1

diary exhibitions

De-professionalisationSYMPOSIUM: The 2nd Annual International Symposium on ‘Literary Activism’Speakers: Professor Ashis Nandy; Dr. Jeremy Deller; Dr. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra; Dr. Nikhil Saval; Dr. Raj Kamal Jha; Dr. Peter D. McDonald; Dr. Sunetra Gupta; Dr. Rosinka Chaudhuri; Dr. Jon Cook; and Dr. Amit ChaudhuriCollaboration: University of East Anglia’s Centre for the Creative and Critical at Presidency University, Calcutta8–9 January

Writer Amit Chaudhuri had organised a symposium on ‘literary activism’, imagined as an alternative to ‘market activism’, in Kolkata last year. This was the symposium’s second edition and aimed at facilitating fresh conversations around ‘de-professionalisation’. Steering clear of the form of the literary fest and academic conference, it attempted to avoid ‘appropriation’ into market-driven structures by celebrating ‘strangeness’, ‘dabbling’, the urge to avoid identification with any one genre or activity. Collectively, these ‘defined’ the idea of ‘de-professionalisation’.

Ashis Nandy, the ‘de-professionalised intellectual’ himself (Gustavo Esteva’s term for him), invoked worlds of difference—Tagore, Arendt, Darwin, Marx, Shaw, Wilde—and drew upon insights from and into the fields of sociology, psychology and ‘creativity research’, to reflect on the ‘dangers of scientific rationality’ and to assert the urgency of ‘hosting the otherness of the other’. The eclectic list of participants comprised established writers, journalists, and academics reflecting on a range of choices, practices, and dilemmas, in a largely autobiographical vein. Some, like poet and translator Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, resurrected a forgotten past where the artist Arun Kolatkar blazed his inspiringly idiosyncratic trail in the worlds of Marathi and English poetry, drawing sustenance from all

January—February 2016volume XXX. No. 1

that Kala Ghoda then was: a bohemian world that attracted talent and risk-taking in equal measure. Mehrotra’s own presence struck a note of authenticity in harking back to a generation that lived at the cusp of the arrival of ‘professionalism’ in all its toxic senses. Academic Rosinka Chaudhuri revisited the debate between Rabindranath Tagore and historian Jadunath Sarkar on Visvabharati’s aim to ‘de-professionalise’ education, while also bringing Adorno (‘only what does not fit in can be true’) into the equation. Scholar Peter McDonald reflected on the institutional spaces that shape discourse, and on South African writer Coetzee’s genre-bending work, The Life & Times of Michael K, aimed at shaping a new reader. Novelist Sunetra Gupta ruminated on her struggle with the onslaught of the market in each of her professions—as a novelist writing against the culture of instant saleability and a scientific researcher whose work must prove its ‘immediate relevance’. Rajkamal Jha, novelist and journalist, made an inspired presentation on the psycho-ethical drama enacted behind the scenes in the newsroom, where a minuscule number come ‘professionally’ trained, and his own mentoring aimed at honing the craft with imagination, empathy and self-questioning rigour. There was Nikhil Saval from the little magazine n+1, as well as the ‘untrained’ Turner Prize-winning British artist Jeremy Deller.

Chaudhuri spoke of his discomfort as a ‘resisting’ writer also ‘teaching’ creative writing, while Pratap Bhanu Mehta questioned whether Chaudhuri—and the symposium—was conflating a variety of anxieties. In pointing to how institutional power politics defines markets, universities and literary clubs, the symposium opened up big questions: will future versions of the symposium be asking harder questions about its own investment in these sites of power?

� MAYA JOSHI

2

diaryexhibition/film

Turbulent ImagesEXHIBITION: On the Set with Pier Paolo PasoliniCollaboration: IIC Film Club Festival, Revisiting the Masters of Cinema: Pier Paolo Pasolini in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura, New Delhi17 to 25 February

Pier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian poet and writer but he was, above all, a film director. Born in 1922, he was tragically and brutally murdered in 1975. To commemorate the 40th year of his death, the Italian Cultural Centre in Delhi together with the Centre for Research and Archiving of Photography, Spilimbergo, brought Pasolini out from behind the camera to the front of it. They have put together a series of photographs about Pasolini’s films, his life and after.

Several photographers like Angelo Novi and Mario Tursi have shot scenes in colour from Pasolini’s film sets, while Claudio Ernè has captured Pasolini’s funeral, where the principal object is his aged and grieving mother. The large gathering at the funeral leaves no doubt about the popularity of the Italian film director-cum-intellectual. These black and white photographs as well as Sergio Branzi’s depiction of Pasolini’s bare home after his death are very candid and

Chauu Dance—Bringing the Mask to LifeFILM: The Face Behind the MaskDirected by Nirmal Chander who introduced the filmScreening was followed by a discussion with Shashadhar Acharya and Nirmal Chander15 February

This documentary captured the trials and tribulations of the chauu dancers of Seraikella in keeping this art form alive. It was mesmerising to watch as the dancer somehow emoted through his impassive mask and fluid movements to bring various stories to life.

The cinematography, as well as the direction, showed Jharkand’s verdant open spaces being used for chauu dance performances. The accompanying music of the dhol or nagara, and shehnai or veena, created the perfect balance between the music and the dance. Each performance left

Pasolini Exhibition

moving. John Phillips and Francesco Krivec have shown Pasolini’s family and political life.

Growing up in troubled conditions, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s films depict not only the Italian society of the time—mafia-ridden—but also his own homosexual leanings. Deborah Imogen Beer in her photographs has accentuated this aspect of Pasolini’s life. Mimmo Cattarinich’s photographs show the sets of the director’s representation of I racconti di Canterbury (The Canterbury Tales) and Mario Tursi concentrates on the scenes of Decameron, a film focusing on fraud and deception.

� SWATI DASGUPTA

one with the sound of drums resonating for a while after. The masks seemed to wear a perpetual smile, no matter what the storyline. The dances showcased vivid scenes from mythology, hunting in the forest, or animals moving in the wild. The masks are integral to the performance, and filmmaker Nirmal Chander introduced the artists behind the mask who painstakingly created new masks using paper, mud and clay. The audience showed their appreciation for the talented dancers who have worked relentlessly to keep one of India’s dance traditions in public consciousness.

Shashadhar Acharya, on whom the film focused, talked about the problems faced by the people of Seraikella who find it difficult to earn a livelihood and keep chauu going as well. He has managed to involve his entire family in the chauu tradition and it was a treat for the audience to be introduced to them at the end of the screening. The Q&A between the audience, Nirmal and Acharya was engaging and enlightening.

� RIMA ZAHEER

3

diary film

Unmasking PavanSEMINAR: Unmasking Pavan: A Retrospective of Films and a Discussion with the Actor13 January

‘Pavan Malhotra who?' is a question asked by many, including those who have watched his films. Film critic Khalid Mohammad has the answer to this question: Pavan Malhotra lacks the killer instinct. He needs to go to directors' offices asking for roles to be more visible. Malhotra, however, blames the media for ignoring him. For him, dignity is of utmost importance.

Pavan Malhotra, while trying to learn the ropes of his father’s business, got an opportunity to work in the costumes department of Attenborough’s Gandhi. He then moved to Bombay and began his career in Faisal Alkazi’s films and television serials, the most popular being Nukkad. He worked with directors Saeed Mirza, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Amit Rai, Mrityunjay Devvrat and Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra on the big screen. A very disciplined actor, Pavan has been influenced by Balraj Sahni, Amitabh Bachchan, Amrish Puri, Amjad Khan and Wahida Rahman, but does not believe in imitating them. He thinks that not having a set way of talking helps him in merging with the character he is playing.

