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Volume XXXIII No. 1

Price Re. 1/-

January – February 2019

Dr. Jairam Ramesh presenting the Dr. C. D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture: Shri. N. N. Vohra; Shri K. N. Shrivastava

Reorganisation of StatesCONFERENCE

Dr. C.D. DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE 2019: Reorganisation of States and Thereafter

SPEAKER: Dr. Jairam Ramesh

CHAIR: Shri N. N. Vohra

14 January 2019

The annual Dr. C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture marks

the birth anniversary of the founder-president of the IIC,

Dr. Deshmukh, and pays tribute to his immense contribution

to India. Shri N.N. Vohra, President, IIC, gave the welcome

address with a lively historical background of the subject

from his personal experience, and brought out the issues,

the sensitivity and passion involved in state and union

relations in local and zonal governments. Jairam Ramesh,

eminent politician and member of the Rajya Sabha who

has served in public policy and in key ministerial positions,

with a background in engineering and economics, spoke

at length about how the present states in the Indian Union

have come to their present form. Guided initially by sheer

linguistic numbers, Bombay, Madras and Punjab were

the first to be tackled since they were the largest, most

populous state, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya

Pradesh. Today, however, state boundaries are guided not

just by linguistic matters, but also by power distribution,

administrative convenience and shared regional politics.

Overall, what ensued was a fascinating journey. Prior to

Independence, there were 17 provinces and 565 princely

states. At the time of Independence, in 1947, the Indian

Union had 12 states, with Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir,

Sikkim, Manipur and Tripura joining the Indian Union later.

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, passed by the Indian

Parliament in November 1956, was a major reform of the

boundaries of India’s states and territories, organising the

states along linguistic lines. Political opinions varied widely

across the nation, with a different calibre of politicians who,

while having severe political and ideological differences,

did not descend into present day street brawls, unleashing

horrific violence, or covert bullying tactics. Fourteen states

and six centrally administered territories have since been

reorganised to the present number of 29 states and

seven union territories. The formation of Maharashtra and

Gujarat followed. Luminaries like Pattabhi Sitaramiah,

K.M. Pannikkar, C.D. Gokhale, Jawaharlal Nehru, B.C.

Roy and Govind Ballabh Pant were all strong advocates

of the linguistic organisation of states, but equally open

to the concept of state formation based on union. There

are instances of their having argued towards a union of

states, notably that of Bengal and Bihar in 1960–61 during

the stewardship of B.C. Roy. While Andhra Pradesh is

the oldest state created by merging Andhra State with

the Telugu-speaking area of Hyderabad, Telangana, the

newest state and 29th state of the Republic of India, was

formed after it split from Andhra Pradesh in 2014. What

lies ahead? More such reorganisations will most definitely

take place, possibly starting with Uttar Pradesh and

resizing this into four more states.

■ MEKHALA SENGUPTA

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Legacy of Guru PadmasambhavaEXHIBITION

Life and Legacy of Guru Padmasambhava

An exhibition of rare thangkhas, statues and photographs

29 to 3 February 2019

manifested. The exhibition was a coming together of 50

years of friendship between Bhutan and India.

Beginning with a large thangka at the entrance with all the

requisites of prayer and reverence, the exhibition through

its series of artworks encapsulated some brilliant skills.

From photographs of windswept landscapes of chortens,

to a lake in north Sikkim, the images captured beauty.

There were exquisitely hand-painted thangka paintings

from Dharamshala, and traditionally embroidered and

appliqued pieces, notably one on red with subtle gold and

turquoise. The eight manifestations on display showcased

some old pieces hand-painted on parchment, with tones

of moss and sap green. One that stood out was an 18th

century piece on a floral brocade background.

Bhutan recognises Guru Padmasambhava as a universal,

historical and religious figure in Bhutan, a land endowed

with beauty and deep-seated Buddhism. While there were

many colourful and exceptionally well-rendered thangkas,

there were some photographic prints of ancient restored

works which were in a shaded watercolour technique.

