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Home , Farooq Sheikh, Gaman, Habib Tanvir, Jitendra Abhisheki, Kumar Gandharva, Rabindra Sangeet

.~ volume XXVIII. No. 1 - January - February 2014

and understanding of music. A video presentation Tagore: The Quintessential ongoing as a backdrop to the 'singing, flashed scenes of the Modernist Santiniketan countryside, with Baul groups immersed in PERFORMANCE: IIC ANNUAL DAY 2014 - Asia's First song and dance, virtually entranced by the power of Nobel.·A Few '' From Gitanja/i their beliefs. led by Professor Indrani Mukherjee; and artistes of Visva· Of course, the more popular and oft-sung numbers from Bharati, Santiniketan the Tagore oeuvre were reserved for the latter part of the January 22 evening when the group took listeners through the seasonal favourites from the Tagorean treasury such as Key Though he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, go antara tara ro shey. All through, the group had 's music is no less deserving of such dexterously picked numbers that conjoined an in-depth honours. Celebrating his quintessential modernist philosophy with the beauty of the season, so attitudes, the members of the Santiniketan Choir that the mind was concentrated on the presented a series of Curudevs lyrics, touching upon the mysteries of the never-ending cycle of vast oeuvrc of his heritage. The choral presentations, pleasure, pain, the passage of life and comprising soloists and group presenters, were death, the passing of a day from dawn to supported by a musical accompaniment, playing dusk and so on. All these ideas left instruments such as the esraj, purported to be ""'\. listeners in an introspective mood synonymous with Rabindra Sangcet together with \ even as the melodious voices of cymbals, khol, tabla and harmonium. Adding greater ~ the choir, in clipped Bengali interest to the evening's performances was a running . i~ accents, demonstrated the ideal commentary alongside, transcribing and categorising . ~d'tl'=,~\\met~odology of slng1l1g them into cohesive demonstrations of ~; \ Rabindra Sangeet. Tagore's genius, ranging from ancient Care had also been taken to philosophy, travels as also the , coordinate visual and vocal lesser-known but deep-rooted inputs, as the choir was dressed Tagorean interest in modern /I~~ ~. , ~. - ~ in batik and handwovensaris science and philosophy. \. \ and shawls, while the team Combining Tagore's trip to Iran I' leader had donned a silk dhoti-chador with his fundamental belief in the outfit in keeping with the university's dress notion of universalism, the group quite code. The dancers demonstrated elements of early in the evening referred to Gurudev's Tagorean numbers, making this rendezvous with Rumi-inspired number Aalo aamaar aalo. Moving from Santiniketan singing a befitting salute to the genius of this the quintessential commonalities between Rumi and modernist composer. Tagore's sangeet, the audience were regaled with a series of compositions that had emanated from Tagore's close links • SUBHRA MAZUMDAR men trying Mvriad Voices to get her to PERFORMANCE: Keystone State Boychoir whistle. In Music Director: Joseph P. Fitzmartin, January 4 the last section, the The opportunity to watch and hear sixty boys, aged 13 to choir sang 18, here in , all the way from Philadelphia, USA, songs of seemed too good to be missed for the large numbers that peace and turned out to attend, and they were not disappointed! The harmony. boys were divided into four voices, singing in parts and Especially h~rmon~. The two conductors, Steve Fisher and Joseph touching Fitzmartin (who also played the piano), seemed to be was their . 'playing' the boys, just as they would play four musical rendering of Prayer of the Children, with the few lines in instruments, with each group responding perfectly to Croatian sung in Hindi. Also among the peace songs were their conducting. Zik' (an authorised version of an A.R. Rehrnan composition) and Ramkali, based on a . The concert began with the boys singing Christmas songs from the aisles, before they went up on stage to complete It was great to watch this group of young men enthrall the the first section-songs of Christmas. The next section audience with their precise harmonies. The life and the consisted of arrangements of American folk, gospel songs energy of the choristers and their conductors were and Broadway songs. Notable in this section were Nine infectious. So inspired were the audience that, by the end Hundred Miles and Rainbow Round My Shoulder (Chain of the evening, they stood up and burst into song-a Gang Song). The song, Whistle, Maggie, Whistle had the spirited rendition of Raghupati Raghava Ram. audience in splits with the higher voices singing falsetto to act as Maggie and her friends and the lower voices as the • RITA MEITRAM

precision, clarity and above all, a high degree of sensitivity Youthlul Chamber Music and expression. Their youthful exuberance and CONCERT: Ke/emen Ouartet from Hungary dedication to classical music was evident in their Collaboration: Hungarian Information and Cultural animated facial expressions, while their fingers flew Centre; and Delhi Music Society, January 21 rapidly over their violins, viola and cello through their performance. From the familiar strains of Mozart's Eine One of the world's leading chamber ensembles, the Kleine Nachtmusik and the sombre overtones ofShubert's renowned Kelemen Quartet from Hungary treated an Death and the Maiden played with careful dignity and august international audience of music lovers, musicians, pathos, to the vividly boisterous Hungarian folk dance bureaucrats and members of the ,.. • jigs, the Kelemen Quartet's diplomatic community to a thrilling performance was an brilliant concert of western absolute delight to experience. classical music featuring works A visibly-impressed audience by Mozart, Weiner and had their eyes and ears glued to Schubert. Founded in Budapest the stage in rapt attention, so in 2009, the ensemble has that one would have even heard already earned the reputation of a pin drop over the gentle being the world's most exciting sounds of one's breath. young chamber ensembles and Repeated chants for an encore they truly deserve to have this ensued and these young distinction. All four of the Kelemen Quartet's members talented musicians obliged with are prize-winning Hungarian musicians, admired widely a magnificent rendition of Bela Bartok's second violin assoloists and asprofessional chamber players. concerto. It was, truly, a delightful evening of excellent classicalmusic! Comprising Barnabas Kelemen (violin), Katalin Kokas (viola), Gabor Homoki (second violinist) and Dora Kokas (cellist), the quartet played with· immense • DEEPAK CASTELINO to berating Cupid and the moon beams for stinging her Satvabhama's Charms like poison amidst separation pangs from beloved FESTIVAL: Samanvay Arts Festival 's absence; to her abject surrender declaring February 1 unswerving love in a letter, dispatched through a messenger: she visualised Satyabhama's polarities, her The two-day Kuchipudi event at the IIC, organised by abhinaya as persuasive as the rhythm communicating Bangalore-based vainika Dr. Suma Sudheendra and robust Kuchipudi virtuosity. Veena Murthy deputised as Veena Murthy Vijay, enchanted with the winsome appeal Madhavi in the dialogue exchanges. The 'lekha' part with of old-fashioned items from the Kuchipudi repertoire; Sastry's singing in Arabhi was piercingly beautiful. Veena rarely seen amidst the present craze for original work. The Murthy's Simhandini tala executed on the plastic sheet, second evening presented Bhama Kalapam delights by drawing on it the image of a lion with a mane, was Shama Krishna, an accomplished performer, strangely . . very impreSSive. new to Delhi. Spurred by the classically rich, involved singing of B.V.S. Sastry (on tape), with like Motherhood has not diluted Arunima Kumar's stage Kambodhi, Arabhi, Mohanam and Madhyamawati presence. Opening out her shoulders, giving movements flowing with mellifluous ease, Shama epitomised the greater expanse, articulating footwork and scaling down mercurial Satyabhama's ever-changing moods. the bold mukhabhinaya, she added to aesthetic subtlety. From the proud declaration that she is Saryabhama of unparalleled beauty, the most coveted of Krishna's wives, • LEELA VENKATARAMAN

