Later Buddhist legends of Ashoka,or later rulers who sought to draw parallels between themselves and Whose Ashoka;» him, or still others whose discourses sought to silence Which Ashoka;» the Ashokan moment, all offer a complex and folded genealogy of the workings of social,memory. As the TALK: Ashoka and the Making of Modern conference unfolded, many other contributors. even Collaboration: University of Texas, Austin; those specifically striving .after the historical Asoka, University; Indian stressed the need to understand these diverse moments Council for Historical Research; and American of prior historicism and their politics, rather than Institute of Indian Studies, August 5, 6 & 7 succumbing to any easy positivism and endorsing such purposively constructed narratives of the Ashokan Ove: three long and intense days, the lIe was host moment in Indian history. The discussions on Nehru's to an international conference that saw rigorous own self-identification with Ashoka, and even the and concerted re-examination of what we know of book launch of Gurcharan Das's book on 'dharma' the ,Mauryan emperor Ashoka. Attended by noted were particularly fruitful in this regard, bringing historians, Buddhist studies scholars, art historians home how such processes of recalling the past are and archaeologists, the conference ran three parallel ineluctably based in the present and its politics. public lectures and an exhibition which underscored Professor Sallowman's public lecture was a lucid the key themes of the survey of the conceptual conference. In various ways, and definitional issues in and from an extremely wide ASHOKA studying the origins of writing range of perspectives, all the AND systems in ancient south Asia, participants strove to highlight THE MAKING OF which came into startling and discriminate between wh~t MODERN INDIA visibility with the Ashokan we do know and can possibly edicts. While his address know about the historical focused on the possible , Ashoka, as differentiated from dimensions of the historical the various avatars of Ashoka, importance of the period coming down to us from of Asokan rule .itself, other different times and places,' born from Ashoka being participants consistently remembered and appropriated. stressed the need to place the period back within the Professor Romila Thapar's longer trajectories of early brilliant inaugural address Indian history, much of highlighted how after Ashoka's which is being revisited and own time, his ideas and rewritten from archaeological memories have a long and perspectives. varied history of being narrated and reinscribed in specific ways. The Ashokan Pillar • MUDIT TRIVEDI Among the others who paid tribute to Khan Sahib's memory were Ustad Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, Ustad , Debu Chaudhury, and Birju Maharaj. A short interview with made for Doordarshan, and video clips from concerts sponsored by Sangeet Kala Vihar . were also a part of the programme. Heartfelt tributes were paid to Kamala Das who wrote prolifically both in Bnglish and in her mother tongue, Malayalam. Practically self-taught in her craft, her poetry and prose had a sensitivity and edginess that was uniquely her own. Kamala Das burst on to the Indo-Anglian literary scene almost 45 years ago with a collection of poems, Fulsome and deserved tributes were paid to Ustad Ali Summer in Calcutta. At 42, she published her Akbar Khan, the greatest exponent of the sarod, and autobiography, which had as much fiction as fact. It indeed the finest instrumentalist in Hindustani music was a restless life, often painful, but not without its in the last hundred years. Vinay Bharat Ram, a pupil of creative rewards. Khan Sahib,his sister Annapoorna Debi and her former Rukmini Bhaya Nair remembered meeting Kamala husband, Pandit , paid a loving tribute to Das for the first time as an impressionable nineteen- his departed Guru who died on June 21 in the U.S. year-old. K. Satchidanandan, apart from reading out at the age of 87. Vinayji narrated several entertaining Das' poems like others before him also presented a anecdotes, including one about Ali Akbar's debut in paper on her oeuore. Bombay in 1949 when he was given 45 minutes to prove his mettle before a discerning audience. He played for Suresh Kohli's documentary had an interesting interview with Kamala Das and perhaps helped exactly the allotted time and mesmerized the audience in understanding her better. Keki N. Daruwalla with the rendering of an unknown raga. When pressed conducted the proceedings with tact and elegance. by his followers for information repeatedly, he said the ragawas Cauri Mar!fari! • PARTHA CHATTERJEE

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Photo Credit: Avinash Pasricha Kamala Das

