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volume XXVIII. No. 1 - January - February 2014

Tagore: The QuintessentialModernistPERFORMANCE: IIC ANNUAL DAY 2014 - Asia's FirstNobel.·A Few 'Song Offerings' From Gitanja/iled by Professor Indrani Mukherjee; and artistes of Visva·Bharati, SantiniketanJanuary 22

Though he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature,

Rabindranath Tagore's music is no less deserving of such

honours. Celebrating his quintessential modernistattitudes, the members of the Santiniketan Choir

presented a series of Curudevs lyrics, touching upon thevast oeuvrc of his heritage. The choral presentations,

comprising soloists and group presenters, weresupported by a musical accompaniment, playing

instruments such as the esraj, purported to be

synonymous with Rabindra Sangcet together withcymbals, khol, tabla and harmonium. Adding greater

interest to the evening's performances was a running

commentary alongside, transcribing and categorisingthem into cohesive demonstrations of

Tagore's genius, ranging from ancientphilosophy, travels as also the

lesser-known but deep-rooted

Tagorean interest in modern

science and philosophy.

Combining Tagore's trip to Iranwith his fundamental belief in the

notion of universalism, the group quiteearly in the evening referred to Gurudev's

Rumi-inspired number Aalo aamaar aalo. Moving from

the quintessential commonalities between Rumi and

Tagore's sangeet, the audience were regaled with a series of

compositions that had emanated from Tagore's close links

and understanding of Baul music. A video presentation

ongoing as a backdrop to the 'singing, flashed scenes of theSantiniketan countryside, with Baul groups immersed insong and dance, virtually entranced by the power of

their beliefs.

Of course, the more popular and oft-sung numbers fromthe Tagore oeuvre were reserved for the latter part of the

evening when the group took listeners through theseasonal favourites from the Tagorean treasury such as Key

go antara tara ro shey. All through, the group had

dexterously picked numbers that conjoined an in-depthphilosophy with the beauty of the season, so

that the mind was concentrated on the

mysteries of the never-ending cycle of

pleasure, pain, the passage of life and

death, the passing of a day from dawn todusk and so on. All these ideas left

""'\. listeners in an introspective mood

\ even as the melodious voices of~ the choir, in clipped Bengali. i~ accents, demonstrated the ideal

. ~d'tl'=,~\\met~odology of slng1l1g~; \ Rabindra Sangeet.

Care had also been taken to

, coordinate visual and vocal

/I~~ ~. inputs, as the choir was dressed, ~. - ~ in batik and handwovensaris

\. \ and shawls, while the teamI' leader had donned a silk dhoti-chador

outfit in keeping with the university's dresscode. The dancers demonstrated elements of

Tagorean numbers, making this rendezvous with

Santiniketan singing a befitting salute to the genius of thismodernist composer.

• SUBHRA MAZUMDAR

precision, clarity and above all, a high degree of sensitivityand expression. Their youthful exuberance anddedication to classical music was evident in theiranimated facial expressions, while their fingers flewrapidly over their violins, viola and cello through theirperformance. From the familiar strains of Mozart's Eine

One of the world's leading chamber ensembles, the Kleine Nachtmusik and the sombre overtones ofShubert'srenowned Kelemen Quartet from Hungary treated an Death and the Maiden played with careful dignity andaugust international audience of music lovers, musicians, pathos, to the vividly boisterous Hungarian folk dancebureaucrats and members of the ,.. • jigs, the Kelemen Quartet'sdiplomatic community to a thrilling performance was anbrilliant concert of western absolute delight to experience.classical music featuring works A visibly-impressed audienceby Mozart, Weiner and had their eyes and ears glued toSchubert. Founded in Budapest the stage in rapt attention, soin 2009, the ensemble has that one would have even heardalready earned the reputation of a pin drop over the gentlebeing the world's most exciting sounds of one's breath.young chamber ensembles and Repeated chants for an encorethey truly deserve to have this ensued and these youngdistinction. All four of the Kelemen Quartet's members talented musicians obliged withare prize-winning Hungarian musicians, admired widely a magnificent rendition of Bela Bartok's second violinas soloists 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 DoraKokas (cellist), the quartet played with· immense

Mvriad VoicesPERFORMANCE: Keystone State BoychoirMusic Director: Joseph P. Fitzmartin, January 4