English verse is always flawless, enthusing life to the An Evening 01Poetrv narrative. I particularly enjoyed listening to anecdotes of PERFORMANCE: I Shall Hear the Nightingale Mirza 's legendary wit. Readings by A fsana Murad Murad recited mostly from the works of Mir Taqi Mir,. February 12 Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Ibrahim Zauq, Dagh Dehlvi, Momin Khan Momin, Faiz has been one of my closest friends and Ahmed Faiz and Mohammad Iqbal. His recitation could mentor for decades. I have. known his love for have been a little louder, and the spacing between the poetry, and spent countless evenings listening to him poetry been much less.I do wish that Murad had specified recite his favourite couplets. Khushwant's love for the city the poet he was reciting and not left it to the audience to of Delhi and Urdu poetry is well-known. guess the author of the poems. Urdu usually carry The evening was indeed very special, because it celebrated the name of the poet, but the readings had few complete Khushwant, the city of Delhi and the Urdu language, poems, and more of select verses as in the book. which was nurtured in this delightful city. Khushwant's Murad recited one ofKhushwant's favourite Ghalib verse, son, Rahul Singh graced the occasion with a goodwill Go haathkojurnbishnahin, aankhonmai to dam hai, rehne message from his father. do abheesaghar 0 meenamereyaagey. Murad Ali recited Urdu couplets along with their English Though I can no longer stretch my hands, I still have lifes translation, from Penguin's Celebrating the best of Urdu sparkle in my eyes,Let thejug of wine and cup remain, Before Poetry, selected by Khushwant Singh and Kamna Prasad. me where they lie. Interspersed with Murad's dramatic recitations set to soft music, Suneet Tandon read out interesting passages from Khushwant Singh's novel Delhi. Suneet's rendition of • SADIA DEHLVI Nehru is seen acting as the witness at Deshmukh's and Tribute to e.D. Deshmukh Durgabai's court wedding. In another, Deshmukh poses EXHIBITION: The Great Rooted Blossomer - C.D.Deshmukh: A life as the visibly proud and happy father of the bride. Curator: Or. Aparna Basu, January 14 - 22 The CD. Deshmukh Annual Lecture 2014 was delivered TALK: Or. C. O. OeshmukhMemorial Lecture 2014 - The Fourth Great Movement of Indian Renaissance on January 14 by Professor P.K. Mukhopadhyay and Speaker: Professor P.K. Mukhopadhyay chaired by . His lecture focused on the Chair: Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee missing element in the foundational growth of January 14 -education. Mukhopadhyay remembers Rabindranath Tagore's lecture regarding the three great The Great Rooted Blossomer-CD. Deshmukh: A Lift was Indian Renaissance Movements in which the fourth inaugurated by Mr. Soli Sorabjee, President of the nc Renaissance: the national education council was absent. The exhibition was curated by Dr. Aparna Basu who said He speaks of the educational renaissance in colonial India that the materials for the' exhibition were sourced from with reference to its current status as dependent on the vaults of the IIC, of which Deshmukh was not only Western education and stagnating. Founder-President, bur also ~======:"I And even though education in an inalienable part. The text India is not stagnating for want accompanying the pictures of VIsion or teachers, was sourced from Deshrnukh's Mukhopadhyay contends that book, Lift and Times and the real problems are grounded from issues of the Il C in a foundarionalvenrure that Q,tarterly journal. was flawed to begin with. He His life unfolds through traces the Indian educational family pictures of him growing movement to 181.1 when the up in amongst colonial government introduced his siblings, parents and Western education for the first grandparents.C.D. Deshmukh's time in India. This was initialeducation at Elphinstone supported and endorsed by College, Bombay later led to a Rammohun Roy and Lord junior B.A. at Jesus College in Macaulay in the emergence of Cambridge. Here, he earned a Western style educational £40 scholarship on scoring the institutions in 1857. However, highest marks in his exams. He the national council of continued to earn academic education, headed by Roy did accolades, especially in the not understand the viability of prestigious Indian Civil introducing a system of Service exam, where he education that was divorced topped the examination in 1919. This was just the from Indian realities and pluralities. Mukhopadhyay beginning of an illustrious career spanning many decades. notes that Western education seemed 'artificial' to a His professional life is represented through letters to and milieu which had its own educational heritage. In seeking from people of eminence, through pictures-such as the to eradicate endemic social evils, Roy seemed to have iconic image of the Second Round Table Conference held deemed Western education as the only solution. This has in London, where CD. Deshmukh is seen seated dogged the Indian education system till the present which opposite Gandhiji-and through newspaper cartoons has focused on a form of education that is exclusionary representing his tenure as a finance minister in Nehru's and over literary, rather than inclusive-a necessary cabinet. requirement for India. But the exhibition truly comes alive in the many vignettes from CD. Deshmukh's intimate life. In one photograph, • ANINDITA MAJUMDAR Her ornate and decorative depictions stand in contrast to Paintings and Storv-telling the Patachitra by Gurupada Chitrakar of Naya Village in EXHIBITION: Painted Fables-Panchatantra who regaled viewers with traditional singing. Inauguration by Or. Syeda S..Hameed and story-telling by Puma Chandra of Ragurajpur (Puri) in Odisha, created Gurupada Chitrakar two sets of paintings depicting the story The Thoughtless Collaboration: Delhi Crafts Council; and Craft Revival Trust Monkeys Get Caught in Mans WOrk. Here the story February 4-11 unfolded in analog style. From Prakash joshi's Phad style of Rajasthan to Premola Ghose's whimsical illustrations, The animals at~the Art Gallery of the IIC were painted tales from Vishnu Sharma's ancient Panchatantra Stories. the show encapsulated and illustrated the great oral The twist to the tale was that Gulshan Nanda, of the tradition of story-telling. Delhi Crafts Council, had been so inspired by Premola In a captivating set of Sanjhi paper cuts by Mohan Kumar Ghose's animal paintings, that she had persuaded select Verma of Mathura, Slow and Steady Wins the Race was artists from folk art traditions across India to interpret depicted by simply reversing the paper cut so that the first some of these stories in their particular style. The result one shows the hare leaping forward over streams and was an elegantly mounted show depicting not just the glades and the tortoise crawling on in the rear. Reverseit well-beloved animal stories, but a unique series of folk and you have the tortoise marching steadily on and the paintings, sikki grass sculpture and sanjhi paper cuts. rabbit, asleep. The only change, the tellingly simplistic Usually folk art remains anonymous. Happily not here, cut of the rabbit's eyelid, open in the first Sanjhi work and where viewers could identify the Madhubani style shut in the second, tells the story in ways not a hundred depictions of moral stories like The King Cobra and the words ever could. Ants and The Elephant and the Hare by the prolific Bharati Dayal who is from Samastipur, an area in Bihar rich in the Mithila painting tradition. • MALATI SHAH