Best known for his lead roles in Buddhadev Dasgupta’s National Film Award-winning Bagh Bahadur and Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s Langde Pe Mat Ro—both released in 1989—Malhotra went on to do several films, in each of which his role was completely different. In Bagh Bahadur, he is Ghunuram, a day labourer for much of the year, who returns to his village in Bengal to paint himself as a tiger and dance to enthrall the villagers. This was a good source of income for him. But then comes a man with a real tiger in a cage and takes away Ghunuram’s source of income, leading to his suicide. This is a powerful depiction of dying rural arts due to the modern-day lifestyle.

Cast in a completely different role in Saeed Mirza’s Langde pe Mat Ro, Pavan Malhotra plays the role of Salim, a small-time thief and goonda. The film depicts the Hindutva

Pavan Malhotra

mobilisation of the 1980s, leading to communalism and conflict between Hindus and Muslims. But when Salim finally takes up a job, deciding to turn over a new leaf and lead the life of an honest and responsible citizen, he is shot down by an underworld don. The film is dedicated to Safdar Hashmi.

In Brothers in Trouble, directed by Udayan Prasad, Malhotra is an illegal immigrant in England, hoping to make enough money to repatriate home. He shares a boarding house with several other men, doing unskilled labour and trying to lead a life away from the eyes of the British government. The entry of a young white girl into the house imports turmoil, and life in the boarding house is never the same as before.

� SWATI DASGUPTA

4

diaryliterature

Fractured Societies TALK: The Republic of ReasonsSpeaker: Professor Alok RaiCollaboration: Indian Humanist Union25 February

This programme was a lively discourse on the definition and scope of what constitutes a republic, the wonders of the Indian Constitution for which credit goes to B.R. Ambedkar, and the dangers facing the Indian republic today. Alok Rai said that the biggest factor responsible was that people were nurturing hurt and entitlement in their DNA that was leading to expectations, and unless these are met, they were resorting to violence and mob rule. He also spoke of the bovine devine art festival in Jaipur in November 2015, where an art installation consisting of plastic cows floating in the air offended some people who complained to the police, and how this was handled by the police, the organisers and the protestors.

Epic CanvasDISCUSSION: Novel: A Canvas with Hues of Our LivesSPEAKERS: Professor Houra Yavari; Dr. Khaterah Sheibani; Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil; and Professor G.J.V. PrasadMODERATOR: Dr. Syed Akhtar HusianCOLLABORATION: Institute of Indo-Persian Studies and IIC-International Research Division18 February

On 18 February 2016, a discussion on Novel: A Canvas with Hues of Our Lives was held at the international conference on The Blind Owl: Hooting for 80 Years to mark the 80th year of Sadegh Hedayat’s novel.

Akhtar Husain initiated the discussion with the poser that what a story is to a ghazal (lyric), a novel is to a masnavi

The police officers had asked during the interrogation if the cow was dead when the art installation was made and were unable to understand from the organisers that it was a plastic cow. The matter ended when some protestors garlanded the plastic cow. This hurt sentiment degenerated into liberal expression and mob violence.

Professor Rai has taught English at IIT Delhi and Delhi University, Allahabad University and most recently, courses at Delhi University on Victorian and Modern English Literature. He brought in rich analogies from Oscar Wilde and George Orwell on the merits and perils of socialism, on nationalism and on being anti-national. He spoke out against majoritarianism, irrational emotional sentiments and violence, even state violence, or violence by the lumpen elements in society taking charge of ethics and social behaviour. Lastly, he explored the idea of how we can, as responsible social citizens in fractured societies, evolve strategies to be able to live in collective harmony within a constitution.

� MEKHALA SENGUPTA

(epic). Yavari responded that the epic accounts for gods, kings and heroes in earlier times, but in modern times the novel presents the lives of the common man of our society. G.J.V. Prasad elaborated on the properties of a novel and called it a prose epic and referred to the novel of Toru Dutt over any well-documented history. According to him, the novel has a wide range of properties, structures and appeal among the people. Rakhshanda Jalil appreciated The Blind Owl as a novel rich in images, defying the conventional definitions and forms of the genre. The images of the novel are the true representation of our lives. Dr. Sheibani looked upon the novel as a democratic form of literature which gives opportunity to all human beings to speak. It is a canvas with hues of human life. The discussion ended on the note of Professor Yavari that Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude is the best modern epic novel.

� NADEEM AKHTAR

diary literature/culture

Puppet Show PERFORMANCE: The Fisherman and his Soul1 February

An evening of exploration was set in motion with the staging of a puppet show on Oscar Wilde’s story of ‘The Fisherman and His Soul’, wherein the crucial elements of fantasy, such as a mermaid, a fisherman’s soul, a young witch, are combined into a tale of mystery and action at every turn and twist of the story. Bringing it on stage as a puppet performance was an ambitious and out-of-the-box idea that Varun Narain managed well with his flawless diction, apt musical background, and lighting and stage props.

For audiences used to the conventional association that one has with puppetry as a child’s distraction, this show

Expressing GriefILLUSTRATED TALK: On Grief and Dharma: Encountering a 'hard bhava' in the Mahabharata and TagoreSPEAKER: Professor Purushottama BilimoriaCHAIR: Prof. Rahul Govind27 January

Talking about the theme of grief in Indian literatures in general and the Mahabharata in particular is not a critical exercise of recent origin. Ranging from Bharata’s Natyashastra to all recent researches such as Emily T. Hudson’s Disorienting Dharma: Ethics and Aesthetics in the Mahabharata highlight this aspect.

Purushottama Bilimoria’s talk, however, transcended the immediate periphery of the Mahabharata, and made an attempt to accommodate the poet-painter Rabindranath Tagore as an heir to the heritage of Vyasa. The speaker touched upon Bharata’s theory of rasa which mentions ‘empathy’ as the sthayibhaava (abiding emotion) for karunarasa. Arjuna’s vishaada (despondency) in the

widened one’s understanding of this medium for serious theatre production. The director had meshed together the familiar rod puppetry technique of India with elements of Japanese Bunraku puppetry using puppeteers, chanters and musicians. Stretches of shadow puppetry were visible in certain parts as well. To this amalgamation were included elements of object theatre and story-telling techniques, which gelled well with the mystical base of the tale.

In the course of the adaptation, a didactical streak came to the fore with its core theme of God being the creator of the great ‘sea of love’. The allegory of the soul sans a heart being led astray was woven around three major concerns of wisdom, love, riches and their equation through the various episodes of the show. A unique treatment of a child’s story into a technical success story, one hopes for more innovative offerings from the same group.

� SUBHRA MAZUMDAR

Bhagavadgita brings the issue of ethics face-to-face with that of emotions, and the speaker pointed out how Krishna’s advice to Arjuna problematises the utilitarian and consequential definitions of ethics. Instances of grief in the grand epic can be multiplied, two of the most poignant being Draupadi’s disrobing in the Sabhaparvan and Gandhari’s lament in the Striparvan.

The latter part of the talk concentrated on Tagore with special focus on his paintings. The most severe moment of grief in the poet’s life was possibly the mysterious suicide of his sister-in-law Kadambari, his muse. Bilimoria’s presentation covered a series of the poet’s paintings, the themes of which range from the macabre to the melancholic. An interesting comparison was drawn by the scholar between Tagore’s painting of pale and distorted landscapes and the epic episode of the burning of the Khaandava forest by Krishna and Arjuna. Both are symbolic of grief-stricken Nature. The last episode of the epic, which highlights Yudhishthira’s love and care for the faithful dog, stands in stark contrast with the forest-burning narrative.