Prayer flags encircled the exhibition, and while much

can be said about the artworks, we should most certainly

acknowledge the skilled artists who have, with reverence

and love, painted the eight manifestations of the legend

that is Guru Padmasambhava.

■ LOLITA DUTTA

From the Exhibition on Guru Padmasambhava

A much revered guru, also known as Rimpoche,

Guru Padmasambhava’s eight manifestations are an

embodiment of the principles on which Buddha energy is

Feasibility of Global PeaceTALK

Global Peace—Still Possible?

SPEAKER: Hans-Georg Wieck

CHAIR: Ronen Sen

28 February 2019

Against the backdrop of existing tension in the world,

within societies and states, regional cooperation is an

oasis ; ‘a very important and successful promoter of peace

and economic development, and up to a degree, as a tool

of successful international crisis  management, if needed’,

to quote Hans-Georg Weick.

He said that ‘social cohesion within society depends

on individual and shared responsibility, as well as on

general rules to be observed by all citizens, irrespective of

individual convictions, religious beliefs and professional

qualifications. On the international stage, the concept and

the reality of regional cooperation, and conflict settlement

between nations and within society, need general rules.

The binding force of these rules, however, is limited.’ 

Making an interesting point about fake news, Dr. Wieck

spoke about the ‘boundless spread of information—

sometimes fake news’,  which constitutes a serious

challenge, warning us that    one can neither afford to

ignore the conflict situation, nor any of its challenges. 

Examining the chances for Global Peace, Dr. Weick said

that the international institutions established after the

two World Wars—the League of Nations and the United

Nations—had a limited  role in international conflict

manangement, even while the specialised agencies of

the United Nations   do play a very important role in the

economic and social development of nations, particularly

in Asia, Africa and South America. ‘Mankind is not helpless

in the handling of international conflicts’,  he concluded.  

■ KUMKUM CHADHA

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Festival of PoetryFESTIVAL

VAK—The Raza Biennale of Asian Poetry

COLLABORATION: The Raza Foundation

15 to 17 February 2019

Poetry celebrates the essence of freedom. In our times,

when freedom of speech and dissent are under constant

threat, poetry can be seen as an agency of expression that

has the potentiality to combat the forces of oppression.

Poetry has always been a solace for artists, poets,

academicians and writers, not only in the present era of

post-truth, but also in the past, when hierarchy and forces

of oppression attempted to curb creativity and the voice

of dissent.

‘VAK—The Raza Biennale of Asian Poetry’ is one such

event that celebrates the essence and power of poetry

and the voice of truth. It is a part of Raza Utsav, which

celebrates the birth of legendary Indian modern painter,

Sayed Haider Raza. He observed poetry as a creative

manifesto that projects truth and ideas of poetic voices.

This initiative brought together poetic voices from 18

countries of Asia. While celebrating the poetic voices

that have always amplified the power and potentiality of

truth, the Biennale also celebrated the 150th birthday of

Mahatma Gandhi, who embodied the power of truth and

non-violence.

Eminent poet, essayist and critic, Ashok Vajpeyi

inaugurated the event and said; ‘Poetry is alive and un-

stoppable. Poetry celebrates life. It refuses to create any

regime and inevitably continues the struggle for freedom.

In the time of amnesia, poetry is the house of memory.’

The release of the book, VAK—A Collection of Asian

Poetry, was followed by a poetry reading session and

conversation with the poets and discussants.

■ AASTHA DUTTA

The release of VAK publication

VAK–The Raza Biennale of Asian Poetry

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and Rabindranath Tagore, along with some essays by

them. The production retained the flavour of the text by

keeping it simple; the content was powerful enough to

sustain the performance, which was handled deftly by

seasoned actors: Avijit Dutt as Tagore and Oroon Das as

Gandhi. Preeti Agarwal was the narrator. Raina’s style of

direction is very original; he chooses performers for their

ability to think and analyse and not for their histrionics.

Also, without imitating the body language of the

protagonists, they were able to bring out their larger-than-

life personalities. The result was a didactic presentation,

exploring the ideas of two philosophical giants.