Of particular interest in the exhibition was the section on Images from Mizoram 'cowboys': young Mizo men adopted cowboy-inspired EXHIBITION: The Camera as Witness - Capturing Mizo Pasts dress style about the same time that they discovered the An exhibition of photographs from Mizoram guitar and American pop music. Thus Thangsailova strikes a ja nes Deanian pose while, at a more sombre Curated by Joy L.K. Pachuau and William van Schendel level, the outfit was also adopted by Mizo guerilla fighters February 12-18 between 1966-86, the years of the Troubles. Imposing Assamese on a people to whom it was an alien language It is not often that a selection of photographs provides the was one of the issues that underlay the years of insurgency. viewer with a century and a half of history. Theexhibition on Mizoram is based on a well-chosen sample from a rich It was not only the men whose sartorial styles changed but bounty of more than 20,000 images sourced from also that of women who decided not only to experiment libraries, archives and hundreds of private family albums. with the traditional puan (sarong) but also take to western dress. Studio photography had come to the area by the The earliest photographs are those taken by missionaries 1890s-a good half century after its appearance in the -the Presbyterians, Baptist Missionary Society and three Presidencies. The most striking contemporary Lakher Pioneer Society-and professionals hired by those image, however, is that of young Zonusanga who locks who could afford the luxury of a 'home shoot'. Thus, a hands with a friend-while a demure young woman looks handsome young chief poses with his entourage-mainly on! It is indeed an apt finale to a compact visual history of consisting of women, young and old-in the style of an a remote yet integral part ofIndia. ethnographic image. The early missionaries take charge of children, a Mizo kitchen isshowcased and there are singers. Singing and music-c-particularly string instruments- became an important way of imparting Christianity. • MALAVIKA KARLEKAR

5 display, it is possible to see visually the transmission of Bevond Eurocentrism cartographic knowledge between the Asian continent and the Mediterranean region in connection with traditional EXHIBITION: Time, Space, Direction - Diversities in map-making practices. Cognitive Approach The cosmological maps of , Buddhist and Jain Curator: Or. lotika Varadarajan faiths are still illustrated in exactly the same way as they Collaboration: Indian Council for Historical Research; were in the earliest examples we can find. The tribal maps Centre for Community Knowledge; and Bibliotheque Nationale though technically nominal maps, carry a cartographic February 15-26 legacy that is both spatial and temporal, and non-pictorial This exhibition offers an insight into the idea of Time, too. Similarly, sailing manuals and maps from the Potbis Space and Direction beyond the conventional Euro- ofIndian sailors at the exhibition give evidence to Indian centric impression that is generally accepted as the norm. knowledge of map-making. . The maps displayed at the ...--- •..••....-....."==,,.....-,...------,.-.~ The digital display in the exhibition show how the origins exhibition is to show how the of European mapping from the navigators of the Indian Ocean Mappaemundi, were representations region observed the heavens for a of the world according to the early long time before devising a fool- Christian belief with Jerusalem at proof celestial navigation system the centre. Similarly, maps from based on charts, tables and the Persian Gulf region and the celestial 'angles' (from the Islamic world show how map- horizon). This system, called makers from each region see polegada by' the Portugese, and themselves at the centre of the issbah by the Arabs before them, world. From the maps on display, led to the creation of more it can be seen how early European maps placed Asia at the advanced methods like the sextant that is in use today. top; while Chinese maps read the Indian Ocean region from east to west. Similarly, by looking at the maps on • LARAHRAI

the bee orchid which by its shape, colour and smell deceives a male bee to pseudo-copulate with it and The Magnificent Orchids pollinate it. EXHIBITION: The Wonderful Life of Orchids Coordinator: Professor H.Y. Mohan Ram, February 1-8 e. Sathish Kumar, a renowned botanist, gave an illustrated lecture on 'The Splendour of Orchids'. He Inauguration: Or. S. Ayappan, January 31 explained how orchid cultivation has become a global TALK: The Splendour of Orchids industry. The ability of some orchids to breed freely has Illustrated lecture: Or. Satish Kumar, February 6 been exploited by horticulturists to raise more than 100,000 hybrids. This exceeds the actual number of . .. Orchids, the second largest group of flowering plants are speCIes occurnng in represented by 800 genera and 25,000 species nature. Taiwan is constituting nearly 11 per cent of seed producing plants. unrivalled in the With their unique structure, subtle fragrance and hybridisation and spellbinding beauty, orchids have graced the history of p r o d u c r io n of mankind. The wide range of sizes, colours, floral Phalaenopsis (moth complexity and habit of the orchids were displayed at the orchid). It has white Art Gallery of the ne. Blooms of green and yellow flowers which last cymbidiums and extraordinarily shaped lady's slipper over one month. orchids from Sikkim were enchanting. The exhibition With extended shelf life and new colours, Taiwanese also featured some exquisite water colour paintings from orchid breeders have changed the way how people around the period ofWilliam Roxburgh 0751-1815) (originally the world see and enjoy new kinds of flowers. Sathish drawn by Indian artists) and those by the recent Kumar's passion and deep knowledge of the world of Indonesian botanical artist Karyono. A rare exhibit was orchids was clearly evident. the vanilla vine, whose mature pods with a distinct flavour are used in confectionary. On display was a photograph of • PRIYANKA KHANDURI • DIVYA MOHANlY Dr. reminded the audience of designers, craft Bringing Peace to Kashmir activists and researchers, that Kashmir was always famous EXHIBITION: Meet Commitment to Kashmir for its arts and crafts. The traditions largely came from Inauguration: Or. Karan Singh Iran and later Central Asia through the famous silk-trade Collaboration: Commitment to Kashmir routes. In the hundred years of Dogra rule in the 19th and February 2 20th centuries, Kashmir crafts continued to receive royal patronage. Post-independence, the crafts of papier How much can be done and how far we still need to go in mache, carpets, namdahs and wood-carving continue to re-establishing the syncretic culture that was truly flourish and find buyers, though the artisans who made 'Kashrniriyat' is an on-going effort today. Social activists intricate silver-ware have vanished. This is an area which have shown their true commitment to the cause of needs attention before it is too late. bringing peace and harmony to the valley by promoting a The CtoK model is a public-private partnership to variety of interventions. This exhibition of Kashmiri upgrade skills, said trustee, . Kashmiris have crafts by six entrepreneurs, grantees of the CtoK talent on (in) their finger tips, and psychological and (Commitment to Kashmir) Trust, is one such laudable physical suffering can be alleviated. through creative attempt. Held at the Gandhi-King Plaza, it was outflow. But to bear fruit, similar efforts must be inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Dr. Karan Singh, MP. replicated a hundred fold.' On the occasion he said, that for the last 25 years, the only The Trust is founded by Dr. , in memory of news coming from Kashmir has been of one monumental her late husband, Lakshmi C. Jain, humanitarian and disaster. This effort was a welcome ray of light in a dark visionary, and it exemplifies his Gandhian world view. situation. The grantees working in kani, felt, chain stitch etc. are a fine example of what can be accomplished with a little financial help. • MANJUKAK

The structures and compositions which she created were Hand-pressed Flowers striking-from the graphic bold black and white pieces EXHIBITION: Impressed which were geometrical in their form to the soft, natural; Nature Prints by Mridula Vichitra flowing forms of subtle green and pink hues. January 22-29 Viewing the originals which were of a miniature scale, the This was a delicate exhibition, conveying the intricate and skill of h hand which had composed these works became complex patterns naturally' occurring in nature. The apparent-her intimacy, knowledge and understanding works were powerful and humbling in their simplicity. of the flowers had developed the expertise which she had The technique was uncomplicated-direct hand-pressed honed over many years. prints of plants, flowers and petals. The enchantment of the works was also in their transient The tools were so few, it allowed the artist to work nature. Another humbling realisation brought to mind wherever she was and with whatever flora and fauna she was that, despite all our contemporary efforts and designs was surrounded by.There was an immense simplicity and -it all already existed in nature-nature had already honesty in the way she carried out her practice; she did not worked out all the forms, patterns, compositions and manipulate or transform anything, simply took what was structures. Mridula in her work reminded us of that; she already contained in the flower. The petals, stalks and revealed to us the phenomenon and 'myriad forms flowers were the brushes of this artwork, they were the of nature'. tools and they were the substance, they determined the Fitting or perhaps fateful for an artist whose own name design, the marks and the colour. Vichitra means the unexplained phenomenon of nature. The compositions were constructed by repeat pattern; Maybe she was destined to remind us all of the 'Vichitra'. differing shapes were simply made by holding, placing or squeezing the flowers in varying ways. • CATHERINE MACLEAN An exhibition of contemporary paintings was displayed Celebrating Dickens based on Charles Dickens's 1840 travelogue about his FESTIVAL: Consider Yourself at Home - Celebrating visit to Italy and France by Livi:a Signorini. Also included Charles Dickens was the 'Charles Dickens Collection', an exhibition on Inaugurated by Mr. Soli J. Sorabjeev, February 21-23 posters and frontispieces.