� SOHAM PAIN

5

6

diaryculture

Syncretism in the Subcontinent TALK: Cooking for a Turkic Brother: The Story of Amina Sati and Ghazi MiyanSpeaker: Professor Shahid AminChair: Prof. Bijoy BaruahCollaboration: Orient Blackswan11 January

Through the very beautiful story of Amina and Ghazi Miyan, an eminent author, Shahid Amin unearthed the history of devotion to the Turkic-Indian warrior saint, whose shrine has been visited over the centuries by both Muslims and Hindus.

In studying the Ghazi, his cult and its reception history, Amin offered an astute perspective on the ways in which the Turko-Islamic invasions of India, C. 1000-1200 CE, have entered historical and popular memory. By considering the role of religious conflict in the building of the multi-religious cult of Ghazi Miyan, it also shed new light on the nature of syncretism in the subcontinent.

The Melting Pot of Comfort FoodDISCUSSION: KhichdiSPEAKERS: Dr. G.C. Tripathi and Dr. Pushpesh PantCHAIR: Smt. Kusum Jain

This talk gave us a taste of the history of khichdi, by the end of which, this humble comfort food had established itself as the ‘food of the Gods’.

Pushpesh Pant explained that this mix of rice and lentils is eaten in almost every corner of India, and of course has been exported as the exotic kedgeree, though there is something fishy about that recipe. Khichdi is comforting food because it is filling, easy to digest and nutritious. The dish takes on a different hue each time it is cooked, with a different cultural aspect, and this speaks for the diversity of food in this land where people have been eating some

Shahid Amin spoke of what radical displacement means for the multi-religious devotees of a youthful Turkic commander. He also addressed the disquiet and criticism the cult has provoked in both orthodox Hindu and Muslim quarters. Citing his book, he highlighted the story of this Indo-Turkic warrior saint and his influential cult in the Gangetic plains, where he travels to and wages war against local Hindu rulers, and gets addressed as a Ghazi and attracts recruits and adherents as an exceptional, pious Indo-Muslim warrior. This Ghazi Miyan gathers four close associates around him, forming the quintet ‘Pancho Pir’ (The Five Holies), venerated across religious divides in the Gangetic corridor. Ghazi Miyan combined hunting game with principled jihad and a calibrated sense of iconoclasm.

Deeply researched and wonderfully written, he explained how his book shows the composite religious culture being created and peaceful threads knit over the rupture of violence.

� SHAHID SIDDIQUI

version of the concoction since Vedic times. Rice is often substituted with sago, and vegetables are added to give this dish a twist. It seems that it is a popular recipe cooked in many South Asian countries.

We were regaled with the timeless story of Birbal’s Khichdi and the political and historical context of it that usually is not explained. Other than a variety of dals that can be used and eclectic accompaniments, the one integral component that one cannot do without is ghee or clarified butter.

The third speaker expounded on the etymology of ‘khichdi ’ and gave us its mythological and historical context.

This wholesome mash-up made for an enlightening discussion and the perfect appetiser for the dinner that followed the discussion.

� RIMA ZAHEER

7

diary culture

Kodava TraditionFESTIVAL: Kodava Festival

COLLABORATION: Kodava Samaj, Delhi27 February

The IIC revisited one of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay’s visions, playing host to an exposition of Kodava culture, followed by performances depicting Kodava traditions. The first part featured talks by Rathi Vinay Jha, B. Nanjamma Chinnappa and Chef Naren Thimmaiah, and was engagingly compered by Reena Pandey.

Jha and Chinnappa highlighted the most distinctive aspects of Kodava culture, including the respect and prominence accorded to women in Kodava society, the ancient origins of the Coorg language, and the Kodavas’ indigenous religious practices of worshipping nature and their ancestors, which have in recent centuries been overlaid with a broadly Hindu sensibility. Chef Naren Thimmaiah gave an insight into the principles behind Kodava cuisine, with its predisposition towards the local and the seasonal, as well as the minimalist approach to the

An Anthropologist across DisciplinesDISCUSSION: Indian History and CivilisationLAUNCH AND DISCUSSION on The Collected Works of Professor S.C. Malik, edited by Alok TripathiPANELLISTS: Dr. K.N. Dixit, Dr. B.M. Pande, Dr. Sukrita Paul Kumar and Dr. Nalini Thakur13 February

Three volumes of the collected works of anthropologist S.C. Malik were released. The books, edited by Alok Tripathi, deal with a wide variety of subjects, ranging from archaeology and ecology to philosophy of science and history, within a wider reflection on human nature and destiny, the meaning of time and the place of myth in the telling of the past. The books are entitled, respectively, Exploring the Past: Problems and Issues; Indian History and Civilization: New Images of the Past; and The Being of Man: Science, Culture and Consciousness.

cooking of vegetables that makes Kodava vegetarian dishes particularly nutritious. He also summed up the spices that constitute the distinctive Kodava masala flavour—black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and fenugreek, along with kachampuli, Kodagu’s distinctive souring agent.

Following the presentations in the auditorium, the audience was led to the Fountain Lawns in procession behind musicians from the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, who played on traditional horns and drums all the way. At the lawns, dance groups from the Academy presented Ponnad Kodagh Siri, a choreographed montage depicting the culture and traditions of Coorg. Within this presentation were dances connected to important days in the Coorg agricultural calendar, as well as depictions of martial prowess by Kodava men wielding both staffs and traditional swords. The show ended with vignettes of key moments in a Kodava wedding ceremony.

It was, as Chef Naren noted, but a glimpse of a charming and distinct part of the country, and a little taste of a way of life that can only truly be experienced by visiting Coorg.

� YOGI PONAPPA

K. N. Dixit expressed both admiration for and perplexity at the author's complex inter-disciplinary approach which he deemed challenging for specialists. B. M. Pande commented on Malik's critique of the ‘western’ approach which seems far too systematic at times, as when it tries to use the shape of tools to determine what eras they belong to. Sukrita Paul Kumar analysed the ‘writer’s deep dialogue with himself ’, and noted that he calls for a paradigm shift in our understanding of our species and of its past. Nalini Thakur also reflected on the trans-disciplinary character of Malik’s work and tried to show its practical impact on a concrete art like architecture and heritage conservation. In his very personal, informal style, the author concluded with a few comments on his underlying philosophy and evinced his distrust of narrow specialisation which led him to question most of the precepts and assumptions of the Cartesian-positivist framework that he deemed unsuited to the exploration of Indian culture.

� COME CARPENTIER DE GOURDON

7

Lighting the Lamp

8

diarymusic

Musical Anecdotes MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION: A Stranger in ParadiseBy AshaRani Mathur21 January

AshaRani Mathur shared the melodious memories of her stint with 'Music Today’. She first explained that at that time, almost 26 years ago, the climate for classical music was not as conducive as it was for pop and film music. However, it was conducive for some extraordinary people like Deepak Shourie, Arun Purie, Sheila Dhar and Naina Devi who made the 'Music Today' label possible.

