On 23 Dec 2007, Sunday at 6 pm outside the BCL ,Candle Light Demonstration was held. Members expressed there sadness and grief by lightining these candles.
The Save British Library Campaign was marked by a Candle light protest. The protest was silent and peaceful. A large number of the library members lighted candles in front of the Library to protest against the closure of the Library which is only one of itskind in the whole state.
After yesterday's demonstration the members have decided to carry forward the protest to save the library.
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1 comment:
Some new comments from TVM that could be used here as well:
Anonymous said...
I think it is about time that we Indians shed our colonial mentality and stood up for ourselves. There is no need to continue to plead to Britain on tne question of repealing the library move decision. It only lends the belief that we as a people are powerless against the British Council and Britain.
Britishers are intelligent like us and Britain clearly understands the impact the closure will have on this city. As I have stated elsewhere British Council is being forced to cut down its libraries even in the UK after Gordon Brown asked for a cut in the Council's budget. So the best way to protest this move is not to plead like children but to demonstrate how this move will hurt Britain economically more than it will hurt us Trivandrumites.
As part of this I would suggest mounting a 'Boycott British goods' campaign - which can start from TVM and spread across all Indian cities where this library move is being contemplated. We need to make sure that the new 'Boycott British' is clearly heard by all British companies operating in India from British Airways to Standard Chartered, HSBC, Shell, Barclays, ICI etc. In addition to visible demonstrations of the "Boycott British Goods" campaign, I would recommend putting out press releases and sending letters to these British companies as to the impact the closure will have on their bottom lines.
I assure you that Gordon Brown and his accolytes will heed the CEOs of these companies more than Indian politicians or its people.
kayvee
December 27, 2007 8:01 PM
yasho said...
It is being proven again and again that Gandhiji was the best planner ever, executor too...
As for myself, I am implementing this suggestion from this minute, by stopping all transactions with the HSBC Bank.
I hope we can have more volunteers and more publicity on this.
December 27, 2007 8:21 PM
k said...
@ Kayvee - I think thats a good idea!
I think it'll get noticed.. We shd go ahead with this.
December 27, 2007 10:01 PM
Anonymous said...
yes,
and give publicity to that too...
December 27, 2007 10:08 PM
information said...
A black ribbon/boycott was suggested sometime back, but I dont think that happened.
We should do this one for sure..
December 27, 2007 11:17 PM
Anonymous said...
We do not want to boycott the British Library. What we need is a boycott of Britain's commercial companies operating in India, as stated above. It is the only way Britain will listen.
Individual and fragmented boycotts may not merit attention, unless it is done enmasse. I would request the group currently leading the save the library drive to take up this idea and contact the media to give this boycott publicity through a press release. The group should also compose a few letters to the CEOs of these British companies informing them of the boycott as to the negative business environment the British council's ill-conceived action could possibly create for them.
This needs to be done without delay as it may become more and more difficult to reverse this decision as we draw nearer to the closure date. Give these companies adequate time to put pressure on the UK govt to rescind their decision.
kayvee
December 28, 2007 12:29 AM
Anonymous said...
If the aim is to take over the library and run it under a new management, then all we are asking the Brits for the moment is that they leave behind all the books and personnel so we can have business as usual starting Jan 1st under the "transitory management" and then move on to the new management.
The boycott and the current climate in the country to woo foreign investment are contradictory.
December 28, 2007 1:50 AM
Anonymous said...
The aim should NOT be to take over the library at this stage. The aim should be to reverse the ill-conceived decision by the UK govt and British Council to shut down the TVM branch. We should consider the take over option only as a last resort - again that is not an option that most people would want to support given that the flavor of the library, the frequent replenishment of the inventory with new books etc is not going to happen under our state govt management or even an independent body which does not have adequate funding. So all effort should be at reversing this decision by the British Council. Let us not dilute our effort in achieving this goal.
Remember, the last time, the Brits won by their divide and rule policy..sowing dissent amongst our own people. Let us all stand together as one behind this goal of reversing the decision to shut down the TVM British Council library.
For the common people in Trivandrum, who benefited from the British library, the foreign investment comes secondary. Most of these companies which operate in India are billion dollar companies that can fund a 1000 British council libraries without an issue. Let us not worry too much about their survival...I am sure they can fend for themselves and they will not leave India because of protest at keeping an English language foreign library open! They will be only happy to see this interest in literature from people in India.
kayvee
December 28, 2007 6:29 AM
Information said...
The BL is being destroyed with very active connivance from the library management - That's what I meant.
December 28, 2007 7:34 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry to point this out. But the British do not run the best libraries on planet earth any longer. Why focus on getting them to run a library when the focus could be on fundraising for the new library ? As a case in point- in the past two years we have been overinundated with glossy magazines which really in no way enrich the reading public of TVM. Instead their Indian counterparts could have been kept on the shelves. About books - there are many small and independent publishers who the BC has never patronized. There are excellent Indian publishers now whose books need to reach the reading public of TVM.