The opportunity to watch and hear sixty boys, aged 13 to18, here in Delhi, all the way from Philadelphia, USA,seemed too good to be missed for the large numbers thatturned out to attend, and they were not disappointed! Theboys were divided into four voices, singing in parts andh~rmon~. The two conductors, Steve Fisher and JosephFitzmartin (who also played the piano), seemed to be'playing' the boys, just as they would play four musicalinstruments, with each group responding perfectly totheir conducting.The concert began with the boys singing Christmas songsfrom the aisles, before they went up on stage to completethe first section-songs of Christmas. The next sectionconsisted of arrangements of American folk, gospel songsand Broadway songs. Notable in this section were NineHundred Miles and Rainbow Round My Shoulder (ChainGang Song). The song, Whistle, Maggie, Whistle had theaudience in splits with the higher voices singing falsetto toact as Maggie and her friends and the lower voices as the

Youthlul Chamber MusicCONCERT: Ke/emen Ouartet from HungaryCollaboration: Hungarian Information and CulturalCentre; and Delhi Music Society, January 21

men tryingto get her towhistle. Inthe lastsection, thechoir sangsongs ofpeace andharmony.Especiallytouchingwas their .rendering of Prayer of the Children, with the few lines inCroatian sung in Hindi. Also among the peace songs wereZik' (an authorised version of an A.R. Rehrnancomposition) and Ramkali, based on a raga.It was great to watch this group of young men enthrall theaudience with their precise harmonies. The life and theenergy of the choristers and their conductors wereinfectious. So inspired were the audience that, by the endof the evening, they stood up and burst into song-aspirited rendition of Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram.

• RITA MEITRAM

• DEEPAK CASTELINO

Satvabhama's CharmsFESTIVAL: Samanvay Arts FestivalFebruary 1

The two-day Kuchipudi event at the IIC, organised byBangalore-based vainika Dr. Suma Sudheendra andVeena Murthy Vijay, enchanted with the winsome appealof old-fashioned items from the Kuchipudi repertoire;rarely seen amidst the present craze for original work. Thesecond evening presented Bhama Kalapam delights byShama Krishna, an accomplished performer, strangelynew to Delhi. Spurred by the classically rich, involvedsinging of B.V.S. Sastry (on tape), with ragas likeKambodhi, Arabhi, Mohanam and Madhyamawatiflowing with mellifluous ease, Shama epitomised themercurial Satyabhama's ever-changing moods.

From the proud declaration that she is Saryabhama ofunparalleled beauty, the most coveted of Krishna's wives,

An Evening 01 PoetrvPERFORMANCE: I Shall Hear the NightingaleReadings by A fsana MuradFebruary 12

Khushwant Singh has been one of my closest friends andmentor for decades. I have. known his love for Urdupoetry, and spent countless evenings listening to himrecite his favourite couplets. Khushwant's love for the cityof Delhi and Urdu poetry is well-known.The evening was indeed very special, because it celebratedKhushwant, the city of Delhi and the Urdu language,which was nurtured in this delightful city. Khushwant'sson, Rahul Singh graced the occasion with a goodwillmessage from his father.Murad Ali recited Urdu couplets along with their Englishtranslation, from Penguin's Celebrating the best of UrduPoetry, selected by Khushwant Singh and Kamna Prasad.Interspersed with Murad's dramatic recitations set to softmusic, Suneet Tandon read out interesting passages fromKhushwant Singh's novel Delhi. Suneet's rendition of

to berating Cupid and the moon beams for stinging herlike poison amidst separation pangs from belovedKrishna's absence; to her abject surrender declaringunswerving love in a letter, dispatched through amessenger: she visualised Satyabhama's polarities, herabhinaya as persuasive as the rhythm communicatingrobust Kuchipudi virtuosity. Veena Murthy deputised asMadhavi in the dialogue exchanges. The 'lekha' part withSastry's singing in Arabhi was piercingly beautiful. VeenaMurthy's Simhandini tala executed on the plastic sheet,drawing on it the image of a lion with a mane, was

. .very impreSSive.

Motherhood has not diluted Arunima Kumar's stagepresence. Opening out her shoulders, giving movementsgreater expanse, articulating footwork and scaling downthe bold mukhabhinaya, she added to aesthetic subtlety.

• LEELA VENKATARAMAN

English verse is always flawless, enthusing life to thenarrative. I particularly enjoyed listening to anecdotes ofMirza Ghalib's legendary wit.Murad recited mostly from the works of Mir Taqi Mir,.Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Bahadur Shah Zafar,Ibrahim Zauq, Dagh Dehlvi, Momin Khan Momin, FaizAhmed Faiz and Mohammad Iqbal. His recitation couldhave been a little louder, and the spacing between thepoetry been much less. I do wish that Murad had specifiedthe poet he was reciting and not left it to the audience toguess the author of the poems. Urdu ghazals usually carrythe name of the poet, but the readings had few completepoems, and more of select verses as in the book.Murad recited one ofKhushwant's favourite Ghalib verse,Go haathkojurnbishnahin, aankhonmai to dam hai, rehnedo abheesaghar 0 meenamereyaagey.Though I can no longer stretch my hands, I still have lifessparkle in my eyes, Let thejug of wine and cup remain, Beforeme where they lie.