Ras Chakra’s Har Qatra Toofan, directed by Vinod Kumar,

was another play reading in the series about Gandhi.

The idea was to demystify the legend through the eyes

of women of his time. The readings, by women actors,

were from letters and essays by Sarojini Naidu, Mahadevi

Verma, Ismat Chughtai, Taj Sahiba Lahauri, Anne Mary

Peterson, Ellen Horup and Ima Tarlo. The inspiration for

the collection came from the historian Ramachandra

Guha’s path-breaking writings, considered by critics to

be the last word on the subject: Gandhi before India; and

Gandhi: Years that Changed the World, 1914–48.

Besides, the festival was also replete with discussions

on topics and ideas ranging from sustainable living and

sparrows, to Gandhi’s favourite bhajans, and even his

nutritional philosophy, expressed through a lunch curated

by Pushpesh Pant, with unfamiliar cuisine like Bajre ki

Khichri, Methi ke Theple and many such minimalistic

gourmet items.

■ MANOHAR KHUSHALANI

Celebrating the MahatmaFESTIVAL

Gandhi ki Dilli: Words in the Garden—A Celebration of Literature, Arts and Ideas

Curated by Ashok Vajpeyi

COLLABORATION: Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti; and IILM

22 to 24 February 2019

Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti’s Words in the Garden is an

annual celebration of literature, arts and ideas of Delhi;

this time as a tribute to Gandhi, it captured Bapu ki Dilli.

The programme opened with a film directed by Shyam

Benegal, The Making of the Mahatma, featuring Rajit

Kapoor as Gandhi, and Pallavi Joshi as Kasturba. The film,

based on the book,  The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma,

by  Fatima Meer, relates to Gandhi’s 21 years in South

Africa where he evolved and fine-tuned his philosophy of

satyagraha. For those who have not seen the 1996 film,

it reveals a different Gandhi and his attempt to come to

terms with his headstrong idealism, which sometimes set

him on a path of confrontation, even with his wife. Pallavi,

affectionately called Kastur by Gandhi, presents a strong

personality for Kasturba, unlike the common perception of

her being a pliable person.

This was followed by an unusual theatre exercise curated

by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya. Stay Yet a While was a

play reading directed by M.K. Raina, inspired by a rare

collection of letters exchanged between Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi Ki Dilli–Bhajans by Madhup Mudgal

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Dramatised Stories of PremchandIIC ANNUAL DAY

Stories of Premchand. Directed by Rajinder Nath

Presented by Nepathya Foundation

22 January 2019

Known as a pragmatist, social reality and pathos have

been the focus of Premchand’s writings, and two of the

plays performed that day, Shanti and Satgati, reflected

this. But pathos isn’t the only emotion he could write about.

Moteram Ji Shastri is the humourous story of a lovable

charlatan, who like Moliere’s Mock Doctor, gives us twinkle-

eyed humour of unbelieveble situations. Despite his wife’s

warnings of not getting entangled with women, Moteram

ends up becoming the Queen’s physician, enchanting her

with his gift of poetic prattle, only to be unceremoniously

kicked out by the guards.

Bade Bhai Sahab is a light-hearted story of sibling rivalry

between two brothers. While the elder brother is prone to

sermonising the younger one to take his studies seriously,

much to his embarrassment, the younger one catches up

with him as he gets promoted each year. Unfortunately,

the older one remains in the same class. Charmingly

enacted, the mirthful story ends with food for thought.

Is educational qualification really superior to wisdom-

laden experience?

■ MANOHAR KHUSHALANI

The IIC Annual Day was celebrated with a tribute to

Munshi Premchand. It featured dramatic renditions of four

of his best-known short stories, directed by Rajinder Nath

and presented by Nepathya Foundation. All the four plays

were heartwarming, epitomised by the director’s deft

presentation, which was minimalistic and intellectually

stimulating, thus doing justice to the author’s own style

of writing. Competent performances by all the actors,

especially Mala Kumar, Rekha Johri, Animesh Singhal and

Gaurav Sehgal, propelled the play.

