diary Price Re.1/- INTERNATIONAL CENTRE volume XXVIII. No. 3 May – June 2014 creatures creating abstract shapes of flora and fauna. The Celebrating Tagore curator had not ignored the prospect of uninformed visitors and aided such pictures with texts alongside EXHIBITION : Rabindranath Tagore: 1861 – 1941 — His Life explaining the art and its importance as briefly as possible. and Work Curator: Uma Dasgupta, May 7–13 After customary representations of Tagore’s life, the Rabindra Sangeet by Sudhir Chanda exhibition returns to its focal point of education and Shantiniketan. Several photographs depict the methods Introduction by Andre Beteille of education and the conditions in which this education A talk on the exhibition by Uma Dasgupta, May 6 was imparted. Studying in the open, unbound by restraints of definitive and burdensome education, Dr. Uma Dasgupta presented Tagore, both in his writing and life photographs and texts titled aimed at delivering an education Rabindranath Tagore: 1861- that ‘does not merely give us 1941-His Life and Works for a information but makes our life in week long exhibition that sought harmony with all existence’. But to evoke Tagore’s life and his again, upon discussion and survey principles and ideas about it is found that despite the education. The exhibition consistency in Shantiniketan and opened with a beautiful its scheme of education, it is performance of Rabindra Sangeet slowly declining in terms of being by Sudhir Chanda who only a destination for children and accentuated the historicity of the parents of today who emphasise place and setting. Following that, more upon success and less on Dr. Uma Dasgupta addressed the principles. visitors to establish a context as to her inspiration and reason behind As for the display, all the putting up the exhibition, and photographs with their sepia and emphasised the need to observe monochromatic tint worked to a n d r e m e m b e r Ta g o r e’s create a sense of nostalgia. educational endeavours and Particularly about Tagore, his methodology in the light of the legacy and the very widening gap present scenario. between his time and the present. Despite the dominating historical The collection began with a few motive behind the selection and portraits of Tagore, at the age of presentation of the pictures, one 17 in 1878, of his wife Mrinalini and children Bela, cannot help but wonder at the immortality which Tagore Renuka and Rathi. Following these, other pictures communicates. And lastly, Dr. Uma Dasgupta succeeds in included Rabindranath meeting his tenants and other her endeavour as stated in the title ‘Tagore: 1861-1941- prominent personages such as Mahatama Gandhi and His Life and Works’ and also in either knowingly or Charles Freer Andrews. Disconnecting from such unknowingly reminding us where we really place Tagore physical depictions of Tagore and his life experiences, outside the realm of academic and scholarly appreciation, Dr. Dasgupta had intelligently not ignored the popular and how distant his past and present become to us as and essential part of Tagore’s persona as a painter. Two of spectators of the 21st century. his doodles stood there in contrast to the dull scheme of black and white. Instead of crossing out words, Tagore would turn his disposable sentences into grotesque SRESHTI VERMA 1 literature diary

always room for lateef hawasnigari or aesthetic obscenity. Manto : A Style of Living She also drew attention to the fact that Manto was deeply TALK AND PERFORMANCE: Yadgar Wa Jashn-i-Manto — hurt by this condemnation by the PWA and wrote as ‘A Greater Story Writer then God!’ much in an article defending his characters who lived in urban slums, survived on their wits, were pimps and Speakers: Shamim Hanafi; Rakhshanda Jalil; prostitutes simply because that is what life was and he as a Alok Sarin; and Tarun Saint writer was only mirroring it. FILM: Mantoniyat. The dastaan of Manto by Mahmood Manto’s stories of the Partition of India are perhaps the Farooqui and Danish Husain most voluminous documentation of the event and its Chair: Shahid Amin, May 11 horrifying, blood chilling fall-out. Tarun Saint in his paper described these stories as the Partition seen with a Speaking on the occasion, Professor Shamim Hanafi said Freudian perception and an analysis of the madness that Manto like Ghalib has no contemporary match. that followed. Strangely enough, The crowning event of though one was writing the evening and what prose and the other a c t u a l l y g o t t h e poetry, the two have houseful for this often been compared d i s c u s s i o n w a s for their loneliness, M a n t o n i y a t , a their neglect by society, Dastangoi rendering of their sharp often bitter Manto’s life, and analysis of society and writings by Mahmood t h e i r l o v e f o r Farooqui and Danish humankind. Manto Husain. This duo who often used phrases of revived the medieval art Ghalib’s couplets as of Dastangoi or Qissago headings for his articles. almost a decade back Focusing on society have nurtured it to which he termed as become a vibrant and ‘naked’, Manto targeted mature form that can its hypocrisy, its scum successfully project not and underbelly, its just the traditional rabble and its bastards. fantasies of fairy tales, Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil, but weave a lively, speaking on Manto and animated story of the Progressive Writers present day heroes like Movement admitted Faiz and Manto. Deep that this movement was research forms the spine a force that changed the of Mantoniyat, a name perception of literature; given by Manto himself but then it went on to to his way of life; the become dictatorial, performance included developing a core group h i s w r i t i n g s , that laid down rigid friendships, his pain rules defining which and even alcoholism. writing qualified as Each phase of the ‘progressive’ and which rendering brought was decadent. Though laughter and pain M a n t o w a s a together much like progressive because all Manto himself and the his life he remained socially engaged through his writing, end left one not satiated but yearning for more: that he was too independent to be part of a movement. From which can be quenched perhaps only by going back to the PWA conference of Hyderabad in 1945, she narrated Manto’s writings and the anecdotes and relationships that a demand was raised to ban obscenity which Maulana recorded by his friends and fellow travellers. Hasrat Mohani had contested saying that there was NOOR ZAHEER 2 diary literature