- ." '". "',~ """~'-;' ';'.f", " ''''_' '''~V,'' "'-_"'~. ~ ~. 6.:". • r: . ' . Africa; 25 per cent of girls die before age 15; 30 per Delicit Childhood cent of children remain unschooled. Serious gaps persist in the legal framework with no law covering the DR. MEMORIAL 0-6 age group. Thousands of children are trafficked LECTURE 2009: Deficit Children -Implications annually. The Act merely prohibits for India's Democracy 57 processes and 16 occupations as hazardous for Speaker: Dr. Shantha Sinha children. Agricultural work, home factories and work Chair: Justice J.S. Varma rendered for the family fall outside legal purview. Collaboration: Council for Deficit investment in children leads to a deprivation Social Development, July 15 of education; they lack skills and self-esteem leading to a deficit childhood. It leads ultimately Invoking the Constitution's Directive Principles, to deficit citizenship, preventing the enjoyment of Shantha Sinha observed that after more than sixty democratic rights. years of independence, children's rights have yet What must be done to right these wrongs? State and to receive the whole-hearted commitment of the civil society must take a rights-based approach that State. Despite achievements in expanding education would lead to action with respect to all children. A and health care and a range of initiatives targeting compulsive optimist, Sinha believes that every right historically marginalized groups, current statistics attained sets new norms, provides opportunities show dismal outcomes. to bridge gaps, representing a step towards a more India has the highest proportion of undernourished inclusive and enlightened citizenship that can children: 46 per cent are underweight and 79 per cent radicalize India's democracy. are anaemic. The IMR is higher than sub-Saharan • PRODIPTO ROY

date of the beginning of the Indus Civilization (in his opinion c. 2,700 B.C.) and through the unravelling of Subverting Historv points and counter-points related to the chronology Frontiers of History/Indian Archaeology of the civilization, its distribution and interaction LECTURE: Who Owns the Indian Past? zones, artistic traditions and rituals and also Harappan The Case of the Indus Civilization technology, reiterated how deeply embedded this Speaker: Professor Oilip K. Chaluabarti, civilization was in South Asia's past-a product of Emeritus Professor, Cambridge University indigenous developments and precursor of things Chair: Or. B.M. Pande,July 21 to come. Chakrabarti's own summing up of the provocatively thought-provoking talk says it all-that there is a Following an introduction to the series by B.M.Pande, consistent attempt at play these days to disassociate Dilip Chakrabarti sought to both assess and caution the Indus Civilization with later Indian history· and us on the making of the Indian past, especially in the that this is mostly the result of the operations of First context of the Indus Civilization. That the question World Archaeology in the Third World. Comparing 'Who Owns the Indian Past?' is not a rhetorical one and contrasting this with the situation on the ground, but inextricably linked to issues of identity and 'desired he emphasized that we should all be aware of this for, pasts', was established by marshalling evidence from in one way or the other, all of us are inheritors of the the writings of several scholars and by pegging the argument around vital and current debates that define Indus Civilization. Indus Civilization studies. Chakrabarti began with the • DEEKSHA BHARADWAJ holistic, juxtaposing the principles of yoga, kinetics, acupuncture, aerobics and metabolism, among others. In all these, the correctness of the presentation with reference to aspects, such as angasuddham and saushthavam, is an essential criterion. The sense of position and motion as components of kinesthetics; The benefits accruing to the body and mind have to be properly developed. by the practice of the movement and While Kanaka explained the findings of the techniques of Bharatanatyam, was research with reference to each component in subject of this interesting lecture- the format of the art form in a graded sequence demonstration. A trained dancer and as generally in vogue, her students in different qualified teacher, Kanaka has been age-groups gave appropriate demonstration. doing research on the therapeutic value The presentation thus highlighted the inherent of the art form. The techniques, based mainly merits in our traditional knowledge system on Bharata's 'Natya Sastra, are contained in where concepts reflect the wisdom and the different codifications. According to an intuition of our ancient seers. Learning important guiding principle, vision (drishti) and practising a discipline based on .such follows the hands (hasta); the mind (mana) concepts, whether an art form or any other follows vision; feeling (bhaava) follows the pursuit, confers multiple advantages. mind; and sentiment (rasa) follows feeling. Kanaka's approach has been scientific and • 'MANNA' SRINIVASAN