About public library systems in India - Kolkata has an excellent one and I believe they do have a tie up with the local public library too. No harm in taking a tip or two from other library systems in India and abroad instead of being so focused on the British Council. By all means boycott all the companies and see if they put in money into this project consequently.
December 28, 2007 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Again, the focus of this campaign needs to rest in retaining the existing British Council library in TVM - purely becauze BC has provided atleast some services that no other library system has so far provided in Kerala. If all we wanted was to start another new library, we would not need a campaign to push to British Council or the British Govt to change their decision. No one needs to get their blessing to start a new library in TVM or anywhere else in India.
-kayvee
December 28, 2007 11:00 AM
Anonymous said...
There are two opinions
1) Push the BC to run the library - even if it means beat them, thrash them, sue them. What sort of library that will be is left to the imagination.
2) Let go and move on. Imagine a new library system in Kerala and work towards that. Use the BC for what they say they are willing to provide.
People need to choose where they belong or if their opinions are changing. I myself started with view 1 but have moved to view 2 which I know is harder to realise but better in the long term. Incidentally that is what the Vice President of India said too yesterday when he was told about the BC closure.
It is best to start chalking out constructive solutions and working on them than work on destructive ones.
December 28, 2007 11:21 AM
Anonymous said...
Again, the primary intent of this whole campaign was/is to keep the existing BC library in TVM. Let us not muddle that goal with alternative proposals to start another new library system in Kerala - an option which I doubt will happen given the enormous funding requirements. As I noted before we don't need Britain's blessing to start a new library - we can chase that anyway in our own sweet time. But right now, unity in aim is absolutely essential for success in keeping the BC library open here.
kayvee
December 28, 2007 11:46 AM
Anonymous said...
I am sorry to hear that the original effort to keep the BC library as is has dissipated into starting a new library to be run by us locals. I do not think I want to support this new library effort -as the evidence so far points to a lack of expertise, commitment and funding on our part to do this at a level that the BC has been able to offer so far. Let us first improve our existing public libraries and bring it on par with the BC library before starting another one. I would again plead for the group to go back to its original aims and for which countless hundreds signed up in support.
kayvee
December 28, 2007 12:51 PM
Anonymous said...
The petition addressed to Mr. Rod Pryde with over 1700 signatures now, has been sent to Mr.Pryde,Delhi, Mr. Davidson( Chief BC-London) and personally handed over to Mr. Chris Gibson, Chennai by the Chief Minister. I think the only person who bothered to read it carefully is our CM. The response from Mr. Dangerfield ( Acting Director, BC India ) and Mr. Davidson is polite but firm.They do not wish to continue running the library. This decision was not an easy one for them to make. But in view of the major changes and expansion that they have in mind for India, this was inevitable. The copies of the letters have been given to Mr.Krisha Mohan, moderator of the blog who could put it up.
It is also a global policy on their part. Now one could challenge this global policy of theirs. But that will have to be at another level- in the British Parliament by U.K citizens. Some of us have been working with the U.K media in order to sensitize U.K citizens to this matter.
But that still removes us from our primary intention - having a world class library in Tvm.
I hope you will pick one aspect of this struggle that is closest to your heart and support us.
December 28, 2007 1:13 PM
Information said...
Anonymous?????? Inconsistencies??????
First against British Council???
Then for the Council???
First against Plan B??
Then for Plan B???
First against TVM Manager??
Then for TVM Manager??
Getting confuced !!!!!
December 28, 2007 2:12 PM
Anonymous said...
Get the moderator of the blog to put up the minutes of each of the meetings.
Plus the letters from the British Council.
Perhaps that might remove your confusions.
Don't know where the Manager is coming into all of this.
It is very easy to lose sight and perspective plus most importantly members if some concrete action is not taken soon.
December 28, 2007 2:27 PM
k said...
Hi,
I'll post the meeting minutes, letters etc, as suggested.
Anonymous(es?), Kayvee - I think its difficult for a newcomer to follow this conversation..Could you pls use the 'nickname' option when commenting, rather than 'anonymous'. This will still mean that you dont have to login, reveal your id etc..but it'll improve the discussion a lot.
December 28, 2007 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
All my anonymous comments so far have been signed kayvee. There shouldn't be any confusion as to which of these are my comments.
Kayvee
December 28, 2007 8:01 PM
kayvee said...
Moderator- Could you please include the idea of a potential boycott of British companies' services and goods in the main section of this blog? I seriously believe this is the only voice that UK will heed quickly.
December 28, 2007 8:22 PM
k said...
Hi Kayvee,]
The idea of a boycott is definitely interesting ,and I can see the logic in doing something like that.( I've said this earlier in this conversation)
However, an 'official' boycott is something I cannot decide on my own.
