Sree Deep

This essay explores multiple aspects of a domestic tourism boom that has occurred in Ladakh, India, over the past two decades. It considers the nature of tourism itself within the context of leisure as a commodity and how visual interventions and photographic practices brand a tourist destination as a consumable idea, making a case for the insepa-rability of image and destination and arguing that the constructed image of a destination attracts a collective gaze. This perspective is then applied to the consumerist trajectory/ tragedy of Ladakh, which since the economic liberalization of India has been visually negotiated through imageries of the area as a destination for adventure and exotica. This experience is enacted through the consumerist practices of packaged tourism, and through a visual exploration of material remains-the paper documents material leftovers discarded by tourists.

The article addresses how popular imageries of ideal body types and their circulation inspires the construction of similar body ideals to be achieved through body work, body care and body control. While demonstrating a composite relationship between the ‘image’ and the ‘body’, it renders the interdependency and inseparability of these two entities, capturing the dual process of consuming images of the ideal body and transforming body into images for consumption. The article also advances a theoretical model of image–body unification in contemporary India. Citing a wide range of visual representations of the body/image, the article illustrates how the imageries of the ideal body type are often negotiated through body work, and how the worked-out body is then converted to similar body-image for circulation, thereby creating replicas of predominant ideal types and inspiring the production of bodies and images that are identical to that type. The article situates such practices of image...

This essay explores multiple aspects of a domestic tourism boom that has occurred in Ladakh, India, over the past two decades. It considers the nature of tourism itself within the context of leisure as a commodity and how visual interventions and photographic practices brand a tourist destination as a consumable idea, making a case for the insepa-rability of image and destination and arguing that the constructed image of a destination attracts a collective gaze. This perspective is then applied to the consumerist trajectory/ tragedy of Ladakh, which since the economic liberalization of India has been visually negotiated through imageries of the area as a destination for adventure and exotica. This experience is enacted through the consumerist practices of packaged tourism, and through a visual exploration of material remains-the paper documents material leftovers discarded by tourists.

The trajectory of “things” that are declared obsolete is mapped to argue that a junkyard is not merely a repository of the redundant, but also a liminal space between waste and trash, as well as use and reuse. An exploration of a junkyard in the Mayapuri neighbourhood of Delhi reveals how value is extracted from waste, bypassing the imposed norms of planned obsolescence in order to induce life into the lifeless. A complex set of relationships between the imposed rules of obsolescence and actual practices of a junkyard are observed to argue that “waste” is not merely matter out of place or matter without place, but it is essentially matter on the move.

Some of the critical facets of medical practice by unqualified medical practitioners in India are explored: their role in treating acute medical conditions, and the responses of poor households eager to recover quickly with minimal spending. The study reveals how a wide range of associated actors are connected to the UMPs, including lawmakers, regulators, health managers, and those who benefit from the UMPs, that is, mainly qualified doctors.

This essay is an immersive exploration of an abandoned industrial site, which addresses the degeneration of materials and the imagery of ruination. By visually exposing slices of an abandoned jute mill, I reveal how the experience of walking through such a space subverts normative modes of movement, vision, arrangement, and order while also drawing attention to how things lose their distinct material identities as they decay

The article addresses how popular imageries of ideal body types and their
circulation inspires the construction of similar body ideals to be achieved
through body work, body care and body control. While demonstrating
a composite relationship between the ‘image’ and the ‘body’, it renders
the interdependency and inseparability of these two entities, capturing
the dual process of consuming images of the ideal body and transforming
body into images for consumption.
The article also advances a theoretical model of image–body unification
in contemporary India. Citing a wide range of visual representations of
the body/image, the article illustrates how the imageries of the ideal body
type are often negotiated through body work, and how the worked-out
body is then converted to similar body-image for circulation, thereby
creating replicas of predominant ideal types and inspiring the production
of bodies and images that are identical to that type.
The article situates such practices of image production, circulation
and emulation within the larger context of greater levels of tolerance,
acceptance and dissemination of the eroticised body. It is argued that
the acceptance of the eroticised body as lifestyle choice is an integral
part of a larger global visual trend. The erosion of the stigma against
representation of the body as a legitimate site of pleasure determines
our temporal identities by inviting us to participate in the articulation
of the desiring self through image-conscious bodies and through images
that make the body more desirable.