Montrealer Mathieu Lussier, with a slow aalap-like introduction leading into a more marked tempo. CelelJraU.naCatlada lal Moving into Sephardic and Latin realms, 'Three songs COIICERl: The Dancing Saxophone without words' by Paul Ben-Haim brought in middle- Presented by Claydia Schaetzle and Monrque eastern melodic references, and 'Petite suite Latine' de Margerie by Jerome Naulais featured dance rhythms such as ,Collaboratlon: Canad.ian fUgh Gommi~sion the Paso Doble and Tango. 'Fantaisie impromptu' and Oel~iNJusicSo~jetYi July 1 by Andre Johvet followed with a chimerical mix of changing harmonies and rhythms.

One of the youngest members of the orchestra, the After the break, the concert recommenced with saxophone was developed in the 1840s by Adolphe Claude Debussy's impressionistic piano piece 'L'isle Sax, and combines properties of the Woodwinds joyeuse'. Spanish composer Pedro Itturalde's 'Suite and Brasses, allowing for an expanded dynamic and Hellenique' followed, with four movements in pitch range. The alto saxophone was the star of an unusual metres. The night-clubby 'Valse Vanite' by evening of music featuring a multi-cultural mosaic American Rudy Wiedoeft brought out the singing of composers and compositions rendered superbly tone of the sax and the flamboyant 'Fantaisie Tzigane by German-Canadian Claudia Schaetzle, with piano 4' by Algerian Marcel Perrin evoked colourful gypsy accompaniment by Quebecer Monique de Margerie; images in keeping with the title. The concert was an appropriate tribute to multi- For an encore, the duo played 'A Little Tango' by cultural Canada on Canada Day. Argentinian Astor Piazzolla, concluding with the theme from 'The Pink Panther' by Henry Mancini. A The concert opened with Jacques Ibert's Histoires, joyful close to an entertaining evening spent with the sandwiching the contemplative 'Le vieux mendiant' dancing saxophone! between the playful 'Le petit ane blanc' and 'Bajo la mesa'. Then followed 'Recit et Lied Op. 31', by • PUNITASINGH 4 With growing competition wages tend to decrease or be offered in kind. The facility of micro credit to The Second Sex women has been hit as they have far fewer sources of LECTURE: New Vulnerabilities of Women in a funding. Coupled with domestic violence, it can often New World Order lead women to prostitution as the only source of income. Tragically, three generations of women are Speaker: Professor Carmen Sarasua, Professor affected by current poverty as families tend to reduce of Economic History, Universitat Aut6noma expenses by compromising on food, healthcare and de Barcelona education of the girl child.. Chair: Professor Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics and Chairperson, Centre for Sarasua outlined policies at the macro-level dealing Economic Studies and Planning with education, medical care, safe contraception, abortion, decent employment and housing to redress Collaboration: Apne Aap, July 25 this imbalance. She emphasized the enforcement of anti-crisis employment policies as most policies Carmen Sarasua's presentation of this complex protect male jobs. Negotiation and veto powers for international crisis expanded the notion of violence women at the domestic level are essential as the to extend from the merely physical to other forms home is where gender inequalities abound. Women of violence. The economic slowdown, shortage tend to have low negotiation powers and not much of food and forms of exploitation have placed a say in decision-making processes, income pooling disproportionate burden on women all over the and expenditure. world. Women tend to be a vast majority of the Lest the scenario appear too grim and lopsided, poor, and discriminations extend from access to Sarasua listed the strides taken by women over employment, education, land, credit and comparable the last thirty years, such as better access to wages. This widespread violence and the damage to economic resources, reduction in birth rates, delayed their social relations, coupled. with the ideology of marriages, education, information, access to political the male-bread-winner model, affects the choices that institutions, and an undisputed acceptance of women make. gender parity.