Sheila Dhar conceived the initial three series: Ragas from Dusk to Dawn, The Maestros Choice and the Young Masters Series. The studios, in those days, were not fit for classical music recordings. The air conditioners had to be switched off during the recording sessions otherwise instruments like the tanpura would need to be re-tuned. There was also

Classical ExposureMUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION: In the Light of the ClassicalPRESENTATION BY Ashok Vajpeyi12 February

Ashok Vajpeyi, Hindi poet-critic, translator, editor and culture activist and Sahitya Akademi award winner of 1994 made a presentation entitled ‘In the Light of the Classical.’ He spoke of how almost 50 years ago, in a strange quirk of fate, he along with some friends sauntered into a classical music session and stayed there for over two hours. He clarified at the very start that while he wrote poetry from an early age, he had never trained in music. Yet, the influence that Indian classical music had on him since his early youth is unarguable. But by the end of this classical exposure, he remembered saying to himself, so this is what music should actually sound like.

no power back-up in those days. Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra were once being recorded when the electricity went off towards the concluding Jaijaiwanti Bandish, ‘Aiso naval ladli Radha…’, and the recording had to be done all over again.

AshaRani also emphasised that the 'Music Today' series had many firsts—thematic presentations like ragas according to the time theory of Hindustani music, the theme of Soundscapes like the Mountains, Deserts, Rivers or Seasons, and the series on Shringar, among others. Artistically designed and packaged cassettes were also released for the first time.

Listening to the audio clips of Kishori Amonkar’s Sampoorna Malkauns, Lakshmi Shankar’s Sawan, Ustad Asad Ali Khan’s Badahans Sarang on rudraveena, or Gundecha Brothers’ Shiva Shiva…, along with AshaRani’s memorable anecdotes with the great maestros were the added attractions of this unique MAP evening.

� MANJARI SINHA

He likened this listening of classical music as a journey into the realms of the infinite, and he covered his proximity to some great musicians of India. Those mentioned were maestros Mallikarjun Mansur, Kumar Gandharva and Zia Moiuddin Dagar. Life was simple then and the musicians frequently expressed their views against colonial oppression by playing their music, in rebellion, to empty music halls. Such musicians were constantly improvising both melody and metre without loss of the bhava, the rasa or the emotion. After India gained independence, the princely states were abolished and these musicians lost their patronage. Even after he joined the IAS in 1965, Vajpeyi continued his association by patronising the visual and performing arts as an organiser of musical, cultural and literary events, and set up many cultural institutions.

� MEKHALA SENGUPTA

9

diary music

Journey of a MaestroGUNIJAN SABHA—VERSE 8: 'A Life Journey of Kathak' with Pt. Birju MaharajMODERATOR: Ms Sashwati SenCOLLABORATION: The Dagar Archives, Jaipur18 February

When you are about to attend a talk session by a legend like Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, the Kathak maestro, the mood in the audience is expectant, waiting to enrich themselves with his words. IIC, in association with Imammudin Khan Dagar, Indian Music Art & Culture society and the Dagar Archives, Jaipur presented Gunijan Sabha––Verse 8 on 18th February.

The session titled ‘A Life Journey of Kathak with Padmavibushan Pt. Birju Maharaj’ had him in conversation with Ms Sashwati Sen (a noted Kathak dancer of India), reminiscing about his childhood.

He remembered how in the 60s, the audience had no appreciation or depth to understand classical arts the way

Changing Concepts of BeautyTALK: From Hour Glass to Size ZeroSPEAKER: Ms Sathya Saran MODERATOR: Dr. Geeti Sen6 February

Sathya Saran traced the changing perception of Indian beauty in cinema from its early years until the present, focusing on fashion, sartorial awareness and body image. She also spoke about the iconic heroines of various decades, and what aspect of their persona appealed to viewers at the time.

Saran began by pointing out that the earliest heroines in Indian films were in fact men masquerading as women. Citing the examples of subsequent actresses such as Gauhar Jaan and Ruby Myers, she argued that since these early films were often theatrical, they emphasised facial expressions, emotions and close-ups. This meant that the actresses’ clothes and appearance were not of great

it does now. Born in Lucknow, he was the only male birth amongst all the females born that day, hence the name ‘Brijmohan’, Krishna amongst the gopis. He went on to stress how he had no formal training in Kathak, but thoroughly observed and absorbed everything from his environment which was rich in the nuances of the art form owing to his father and uncles. Maharaj ji kept the audience charmed and entertained with his humour and anecdotes relating to his experiences in life, from his fondness for kite-flying as a kid, giving his first stage performance as a 6-year-old, to how he thinks everything in nature is in rhythm if we really listen to it. His accompanists on Tabla and Sarangi later on joined him, and Maharaj ji beautifully demonstrated how a mother bird brings food to her children through a ‘tihai’. He went on to sing a couple of thumris showing bhaav on Krishna’s life. The session later on became interactive with the audience asking questions of Pt. Birju Maharaj. When asked, ‘What is the secret of his youth’, his answer depicted his great love and devotion to the classical art when he said, ‘laya, nritya (dance) and sangeet (music) are always young hence I stay young’.

� NEETI JAIN

consequence. This changed with Fearless Nadia and films such as Light of Asia, in which the actress wore structured clothes and jewellery.

Saran also spoke briefly about classical notions of beauty defined by the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, and how these were reflected in Hindi songs. For instance, comparisons of the heroine’s face with the moon and her eyes with a deer’s were present in popular songs such as Chaudvin ka Chand.

Saran went on to argue that most popular heroines before the 1990s, such as Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Vyjayantimala, among others, had hour-glass figures, with a few exceptions such as Waheeda Rahman.

She also suggested that with Sharmila Tagore’s iconic swimsuit cover, and the rise of stars such as Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman, heroines began to be associated with glamour. However, in Saran’s opinion, the real trend for size zero and plastic surgeries began with the crowning of Miss India contestants such as Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai in the early 1990s. With an increasing number of models becoming actresses, their roles have also changed.

� SONAM JOSHI

9

10

diaryheritage

To Mark IIC Annual Day WALK: IIC Heritage WalkLed by Ms Beeba SobtiFlagged off by Dr. Kapila VatsyayanCONCEPT: Suhas Borker22 January

The first heritage walk of the Centre led by historian Beeba Sobti was flagged off by Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan to mark IIC’s 54th Annual Day. The walk was conceptualised to introduce new members to IIC’s ‘collective memory’—critical to a civil society institution, said Mr. Suhas Borker in his brief introduction.

Undeterred by the hazy cold afternoon, with blue-bordered IIC photo stickers stuck to their lapels, members enthusiastically followed Ms Sobti on a 145 minute-walk as she retraced the history of the Centre. Sobti began by transporting the walkers back to the late 1950s—a time when newly independent India, keen to deepen understanding between peoples of different nations, decided to set up an international centre, a vision

translated into reality by a group of great minds—the likes of Vice President S. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, US philanthropist John D. Rockefeller III, founder President of the Centre C.D. Deshmukh and the architect commissioned to build IIC, Joseph Allen Stein. Beginning from one end of the foyer which lies at an intersection of the foundation stone (30 November 1960), the inaugural plaque (22 January 1962), the bust of C.D. Deshmukh and the replica of Amarnath Sehgal’s celebrated sculpture of Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid struggle ‘The Captive’, Sobti presented the walkers with a rich anecdotal narrative of IIC’s inception and evolution. Stein’s architecture echoes an institutional vision that

values simplicity and minimalism, celebrates diversity and cultural exchanges, commitment to intellectual pursuits and an organic relationship between the material world and nature. Innate to Stein’s use of the local stone, exposed concrete, jaalis, roofscape akin to chhatris and water—all of which seamlessly melts into the natural green landscape of Lodhi Garden was his belief in democracy and human dignity—a public building open and inviting.

