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. 3 May–June 2011 diverse: Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan A Troubled Eden and what is now Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. It is BOOK RELEASE: A Tangled Web: in this genesis, perhaps, that the seeds of the current Jammu & Kashmir, IIC Quarterly, co-published with unrest lie. And the key to peace in this volatile HarperCollins India Limited, 2011 region is in an understanding of this diversity. Edited by Ira Pande The essays here familiarize the reader with the Released by Dr. Karan Singh, May 5 conflicting views on history, politics and autonomy pertaining to the region, and examine the various The launch of the special issue of the IIC Quarterly political, cultural, economic and social issues at play. is an annual rite when its double Winter-Spring issue Also included are features that voice the concerns of is released before a distinguished gathering. Speaking ordinary men and women who have borne the brunt Launch of IIC Quarterly, A Tangled Web: Jammu & Kashmir on the occasion, Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman of the of decades of unrest; as well as commentaries on the Editorial Board, gave an emotional account of his beauty, art and food typical of the area; and photo personal attachment to this troubled area and set features that capture its ethereal and unique essence. the tone for a discussion by Shri Salman Haidar and The essays, by a wide selection of analysts and Madhu Kishwar as they traced the journey of this politicians, academics and artists, try to make jinxed paradise. sense of an increasingly volatile situation, making Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, the state A Tangled Web an insightful perspective on what is of Jammu and Kashmir brought together areas that undoubtedly an area of great strategic and geopolitical are culturally, linguistically and geographically significance. profiles perhaps unthinkable on foot today! She praised the Tribute book, particularly the quality of the photographs and ILLUSTRATED LECTURE: Nirad C. Chaudhuri – the detailed information it gave the reader. She also Many Shades, Many Frames felt, while going through the book, as though she Speaker: Dhruva N. Chaudhuri were living her life all over again through its pages. Collaboration: Niyogi Books, June 11 Filmmaker Rajiv Mehrotra also recalled his days as a youngster when he and Dhruva N. Chaudhuri, An added treat at the launch of photographer and followed and filmed Chaudhuri in Oxford—the writer Dhruva N. Chaudhuri’s book on his father good wine he was given, his memories of Chaudhuri Nirad C. Chaudhuri, the prolific Bengali-English sitting on the floor in adhoti-kurta , writing furiously, writer was a screening of the documentary film An while Mozart played in the background. The Unrepentant Vision, by filmmaker Rajiv Mehrotra. screening of the film was a delight for the audience, The event had an overflowing hall with some of the who seemed to enjoy the eccentric and humorous audience standing outside. comments made by Nirad C. Chaudhuri during his interviews. For the author, D.N. Chaudhuri, In her introductory speech, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, writing a book about his famous father was an eye- recalled aspects of her personal equation with opening experience. It was an event which will Chaudhuri and shared many interesting anecdotes perhaps reignite interest in the life and times of with the audience. She recalled Chaudhuri’s insistence Nirad C. Chaudhuri. in making his friends and colleagues walk the distance between Ajmeri Gate and Tughlakabad—a distance NANDITA JAISHANKAR surrender that led to the liberation of people and General on the Pinnacle the formation of Bangladesh. His candid acceptance TALK: An Odyssey in War and Peace of differences with General Maneckshaw, refusal to by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) J.F.R. Jacob rush in impatiently without adequate preparations, Collaboration: Roli Books, June 6 and the audacity of taking independent decisions at great risk, especially when Pakistan had the substantial presence of the army, were acts of courage All generals accept war as an occasion to test their and determination. Any slip could have changed the knowledge, skills, patriotism, and an opportunity to course of events. excel. Some retire without seeing any action on the front while some just deal only with skirmishes from During the release of his book, he addressed other across the border till 1971, when India was forced to significant issues: the lack of coordination among a war by a belligerent neighbour. chiefs of forces; why China did not interfere; the dignified handling of PoWs and how the Naxal General Jacob, a versatile soldier in the true insurgency was handled. tradition, had actively participated in the war Jacob is one of the few generals whose odyssey in war against Pakistan. His contribution was captured in was as remarkable as in peace, as evidenced