diary

1

volume XXIX. No. 1 January–February 2015

A Language on the MoveDR. C.D. DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE 2015: A Language on the Move – Gujarati as an Internal Agency for Formations and Transformations of Identity of an Indian Regional CultureSpeaker: Dr. Sitanshu YashaschandraChair: Soli J. SorabjeeJanuary 14

14th January 2015 was a glorious day for the India International Centre, as it marks the birthday of Shri Chintaman Dwarkanath Deshmukh. The first Governor of the Reserve Bank, Finance Minister in Pt. Nehru’s cabinet, Chairman of U.G.C., V.C. of Delhi University, Founder President of IIC, Shri C.D. Deshmukh was a brilliant student of Sanskrit and Marathi and a great lover of Indian Literature.

To commemorate this occasion, Dr. Sitanshu Yashaschandra, an eminent Gujarati poet, playwright, and academic, delivered the C.D. Deshmukh Memorial lecture, titled A Language on the Move: Gujarati as an Internal Agency for Formations and Transformations of Identity of an Indian Regional Culture.

Formally introduced by Soli J. Sorabjee, President, IIC to the distinguished guests and keen listeners gathered in the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, Dr. Sitanshu Yashaschandra described the fine details of the life cycle of a language, from its genesis to its extinction and how it is influenced by the various internal and external agencies – Gujarati language in particular. He explained how Gujarati emerged in the 15th century; it was then referred to as bhakha by the eminent poet ‘Bhallar’ when the literary convention clearly stated that literature could only be written in one of the three pan-Indian languages, namely Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhransha. Quoting Gujarati as a ‘language on the move’, the

eminent speaker also threw light on the statehood

of Gujarat.

Regarding the rise of regional or modern Indian

languages, the poet listed three kinds of theories. One,

patronisation and protection, the priestly language of

Sanskrit led to the rise of literature in regional languages.

Second, the Bhakti literature which rose in revolt

against the casteist and brahminical Sanskrit literature.

Third, regional languages were seen as opposed to

Boli, tribal and other marginalised literatures. Calling

it as the Peoples’ Literature, he remarked that early

Gujarati literature in its nascent stage was composed by

authors of multilingual orientation like the Jain monks

Vajrasen Suri and Shlibhadra Suri who composed the

poems Barahesarbahubalighor and Bharatesarbahubaliraas, respectively around 1170 A.D. These poems showed

anxiety for the people and confrontation between the

two brothers, Bharata and Bahubali.

Going further in the linguistic journey, Dr. Sitanshu

Yashaschandra emphasised the importance of Gujarati

language during medieval times. He beautifully

explained the meaning of the famous Gujarati Bhajan,

titled Vaishnava jana to tene kahiye je, by Narsinh Mehta

as the devotees of Vishnu are the people who feel the

pain of others, help those who are in misery and never

let ego or conceit enter their minds. This prayer was

included in the daily prayer of our Father of the Nation

M.K. Gandhi who also livened the language through

his writings.

Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan concluded the evening with her

vote of thanks.

 DAISY DEKA

diaryexhibition

Diversity and StrengthEXHIBITION: Diversity and Strength—Photographs of Women in India. By Nicolaus Schmidt from GermanyCollaboration: Ankur Society for Alternatives in Education; HAQ Centre for Child Rights; Azad Foundation; Dr. A.V. Baliga Memorial Trust; Terre des Hommes Germany-India Programme; and Heinrich Boell Foundation, January 17–27

Poetry and PaintingEXHIBITION: The Seduction of Delhi. An Exhibition of Poetry and Paintings – poetry by Abhay K; with paintings by TarshitoCollaboration: ICCR, January 21–28

The exhibition, ‘Diversity and Strength: Photographs of Women in India’ by Nicolaus Schmidt was on view between 16th January to 27th January 2015 in the IIC Art Gallery. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Michael Steiner, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany and eminent women’s right activist and author Ms. Kamla Bhasin was key note speaker for the exhibition. Seven women featuring in the exhibition from different states were also present in the exhibition.

This exhibition was the result of a long journey which the photographer took through the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The photographs were a glimpse of the struggles of Indian women and their

Ballimaran ke mahalle ki wo pechida daleelon ki see galiyanSaamne taal ke nukkad pe bateron ke posheedeGud-gudaati hui paan pi peekon mein wo daad wo wah-wahChand darwaaze par latke huye boshida se kuch taat ke pardeEk bakri ke mamiyaane ki awaazAur dhoondhlaayi huyi shaam ke be-noor andhereAise deewaron se mooh jodkar chalte hain yahanChudi-waalan unke katri ke badi bee jaiseApni boojhti hui aankhon se darwaaze tatoleIsee be-noor andheri see gali qaasim seEk tarteeb chiragon kee shuru hoti haiEk quran-e-sukhan ka safa khulta haiAsadallah Khan Ghalib ka pata milta hai.

yearning for a life of dignity despite many difficulties. The photographs revealed that even the poorest women are capable of displaying a surprising self-confidence. His series of portraits reflected the situation of women caught between tradition, religion and modernity.

Nicolaus Schmidt, born in 1953, is a German photographer and historian. He created the Cerro Rico Aktion with 100,000 tin cans in 1982. His photographic work has resulted in several books.

 KISHORE K.

The lanes of Ballimaran so much like the confusing arguments

With patridge stories at the lane’s corner.

The sounds of applause amidst the gurgling sounds of chewed beetal leaves.

With worn out rug curtains hung outside a few doors

The bleating sound of a goat

And the lifeless darkness in the hazy evening.

That creep along the walls.

Like the old lady from the alleys of Chooriwalan

Who hunts for the doors by the partial vision in her eyes.

In one such dull, dark street Qasim

Where a row of lit lamps starts,

And a new page of poetry begins

There, the whereabouts of Asadullah Khan Ghalib are found.

2

diary

diary

3

exhibition

Evening of PoetryREADINGS: Images of Life in Changing Times – Poetry from The Seventh QuarryCollaboration: The Poetry Society, IndiaJanuary 16

NOW NO BEAUTY, NO TRUTH

Now no beauty, no truth –now only the prayerfor but a moment of reunion:

from out ears to be gonethe wail of the screaming sirenand into the line of vision drawnthe round, self-arising sun –heart preparing to receive the profoundrevivifying sound.

Then kneel, to kneel onlybefore those dazzling rays

Delhi So fascinating, with relics of lost empires and its mystery and magic, remains an enigma to many. Many have succumbed to its charms, some willingly and others not quite so willingly.

Abhay K. and Tarshito are the most recent victims of Delhi’s seduction.

You can tell from Abhay’s poetry that another being has been ensnared. This is a man who is declaring his love, so apparent in every line of his poems that have been almost dedicated to Delhi. In the poems, a sense of history mingles with the betrayals. Mingles with the tragedy, and the grandeur. Every monument is described sometimes lovingly and sometimes in pain. So beautiful and evocative as in the poem below

Humayun’s Tomb

A lonely tree,A flock of birds,Sky punctured with domes,A shriek –Tombs in eternal sleep.

Tarshito keeps harmony with Abhay’s oeuvre. Minimal

and quiet, yet suddenly bursting into a high note with

accents of gold highlighting the ruins of the monuments

but yet guarding them from complete desolation. A

delightful jugalbandhi, where both artists explore that

part of the city that belongs only to them.

 POONAM B. SAHI

from that blinding magnetic ringthat galvanizes contrarietyinto the holiness of being.

O wandering aimless particlesof a once seamless will –shattered into smithereensbetween a gigantic omnivorous mill,here’s your one chanceof pulling back in,

into the miracle of sense.