Also, doing this on an individual basis is not going to have any impact.
So,I'll email some of the members about this..If they're okay with this , we won't be just displaying it in the blog, we'll do much more that..
;)
p.s - To join the blog, so that you can post, and not just comment, send an email to saveourlibrary@gmail.com
December 29, 2007 12:56 AM
kayvee said...
Thanks K.It would be a shame if this idea is not proposed to all the signatories. WE should not give up just because we got a polite denial letter from some official in the British council. I would say "Ask yourself, what was it that you wanted when you signed up for this campaign, and go for it with all your heart and soul. Don't quit because of minor hurdles put up by the British council or the British government. It is their job to argue their position in this issue. Remember we are fighting this cause for our children's future and perhaps for our future too. Let us not lie down and die because a British diplomat or an official told us to. Stand up for yourself and for your city. "
December 29, 2007 6:10 AM
Anonymous said...
We are standing up for our city - that is why we believe it deserves a truly world class library which the British Council has proved it is not capable of providing.
There is such a thing as nostalgia and "getting used " to something that has been around for a long time. Especially if one did not have to do much to avail of its services. It is important to move beyond that and really ask yourself whether the British Library was indeed fulfilling all your needs. Speaking for me - in the areas of general reading - it was very good, in my professional areas and journals it was truly substandard.
December 29, 2007 8:02 AM
Anonymous said...
i haven't visited the British library in years as I am abroad. But I would caution that one should not expect to harvest corn in a paddy field and vice versa. BC library, as far as I know, is not an academic library and should not be where one would look for professional journals. It should be rated on what it really served as - mainly a general reading library for the population.
December 29, 2007 8:31 AM
..N.. said...
Interesting conversation.
I tend to agree with anonymous about harvesting corn in a paddy field. The beauty of British library is that it is not intimidating to the general reading public and that is the reason why the news of closure has created such an impact among all sections of people.
As far as boycotting British services and products are concerned, though it looked like a brilliant idea to me on the first read, when I think about it a bit more, it does not seem to be practical.
How much of it will we boycott? K and I work in a British organisation. Do we quit?? Or does quitting the job seem too small a price to pay when one looks at the collective cause? That's taking it to absurd lengths.
I do not subscribe to the view of looking at this as an opportunity to teach 'em Brits a lesson. I just want the library here. As it always used to be.
December 29, 2007 10:10 AM
Anonymous said...
I dont think the boycott should be considered a call to quit anyone's jobs. More likely the proposal here is to make the UK govt take notice and play fair in looking after both the interests of British businesses as well as the interests of the local people. Keeping a library open is just a goodwill gesture that the UK govt needs to provide as a cost to doing business in a foreign country.
December 29, 2007 10:38 AM
Anonymous said...
Dear Anon (3)?
The tragedy of Kerala is that there are no corn fields and very very few paddy fields. So the question of cross cultivation does not arise.
The idea is to create many more fields of all kinds.
BLibrary served a small niche readership most of whom have not bothered to join this campaign. More than 50% of people who have signed the petition to Rod Pryde are non members. Most of the membership does not attend Sunday meetings. If they do - very few are willing to take on something and do it.
Surely, a large boycott movement of the nature that kayvee suggests will require mass participation to be successful. We are living in an India where anything foreign is heavily sought after. If we fight and alienate BC from Kerala, they will only be too happy to shift focus to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad etc where they are already investing heavily in science, research and academia. The idea is to attract and keep them here and get the most of WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO GIVE.
December 29, 2007 10:44 AM
aravind_rn said...
The level of optimism here is heartening but I don't think the British are going to budge all that easily. First of all we don't have enough time(hardly 2 months more) to mount a defence that will get noticed. I think the British have learned something from the Nazis-the blitzkreig. All this is going to be over so soon that we will hardly know what hit us. Second, if this is part of their international policy, there's little we can do to stop it. And thirdly as has been suggested in the post above, less than a quarter of all members(~6000?) seem to have pitched in with the campaign.I hate to say it but the glass looks (more than) half empty.
December 29, 2007 4:57 PM
kayvee said...
I can certainly understand the doubts and fears about the potential boycott expressed in the last two comments. However, I simply cannot fathom why we would want to argue the interests of multinational companies ahead of our own and our family's interests to keep an ongoing library. No one is taking a destructive path or advocating the traditional Kerala style of protesting by throwing stones and breaking windows. What is being proposed here is a non-violent but firm effort to convince the British firms operating in India that it is in their business interest to convince the UK govt to rescind the decision to move this library. Friends, it is our birthright to protest when we are not heard by those in the govt or elsewhere. Let us not be afraid to take this simple step of calling for a boycott. In fact, before we even call for an official boycott, I would suggest putting out a press release to advise the public and the British embassy and firms of an impending call to boycott all British goods till a reasonable solution is found to the British library closure. Follow this up with letters to these companies with a date specified when the boycott will officially start. These companies are not going to wait for the impact of the boycott to be felt before pressuring the embassy or the UK govt to change this decision. As such, let us not worry about how many would take part in the boycott or how long the boycott will need to go to be successful.
