Annual Report 1977-1978
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT 1977·1978 10TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR Member buritutionJ: UNIVERSITY 01- ALBLRTA UN IVERSITY 01 BRITISII COLUMBIA BROCK Uf\IVlRSITv UNIVLRSITY 01, CA LGARY CAR LETON UN1VI:RSITY COr-.CORDIA UNI\TRSITY UNIVERS ITY OF MANITOBA Ml:GILL UNIVFRSITY M,MASTER UNIVLRSITY NATIONAL LIBRARY QJ.jEEN'S liNIV tRSITY U!'-ilV~RS I TY OF TO RO~TO U:"' IVI-' RSITY or WINDSOR . HAITIII INDO CAllAIHAN II IOL' LlN KI, NIW DILHH1000J I~ DrA - SHASTRI INDO-CANADIAN INST ITUTE TEN T H ANNUAL REPORT 1977-78 by MILTON ISRAEL President Head Office McGill University, 81 5 Sherbrooke St. W. Montreal HJA 2P6, Quebec. Mrs. K. de la Ronde, Executi ve Director Office i1/ India 156 Golf Links New Delhi 110003, Indi a. Professor D. W. Carm ent, Residen t Director. Mr P. N. Malik , Executi ve Secretary (Delhi Office). 1 Ten years have passed since the Shastri Indo- Canadian I nulitute was formally inaugurated by joint announcement of the Oovernments of Canada and India. The establishment of the Institute in November 1968 , followed years of dreaming and lobbying by the small g r oup of Canadian scholars who had made a professional commi tment to I ndian Studies and wished to e xpand the rare opportunities to learn .omething of India ' s history and cultur e in Canadian universities. tn his convocation address at McGill University in June 1965, Prime Mi n ister La! Bahadur Shast ri had accepted and described the goal of a n institution dedicated t o support and promote the advancement of mutu al understanding between India and Canada through studies in the humanities and social sciences . Professor Michael Brecher brought the subsequent negotiations in India to a successful conclusion , supported by the Canadian High Commissioner, Roland Michener, and officials of both Governments in Ottawa and New Delhi. In these ten years, there has been a gratifying fulfilment of the Institute's mandate and the high standards set by our founders . The original members have now been joined by nine other universities to bring the institutional membership to thirteen. The small band of Indianists have increased many fold and programmes in Indian languages, history , philosophy, political economy, and culture are offered throughout the country. Forty-one Shastri scholars now hold teaching positions in nineteen universities and colleges in Canada . Our Fellowship Programme, originally confined to doctoral and post-doctoral scholars, now provides a broad range of opportunities for study i n India . In 1972, elementary and secondary school teachers became eligible as participants in our Summer Programmes , the first such area studies venture in Canada . The ~ and Language Training scholarships were added in 1974. In 1977 , t here was further expansion with the establishment of Performing Arts grants for the study of Indian music and dance , and a Faculty Traininq grant for non- specialists who wish to add an Indian dimension to their teaching and research, or for scholars who wish to change their disciplinary focus within Indian Studies. 2 J Our Library Prograrnne, designed to create research J:::;::u:':'u::p:po: rt was given on an annual basis. For 1977-78, our centres in three universities and the National Library, has expanded ~ was increased by 33-1/3 percent, rising from $60,000.00 to include nine additional programme support collections . We have S80,000.00, and we received a commitment to renew support for a developed the capacity within Canada to do advanced research in period. many Indian Studies areas and to provide basic support for the In 1977-78, our grant from the Government of India was undergraduate student and teacher. In addition we have established and renewed for the fourth three-year cycle . In particular, a microfilm collection in the National Library, and the beginnings Ministry of Education welcomed the expansion of Institute of an audio-visual materials collection housed in the Sigmund Samuel in ~ lberta and provided additional support to allow us Library of the University of Toronto. teaching support library collections at the Universities The Institute has experienced its share of failure and and Calgary, as well as some increase in fellowship disappointments. Our dollar revenue declined sharply in 1974-75 Ne attribute these gains to the good reputation with the 10s8 of major eIDA and foundation support . Much ground Institute programmes have attained in India and Canada and a has been recovered with the help of the Oepartment of External recognition that the Institute has become an important and Affairs and more recently, commitments from private companies . cultural link between these two countries . We have been unable however, to reinstitute our Summer Programme in Canada and must continue to operate our Head Office in Montreal 1. Fellowship Programme with minirnum staff and facilities . Funding for research fellowships The 1978-79 competition was the largest in the Institute's has not kept pace with the inflation of costs, and we are required Funding constraints, however, reduced the number of available