Women in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the • RITU SINGH Caribbean are far more likelythan men to be informally employed, underemployed, or to be unemployed and to work without benefits. This appears to be a direct fallout of the creation of jobs to take advantage of the cheap labour that women provide in the industries of textiles, food processing and electronics. Women are far less protected by unions and the first to be made redundant, thus protecting the ideology of men as 'bread winners'. With the expected decline in remittances there is lessincome to run households and women tend to work in their own homes to replace outsourced labour. Quoting and Mohandas Gandhi as persons for whom 'care' was much more than Care as Value a personal affair, Professor Baxi asked whether ROSALlND WILSON MEMORIAL LECTURE one could imagine a caring State. He admitted that 2009: Justice and Care the examples of history and daily life were not Speaker: Professor Upendra Baxi encouraging. He recalled the naive observations of Collaboration: Rosalind Wilson Memorial Supreme Court judges in the Habeas Corpus Case, Trust, July 28 who trusted an emergency State to bestow 'maternal care' on its detenus. He pointed to the repeated failures of present-day public administration in the face of Before a packed and varied audience that included crises. And, yet, though the ideal of care in every judges of the Supreme Court of India, practising sphere of public life-not only health, but also media, lawyers, academics and students, education, law, among others-is as yet unattained, spoke at the outset of how dear the idea of care as Professor Baxi insisted that it cannot be discarded. .i}t a value in both private and public spheres was to present, there exists a 'care drain', whereby care-giving the late Ms. Wilson. This was the central theme of professionals emigrate from. the society that most Professor Baxi's talk and he spoke, not just as an needs them. Nevertheless, there is a duty to give back academic, but as a close personal friend of Ms. to society, and in each individual's personal fulfilment Wilson, raising a host of issues that would have of this duty, lies hope for the future. resonated with her. • ADITYA SUDARSHAN

experiences as a young man seeking to understand the influence of religion, language and politics on Higher EducaUonin higher education, and explained the contribution of the Buddhist monks in , and the critical Sri Lanka role they played in ensuring that traditional systems TALK: Pre-University Educational and Political of learning were not lost during colonial rule and in Movements and Their Influence on Higher the wake of the second World War. In his view, the Education in Sri Lanka establi hment of the University of Colombo (a1d Speaker: Professor Jayadeva Tilakasiri, several other universities later) was greatly assisted ~y Collaboration: lIe·Asia Project their support. August 24 Explaining that universities in Sri Lanka were established in response to political demands for education in the mother tongue, Professor Tilakasiri In a short but sharp exposition, Professor Jayadeva was critical of the decision to introduce free education Tilakasiri, Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit at the for all from kindergarten to university, as this created Peradeniya University of Sri Lanka, outlined the a higher burden on tax payers and compromised influence of pre-university movements on higher quality. The quality of learning remains a serious education in the country. concern, as graduates from universities are unable to meet the requirements of the job market. Pointing Although the title of his talk was somewhat out the difficulties in reconciling the traditional and misleading (as he did not speak of educational and modern systems of learning, he concluded by saying political movements at the level preceding university that the past and the future were intertwined, add as was expected), Professor Tilakasiri did nevertheless would continue to influence the progress of high r provide his audience an insight into the social and education in Sri Lanka in the days to come. political processes by which higher education in Sri 6 Lanka has evolved. He began by describing his own • AMIT KAUSHI association of the archaic Sanskrit used in the text with Earlv India Indo-European languages. The thrust of his lecture was the plurality of languages and cultures in the text, ILLUSTRATED LECTURE: The Languages and reflective of a complex linguistic and cultural map of Cultures Revealed by the Rig Veda - early India.Witzel emphasized the co-existence of the Immigration, Localization and Convergence Rig Vedic people with those who continued the Indus Speaker: Professor Michael Witzel tradition, indicative of some amount of convergence Chair: Or. I

