INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE V O L U M E X X V
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Price Re. 1/- INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE v o l u m e X X V. No. 1 January–February 2011 told the audience how this was the result of an event The Golden Boat held the previous year at the annual IIC Festival BOOK RELEASE AND PERFORMANCE when twelve poets from various Indian languages IIC Annual Day: The Golden Boat – 50 Indian River came together to read out their original poems with Poems (New Delhi, Yoda Press and IIC 2011) English translations in praise of the River, the theme chosen for the IIC Experience, 2009. Life Trustee Edited by Professor K. Satchidanandan Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, and the Director, Dr. Kavita A. Followed by Synthesis of Strings-Sitar and Cello, Sharma who were present that day, took an active role January 22 in promoting the idea of a book to commemorate that memorable event. Also present was publisher The Annual Day of the IIC is celebrated each year Arpita Das, who recalled the challenge of producing to mark the anniversary of the turning of the first a multi-lingual text to celebrate the linguistic diversity sod of earth by Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya at of India. the site that is now known as the India International This was followed by an unusual concert, ‘A Centre. This year, in addition to the Members’ tea on Symphony of Strings’, a stirring jugalbandi between the Fountain Lawns, the anniversary was celebrated Shubhendra Rao on the sitar and Saskia de Haas on by two memorable events. the cello. Moving in perfect harmony, they played The first was the release of a book of poems, The a medley of ragas and a fusion composition that Golden Boat – 50 Indian River Poems edited by Professor brought the evening to a perfect end. The Members’ K. Satchidanandan, and published jointly by the special dinner, another annual event, was a special Yoda Press and the IIC. Speaking on the occasion, feast prepared by Chef Vijay Thukral for the guests the President of the IIC, Professor M.G.K. Menon, as a rich buffet of Indian and Western dishes. At the launch of The Golden Boat lectures bifurcated between the state and the centre. Besides, skewed police-population ratio, politicization of Imperatives of Security problems, paucity of resources, mismanagement and DR. C. D. DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE corruption, lack of good governance and decline in 2011: National Security Concerns sensitivity of response that caused dissatisfaction Speaker: N.N. Vohra added to the dimensions of the problem. Chair: Professor M.G.K. Menon, January 14 He urged reconsideration of policy, review of the Lists in the Constitution, and restructuring the None could be more competent and distinguished security apparatus in view of new realities so as to than Shri Vohra, former Home Secretary and now do away with ambiguities on the role of states and Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, to speak on Centre that made the latter hesitate in exercising its internal security. He delineated a wide range of powers in case the response of the states was not threats to security presented by left extremism, cross- adequate. The Centre and the states must act in border terrorism, religious fundamentalism, ethnic tandem, besides strengthening state police in tune violence, insurgency in the north-east, etc., and with the decision of the Supreme Court, filling up of stressed that these did not relate to the domain of vacancies, and rescinding outdated laws. He proposed state governments only as law and order issues. Most central legislation to deal with terrorism, cyber crimes, of these were aspects of proxy war, and had their and corruption, as well as creating professional and origins in foreign intervention. It was thus difficult permanent cadres of experts for internal and external to draw a line of demarcation between internal intelligence and investigation. and external security, responsibility of which was P.S. BAWA the arts, planner, economist, and national security advisor. A Versatile Life Dr. Kalam presented a warm tribute to RV, as he TALK: RV – The Multifaceted Man was popularly known, as a man who conveyed the Speakers: Dr. A.P.J. Kalam; and message by precept of ‘working with integrity and Smt. Sheila Dikshit, February 22 succeeding with integrity’. He considered RV his mentor. He not only acknowledged his debt for encouragement of the space and missile programme, but also recalled his association in the Ministry It is rare to come across a personality as versatile as of Defence when highly technical laboratories Shri R. Venkataraman, the eighth President of India were set up for research. RV was thus both a who rose from the grassroots to assume the apex visionary and an implementer. He nurtured talent, office in the country. A lawyer and freedom fighter believed in inclusive growth. Public service was who participated in the Quit India movement, trade his passion. union leader, and parliamentarian, he participated in the governance of the country in various capacities. Inspired by RV, Dr. Kalam recounted certain As a minister in Tamil Nadu, he ushered in the thoughts he had been sharing with academics and industrialization of the state. He was Chairman of students on issues of global peace, prosperity, the Rajya Sabha, Minister of Finance, and Defence; challenges of globalization, World Vision 2030, and Vice President of India, a representative of India in his famous scheme of PURA (Provision of Urban the United Nations. He was also a lover of nature, Amenities in Rural Areas). 