 KESHAV MALIK

Keshav Malik was a renowned Indian poet, critic, arts scholar, and curator. This special issue of the Seventh Quarry journal was dedicated to his memory. The poem Now No Beauty, No Truth was read out by his wife, Usha Malik.

diary

diary

4

films

Adapting ShakespeareFILMS: Maqbool, Omkara and Haider by Vishal Bhardwaj, January 22

Three films by the well-known Hindi film director Vishal Bhardwaj were screened at the IIC on 22nd January. All were based on plays by William Shakespeare. The first, Maqbool, set in modern day Mumbai, follows the plot outline of Macbeth. Instead of the three witches that

comment on the action as in the original, we have in the film two obviously c o r r u p t policemen who count the blows as an underworld Don (Pankaj

Kapoor) loses his mistress (Tabu) to his protégé (Irfan Khan) and along with it his crime empire and his life. Since it is a morality play, as most thrillers modelled on this genre from Hollywood are, all the baddies die in the end. It is well-shot and largely well-edited. Like most commercial Hindi films these days, its morality is laboured while outwardly pretending to be nihilistic.

Omkara is an even more ambitious film. Allegedly based on Othello, it is based in the crime belt of western Uttar Pradesh. A ruffian (Ajay Devgan) runs off with the daughter (Kareena Kapoor) of a decent middle-class man and marries her. The lad is in the pay of a venal gangster and politico (Naseeruddin Shah). Saif Ali Khan, spurned by their common boss, makes a strange Iago. The Othello connection is tenuously made in the plot structure

and all parties concerned die in the end. It is in reality, a commercial film about thugs and s k u l d u g g e r y, nothing more.

Haider, supposedly based on Hamlet, is by far the most ambitious of the three films. It is set in contemporary Kashmir against a backdrop of terrorism with the Indian Army and the local state police scaring the living daylights out of the local population. Hamlet (Shahid Kapoor) comes back to investigate the death of his father, an upright doctor, believed to have been betrayed by his younger brother (Kay Kay Menon), an informer and an aspiring politician, while performing an appendicitis operation on a supposed terrorist. The house is destroyed by the Army and the doctor is arrested and never to return.

The boy finds his uncle singing and dancing to amuse his mother (Tabu). The plot twists and turns with an afterthought of a scene to echo the gravedigger’s scene from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The film for all its intellectual pretentions turns out to be a revenge story gone awry.

Bhardwaj has roped in Basharat Pir, the well-known Kashmiri journalist as scriptwriter. Pir’s insights into Kashmir today are valuable in Indian journalism, but here he cannot do more than help the director maintain a certain narrative momentum in the first forty five minutes after which the film fizzles out, losing its purpose and turning into a dialogue exercise conducted in pretty interiors and mournful autumnal exteriors.

Bhardwaj’s nihilism comes to the fore in Haider. Not a single character is trustworthy or appears to be speaking the truth. Regardless of his artistic intentions, he does manage to convey the climate of relentless despair that has gripped Kashmir today. His film, for all that, remains clearly commercial in intent.

 PARTHA CHATTERJEE

diary

diary films

Estonian Documentary DaysFILM: Estonian Documentary Days Collaboration: Embassy of Estonia and Estonian Film Institute, February 20–21

Black and White FactsFILM: Mahatma Gandhi – 20th Century Prophet Director: A.K. Chettiar Introduction: Aparna Basu Chair: Keki N. Daruwalla Collaboration: Sarvodaya International Trust, Delhi Chapter and National Gandhi MuseumJanuary 30

The Estonian Film Festival got off to a great start with over 100 film enthusiasts, filmmakers and students present. Well-known London-based Estonian filmmaker Kersit Uibo presented seven outstanding documentaries from her country. The Estonian Ambassador to India, His Excellency Viljar Lubi graciously thanked all who had worked towards putting together the festival. This was followed by an introduction by Ms Uibo in which she spoke about the deep connect she feels with India.

The first film Ash and Money by Ene-Liis Semper, Tiit Ojasoo and Rein Kotov documents an audacious and provocative initiative of the theatre group N099 to expose the corrupt practices of Estonian politics. In the post-screening discussion, many members of the audience commented that they were amazed to see how the issues of corruption, false political propaganda

IIC took the privilege to have a requiem for Gandhi through this black and white documentary by A.K. Chettiar, when the nation is on the verge of acknowledging Nathuram as a hero and martyr and assassinating the legacy of Gandhi. The film rekindled and revealed Gandhi’s importance as a human being. His simple way of life, his smile, his dress, his way of mixing with people, revealing his inner strength acquired by experiences and experiments with truth, truth alone. The film led us further into the subject and made us rethink about a person who was neither a king nor had a great army to fight a huge kingdom. His work from South Africa, forming the National Congress

and the challenges of democracy in the film resonated with the political situation in India as well.

Day two introduced other forms within the documentary genre. Kersti Uibo’s Evald’s Acre takes us into the world of Emmi and Evald Saag, an aged couple. This was followed by a talk on the poetic film by Ms Uibo in which she spoke about the value of eliminating the ego and emptying oneself so as to become one with that which you are filming.

The audience was amazed by the film Arvo Pärt: 24 Preludes to a Fugue directed by Dorian Supin. It proved to be an excellent introduction to people in Delhi to the work of this brilliant composer.

The Winds of the Milky Way directed by Lennart Meri is a beautiful ethnographic film on the lifestyles and customs of various Finno-Ugric people. Meri following an extensive career as a filmmaker and ethnographer went on to become the President of Estonia in 1992.The festival concluded with Disco and Atomic War by Jaak Kilmi and Kiur Arma about censorship and living under a dictatorial regime during the Soviet occupation.

 ANUPAMA SRINIVASAN

with the educated elite and people from all walks of life and making the whole nation come to the forefront and work together with his socially intelligible cure for swaraj is shown.

Before we assassinate him, let us look at him not as Mahatma but just as any civilian and his immense trials and errors to hold back the diversifying political destiny of a country. Before you kill him, watch him closely for his nonviolence that disarmed the mighty. Before we make him God, see the magnitude of his simplicity and its repercussions.

Gandhi reaffirmed that this is a land of spirituality, whether it is Hinduism, Islam or Christianity or any other religion for that matter; we still could walk together with truth even among the diversified views and communal conclusions. The film urges us to remember that this is a land of spiritual depth and that is reflected all over the world and just for that reason we cannot justify murder. The minute we do that we are raising a voice for arson, murder, killing and bloodshed.

 MERLIN MOLI

5

diary

diary

6

brazil

A Slice of BrazilCONCERT: O’ Brazil – Songs, Sounds and RhymesA tribute by Ariane Gray HubertCollaboration: Embassy of Brazil, February 10

Sound LogicTALK: The Eco-Musicology of Humans, Animals, Spirits, and Sounds in the Brazilian AmazonSpeaker: Dr. Anthony SeegerChair: Dr. Shubha Chaudhuri, January 8Collaboration: American Institute of Indian Studies

Ariane Gray Hubert is a well-known concert pianist, singer and composer who has performed extensively all over the world and has won several prestigious international awards. Her albums include the highly acclaimed Piano Rag(a) Time.

The programme was a tribute to two well-known composers of classical music from Brazil–Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) and Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847–1935) – and poetess Cecilia Mereiles (1901–1964), one of the most famous modern poets in the Portuguese language.

