ALSS 2004
                                                            Dec 14 – 17, Panchgani, Maharashtra

Makarand Bakore

The opportunity to attend the ALSS thrilled me from the word go. The prospect of listening to great speakers, meeting new people, and furthering discussions on libertarian values, all at the scenic location of Panchgani, seemed marvellous. The four days at the seminar proved that correct.

The excitement began from Mumbai itself. The journey to Panchgani in the CCS arranged luxury bus created an opportunity for informal interaction. A lively session of Antakshari was spiced up with a stopover for delicious, hot Vada Pavs (Indian burger) and tea at a local hotel.

On reaching Panchgani, the beautiful venue ‘Initiative of Change’ (formally known as ‘Moral Re-Armament’) welcomed us with open arms. Located in the breathtaking surroundings of Asia Plateau, the Initiative for Change (IC) is a mammoth community enterprise complete with auditorium and residential facilities. A picturesque campus with spectacular trees and gardens set the stage for intellectual stimulation.

The kind and cheerful IC coordinators assigned us to neat, well-furnished rooms. Dinner followed at a neighbouring restaurant, interspersed with discussions on participants’ backgrounds, interests, and experiences at previous LSS seminars. The camaraderie helped form good foundations for relationships to be built in the coming days.

The unique feature of IC was the ‘service’. The group was divided into small teams and was assigned ‘service’ emblematised through washing dishes or serving food. It built community spirit and instilled a sense of humility. The service teams were combined with participants from another seminar, helping us know new people.

After the round of introductions, the first day kicked off with a session by Mr. Amir Ullah Khan. He spoke on judicial reforms and tort laws in the Indian context. After a thought provoking talk, we broke off into working groups and discussed several innovations to tort laws.

Mr. Sunder Ramaswamy took the group into an incisive trip of economics. With solid economics foundation and crystal clear concepts, he regaled us with crisp discussions on the evolution of liberal economic thinking. It was a privilege to listen to the Director of Madras School of Economics.

This was followed by a delightful discussion on Spontaneous Order and Network Externalities by Dr. Parth Shah. He skilfully defended questions on Microsoft’s monopoly and allowed us to appreciate the application of libertarian concepts to business environment.

Several such seminars were followed by working group activities. They helped us brainstorm and meet existing challenges with innovative libertarian solutions.

The highlight of the evenings was the documentary screenings. Insightful, penetrating and entertaining, each documentary shed light on a different aspect of the libertarian ideology. “Bitter Drink”, “Commanding Heights” and “You Can’t Say That” are a must-watch. Documentaries with leftist ideologies were screened to maintain balance.

The temptation to admire Panchgani’s remarkable beauty was too irresistible. In the evening of the last day, we took the opportunity to explore the area. The high point (in the literal sense too!) was the Paragliding at table top land. An astonishing trip, several hundred feet over the hills of Panchgani, was an extraordinary experience for all of us. The unrestrained flight in the sky symbolized the dream of economic freedom and liberty that CCS stands for.

The next day, we said our goodbyes and left for Mumbai. Overall, I would regard the ALSS experience as truly productive, profound and exhilarating. I would like to thank CCS for giving me this unique opportunity.