was supposed to have transgressed this, which she did Ismat and Censorship most unapologetically. DISCUSSION AND READINGS: Ek Shaam, Ismat ke Naam Other points came up during this session as the Moderator: Urvashi Butalia mechanics of PWA were discussed: aesthetic eroticism Session 1 – Panelists: Geeta Patel and Noor Zaheer was always permitted, and PWA was never oppressive or Chair: Shohini Ghosh authoritative. However, the idea of ‘aesthetic eroticism’ Session 2 – Panelists: Geeta Patel and was always subjective and Chughtai was criticised within Sukrita Paul Kumar, May 24 and outside the PWA, and had to defend herself and her writing. Following this, Geeta Patel spoke at length about After an informal introduction to the life and works of important issues such as censorship and bowdlerisation Ismat Chughtai, and the discovery of her works by Indian and said that although Chughtai resisted these, feminists in the late 1980s, Urvashi Butalia opened the deploying, strategically, naivety and innocence when session with the screening of an interview by Nirupama required, it was difficult to escape censorship when an Dutt of Hiralal Sibal, the lawyer who fought Ismat entire community began to practice it. She also spoke Chughtai’s case when charges of obscenity in writing were about Realism as employed by the writers of PWA, and how brought against her. This was followed by Shohini they were close to Trotskyite models, but different in their Ghosh’s comments on the Progressive Writer’s social realism in being playful, ironic and carefully crafted. Association (PWA) and its agenda to expose the ‘maladies Sukrita closed the session with readings from Chughtai of the society’. She also made comparisons with and later went on to speak on the perils of teaching international feminists, and said that Chughtai was as Chughtai in English translations, focusing on the loss, in radical as her western counterparts, and effected similar English, of the begumati zubaani in which most of transformations through her art by being ‘unruly’ and Chughtai’s characters talk. Geeta Patel shared her ‘transgresssive’, and generally outspoken and ‘ill- experiences of teaching Chughtai to heterogeneous mannered’. Noor Zaheer and Geeta Patel then dealt with student audiences in the USA, and how her radical the above-mentioned trial of Chughtai (and Manto). aesthetics and politics had to be explained to them The speakers discussed how ‘obscenity’ actually had through feminist, queer, and psychoanalytical theories. no fixed definition. Sharafat was only an amorphous The programme concluded with Sukrita reading from concept that writers had to abide by, and Chughtai the untranslated text of Chughtai’s Nanhi ki Nani.

IPSHITA NATH

demonstrate the effortlessness of this technique, in Music for Dance dovetailing the singing, dancing and the sthayee bhava, with the radiant dancer, Priya Venkataraman, in an PERFORMANCE: Dancing Music excerpt of a varnam. The second dancer who performed By Sudha Raghuraman that evening was Justin McCarthy. Sudha explained that Accompanists: G. Raghuraman on Flute and unlike Javalis that were perky, padams were slower and P. Padmanabhan on Mridangam, May 15 more ponderous. Among padams, Kshettrayyapadams were the most demanding because the inherently difficult Sudha Raghuraman accompanies most Bharatanatyam musical base was woven into a warp and weft of complex and Kuchipudi dancers, and so this programme certainly rhythmic and Sahitya cycles, and a very high, emotionally needs a counterpoint in the near future, on music for charged quotient. In the demonstration, the long years of fewer fixed, and more spontaneous forms like Kathak. working closely with Justin, revealed a seamlessness in the Sudha lives her art and so, despite her young years she had arts of dance and music, as both of them were performing many rich insights to share. It came as a revelation for to the goals of abhinaya. many that she considered the shabdam the most difficult While a long and continuous association with the dancer dance piece as all stanzas are not only composed in the was cited as a secret to good music for dance, Sudha was higher octaves, but when they intersect with the sung equally insistent on the necessity of a good teacher, a large jattis, the talent of the singer gets stretched. In repertoire for a spectrum of choices, an open mind, and comparison, in the much longer varnam, the jattis constant practice being other qualities to look for in a constitute moments of rest for the singer. singer who sings and creates music for dance. She demonstrated how, the Edupu, the moment of ‘lifting the first word’, when used imaginatively, could prepare the ground for the abhinaya. She went on to ARSHIYA SETHI 3 music diary

Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. Also, the scholarly Film History orientation of classical music when it was codified into a curriculum-based course of study for student FILM: Films on Indian Classical Music, May 5 – 6 practitioners, was related in the documentary with stills of the pioneers like Pandits Bhaskar Bua, Gaganan Rao Documenting classical music in a visual format has Joshi, Paluskar, Bhatkhande, et all. As the latter film become a crying need as the old guard has walked into the covered the golden years of this art form, the scant shadows, leaving behind a legacy in the hands of coverage of gramophone pioneers like Gauhar Jan, aging disciples and a largely unacquainted was a noticeable oversight. In the latter learner coterie. Though films on individual screening, the personal struggle of Paluskar musicians can be unearthed from archives, became the fulcrum of the storyline rather both government and corporate, a than the music traditions of the time. composite visual history of Indian Being a rather meagre budget effort, the classical music is a rarity. The present shots were repetitive, and studio- attempt is thus laudatory. simulated sets, as poorly created as a The two films Golden Age of Classical village stage. The repetitive music Music and Gaan Yogi : Pt. D. V. clippings were sonorous. The Paluskar, screened on consecutive days, commentary on musical forms such as at the IIC, traced the 20th century khayal and its origins, was not fully phenomena of classical music being researched and led to critical severed from the umbilical chord of questioning. The director has picked on court patronage and being propagated a very vital segment for film-making. Her among the rising middle classes, through nascent efforts need encouragement the public platform. The yeoman at this stage. contribution of the Gandharv Mahavidyalaya was clearly brought forth through the ambience, the philosophy and the dedication of its founder Pandit SUBHRA MAZUMDAR

of the ballet, Frederick Ashton was one of them, and the Musical Evenings former great ballet dancer, Robert Helpmann, who had FILM: Summer Sonata – Films on Ballet and Opera earlier partnered no less a ballerina than Margot Fonteyn, June 2, 4, 10 and 13 was the second. The final evening of the Summer Sonata on June 13 was The Summer Sonata consisted of four movements the opera Albert Herring by the British composer, showcasing two ballets and two operas. The Summer Benjamin Britten. The year 2013 was celebrated in the Sonata opened with the ballet Giselle, composed by musical world as the birth centenary of Britten. It was Adolphe Adam, on June 2. Premiered in Paris on June 28, thus appropriate that one of his works be included 1841, this classical ballet of the romantic tradition was in the programme. given an exquisite rendering by the La Scala company. The plot revolves around the search in a village for a pure The dancing of the Russian ballerina, Svetlana and chaste girl to be the May Queen. Unfortunately, no Zakharova, and the Italian dancer, Roberto Bolle was girl is found virginal enough for the role. Someone, both touching and moving. however, suggests the name of a young man, Albert On June 4, the wonderful comic opera by Gaetano Herring, as being the right person to be the May King! He Donizetti, L’Elisir D’Amore, or The Love Potion, was is simple and hard working and has been kept away from screened. The Vienna State Opera production from 2005 the ways of the world by his dominant mother. with an international cast including Anna Netrebko and He is chosen by the village committee, but at the Rolando Villazon, was beautifully sung and acted with celebration his lemonade is laced with rum by his friends great bravura and comedy. as a joke. Albert gets high on the drink and breaks away The next offering on June 10 was the ballet Cinderella, from his humdrum life for at least one night of freedom. composed by Serge Prokofiev, in a famous and hilarious He comes back the next morning a changed individual. production from Covent Garden, in which the two step From now on his life will be altered. sisters known in England as the 'ugly sisters', were danced in the pantomime tradition by men. The choreographer RAJENDRA PRASAD JAIN 4 diary music