The first set consisted of three Villa-Lobos compositions played on the piano: Manquinha, Valsa Da Dor and Alma Brasiliera (Brazilian Soul)–Choros No. 5, the latter being one of a series of pieces based on Brazilian street rhythms inspired by a set of studies he wrote for iconic guitarist Andres Segovia. Villa-Lobos was probably the greatest classical composer from Latin America; he

For more than a century, numerous members of the Seeger family have been at the forefront of researching, analysing, performing and putting in perspective myriad folk music traditions and their associated cultures, while also participating variously in civil rights movements, anti-war and anti-racism protests and the like. For those of us who grew up listening to Pete Seeger’s Where Have All The Flowers Gone, there was an element of nostalgia in the encounter with yet another illustrious scion of this stellar family.

Emeritus Professor at the University of California at Los Angeles’s Department of Ethnomusicology, Anthony Seeger began by tracing the origins of his discipline and putting it in an historical and political context, as part of the European effort to broaden western intellectual

combined features of European classical music with Brazilian instruments and rhythms. This came through quite clearly.

This was followed by two compositions by Gonzaga: Gaucho and Suspiro–Tango Brasiliero. Gonzaga was a prominent Brazilian composer and pianist who is credited with having ‘invented’ the Brazilian tango (known as the maxixe, a dance that was instrumental in the subsequent development of the Brazilian samba and the lambada).

Ariane then recited six poems by Cecilia Mereiles–Cosmic Dance, Little Boy, Women of Puri, Morning, Ganges and Sugarcane Field. These are all selections from Travelling and Meditating in India and were all written while she was travelling across India in the 1950s. Her work was greatly influenced by India–she even taught herself both Hindi and Sanskrit.

Ariane concluded her performance with three of her personal favourites: two French pieces–Edith Piaf ’s La Vie En Rose (sung) and Erik Satie’s Gnossienne #1 (on piano) and a vocal rendition of the haunting bossanova classic Insensatez (How Insensitive) written by eponymous Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.

 S. CHIDAMBAR

horizons and consider other world cultures. He spoke of how the study of music, and indeed of sound in the wider sense, began to leave the concert halls and spread to a vast range of situations and places. This led to, among other things, the development of eco-musicology, or the study of ‘sound systems’ in relation to ecosystems.

Seeger’s approach to the study of various cultures thus combines anthropology, musicology, politics and much else in a profound awareness that music, like any aspect of culture and human expression, is linked to a community’s world view, mode of economic production and existential beliefs. Much of the talk was a fascinating dip into his famous study, Why Suya Sing, a musical anthropology of a Brazilian tribal community. The Suya have no love songs, no protest songs or lullabies in their oeuvre. Indeed, they don’t see themselves as creating sound or music at all, rather as reproducing the sounds of the world around them, a world in which humans, animals and spirits are in many respects interchangeable. A thought-provoking journey through cultural diversity, with a multidisciplinary scholar as the highly engaging guide.

 MAHADEVAN RAMASWAMY

diary

diary culture

Poetry and ProtestPOETRY READING: K. Satchidanandan and Raul Zurita Collaboration: Almost Island Dialogues, February 15

Bharata NatyaWORKSHOP: Fundamentally Yours...The AdavusCollaboration: Kala Bharati and Kri Foundation, February 28

On the evening of February 15, 2015, one poet from Chile, Raul Zurita, and another from India, K. Satchidanandan, read at the IIC Annexe. The introduction to the evening was by Vivek Narayanan.

Narayanan said that K. Satchidanandan is the Indian poet you dream of. He draws on a vast range of references, and pulls together a great amount of material from around the world, from Kerala and from the Malayalam language. He draws on these with contemporary awareness and sensitivity. One gets the sense that the speaker is good-humoured, but possibly dangerous. Satchidanandan is a bilingual poet–he writes in both Malayalam and English.

K. Satchidanandan mentioned that he has translated a good part of his poems into English. Theoretically, he is not much for self-translation. He started by referring to Perumal Murugan who was silenced by some groups of

On Saturday, 28th February, India International Centre hosted an unusual Workshop, somewhat in the nature of a lec-dem, on Ergonomic Training for Dance, specially for Bharata Natya. Ergonomics is a science that promotes the highest level of proficiency with maximum ease in execution or usage of the body machinery.

The two main speakers, Dr. Mamata Niyogi Nakra and Nicole LaMontagne, had a personal and life-changing brush with injury that impacted their dance potential and resulted in a life-time commitment to explore the subject of kinesthesiology in their respective practices. Kinesthesiology is described as the therapeutic study of the muscles and joints of the body.

Emerging from a several months long research project at Cirque du Soleil on the methodology for training Indian Classical dancers, it zeroed in on the basic units of the dance of Bharata Natya, the adavus, with an analytical perspective drawn from the physics of dance, advocating

Hindu extremists. In keeping with the theme of protest poetry, he read two poems based on two demonstrations, one in 2013 in Turkey and one recently in Kerala. He finally read his poem

Stammer:A stammer is the silence that falls between the word and its meaning, just as lameness is thesilence that falls betweenthe word and the deed.

Raul Zurita of Chile believes that a poem is not the objective, but the medium. His poetry was conceptual and the choice of form was never arbitrary. He has also written political poetry about the poetry of people blinded by the Pinochet regime. He brought together the very intimate and the very public. Nothing was wasted and the sense of seriousness was very inspiring.

Accompanied by his English translator, Anna Deeny, Zurita read poems about the desert of Atacama, fish, fruit, snow, rain, the Ande and crosses. He ended with the poem Song for his Disappeared Love.

 RACHNA JOSHI

for training to be imparted with ergonomics in mind.

Towards this end, with demonstrations by a mixed group of dancers drawn from Delhi (disciples of Justin McCarthy) and from Kolkata, where Nakra resides and mentors every year in winter, the range of adavus created by her Guru were used to evoke comments and helpful tips by Nakra herself and Lamontagne.

Lamontagne, who is a core strength and posture fitness certified expert, stressed repeatedly on the need for core muscle strengthening, on focused muscle strengthening as per the requirements of different styles of dance, all of which demand of the body things that it is not naturally equipped to do. She reiterated the urgency for an external eye to help in early identification of incorrect alignments, before hard to alter compensations set in, and the need to be open to expert interventions to correct them.

The discussion with many of Delhi’s dance gurus and dancers also included references to the need for specialised dance floors, even if inexpensive, that would absorb shocks and save the dancers’ knees and spine from damage.

 ARSHIYA SETHI

7

diary

diary

8

talks

A Little Gypsy MusicTALK: Music AppreciAtion proMotion: Gypsy MusicAn Illustrated talk by Dr. Punita SinghJanuary 16

‘Gypsy’ and ‘Music’ are words that pair together harmoniously but conjure up a variety of different images and sounds for different people. From traditional Romani songs associated with events, festivals and rites of passage, to music expressing existential angst; from syncopated foot-tapping flamenco to Manouche Swing and Gypsy Jazz; from Hungarian Ciganyzene, Romanian Lautari, Fanfare and Manele, to Bulgarian Chalga and Balkan Pop, gypsy music defies being confined within boundaries. Giving an exciting and illustrative talk on gypsy music, Dr. Punita Singh, a well-known musicologist, linguist and educator based in New Delhi enthralled her captive audience at the IIC with a remarkably expansive overview of the diverse genres and hybrid styles often clubbed under the rubric, ‘gypsy music.’