The kitchen garden and herb plants should find a place The lovs 01Gardening in the garden. A well-planned and well-maintained garden is appealing, exudes an aura of peace and ILLUSTRATED LECTURE: The Wonder World serenity and reduces stress. If gardening is taken up as of Gardening - A Therapy an activity shared by the family, Mathur emphasized, Speaker: Satish 1<.Mathur the therapeutic aspect of gardening would benefit the Chair: Or. Avtar Pennathur, July 27 entire farni y. Mathur's comprehensive and well-illustrated talk with Outlining the objectives of his presentation, the 97 slides, showing garden layouts and plant material of all types was very informative. Suitable plants with speaker gave a pragmatic approach to home gardening. botanical and common names were recommended According to these tips, planning a garden' should for planting. The role of the Zen garden in ensure a pleasing and relaxing atmosphere. Precise creating a meditative mood and serenity was also knowledge regarding plant material, practices, cultural requirements, diseases etc. is briefly discussed. required for a good garden. Questions by the audience covered a wide spectrum One of the greatest charms perta1n1ng to facilities available of a garden is the lawn, which for soil testing, termite treatment is like a canvas for a painting. of institutional lawns and Colour and aroma are the basic availability and problems with requirements of a garden which certain plants. The participants can be enhanced by judicious requested more talks on planting of trees, shrubs, gardening, climbers, annuals, bulbous, seasonal and perennial plants. A Zen G(J~den • AVTARPENNATHUR 7 The opening number-and the signature tune of the IPTA one learnt-was a composition by the legendary Rousing Music Benoy Roy. Its catchy rhythm set the mood of the PERFORMANCE: Forgotten Songs of the evening, with the accompanists adding contextuality Independence Movement, to the mood. Besides being composed by the musical Presented by Sumangala Oamodaran, Oeepak greats of that era, the songs had telling links with Castelino and Tapan Malik, August 11 international music .movements, making them contemporary in spirit. Each number was rendered with a short preview, which enhanced the impact. Songs on the theme of Independence are often Damodaran's choice of socially relevant numbers stand-alone compositions, but vocalist Sumangala .along with her clarity of diction and technical Damodaran, together with accompanists Deepak expertise was commendable. Her ability to sing Castelino (guitar) and Tapan Malik(cello) introduced with authenticity in several languages also deserves the independence spirit with the selection of a dozen appreciation. Her performance presented a wide numbers from the repertoire of the theatre group IPTA. Written in the forties and fifties, these musical range-from songs in the 'Heer' style of Punjab to the Bengali folk tradition, to the rousing full-throated numbers mingled national fervour with historic events north Indian format-and thus had something for such as the Bengal Famine, Jalianwalla Bagh incident, all. Though flawless in their tunefulness, the trailing the peasant movements of Telengana and Tebhaga, of the voice at the end notes was not too pronounced, and Partition. The outcome of a two-decade long leading occasionally to abrupt endings. research study, Damodaran's presentation was both well-choreographed and relevant. • SUBHRA MAZUMDAR

with it, and how Sen's magic lens has attempted to chronicle these shifts in its own powerful fashion. Feminist Cinema Rabindranath Tagore is frequently alluded to, as are TALK: New Liberal Order and Ethical Privacy: a whole galaxy of scholars, thinkers, sociologists Aparna Sen's Feminist Cinema and academics, with their enlightening - sometimes Speaker: Professor Esha De, University even provocative - inputs. Paromitar Ek Din, of California Mr. & Mrs. Iyer and 15 Park Avenue frequently serve as telling examples of the proposition that De wishes Chair: Professor Savita Singh, IGNOU to articulate. Collaboration: School of Gender and Development Studies, July 24 The trouble with serious cinema is that there are very few 'takers'. Globalized Bollywood may be the culprit! The good news is that there will alwaysremain a niche audience favouring this highly personal, powerful 'Truth at twenty-four frames per second' is how one visual language, which has a healthy contempt for a of the French masters described the youngest art form of capitalism that essentially decrees that money form and Aparna Sen's films have tried to embody this definition, in letter and spirit. Right from her first provides the solution, market forces work, and you'll film 36 Chowringhee Lane to the soon-to-be released get pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die! The Japanese Wife, Sen's engagement with enlightening, Just one suggestion to De and her ilk: a little more enriching and empowering her constituency in one . simplicity in language and a little less academic elegant, magical stroke remains unique. jargon would help in connecting with the larger Esha De's essential focus was on the post-colonial constituency. liberal order in India and how women have dealt • MONOJIT LAHIRI For Akkara, the final proof of the state's abdication of secularism is in Betticola, where after destroying Whither Kandhamalil a church, extremists tried to build a temple on its DISCUSSION: Kandhamal: Where are We? ruins: its Christian residents are being transplanted Speakers: K.P. Fabian, Anto Akkara and Laxmi to a new village. He noted that the official figure for Parida arrests had not increased over five months, reserving especial anger for Justice Mahapatra's contention that Introduction: Suhas Borker it is unviable to arrest all killers. Collaboration: Working Groupon Alternative Strategies, August 3 An eyewitness of the 'undertaking to 'destroy Christmas' in Bramunigaon (2007), when Christian shops were looted by rival traders, Laxmi Parida mentioned how the police arrived accompanying the Behind the continuing horrors of Kandhamal, attackers, leaving Christians no refuge but the forests. according to all the panelists, lies the assurance of She described her own extraordinary facing down of Hindu extremists that their most appalling acts will men who came to killher for opposing them, and how go unpunished, as instanced repeatedly in Orissa over the next five months she and other SHG leaders since the 1980s. So, as described by KP. Fabian, even helped to recover the village's traditions of bhaichara as the government has for a year been claiming that through meetings convened between communities. 'normalcy' is restored, there remain-officially- 2,900 refugees in camps ill-provided for, who may Speakers detailed the organization around attacks: be denied access to water and fuel on returning to fines levied according to' income were imposed on their villages. Their neighbours will not permit Hindus who would not participate (Laxmi Parida); them to reconstruct their homes unless they 're- those hired have to video tape the attacks to receive convert' and withdraw charges, and the government full payment (Fabian); witnesses are being threatened will not grant full compensation to them until they with death (Anto Akkara). begin reconstruction. • NIHARlKA GUPTA