• SADIA DEHLVI

Nehru is seen acting as the witness at Deshmukh's andDurgabai's court wedding. In another, Deshmukh posesas the visibly proud and happy father of the bride.

The CD. Deshmukh Annual Lecture 2014 was deliveredon January 14 by Professor P.K. Mukhopadhyay andchaired by Soli Sorabjee. His lecture focused on themissing element in the foundational growth ofIndia-education. Mukhopadhyay remembersRabindranath Tagore's lecture regarding the three great

The GreatRooted Blossomer-CD. Deshmukh: A Lift was Indian Renaissance Movements in which the fourthinaugurated 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 Indiathat the materials for the' exhibition were sourced from with reference to its current status as dependent onthe vaults of the IIC, of which Deshmukh was not only Western education and stagnating.Founder-President, bur also ~===================:"I And even though education inan inalienable part. The text India is not stagnating for wantaccompanying the pictures of VIsion or teachers,was sourced from Deshrnukh's Mukhopadhyay contends thatbook, Lift and Times and the real problems are groundedfrom issues of the Il C in a foundarionalvenrure thatQ,tarterly journal. was flawed to begin with. HeHis life unfolds through traces the Indian educationalfamily pictures of him growing movement to 181.1 when theup in Maharashtra amongst colonial government introducedhis siblings, parents and Western education for the firstgrandparents.C.D. Deshmukh's time in India. This wasinitialeducation at Elphinstone supported and endorsed byCollege, Bombay later led to a Rammohun Roy and Lordjunior B.A. at Jesus College in Macaulay in the emergence ofCambridge. 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 ofcontinued to earn academic education, headed by Roy didaccolades, especially in the not understand the viability ofprestigious Indian Civil introducing a system ofService exam, where he education that was divorcedtopped the examination in 1919. This was just the from Indian realities and pluralities. Mukhopadhyaybeginning of an illustrious career spanning many decades. notes that Western education seemed 'artificial' to aHis professional life is represented through letters to and milieu which had its own educational heritage. In seekingfrom people of eminence, through pictures-such as the to eradicate endemic social evils, Roy seemed to haveiconic image of the Second Round Table Conference held deemed Western education as the only solution. This hasin London, where CD. Deshmukh is seen seated dogged the Indian education system till the present whichopposite Gandhiji-and through newspaper cartoons has focused on a form of education that is exclusionaryrepresenting his tenure as a finance minister in Nehru's and over literary, rather than inclusive-a necessarycabinet. requirement for India.

But the exhibition truly comes alive in the many vignettesfrom CD. Deshmukh's intimate life. In one photograph,

Tribute to e.D. DeshmukhEXHIBITION: The Great Rooted Blossomer - C.D. Deshmukh: A lifeCurator: Or. Aparna Basu, January 14 - 22TALK: Or. C. O. OeshmukhMemorial Lecture 2014 - The FourthGreat Movement of Indian RenaissanceSpeaker: Professor P.K. MukhopadhyayChair: Mr. Soli J. SorabjeeJanuary 14

• ANINDITA MAJUMDAR

Paintings and Storv-tellingEXHIBITION: Painted Fables-Panchatantra ChitraInauguration by Or. Syeda S..Hameed and story-telling byGurupada ChitrakarCollaboration: Delhi Crafts Council; and Craft Revival TrustFebruary 4-11

The animals at the Art Gallery of the IIC were painted~tales from Vishnu Sharma's ancient Panchatantra Stories.The twist to the tale was that Gulshan Nanda, of theDelhi Crafts Council, had been so inspired by PremolaGhose's animal paintings, that she had persuaded selectartists from folk art traditions across India to interpretsome of these stories in their particular style. The resultwas an elegantly mounted show depicting not just thewell-beloved animal stories, but a unique series of folkpaintings, sikki grass sculpture and sanjhi paper cuts.Usually folk art remains anonymous. Happily not here,where viewers could identify the Madhubani styledepictions of moral stories like The King Cobra and theAnts and The Elephant and theHare by the prolific BharatiDayal who is from Samastipur, an area in Bihar rich in theMithila painting tradition.