familiarity and musical associations. Schubert’s ‘The Music Medley Wanderer’ is known especially because of the ‘Fantasy’, a symphonic composition of the same name, written at the PERFORMANCE: Verse – Voice and Piano Recital by Rahul same time. The theme was echoed in the concert with Bharadwaj and Chris Williams Vaughan Williams’ setting to music of Robert Louis Collaboration: Srishti School of Design, June 3 Stevenson’s wanderings in the South Pacific. Stevenson recalled these journeys in the epitaph he wrote for himself: The baritone and composer-pianist duo from Bangalore ‘Home is the sailor, home from the sea provided a truly memorable evening. The recital began The hunter home from the hill’. and ended with songs in English: Henri Purcell (C. 17), Vaughan Williams and American composers Samuel The other familiar pieces of course were Fauré’s setting of Barber and Aaron Copeland (C.20). The first half of the Verlaine’s poem, ‘Au Clair de la Lune’, juxtaposed with programme was largely German Romanticism, with Debussy’s musical evocation of the theme. Lieder from Schubert and Brahms to Hugo Wolf and Almost the best thing about the concert was the programme Richard Strauss. In the second half, the more dreamy note, a model of musical pedagogy. It not only gave full romantic music of Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy texts, with English translations of songs sung in German took over. and French, but pointed to their literary associations, Rahul Bharadwaj’s singing was masculine yet sensitive, adding to the enjoyment of the music. For example, the pensive or emotional as the song demanded, always profound melancholy of Samuel Barber’s rendering of the beautifully modulated. As accompanist, Chris Williams closing lines of Matthew Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach’: was supportive, never intrusive. He displayed his mastery ‘Ah love, let us be true to one another, of the piano in a Brahms Intermezzo and Debussy’s For the World… hath neither joy nor love, nor light ‘Clair de la Lune’. Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain…’ It would be invidious to single out particular pieces for praise out of a well-thought out programme. But two which ended the concert. songs stood out for this listener because of their AJIT MOZOOMDAR

alaap set the tone for Debajit’s playing style and the Summer Festival chaindari ( leisurely unfolding of the raag). The jod was deftly played and the gat in teentaal had the Rampur Senia FESTIVAL: Sitar Recital Gharana flavour. The gat composition and its rendering By Debajit Chakraborty, June 24 showed his dedicated riyaz and sincerity in application as Debajit Chakraborty opened a musician. The teen taal composition reinforced his the Summer festival at IIC command of the raag. with a pleasant sitar recital. Debajit played the raag Debajit is a disciple of well, bringing out the Pt. Manilal Nag who had mood of the raag . The taleem of the romanticism of the Kalyan Vishnupur Gharana and the thath raags is well known Dhrupad influences are and he brought out the visible in the performance of character of the raags with Debajit. His guru is well suitable vaadi and samvadi known for his classic sitar surs. style and Debajit displays the Debajit played a dhun in strains of Dhrupad in his raag Khamaj which sitar. Later, he learnt from essentially is suited to Santosh Bannerjee of the Rampur Senia Gharana. thumri. He played the dhun with ease creating a romantic Debajit began the evening’s recital with Raag Shyam and pleasing mood to finish off his concert. Kalyan, which is a Kalyan thath raag. He played alaap, jod Accompanying him on the table was the well known and jhala in this raag. The alaap had the unmistakable Delhi table player Akram Khan of the Ajrara Gharana. Vishnupur Gharana stamp on it and the Dhrupad influences on his gliding meends was very evident. The KUMUD DIWAN 5 music diary

Yousuf Saeed’s documentary Khayal Darpan is about the If Music be the Food state of classical music in Pakistan after the Partition. The film explores the times of religious censorship when of Love… Hindustani ragas like Shankara and Durga were banned TALK: Raga Elements in Hindi Film Music on Pakistan Radio. Saeed, a filmmaker from New Delhi, Speaker: K.L. Pandey weaves in interviews with musicians, critics and scholars Chair: S.K. Jha with the footage of live performances, charting the Collaboration: Melody Foundation, June 10 transformation of musical traditions in Pakistan from the FILM: Bansuri Guru mid-1940s till date, as witnessed across the cities of Director: Rajeev Chaurasia Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Film courtesy: Films Division, June 18 The film’s highlights are segments exploring veteran FILM: Khayal Darpan Pakistani musicians and intellectuals such as Tufail Niazi Director: Yousuf Saeed, June 21 and Raza Kasim, who sought to broaden the appeal of classical music. Towards the end, however, the film shifts Bansuri Guru, a biographical film on flute maestro focus to explore the pop phenomenon of relatively recent Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, produced by Films Division and directed by his son Rajiv Chaurasia, portrays Chaurasia’s inspiring musical journey and his relentless sadhana that turned him into a living legend. It is a story of a man’s triumph against odds to achieve and his perseverance to excel. Born in Allahabad to a wrestler father, he was preordained to be an extraordinary musician. The film shows how he stealthily learnt vocal music from Guru Rajaram and flute from Pt. Bholanath against his father’s wishes, who wanted him to become a wrestler like himself. Working as a typist for a l i v e l i h o o d , h e g o t a n appointment letter from All India Radio (AIR) Katak, Orissa that entirely changed the course of his life. A transfer to Bombay got him to make his mark hits juxtaposed with Aliya Rashid, a young Dhrupad in film music and ultimately made him reach his ultimate singer who surprisingly could manage a four year visa to destination, Guru Annapoorna Devi, who groomed him study Dhrupad in India under the at into a classical musician, a class apart. Bhopal. The archival footage and interviews make the film a visual Raga Elements in Hindi Film Music was a presentation by and emotional delight. The film shows his friends like Mr. K. L. Pandey who has collected films from the oldest, Pt. Kumar Sharma, Ustad , Vijay Alamara (1931), to the latest, Citylight (2014), to have the Ghate, Shashi Vyas, his wife Anuradha Chaurasia and list of all the film songs and find out the ragas used in them; disciples sharing their feelings about him. We see glimpses for instance, Malkauns in Man tarpat Hari Darshan ko aaj to of his historical concerts and come to know about his the Brindavani Sarang in Munni badnam hui. He intends to Gurukula Brindravana, and Chaurasia’s contribution as a get this published as an encyclopedia which will come dedicated guru (teacher), a versatile composer and a handy as a reference book for music lovers. classical flutist par excellence. MANJARI SINHA 6 diary exhibition