Emphasising the strong Indian connection, Dr. Singh explained how the study of linguistics made apparent that the gypsies were originally from North Central India. A series of persecutions, enslavement and forced separations led to massive migrations of the ‘Romani’ peoples around 300 BC towards Persia and Eastern Europe, and the music of these peoples, largely original and influenced by their conditions, gave birth to what is known as ‘gypsy music.’ In fact, the designation ‘gypsy’ emerged in the 15th century when these dark-skinned strangers were thought to have come from Egypt! With the help of meticulously researched audio and video recordings of distinctive and varied gypsy music from Asia and Eastern Europe, Dr. Singh brought alive her talk to an extremely appreciative and receptive audience. Citing examples of the playing styles of guitarist Django Reinhardt (influenced by the ‘Manouche Swing’) or the more contemporary popular sounds of the Gypsy Kings (influenced by Rhumba-Flamenco styles), Dr. Singh brought to the table an extremely vibrant earthy sound that one had to be superhuman not to tap one’s feet in admiration!

 DEEPAK CASTELINO

Nur JahanTALK: Frontiers oF History: Light of the World – Nur Jahan in Legend and History Speaker: Dr. Ruby Lal Chair: Namita Gokhale, January 8

The enigma that was Nur Jahan! Author Ruby Lal’s riveting lecture based on her new book, Light of the World–Nur Jahan in Legend and in History took us back to the unprecedented and unique Mughal era in India. Unique because this was the first time a Shia Muslim woman ruled a Sunni majority Mughal India between 1614-27, along with her husband, Emperor Jehangir. Though the Mughal family had a tradition of strong and prominent elder women, royal wives, influential mothers and aunts, this kind of heady feminine power is unseen before.

The lecture, aided by rich visual imagery with portraits of Nur Jahan in various moments of her life as a sovereign Empress, favourite wife and influential matriarch added immensely to the evening.

Dr. Ruby Lal traversed the course of the life of this unique woman ruler and spoke passionately not only about Nur

Jahan’s early, modest life, her trials and tribulations, but also unveiled hidden facets of this magnificent Mughal Queen’s persona. Citing various sources such as coins, royal biographies, accounts of 18th century European travellers, Persian court chroniclers and of course Nur’s portraits, Lal gives a fascinating account of Nur’s first romantic encounter with Emperor Jehangir, her arrival in Jehangir’s harem, his fierce love for her, their eventual marriage, her climb to astonishing political eminence, as well as her iconic status as an extraordinary woman ruler.

Foreign observers, especially Thomas Roe, ambassador to the Mughal court during the time of James the 1st, were mystified at Nur Jahan’s unbridled power as she ruled alongside her husband, Emperor Jehangir, and chronicled the restrictions they faced in reaching him directly.

Though Nur Jahan’s rise was meteoric and her military and political prowess remained unchallenged, reaching the zenith of power through the 1610 and 1620s, her authority crumbles and she fades into history as soon as the Emperor dies.

 GAURIKA KAPOOR

diary

diary

9

talks/exhibition

LusofoniasEXHIBITION: Lusophonies/LusofoniasCollaboration: Perve Gallery, Lisbon and Embassies of Portugal, Angola, Brazil and Mozambique February 1–15

Art and SciencesTALK: Art MattersPanelists: Gopal Gandhi, Vandana Shiva, Ashish Gandhi, Sir Mark TullyModerator: Ashok VajpeyiCollaboration: The Raza Foundation, January 9

The Kamaladevi Art Gallery came alive with art installations, mobile art-works, paintings and videos lucid with thoughts, words and brush-strokes. As varied as they were as works from different artists, countries, or varying perspectives, there was a common connection that ran through them. It spoke of a shared history, culture, language and aesthetics that was predominantly African in origin. The group art exhibition called, Lusophonies/Lusofonias, as art originating from Portuguese-speaking countries, showed at the IIC.

The exhibition had over 150 art-works in multi-media from a wide range of artists of different time-periods from Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique and India. Curated by Carlos Cabral Nunes and Miguel Amado, the works presented were part of the Lusophonia collection from the Perve

Art Matters and the relationship between the arts and the sciences was the theme organised by the Raza Foundation in collaboration with the IIC on the evening of 9 January 2015. The panellists included Gopal Gandhi, Vandana Shiva, Ashish Gandhi, Sir Mark Tully and Ashok Vajpeyi. While the underlying theme was the relationship between the arts and the sciences and the relevance of art in life if looked at through the triple views of beauty, truth and morality, there was lively debate and interchange of many personal viewpoints of the panellists on the inclusion of art in daily life,

Gallery in Lisbon, brought in collaboration with the embassies of Portugal, Angola, Brazil and Mozambique to exhibit at the IIC.

Divided into three periods of Lusophonie history–the Colonial, the Independence period and Future Miscegenation and Diaspora, the artworks are a product of their time. They are replete with a narrative of their personal, social and political milieu. They are more an expression of emotion, an outlet for feelings rather than technique or aesthetics alone. In the documentary, a plantation worker poignantly says, ‘We could be thrown out at any time, there were no job guarantees. To express this uncertainty, we thought of writing and I wrote in sculpture.’ While the splashes of colour are vibrant, they tell a myriad tales of dreams and desires. For instance, a documentary shot in Mozambique has a common man saying, ‘My dream is to see people eat and to know abundance.’

You can’t but come away moved, with a thousand questions in your head of the times, the people and their situation.

 MADHUMITA GHOSH

the distortions that take place with the experiences of violence and brutality bringing the thread of realism into art.

Quite naturally, parallel aspects discussed in relation to art were the role of reason, aesthetics and compassion and the effects of these on psychology. It was postulated that reason has given a false justification to art, giving rise to the tyranny of reason. The effect of violence and brutality in turn gives rise to a bizarre and grotesque form of art, which more than shock value may be disturbing. Yet, the genocides in history have been justified by a rational and considered approach to the act of genome cleansing. Art in general carries the burden of influence from the past which is not relevant for the present. The democratisation of art was briefly mentioned as questions were then opened to the audience.

 MEKHALA SENGUPTA

diary

diary

10

talks

Sports and India TALK: TCM Sports LectureSpeaker: Rahul DravidChair: Ayaz MemonCollaboration: Twenty First Century Media Private Ltd.January 20

Medico-legal Musings on the Master Molecule TALK: DNA – Molecule of the Century – Impact on Human Society Speaker: Dr. Seyed E. HasnainChair: Fali NarimanJanuary 19

Is India at the cusp of sporting greatness? Do we have reasons to feel bullish about it?

Rahul Dravid thinks so. Talent emerging from smaller towns and cities across the country; sporting heroes in other sports like tennis, badminton, wrestling, shooting; and sportswomen in the limelight in recent times are

World renowned molecular biologist Dr. Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain raced through the universe of medical applications of DNA technology. Beginning with a fresh introduction to DNA itself, he then covered a mind-boggling array of topics: genetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology, GM foods, the Human Genome Project, genetic predisposition, predictive and personalised medicine, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, cloning, tracing human migration, DNA fingerprinting and the impact of the DNA revolution on new concepts in biology. All this made possible by the 0.1 per cent difference in the otherwise 99.9 per cent identical DNA profile that characterises the entire human race!

We learned of new treatments for haemophilia, diabetes, breast cancer, asthma and Alzheimer’s and improved kidney transplants; of drought and pest resistant crops, flavour saver tomatoes that can stay fresh for months and fortified ‘golden rice’ that could

all indicators that India has got the raw material and what it takes to become a great sporting nation.

The speaker laid down some conditions for India to achieve consistent sporting greatness. The country must provide facilities required for training and producing elite athletes. We must focus on junior sports which need to be better organised. The government must play an active role in sports, as also invite private participation in the management of sports and make available public spaces for sports across the country. Citing the several medals won by Indian athletes at recent Asian and Olympic games, Rahul Dravid emphasised the need to focus on sports facilities for the disabled as well.