The IIC organised a three-day festival celebrating the life The next event was a round table discussion on 'Dickens and work of Charles Dickens. It included talks, and His Afterlives' by panelists Regenia Gagnier, who discussions, a workshop, readings, a concert, a quiz, an spoke about the importance the world has given to this exhibition, and screenings of films based on some of literary giant; Baidik Bhattacharya who demonstrated a his best work. comparative picture of Dickens's The lecture by renowned thought ,seen through the eyes of theatre artiste Girish Indian authors; and Sambudha Sen Karnad, entitled 'Dickens in who spoke about how various India', was inaugurated by people from both theatre and film, Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee. Karnad especially Charlie Chaplin, had brought out the various captured the image of Dickens in dimensions of Dickens's their works. personality and his place in Films were screened to a packed people's consciousness over auditorium that included many centuries, so much so that he students. These were adaptations is still staged to large of his best works: A Tale of Two audiences. He was a novelist Cities that depicts the plight of the who often did public readings, thereby also dramatising French peasantry demoralised by the French aristocracy his work. He even had his own amateur theatre company in the years leading up to the revolution, the of which he was very proud. There are close to 90 corresponding brutality demonstrated by the biographies of Dickens, but no one biography can claim revolutionaries to ard the former aristocrats in the early to thoroughly do justice to such a complex figure. But in a years of the revolution, and many unflattering social reference to India, a rather unpleasant Dickens is revealed. parallels with life in London during the same time period. Referring to 1857 he said, 'I wish I were the Commander The Pickwick Papers was written for publication as a serial. in Chief. I'd do my utmost to exterminate the entire race'. It is a sequence of loosely-related adventures set around An interesting point made by was why 1827, and its main literary value and appeal is formed by Indian authors were not influenced by him as they were by its numerous memorable characters. Finally, Nicholas others-Dickens used the city, he said, especially the Nickleby that centres on the life and adventures of London of the 19th century, as his protagonist, so to Nicholas Nickleby, a young man who must support his speak, which was very different from cities in India like mother and sister after his father dies. His Uncle Ralph, Bombay and Calcutta and therefore hard to relate to. who thinks Nicholas will never amount to anything, plays The members' dinner that evening recreated a Victorian the role of principal antagonist. 'Illustrating Dickens' was dinner that included terrines, Irish lamb stew, Roman pie, a workshop for children conducted by Atanu Roy and and nothing less than Miss Havisham's wedding cake Deepa Agarwal in the Gandhi King Plaza who gave us and sponge fingers. glimpses of Dickens' famous child characters. The workshop was attended by children from Springdales Evening with Oliver Twist School, Mirambika, Bluebells and the Indian School. and Other Worthies', An Open Quiz entitled 'What the Dickens!' followed. It presented by Aching was conducted by quiz master Aryapriya Ganguly with Shaiza, Mino Maneckshaw 14 teams of two partici pants each. and Reuben Israel, accompanied on the piano 'Of Frogs Expiring and Other Marvels: An Evening of by Kyoko Ito. It depicted Dickens's Dramatised Readings' was another enjoyable Dickens's unromantic evening with readings brought to us by Yatrik. Sunit portrayal of criminals and Tandon, Giti Chandra among others read passages from their sordid lives that is Nicholas Nickleby; Dombey and Son; Martin Chuzzlewit; relieved by his tongue-in- The Pickwick Papers:Hard Times; David Copperfield;A cheek humour. The Tale of Two Cities; and Ode to an presentation included readings from the novel and ExpiringFrog. dramatised songs from the musical of the 1970s using The Festival illustrations by Georgc Cruikshank, Dickens's concluded with contemporary and the original illustrator of most of the concert his books. 'Please Sir, May An altogether unique Festival. I Have Some More?: An

With only an electronic tambura and tabla for Texts to Notes accompaniment, Mudgal gave a riveting performance of a MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION: number of songs set in a variety of genres from khayal to Notes from the Past. Illustrated lecture by January 17 tbumri and geet to a packed house that had a number of musicians and music lovers present. Notations of Indian Unlike the western norm, Indian musicians are not music tend to be skeletal at best and only those who have usually dependant on, or inspired by, musical notations. learnt raga music from traditionally trained masters can Although musical notation has been in use for well over a flesh them out and give them a life beyond the printed century, practitioners of Indian music are still mostly text. Having been trained by performing musicians of die given to learning, teaching and performing by direct face last generation like Ramashray Jha, , =to- face oral transmission. So when singer and composer and Naina Devi, Mudgal was at ease Shubha Mudgal was presented a volume titled Rajasthan as she sang out piece after piece in ragas like Tilak Kamod, Ke Rajwade Geet (Court Songs of Rajasthan) by Arvind Khammaj, Gauri to list just a few. The sheer unaffected Singh of the former Udaipur princely family, the book lay charm of her renderings was infectious and she soon untouched on her bookshelf for a long time. Recently, had the audience asking her a plethora of questions however, Mudgal has been rummaging through the 500- and the lively discussion that followed was immensely odd compositions that are notated in it and bringing enlightening. some of them back to life. These songs and the process of putting them to voice were the subject of her music appreciation lec-dern. • S. KALIDAS Mandela also affectionately known as Madiba, the Father- Memorv 01Madiba Figure, reflects the hopes and aspirations of the oppressed TALK: Remembering Mandela - First Hand by Saeed Naqvi overwhelming majority, though his words are measured; FILM: Interviews he is measured in his optimism as are his colleagues like January 25 and Ahmad Katchalia, an exceptional Indian of Gujarati origin. Nelson Mandela remains the most charismatic and The second documentary on Indians in South Africa,. influential figure in the struggle of South African Blacks largely from , brings out their insularity, perhaps against the White rulers who were extreme in their tyranny inadvertently. The Indian population there has been against the ethnic majority who had moral and ethical prosperous and treated like a buffer between theniselves and rights over the land and its enormous mineral wealth. In the Blacks and the White rulers. The Indians, like in other 1989, the great day arrived when the ruling government parts of the world where they migrated, clung tenaciously to headed by EW De Klerke agreed under intense their culture or their memoty of it inherited from their international pressure to hold free and fair elections and forefathers, who were there in the late 19th century, mostly lost inevitably to the Black majority. A new chapter in as indentured labour. Over time, they became successful South Africa's history opened. businessmen and professionals in other fields. Veteran journalist Saeed Naqvi was present when Madiba, a programme devised by Saeed Naqvi featuring Mandela was released from prison and had interviewed the two TV documentaries and a question and answer him. He presented two of his documentaries shot 25 years session afterwards was commendable. It was in tribute to ago on low-band video that are still in good condition. the recently departed Mandela, a giant amongst men. These are of considerable value to students of 20th century political history. The interview with Nelson • PARTHA CHATTERJEE