in his the iconic photograph of surrender by General Niazi role as Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the to General Aurora at Dhaka. It was his grit that had Union Territory of Chandigarh. rejected a ceasefire under the United Nations, and secured the first and the only unconditional public P. S. BAWA 2 diary culture Dr. Ghazala Shahabuddin of Ambedkar University Saving the Yamuna said that the book traced all the perspectives on the MEET THE AUTHOR: In Search of Yamuna – river—historical and cultural, and the need to revive Reflections on a River Lost (New Delhi: Times the organic connection with the river. She saw the river as an eco-system. Environmentalist and photographer, Group Books, 2011) Ravi Agarwal, felt that the book is a journey of discovery. Author: Sarandha Jain Sarandha deals with the nature/culture and nature/science Chair: Professor Rohan D’ Souza, May 30 connections. She also brings in western philosophers in the nature/science/society construct. He questioned the While introducing the author, Shri Soli J. Sorabjee role of technology in cleaning the rivers. He ended with said that Sarandha Jain has traced the history of the the quote that the challenge is getting those in whose Yamuna and pointed out the need to revive this great name we speak, to speak for themselves. river. This was followed by the author’s account of her Nitin Desai felt that there was very little space in the work and a slide show. Several eminent scholars also media about rivers. Desai also questioned the wisdom spoke on the book and the river. of federal control. He recalled his own experiences Sarandha Jain felt that one needed to establish one’s while conducting research on a village called Lakha own connections—to juxtapose multiple voices and Mandal in Uttaranchal, where the tribals fought multiple realities and make it a part of personal about how they dealt with their river. ecology. She felt that to save nature we needed to know it and to connect with it. RACHNA JOSHI also contains some well done verses. There are seven parts Treatise on Love in the text and it is only the second part that describes Talk: Kama Sutra – Beyond the Stereotype and elaborates on sex. The others engage with issues on Speaker: A.N.D. Haksar general context, on marriage, on duties and privileges Chair: Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan of the wife, on extra marital affairs, courtesans and on Collaboration: Penguin India, May 4 increasing virility. Above all, it is a classic guide to good living, fashionable lifestyle, a book on social and artistic pursuits as part of civilized living, sports and refers to The introductory remarks by Dr. Vatsyayan set the the sixty four arts. The text has a conceptual framework tone of the event. Her brief introduction of A.N.D. Haksar presented him as a seasoned diplomat with about the practical approach to life, it is not judgmental. varied experiences as well as a translator and researcher In essence, the text is descriptive and not prescriptive. of lesser-known Sanskrit texts. The contribution of An important aspect of the text is that it refers to an the Orientalists that began in the eighteenth century overarching ethic while mentioning purusharth, the explored the landscape of spiritual India through texts. pursuit of life to acquire wealth (arth), pleasure (kama) Haksar, she said, has addressed himself to this ‘other’ – the and virtue (dharma) without excluding anyone by narrative secular literature ignored by the Orientalists. pursuing them in balance. Following a brief history of the translations of the Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan in her final remarks said that she Kama Sutra, Haksar went on to describe the manner hoped that Haksar’s book helps to remove the prejudices in which his work presents the classic that goes beyond of cultivated Indians. the stereotype. His translation of the classic presents the totality of the text. The book, written largely in prose, NAVINA JAFA 3 theatre diary husband who has failed to provide her emotional and Existential Anguish financial security. Savitri, the protagonist, to begin PLAY: Adhe Adhure with is painted as a strong minded woman, single- Author: Mohan Rakesh handedly managing her family, finance and career. But as the surface layers unpeel, her struggles expose Director: Sandeep Mahajan, May 28 the truth of her own unrealistic expectations and her emotional failure. Mohan Rakesh’s best known play Adhe Adhure was staged by senior students of the Indian Film and The theatrical piece attempts to recognize the very Television Institute, Meerut under the direction of purpose behind life, as a journey, as an expression of our Sandeep Mahajan. long-standing perceptions, where each one of us is in search of true happiness, but also on the way meet the Adhe Adhure is a complex dramatic piece on the many hurdles of desire, disease, exploitation, volatility of challenged relationships and emotional bankruptcy relationships and the fear of death.