I have pleasure in forwarding my review of the book " Trials,Tribulations and Triumphs " by T.K.Oommen.
Do read and respond.
P.P.Ramachandran.
28/02/2021.
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Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs by T.K.Oommen;
Published by Konark Publications ;Pages 304 ;
Price Rs.695/-
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A popular Sanskrit verse enumerates the Best of
Flowers, Cities, Deities and Men as follows.
Pushpeshu Champa -Nagareshu Lanka
Purusheshu Vishnu - Nrupareshu Rama .
If one were to include the Best of Sociologists
the verse would read as under---
Pushpeshu Champa -Nagareshu Lanka
Purusheshu Vishnu - Nrupareshu Rama-
Samajashastre--Nipuna--Oommen Mahodayaha.
Oommen is recognised both in India and abroad as an outstanding sociologist. He is an author, educationist and Professor Emeritus at the Centre
for the Study of Social Systems, J N U. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his services to
the fields of education and literature. He has authored twenty books and edited ten books.
He took an M A in Sociology from Pune University and later he obtained PhD .
Oommen began his career as a lecturer in Social Sciences at Delhi University where he was the Reader in Sociology . He then moved to the Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS), JNU as Associate Professor and became the Professor of Sociology .
Oommen received many awards for his services to the social milieu which included Padma Bhushan.
The book under review--Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs is not exactly an autobiography but
a work-o-graphy as it recapitulates the life of
India's highly respected sociologists and
recounts his professional journey. He was stigmatized in JNU because of his neutral political position. He was elected as the President of International Sociological Association, the only sociologist to occupy this position so far from
Asia and Africa. His doctoral thesis demanded intense fieldwork carried out in several villages
in Rajasthan. His monograph Doctors and Nurses: A Study in Occupational Role Structures, also
involved fieldwork which was conducted during summer breaks for over six years. His pioneering fieldwork and methods of amassing data were valuable additions to social sciences in general
and sociology in particular. His work on the agrarian crises in Kerala—which transformed
him into a 'reactionary' for Leftist intellectuals— encouraged him to generate primary data from the field. Oommen did outstanding work for his memorable book "From Mobilization to Institutionalization: The Dynamics of Agrarian Movement in 20th Century Kerala."
He adopted a 'clinical' approach and one that dispassionately studies 'social facts'.
This memoir is divided into three major sections, encompassing 23 chapters and five appendices
The first section, 'Torments of Sociology' with 12 chapters, recounts Oommen's adopting a new discipline and his crucial role in building the
Centre for the Study of Social Systems (CSSS)
at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), his experience as a member of international
sociological bodies, his academic accolades,
his frustrating deal with the Indian Sociological Society and its administrative apparatus, and
also the world of publishing. For many, great institutions are established through people's sacrifice and exemplary hard work. How political parties, faculties and student organisations
affiliated to political parties subvert the democratic character of our academic institutions is well
known. Student politics ipso facto need not be progressive. JNU has often been depicted as the campus with incredible, revolutionary, progressive student politics; however, it has had its own moments of unethical political acrobatics.
Oommen points out,
By the 1990s, student politics became qualitatively different in JNU—the direct intervention of political parties in students' admissions became almost negligible. The emergence of a highly competitive political atmosphere within left politics in a way delegitimised and stigmatised such party interventions in student admissions .Highly
inflated egos and vindictive personalities have damaged institutions significantly.
Our dream to bring in socialism has ended up strengthening bureaucratic regimentation and our desperation to establish a capitalist order has ushered in crony capitalism. Our institutions have unfortunately ended up promoting loyal disciples and replicating quasi-feudal values. It becomes abundantly clear that 'modern' institutions could
not make us modern. This is certainly a more significant sociological problem than some of the manufactured crises.
Well known is the plight of students from
vernacular medium and rural backgrounds in
some of the highly elitist academic institutions .
The author's candid confessions and his own
highly strenuous journey in these areas throws a flood of light on the mercilessly competitive world.
One chapter gives an insider's view of the
progress of CESS over the years. The chapters
on the World Congress of Sociology, provide interesting accounts of the author's role in them.
The author recounts the inevitable contretemps
and tensions . A few harsh comments of Oommen are worth recalling. "It is not uncommon in India
that people relegate to the background a person's
achievements, if he or she has the requisite connections; "It seems to me that in India there
are gurus and disciples, patrons and clients but
not professionals and colleagues"
'Beyond Sociology'--the Second part--, deals with
his other assignments. All the chapters will be useful for students of social sciences. The chapter on the global studies programme, offers a
template as to how to develop a collaborative academic programme with overseas universities/institutions. This programme had
great potential. A laudable contribution of
Oommen is his commendable role in the Prime Minister's High-Level Committee or what is called 'Sachar Committee'. This committee's recommendations will be remembered for
its long-term implications. The Sachar Committee report will remain a vital document for promoting
the welfare of the largest religious minority—Muslims—in India. Similarly, the author's contributions in the Gujarat Harmony project and forays into social security studies would help
young academics to conceptualise new ways of looking at socio-political crises of our times.
The third and final section of the volume contains four important speeches delivered by Oommen
along with a list of his books, monographs and reports.
This memoir of an eminent Indian sociologist is
not only a personal narration of his eventful academic journey, it also helps us understand
some dimensions of the highly chequered
trajectory of our higher education system,
especially with regard to sociology. Establishing institutions requires a long-term vision with a missionary commitment coupled with profound scholarship in the chosen field. Oommen has
always been an institution builder and a solid organisational man. This memoir, with its wide canvas, brings to the fore the story of a
Nehruvian-liberal social scientist and his commitment towards building modern institutions. More importantly, it highlights how a man from a humble background from the southern tip of India with vernacular schooling ended up scaling the peaks of his chosen field. The book is a powerful political statement that people from the periphery
too can make an enduring positive impact in
India's ruthless hierarchical academia.
Pprof Damle wrote-- " I would not hesitate to call
him 'Charvak of Indian Sociology'.He has been
one of the most prolific,prodigious and productive scholars perhaps next only to Prof.G.S.Ghurye."
Bursting with racy anecdotes, the book provides insights into the functioning of the academic world
through the discipline of sociology not only nationally but even globally. A world in which knowledge production and dissemination are becoming increasingly critical, the book also discusses the larger social and political context
in which these activities are undertaken.
Written in a very lucid way, this book will be of interest to social scientists, scholars of media studies and general readers.
P.P.Ramachandran.
28/02/2021.