capturing the spirit of Naya Theatre's locally grounded Art, Music and Poetrv progressive cultural work. PERFORMANCE: Jashn-e-Zindabad SRUTI Fellows, and particularly Dalit activist Selvaraj's Collaboration: SRUTI, February 15 troupe from Andhra Pradesh, presented a range of songs and dances that were simple, moving, and raw. The tea- 'Zindabad' is how members of SRUTI-Society for break allowed a peek at the stalls selling books on peoples' Rural, Urban and Tribal Initiative-greet each other and movements and handmade products, while the Society they celebrated 30 years of grassroots work for social also felicitate Its oldest eo-traveller, the sprightly justice with ajashn involving art, music and poetry from octogenarian L.R. Sarin, in between the Dastangoi all over India. presented by the talented Manu and Nadeem. Dastangoi's Held at the lIC's Gandhi-King Plaza, the programme recent proliferation is a delight, and this one was based on began with Nageen Tanvir and her troupe. of a brilliant story by celebrated Rajasthani litterateur Chhattisgarhi accompanists presenting folksongs. , into which was woven the theme of Nageen has imbibed the progressive ethos of Naya gender justice. The story of 'Shahzadi Chowboli' married Theatre, founded by her father , and magic and metaphor to reveal female protagonists enriches it with her training in classical Hindustani outwitting men, prisoners to defunct ideas of male music. Her repertoire, rendered in a rich sonorous voice, honour and false pride. The rendition was most engaging, included traditional but forgotten folksongs from with its delightful Chinese-box narrative structure and and Up, as well as a tbumri and a by creative blend of rustic Rajasthani and Hindustani. Nazir Akbarabadi, ending with one ofTanvir's political A film tracing SRUTI's journey, an open session of compositions. The lyrics captured the vitality and rhythm sharing, and performances by JUST US and SPACE, two of rural and tribal life at work and at play, its moods contemporary all-women bands, rounded up the cold ranging from domestic humour to seasonal celebrations evening, warmed equally by coal braziers and bonhomie. and ritual evocations. The accompanying instruments were classical and folk, with the entire performance • MAYAJOSHI for their day to day academic pursuit. libraries and the ICT On the other hand, a library has to play a role in inculcating the reading habit and be a gateway to Revolution knowledge. However, studies revealthat people nowadays TALK: A Debate for and Against the Motion - This House depend on major gateways, search engines like Google believes that libraries and librarians are Irrelevant in the more than libraries for seeking information. Hence, the Context of the Increased Dependency on ICT for access to idea of the library as a major source of information has Information by young librarians: Or. Akhtar Parvez; Rajesh indeed come under threat. Singh; Raj Kumar Bhardwaj; Rajni Jindal. Remarks by Seen from the users' perspective, it appears that librarians Mr. ; Or. N. Vijayaditya; and Or. S.M. Ohawan have used ICT so far as a tool to reshape library facilities, Chair: Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee, January 10 not as a means to revamp, 'innovate and deliver value- based services. While, on the one hand, the Information and The main issues for debate were identified as follows:Are Communication Technologies (lCT) have brought libraries and librarians relevant in the digital age? Will unprecedented changes in the libraries seeking to libraries and librarians be able to face the challenge from modernise library and information services, the digital competing giants like Google in 'resource discovery'? revolution which sparked the digital publication trend in libraries and librarians' role-is to manage information, not scholarly communication has eventually led the shift technology; do libraries create a literate environment for from physical to digital library services. The web lifelong learning? what can improve public perception of revolution has introduced innovative web-based services libraries and librarians? what will be the future role of and provided new means of access and delivery of libraries and librarians? do the digital resources substitute information. The user community has become self- the print resources? sufficient in exploring the world of knowledge and usually does not need to approach libraries and librarians • S.MAJUMDAR

But soon after their deaths, their erstwhile great empires, Buddhism and the State at their zenith, went into a rapid decline. In Kulke's TALK: The 26th Wllhelm von Pochhammer Memorial Lecture personal view, people at that time were not prepared for 2014. From Ashoka to Jayavarman VII- Some Reflections on Ashoka's message. The tendency was to find legitimation the Relationship Between Buddhism and the State in India for Hindu rulers according to tradition.

and Southeast Asia Kulke also exposed the contradictions III deed and Speaker: Professor Hermann Kulke philosophy of the great Hindu rulers such as the Guptas, Chair: Satinder K. Lambah Satvahanas and Ikshvaku rulers who though great Collaboration: Federation of lndo-Berrnan Societies in India supporters of Buddhism, also believed in horse sacrifice and Hanns-Seidel-Stiftunq, January 6 which was anathema to Buddhism. Yet this support also produced some wonderful Buddhist monuments in German ambassador Michael Steiner observed that India. Buddhism has contributed much to these beautiful Buddhism today exists in India in a much reduced form in cultures and ideas which later became part of Hinduism. sharp contrast to its former glory. And much of Professor Hermann Kulke's lecture focused on the decline of the Noted scholar' and panelist, Dr. Buddhist tradition in India, after the rule of two of commented that Kulke presented two fundamental Ancient India's and South East Asia'sgreat rulers Ashoka propositions in relation to political power and and Jayavarman VII, who were ardent propagators of subsequently, what happened with that political power Buddhism. Ashoka produced the earliest and largest and Buddhism asdistinct from Hinduism in this area. number of inscriptions of early India with clear Buddhist Eminent historian Romila Thapar enriched the connotations, and Jayavarman VII left us not only South discussion and suggested that one needs to go beyond East Asia's largest number of inscriptions but also talking of Buddhism and Hinduism as these or any other produced the largest number of monuments in Angkor religious ideologies are extremely complex. Vat in Cambodia, particularly in Bayong. • GAURIKA KAPOOR of German philological scholarship on the Mahabharata Intriguing Talk and the Bhagavad Gita. TALK: The Mahabharata - History, Science or Myth? The epic serves as a connective link between India of the Speakers: Or. Vishwa Adluri; Or. Joydeep Bagchee Aryans and India of the Hindus-between white Aryans Chair: Or. Suresh K. Goel 'and black aboriginals. Thus the racial principle was used Collaboration: Oraupadi Trust to read Indian history. Theosophists of Germany January 15 historicised the Mahabharata which was misrepresented According to Suresh K. Goel, former DG, ICCR, who in the 19th century and they did not accept the chaired the session, the Mahabharata is not just a product Mahabharata as a philosophical and meaningful text. of history, origin of existentialism but also a 'Way of They also cut up the Gita, and according to some, the Progress'. He also said that the virtual barrier between Gita was corrupt. The speakers challenged the theory that history and myth isvery basic. Mahabharata, according to the Brahmanic religion corrupted an original epic. the chair, has everything that Bharatbarsha means. To get into the depth of two hundred years of history and Beginning from the Mahabharata studies in the west challenge it is daunting and no easy task and the speakers (primarily Germany) and providing an intriguing and who are also rhe authors have very successfully achieved logical explanation of it, the speakers with their their aim. commendable, critical scholarship explained the The entire interactive talk organised by the Draupadi Trust historical conflicts, prejudices of western (German) proved beyond doubt what VishwaAdluri had stated: that philosophers, intellectuals and artists against the the epic isnot just history, but the mother of history. magnificent epics, Mahabharata and the Gita. Thus, Vishwa Adluri and Joydeep Bagchee undertook a very careful and difficult approach to nearly two centuries • MANDIRA GHOSH

