishes, and provided employment by building up the local salt industry. It also saved the country from the drainage of wealth, which previously went into the coffers of the British salt manufacturers. In addition, it heightened the consciousness of the Indian people and helped polarize the population into the pro and anti-British camps. 31.12.84, Calcutta Prout in a Nutshell Part 13 --- Pseudoculture "In practical, every-day life, sustainable development requires understanding of a complex set of relationships and, over time, the expenditure of considerable efforts and resources. A global consensus of the professional public has come to the conclusion that the current direction of developments, in particular as a consequence of its excessively material and energy intensity, and also as a consequence of the unethical elements it contains, is not permanently sustainable. It is becoming increasingly apparent that further continuation of development without respecting the principles of sustainable development can lead to a socially unacceptable division between the very rich and the very poor, where the formation of commercial rubbish, an excess of luxurious goods and substitutes for these goods, the pseudoculture of the mass media and the related growth of criminality, social tension and terrorism will further hasten the irreversible process of devastation of the remaining ecosystems." - Speech of the Czech Minister of Environment, Milos Kuzvart on 28 April 2002 at the opening of the reception of UNEPīs 7th International High-level Cleaner Production Seminar in Prague "We in the U.S.S.R. began to trudge, downcast, through a 70-year-long ice age, under whose heavy glacial cover one could barely discern the secret heartbeat of a handful of great poets and writers. These were almost entirely unknown to their own country, not to mention the rest of the world, until much later. With the ossification of the totalitarian Soviet regime, its inflated pseudoculture ossified as well, turning into the loathsome ceremonial forms of so-called "socialist realism." Some individuals have been eager to devote numerous critical analyses to the essence and significance of this phenomenon. I would not have written a single one, for it is outside the bounds of art altogether: the object of study, the style of "socialist realism," never existed. One does not need to be an expert to see that it consisted of nothing more than servility, a style defined by "What would you care for?" or "Write whatever the Party commands." What scholarly discussion can possibly take place here?" - The Relentless Cult of Novelty And How It Wrecked the Century by ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITZYN. Paper prepared by Mr. Solzhenitsyn and read by his son Ignat on the occasion of Mr. Solzhenitsyn being awarding the medal of honor for literature by the National Arts Club in New York City in 1987. "Psycho-economic exploitation is the latest form of dangerous and all-devouring capitalist exploitation. It is a special type of exploitation which first weakens and paralyses people psychologically in various ways, and then exploits them economically. Some of the methods of psycho-economic exploitation include, first, the suppression of the indigenous language and culture of the local people; secondly, the extensive propagation of pseudo-culture, exemplified by pornographic literature which debases people's minds and undermines the vitality of the youth; ... and eightthly, placing the control over different mass media such as newspapers, radios and television, in the hands of the capitalists. Intellectual exploitation and psycho-economic exploitation are great dangers to the entire humanity today." - P R Sarkar 1981, Calcutta "Capitalism In Three Spheres" A Few Problems Solved Part 9 "I would also like to mention the phenomenon that is the attraction to mass pseudoculture. Especially for young women, the mass pseudoculture is an external source, creating an illusion of affordability of relationships condemned not only morally, but legally as well. Therefore, the popular pseudoculture, which on a personal level gives a woman a right to prostitution, to sell herself, gives a woman a form of light-minded attitude to what we call a doubtful agreement, doubtful not only legally, but morally, the agreement which forces the woman to exculpate herself morally before leaving the country or selling herself. That is why the mass pseudoculture, delivered from movie and TV screens and through various other channels being implanted into the mentality of our young women, should be substituted in a good sense of this word. And the substitution for this pseudophenomenon, which we call pseudoculture, will be a new orientation on life and meaningful spiritual values in the modern society. These meaningful spiritual values need to be created. ... It is the elimination of the negative impacts that pseudoculture produces at the end of the day, which, unfortunately, predominates in our mentality and replaces the sound national mentality of women living in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. At present, traditional morals and values previously existing in Kazakhstan have been substituted by the pseudoculture only. The objective now is to create a new orientation on life and meaningful spiritual values." - Bolat Baikadamov, Secretary of the Human Rights Commission