D D Kosambi Research Foundation

Kobad Ghandy

Today movements for social change, both in India and abroad, have reached a dead end. There is need for some fresh thinking as to how one can change society in a direction which is more humane and just. If steps are not taken now, people are headed for a dystopian future as outlined by Klaus Schwab, founder and head of the World Economic Forum, in his book on The Great Reset. This chief agent of the billionaire club says in his book “at least 4 billion ‘useless eaters’ will be eliminated by the year 2050 through limited wars, organised epidemics, through fatal fast-acting diseases and starvation. Energy, food and water shall be kept at subsistence levels for the non-elite... until the world’s population reaches a manageable level of 1 billion... From the time there shall be artificially contrived food, and water shortages and medical care to remind the masses that their very existence depends on the Committee of the 300”. Earlier there was empathy for the poor and oppressed, now these pillars of the establishment, like Schwab, Harari, Gates, etc have the audacity to call them ‘useless eaters’. That too without batting an eye-lid. Further, worse than Hitler, they call, de facto, for their gradual extermination.

And this is not science fiction; they are serious about their project and the first step in that direction was the world lockdown in the name of the pandemic (maybe the ‘organised epidemic’ that he talks of). The serious world economic crisis that haunts the world today suggests similar holocausts are to come. Schwab’s comrade, Bill Gates, threatened a far more deadly virus is due.

So, one has to act, and act fast, if people are to save themselves and stem their planned agenda. The trouble is that most liberals and even the left live in their isolated world oblivious to the real dangers facing it. Cocoon-like they repeat outdated formulas which numb the masses to the real dangers facing them. The proposal to set up the D D Kosambi Research Foundation and Library is only one such project of the numerous new initiatives necessary in the current situation to find solutions that can understand current phenomenon better to help stem the rot. The library will be set up at Howrah/Kolkata and the Foundation will function from Maharashtra with branches in many states bringing out studies and papers in English, Bengali, Tamil, Konkani and other languages. Kosambi, after all, lived and taught in Pune, though originally from Goa. Aptly this Research Foundation is being established in the month that Kosambi was born (July 31, 1907) and died (June 29 1966).

This Foundation derives its name from the great polymath and progressive thinker of the 1950s and 1960s. This Foundation dedicates itself to this great scholar and seeks to use the same spirit in the search for truth and justice. The Foundation is being set up to research/study the varied socio-economic aspects of the society–both at the India-level and at the international plane. Its focus will be to study varied narratives to try and discover the root causes for the ills of the society to create a more humane world.

While trying to promote a scientific temper it will seek to publish research papers, in-depth articles, books and periodicals, based on the findings and information gathered through research, surveys, in-depth investigations, interviews, etc. While the topics can cover a wide arch, ranging from issues like science for the people, mathematics, engineering, etc its focus will be more on the socio-economic life of the country– including issues of Brahminism/caste/patriarchy at the social plane and aspects of underdevelopment of the country at the economic plane; their reasons and solution. All this will be done in the context of the world situation and the worsening crisis of the imperialist system.

It shall, in addition, seek to understand/study climate change and destruction of the environment worldwide and in India and its impact on the flora and fauna of India and the world.

It shall also seek to understand man and his environment in the context of his/her increasing alienation, commodification, resulting in epic levels of insecurities, isolation, depression and social retrogression–through studies/critiques in the latest in philosophy, psychology and bio-technology.

The Foundation will tap talent from all fields of academics/researchers/activists and seek donations to be able to accomplish these tasks ignored by mainstream scholars and institutions. It welcomes students, teachers/academics, research scholars throughout India and even internationally–in fact, anyone/anywhere seriously interested in getting to the truth behind all phenomena–to either join the foundation and/or send in papers. It will give scholarships/stipends to young academics for specific projects as and when the funds become available.

It will start a web page and invites all to send their proposals there. In the immediate it invites all to write in at the following email address research.kosambi@gmail. com and suggest which topics they are interested in researching. Donations to the Foundation can be given in cash or sent on-line once the Foundation is registered as a Society and a bank account opened.

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Frontier
Vol 56, No. 17-20, Oct 22 - Nov 18, 2023