geography, he tried to find out how a river in some way Along the Amu Darva becomes a trepan history, which is generally an unusual TALK: Medieval Riverlogues - Crossing and Contestations practice. While doing so, Manu Sobti didn't forget to Along the Oxus Borderland focus on the region's biggest river to find out the reason Illustrated lecture by Dr. Manu P. Sobti behind its cultural and historical importance in Central Chair: Professor Madhavan K. Palat Asia. In his lecn re, he not only mentioned the complex February 3 phenomenon of the Oxus river of Central Asia, but also While speaking on 'Medieval Riverlogues: Crossing and portrayed how the river itself witnessed hoards of people Contestations Along the Oxus Borderland', an architect going across its banks and its significant roles. And last but and renowned historian Dr. Manu Sobti, highlighted the not the least, he also looked at architectural history as a riverlogues among two cultures through his film and way to analyse physical artefacts, which often never go lecture. Through his audio-visual presentation, he beyond geography or potamology and covered the whole elaborated how a river divides or bridges two cultures, Persian region by highlighting that aspect of history. At especially by citing the example of Arab and Persian the end, Manu Sobti also shared a few pictures of 1905 cultures during the army expansion and encounters of the which show the Jewish School in the desert which past. His research was about the medieval cities along the reflected the wonderful sense of how people had Silk Route, andAmu Darya is one of the principal carriers interacted with those buildings. of trade between the two worlds i.e. Silk Route. In his lecture, Manu Sobti categorically tried to look at a river in a historical perspective. By going beyond the • SHAHID SIDDIQUI eternal love that these people embodied, a love that love, the lover.and the opened up to all-rich and poor, intellectual and Beloved commoner, and this iswhat has made this country great. TALK: love - The Sufi Foundation for Bliss Saying that voluntary worshipfulness is accepted and Speaker: Shaykh Hisham Kabbani acknowledged, he gave the example of a sheikh who Introduction: Sadia Oehlvi donated his possessions in order to be able to respond to January 6 the question, 'What ispoverty like?' Speaking of Sufism, he said it could not accept a form but Founder of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order of it could accept a subtle being, and that love was a way of America, this Lebanese master of universal love unfolded entering this subtle divinity. But one had to free oneself as a clear view of human society free of strife. Extolling a drop leavesits form to enter the ocean oflove. spontaneity, he spoke unrehearsed of his subject, love, as without boundaries and knowing all languages, the king Shaykh Kabbani gave many descriptions of the love of life. Explaining that the root of the word 'mohabbai beyond description. He quoted Rabi'a al-Adawiyya, who was 'ha-ba', he said it meant hayat or a beautiful life and spoke of her love as beyond desire of Heaven or fear of baqah or ever-existence without boundaries. Hell. He conjured the vision of Jalalluddin Rumi, rising above gravity to circle a sacred geometry as he whirled. He praised the learned people of India, saying that they Like the spinning darvaishesradiating their divine energy, lived among saints and that the Ulerna-al-Hind had the Shaykh's eloquence brought his transcendent always been held in high regard. Shaykh Kabbani took the love to life. examples of the mazhars of saints visited by millions each day. They say there is no life in the grave, then who is attracting these millions? He explained that it is the • MAHADEVAN RAMASWAMY

path to freedom spans spiritual, personal and emotional Vivekananda's Relevance domains. Vivekananda believed in freedom of the self by THE MAJOR SCHOOLS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY: the self. Hence, the conditions of freedom must exist in an - His Relevance Today individual or a society itself. Speaker: Or. Pratap Bhanu Mehta The Vedantic concepts Aham Brahmasmi (I am that Chair: Rajiv Mehrotra Brahman) should be accepted with the notion of Tat Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of Tvam As; I'hat art thou). Sole acceptance of the former His Holiness the Oalai lama, January 13 would be an arrogant, self-centered approach. This idea forms the metaphysical foundations of democracy, Pratap Bhanu Mehta's lecture on the Vivekananda equality and thus, the thrust of Vivekananda's moment in Indian Philosophy was a momentous political philosophy. conclusion to the series oflectures on Indian Philosophy. Vivekananda's entry point into political philosophy was This metaphysical arrangement was accepted by thinkers his conception of leading a religious life. However, he like Ambedkar and Aurobindo as well. Deliberation on didn't adhere to the conventional bhakti or intellectual this arrangement ended up rendering practical Vedantato traditions. While the concept of bhaktiwas unavailable as a descriptive metaphysical talisman, something quite a locus of inter-subjective agreements, the argumentative unlike what Vivekananda wanted. intellectual culture left no scope for any understanding The lecture ended with the open question as to whether of subject matters. this thought project, providing metaphysical basis to democracy, was requisite or accessible at all. One also Mehta spoke of how those who think of themselves as needs to reflect on whether this project is consistent in worldly, end up denying the world and themselves due to Vivekananda's conception of an 'ideal woman', which is their result-oriented actions. Swami Vivekananda debated to be anti-feminist on various levels. attempted subtly at making religious life more worldly by accepting life in all its manifestations. Liberty was at the core of Swami Vivekananda's political philosophy and the • SONAKSHI SAMTANI instilling of self-respect in women. Bhatt explained that The Gloria Steinem Reader the feminine way, as represented by SEWA, did not TALK: As if WomenMatter - The Essential Gloria exclude men. She dwelt on how the world needed Steinem Reader feminine leadership to save natural resources and find Panelists: Gloria Steinem, Ela Bhatt and Or. Oevaki Jain development solutions. Applying the theory to the sphere Moderator: Ruchira Gupta of international relations, she presented a grihini or Collaboration: apneaap Women Worldwide and Indian homemaker's manifesto for the world: by bringing nature Women's Press Corps into the peace process; weaving the concept of work into January 15 therapy, digniry and sustainabiliry; the idea of sustainable This event marked the launch of the book, As if Women and plural peace; and a shared environment as a guarantee against war. Matter-The Essential Gloria Steinem Reader, a compilation of renowned American feminist Gloria Extending these ideas, Steinem spoke about how her visits Steinem's writings by activist and journalist Ruchira to India taught her that real change came from bottom up Gupta. During the evening, various speakers, including rather than top down. She dwelt on the three stages of the Steinern herself, underlined her ties to India over the last social justice movement: dependent, independent and four decades. First, development economist Devaki Jain interdependent, placing the women's movement on the spoke about Steinem's role in broadening the women's cusp of the last stage. She explained that a country's movement and creating knowledge that was also relevant violence to itself or other countries was linked to violence for feminists in developing countries. against its women, and that there was a crucial link between democracy within families and normalising Followingthis, SEWA (SelfEmployed Women's Association democracy in the wider political system. of India) founder Ela Bhatt presented her theory of the feminine way, drawing upon her experiences at the four decade-old organisation. Bhatt and Steinem first met in the early 1970s, and the latter has described SEWA as the • SONAM]OSHI