commercialisation of religious beliefs. An estimated 100 Eye on Sabarimala million visitors go every year to the temple and the EXHIBITION: Thathwamasi – Eye on Periyar mindless exploitation of these devotees have wreaked Reserve and Sabarimala havoc on this holy land. Buildings have come up in scores, not to house the poor pilgrim; heavy vehicles rumble, Photographs by N.P. Jayan destroying the serenity of the forests and polluting the air. June 20–26 The Poonkavanam or heavenly gardens of Lord Ayyappa Imagine millions of pilgrims throng at the gates of the are these forests, now trampled and raped by the Sabarimala temple, the abode of Lord Ayyappa,but once uncontrolled frenzy of those who bleed the pilgrims with they finish their rituals they throw their clothes into the scant attention to their needs. Elephants die, choking on river Pamba–throw their plastic bottles and create tons of plastic waste. The Pambariver, life water to mountains and it seems as if they have forgotten the very millions is polluted at its head with the faeces of the crores core values of Hinduism. of pilgrims who are denied even basic sanitation facilities. Hundreds died in a stampede to witness ‘MakaraJyoti’, Sabarimala temple, the forest abode of Lord Ayyappa, is perhaps the only one state-sponsored hoax in the world of in the heart of Periyar Tiger Reserve, one of the last ‘miraculous light’ that appears high in the hills. Vast sanctuaries of the Bengal Tiger in India. It is also home to stretches of forests have been cleared leading to landslips 34 species of mammals, nearly 300 species of birds, not to and accidents. mention innumerable other fauna. It is the catchment area of the rivers, Periyar and Pamba. A verdant tropical Each of N. P. Jayan’s images are an arrow shot through forest, PTR numbers among the highly bio-diverse our hearts. India preens at its technological and economic regions in the world. advances, yet we turn a blind eye to the filth that we scatter across the land, air and water. What Jayan shows us of Sabarimala and Periyar is a man- made tragedy, the collusion of blind bhakti and callous UMA NAIR

ethnic minorities are the largest group of refugees Lives of Refugees supported by the UNHCR India. Other refugee EXHIBITION: Longing to Belong – Refugees in India communities that have been documented include the Photographs by Somalians, Sri Lankans, the Tibetans, the Afghans and Hindu families repatriated from Sindh, Pakistan. Collaboration: United Nations High Commission for Refugees, India, June 21–26 The exhibition is a glimpse into the lives of these refugees who work hard to give back to the Indian society and live The faces in Raghu Rai’s exhibition Longing to Belong are dignified and fulfilling lives. The photographs are all familiar—we see them on the road, in market places beautifully produced and surprisingly vibrant. There are and in our neighbourhoods. They mothers with their young children, belong to the multitudes of refugees groups of school children, men and who have come to India seeking women working, as well as powerful asylum after facing political and social portraits. Some of the most poignant persecution in their own countries, or images are those where several because they are fleeing civil wars. generations of refugees are featured in the same frame; or one particular June 20 is World Refugee Day. It is a image of a young Afghan and Somali day, as the UNHCR states, to reflect girl dancing together. The images, on the challenges faced by refugees and while certainly telling a deeper story of honour their strength and courage. hardship and struggle, are also This particular exhibition, shot by the remarkably cheerful for the most part, world renowned photographer, portrays seven of the which is heartening to see—the refugees have made India largest refugee groups in India today. The Myanmarese their home because they have had to, but it is also wonderful were primarily pro-democracy political activists and to see how hard they work to contribute and belong. students who fled the oppressive military regime. Today, the Chin Christian minority and Rohingya Muslim NANDITA JAISHANKAR 7 films diary

eight stories of social transformation: eight constructive Gandhi’s Relevance works created and developed by people of different FILM: Gandhi in Mexico – A Look at Non-violence sensitive areas of Mexico (cities and villages) who are struggling to eradicate the structural violence generated Director: Sonia Deotto, May 17 by organised crime, lack of education, poverty, corruption The documentary Gandhi in Mexico: A Look at Non- and social injustice. Because of the condition of extreme Violence was a production by Ora World Mandala and TV violence in Mexico present in the country since the last UNAM (TV channel of the National Autonomous seven years that caused the death of at least one University of Mexico), and the Gujarat Vidyapith, a hundred thousand people, Gandhi would have university founded by Mahatma Gandhi. The aim of the probably considered these programmes as an example documentary was to bring forth a dialogue between India of resistance—satyagraha, for the regeneration of and Mexico on various shades of violence they have both the country. experienced in varying forms and degrees. According to Narayan Desai, ‘In India, the liberation The Constructive Programme written by Gandhi, based on movement was initiated first and constructive work came Non-violence, is focused on empowering people through later on. In Mexico, through constructive work people actions of local transformation, such as health and hygiene, can be made conscious about the culture they want to struggle against alcoholism, basic and adult education, change. And may be changing from a violent suppressive women empowerment, khadi and cottage industry, and the culture which is the modern culture to a more cohesive preservation of languages, among others. non-violent culture which would be the freedom movement for Mexico through the effort of people to Seventy years after writing this programme as a public achieve a positive transformation of Mexico.’ document, a Gandhian delegation from India, headed by Narayan Desai and Sushri Radha Bhatt, visited Mexico After the screening, issues of diversity, class and race were and found in many corners of the country similar discussed during the question-answer session. programmes, initiated and developed by the Mexican people. The film meticulously charted the paths of these INDRANI MAJUMDAR