How was the site selected? The symbolism associated with the textured gravel on the walls; the often-invisible contributions that the eclectic membership brings home (such as the bird cut-outs that adorn the glass panels of the dining hall to prevent birds from crashing against the glass); the now hidden wicket gate that once opened into Lodi Gardens: Sobti continued to enthrall with little known facts.

From the main building and adjacent gardens, the group walked to the Gandhi-King Memorial Plaza, which commemorates the two great world apostles of non-violence, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and exited via its east gate onto the road which was tweaked (Stein Lane) to accommodate the plaza (21 January 1970), across the Lodi Garden to the Annexe (inauguration plaque: 29 December 1996) and climbed up to its terrace to get a panoramic view of the Lodi Garden’s Bara Gumbad (how was the height of all IIC buildings designed to be lower than the base of the Lodi Garden domes?) and over to the Kamaladevi Complex (opened 31 March 2011) and its basement where India’s first Cordon Bleu chef and IIC’s long-time food adviser Bhicoo Manekshaw’s recipe books with delectable food repertoire are preserved and finally capped by high tea in the fountain lawns. The IIC heritage walk was an enriching experience indeed.

� HEM BORKER

Foundation Site

Gandhi-King Plaza

11

diary heritage/history

Bengal PartitionBOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: The Partition of Bengal: Fragile Borders and New Identities by Debjani Sengupta (Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2016)SPEAKERS: Dr. Rajarshi Dasgupta; Dr. Vishwajyoti Ghosh; and Dr. Rakhshanda JalilCHAIR: Dr. Tanika Sarkar20 January

This interdisciplinary body of work straddles history, literature, cultural studies and anthropology, and exhaustively examines the literature generated by a migrant and displaced set of people in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It brings up the complex issue of dislocation dynamics and questions about post-Partition life and society in Bengal and the ghoti-bangal divide between East Bengal and West Bengal even today.

The historical imagination of the chroniclers through hitherto un-translated archival materials, texts, diaries and

posts in Bangla on the consequences of the Partition of Bengal in 1947 recreates memories and cultural practices, and demonstrates the alchemy of emotions from forced migration, tensions, the psychology of homelessness and alienation and exile, and contends that there is pain, guilt and affirmation experienced and stored in many layers.

A natural comparison of the Partition of 1947 between Bengal and Punjab followed. The panel pointed out that there was no equivalent female voice expressed in Hindi or Punjabi or Urdu writings on the subject of the Partition, as has been found in the case of the Bengali trove of literature. While the book is likely to be the first effort to assess the impact of the cultural memory of the Bengal Partition of 1947, it significantly reaffirms the issues of refugees at large… that of safe harbour, camp life, rehabilitation and enabling transition from the past victimisation, to dealing with the present, since refugees are now a global phenomenon across borders.

� MEKHALA SENGUPTA

11

Annual Day: Against Social InjusticePERFORMANCE: IIC ANNUAL DAY: A-Neeti (Injustice)COLLABORATION: Nalanda Dance Research Centre22 February

To mark the Annual Day of the IIC, Dr. Kanak Rele, the renowned Mohiniattam Guru and Founder President of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre, Mumbai, presented ‘A-Neeti’, a thought-provoking dance production highlighting the social injustice against women and the downtrodden. Taking characters from our traditional mythology to express her anguish against this crushing injustice, Dr. Rele conceived, scripted and choreographed dance pieces in Mohiniattam and Bharatanatyam dance styles that touched the hearts of the audience.

To depict the pitiable condition of women in our society and the way they are ill-treated, Dr. Rele chose characters like Amba, Draupadi and Gandhari from the Mahabharata, played superbly by her disciples Saji Menon, Madhuri Deshmukh and Sunanda Nair respectively. She choreographed the dance in Mohiniattam style as their medium of expression. To represent the downtrodden, Vaibhav Arekar played A-Neeti in Mohiniattam

Eklavya, a true shishya and a symbol of our glorious tradition of Guru Shishya Parampara, in Bharatanatyam style. To protest against the issue of untouchability, Dr. Rele picked up the character of Nandanar, the untouchable devotee of Lord Shiva from Nandanar Charitram, who was not allowed to enter the temple. Deepak Mazumdar danced with dedicated devotion as Nandanar and brought

out the essence of Bhakti enacting this Bhakta.

The lyrics for Mohiniattam were written and composed by Shri Kavalam Narayan Panikkar in Kerala’s

authentic Sopana Sangeetham. The lyrics for Eklavya were from Veda Vyasa's Mahabharata and for Nandanar by Thirumoolar Appar Shankaracharya, Gopalkrishna Bharathi. Dr. Kanak Rele herself was there to narrate the synopsis for the story of each and every character played by her seasoned senior disciples.

� MANJARI SINHA

12

diaryhistory

Versions of the RamayanaDISCUSSION: Beyond Borders: On the Sri Lanka Ramayana TrailSPEAKER: Shri Anand SethiCHAIR: Ambassador K.V. RajanCHIEF GUEST: Professor Lokesh Chandra3 February

Anand Sethi, an engineer by profession, a self-confessed military buff and keen traveller and author, presented an intriguing travelogue across the most important sites in Sri Lanka mentioned in over 320 versions of the Ramayana.

The presentation brought to light several sites in Sri Lanka connected to the many versions of the Ramayana without a ‘for or against’ position to challenge the historical and geographical authenticity of what is stated in the Ramayana.

Sethi re-iterated that although there are several versions of the great Hindu epic written by Valmiki which include the Cambodian, the Thai, and the Janaki Harana (Sri Lankan version) written by the famous Kumaradasa, they mostly agree on the place names cited in this travelogue. For each section of the travelogue, the author has used Google maps of Lanka, which have many of these place names, in some cases with Tamil interpretations, in others, Sinhala.

Important and beautiful sites of the Ramayana in Sri Lanka included the Sita Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya (Asoka Vatika), Ravangoda, Istripura, Laggala, Munneswaram and Ussangoda among others.

The audience agreed that the Ramayana’s appeal is everlasting and still a living tradition for millions in Asia, touching minds, hearts and souls; and, despite its variations, the underlying philosophy remains consistent in theme and essence.

� GAURIKA KAPOOR

Calcutta in the 1950s DISCUSSION: Calcutta in the 1950sSPEAKER: Dr. Sumanta BanerjeeCHAIR: Shri Hiranmay Karlekar5 February

Sumanta Banerjee’s views on the Calcutta of the 1950s were rich and varied. He married the political with the social to great effect. The partition of Bengal in 1947 resulting from the bifurcation of India and the influx of refugees into Calcutta from the East changed the demographic character of the city. There was great pressure on the ruling Congress government in West Bengal to send the East Bengali refugees away, but the move failed despite brutal police methods used. The Congress, led by Dr. B. C. Roy, an outstanding physician and capable administrator, could do very little faced with a gigantic economic and political problem. However, big steel plants in Bokaro, Durgapur, were set up, as was the Damodar Valley Corporation, an ambitious irrigation project.

Two political events made the middle-class angry: first, in 1954, a legitimate sit-in outside Raj Bhavan of teachers, among them respected Freedom Fighters Satya Priya Roy and Anila Debi, was brutally attacked by the police at night to disperse them; second, in 1959, the Khadya Andolan (Food Movement) against an apathetic state government that tacitly condoned hoarding and black marketing. Three lakh people, including many farmers, marched into Calcutta in protest, were fired upon by the police, resulting in 80 deaths, hundreds injured, and thousands missing.