well asoriental sryles. Indian Design Scenario Post-independence till 1961, Chaudhuri labelled 'India TALK: FRONTIERS OF HISTORY: An Uncertain Arc- in a hurry.' Nehru wanted to put craft into industry and \ Impressions of India's Design Century set up government boards dealing with handicrafts and Illustrated lecture: Itu Chaudhuri. Chair: Prof. Suchitra weaving. Kamalad vi Chattopadhyay and Pupul Jayakar were the tsarinas of this era. Corbusier and Kahn Balasubrahmanyan, February 20 impacted architecture and Charles and Ray Eames were This latest lecture in the three year old series truly commissioned to make a study of Indian Design. Their expanded the scope of History to new frontiers. Design India Report became the basis for the next phase of a few began in prehistoric times, but awareness of its multi-level decades when the National Institute of Design began importance is new. In India, this awareness needs greater functioning in Ahmedabad. focus, and Itu Chaudhuri's enormous research NID has impacted every aspect of Design through its highlighted the sparseness of study of the Indian scenario. commitment to Earnes' recommendations which Chaudhuri explored the purpose of Design as its successfully enmeshed Nehru's industrialisation with emphasis shifts between functional, experiential and anti-industrialists like Tagore. The theme now became symbolic, and studied trends over the past century in a 'craft interventions' where the Design product became a four phase timeline: pre-1947, 1947-61, 1961-91 and the means of societal change. current phase 1991 onwards. These phases mark major Gradually Design changed from being mere shifts. The first bore a marked British stamp that beautification of surfaces to today's expansion of domain completely negated princely studios. Overwhelming to include everything from logos to teapots to furniture to fascination for India led to abundant pictorial census forms and web pages. Yet Chaudhuri feels that the documentation in sryles of contemporary British art. Indian contemporary design dynamic isscattered. Kalabhavan and grew to counter the British influence, and these explored folk and tribal arts as • BHARATI MIRCHANDANI out to underprivileged cornmunmes, interacting Changing Delhi extensively with them to explore their problems, and DISCUSSION: Ilelhi-capturinq Women's Lives and ChangeIn facilitating solutions. A City In Transition - Civil Lines, Inner Wheel Clubs and Purnima Narayan gave an insight into her Kayasth family Changing Delhi where each unit housed 30-60 persons sharing a common Speakers: Minna Kapur; and Purnima Narayan kitchen, pooled resources, and familial love kept in check Collaboration: Centre for Women's Development Studies by strong hierarchical traditions. Both men and women January 20 were highly educated. Men served the rulers, whether Civil Lines residential area came up on lush orchard lands Muslim or British with utmost loyalty. Being close to along the Yamuna when the British centre moved from power, they adopted elite lifestyles and became patrons of Calcutta to Delhi. The walled city by then was culture, especially music. overcrowded and hot. The elite moved to the fresh air of While the Mathur families lived in close proximity the new palatial bungalows of Civil Lines. Two ladies of enabling a few hundred members to gather for each these privileged families spoke about growing up in a festival without needing to drive, other families were 'Delhi that was still Delhi' as aptly expressed by Minna scattered across the expanding city. Yet the values of joint Kapur. Her love for the place is so strong that it overflows family culture, where every mum, aunt or uncle was each to encompass all Delhi through the changes wrought by child's mum, aunt or uncle existed. Obedience and love many decades. abounded and has sustained through changing times. This love, instilled by their nurturing pleasurable This was an evening that evoked a yearning for an in- childhood within cultured and educated extended depth study of this small but influential elite. families, provided both speakers of the evening a confidence to leap into the unfamiliar. Both are active workers with Inner Wheel Clubs Delhi chapter, reaching • BHARATI MIRCHANDANI

War and the experiments to end the lives of jail inmates Unethical Medical Practices and other people thought inferior by the Nazi regime.The DISCUSSION: Unethical Medical Practices - How do Hippocratic Oath of 'do no harm to anyone' was rocked I Save Myself? from its foundation, an attitude that had lasted as the art Keynote Speaker: Dr. Naresh Gupta of the science of medical practice for over 2000 years. Panelists: Dr. K.K. Talwar and Dr. Navin Dang Modern medicine with the discovery of penicillin and Collaboration: Consumers India other inventions ushered new ethics. With time, diseases January 24 changed and presented fresh dilemmas to doctors-such as patients urging doctors not to reveal contentious facts IIC and Consumers 1ndia havecollabo-rated to organise a about their health. The field emerged with many more series of lectures to raise information aboiit=consumer .miraculous interventions oflife-saving procedures such as redressal regarding misleading facts about products. The organ renlacement. Governments attempted to put introduction was precise and informative about legislation in pIa e as pre eilt-wl"-measuresand su ort to advertisements which had been refuted through people The discussion also highlighted that the laboratory studies, an example being 'Revital' , leading Consumer Protecricm-Acrjs central for the protection of people to consume artificial products when small patients and their families~di many other amounts of natural produce can give equal if not better legislations such as the Organs Act or the Prenatal nourishment. The-series was necessirated- by the Diagnostic Act and the management of Medical \Xiage. proliferation of advertisements that promised miracles in Issues in bio ethics and drug use have been under scrutiny body building or weight loss-other facets of as well. Thus, the bio medical ethics comprise several medical tourism. layers and severalstakeholders. The panelists were well-known doctors of the city of Delhi. The nobility of medical science came under dispute with the Doctors trials after the Second World • ASHASINGH brings earnestness as well as vulnerability to the fore Remembering effortlessly. deals with the subject of migration, FILMS: A Tribute to Farooq Sheikh (1948·2013) and the impact it creates on lives everywhere. It tries to February 25-27 present, simply, a complex issue that filmmakers have been trying to portray. Sheikh's portrayal of Ghulam is Sikandar Mirza (Farooq Sheikh), is the only character in tinged with a touch of innocence and honesty. His Garam Hawa who witnesses the changing meaning of innocence is matched only by the"intensity and grace of freedom as his family gets beaten down at every corner. Smita Pati!' This, slightly idealistic, yet entirely believable character allows the screenplay to meander when the comes alive because of Sheikh who plays it with a lot of drama needs depth. 's music is a solid pillar in the sincerity, in his debut film. Garam Hawa is the story of the film, but the montages they are used behind are so aimless Mirza family. At every point, Mirza loses something while that the meaning is completely lost. The sound design as his faith in his nation is tried and tested. well as cinematography are below-par, so much so that, technically, Gaman iscompletely outdated today. 's Chashme Buddoor brought one of the gentlest bachelors on screen, in Hindi films. Siddharth, played by Farooq Sheikh, displayed a certain level of inexperience in courting a woman, a big no for any actor at that time. That inexperience has charmed generations hence. One of the better films about male bonding, Chashme Buddoor also stars (late) Baswani as Jai and Rakesh Bedi as Omi. Sai Paranjpye displays a light touch in all her films and Chashme Buddoor is no different. The three characters represent the times perfectly. ChashmeBuddoor has the privilege of being one of the few films that uses its Delhi setting rather well. Capturing the laid-back nature of youth through the three characters, the extremely picturesque monuments bring in a certain perspective .•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••_-. Unfortunately, the gentle humour of Chashme Buddoor might be missed OUtin """~'" UI'4 #.~'1,4" roe--c:ynicism of M.S. Sathyu's Garam Hawa is empathetic; [uU of the present day, characters so human0~~wciter~sty comes and it might through. "and 's screenplay, appear slightly though uneventful, is completely heart-breaking. The unrealistic and question of identity raiscd-througlithe film comes out in roman ticised. the most tragic scene of the film when Salim Mirza's That, however, mother refuses to leave her haveli and goes into hiding. doesn't take Sathyu~--greatesttriumph is the compassion that he is able anything away A FlL.'4 or MIJ;:,A,I-7tAf? su to lend to a heart-rending story offaith. from Paranjpye's ,IlCISJC woer classic. Muzaffar Ali's Gaman presents a very earnest protagonist, Ghulam Hasan, who moves to (then Bombay) from his native village in to earn a living. Ali trusts Farooq Sheikh with the role of Ghulam Hasan, who • AMIT UPADHYAYA Annual Subscription All members are requested to pay their annual subscription for the year 20 14-20 15 in time. An extract of Rule 9 of the Memorandum of Association and Rules & Regulations isgiven below for information: 'Subscriptions towards membership are payable in advance for each financial year and shall be due for payment on the 1st April ofeachyear. It shall be the responsibility ofthe members to ensure due and timely payment ofsubscriptions'. Do please write your Membership number and 'Annual Subscription for the year 2014...,15' on the back of the cheque. In case you choose to deposit cash or make an online payment, please inform the accounts department that the amoun t deposi ted is towards annual subscription for the year 2014-15. Annual Pavment for lie Quarterlv 2014-15 The IIC Quarterly (two single and one special double issue) addresses vital contemporary issues relating to governance, civic and international affairs, ethics and society, education, law, environment, indigenous knowledge systems, literature, cinema and the arts. The annual rates for the IIC Quarterly India (INR) Abroad (US$) for the financial year 2014-15 are : Members (Individual) ~350.00 US$35 Non-Members (Individual) ~ 500.00 US$45 Member/Non-Member ~750.00 US$55 (Institutions) Bank charges for outstation cheques ~50.00 US$15 (*Note: Euros and GBP equivalent to US$ are accepted) Amendment The following amendment proposed by Mr. R.K. Chhabra (LF-04) in the minutes of the 561hAnnual Gencra1.Body meeting has been approved by the President: To delete the following recorded in the Minutes: 'The Centre was established in 1959 and the building was inaugurated in 1962. Accordingly, the Golden Jubilee of the Centre rightly was completed in 2009. My only request is that the BT may please consider it and rectify the mistake they have made.' To replace with the following: ' 'The Centre was established in 1959 and the building was inaugurated in 1962. Accordingly, the Golden Jubilee of the Centre rightly was completed in 2009. My only request is that the BT may please note the same and records be amended accordingly.' Obituarv It iswith deep regret that we mention the untimely passing away of Ambassador (Retd) Jagdish C Sharma, the spouse of our Director Dr. Kavita A, Sharma and a distinguished Member of the Centre (M-2736). We wish to put on record the significant contribution made byAmbassador Jagdish C Sharma towards helping lIC organise national and international programmes and conferences at the lIC Our thoughts arewith the Director Dr. KavitaA. Sharma in her moment ofgrief A-I023 Shri Ranjit Bhatia OA-472 Ms Raj Kumari Datta A-1155 Shri AN. Kapur M-0982 Shri R.L. Sahni A-1197 Ms. Salima Tyabji M-1150 ShriAS. Gilani A-1362 Shri I.Z. Bhatty M-1276 Ambassador (Mrs.) Soonu Kochar A-4271 Mrs. Annapurna Sinha M-1415 Or. CL. Nahal A-4325 Mrs. Nirmal Khubchand M-1503 Shri CM. Lal A-4646 Dr. V.Anand Swamy M-3858 Shri Pankaj Agarwala Highlights for April- Mav 2014