 RAHUL RAJAGOPALAN

provide added nutrition; how pharmacogenomics can help choose effective medication for schizophrenics, multiple sclerosis or cancer patients; early identification and treatment for primary congenital glaucoma; instant genetic diagnostic testing when you visit your doctor; in vivo gene therapy to replace defective genes causing chronic conditions; the pros and cons of stem cell banking; and how cloning is allowing people to have their cats and dogs with them for the length of human lifespans. Also, how DNA can tell us if humans actually originated in and spread from Africa; how it is replacing fingerprinting as the 21st century’s clinching evidence in the legal domain; confirming the authenticity of Indian Basmati and the veracity of Clinton’s seminal misdemeanour; and, importantly, getting prisoners on death row released by proving their innocence. The ethical and legal quandaries of surrogacy and multiple donor asexual reproduction, commercialisation and patenting of genetic information and human body parts, eugenics and discrimination were also brought out. Renowned jurist Fali Nariman’s introductory reference to Sir Henry Finch’s statement that ‘The sparks of all the sciences in the world are raked up in the ashes of the Law’ thus proved in the end to be a most apposite one.

 MAHADEVAN RAMASWAMY

diary

diary talks

Indian SurrogacyPANEL DISCUSSION: Baby Makers – A History of Indian Surrogacy by Gita Aravamudan (Noida: Harper Collins, 2014)Speakers: Dr. Ruma Satwik; Dr. Supriya Bezbaruah; Gita AravamudanChair: V.K. Karthika, January 27

Knowledge ManagementDISCUSSION: Knowledge Society – India’s New RevolutionIntroduction: Dr. Usha Mujoo MunshiSpeakers: Professor Debal K. SinghaRoy; Mr. William Middleton; Dr. Biplov Srivastava; Dr. Praveen AroraChair: Kapila Vatsyayan, including Kavita A. Sharma January 15

The panel discussion on the book the Baby Makers by Gita Aravamudan involved a dialogue regarding the practice of commercial surrogacy in India. Drawing from the book and its research on surrogacy in India involving the hiring of women belonging to a lower socio-economic background to act as gestates to infertile couples in exchange for compensation, the discussion focused on varied aspects of this emerging practice.

The problem of infertility and the resultant social stigma has led to the rise of assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF or in-vitro fertilisation to facilitate artificial reproduction. The commercial surrogacy arrangement is being used by infertile couples who have been unable to have children through IVF and fall back on the last

The panel on the knowledge society chaired by Kapila Vatsyayan discussed various ideas regarding the meaning and creation of knowledge in contemporary society. The desire for a knowledge revolution will involve funding and care of libraries—something that is sadly missing. Libraries have always contributed to the transformation of society, people connected to education through libraries by seeking books. Unfortunately, old and ancient libraries are dying due to lack of care and patronage. The knowledge movement would thus require the preservation of these traditions and literature so that the idea of knowledge itself can be preserved.

It is in this vein that support towards learning and innovations will lead to helping society at large, including

available option of hiring a surrogate to gestate their baby through the use of IVF. However, the resulting ethical considerations have led to questions regarding the surrogacy arrangement and the ways in which it is practised in India.

The panellists discussed many of these issues including the lax legislation governing the arrangement—and even though surrogacy is legal in India there is no law regarding the same, except for a Draft Bill framed by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The role of surrogacy agents, IVF specialists and the foreign couples who are coming in to India to hire Indian women as surrogates at very low prices has led to fears regarding exploitation of the poor by rich couples and doctors. As a burgeoning industry, commercial surrogacy has become less of a medical practice and more of a commercial enterprise.

Within such a framework, the panellists spoke of the merits of the book that looks at the couples and the surrogates with empathy and understanding, seeking to understand why they enter the arrangement and the ways in which they navigate it.

 ANINDITA MAJUMDAR

knowledge management techniques or processes of knowledge creation. Here, the role of librarians is essential to the preservation of these processes in order to provide access to knowledge. They add value to these resources and help in the development of research, culture and literacy.

Knowledge economy is at the core of knowledge and economy even though it is increasingly ICT-driven access; this can’t dilute the character of knowledge itself. Greater investment is required in R & D to spur the growth of knowledge. Thus, an inclusive knowledge society does not mean an overwhelming emphasis on mechanised systems where the mind has no role to play. We need our own tools of discourse, which may be applicable to different worlds and different experiences.

The relevance of digital systems like cognitive technologies that impact the ways in which humans interact with the creation and sustenance of knowledge cannot be undermined. The emergence of the digital media has led to questions regarding the relevance and survival of libraries. The future of the knowledge society seems distinct from what it is now.

 ANINDITA MAJUMDAR

11

diary

diarytalks

India Website TALK: The Everyday Lives of Everyday People – Journalism from Below in the Digital Age Talk and demonstration by P. SainathCollaboration: Business and Community Foundation and ActionAid, January 5

Child Rights…TALK: Child Right – The Way Forward Speaker: Kailash Satyarthi Collaboration: ARSIPSO, January 2

P. Sainath introduced and officially launched the rural archive of India website in Delhi (http://www.ruralindiaonline.org) to a full house of 300 plus people at an event hosted by IIC, BCF, ActionAid, Save the children and Youth ki Awaaz. His session was full of examples of the living archive of the world’s most diverse and complex countryside.

P. Sainath talked about rural India as there are 833 million people, distinct societies, speaking well over 700 languages, some of them thousands of years old, while the Constitution lists 22 languages, like Khasi and Garo of Meghalaya state. Each of the six Indian languages is spoken by 50 million people or more. Three are spoken by 80 million or more. One, by close to 500 million. At the other end of the spectrum are unique tribal

Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who received the Nobel Peace Prize together with Malala Yousufzai in 2014, delivered a very moving speech about his experiences over three decades working for the rights of children. He expressed concern about the violence being experienced by children–in Peshawar, in Assam, by Boko Haram and ISIS, in fact in all parts of the world. He termed the denial of schooling to a child, for whatever reason, as violence inflicted on the child. Despite numerous laws and conventions prohibiting child labour trafficking, it still persists and has today become a US$ 150 billion illicit trade–higher than the global trade in drugs and small arms.

Kailash Satyarthi said that the Nobel was not so much for him but for all children, and has helped draw attention to child rights on the global stage. While his

languages spoken by as few as 4,000 people, some by even less. The eastern state of Odisha alone is home to some 44 tribal languages. The People’s Linguistic Survey of India reckons close to 220 languages have died in the past 50 years. ‘Saimar’ in Tripura is down to its last seven speakers.

The same diversity characterises rural Indian occupations, arts and crafts, culture, literature, legend, transportation. As the Indian countryside rushes through an extremely painful transformation, many of these features disappear, leaving us poorer. Then there are professions known only to a few nations. Like toddy-tappers who climb up to 50 palm trees daily, each one thrice, in season.

He said PARI is both a living journal and an archive that is also creating a database of already published stories, reports, videos and audios from as many sources as possible. Interestingly PARI captures social issues and challenges such as farmer’s suicides, agrarian distress, migration, livelihoods, etc.

 AMIT SHARMA

earlier efforts to speak of child rights had done little to impress authorities, he had received over eleven thousand invitations to speak at various fora. One important fallout of the award is that child rights organisations across the world now feel empowered and have a sense of hope for the future.