Banerjee also talked of the burgeoning growth of cultural activities—the emergence of master filmmakers like Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak. The contributions of excellent theatre director-actors like Sambhu Mitra and Utpal Dutt. The cultural and political agenda of the state was laid down by the Left.

� PARTHA CHATTERJEE

13

diary focus

Gender InequalityDISCUSSION: Gender ChallengesDISCUSSANTS: Professor Amartya Sen, Shri Vikram Seth and Dr. Renana JhabvalaIN CONVERSATION: Dr. Bina Agarwal with Professor Amartya SenMODERATOR: Paranjoy Guha-ThakurtaCOLLABORATION: Oxford University Press5 January

Although aspects of gender inequality receive attention today, few have covered such a wide range of themes of contemporary relevance as economist and Padma Shree Bina Agarwal, whose three-volume compendium Gender Challenges was launched by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen on 5 January. Sen described Agarwal as a pioneering analyst of gender inequality who had made far-reaching and original contributions on the subject, asking questions which none other had asked, and opening new pathways

India and the USTALK: Fourth Annual IAFAC Lecture: India and USA Strategic Relations: Status and Future TrendsSPEAKER: H.E. Mr. Richard R. VermaCHAIR: Shri Vijay P. NaikCOLLABORATION: Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents22 February

Ambassador Verma, a lawyer by training, from a family of educators, who had migrated from Jallandhar in 1963, stressed that India-US relations were on an upswing and the year 2015 saw all-time highs of positive cooperation on all fronts.

The concept of world cooperation and togetherness was initiated by President J. F. Kennedy, which has been growing. Today, he saw India as a close US partner, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, a view endorsed by India. The ultimate goal of both countries was the same, being based on the principles of the Rule of Law and Civil Liberties for all.

As for Defense and Security cooperation and interdependence, the militaries of both countries were getting closer, with the US Defense Secretary visiting India for the third time in a year. The US was offering advanced equipment and technologies and promoting their production in India as well. In short, the US was closer to India than any other country in the region, ‘viewing it as an upcoming 21st century power’. Their joint cooperation to counter international terrorism, ISIS, etc., was bound to succeed.

Economic security was equally important and the strong fundamentals of both were a positive factor. Regional connectivity and trade were being encouraged. Bilateral trade had trebled in 2015 and the desired goal of US$ 500 billion appeared achievable. Both countries were cooperating closely for environmental clean-up and advancement of green technologies and development. President Kennedy’s vision for a closer relationship endured and was growing. The US already has over 3 million people of Indian descent to vouch for this.

� SIDDHARTH KAK

13

to change. Gender Challenges brings together a selection of Bina Agarwal’s essays on agriculture and food security, property rights, and environment change, written over three decades. Combining diverse disciplines, methodologies and cross-country comparisons, the essays challenge standard economic assumptions from a gender perspective and provide alternatives.

Novelist Vikram Seth and SEWA activist Renana Jhabvala also spoke on the occasion. Seth with his usual wit highlighted Agarwal’s many contributions both academically and in shaping policy, such as catalysing the amendment of Hindu inheritance law to make it gender equal. Jhabvala spoke on how Agarwal’s work on women’s land rights had opened a new frontier in SEWA’s work on women’s empowerment. The launch was followed by a wide-ranging conversation between Amartya Sen and Bina Agarwal, moderated by journalist Paranjoy Guha-Thakurta. The event was attended by almost 400 of Delhi’s distinguished citizens.

�

14

diaryreview

A Briefer History of Time C.D. DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE 2016: Cosmic Odyssey: Past, Present and FutureSPEAKER: Professor T. PadmanabhanCHAIR: Shri Soli J. Sorabjee14 January

Universal questions that all civilisations have grappled with about the origin, evolution and the nature of the cosmos was the theme for this year’s C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture, albeit, addressed more scientifically by cosmologist T. Padmanabhan, who considers his subject to be the youngest science.

Sophisticated technology, developed over the last three decades has enabled cosmologists to move from mere theoretical speculation to more observational results, thus enabling us to look further into the universe to unravel our past.

Professor Padmanabhan proceeded to delineate the processes by which cosmologists reconcile the structure of Physical Laws with the structure of the Universe, often explaining the cosmos with known physical laws ranging from a fraction of a second to almost 14 billion years, and

vice versa, to test physical theories using cosmology to know what happened before one billionth of a second.

The structure of physical laws consisting of classical Newtonian gravity, Einsteinian relativity and quantum theory and their convergence, leading to general relativity and quantum field theory, that would together lead to the final frontier of quantum gravity, the ultimate goal of cosmology.

In describing the structure of the Universe, with its numerous galaxies, Professor Padmanabham underscored what he called the discovery of the 20th century: the fact that the Universe is expanding, and the presence of invisible dark matter. By studying the composition of the Universe, he stated that it consists of almost 71 per cent of what he cites as cosmological constant, a new constant of nature that drives the expansion of the Universe.

He also suggested that vacuum fluctuations that were generated in the expansion of the Universe were the seeds of the cosmic structures we see today.

Professor Padmanabhan concluded his discourse with the proposition that to understand the value of the cosmological constant would require a paradigm shift in our conception of gravity.

� AJAY JAISINGHANI

Financing TerrorismTALK: Countering the Financing of Terrorism in India––An Assessment of Current Efforts and Possible Steps for the Future.SPEAKER: Dr. Amit KumarCOLLABORATION: Society for Policy Studies10 February

India faces potential threats from border disputes, a porous border and state-sponsored terrorism, as has been seen in several past terror attacks. It is, hence, a prerequisite for India to deal with these attacks through special means which go beyond just upping India’s defence capabilities. Thwarting the financial support provided to terrorist organisations by state and non-state actors is essential.

Amit Kumar threw light on the financing, organisation, and evolution of transnational terrorist and criminal networks

and counterterrorism compliance measures against such networks.

Fake Indian currency notes and hawala networks finance terrorist activities. A modern and robust banking system would eradicate these networks. Dr. Kumar called for better intelligence sharing between financial institutions, law enforcement and intelligence to target suspicious terrorist financing. It is also important to keep track of the implementation, effectiveness and impact of asset freezing carried out by financial institutions, he said.

Nations jointly listing terrorist entities would further help curb the financing of terrorism. Financial experts must be kept in the loop. Those suspected of money laundering should be prosecuted. Capacity building is necessary to improve the dismal shape of our border and coastal security. Information technology must be used to monitor potential cyber terrorist activities.

� NIHARIKA BANERJEE

15

diary review

Library ScienceANNUAL LIBRARIANS’ MEET: Library Science (LIS) Education in USA and India: The Present, the Past and the Future PerspectiveSPEAKERS: Professor K.S. Raghavan; and Dr. Elizabeth CremerCHAIR: Soli J. Sorabjee7 January

The speakers highlighted the fading role of libraries as a repository for physical books and periodicals, and a visible decline in the use of libraries as more viable alternatives become available to users in a 24x7 mode. They elaborated how core library services are facing a challenge, requiring new approaches for resource acquisition, services, space utilisation and staffing. To deal with the new patron demands and the fact that local physical distribution models are being rapidly displaced by remote and fully digital approaches, LIS professionals have to prepare to compete with organisations like Google and Hathi Trust and provide matching services tailored to the evolving needs of users. Provision of on-demand online guidance to students and faculty; instructional support in acquiring information literacy skills; collaboration

Politics of OilSEMINAR: Geopolitics of Oil and Gas: Crisis in West Asia and its Impact on India.COLLABORATION: Hardnews magazine and JNU20 January

The seminar speculated on the drastic changes in global politics and economy after oil prices fell below $30 per barrel. The fall brings with it new developments—American withdrawal from the Middle East, given their own shale production, Russia occupying that strategic space, and Iran’s rise. ‘The only certainty in oil is uncertainty’, said Saurabh Chandra, former petroleum secretary. Since 90 per cent of oil is localised in 22 countries, it is a strategic resource.