LECTURES 30 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in Conference Room - I

1 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill, Indian Archaeology Kamaladevi Complex India in Cambodia-Conservation of Angkor Wat and The Quest for Consciousness Ta Prohm Speaker: Julio Ozan Lavoisier, well-known philosopher Illustrated lecture by Jahnwij Sharma, Director from Argentina (Conservation), ASI /

4 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill, 2 April 2014 at 6:00 pm in Seminar Rooms I - Ill, Kamaladevi Complex Kamaladevi Complex

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LECTURES IIe Quarterly Release: Living with Religious Diversity New Vistas in Chemical Science: A Ring Side View PERFORMANCES Speaker: Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, Department of 1 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in Science and Technology, Government of India the Auditorium 2 May 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill, Abbas: The Man Who Saw Kamaladevi Complex Tomorrow Radio Window to the Universe A multi-media presentation Speaker: Professor N. Chengalur, National by Hamari Urdu Mohabbat Centre for Radio Astrophysics, T~ta Institute of The programme highlights Fundamental Research K.A. Abbas' legacy and 7 April 2014-at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill, achievement and will include Kamaladevi Complex clips from some of his memorable films, photographs, his own words and voice; and presentation of two songs from MUSIC ApPRECIATION PROMOTION his films written by KaifiAzmi andAli Sardar jafri The Last Flute Maker - The Disappearance of the Organised to mark the birth centenary of KA. Abbas Instrument Maker 11 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in A dialogue between Jagdeep Singh Bedi, and the Auditorium surbahar artist and teacher at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya; and Ajay Rikhi Ram, sitar player as well as instrument Concert - Piano Recital maker with 'Rikhi Ram', the oldest instrument shop By Raphael Alexandre in Delhi Lustchevsky, internationally Coordinator/moderator: Smt. Manjari Sinha, noted renowned Polish pianist and music critic Steinwayartist 11 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11- Ill, 24 April 20 14 at 6:30 pm in Kamaladevi Complex the Auditorium

Reading Contemporary Chinese Art An Evening of Classical, Broadway, Jazz and Pop Illustrated lecture by Professor Suman Gupta, Professor of Concert presented by The Delhi Genesis Choir - all Literature and Cultural History, English Department, male choir Faculty of Arts, The Open University, UK Guest artist: Nadya Balyan (soprano) Pianist and conductor: Aching Shaiza Millennium Dreams Festival '" ·.•. 41·,. ~ 9 April 2014 from 6:00 A photographic project presenting eleven photographers pm onwards in the ~'1<', f~~'''~presenting interpretations of Gurgaon through Auditorium ~.k,. ,.~. distinctive artistic, documentary styles Celebrating Spring fOO-i.TIf"f Sattriya Recital By Phukon from Assam, disciple of Guru Bharatanatyam Recital By L. Murugashankri from Chennai, disciple of Smt. Parvathi Ravi Ghantashala Films 16 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium Photographs by Vaibhav Bhardwaj; Chandan Gomes; Films on Spirituality and Faith Manoj Bharri Gupta; Vinit Gupta; Arvind Hoon; The Art of Happiness Saumya Khandelwal; Natisha Mallick; Aparna Mohindra; Vicky Roy;Ajay Sood; and Monica Tiwari Director: Alessandro Rak Cur.ator: AdityaArya Recipient of the Young Cinema Award, Venice Film Festival 23 - 29 April 20 14, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm in the Annexe Art Gallery 5- 6 May 20 14 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium Films on Research, screenplay and directed by Anjali Kirtane who will introduce the screenings

5 May, 2014 Sangeetache Suwarna Yug (Golden Age of Classical Music) A musical drama that covers the period 1850-1 ?50 6 May,2014 Gaan Yogi: Pt. D.Y. Paluskar JalAnand

Exhibitions Impressions from the Maha Kumbh Mela 20 13

2 - 12 April 2014, Photographs by Cord Meier-Klodt, jean-Pierre Muller, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and Lalit Verma in the Art gallery, Kamaladevi Complex DICKENS AND THEIllUSTRATOR APART OF THE lie's FESTIVAL ON DICKENS

Illustration was an important part of the Dickens experience. Dickens worked in close collaboration with his illustrators, supplying them with an overall summary of the work at the outset. This closeworking relationship with his illustrators is important to readers of Dickens today. The illustrations give us a glimpse of the characters as Dic5ens described them to the illustrator and approved when the drawing was finished. Film makers still use the illustrations as a basis for characterisation, costume, and set design in the dramatisation of Dickens' works.

The issue of the Dairy has been assembled and edited by Omita Goyal, Chief Editor. Rachna Ioshi, Senior Asst. Editor and Riru Singh, Senior Asst. Editor. Published by Ravinder Datta, for the India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi - 110 003, Ph. :24619431. DesignedbySanjay Malhorraat lMAGEPRINT,N-78, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi-l 10015. Ph.: 41425321,9810161228