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The Indian Language Programme at CSDS is a unique endevour amongst the social science institutes in the country. It has been part of a long-term dialogue with the Hindi public sphere in addressing the lack of quality resources in social sciences. In the long run, it hopes to create a regenerative context for research in Indian languages. Fellows at the Centre have been as much invested in the contemporary political, social and cultural concerns as they are keen on speaking/writing/publishing in Indian languages in a variety of registers and on various fora. An immediate collaborative context for translation, discussion and publication is provided by the Centres's other programmes such as Lokiniti and Sarai.
A Short History and Publications
The Programme has produced some of the most popular books in social sciences in Hindi. The programme began with the publication of two different series of books selected from a large body of work of scholars mainly belonging to the Centre as well as some of its associates. the first series - LOK-CHINTAN GRANTHMALA (लोकचिंतन ग्रंथमाला) - has been fashioned around themes such as aspects of Indian democratic experiment, the impact of globalisation, the dalit encounter with modernity, debates on secularism, the election studies, etc. Four anthologies in this series, namely Loktantra Ke Saat Adhyay(लोकतंत्र के सात अध्याय), Adhunikta Ke Aine Mein Dalit(आधुनिकता के आईने में दलित), Bharat Ka Bhumandalikaran(भारत का भूमंडलीकरण) and Beech Bahas Mein Secularwad(बीच बहस में सेकुलरवाद) have already been published, and Nariwad Ki Bharateey Rajneeti(नारीवाद की भारतीय राजनीति)is lined up next for publication.
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The second series - LOK-CHINTAK GRANTHMALA (लोकचिंतक ग्रंथमाला) - introduces the works of prominent social scientists, whose path-breaking ideas travelled beyond the boundaries of their respective disciplines. Under this series two readers Rajneeti Ki Kitab (A selection from the works of Rajni Kothari) and Satta Aur Samaj (a selection from the works of D.L. Sheth) have already been published, and work on a Hindi Reader on Ashis Nandy is well underway. |
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Two fresh series - SAROKAR ADHYAYANMALA (सरोकार ग्रंथमाला) and SAMAYIK VIMARSH (सामयिक विमर्श) - were added later on.
| SAROKAR focuses on those aspects of social reality that are routinely invisibilised in various political and discursive meta-narratives. This series invites all those studies, reports, surveys, analyses and data produced by those alert activists, intellectuals and organizations who wish bring into the centre of academic discussion, marginalized narratives. The first book under this series is Riksha: Ek Mahagatha / LOKAYAN Ka Adhyayan(रिक्शा: एक महागाथा/लोकायक का अध्ययन). |
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SAMAYIK VIMARSH contains the classics by like-minded social scientists. Bharat Mein Rajniti: Kal Aur Aaj (भारत में राजनीति: कल और आज; Hindi edition of Politics in India: edited and translated in consultation with Professor Rajni Kothari); Rashtravad Ka Ayodhya Kand: Ramjanmbhoomi Andolan Aur Atm-bhay Ki Rajniti (राष्ट्रवाद का अयोध्या कांड: रामजन्मभूमि आंदोलन और आत्म भय की राजनीति; translation of Ashis Nandy, et al (eds.) Creating a Nationality); Deshbhakti Banam Rashtravad: Ravindranath Thakur aur Eyatta Ki Rajiniti (रवीन्द्र नाथ ठाकुर और इयत्ता की राजनीति; translation of Ashis Nandy’s Illegitimacy of Nationalism), Madhu Poornima Kishwar's Rashtravad ki Chakri mein Dharm(राष्ट्रवाद की चाकरी में धर्म); Antarangta Ka Swapn (अंतरंगता का स्वप्न; translation of Sudhir Kakar’s Intimate Relations), Loktantra Ke Talabgar (लोकतंत्र के तलबगार; translation of Javeed Alam’s Who Wants Democracy?), A-Sanyas (अ-संन्यास; translation of T.N. Madan’s Non-renunciation) and Devdasi Ya Dharmik Veshya? (देवदासी या धार्मिक वेश्या?; translation of Priyadarshini Vijashree’s Recasting Devdasi) have been published under this series.
ADHUNIKTA KE AINE MEIN DALIT is currently into its third reprint and BHARAT KA BHOOMANDALIKARAN into the second. Similarly, BEECH BAHAS MEIN SECULARWAD, BHARAT MEINE RAJNEETI, RAJNEETI KI KITAB AND RIKSHAW: EK MAHAGATHA have also registered very good sales.
The Process
The exercise of script preparation undergoes a process of selection, innovative and painstaking translation (not only from English but also from other Indian languages), creation of condensed versions of lengthy monographs, commissioning of fresh articles on related themes, writing introductions for the expected audience, taking interviews and compiling all of them in attractively designed books. To publish and to distribute the books thus produced, a working arrangement has been reached with VANI PRAKASHAN, one of the largest publishing houses in Hindi.
The Committe
The programme is being run mainly by Abhay Kumar Dubey, Fellow, CSDS and Editor, a reputed author of several discursive texts and a hugely experienced translator. A committee comprising Shail Mayaram, Senior Fellow; DL Sheth, Honorary Senior Fellow; VB Singh, Honorary Senior Fellow; Yogendra Yadav, Senior Fellow and Director of LOKNITI; Ravikant, Associate Fellow; Aditya Nigam, Fellow; Hilal Ahmed, Fellow; Rakesh Pandey, Associate Fellow, and the Centre’s Director (ex-officio) advises its Convenor/Editor.
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