The crisis in West Asia—including the Syrian civil war, Iran’s future following the P5+1 deal, the Kurds’ drive

for an independent state, and the ISIS—was discussed. Gholamereza Ansari, Iranian Ambassador, called upon India to stabilise the region. The recent Iranian nuclear deal proves that diplomacy, and not war, is the way forward.

The final session dealt with plummeting oil prices and its impact on India. ‘No real benefit of oil price crash has been observed’, said Arvind Mayaram, former finance secretary. Although the Current Account Deficit is low, the graph is still not so optimistic. Soumen Bagchi, Joint Secretary, Energy and Resources, emphasised the development of India’s oil reserves and renewables to tackle volatility. To exploit the massive natural gas reserves located in Central Asia, Parakhat Durdyev, Ambassador of Turkmenistan, said the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline will bring economic integration, successful diplomacy and energy stability.

� NIHARIKA BANERJEE

15

with the teaching faculty in curriculum planning and the teaching of research strategies and consultancy services in information issues and problems; creating new units to deal with digitising, software, electronic journals, and data services; database development, marketing advocacy and fund raising, are some of the new roles for LIS professionals.

The speakers pointed out that LIS schools have to substantially respond by redesigning the core curriculum by taking into account the issues of librarianship vs. information science, organisational change (iSchools), etc. The digital age has brought new challenges to LIS and some of the persisting issues in LIS education are: the core curriculum, organisational change, development of ICTs, new pedagogical approaches, collaboration and partnership, match to the labour market and societal needs, the relationship between theory and practice.

The talk concluded that with the meteoric rise of information alternatives, librarians no longer can rely on their legacy. Rather, they must demonstrate their value through repositioning their role and LIS institutions should respond to the changing scenario.

� TARIQ ASHRAF

16

diaryreview

ObituaryA-0333 Shri A.K. Mukerji

A-1117 Smt. Mohini Banerji

A-1300 Shri Sayed S. Shafi

A-1414 Prof. Randhir Singh

A-1834 Shri Sujit Gupta

A-3889 Shri Sudhir Tailang

A-4912 Shri Arindam Sen Gupta

L-0297 General (Retd) K.V. Krishna Rao

L-0311 Smt. Mrinalini V. Sarabhai

M-1286 Shri Om Prakash Gupta

M-1802 Shri G.B. Meemamsi

M-2144 Lt. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob

M-2993 Shri Anup Singh

M-3097 Shri Ravi S. Dhavan

M-3505 Justice Kumar Rajaratnam

M-3872 Shri S.S. Dawra

M-4041 Dr. A.N. Saksena

Sedition or Free Speech?DISCUSSION: The Indian Republic: Law And Politics of SeditionSPEAKERS: Shri Soli J. Sorabjee; Prof. Neera Chandhoke; Prof. Shiv Visvanathan; and Amb. K.P. FabianMODERATOR: Shri Suhas Borker24 February

The recent events at JNU have led to intense debate and discussion around what constitutes ‘sedition’. Mr. Sorabjee got right to it by giving us a definition of the term within the legal framework. Citing a landmark judgement, Kedarnath vs State of Bihar, he said that criticism of the government, even if uninformed, does not constitute sedition. In fact, only incitement to violence can be termed sedition. Clearly, then, Kanhaiya Kumar was falsely accused of this crime. He went on to say that he was saddened by his own fraternity, referring to the assault by lawyers on the representatives of Kanhaiya on the court premises, the very premises that uphold fundamental rights.

Neera Chandhoke lamented the decline of social sciences and humanities in higher education, the disciplines that allow young minds to think about the human condition. Universities are the crucibles of citizenship where people meet to discuss what the nation is. She questioned a democracy’s complete ignorance of the competence of citizens to judge political processes.

Amb. Fabian posed a simple but thoughtful question: can the sentiments expressed by a few students bring down a nation? Certainly not. And why not focus as much on the lack of diligence on the part of the police, or those who tampered with the video recording of the events on campus?

Shiv Viswanathan cited examples of individuals accused of sedition, which almost makes the concept laughable. He asked a relevant question: Why, given the experiences of Gandhi and others who faced imprisonment on grounds of sedition, did the democratic state not do away with sedition? Is it because it gives the State a feeling of security? The evening ended with a lively Q&A.

�

17

diary membership

NOTICESWe take pride in sharing that the following IIC members have been recently conferred with the Padma awards

Padma Vibhushan• Ms Yamini Krishnamurthi• Shri Jagmohan• Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre

Padma Bhushan• Shri Vinod Rai• Dr. Yarlagada Lakshmi Prasad

Padma Shri• Smt. Prathibha Prahlad• Shri Dhirendra Nath Bezboruah• Prof. Pushpesh Pant• Shri M.C. Mehta• Shri Saurabh Srivastava

We congratulate and acknowledge their distinguished feat.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONAll members are requested to pay annual subscription for the year 2016-2017 in time.

An extract of Rule 9 of the Memorandum of Association and Rules & Regulations is given below for information:

“Subscriptions towards membership are payable in advance for each financial year and shall be due for payment on 1st April of each year. It shall be the responsibility of the members to ensure due and timely payment of subscriptions.”

Do please write your Membership number and ‘Annual Subscription for the year 2016-2017’ on the back of

the cheque. In case you choose to deposit cash or make electronic/online payment, please inform accounts department that amount deposited is towards annual subscription for the year 2016-2017. Please keep your mailing address/e-mail and mobile numbers updated.

As a green initiative, to save paper and to curtail expenditure, it has been decided that as far as possible, various communication will be sent by e-mail.

All Members are requested to kindly update their valid e-mail IDs with the Membership Department at the earliest to ensure that correspondence is duly received by them.

NOTICE FOR THE 60TH ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETINGThis year, with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the IIC, only a limited number of copies of the Annual Report, Audit Report and Revised Estimates and Budget Estimates will be printed to reduce expenditure as well as to save paper.

The Annual Report will be available on the IIC website. The Audit Report, Revised Estimates and Budget Estimates will be sent to the Member’s email

account, whose email id is registered with us. Members are requested to please update their emails with the Membership Department at the earliest. A few copies of the Report will also be placed in the IIC Library for perusal by Members.

The printed reports will be made available at the venue for Members who are attending the Annual General Body meeting.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH DIVISIONThe IIC-Asia Project was set up in 1997 and has been largely focusing on Asia. The IIC, however, has been undertaking a large number of programmes covering the vast area of international relations. During deliberations, in the various meetings of the Board of Trustees, there was a felt need for establishing an International Division to fulfil the mandate of the Centre, i.e., to promote understanding and amity between different communities of the world, towards which it needs to undertake, organise and facilitate study courses, conferences, seminars, lectures and research in the various fields.

During discussions, it also emerged that the formal establishment of a Research Division would enable the Centre to systematise the research activities and also undertake research on a large scale.

It was agreed that the scope of the IIC-Asia Project be enhanced and it be called International Research Division w.e.f. 1 January 2016.

The International Research Division will be chaired by Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, Life Trustee.