Performance of Moteram J Shastri

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Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Israel was their last bastion. In a

TV documentary, Amos Oz: Straight into the Summer Sun,

documenting a lecture tour following the publication of his

novel, A Tale of Love and Darkness, he said his librarian

father, an aspiring scholar of Judaism, spoke 11 languages

and read 17. His mother, formidably well read, knew seven.

They were cosmopolitan Europeans when Europe in the

1930s had become sectarian and benightedly nationalist.

Oz’s mother committed suicide in despair when he was 12,

and he left his father and went to live in a kibbutz (rural

settlement), taking the name of ‘Oz’, meaning strength.

He became, over time, Israel’s most celebrated, also

controversial, writer. He fought in the 1956 and ’67 wars

against neighbouring Egypt and its Islamic allies, and

was wounded on both occasions. He advocated till the

end of his life that Palestine and Israel be divided into two

countries, so that both could live in peace.

Oz’s personal tragedy sprang from the fact that his

parents were extremely sophisticated Europeans who

dreamed an impossible dream. He rebelled against his

right-wing father to become a left-wing intellectual. He

could not forgive Europe for making the rest of the world

suffer so terribly.

■ PARTHA CHATTERJEE

Celebrating Amos OzTALK AND FILM

Remembering Amos Oz

Collaboration: Embassy of Israel

12 February 2019

Multifaceted MysticFILM

Baba Farid: Poet of the Soul. Directed by Meera Dewan

Produced by Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

COLLABORATION: Guild of Service; Indo-Persian Studies Institute; and Chishthy Foundation

1 February 2019

Amos Oz (1939–2018) was born to Lithuanian Arieh

Klausner, and his Ukrainian wife Fania, both Jewish and

deeply intellectual. They were European refugees, who

had fled from the fanatical, anti-Jew German forces under

Panellists at the programme

interpretations of the essence of Baba Farid’s poetry, its

emphasis on longing and the way in which it reflects an

alignment between zahir and batin (roughly translated as

the outer and inner), added value to the film. On the musical

front, emotive singing by Vidya Rao and powerful renditions

of the Dhadi Jatha stood out as evidence of the continuing

strength of oral traditions associated with Baba Farid.

However, there were some negatives. Patchy fieldwork,

exoticised Persian accent recitations, images of whirling

dervishes, a largely ill-conceived soundtrack, important

scholarly omissions, and the repetition of a small set of

selected kalams mar the film’s viewing experience.

■ IRFAN ZUBERIThe screening of the documentary, Baba Farid: Poet of the

Soul, was preceded by the recitation of one of his Persian

kalams, musical rendering of a shabad from the Guru

Granth Sahib, recounting of anecdotes from his life and

the narration of one of his Punjabi kalams to a full house.

The film presents the multifaceted life of the mystic, while

outlining aspects of his multifarious and long-lasting

contributions to society, art and culture.

At the opening, Syed Akhtar Hussain lucidly contextualised

the timeline of Baba Farid’s life, and went on to explain

the socio-cultural environment within which his body of

work needs to be understood. Intermittently, Inni Kaur’s Audience enjoying the film

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Creative FreedomSEMINAR

International Symposium on Creativity and Freedom

COLLABORATION: CIMA Art Gallery (Kolkata) and Ashoka University

5 and 6 February 2019

the symposium. Over the next two days, the discussion

was carried forward by noted speakers who contributed

to the discourse by sharing insights from their respective

areas of expertise. The event also saw the participation

of various bodies involved at the level of policymaking,

enabling a space where even the law makers could share

their unadulterated views on the topic as seen from their

lenses. Discussions gave way to visual delight in the form

of a multimedia exhibit on the city of Varanasi, used as a

curtain-raiser programme for the launch of the proposed

Academy of the Classical and Folk Arts at IIT, Kharagpur.

This intellectually stimulating two-day programme ended

on a grand scale with a spectacular Qawwali performance

organised by the Agha Khan Foundation.