Under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, CONFERENCE on 'WOMEN, LAW AND MIGRATION', ALMATY, 23-24 NOVEMBER 2000 --- Culture By P.R. Sarkar Culture is a vague term. It is the collective name for different expressions of life. People eat, enjoy hospitality, laugh on some occasions and shed tears on others, and thereby express life through various actions. The collective name of all these actions is culture. The particular expressions of life that are not considered beneficial to others are called crude culture, a part of popular culture. To take a very common example, an English family, out of hospitality, may offer beef to an Indian guest who may not like it. The term culture can also be used in good sense and is that which is beneficial for all. According to Prout all of society has the same culture. There are local variations in the mode or state of cultural expression, but the expression is universal. While everybody eats, some eat by hand, others by stick and still others by spoon. Indian dance is based on mudra' - dance postures, and European dance is based on rhythm, but they do not represent two different cultures. They represent different refined expressions of humanity - part of the human culture. Local variations will diminish if there is a close blending between different groups of people, because this will create common customs. In Nepal there is a blending of Hindu and Buddhist customs. In Bengal there is a blending of Aryan and Dravidian customs. These local variations are called customs. Thus local modes of expression bearing local or group specialties are customs, but the expression itself is culture. Therefore it is a mistake to readjust boundaries on the basis of language and culture. Indian culture and the culture of the world are one and the same. Readjusting boundaries on the basis of customs is not possible for customs may differ within the same locality. From "Talks on Prout" (1961) Prout in a Nutshell Part 15 --- Cultural Exploitation through Pseudo-Culture Now, there is another aspect: culture. As you know, the subtler and sweeter expressions of human life are generally termed "culture". Suppose someone offers you food: you may eat without washing your hands and feet, or you may eat after washing thoroughly. The refined manner of eating in a hygienic way is called the "culture of eating", while those activities expressing the subtler and sweeter aspects of life are called "culture" in a general sense. Human culture is one, though there are some local variations in its expression. But a particular group which is motivated by socio-sentiment to exploit others, tries to destroy the local cultural expressions of other groups. It forcibly imposes its language, dress and ideas on other groups, and thus paves the way for exploitation by paralysing those people psychologically. This is how people guided by socio-sentiment perpetuate exploitation in cultural life. This is occurring throughout the world. Is it not your noble duty to save these simple and persecuted people from exploitation? Certainly it is. Those of you who did not understand this before, now do understand it clearly; or you will come to understand it later from others. Human beings must be saved. Why should innocent people be forced to live like sacrificial lambs? This must not be tolerated. Suppose a particular group has a high standard of arts (theatre, cinema, etc.), but the number of rich people in that group is comparatively few. The culture of another group, on the other hand, is very undeveloped, but among them there is a greater number of wealthy people. Now, the latter group wants to maintain its exploitation over the group that has a more developed cultural heritage, because one way that psycho-economic exploitation can paralyse people in the psychic sphere is cultural exploitation -- to impose vulgar cinemas and dramas upon those good people. As you know, the mind has a natural tendency to degrade itself; it flows more easily downwards than upwards. So if some people, by virtue of their wealth, impose vulgar cinemas and dramas on others, this will break the latters' spines and they will become paralysed. And those paralysed, spineless people will thenceforth never be able to stand unitedly against cultural or any other kind of exploitation. They will never be able to do so, because mentally they will be completely dead -- their capacity to raise their heads in protest will have been crushed forever. How can they raise their heads again? This exploitation in the cultural sphere is accomplished by the propagation of pseudo-culture. Every honest, virtuous, rational person must fight against this pseudo-culture, and inspire others to do the same. If this is not done, the future of humanity will be sealed. It is proper for human beings to struggle for political freedom, for social emancipation; but if their cultural backbone is broken, then all their struggles will end in nothing -- like offering ghee into a fire that has died out. If one's spine is shattered, it is impossible to hold one's head erect. Can those whose necks and backs are crushed under the weight of pseudo-culture, be expected to hold their heads high in any sphere of life? Hence it is the bounden duty of every rational person to save innocent people from pseudo-culture. P R Sarkar 21 March 1982, Calcutta THE LIBERATION OF INTELLECT DISCOURSE 7 EXPLOITATION AND PSEUDO-CULTURE