The Saveourlibrary group has done a wonderful job so far in creating enough publicity to the closure. It now needs to show that it can also help get a resolution to the closure - and not just accept what any British official says is the position of the council. Remember, British Council exists in India to promote British cultural interests and also its economic interests. We need to look after our own interests and our children's interests here. Let us not just give up at the first negative response. Let us think out a strategy to counter the next negative response. As someone said on this thread, I too can only marvel at how great a planner and executor Gandhiji had been to get his fight to the British and succeed. 60 years later it would be a shame to his name, if we were to give up at the first sign of a negative response from the British govt. And lastly, don't forget that this is not a call to give us wages, jobs, new opportunities. Our is a just call to let us keep a library which has been there for more than 50 years in the city!
-kayvee
December 29, 2007 9:26 PM
Anonymous said...
kayvee,
why don't you take the initiative and get in touch with all the British owned businesses in Technopark and convince them abt what you are saying. I myself visited one, wrote to the CEO in the U.K and he did not even bother to respond or sign the petition. The company is Digitella. There are others too- Allianz Cornhill being a big one.
December 29, 2007 10:07 PM
kayvee said...
Guys, I have done my best to help in the issue by spreading news about the closure and giving suggestions that could very well work in rescinding the move. Unfortunately, I am abroad and not in a position to visit the UK companies in technopark or India. I would hope that the Save Our Library committee which was formed with the express intent to put into action suggestions from the public will be able to step up and identify local people who can assist with these needs. However, I would be most happy to draft a press release for you, if that would help. Again, I do not have the time to do all this and I am doing this during a precious few minutes I get in the evenings with my family.
December 30, 2007 5:12 AM
Anonymous said...
kaycee,
That is the problem with most people - very little time.
The Save the Library gp - a motley gp that has differences of several matters among itself has somehow managed to arrange for a few meetings. However, a show of hands to get concrete help from volunteers is not forthcoming. This is not the U.S where such activity is normal. Democratic notions and ways of functioning still have to seep into Mother India 60 years after Independence.
It is not difficult to go into the Technopark website and locate all the companies and find out the U.K owned businesses and write to their CEOs. If you want the email id to the CEO of Digitella, I could provide that.
But as this is your brainchild, you must take the lead. If needs be take a leave and come and campaign here. After all that is what Gandhiji did when he left a lucrative career as a lawyer in South Africa and moved to India.
This comment assumes particular importance after the news that certain cunning fellows are making an attempt to make a case to the Govt that they are capable of running the place. Now unless the members strongly make their voice heard, things could become a ROYAL mess soon.
December 30, 2007 6:26 AM
Anonymous said...
Mobilising opinion in the U.K would be very useful. If people with contacts in the U.K at the highest level could put them into service, it would be useful.
I am writing to friends myself for such support
December 30, 2007 6:29 AM
kayvee said...
Let me first assure you that I should be the last person wasting time on the library situation as neither decision will have an impact on me or my kids as we are settled abroad - for good or bad. If people in the city have no interest in lifting a hand and doing something to stop the move, then so be it. Good luck to you all.
December 30, 2007 7:52 AM
Anonymous said...
Kayvee,
Please don't be peeved. You must understand that this was a bombshell that the BC dropped on the town and its members. It is not that people are "not interested in lifting a hand". This blog and the petition should testify to that. Letters sent to London, Delhi and Chennai should also testify to that. Small groups are doing various things - sometimes at cross purposes.
Social change is not only for one's own pure selfish gain- "neither decision will impact me or my kids"
There is very little history of community organising here as opposed to organising around political parties. Thus the process is slow.
If you believe your idea is worth pushing for- you must be like Shah Rukh Khan in Swades.
December 30, 2007 3:35 PM
k said...
Hi all,
The discussion is getting slightly out of hand..Pls don't let that happen.. ;)
Kayvee has put in a lot of time and effort into this discussion, and that is to be appreciated.
Telling her to execute the ideas too, is not very fair (even without considering the fact she's not based in the city)
I'v already discussed the idea with a few of the members. It'll be circulated to the whole group today.
The delay in Kayvee's suggestion being circulated to the FULL group is due to a technical issue - because when we sent out mails to a large group, it can be categorised as spam. Also, email privacy is becoming an issue. User 'Arun' has created a google group to solve this (as I'd mentioned in the minutes of the meeting). Some setings are to be changed in the group, and once thts done..a mail will be sent out.
krishna
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