■ ANURIMA CHANDA

The Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), a

Kolkata-based art centre, has always been dedicated

to celebrating and promoting freedom in the creative

domain. Towards this end, they have spearheaded

multiple events, the latest being this symposium. In the

age of the Snowflake Generation, when creative freedom

has emerged as a contentious topic, a symposium like this

one was extremely well-timed. Covering a whole gamut

of areas under the umbrella of creativity, including but not

restricted to the realm of Museums, Arts, Archaeology,

History, Cinema, Cultural Commerce, Performing Arts,

etc., the event saw the coming together of an impressive

line-up of speakers from various walks of life.

The symposium began with a general musing on the idea

of ‘Creative Freedom’, where panellists candidly shared

their views on the topic, thus setting the general tone of

From the Symposium on Creativity and Freedom

The line-up featured Thimios Atzakas (oud), James Wylie

(saxophone, kemenche), Kostas Anastasiadis (drums,

tabla, voice), Fausto Sierakowski (saxophone) and

Avgerini Gatsi (accordion, lead vocals), all of whom also

contributed compositions to their repertoire.

The group named themselves after the Greek word

Utopia, which literally means ‘no place’ (the term was

coined by Sir Thomas More as the title of his 1616 book

to represent an idealistic and perfect community); it is

modified by using a ‘d’ instead of a ‘t’ to signify the oud,

which is their principal instrument. The oud is an ancient

traditional string musical instrument from North Africa/

the Middle East that is generally considered the fore-

runner of the lute. The modern oud is a short-neck, lute

type pear-shaped acoustic string instrument with 11 or 13

strings grouped into five or six courses. The songs played/

sung were all based on traditional Greek melodies, but

adapted to blend with rhythmic tempi.

■ S. CHIDAMBAR

Tradition and ModernityPERFORMANCE

Concert by Udopia

COLLABORATION: Embassy of Greece

18 February 2019

This concert was held in recognition of Indo-Hellenic

cultural ties, and to expose Indian audiences to Greek

musical heritage.

Five members of the Greek musical ensemble, Udopia,

were featured in the concert (the original ensemble has a

seven-member line-up). Udopia is at the heart of Greece’s

vibrant musical scene, drawing on a blend of tradition and

modernity. It mainly takes inspiration from ritual dance

music, urban songs, modern grooves and Greece’s musical

heritage. Udopia uses a blend of traditional instruments

like the oud, the kemenche and the tabla; non-traditional

instruments like saxophones, the accordion and drums/

percussion; and voices. The music was a blend of rhythmic

elements and traditional Greek melodies.

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After his death, Nur Jehan constructed his mausoleum on

his riverfront garden, the first in Agra to be made entirely in

marble in the syncretic Indo–Persian style. Though the city

of Agra has decayed steeply, I’timad-ud-Daulah is one of

the few garden tombs that has survived man and nature’s

ravages with greater equanimity. World Monuments Fund

representative, Amita Baig, in collaboration with the ASI,

has laboured intensively with a slew of experts over the

last four years to revive the grandeur of the Char Bagh at

the tomb.

The verdant plantation that was replaced by the English

lawn has been restored with several iterations and

replacements of trees that are suitable for the changed

climatic conditions. Since water is an essential component

of the paradise garden, an integrated water treatment

system has been installed which is the core of the project.

The riverside façade that would have been the original

access to the garden has been extensively dredged to

reveal the original rooms with their decorative patterns

and uses.

Extensive documents, drawings and photographs are now

part of a visitor’s centre. As Amita Baig underscored, a

major objective of the project was to make tourists aware

of the stupendous heritage of Agra beyond the Taj.

■ AJAY JAISINGHANI

Painted HavelisTALK

A Fantastic State of Ruin: The Painted Towns of Shekhawati

Speaker: David Zurick

16 January 2019

Paradise RegainedCULTURE AND HERITAGE

Reviving Char Bagh at Itmad ud Daulah’s Tomb in Agra

SPEAKER and Coordinator: Amita Baig

CHAIR: Shikha Jain

17 January 2019

Mirza Ghiyas Beg, an impoverished Persian nobleman,

reached the court of Emperor Akbar where he meteorically

rose through the hierarchy to become Jehangir’s Prime

Minister. Not only did he gain the title of Itmad-ud-Daulah

(Pillar of the State), but his daughter Nur Jehan also

became Empress.

