Wednesday, March 20, 2013

All Bengal Science Conference


The state-level conference of the BSS was organized on 10-11 November 2012 at the Kanthi town in East Midnapur District. This place is close to Haripur---the proposed site for a nuclear power plant---which had to be shelved temporarily in the face of people's opposition. The town is also close to Junput, the proposed site for a missile launch facility of the army---which also has faced stiff  opposition from the people.

On 10th afternoon, the participants of the conference staged a march through the town in protest against the two projects, and reached the venue of the open session, the Kanthi Town Hall. The open session was presided by Prof. Dhrubajyoti Mukhopadhyay, the President of BSS. In that session, the agricultural scientist Dr. Safique Ul Alam discussed the problems of GM crops, the former Director of the Bose Institute Prof. Meher Engineer discussed the problems of nuclear power generation, the Vice Chancellor of the Bengal Engineering and Science University Prof. Ajay Ray discussed the need for science in the service of the common people, and the General Secretary of BSS Dr. Soumitro Banerjee discussed the need for a new science movement.

The conference felicitated three people: Mr. Saranan Panda, a school teacher from the remote area of Sabang who took lead in propagating a scientific bent of mind among the people and has reflected a true scientific spirit in his own life, Dr. K. C. Saha, who first brought the problem of arsenic contamination in West Bengal to the notice of the people, and Prof. Palash Baran Pal, who has taken a leading role in popular science writing in the medium of Bengali.

The next day in the delegate session was conducted by a Presidium composed of Mr. Debasis Ray, Dr. Mridul Das, and Dr. Soumitro Banerjee. Four resolutions were placed, discussed and accepted: on the danger of arsenic and fluoride pollution, on the belief in witches and reported killings of tribal women, on the propagation of unscientific beliefs like astrology and fengshui by the media, and on the proposed nuclear power plant and missile launch facility.

The conference elected a new state committee and pladged to intensify the struggle to build a science movement in the state. The newly elected State Committee is as follows. 
President: Prof. D. Mukhopadhyay,
Working President: Prof. Pradip K. Ray,
Vice Presidents: Dr. Ashoke Prasun Chatterjee, Dr. Katick Ghanta, Dr. Safique Ul Alam, Dr. Damodar Maity, Mr. Subrata Gouri, Mr. Tamal
Nanda, Mr. Asta Daskhan, Mr. Gopal Sahu, Dr. Bijoy Dolui, Mr. Chanchal Ghosh. Secretary: Dr. Nilesh Maity,
Assistant Secretaries: Dr. Tapan Si and Dr. Radhakanta Konar,
Treasurer: Mr. Dinesh Mohanta,
Office Secretary: Mr. Ashish Samanta,
Secretariat: Dr. Debabrata Bera, Mr. Chandan Santra, Ms. Namita Pal, Mr. Dilip Das, Mr. Kumaresh De, Mr. Anup Manna, Mr. Ramkumar Mandal, Mr. Apurba Senapati, Mr. Anirban Akhand.