to offer fewer grants in a competition which has annually increased compared with the previous year. Nine senior scholars and in quality and numbers of participants. Similarly. the rise in the candidates received support. In addition, two grants costs of books, without comparable increases in the book fund, has in the new Performing Arts category and two awards were constrained our ability to maintain the quality of our research and given for Sanskrit and Bengali language training. The list of fellows teaching collections. for 1978-79 with their research topics is given in Appendix III . l'Ie share with most Canadian and Indian institutions, the This tenth competition raises to one hundred and seven, difficulties associated with budget constraints and high inflation. the number of Canadian professors and graduate students who have had Few however, have experienced the substantial increase in support the opportunity to pursue research and receive language and arts from the Governments of both countries which the Institute received training in India under Shastri sponsorship. They have affiliated in 1977-78. with approximately fifty academic institutions , and consulted and Since the beginning of our formal funding association with worked in another hundred or more Indian libraries, museums, institutes the Department of External Affairs, we have been seeking increased and government offices. Eleven doctoral students have completed their support and a continuing contribution commitment which would allow us dissertations and received Ph . D.'s, three of these from Indian to develop and implement programmes in a more stable environment . universities . Shastri sponsored research has resulted in t he Unlike our three-year grant from the Government of India , External publication of some one hundred and ninety books, articles, conference papers, film and film scripts . A list of publications by Shastri • 5 ellows for 1977 is provided in Appendix III. A copy ot the of Manitoba, Mc~aster University and Concordia university . "port of the Activities of PAst 5hsstri Scholars· may be tour SumMers, one hundred and sixty-four grantees were introduced ebtained by writing to the Head Office in Montreal. I ndian culture and history and received University credits for The interests of Shastri Scholars have been as eclectic Shastri courses. Although this was a very successful Programme, •• Indian society itself. Changing village social relations, an 'he Institute was unable to attract adequate funding after 1975, and All-India econometric planning model, Sufism in 18th Century Bihar, was cancelled in the following year . A summer area study opportunity ~ratha social history, the role of gardens and water in Mughal remains a high priority, and the Institute is currently Architecture, are examples of the eighty-nine research projects ways to support the initiatives of its member institutions 1n eighteen disciplines which have been undertaken since the area. Programme's inception in 1969 . The summer in India opportunity began in 1973 , as the 2 . Language Programme •• cond stage of the Canadian Programme. Fifteen to twenty participants Twenty scholars have had the opportunity to improve were selected to continue their studies in the field. A Programme of their competence in six Indian languages, with the support of leminars and lectures, combined with extensive travel provided a vivid 8hastri Language Training grants. There was some difficulty in and first-hand opportunity to add personal experience to what had . r ranging appropriate study opportunities in the early years of been learned in bOOKS and courses at home. Ninety-three students this Programme. Both the Government of India and Indian universities and teachers have participated in our Summer Progr~es in India in and training centres have tried to accommodate the special needs of the last six years . Although each group is different with a unique foreign scholars. Pre-course tutorial opportunities have been provided .et of stories to tell, all have had a challenging and meaningful for students of Tamil and Bengali. The S.N.D.T. Womens' university learning experience. ot Bombay has indicated that our grantees would be provided with In 1978, the structure of the Programme was changed in Marathi and Gujerati instruction which was geared to their special order to integrate the seminars and travel. Rather than the concentrated needs. As part of this programme, the Institute is attempting to academic programme at the beginning, followed by a tour, lectures were lupport the development of improved language study opportunities in given at appropriate sites as the group moved around the country. Sikh Canada. In 1978, Shastri bursaries were provided to encourage tradition was described in Amritsar, followed by a visit to the Golden participation in a summer Hindi course at the University of British Temple. Rajput-Moghul relations were analyzed in Jaipur where the Columbia. It is anticipated that similar encouragement will be next day, the slow but sure elephants carried these travellers up the given to other institutions where Indian languages are taught.