fishermen and merchants. A growing number of Cult of Khizr pastoralists and peasants embraced Khizr as their TALK: Commerce and the Cult of Khizr – A Sacred guardian, believing that he keeps flood and drought in Geography of Healing in the Wider Indian Ocean World check while protecting their well-being and health. Speaker : Lauren Minsky The most interesting aspect of the talk was learning how Chair : Najaf Haider, May 16 Khizr’s identity as a Muslim sage has been flexible. He acquires locally specific nicknames, playing different roles As an author of books on Sufism, I am aware of Khizr, the in various regions. It is fascinating to learn that in Bengal, friend of God mentioned in the Quran whom Moses Khizr is accepted as a Hindu deity of water, and how there accompanied on a journey. Moses met Khizr at the are shrines dedicated to him in Pakistan, India, , ‘meeting of the two oceans’, where the fish he had caught Bahrain, and other places around the Indian Ocean, the came back to life. From the early days of Islam, Sufis have Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. accepted Khizr as an immortal guide, whom many claim Associated with a range of traditions, Khizr is found in the to have met on their mystic journey. poetry and literature of many languages. The devotees of Minsky’s lecture on the, ‘Cult of Khizr’, who is believed to Khizr include Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists have drunk from the ‘Fountain of life’, was something and Muslims. most including me know little or nothing about. She I enjoyed Minsky’s enlightening lecture and the slides of focused on the spaces of long-standing commercial various Khizr shrines. Studying the cult of the green sage, production and trade in the wider Indian Ocean world to Minsky hopes to make Khizr visible in rethinking illuminate the presence of an expansive healing cult geography, science, technology and medicine through the dedicated to Khizr, the enigmatic water saint. embodied lived health experiences of coastal societies. Remembering Khizr’s significance, people throughout the wide Indian Ocean world dedicated shrines to him. These were built by peasants, farmers, sailors, boatmen, SADIA DEHLVI

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Invoking Goddesses EXHIBITION AND TALK: Devotion and Syncretism – -Kannaki Worship in Sri Lanka Speaker: Malathi de Alwis Collaboration: Women Unlimited, May 14 – 24 and May 19

The India International Centre hosted a talk entitled, ‘Devotion and Syncretism : Pattini-Kannaki Worship in Sri Lanka’. This was part of an exhibition of photographs and texts by Shami Jayawardane and Malathi de Alwis. Though, today Kannaki, attached to the name Pattini, is considered one of the four guardian deities of Sri Lanka, Kannaki is a legendary Tamil woman who forms the central character of the well-known Tamil epic Silapathikaram (100-300 CE) written supposedly by Elango Adigal and which forms a part of Sangam literature. The story in itself is fascinating as it reveals to us, among other things, the complexity of womanhood. The story relates how Kannaki took revenge on the Pandyan King Nedunjcheliyan of , for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband , by cursing and setting alight the city of Madurai. Malathi de Alwis in her talk claimed that devotion to Kannaki–Pattani in Sri Lanka is an inspiring example of Hindu Buddhist syncretism. A shared deity, she is worshipped as goddess Pattini in Sri Lanka by the Sinhalese Buddhists and as Kannaki Amman by the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus. She is worshipped not just because of her chaste nature and loyalty to her husband but her divine and she requires a ritual specifically because she had the courage to question the king and to cool her wrath. punish him and his kingdom for his mistake. The goddess The photographic display attempted to capture the is a symbol of hope for Sri Lankan women. There seems to diversity and complexity to be found in different regions be, according to the speaker, a renewal of goddess worship in beliefs as well as rituals. after the war and who could be better suited than Kannaki as a deity. She is a sorrowing yet resilient woman who The speaker claimed that the veneration of Kannaki punishes but also offers succour to multitudes. She originated in south India but is largely in abeyance today. epitomises courage and hope to the many war widows and There is not any concrete evidence, as such, for this women-based households, now constituting a significant statement. In , sometimes, the worship of percentage of the Sri Lankan population. Bhagavati is conflated with Kannaki. However, in there are no shrines. It would have been helpful if Malathi de Alwis further showed the different ways the the speaker had historicised her talk by giving material goddess gets incorporated; she is linked with fertility and evidence for the earliest depiction of Kannaki in south also possession rites, which were shown in many of the India and in Sri Lanka. photos exhibited during the talk. She talked about the rituals for possession involving substances like resin or the An interesting talk and exhibition, nevertheless, illustrating ritual involved after the completion of a vow. Both once again the dynamic nature of Indic religions. Hindus and Buddhists do these rituals. The belief is that the goddess was a human once but her anger makes NILIMA CHITGOPEKAR

9 talk diary

In this talk, part of the IIC’s Science and Technology Array Vah! Series, Chengalur brought the excitement of this TALK: Radio Window to the Universe facility and of radio astronomy to his audience, and it was Speaker: Jayaram N. Chengalur a credit to his enthusiasm and clarity that even laypersons Chair: T.R. Seshadri, May 2 like this reviewer gained a window into his world. He showed how radio astronomy allowed us to detect super- Not too far from Pune, an array of 30 large dishes spread massive black holes at the heart of galaxies that otherwise over an area of 25 kilometres points skyward, and one of look quite innocuous. He explained the innovative design the world’s finest scientific facilities uses it to scan the of radio telescopes which circumvents the need for universe for answers to many of its deepest mysteries. It’s impossibly large dishes to detect very faint objects or fine the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope or GMRT, in many details by cleverly collating data from a large number of respects the most sensitive such telescope in the world, an smaller dishes spread over an area. We were reminded installation India can rightly be proud of. Innovative and once again that looking at distance was really also looking cost-effective in its design, this state- of-the art facility has at time, because the waves from celestial objects were the best research teams from across the world lining up to reaching us long after they had been emitted. And we saw use its services. Its objective: to complement the world’s how radio telescopes could help us determine the way optical telescopes, which allow us to look from our mass was actually distributed in galaxies and better terrestrial perch at distant sources of visible light, with a understand dark matter. This is one radio I’d definitely huge amount of additional information gained by tune in to! ‘observing’ the otherwise invisible radio wave component of the electromagnetic spectrum. MAHADEVAN RAMASWAMY