18

diaryfutures

Highlights for March-April 2016Performances

6 and 7 April 2016 at 6:00 pm at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium

Passing on a Tradition: Guru and Disciple—IIC Spring Festival of Dance

The festival will showcase four forms of dance— Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and Kuchipudi with disciples reflecting on their Guru’s style with the underlying theme of ‘spring’. The Gurus to be featured are Geeta Chandran for Bharatanatyam; Prerana Shrimali for Kathak; Madhavi Mudgal for Odissi; and Jayarama Rao for Kuchipudi.

Each Guru will introduce their respective disciples and speak briefly about the distinctive features of their style, and passing an inheritance to the next generation.

19 April 2016 at 6:30 pm at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium

Concert

Presented by the Marnix Busstra Band from The Netherlands— Marnix Busstra (guitar); Jeroen van Vliet (piano / composition); Pieter Bast (drums) and Mark Haanstra (bassist).

The music of the Marnix Busstra Band is largely jazz, but with influences from other genres: pop, rock and soul, and Ethnic music from Africa and India, as well as modern Western classical music.

exhibitions

17 to 26 April 2016, 11 am to 7 pm at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and The Making of Modern India

Through photographs, installations and text, the exhibition will bring to focus, Kamaladevi’s seminal role

in the National movement and her contribution to the making of modern India.

Curated by Birad Rajaram Yajnik

As part of this exhibition, there will be several related programmes.

On 18 April 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Art Gallery

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay The Activist

A talk by Dr. Aparna Basu

Followed by a presentation based on the talk by Patachitra artist, Gurupada Chitrakar from West Bengal on the life of Kamaladeviji

Followed by

Kamaladevi’s Vision for Handloom and Handicraft Through the Cooperative Movement

Speakers: Smt. Gulshan Nanda and Shri K.B. Johar

20 April 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Art Gallery

Reminiscing

Speaker: Smt. Jasleen Dhamija

Followed by a talk on

Sangeet Natak Akademi and SMM Theatre Crafts Trust

Speaker: Smt. Usha Malik

On 22 April 2016 from 10 am onwards in Seminar Rooms I to III, Kamaladevi Complex

Round table on: Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and The Making of Modern India

Speakers at the roundtable will include, Shri Gopal Gandhi, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, Prof. Mridula Mukherjee, Dr. Radha Kumar, Shri Ashoke Chatterjee, Dr. Shobita Punja, Smt. Mrinal Pande among others.

19

diary futures

Organised in collaboration with Delhi Crafts Council and Rohini Nilekani and Nandan Nilekani.

23 to 29 April 2016, Annexe Art Gallery, 11:00 to 19:00

Ranikhet State of Mind

An exhibition of oils and water colours.

By Manju Kak

festivalThreads of Continuity – April to May 2016

A series of films, lectures and exhibitions focusing on the philosophy and ideals of Zoroastrianism in practice today affirming both tangible and intangible cultural heritage and the need to preserve it. The films, exhibitions and lectures will travel from the ruins of Persepolis to the present day, bringing to life an exuberant empire and its magnificence, its stories, its truths. What remains – is it only brick and mortar, is there a language, what are its beliefs, where are its people? The series is part of The Everlasting Flame International Programme and is organised in collaboration with Parzor, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India, and UNESCO and with the support of Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Serum Institute.

8 April 2016 at 6:30 pm at the Multipurpose Hall, Kamaladevi Complex

Outlines of Persian History—The Achaemenian and Sassanian Empires

Illustrated lecture by Rohinton Nariman, Senior Counsel, Supreme Court of India.

15 to 20 April 2016, 11 am to 7 pm daily at the Annexe Art Gallery

Udvada

An exhibition of photographs by Shantanu Das from Mumbai.

Udvada, the historic ground for the Parsi community in India is known worldwide for its significance to the Parsi clan's growth, housing the Atash Behram (from Middle Persian Atash Warharan for ‘Victorious Fire’, the

highest grade of ritual fire of the Zoroastrians) in the fire temple located here. Shantanu Das depicts its nostalgia, its semi-urban settings and distinctive heritage in terms of architecture, furniture, lifestyle and more.

15 April 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Multipurpose Hall, Kamaldevi Complex

Films: Pir-e-Chak Chak

Glimpses from the Bahrot Caves

Films from the Parzor Archives.

Talk: Zoroastrianism and Ecology

Illustrated talk by Dr. Homi Dhalla, founder and President of the Cultural Foundation of the Zarathustra World.

23 April 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Multipurpose Hall, Kamaladevi Complex

Panel discussion: Curating Zoroastrianism

Moderated by Prof. Rustom Bharucha, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

28 April 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Multipurpose Hall, Kamaladevi Complex

Theme: Parsi Food and Culture

Film: Café Irani Chaii

Director: Dr. Mansoor Showghi Yezdi

The film will be introduced by Anahita Dhondy, Chief Manager, Sodabottleopenerwalla.

30 April to 8 May 2016, 11 am to 7 pm at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex

My Family and Other Parsis

An exhibition of photographs by Sooni Taraporevala.

The photographs speak unabatedly of the charming persona of the Parsis, their eloquent and warm disposition to one another and their passion for life. Sooni has photographed people as they go about their daily lives, successfully narrating emotions of her subjects as they make conversation, attend family functions, at home or in the streets of Mumbai, a city which is considered a Parsi bastion.

20

diary

This issue of the Diary has been assembled and edited by Omita Goyal, Chief Editor; Ritu Singh, Deputy Editor; Rachna Joshi, Senior Asstt. Editor. Published by Ravinder Datta, for the India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi-110 003. Ph.: 24619431. Designed and printed by Shivam Printographics Private Limited, 163, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Phase I, New Delhi-110020; Phone: +91-11-26816964

The Annual Day of the Centre was marked by a special event—a Heritage Walk led by historian Beeba Sobti. She walked the Members through the history of the Centre, deftly weaving facts and anecdotes that shaped the intellectual, cultural and architectural spaces of this Institution. In the evening, Dr. Kanak Rele of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre presented ‘A-Neeti’ (Injustice). A performance of Mohiniattam and Bharatnatyam forms, it was a thought-provoking production highlighting social injustice against women and the downtrodden. The Members’ dinner that followed was well attended and was a connoisseurs’ delight as always.

As I mentioned in my message to our Members in the previous issue of the Diary, we have planned programmes that will focus on small, lesser known communities in India. The Kodava festival which was held last month, was an exposition of the culture of the Kodavas of Kodagu (earlier known as Coorg). The programme included talks, folk dances and an authentic and elaborate dinner that represented the dishes and spices integral to Kodava cuisine.

We now look forward to giving you a glimpse into the life of the Parsi community, the details of which will be circulated separately.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTORThe Centre also organised an important discussion on ‘The Indian Republic: Law and Politics of Sedition’. This was a timely debate on a subject that is of great concern, as recent developments have shown.

Members will be pleased to note that the Lounge and Dining Hall are in the process of being refurbished. We plan to do the same with other venues as well. There have been changes in the menu with the addition of dishes that make use of seasonal products. Further changes will be made to expand the choices, and we welcome suggestions from Members. The self-service lounge can now be booked by Members for breakfast and dinner. You are welcome to contact the Central Booking Office for further details.

The gardens of IIC are a riot of colour this season. Members and their guests are seen admiring the flowers of myriad hues, some of them finding the backdrop irresistible for taking photographs.

Finally, I avail myself of this opportunity to extend our heartiest congratulations to our esteemed Members who have been conferred with the Padma awards this year.

� NARESH VERMA

Reg. No. 28936/77