Notices

proposed to be commissioned by next year. New IIC Facilities The facilities.of the new Conference Block area are With the completion of construction work on the nc planned to be made available to members by the end of August 2010. hostel wing in July 2009, one additional double guest room and nine extra single rooms are now available to our guests. IIC Membership Since November 2008, its thirty eight single rooms were unavailable to guests so that major renovation Members are requested to inform the Membership and extension work could be carried out. After a nc Department (E-mail: [email protected]) of any major overhaul and upgradation of the electrical change in address/telephone numbers/mobile/ power supply, emergency power system and air- email. conditioning load, the new hostel wing services have been integrated with .the new infrastructure facilities This will help us to update our records.

9 12 October 2009 at 6:30 pm @ Songs to the Kaveri - Carnatic Vocal by Sudha Raghunathan

The IIC EXPERIENCE 13 October 2009 at .6:30 pm A FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS N armada Parikrama (8-14 October 2009) Recitation by Priests from The River Amarkantak Inauguration of the festival by Odissi by Bindu Juneja Professor M.G.K.Menon, President, IIC Accompanists: Prashant Maharana (pakhawcy); Vishal PERFORMANCES Moghe (vocal); Abhay Pha- 8 October 2009 at 6:30 pm gre (flute); Sunil Saxena (sitar); and Shamb- Invocation to the Rivers hunath Bhattacharjee Vocal Recital (manjira) by Bhuvanesh Komkali, grandson of Pt. 14 October 2009 at 6:30 pm (Fountain 9 October 2009 at 6:30 pm lawns) Folk Dance from Egypt Confluence of Presented by Aswan Folklore group Cultures: Ganga 10 October at 6:30 pm Jamuni Tehzeeb Mississippi Blues and Jazz from New Orleans Interweaving poetry Presented by Sunny Side Up from - with dance to present Vasudhara Vidalur (vocal); Adil Manuel the composite culture (guitar); Rainer Pusch of north India (saxophone); Brennon Denfer Recitation by ~.teed (bass guitar); and Joshua (drums) , Naqvi

11 October at 10:30 am by Pt. Birju Maharaj and his students The Music of Banaras- ~ Thumri-Dadra; River EXHIBITIONS > Chaiti and Kajri The River as Goddess in India by Purnima Chaudhuri Photographs from the collection of Accompanists: Ujjwal the American Institute of Indian Bharati (harmonium); and Studies Debaprosad Dey (harmonium) Conceptualized by Dr. Kapila 11 October at 6:00 pm Vatsyayan Confluence of Cultures: On view at the GroundFloor, Flamenco Gala lie Annexe Presented by Mara Rey (vocal The Brahmaputra 1 & dance); Antonio Fernandez Montoya (vocal); and Antonio People of the Siang, Arunachal 10 Rey Navas (guitar) Pradesh People of Majuli Island, David Puig; Assam temples of the Malaprabha On view in the basement, River- IIC Annexe photographs Along the Banks of from the the Volga River collection of Indira Menon; Masterpieces of Russian photography of the second On the Banks of half of the nineteenth century. From the collection the Tungabhadra - Hampi, photographs by Nalini of the National Library of Russia, .Thakur; Danube - The Magyar River and The Eternal St. Petersburg City on the Tiber; and The Yangtse River, photographs On view in Conference Room - I, IIC main building by Sumant Barooah