as a precursor, and Operational Guidelines 2013 as the Preserving Heritage guiding document. The three decisive factors were TALK: World Heritage – An Overview: Context, Issues, highlighted: Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), Challenges integrity, protection and management. India-specific Speaker: Janhwij Sharma examples were provided to illustrate requisites such as Chair: Himanshu Prabha Ray, May 5 periodic reporting and reactive monitoring. World Heritage sites of India were illustrated criteria-wise. Janhwij Sharma’s talk aimed at understanding World Regional distribution of World Heritage properties Heritage with a focus on India as a State Party to the 1972 indicates that a more balanced and equitable distribution World Heritage Convention. The illustrated talk was is required, since Europe has a disproportionate number. structured in three parts: World Heritage as a process; India signed the Convention in 1977 and ranks seventh as how India responds to World Heritage; context, per numbers. challenges and opportunities. A multi-disciplinary advisory committee for World A background to World Heritage and the 1972 Convention Heritage Matters was set up under the aegis of the was provided (Convention concerning the Protection of the Ministry of Culture, India for capacity-building, dossiers, World Cultural and Natural Heritage). Strategic preparedness levels and rational Tentative List. The Objectives, also referred to as ‘the 5 Cs’ were spelt out revised Tentative List was shared and new trends such as regarding: credibility, conservation, capacity-building, trans-border proposals were mentioned. Recent communication, communities. 190 State parties are achievements include in-house preparation of Rani-ki- signatory to this ‘celebratory convention’ (quoting the late Vav nomination dossier, setting up of UNESCO Herb Stovel). Presently 21 countries are on the World Category-II Centre, and Delhi as the first from India to be Heritage Committee, India being one. Duties of State proposed for the Historic City category. Parties include identifying potential sites as well as Common threats and risks in Asia, such as infrastructure protecting sites within their national boundaries. development and lack of respect, and the challenges in the Janhwij introduced the conceptual framework and laborious process of dossier preparation were discussed in dynamics of World Heritage including tangible, the concluding section of the talk. intangible, cultural, natural, mixed properties and cultural landscapes. The process of nominating World Heritage sites was described, including the Tentative List MALVIKA BAJAJ SAINI 10 diary talk

with an understanding of impermanence and decided to A Monk’s Life dedicate himself to ‘better oneself for the sake of bettering FILM: Monk with a Camera the world’. His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave consent and Directors: Tina Mascara and Guido Santi he became a monk. Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of A ‘complete dandy’ ‘fond of women’ opted for a life where His Holiness the Dalai Lama, June 12 he would never ‘seek the tenderness of a relationship’, but 13 years of intense study under Rinpoche gave him no This film documents the journey of Nicholas Vreeland time to miss anything. from the rarefied world of high glamour to the pinnacles The dilapidated Roto monastery needed restoration. of spirituality. Beautifully crafted, using old photographs Midway through grand plans for expansion, money and cartoon animation to recreate past events, the focus pledged for the project dried up. In 2008, Nicky went remains on Nicholas, son of globe-trotting parents, back to photography to raise the money needed to grandson of Diane Vreeland, fabled Vogue editor, with complete the project. The film ends emotionally charged, access to the best—bespoke clothes, fine shoes, beautiful though highly restrained. The Dalai Lama ordains women. He loved photography, capturing the inner Nicholas as abbot of Roto monastery, with the specific harmonies of people and nature. After his parents task of forging a new American , bridging divorced, he with his brother were left in Paris where Tibetan philosophy with western culture. Nicholas apprenticed with top photographers. Nicholas as a privileged rich boy and as a man privileged Yet, even in his teens he knew there was more to life. A to be abbot make for a very humbling story. A special and desire to ‘cleanse, to be naked in a sense’ made him shave blessed one and a half hours! his head. He also began to meditate. A meeting with Khylonga Rinpoche became a powerful introduction to Buddhism. Nicholas reacted to his mother’s fatal illness BHARATI MIRCHANDANI

respective countries and their internal relationship in the Project Mausam Series course of expansion was also explained. ILLUSTRATED LECTURE: Protecting the Senhors and Gora Mayur Babulal Thakare mentioned in his lecture that the Sahibs in North Konkan — Re-visualising Defense and remains of Indo-European architecture in India survive in Settlement Pattern of the Province of North and Bombay, the form of churches, forts, villas, mansions etc. He also stressed that there was a typological difference in the 1534 –1818 AD remains of the Portuguese and British period structure in Speaker: Mayur Babulal Thakare North Konkan. The Portuguese defence structures mostly Chair: B.M. Pande faced the water front and were highly diversified Collaboration: National Monuments Authority and IGNCA settlements. All the forts had different shapes and defence June 4 architecture in Konkan during the Portuguese rule. The Portuguese remains did not suggest the presence of any The lecture was based on the village to village survey mega fort settlement in India. Whereas during the British, conducted by Mayur Babulal Thakare in the Deccan and the forts were large and had factories inside for trade. North Konkan with special reference to the Ramada Fort Shri Thakare suggested that Diu has served as the centre and Vasai Fort. The finding of the survey by the author for all activities in the Indian Ocean, and the Portuguese was meticulously corroborated by him with the available captured Diu in 1535. The details of the naval battle for textual sources and archival sources. Also, the author control of the western coast were also described. The briefly touched the issue of the philosophy of medieval earliest architecture of the Indo -European style was the archaeology in India. Gothic and was largely influenced by the Renaissance At the outset, Thakare mentioned that the process of site- movement in Europe. This includes churches, formation in North Konkan was different than in other fortification, watch towers, outposts, bastions. parts of the country and it required a totally different Summing up his lecture, Thakare also suggested the strategy for exploration and locating the site in this area. major challenges these sites are facing. The chairman in He also informed the audience that the archaeology of his concluding remark agreed that there is more required European expansion was a new branch of research and it to be done for medieval archaeology in India but it would included the arrival and expansion of Europeans through be wrong to suggest that this field is totally ignored and the trading companies and joint stock venture after the cited his own examples. 15th Century CE. During the lecture, the brief history of European powers in India, the political situation of their GUNJAN K. SRIVASTAVA 11 discussion diary

Taking the discussion forward, Hardeep Puri recalled that History of Hindu College Hindu College has always been firmly rooted in DISCUSSION: Hindu College, Delhi – A People's Movement nationalistic values. He said that its evolution over the Author: Kavita A. Sharma and W.D Mathur years is synonymous with events in national history. M. K. (New Delhi: Niyogi Books, 2014) Venu compared the narrative of the book to the opening Speakers: Aparna Basu, Justice Manmohan, Yashovardhan scenes of a riveting film, and suggested that the book Azad, Hardeep Singh Puri, M.K. Venu, Dinesh Singh, could be adapted into a movie. Recalling incidents from K. C. Mehra, Lalit Bhasin his days and the history of the college, Yashovardhan Azad Chair: Dr. , May 20 talked about Chandrashekar Azad taking refuge in the hostel during the freedom struggle. Interspersed with personal recollections, this discussion Dr. Aparna Basu suggested that the historical parallels in focused on the evolution of Hindu College and its role in setting up similar educational institutions in Delhi, providing a secular, nationalist education. Why did a Kolkata and Chennai also need to be studied. Dinesh group of eminent citizens led by late Shri Krishan Dassji Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University observed that Gurwale come together to establish a non-sectarian, the book supplements his understanding of Hindu educational institution like Hindu college? Dr. Kavita College, Delhi University and India. Praising the effort of Sharma, former principal of Hindu college and the authors, he declared that the book will be put up on co-author, started the discussion by stating this question the official website of Delhi University. Finally, Dr. Kapila as the impetus for writing the book. K.C. Mehra, a Vatsyayan, who also chaired the discussion, talked about student of the college from 1956-60, lauded the book for the need to contextualise the history of the college in its scholarship and hailed the inclusion of the chapter terms of the nationalist movement in Punjab and the need 'First among Ladies' which gives information on the role for better coordination between the governing body and of women in the history of the college. At the time of its the college. She also raised the question of alumni inception, Justice Manmohan observed that the founders accountability towards their alma mater. of the college wished to promote a 'way of life'. MAANVI

