Annual R epor t 1 9 9 8 - 1 9 9 9
I nt r oduct ion
T he Calcutta Res earch Gr oup was es tablis hed in December 1995, with a cor e gr oup of eight s cholars of the city. S ome of the main obj ectives of for ming the r es earch group wer e (a) to develop a group of s cholar – activis ts to engage in policy s tudies particularly relating to the eas t and north eas t of I ndia and the s ub – continent, thes e policy matters r elating to the themes of cultural s tudies , ethnicity, trance border and internal population flow, human rights and peace and conflict res olution, labor rights and dignity; (b) to s pons or or commis s ion s tudies bas ed on res earch and trans lation or compilation r elating to the above mentioned themes of policy interes t;
(c) to fos ter academic and cultural contacts within the country and S outh As ia at large towards developing a res earch networ k on related policy matters ; (d) to organize, undertake and promote publications , audio – vis ual documentations s eminars , works hops , and campaigns on the s aid policy matter s .
I n thes e 4 years s ince its inception, s tarting as an organization named CRG and then as a r egis ter ed body, the S ociety has made s ignificant contribution in the field of s ocial res ear ch, cr eating public opinion and information dis s emination. I n this period of reporting (1998- 1999) the S ociety has publis hed j ournals and organized s eminars , meetings , and has s upported other gr oups . T he S ociety now is an es tablis hed and well- recognized ins titution in I ndia and abroad.
1 . R ef ugee W at ch
Refugee Watch is a quarterly news letter on the flow of r efugees , migrants , internally dis placed per s ons and potential refugees in S outh As ia.
T he purpos e of this news letter is to s tudy, campaign, and build a networ k of concerned people including academics and activis ts . T he news letter is edited by Ranabir S amaddar, who is s upported by a team of s pecialis ts in this field.
I n this period three is s ues have been publis hed and circulated widely. T he April 1998 is s ue of Refugee Watch car ries r eports on various as pects of the continuing civil war S ri Lanka and population dis placement that it has caus ed.
I t als o highlights the inadequacy of the r es pons e both at political and humanitarian levels . December 1998 is s ue is in the nature of a broad overview that aims at taking s tock of the trans border flows in S outh As ia and their impact on nations , the new combined is s ue publis h in firs t quarter of 1999 focus es but als o the gr owing politicization of what other wis e in humanitarian is s ue.
Refugee Watch is brought out in collaboration with S outh Asian Forum for Human Rights (S AFHR) and s upported by Fr edrich- Naumann S tifflung, S outh As ia Regional Office, New Delhi, significant contribution in the field of s ocial res earch, cr eating public opinion and information dis s emination. I n this period of r eporting (1998- 1999) the s ociety has publis hed j ournals and organized s eminars , meetings , and has s upported other groups . T he s ociety now is an es tablis hed and well recognized ins titution in I ndia and aborod.
2 . Meet ings
i) Ranabir S amaddar, S amir Kr. Das and S abyas achi Bas u Raychaudhury participated in ‘S outh As ian cons ultation on Refugee and Forced Migration: Need for National Laws and Regional Cooper ation organized by S AFHR in New Delhi on 5- 7 S eptember, 1998. T hey als o, pr es ented a paper on “Forced Migration in I ndia:
A Critical Review’ to the meeting. T he paper bas ically focus ed on the problem of I DPs or I nternally Dis placed pers ons and the need for evolving appropriate legal ins truments in order to addr es s their problem.
ii) Ranabir S amaddar attended the S outh As ian Cons ultation on
“Minorities in S outh Asia” and was a member of the s teering Gr oup for the conference.
3 . New P r oj ect s
UNHCR has committed its elf to a pr oj ect on “Refugee Care and Rehabilitation in Wes t Bengal” on the bas is of dis cus s ions held with Mr. Cas tr o- Magluff, Deputy Chief of the Mis s ion. MCRG will undertake the pr oj ect under coordinators hip of Pr of. Prodip Bos e fr om May 1999. Dr. S amir Kumar Das and Dr. S abyas achi Bas u Raychaudhury will act as S enior Res ear chers . T he proj ect focus es on s uch is s ues as adminis tratives culture and profile of local s ettlements etc. I t has been divided that the proj ects will conduct by a team of res earcher s – s ome of whom will be fr om outs ide MCRG.
4 . S ociet y Managem ent
a) MCRG applied to the I ncome T ax Dept. for income tax ex emption under s ection 12(A) of I T Act’ 61 with effect fr om 1 April 1998.
MCRG r eceived the ex emption certification on 17 December 1998.
S imilarly application was made deduction under u/s 80G of I T Act’61.
T his has als o been granted on 17 December 1998. T he ex emption is valid from 2 June 1998 to 31 March 2001.
b) New Members hip
T wo new member s have been enrolled in the period of r eporting.
i) S amir Das , T eacher , Calcutta Univers ity ii) S ubir Bhumik, Journalis t, BBC
c) Curr ently the MCRG has one full time and three part time s taff for car rying out neces s ary adminis trative and proj ect work. T hey are S oma Ghos al for inter net documentation, R. K. Mahato, Comptuer Operator, Ratan Chakr avarty, accountants . All three ar e part time employees . Bhas kar S aha, full time office s taff, looks after dis patch and office maintenance.
S ecretary
Mahanirban Calcutta Res earch Gr oup