• illqr.r •I"• • .f .~ • . ~ 1.1im f

N armada Parikrama SEMINAR ON SATURDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2009 AT 10:30 AM Photographs on the circumambulation of the river Ganga: The Rise and Decline of Civilization by Rajendra Jangley Organised in collaboration with Centre for Science On view in the Gandhi·King Plaza, IIC main building and Environment Along the Rivers of the W()dd River Sutra: An Evening of Poetry On Tuesday, 13 October 2009 at 5:00 pm Photographs of Kailas and Manas by Deb Mukharji; archival photographs of Pagan, Mandalay and Yangon from the collection of Archaeological FILM FESTIVAL (lIC AUDITORIUM) Survey of India; recent travels through Iguazu Falls The River in World Cinema - A Festival of Films and Argentina - photographs Food Festival by Angus McDonald; The food festival will feature cuisine found along th Kamo and the rivers of the world prepared by leading Chefs. Thes Floating World include Egyptian dinner, Cajun food, Malwa cuisine of Kyoto by and Assamese repast among others. 11 procuring from farmers, such huge subsidies for the food sector indicate an unaccounted margin in the Forward Budget direct purchase procedure. TALK: TheUnionBudget 2009-2010 On the income side, the highlights were the reduction Speaker: Bishwajit Bhattacharyya in the direct personal taxes 'due to slight revisions Chair: Hiranmay Karlekar, July 6 in the taxable income limits and increase in the corporate taxes even without any changes to the While commending the path-breaking measures of corporate tax rates. The collection figures of indirect this forward Budget, the speaker highlighted the taxes are abysmal due to an im!ffective and inefficient salient issues by facts and figures. collection mechanism. There is a huge buoyancy in -the non-tax revenue largely contributed (about 90 per A major highlight of the budget is the increase in cent) by receipts from telecom sector on auctioning expenditure beyond Rs.l 0 lakh crores. This comprises: the 3G spectrum. Plan Expenditure components totalling Rs. 6.951akh crores, consisting interest payment on public debt, While commenting that the. fiscal deficit would be defence expenses, subsidy, grants given to states, around 10 per cent of the GDP if we factor in state pension payments, budgeted expenses for police and fiscal deficits-the debt-to-GDP-ratio of India will the para-military, general and social services and other be around 59.7 per cent-Bhattacharyya was quick miscellaneous expenses and; Non-Plan expenditure to sound an optimistic note that the situation is much of Rs. 3.25 lakh crores. better than US. or UK. where the debt-to-GDP- ratios are more than 75 per cent each. The increase in the food subsidy is of particular concern. Moreover, as 11 states are now directly • ~OTHI~SHNAMOORTHY

Obiluarv -

A-0428 Shri M. Gopal Menon L-0387 Rajmata Gayatri Devi

A-1748 Shri UP Bhatt M-l01O Shri P.N. Bahl

A-2349 Smt. C. Ujjal Singh M-1186 Shri T.N. Saraf

A-235l Professor Yashpal Kapur M-2353 Shri

A-3320 Mrs. Jhini S. Mehta M-2930 Shri

A-3983 Shri Sudhir ath M-3552 Dr. A.nilWilson

L-0283 Dr. Raja J. Chelliah M-3621 Professor Sudeep Kumar Banerjee

This issue of the Diary has been assembled and edited by Ira Pande. Chief Editor; Rachna [oshi, Senior Asst. Editor; and Ritu Singh, Asst. Editor. Published by Ravinder Datta, for the India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, -HO 003. Designed by Poonam Bevli Sahi at FACET Design, D-9, Defence Colony, New Delhi - 110 024, Ph: 24616720, 24624336 and printed by Mastan Singh at I.G. Printers, 104, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Phase-I, New Delhi - 110 020.