2 ecologist, humanist, social reformer, patron of P.S. BAWA diary poetry The jugalbandī between vocalist Radhika Chopra Celebrating Faiz and Kathak danseuse Rani Khanam followed and PERFORMANCE: Faiz Ahmed Faiz Centenary won the hearts of the audience. They began with the romantic Rāz-e-ulfat chhupā ke dekh liyā… in Celebrations – Poetry Music and Dance which the abhinayā performed by Rani Khanam was Introduction: Pran Nevile attractive insofar as it stayed close to the poetry, and Inauguration: Dr. Karan Singh did justice to the nuances expressed in the words. Collaboration: K.L. Saigal Memorial Circle, The solo renditions of Donon jahān terī mohabbat February 21 mein hār ke… and Āp kī yād ātī rahi rāt bhar… by Radhika were set to music, and showed a strong Urdu and music aficionado, Pran Nevile is to be understanding of the poetic metre and the kind congratulated for this programme of poetry, music of ornamentation the words required. In between and dance that was a memorable centenary homage these, Rani Khanam performed a few standard to Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The programme began with elements out of the Lucknow gharānā repertoire, archival recordings of Faiz reciting his poetry such as an intricate bedam tihāī, a meaningful bhāv in an Indo-Pakistan mushairā in the early 1950s; paran and a gat nikās, which had a strong association rendition of his evergreen Rāt yun terī khoyī huī yād with poetic interpretations of hayā, adā, qazā and āyī… by his son-in-law, playwright and academician duā. Musicians Shakeel Ahmed Khan, Shoaib Shoaib Hashmi, and perhaps his most popular Hum Hasan, Fateh Ali and Insan Ali lent balanced dekhenge… by Iqbal Bano. These brought cheers from accompaniment to making the programme a an enthusiastic audience which had come to refresh grand success. its memory of the progressive, Leftist poet. IRFAN ZUBERI as they are irresistible. Main Kaun Hoon…In Search of Identity through Ghazal, Nazm and Geets brought An Evening of Poetry together several important voices from India and TALK: Main Kaun Hoon...In Search of Identity Pakistan and gave varied expression to the feminine through ‘Ghazal, Nazm and Geets’, February 4 experience. Poets from a variety of poetic traditions and styles were included, namely Amrita Pritam, In Urdu poetry, there has always been a tradition of Mahadevi Verma, Kishwar Naheed, Zehra Nigah, ecriture feminine or ‘writing the feminine’. In earlier times, Parveen Shakir, Naseem Nikhat, Noorjahan Sarwat there was the poetic genre of rekhti where male poets and Indira Varma. spoke in a feminine, but simulated, voice. This was Shobhana Rao, Shaila Hattangadi and Nirmala followed by ‘courtesan poets’ or women who were often Jaishankar sang the verses of these women poets while fairly accomplished as poets but were, nevertheless, Salima Raza—as the sutradhar of the evening—recited beyond the pale of society. Gradually, women from them in her inimitable style. Some recitations were also sharif families too began to compose poetry. Their accompanied by a choreographed dance performance, output, though slender and scattered, was not meant unfortunately out of sync with the mood and tone for public consumption or publication. Women were of the poetry that evening. However, the evening encouraged to read but not write, resulting in a huge displayed a diversity of women’s voices that have disparity between women’s readership and authorship. interpreted real women’s hearts and bodies and minds. The notion of women poets addressing mainstream Salima Raza’s selection highlighted the decreasing concerns as well as overtly feminine ones is, therefore, distinction between female authorship and readership still a novel one in the literatures of Upper India. as was evident from a fair number of the male audience The IIC is to be congratulated for putting together nodding in appreciation, if not delight. a collection of women’s voices that are as eclectic RAKHSHANDA JALIL 3 art diary with the vibrant village setting of Gothava, the colourful world that Bhavsar was born into, Memory and Diaspora following him into the bustling streets of New York FILM: The Poetics of Colour – Natvar Bhavsar City in the 1960s where he married and chose to Director: Sundaram Tagore build his life. Guests of Honour: Sharmila Tagore and Bhavsar moved to Soho when it was burgeoning with Jawhar Sircar, February 1 creativity and found commercial and critical success with his colour explorations and his unique language This well-balanced and researched documentary, of visual art.