As much as empires exist out there, regulating our lives, they also exist within our minds. Unless we comprehend these empires as being not only ‘out there’ but also as within us, and locate ourselves in relation to them, there is no way in which we can even begin to understand the world, let alone imagine the changes that are required towards making it a more open, just, peaceful, and joyful world.

This book is a close look at some of the empires that govern our lives and that we are constantly socialised to believe in and accept, by society, by family, by education, by the market and the media, and by the institutions we are all part of at one point or another in our lives : The empires of patriarchy, casteism, racism, nationalism, and religious communalism – and where each of these is quite aside from what is popularly referred to as ‘global­isation’, even as they interlock with it.

Organised as five ‘open spaces’ of conversation and debate, each one distilled from the content of seminars organised at the University of Delhi, the Open Space Seminar Series, the book attempts to itself be an open space that challenges readers to engage with themselves and with the worlds around us. The debates also explicitly and implicitly raise the question, and concept, of power – of realms of power, of how power is exercised, and of the nature of power – and therefore also questions of emancipation and of liberation.

At the same time, since these are the major themes or areas of concern of the World Social Forum, the debates also equip us to understand and take part in this important emerging world institution in a far more informed way.

Contents

Introduction: Understanding the world: Interrogating empire and power  Jai Sen

Acknowledgements

1  Patriarchy: Sense and Sexuality: Breaking Out

The Power of Patriarchy  Uma Chakravarti

Breaking the Silence  Pramada Menon

The Politics of Masculinity  Shaleen Rakesh

The Open Forum: Breaking Out 

A frank and open discussion between Uma Chakravarti, Pramada Menon, Shaleen Rakesh, Delhi University students and faculty, and others

2  Nationalism: Community, Nation, State, War

Understanding Nationalism and Internationalism Today  Achin Vanaik

Imagine there's no countries, nothing to kill or die for  Rohini Hensman

Cultures of Nationalism  Ashis Nandy

Open Forum: Community, Nation, State  

An open discussion between Achin Vanaik, Rohini Hensman, Ashis Nandy, Delhi University students and faculty, and others

3  Caste: Meanings and Modes of Struggle

Fighting Back  Gail Omvedt

Local and Global : Searching for Resonance V Geetha

Making Caste a Global Issue  N Paul Divakar

Transformational Potential? Reading Caste and Law  Kalpana Kannabiran

Open Forum : Meanings and Modes of Struggle  

A discussion between Gail Omvedt, V Geetha, Paul Divakar, Kalpana Kannabiran, Delhi School of Economics and Delhi University students and faculty, and others

4  Religion: Fundamentalism, Faith, and Reason

The World as One Family  Swami Agnivesh

Giving birth to the world  Ashok Vajpeyi

The Power of Reason  Purushottam Agarwal

Open Forum: Faith and Reason  

An intense exchange between Swami Agnivesh, Ashok Vajpeyi, Purushottam Agrawal, Delhi University students and faculty, and others

5  Globalisation: Imperialism and Empire

The New Imperialism  Jayati Ghosh

Imperialist Globalisation versus Global Solidarity  Jean Drèze

Changing the Landscape: The Importance of South Asia in Globalisation  Mahesh Rangarajan

Open Forum: Imperialism and Empire  

An open exchange between Jayati Ghosh, Jean Drèze, Mahesh Rangarajan, Praful Bidwai, Delhi University students and faculty, and others

Glossary

Visual Credits

Index