Towards a People's Science Movement Anwar Jaffry Mahesh Rangarajan B Ekbal K P Kannan A LARGE number of groups are working, mostly on a voluntary basis, in areas which may be said to fall on the interface of science and society. Some are attempting to popularise the natural sciences; some are engaged in focusing attention on the unscientific attitudes and policies towards such basic issues as health; some are engaged in highlighting the adverse impact of development activities as a result of inadequate and often wrong application of science and technology, particularly in the field of environment; a few are engaged in demonstrating innovative and interesting ways of teaching science, while quite a number are' engaged in' development activities in the areas of health, nonformal education, appropriate technology, housing, etc, bused on their scientific knowledge. Apart from such specific activities, attempts are also under way, as in Kerala, to develop a People's Science Movement (PSM for short) fusing the numerous activities listed above with the help of the spoken and the printed word as well as the various art forms of the people. The. underlying motive for such a PSM has arisen from the need to enhance the people's capability to understand and analyse social issues in a scientific framework, It is the use of science, in one way or the other, in the activities of these various groups which -has created a common thread bringing them together under the banner of PSM.