The speaker cautioned against the current moral deficit affecting all walks of life and institutions of all kinds. He called on people to work towards a transformative compassion which can find solutions. He also highlighted the need for political will to prioritise issues facing children.

Kailash Satyarthi ended by recounting his close association with and regard for the police. He spoke of his experiences in releasing children from bonded labour and the role of the police in facilitating this. In closing, he called for early police reforms and a greater connection between the issue of child rights and the police.

 SUNANDA GHOSH

12

diary

diary

13

talks

A Long Walk in the WoodsTALK: Askot-Arakot Abhiyan 2014Collaboration: PAHARJanuary 5

The Return of the NativeINAUGURATION: Indian Diaspora and Cultural Heritage – Past, Present and FutureCollaboration: ICCR, February 11–13

If a walk in the woods is what travel writer Bill Bryson understatedly called his journey across parts of the Appalachian Trail, then the Askot Arakot Abhiyan (movement) 2014 that traversed the entire state of Uttarakhand from Pangu, near Askot in the east, to Arakot, near the Himachal border in the west, was surely a longer one.

The evening began with an introduction of the Abhiyan and its roots in 1974, when Sundarlal Bahuguna urged Shekhar Pathak and others to undertake the journey to learn more about the peoples and villages of the state. Since then, the expedition has taken place every ten years, most recently in 2014. Made up of a diverse group of people, who entirely depend on the largesse of the villagers, the journey covered 1,150 km, across alpine pastures, pilgrim routes, grazing fields, defunct trade routes, tribal zones et al.

The inaugural session was a tour de force that was at once scholarly and thought provoking. Kapil Kumar, Academic Coordinator provided an overview, by foregrounding the importance of an exploration of India’s past and present from the perspective of the diaspora. Though he eulogised how the fourth and fifth generations Indians have sustained our cultures, their sacrifices have not found a place in our history books.

Professor Lokesh Chandra, President ICCR, in his eloquent rendition referred to India as part of the collective imaginary of world civilisations, memories of which are registered in the diasporic archives–thereby prompting the ICCR to host this conference. He stressed upon the vibrant rejuvenation of our shared intangible cultural heritage and identified several factors contributing to the exoticism of such narratives. The flow of culture beyond Indian boundaries, the interplay of colonial exploitation and the resultant indentured

Dr. Pathak then took the audience through a comprehensive slideshow that highlighted aspects of the 2014 journey and if there was a leitmotif, it was the 2013 floods and landslides in Uttarakhand and the devastating impact that it had on the ecology and the terrain of the state, a result aggravated owing to human activity.

Encountering the same people on the journey whom they had met ten years earlier gave them interesting insights into their lives and how individuals had shaped the communities and societies they were living in over a period of time. In addition, the trek enabled an understanding of local mores and customs, vernacular architectural traditions, indigenous technologies, status of women and education, music, religious practices etc.

Among the problems foregrounded by the talk was the curious demand for Yarsagumba (caterpillar fungus) used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine for its healing and aphrodisiacal properties, and how its illicit trade was impinging on the environment of the region.

 AJAY JAISINGHANI

labour, Gandhi’s fight against imperialism, the support of the diaspora to the freedom movement, and a sophisticated evolved understanding of India’s diaspora ―the success and prosperity of which is our greatest asset was stressed upon.

Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj eloquently echoing the conference as timely, highlighted the intrinsic role of the Indian diaspora which gives a distinct entity, and an essential Indianness to the spirit that is India. The diaspora according to her, must be vanguards of the quintessence of Indian ethos, heritage, antiquity and diversity. She expatiated on the seminal role the Indian emigrant plays in diplomacy and as preservers of Indic traditions, folklore and the arts. Indian ideals of non-violence, tolerance, and multiculturalism and their enduring interface with our diaspora abroad were reflected in her passionate address.

Satish Mehta, DG ICCR, articulated India’s strengthening bond with its diaspora of more than 25 million residing in over 110 countries and the unmistakable truth that our contributions to human civilisations have had few parallels.

 BEEBA SOBTI

diary

diary

14

talks

Centre and PeripheryTALK: India and East Asia – Moving from the Margins to the CentreSpeaker: Shyam SaranChair: Vijay NaikCollaboration: IAFAC, February 14

In the CourtroomBOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: Talking of Justice – People’s Rights in Modern India by Leila Seth (New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2015)Discussants: Leila Seth; Dipankar Gupta; Indira Jaisingh and David Davidar, February 25

‘India has proposed the creation of a regional and multilateral security arrangement in East Asia which is based on mutual security assurances. This strategy includes closer security arrangements with US and other major regional powers such as Japan, ROK, Australia and ASEAN countries, in particular, Indonesia.’ This was revealed by former Foreign Secretary and chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) Ambassador Shyam Saran while delivering the Third Annual Lecture of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents (IAFAC).

Adding that this falls well short of Cold War style containment, but is aimed at the ability of China to

Publisher and novelist David Davidar set the tone for the evening by very briefly but brilliantly introducing Leila Seth and her work, Talking of Justice―People’s Rights in Modern India (Aleph Book Company, 2015). He peppered his introductory remarks with stimulating literary references. Leila Seth, a woman of many parts, who hides a feisty young spirit in her frail frame that belies her age kept up the scorching pace. She bore her erudition lightly, delighting the audience with stimulating cross-cultural literary allusions as she introduced the topic. She emphasised that her book was not about solutions but strove to focus on issues that merit public debate urgently―female foeticide, reservation for women, common civil code, sexual harassment in the place of work

project its military power across a wider expanse of the East Asian and Indian Ocean region, Saran said, it was clear that India was now engaged in a countervailing strategy which brings together countries that have shared concerns over the rapid buildup and upgradation of Chinese military capabilities.

India has embarked on the ‘Look East Policy,’ which has now been renamed as ‘Act East Policy’ by the present government. Referring to point, Saran said, ‘since India launched its Look East Policy in 1992, South East and East Asia have acquired an increasing salience in the country’s foreign policy calculations. I treat East Asia as comprising South-East Asia and the Far East.’ But India figures less in the calculations of the countries of the region than they do in India’s calculations. India is also less connected with the region in terms of transport and communication links. Unless this asymmetry is addressed, one will not be able to claim that India has moved to the centre of East Asia.

 VIJAY NAIK

and dowry. The eloquence with which she articulated her perspective was quite commendable.

The points made by her were reinforced with suitable emphasis by Indira Jaisingh, the eminent lawyer and activist, who illustrated her presentation by drawing upon her impressive experience in the court room and outside in committees and commissions. Her primary focus was on the age of consent for consensual sex and the rise in violent crimes against women.

Sociologist Dipankar Gupta who came in next acknowledged the debt he owed to the late Justice Verma who had made him realise that justice has to be tempered with compassion and why equity has to be accorded primacy. He provided the contextual framework of the sociology of violence and injustice. He felt that there was perhaps no need to formulate new policies–there was a much greater need for the state to be sensitive to the rights of citizens and afford all citizens equal protection without any gender bias or discrimination or other bias–kinship or creed.

  INDRAJIT

diary

diary

15

talks

Frontiers of HistoryTALK: Salt, Robes and Blood – A Historical Code of Honour and Loyalty that Stretched from Spain to ChinaSpeaker: Stewart GordonChair: Sunil Kumar, February 19

Frontiers of HistoryTALK: A Whimsical Journey Through IndiaSpeaker: Malavika KarlekarChair: Sabeena Gadihoke, February 27

A journey through India using lithographs, aqua tints,

photographs and postcards from the 19th century to

more recent times, this fascinating presentation by

Malavika Karlekar was a way of relating collectible

images generated for domestic consumption to

the wider public discourse about state, society and

community. The talk began with images of a dak peon

(1920s), a lithograph of various forms of locomotion

This was a wide-ranging talk by Stewart Gordon

on notions of honour in the pre-modern world.