Images from MizoramEXHIBITION: The Camera as Witness - Capturing Mizo PastsAn exhibition of photographs from MizoramCurated by Joy L.K. Pachuau and William van SchendelFebruary 12-18

It is not often that a selection of photographs provides theviewer with a century and a half of history. Theexhibitionon Mizoram is based on a well-chosen sample from a richbounty of more than 20,000 images sourced fromlibraries, archives and hundreds of private family albums.The earliest photographs are those taken by missionaries-the Presbyterians, Baptist Missionary Society andLakher Pioneer Society-and professionals hired by thosewho could afford the luxury of a 'home shoot'. Thus, ahandsome young chief poses with his entourage-mainlyconsisting of women, young and old-in the style of anethnographic image. The early missionaries take charge ofchildren, a Mizo kitchen is showcased and there are singers.Singing and music-c-particularly string instruments-became an important way of imparting Christianity.

Her ornate and decorative depictions stand in contrast tothe Patachitra by Gurupada Chitrakar of Naya Village inBengal who regaled viewers with traditional singing.Puma Chandra of Ragurajpur (Puri) in Odisha, createdtwo sets of paintings depicting the story The ThoughtlessMonkeys Get Caught in Mans WOrk. Here the storyunfolded in analog style. From Prakash joshi's Phad styleof Rajasthan to Premola Ghose's whimsical illustrations,the show encapsulated and illustrated the great oraltradition of story-telling.In a captivating set of Sanjhi paper cuts by Mohan KumarVerma of Mathura, Slow and Steady Wins the Race wasdepicted by simply reversing the paper cut so that the firstone shows the hare leaping forward over streams andglades and the tortoise crawling on in the rear. Reverse itand you have the tortoise marching steadily on and therabbit, asleep. The only change, the tellingly simplisticcut of the rabbit's eyelid, open in the first Sanjhi work andshut in the second, tells the story in ways not a hundredwords ever could.

• MALATI SHAH

Of particular interest in the exhibition was the section on'cowboys': young Mizo men adopted cowboy-inspireddress style about the same time that they discovered theguitar and American pop music. Thus Thangsailovastrikes a ja nes Deanian pose while, at a more sombrelevel, the outfit was also adopted by Mizo guerilla fightersbetween 1966-86, the years of the Troubles. ImposingAssamese on a people to whom it was an alien languagewas one of the issues that underlay the years of insurgency.It was not only the men whose sartorial styles changed butalso that of women who decided not only to experimentwith the traditional puan (sarong) but also take to westerndress. Studio photography had come to the area by the1890s-a good half century after its appearance in thethree Presidencies. The most striking contemporaryimage, however, is that of young Zonusanga who lockshands with a friend-while a demure young woman lookson! It is indeed an apt finale to a compact visual history ofa remote yet integral part ofIndia.

• MALAVIKA KARLEKAR

5

display, it is possible to see visually the transmission ofcartographic knowledge between the Asian continent andthe Mediterranean region in connection with traditionalmap-making practices.The cosmological maps of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jainfaiths are still illustrated in exactly the same way as theywere in the earliest examples we can find. The tribal mapsthough technically nominal maps, carry a cartographiclegacy 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 PotbisSpace and Direction beyond the conventional Euro- ofIndian sailors at the exhibition give evidence to Indiancentric impression that is generally accepted as the norm. knowledge of map-making. .The maps displayed at the ...--- •..••....-....."==,,.....-,...-------,.-.~ The digital display in theexhibition show how the origins exhibition is to show how theof European mapping from the navigators of the Indian OceanMappaemundi, were representations region observed the heavens for aof the world according to the early long time before devising a fool-Christian belief with Jerusalem at proof celestial navigation systemthe centre. Similarly, maps from based on charts, tables andthe Persian Gulf region and the celestial 'angles' (from theIslamic world show how map- horizon). This system, calledmakers from each region see polegada by' the Portugese, andthemselves at the centre of the issbah by the Arabs before them,world. From the maps on display, led to the creation of moreit 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 regionfrom east to west. Similarly, by looking at the maps on

Bevond EurocentrismEXHIBITION: Time, Space, Direction - Diversities inCognitive ApproachCurator: Or. lotika VaradarajanCollaboration: Indian Council for Historical Research;Centre for Community Knowledge; and Bibliotheque NationaleFebruary 15-26

The Magnificent OrchidsEXHIBITION: The Wonderful Life of OrchidsCoordinator: Professor H.Y. Mohan Ram, February 1-8Inauguration: Or. S. Ayappan, January 31TALK: The Splendour of OrchidsIllustrated lecture: Or. Sat ish Kumar, February 6