market are patented for a limited time after which the Healthy Medicine generic components can be manufactured by anyone. DISCUSSION: Drugs – Patented, Branded and Generic – This breaks the monopoly and can arrest the high cost of What is in a Name? health care. Speakers: Naresh Gupta, S.K. Gupta, Government initiatives have movements like Jan- G.N. Singh; and Jayashree Gupta aushidhi outlets for people; however, the nexus of private Collaboration: Consumers India, May 23 hospitals and unaware consumers favour the use of The health series initiative by the Consumers Forum patented drugs, and families continue having to spend India provides useful information and this talk had highly beyond their means in life threatening situations. technical content regarding the manufacture of Panelists Dr. S.K. Gupta and Dr. G.N. Singh added facts medicines, packed in simple terms. The panelists were from the Indian context. However, the problem of generic trained doctors working in the area of drug use and abuse. drugs versus patented drugs is a worldwide concern and A lucid introduction by Dr. Jayashree Gupta, a former not endemic to developing countries. In fact, the USA of member of the IDPL drug company and currently active late sells only generic drugs after the travails of patented in the Consumer Forum, explained the width of drugs having hit the population. The panel also .consumer issues such as misleading advertisements or the highlighted that systems are in place for guarding the pricing of medicines. Dr. Gupta expanded on the specific chemical precision for the making of generic drugs such as issue of the high cost of medicines which become the Pharmaco Vigilance programme or the Drug inaccessible to the general public or plunges them into Controller Section of the Health Ministry. The panelists states of poverty. The keynote speaker, Dr. Naresh Gupta, represented both safeguarding units. The consumer presented the facts about medicines and the fact that forum owes it to the public to have awareness campaigns generic medicines are low on cost; it’s the carriers by with a wider reach. companies that lift the cost. Drugs that come in the ASHA SINGH 12 diary talk

Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971) and Science and Films Outbreak (1995), he highlighted the ‘bad science’ that TALK: Bad Bugs for the Big Screen — Science Fiction and most films tend to convey to the public. Towards that end, Fact in Hollywood Lipkin pulled all the elements in these together and Introduction: Shahid Jameel compared them with the ‘correct science’ in Contagion Speaker: Ian Lipkin (2011), the zoonotic film that he was involved with.The Chair: G.P. Talwar events in Contagion were largely based on the Hendra- Collaboration: The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance Nipah virus, whose outbreak occurred in Malaysia in 1999, and the SARS outbreak in Hongkong in 2002. June 16 Lipkin said that he could ensure this by making it a part of his contract with the filmmakers that he would dissociate The technologies that have been developed to sequence himself if any part of the film was based on an DNA have also provided a powerful platform to discover implausible scenario. He also described the kind of efforts new life forms, especially new pathogens, which that were taken to portray correct science, such as mysteriously cause new infectious diseases. This has, in building appropriate sets for a bio-security laboratory, recent times, resulted in the emergence of a new genre of as a result of which events depicted were as realistic infectious disease based disaster films, the very subject and plausible. that Lipkin dealt with in his talk. He ended his talk by pointing out how in spite of the In the context of the talk, it should be mentioned that efforts to portray correct science, it made a profit of only Lipkin was associated with the making of a 2011 film about $15 m as against I am Legend, which was ‘pure Contagion, a disaster film based on the emergence of a new garbage’, and made a profit of nearly $600 m. ‘Good infectious disease, as a scientist-consultant. science does not necessarily pay,’ he remarked, but Lipkin briefly described the whole history of infectious emphasised the importance of ensuring that people are diseases in cinema, which broadly constitute two main given to understand how science is done and the complex lineages: one, based on the Frankenstein legend and, two, nature of medical research in films. But he added that the Dracula legend, both written in the 19th Century. Contagion did have its positive impact. There was an Showing clips from various Science Fiction-horror films immediate increase in students taking up epidemiology such as Warning Sign (1985), I am Legend (2007), Last and microbiology as subjects of study. R. RAMACHANDRAN resource optimum and ecologically sensible. The BRTS, World Environment Day 2014 for example, had emerged from an order of the Supreme DISCUSSION: Second Edition of the Dialogue to Develop a Court for increasing access to public transport, reducing Vision for the Environment of Delhi—2025 congestion and bring down pollution levels but went haywire because the politics of the city was dominated by Speakers: Dunu Roy, Hem Pande, Suneesh Buxy, the car owning population which had only 14 per cent of Anvita Arora, Deeksha Katyal the modal share. Chair: Suhas Borker Collaboration: Green Circle of Delhi, June 5 Anvita Arora, MD and CEO, Innovative Transport Solutions questioned the fundamentals of urban design of This series of dialogues has to be seen as a part of the larger Delhi where pedestrians and cyclists are totally sidelined process to take up the critical environmental issues of and cars have the dominant way. Ignoring the needs of equity and sustainability being faced by the large majority non-motorised transport, which has a 44 per cent modal of ordinary citizens of Delhi. For such a dialogue to share in the city, is to our peril, she said. Very high energy succeed, it was important that it move out of the intensive cities were definitely not the model for us. cloistered confines of the government secretariat into the Deeksha Katyal, Assistant Professor, Indraprastha public space, and that the environmental impact of University, spoke about the pollution of the river Yamuna governmental policies and the needs of citizens be and the abysmal water quality parametres and how transparently discussed, said chair Suhas Borker, Founder index mapping and GIS could help in understanding Member, Green Circle of Delhi. the problem. Dunu Roy, Director, Hazards Centre speaking about the Hem Pande, Additional Secretary, MOEF GOI and political ecology of Delhi said that for equity, we needed Suneesh Buxy, Conservator of Forests, Delhi found to give priority to the bottom 75 per cent of the themselves at the receiving end of the vibrant discussion population, which is not on cars and whose needs are that followed. LALIT AGARWAL 13 futures diary