Emphasising the role of ‘salt’, ‘robes’ and ‘blood’

(kinship) he traced how in cultures across North

India, Central India, and the Deccan, the term

‘Namak Halal’, that is, to act loyally to one’s ‘salt’

was widely prevalent. The gift of a shawl, a scarf or

in Shimla–on foot, on the jhampan, on horseback (1825) and a photograph of a shrouded bullock cart for exclusive travel by women from Central India (1900). These seemingly unrelated forms of travel indicated the vast web of circulation of people, goods and administrative personnel which contributed in no small measure to the legitimacy and stability of British rule in India. Other images like Madras from the Pier (photograph, 1910), Back Bay from Malabar Hill, Bombay (coloured postcard, 1905), Eden Gardens, Calcutta (photograph, 1886), Double Loop of the Darjeeling Railway (coloured postcard, 1910), Brass Bazar, Banaras (photograph, 1920) emphasised the relation and importance of a sense of place to the

exotic and the picturesque. The adoption of new technologies of photography and printing and their wide circulation in India helped in creating an informal and rich archive. With supporting evidence from travelogues, autobiographies, gazetteers, the crucial importance of the visual in complementing and qualifying received views about the Indian past was established.

a robe to a guest was another way of engagement with this rite in which the recipient became obligated in complex ways. These two seemingly disparate rituals were the remnants of a vast system of loyalty and reciprocity that allowed men to move across a huge swathe of Asia and find employment as soldiers, clerics, administrators, philosophers, even ambassadors. Analogous to the system of chivalry in Europe, but separate from it and of much broader scope, traces of these rites are still prevalent. The talk emphasised how these rites help us to understand and unravel complex social ties in the past.

 PARTHO DATTA

 PARTHO DATTA

diary

diary

16

talks

Media and EmpireTALK: Communications, Media and the Imperial Experience – Britain and IndiaSpeaker: Dr. Chandrika KaulChair: Sevanti NinanJanuary 7

Abstract and RealTALK: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LECTURES –The Unreasonable Effectiveness of MathematicsSpeaker: Professor Manindra AgrawalChair: Professor S.N. Maheshwari, February 6

The contents of the book were placed within a national and transnational information framework of an exchange network that British India was linked to. The session was named after the book of the same name authored by Dr. Kaul. The background leading to the rise of the media as an instrument of the British Raj was followed by four case studies from the book.

A combination of reasons for using media while ruling India included defensiveness about their Empire, increasing criticism from the United States and the need for support from Indian moderates and other collaborators to counter Nationalism. The case studies cover the time frame of 1911 to 1947. The first case study was the Delhi Durbar. The international, British and Indian Press covered it. A confluence of two

In the Science and Technology series, Professor Manindra Agrawal of IIT Kanpur gave an illuminating talk on what he called the ‘unreasonable effectiveness’ of mathematics. The session was chaired by former Professor S.N. Maheshwari of IIT Delhi. The distinguished speaker explained that mathematics is not just a manipulation of abstract symbols. When mapped to real quantities, it can have dramatic effects. He said that almost all scientific achievements can be traced to the association of abstract symbols with real quantities. He stated that mathematics has influenced our lives in understanding and predicting natural phenomena; in manipulating nature; and in designing non-natural phenomena. He explained that different aspects of nature such as motion, gravity and electromagnetism are explained by the use and manipulation of abstract mathematical symbols and equations.

traditions—monarchical and political—celebrated the shift of capital and established power in the guise of pageantry to circumvent Indian criticism. ‘Broadcasting in India in the interwar period’ examined the short-lived attempt at commercial radio in India and its aftermath. The third case study looked at ‘Mountbatten and the Decolonisation project.’ Mountbatten was media-savvy and his use of persuasion earned his method the epithet ‘Operation Seduction’. That the Independence project must be celebrated was Nehru and Mountbatten’s decision that involved creating an enduring, jubilant image of Indian Independence, omitting the narrative of communal riots and the horrors of partition. In the last case study, Gandhi’s association with Jim Mills and The Chicago Tribune’s William L. Shirer were crucial in shaping the positive American media response to Gandhi and Indian Independence. Through these politics of press, posturing and seduction, Dr. Kaul demonstrated that politics and the perceived image are connected through the use of persuasion, media and communication.

 RAKSHA THAKUR

The phenomenon of gravity was explained by Newton as a force between two objects arising from their mass. Similarly, Kepler’s equations explained planetary motions. Electromagnetic force, which includes electrical and magnetic forces, is the second major force in nature. Maxwell’s equations explained major technological developments. Navier Stokes captured in his equations the movement of liquids and gas which explain earthquakes and tsunamis and explained the working of aircraft and cars. Professor Agrawal mentioned that with the knowledge of pressure, velocity, density and viscosity we can calculate pressure everywhere; changing velocity changes pressure, other things being equal. He pointed out that mathematics helps us go beyond nature by allowing the invention of new concepts in fields which have nothing to do with nature. For instance, the storing of information (CDs and DVDs) and the encrypting of information (Credit Cards). He explained the role of standard numbers and non-standard numbers, including error tolerant ones used in storing information (CDs and DVDs) and the use of residues with the help of Reed Solomon Codes.

 KADAYAM SUBRAMANIAN

diary

diary

17

seminar

Arabian NightsDISCUSSION: Release of IIC-Asia Project, Primus Publication, Essays on the Arabian Nights by Professor Harish TrivediPanel Discussion: Dr. Syed Akhtar Husain; Dr. Rizwanur Rahman; Professor G.C. Tripathi and Professor Irene J. WinterChair: Soli J. Sorabjee, February 26

At the outset, Mr. Soli Sorabjee acknowledged that Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan was the spirit behind the venture of this latest Asia Project publication and deserved special thanks. He asked Professor Harish Trivedi to release the book which Soli Sorabjee prefered to call Thousand and One Nights. Harish Trivedi commended the Asia Project publication as truly Asian or Pan Asian as the volume contained the reception of the Nights in all the parts of Asia. He particularly noted the Arabian Nights in Indian languages namely Tamil, Malyalam, Urdu and Sanskrit. He observed that the Nights originally stemmed from Sanskrit in the late ancient period and was rendered into Sanskrit again in the late medieval period of Indian history, thus forming a full circle. He was amused to read the reception of the Nights in the Far-East and Japan and noted that like the magic carpet it travelled into various climes and countries of the world. But the most important aspect of 1001 Nights was its narrator Sherazade giving birth to three children which deterred the King from killing her and allowing the literary

narrative theory of nextism to remain in vogue in the world of literature.

The next speaker on the panel Dr. Syed Akhtar Husain seconded the proposal of Soli Sorabjee to call the Arabian Nights as 1001 Nights and observed that there were never 1001 stories in the Nights. It was a metaphorical way of presenting the innumerability of the stories in the literary corpus which was edited and printed at Fort William College, Kolkata and Bulaq in Egypt. He also interpreted the paintings of Abanindranath Tagore on the cover page of the book. The third speaker on the panel Dr. Rahman gave the detailed account of the reception of the Nights in Arabic literature and said that there were even untold stories of Sherazade in the modern Arab World.

The fourth speaker Dr. G.C Tripathi gave a graphic presentation of the Nights in Sanskrit and Hindi literary traditions and discussed the Essays on the Arabian Nights in the Indian context of history, linguistics and culture.