Shikha Jain and Amita Baig

one is responsible for them anymore. That these spaces

have been continuously in use and not fragmented within

sanitised museums makes their beauty special and rare.

Themes of folklore, history, decorative patterns are

common, as is the colour palette; but the styles range

widely. Zurick’s interest in recording human imprint on

landscape influences his photography.

Those for whom this beauty is an everyday background

seem to be the ones most oblivious of it. Just by his act

of photographing, Zurick inspired passersby to stop and

see these, perhaps for the first time. Appreciation is one

step towards saving artworks of hundreds of years from

neglect and decay.

■ BHARATI MIRCHANDANI

When geographer–photographer David Zurick heard

about Rajasthani frescoes, he left his favoured Himalayas

to explore Shekhawati. In this semi-desert region north of

Jaipur, he found havelis decorated with intricate paintings;

each small town having a distinct personality, walls often

in different stages of decay, but the paintings in vibrant

colours continue to amaze with their beauty. ‘The damage

adds a Picasso-esque dimension!’

Every façade and interior of each structure is painted. The

sheer density and concentration of paintings set within

ornate chhatris, brackets, carved doorways and other

architectural features leads to the creation of spaces that

provide a fantastical backdrop for daily life. Many of these

are effectively ‘public art’, but having multiple owners, no David Zurick delivering his talk

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to the presence of libraries and their rich resources.

Society in general is not ready to abandon the traditional

feel of the library, and it probably won’t ever be. Libraries

can preserve the book experience, and at the same

time adapt to social and technological changes. While

libraries are distinct from the Internet, librarians are the

most suited professionals to guide scholars and citizens

towards a better understanding of how to find valuable

information, both online and offline. Many predict that the

digital age will wipe public bookshelves clean. Beyond a

doubt, libraries and their traditional collections are still relevant,

and the digital age is making them more important than

ever. Neither print nor digital information can be ignored

or avoided, as both play critical roles in the library’s

survival and democratisation of knowledge. Abandoning

either format would translate into a failure of service to

users, both present and future.

■ USHA MUJOO MUNSHI

Print vs DigitalDISCUSSION

Are Print Resources the Life Line for Libraries?

PANELLISTS: Neera Chandhoke, Babli Moitra Saraf, Sukrita Paul Kumar, H. K. Kaul, Shafina Segon

CHAIR: Shri Soli J. Sorabjee

Observations by: Shri K. N. Shrivastava

18 January 2019

Is the survival of print media in the ICT era related to

the survival of libraries? With the advent of the Web

and the proliferation of electronic information, librarians

are frequently confronted with questions regarding the

present and future value of the printed book and other

print resources. Two distinct opinions echo repeatedly.

