Kerala sasthra sahitya parishat
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Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad is a People’s Science Movement of Kerala, India. Founded in 1962, it works at the science society interface with about 40 members as an organisation of science writers in Malayalam. Over the past four decades it has grown into a mass movement with a membership over 40000, distributed in more than two thousand units spread all over Kerala.
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[edit] Introduction
Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) was founded in 1962 as a forum of science writers with the limited objective of publishing science literature in Malayalam, the local language, and popularizing science. However it was soon realized that mere publication of literature of taking science classes was not enough, if the blessings of science were to reach the common people. KSSP became convinced that at present a privileged minority was monopolizing the benefits of science and technology, and it results in their enrichment, at the expense of the majority. KSSP chose as its mission, the challenge of arming the people with the tools of science and technology so that they can reverse this process. Thus in 1972, KSSP decided to become a People’s Science Movement and adopted “Science for Social Revolution” as its motto.
Over the past four decades it has grown into a massive people’s science movement, with a membership of about 40,000 drawn from all walks of life and distributed in about 2000 units within the state of Kerala. Over these years, it has also expanded its fields of interests and activities to almost all fields of human endeavor. The KSSP is involved, broadly in three types of activities: educative, agitate, and constructive, in areas like environment, health, education, energy, literacy, micro planning and development in general. Presently.Dr.K.N.Ganesh is the president and Mr.C.M.Muraleedharan is the General Secretary.The general secretary can be contacted at [1]gskssp@gmail.com
The KSSP aspires to:
- Popularize science and scientific outlook among the people.
- Develop a sense of optimism in them, instill in them a sense of self -confidence that they can change the world and can build a better tomorrow.
- Expose and oppose the abuse of scientific knowledge detrimental to the interests of the majority.
- Expose and oppose the abuse of environment.
- Propose and help implement, alternative modes for development, with emphasis on equity and sustainability.
- Carry out R&D work to transform lab technologies in to mass technologies
[edit] Views
The KSSP views Indian society as one that is divided into two groups: a minority, which is continuously getting richer and a majority which is continuously getting impoverished or face the threat of impoverishment. It understands that today science and technology serve as efficient tools in the hands of the minority, the haves, in exploiting the majority, the have-nots. We take, on every issue, a stand partisan to this majority consequently against the minority. It strives to arm the majority with the weapon of science and technology in their fight against impoverishment, against the exploiters. Educating people is enhancing their power to understand -and analyze social issues in a scientific way and help them to playa more active role in transforming the society. If science and technology become a tool in the hands of the majority, that will bring about a radical change in the society. Hence KSSP slogan “Science for Social Revolution” is all about.
[edit] Publications
KSSP is publishing 2 Monthly magazines,Sastrakeralam and Sastragathi and a biweekly, Eureka and a newsletter as parishad vartha. The magazines are for children and the newsletter for members. Also KSSP is majour contribution in publishing science books in Malayalam.The latest of the block is the book titled "Jeevarekha" by Dr.M.P.Parameswaran.
[edit] Kerala Padanam
Last year, KSSP conducted a survey of the living conditions in Kerala.The survey was titled'Kerala Padanam'-'Keralam engane jeevikkunnu Keralam Engane Chinthikkunnu', translated as 'Kerala Study-How does Kerala Live How does Kerala think'.The survey covered about 6000 households in the state where the activists spent hours with the family to understand their lifestyle and thoughts.The findings are very interesting.The population of Kerala has been divided into four classes or groups.Aroud 40% of the people are very poor and only a minority of about 10% people belonging to the upper middle class control the state of affairs.More and more people are moving towards the extreme poverty and the rich minority are expanding their wealth.The findings have been published as a book titled the same as the survey title ('Kerala Padanam'-'Keralam engane jeevikkunnu Keralam Engane Chinthikkunnu')