The last speaker on the panel was Professor Irene J. Winter who had spent years in Iran and Iraq in her excavation work. She had brought the copy of Arabian Nights published in 1930 which her mother gave her to read. Professor Winter appreciated the efforts of Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan for bringing academicians from Harvard, JNU and other universities in the orbit of the Asia Dialogue and realising the aims and objectives of the Asia Project successfully. Different peoples like

Indians, Persians, Arabs, Chinese etc. all played their role in the evolution of the human saga and stories which we read in 1001 Nights today.

Dr. Jain, proprietor of Ratnasagar Publications proposed a vote of thanks and particularly thanked Mr. B.N. Verma of Primus Books for his efforts to bring out the volume in an elegant and impressive form.

 NADEEM AKHTAR

diary

diary

18

notices

Annual Subscription

Membership Card

Obituary

Annual Payment for IIC Quarterly 2015-2016

All members are requested to pay annual subscription for the year 2015-2016 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 the 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 2015-2016’ on the back of the cheque. In case you choose to make an electronic/online payment, please inform accounts department that amount deposited is towards annual subscription for the year 2015-2016.

Please keep your mailing address/email and mobile numbers updated.

In view of the prevailing security environment and suggestions from members to check gatecrashing, the Security and other staff at venues has been instructed to check the membership cards randomly. Therefore, Members are requested to carry their membership cards at all times while attending programmes and using IIC facilities to avoid embarrassment. Kindly cooperate in case you are requested to show your membership cards to the staff. Also, please have old membership cards updated.

A-0772 Shri R.C. Bajpai

A-1446 Miss. Mrinalini Mukherjee

A-2670 Shri Vinod Mehta

A-3089 Shri Balraj Puri

A-5518 Dr. K.C. Das

The IIC Quarterly (two single and one special double issue) addresses vital contemporary issues relating to governance, civic and international affairs, ethics and society, education, law, environment, indigenous knowledge systems, literature, cinema and the arts.

The annual rates for the IIC Quarterly India (INR) Abroad (USD)for the financial year 2015-2016 are:

Members (Individual) Rs. 350.00 $ 35

Non-Members (Individual) Rs. 500.00 $ 45

Member/Non-Member Rs. 750.00 $ 55(Institutions)

Bank charges for outstation cheques Rs. 50.00 $ 15

(*Note: Euros and GBP equivalent to US $ are accepted)

A-5604 Smt. Aparajita Roy

M-2330 Shri Rajinder Puri

M-3684 Shri Dinesh Singh

M-3854 Shri Shekhar Borker

diary

diary

19

talks/futures

Whither UkraineTALK: Ukrainian-Russian Crisis and Threats to International Order and SecuritySpeaker: H.E. Mme Vaira Vike-FreibergaChair: H.E. Mme Darja KuretCollaboration: Embassy of LatviaFebruary 24

H.E. Mme Darja Kuret, the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, introduced the distinguished speaker, H.E. Mme Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia. President Vike-Freiberga started by paying high tribute to India for its robust democracy, significant poverty-alleviation strategies, and high scientific and technological achievements.

Introducing the crisis in Ukraine, President Vike-Freiberga traced in some detail the historical background, dwelling on the difference in the trajectories of Ukraine on the one hand, and the Baltic states on the other, in their relations with the former Soviet Union and its successor, the Russian Federation. Ukraine had made five unsuccessful attempts to free itself from domination before its successful bid after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia had deliberately tried to integrate the economies of the two countries. Ukraine had consistently taken into account Russia’s security sensitivities while

seeking its European destination. Ukraine agreed to surrender the nuclear weapons on its territory under the 1994 Budapest treaty whereby Russia, United States, and the United Kingdom guaranteed the inviolability of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Russia has violated the 1994 treaty by sending troops across the border and supporting separatists in eastern parts of Ukraine.

President Putin felt ‘humiliated’ when the Soviet Union fell and Russia ‘lost territories’. He has denied the existence of Ukrainians as a separate people. When President Yanukovych was about to sign an association agreement with the European Union, President Putin invited him to Moscow. President Yanukovych came back with a deal for cheaper gas from Russia and cancelled the signing of the agreement. Subsequently, Yanukovych fled as agitation against him spread; Russia ‘annexed’ the Crimea and started to ‘destabilize’ Ukraine.The UN Security Council is paralyzed as Russia holds veto.

The variety and the nature of the questions asked, the detailed answers given, and the follow-up discussion brought out the complexities in the unfolding crisis that calls for a peaceful and negotiated end in the interest of all concerned.

 K.P. FABIAN

Highlights for March-April 2015Lectures

10 April 2015 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms II - III, Kamaladevi Complex

the science And technoLogy Lecture

Stem Cells, Myths and RealitiesSpeaker: Dr. Jyotsna Dhawan

23 April 2015 at 6:30 pm in Annexe Lecture Room II

Music AppreciAtion proMotion

Musical Revolution: The Symphonies of BeethovenAn illustrated lecture by Karl Lutchmayer, British-Goan concert pianist, lecturer and writer

discussion

24 March 2015 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms II-III, Kamaladevi Complex

MentAL heALth

Children and Challenges of the Modern Day Existence

Speaker: Sarita Sarangi, Member, DCPCR; Heenu Singh, Incharge, Childline India; and Professor Amju Dhawan, Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS

Moderator: Dr. S.K. Khandelwal

(Collaboration: All India Institute of Medical Sciences)

diary

diary

20

futuresReg. No. 28936/77

exhibition

24-31 March 2015, Annexe Art Gallery, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm

Sacred Geometries

Works on paper by Neha Sharma

22-28 April 2015, Annexe Art Gallery, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm

Here and Now

An exhibition of black and white photographs

By Sumit Basu from Kolkata

perforMAnces

28 March 2015 at 6:30 pm in the Fountain Lawns

fLute concert

By Pandit Rajendra Prasanna, exponent of the flute and shehnai. Recipient of the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995)

Accompanists: Rishab Prasanna (flute) and Shubh Maharaj (tabla)

53rd Spirit of India 2015: 15th Margaret Dhillon Memorial Concert organised in collaboration with the Natraj Cultural Centre, Melbourne

1 April 2015 at 6:30 pm in the Fountain Lawns

Jazz Concert – Cuban Golden Classics

By Van Merwijk’s Music Machine from the Netherlands – Lucas van Merwijk, drummer, percussionist and band leader accompanied by Ramon Valle, Cuban master pianist; Bert Boeren on trombone; and Samuel Albert Ruiz, bass player from Venezuela

9-10 April 2015 in the Auditorium at 6:00 pm each evening

Spring Festival of Dance and Music

The festival brings together young dancers and musicians to present their work. Four young-upcoming artists will be presented―the first day will be devoted to music followed by two different dance forms

fiLMs

23 March 2015 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

Dr. Lohia

Director: Yashwant Giri

Film on the life of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia

1 April 2015 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

An Ordinary Election

Directed by Lalit Vachani who will introduce the film

An Ordinary Election tells the extra-ordinary story of the Aam Aadmi Party’s debut election campaign in the constituency of R.K. Puram, Delhi. An intimate, ground-up perspective of the anxieties, ambitions, struggles, and intrigues from the electoral battleground itself.

The issue of the Dairy has been assembled and edited by Omita Goyal, Chief Editor, Rachna Joshi, Senior Asstt. Editor and Ritu Singh, 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 by Viba Press Pvt. Ltd., C-66/3, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi, Ph.: 41611300/01, 9810049515)

diary