The first doubts the need to sustain print in an increasingly

digital world, and the second warns of the dangers of

relying on a still-developing and relentlessly advancing

technology. While debating the viability of print resources

in the fast emerging digital era, the panellists opined that

the library is a creative space for the community, and many

intellectually stimulating personalities owe their success

Panellists at the Discussion

of love, Gandhi retorted, ‘Never!’ However, Haksar pointed

out that this did not correctly reflect his views. When

violence was unavoidable, as in the war in Kashmir after

Partition, Gandhi said ‘violent acts must be spontaneous,

done with compassion, restraint, detachment, and lead

every moment toward the path of ahimsa’. The principle

of double effect, of an unintended evil side effect of an

action, has been controversially referenced in abortion

debates. Gandhi fiercely opposed killing a foetus ‘after

it had attained personhood’. Haksar said he could not

defend many of Gandhi’s views on women, but there

was no doubt that via his steady pursuit of satya, evil

spontaneously fell away.■ BHARATI MIRCHANDANI

Striving for the UnattainableTALK

GANDHI MATTERS: Satyagraha and the Conquest of Evil

SPEAKER: Vinit Haksar

20 February 2019

‘Humankind aims for perfection,’ began Professor Haksar,

‘but different persons have differing ideas of what

constitutes qualities to aspire for.’ Rejecting Nietzschean

tendencies of hero creation, Tolstoy and Gandhi opted

for moral and spiritual pursuits. Gandhi believed that

aiming for attainable goals was limiting, while striving

for the unattainable, for God or Truth, inspired consistent

effort and greater progress. Many, like Russell, did not

believe in Truth with a capital T, but for Gandhi that was

the vital goal. He saw divine potential for good in each

person, and used non-violence and fasts-unto-death as

means of awakening this potential in himself and others.

Purity and humility lead to insights beyond scientific

realms. Humility was not meekness, but an awareness

of individual insignificance compared with the universe.

Once, when asked if violence can be exercised in the spirit Vinit Haksar and Ashok Vajpeyi

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In Tribute: R.P. JainTALK

A Tribute to Dr. R. P. Jain

Coordinated by Sunit Tandon

15 January 2019

Digital and Real IndiaTALK

Can Digital India Get Past the Real India? India’s Prospects in the New World Order

SPEAKER: Bhaskar Chakravorti

21 January 2019

and at the India International Centre from the 1970s

onwards. In particular, his annual ‘Summer Sonata’ series

of screenings of operas, ballets and concert works for the

IIC was recalled with gratitude.

The programme included substantial excerpts of music

associated with Dr. Jain, from the works of composers as

diverse as Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner,

Schubert, Richard Strauss, Prokofiev, Elgar, Vaughn-

Williams, and Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan fame.

■ SUNIT TANDON

The Panel for A Tribute to Dr. R. P. Jain

While this euphoria is based on the hard numbers of

digital India, all digital CEOs must recognise that this is a

year when ‘real’ India takes precedence. Digital India can

never outrun the real India; the two must share the same

road. This is the real India of small towns and villages

that makes for riveting case studies in business school

classrooms. This is the facet of Indian reality where digital

players accept cold hard cash, where the Googles and

Amazons must invest in translation to multiple languages

to ensure that they are truly making inroads. Much like

the very real roads of India, digital players need to learn

how to swerve, speed up and hit the brakes at any time,

else there will be a collision between digital India and real

India, where real India will win for certain.

■ MEKHALA SENGUPTA

While digital India is a mix of public and private initiatives,

it needs overseas digital players. These outside players

have responded—Amazon pledged $5 billion on India,

while Walmart spent $16 billion on cracking India, followed

by Google, Facebook, Netflix, etc.—all hoping to be the

stewards of a digitally-emergent nation. Even digital

Indian start-ups have raised funds of over $10 billion from

overseas for two years in a row. While displaying some

novel maps of global users across nations, one of which

was referred to as Facebookistan, and another the world

of WhatsApp users, the speaker made mention of the

phenomenal levels of investment being made by these

and other digital entities to gain market access to the data

of India.

During a particular conversation, when Eric Schmidt of

Amazon was queried about these investment levels, and

whether any money was being made, Schmidt replied that

they were ‘coralling’ the nation of one billion users, and

that once they had done so, they would figure out a way

to make money.

This programme interwove memories and music, paying

tribute to the late Dr. R.P. Jain, recalled and presented by

K.P. Jain, Jayati Ghosh, Punita Singh, Nicholas Hoffland

and Sunit Tandon.

K.P. Jain, the elder brother of Dr. R.P. Jain, recalled

childhood and formative memories. Other speakers

recounted interesting anecdotes that illustrated the

notable impact Dr. Jain had on the awareness and

appreciation of Western classical music in Delhi through

his personal association with a wide circle of friends,

as well as through his illustrated lectures on the history

and development of music at the Max Mueller Bhavan,

Speaker Bhaskar Chakravorti

11

OBITUARYL-0345 Dr. Dipak Mazumdar

M-1553 Dr. Gurpreet Singh

M-1722 Smt. Sushila Singh

M-2636 Shri Kanti K. Poddar

M-2867 Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya

M-2948 Ms Krishna Sobti

M-3033 Maj. Gen. Afsir Karim (Retd.)