Highlights for July – August 2014

Bhagirathi Narayanaswamy, Guru Smt. Mangalam LECTURES Muthuswamy and Guru Smt. Shyamala Sajnani 1 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms II – III, 24 July 2014 at 7:00 pm Kamaladevi Complex Sarod Recital THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LECTURES By Debanjan Bhattacharjee from Kolkata, disciple of Weather and Climate Forecasts and its Applications Ustad Ashish Khan, late Ustad Dhyanesh Khan and Illustrated lecture by Dr. Laxman Singh Rathore, Smt. Amina Pareira Director-General of Meteorology, Permanent 25 July 2014 at 6:00 pm Representative of India with World Meteorological Carnatic Duet Vocal Recital Organisation and Vice-Chair Intergovernmental Bard on Climate Service, United Nations 19 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in Conference Room I INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY India in Laos – Conservation of Wat Phou Temple Illustrated lecture by R.S. Jamwal, Superintending Archaeologist Engineer, ASI 21 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in Annexe Lecture Room II MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION Haveli Sangeet: Bhakti Music in Context Illustrated lecture by Irfan Zuberi, independent By Usha Shankar and Deepa Namboodiri from researcher in the field of performing arts and associated Coimbatore, disciple of the late T. K. Govinda Rao with Naad Saagar Archives and Documentation Society 25 July 2014 at 7:00 pm for South Asian Music Hindustani Vocal Recital In recent times, the term ‘Haveli Sangeet’ has come to By Saswati Bagchi from Kolkata, disciple of the late encapsulate the entire gamut of musical genres associated Pt. A. Kanan and Pt. Bibhuti Bhushan Acharya with the Vaishanvite temple traditions. This presentation PERFORMANCES will introduce the different strains of the genre from the perspective of regional, linguistic and stylistic variations 4 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium 26 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in Conference Room II Baterimba Concert from Colombia Benares on the Rhine: India in German Literature – An Overview Speaker: Professor Martin Kaempchen, well-known Tagore scholar, author and translator FESTIVAL (24- 25 July 2014 at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium) Monsoon Festival of Music: 24 July 2014 at 6:00 pm Carnatic Veena Recital By Gayatri Govindarajan Ajay from Presented by Carlos Fernando Balanta, an exponent of New York, USA, music from the Pacific region of Colombia who plays disciple of Guru Smt. drums, bongos, bells, clave, the traditional marimba 14 diary futures

from Colombia with objects, voice and guitar Director: Velcrow Ripper 5 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Annexe Lecture Recipient of the Genie Awards 2006 for Best Documentary Room II Film; and Best Canadian Feature Film– Special Jury Jugalbandhi in Sitar Citation, Toronto International Film Festival 2004 By Abhishek Adhikary and Murchana Adhikary from In a world teetering on the edge of self-destruction, Kolkata, disciples of Pt. Deepak Choudhury award-winning filmmaker Velcrow Ripper sets out on a 7 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium unique pilgrimage. Visiting the ‘Ground Zeros’ of the Odissi Recital planet, he asks if it is possible to find hope in the darkest By Madhyama Segal, granddaughter and disciple of moments of human history Smt. EXHIBITIONS 25 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium 8–16 August 2014, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm in the Keys to India – Where the Piano Meets the Piano Annexe Art Gallery A collaboration between Anil Srinivasan, Chennai - Buddhist Calligraphy based western classical pianist; and Sharik Hasan, eminent jazz pianist An exhibition of Tibetan Calligraphy by Jamyang Dorjee FILM FESTIVAL TRAVELLING FILM SOUTH ASIA 2014 – A FESTIVAL OF SOUTH ASIAN DOCUMENTARIES: 30 JULY - 2 AUGUST 2014

23–29 August 2014, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm in the Annexe Art Gallery Apertures and Shutters A festival of 10 exceptional non-fiction films from South Asia. The festival encapsulates a flavour of the An exhibition of photographs of architectural structures subcontinent with films from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, By Jyotica Sikand Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The festival includes the award winners of Film South Asia Festival 2013, Kathmandu as well as other films selected to showcase the variety, treatment and intensity that marks the world of Southasian documentary and non-fiction Please check the IIC website for the screening schedule 14 August 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium Films on Spirituality and Faith Scared Sacred

15 diary notices Reg. No. 28936/77

Concession for Senior IIC Members

The Board of Trustees has reconsidered the revised rates of annual subscription and decided to extend concessions as given below to the members in the following categories: * ‘M’ category members who are 90 years and above as on 31st March 2014 will be charged annual subscription of 1,800 plus applicable taxes from the financial year 2014-2015 in-lieu of the rates notified earlier. * Associate members who are 90 years and above as on 31st March 2014 will be charged annual subscription of 1,500 plus applicable taxes from the financial year 2014-2015 in-lieu of the rates notified earlier. * Overseas members who are 70 years and above as on 31st March 2014 and reside outside Delhi and NCR will be charged annual subscription of US$ 600 plus applicable taxes from the financial year 2014-2015 in-lieu of the rates notified earlier. * Any excess payment in this regard made by the member qualifying for concession as mentioned above will be credited in his/her account.

Annual Subscription

As per Rule 9 of the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of the IIC, it shall be the responsibility of the members to ensure due and timely payment of subscription. Members were required to pay their Annual Subscription by 31st May 2014. In case Members have not paid the Annual Subscription, they are requested to pay the same, latest by 31st July 2014. The names of Members whose subscription falls in arrears shall be suspended from the rolls and shall be liable for the prescribed penalty in order to restore the membership. Obituary

L-0088 Shri R.N. Seth M-1870 Shri S.J. S. Chhatwal A-2879 Dr. (Smt.) Vijay Gupta M-2624 Dr. Vasudha V. Dhagamwar A-4672 Shri S.K. S. Chib M-2714 Shri Prabhakar V. Begde A-4723 Maj. Gen. S.D. Sood

Save the Dates

The IIC Experience: 9th to 15th October 2014

The Centre’s annual festival of exhibitions, performances, film festival and cuisine is in its 11th year.

The programme details will be announced later.

Please join us for the week-long festival.

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 Sanjay Malhotra at IMAGE PRINT, N-78, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi-110015. Ph. : 41425321, 9810161228

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