In this paper, we situate farmer suicides in the larger context
of the agrarian crisis in India, based on our fieldwork
in Maharashtra and Punjab. In the first section, we outline
the overall context of India’s agriculture, as ascertained from
various government reports and surveys. In the subsequent
sections, we present observations from the fieldwork conducted
in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, and Sangrur district of
Punjab, and analyse the preconceived dissimilarities and
observed similarities in these two apparently diverse zones.

Drawing connections between farmer suicides, landholding
patterns and outstanding debt, our narrative approach emphasises
the kinship dimension of indebtedness, which creates a
greater social and moral obligation to repay loans that are
borrowed from relatives. While highlighting the shame of
indebtedness, we argue that there are multiple factors that
conjointly account for such tragedies, including faulty cropping
patterns, rising input costs, nature of borrowings and
informal sources of credit, as well as the aspirational consumption​
of farmers who often borrow money for non-agricultural purposes.
As formal credit sources are not equal to the task of
serving farmers, a large number of individuals who were not
traditionally associated with lending have entered the moneylending
business.

The concluding section recommends reformative measures
to encourage an integrated policy framework on agrarian matters,
particularly cropping patterns and institutional credit
disbursal systems.

Addressing the issue of agrarian crisis in India in general, the article explores the particularities of the distress emphasising some of the crucial aspects of burden of indebtedness that often leads to farmers' suicide. Following a narrative approach, it analyses the relationship between some of the shocking figures related to agriculture at large and some of the astounding field observations related to rising input prices, uncom-petitive minimum support prices (MSPs), faulty cropping pattern, nature of indebtedness and lack of sufficient state support for the farmers.

1. Our recommendations help –

A. Entrepreneurs to downsize, right size or close their enterprise without government permission.
B. But, all workers who have been laid off must get PF and Severance Pay (as in Europe and Brazil)

2. Therefore we are AGAINST THRESHOLDS. Entrepreneurs and Workers suffer because of TWO THRESHOLDS.
A. SIZE: Units with 100+ workers suffer many restraints to Labour flexibility. This is disagreeable to Entrepreneurs.
B. DURATION: Only workers who have been employed for over 240 days are entitled to benefits. This seriously disadvantages workers.

We are against all thresholds as they:
i. Encourage small enterprises and not big scale, high technology ones
ii. Encourage employment of non-permanent casual workers; this blocks skill development

3. ALL WORKERS ARE ON THE MUSTER and are entitled to all benefits.

4. When worker is retrenched/laid-off, the benefits over and above PF, Bonus also includes SEVERANCE PAY (as in Europe and Brazil). We have allowed for exceptions in “Seasonal Industries”, but there are certain constraints in this sector too.

5. So now no enterprise gains from being
A. Small and Employing below 100 workers
OR
B. Firing workers before 240 days of Employment are over

6. So hiring contract /casual workers now become less attractive.
     
THEREFORE:
A. All workers hired for non-core jobs must come from a contractor’s firm where this job is a core one
B. All contract workers, no matter where they are currently hired to work, are on the Muster of their parent firm

7. On Dispute Resolution we suggest:
A. One Workers’ Council whose office bearers are elected by universal secret ballot BUT only by those inside the company.
B. Trade Unions can function within but the body representing workers will be the Workers’ Council.

8. Also a Three Tier Dispute Resolution Mechanism is suggested.
A. Workers’ Council, whose office bearers will be internal and elected internally as well.
B. Conciliation Committee, which will have labour representatives.
C. Labour Tribunal.

The time taken at each level is fixed without exceptions.