M-3119 Shri N.K. Agrawal

M-3859 Shri Devinder S. Bagga

M-3958 Dr. Beni Prasad Agarwal

A-2096 Prof. Mushirul Hasan

A-3237 Dr. Savita Pande

A-4127 Ms Vimla Prakash

Revision of Admission Fee

The scale of Admission Fee was last revised in 2014. In view of the progressively increasing cost of maintenance of the various facilities provided by the Centre, the Board of Trustees approved (on 29 December 2018) revision of the Admission fee for all categories of Membership with effect from 1 April 2019.

Annual Subscription

All members are requested to pay annual subscription for the year 2019–2020 on or before 31st March 2019.

Do write your Membership number and Annual Subscription for the year 2019–2020 on the back of the cheque.

In case you choose to make an electronic/online payment, please inform the Accounts Department that the amount deposited is towards the annual subscription for the year 2019–2020.

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 the 1st April of each year.

It shall be the responsibility of the members to ensure due and timely payment of subscriptions.’

Please keep your mailing address/e-mail and mobile numbers updated

NOTICES

12

Reg. No. 28936/77

Director’s Note

To catch up with the best environmental practices and ecological standards it has been decided to

adopt the ‘Best Green Practices’ in the Centre’s buildings. This would include natural and biological

treatment of air and water, contemporary HVAC system, heat recovery system, windows retrofit based

on sun path analysis, Albedo paint on roof-top, LED lighting and other measures. In this endeavour, the

Centre is being supported by Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) and the Green Business Certification

Inc (GBCI).

The Centre’s kitchens generate about 300–500 kg waste daily. The SCGJ would also be assisting us

in setting up a Biogas Plant for utilising the kitchen wastes, installing a radiant-heat gas platform for

cooking and setting up a grease trap.

Presently, the Centre daily uses about one lakh litres of water, of which about 30 per cent is supplied

by NDMC and the rest is drawn from tubewells. We have so far had no arrangement for recycling the

used water.

The Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) of the Centre’s main complex

require to be upgraded and an STP set up for the complex, for which the SCGJ is carrying out a

study. It shall be our endeavour to significantly reduce and, if possible to altogether stop utilising

underground water, and instead, utilise recycled water for cleaning purposes, for the cooling towers of

the air conditioning plant and gardening. The Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) installations are also being

upgraded to optimise water recovery for surface-storage and ground water recharging.

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Project is progressing as per schedule. As separately

instructed by Secretary, IIC, Smart Cards would shortly be issued to all Members to serve as their

Identity Card and to enable them to carry out all their financial transactions at the Centre. Members

shall also have the facility of paying their bills through their credit or debit cards. After the new system

gets stabilised, the existing monthly billing system shall be discontinued.

During 2018–19, there were five meetings of the Board of Trustees, four of the Executive Committee, two

of the finance committee and three each of the Library and House Committee which also held Open

House meets. Besides, the President also heard members of the Advisory Council and met members of

the Programme Advisory Committee which has been continuously active.

The catering staff is being provided training every Saturday by an expert from IHM Pusa.

The Programme Division webcasts and streams two programmes a month, which are available on

the IIC website (www.iicdelhi.nic.in). Besides, audio recordings of all programmes are available in the

Library and Members can access them at any time.

We request Members, yet again not to use the Centre’s address for receiving personal mails or parcels.

Despite our best efforts, there is likelihood of letters and packets getting mislaid/ lost for which the busy

Reception staff cannot be held responsible.

Varied flowers are in full bloom in our gardens and along the pathways. For next winter, President has

asked us to get the best seeds and saplings from different sources, so that our gardens can once again

be among the best in the capital city as they are even today.

(K.N. Shrivastava)

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 Kanwal Wali, for the India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi - 110003. Ph.: 24619431. Designed and printed by Niyogi Offset Pvt. Ltd., D-78, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi-110020; Phone: 49327000.