Orchids, the second largest group of flowering plants arerepresented by 800 genera and 25,000 speciesconstituting nearly 11 per cent of seed producing plants.With their unique structure, subtle fragrance andspellbinding beauty, orchids have graced the history ofmankind. The wide range of sizes, colours, floralcomplexity and habit of the orchids were displayed at theArt Gallery of the ne. Blooms of green and yellowcymbidiums and extraordinarily shaped lady's slipperorchids from Sikkim were enchanting. The exhibitionalso featured some exquisite water colour paintings fromthe period ofWilliam Roxburgh 0751-1815) (originallydrawn by Indian artists) and those by the recentIndonesian botanical artist Karyono. A rare exhibit wasthe vanilla vine, whose mature pods with a distinct flavourare used in confectionary. On display was a photograph of

• LARAHRAI

the bee orchid which by its shape, colour and smelldeceives a male bee to pseudo-copulate with it andpollinate it.e. Sathish Kumar, a renowned botanist, gave anillustrated lecture on 'The Splendour of Orchids'. Heexplained how orchid cultivation has become a globalindustry. The ability of some orchids to breed freely hasbeen exploited by horticulturists to raise more than100,000 hybrids. This exceeds the actual number of. ..speCIes occurnng in

nature. Taiwan isunrivalled in thehybridisation andp r o d u c r io n ofPhalaenopsis (mothorchid). It has whiteflowers which lastover one month.

With extended shelf life and new colours, Taiwaneseorchid breeders have changed the way how people aroundthe world see and enjoy new kinds of flowers. SathishKumar's passion and deep knowledge of the world oforchids was clearly evident.

• PRIYANKA KHANDURI• DIVYA MOHANlY

Bringing Peace to KashmirEXHIBITION: Meet Commitment to KashmirInauguration: Or. Karan SinghCollaboration: Commitment to KashmirFebruary 2

How much can be done and how far we still need to go inre-establishing the syncretic culture that was truly'Kashrniriyat' is an on-going effort today. Social activistshave shown their true commitment to the cause ofbringing peace and harmony to the valley by promoting avariety of interventions. This exhibition of Kashmiricrafts by six entrepreneurs, grantees of the CtoK(Commitment to Kashmir) Trust, is one such laudableattempt. Held at the Gandhi-King Plaza, it wasinaugurated by the Chief Guest, Dr. Karan Singh, MP.On the occasion he said, that for the last 25 years, the onlynews coming from Kashmir has been of one monumentaldisaster. This effort was a welcome ray of light in a darksituation. The grantees working in kani, felt, chain stitchetc. are a fine example of what can be accomplished with alittle financial help.

Hand-pressed FlowersEXHIBITION: ImpressedNature Prints by Mridula VichitraJanuary 22-29

This was a delicate exhibition, conveying the intricate andcomplex patterns naturally' occurring in nature. Theworks were powerful and humbling in their simplicity.The technique was uncomplicated-direct hand-pressedprints of plants, flowers and petals.

The tools were so few, it allowed the artist to workwherever she was and with whatever flora and fauna shewas surrounded by.There was an immense simplicity andhonesty in the way she carried out her practice; she did notmanipulate or transform anything, simply took what wasalready contained in the flower. The petals, stalks andflowers were the brushes of this artwork, they were thetools and they were the substance, they determined thedesign, the marks and the colour.

The compositions were constructed by repeat pattern;differing shapes were simply made by holding, placing orsqueezing the flowers in varying ways.

Dr. Karan Singh reminded the audience of designers, craftactivists and researchers, that Kashmir was always famousfor its arts and crafts. The traditions largely came fromIran and later Central Asia through the famous silk-traderoutes. In the hundred years of Dogra rule in the 19th and20th centuries, Kashmir crafts continued to receive royalpatronage. Post-independence, the crafts of papiermache, carpets, namdahs and wood-carving continue toflourish and find buyers, though the artisans who madeintricate silver-ware have vanished. This is an area whichneeds attention before it is too late.The CtoK model is a public-private partnership toupgrade skills, said trustee, Laila Tyabji. Kashmiris havetalent on (in) their finger tips, and psychological andphysical suffering can be alleviated. through creativeoutflow. But to bear fruit, similar efforts must bereplicated a hundred fold.'The Trust is founded by Dr. Devaki Jain, in memory ofher late husband, Lakshmi C. Jain, humanitarian andvisionary, and it exemplifies his Gandhian world view.

• MANJUKAK

The structures and compositions which she created werestriking-from the graphic bold black and white pieceswhich were geometrical in their form to the soft, natural;flowing forms of subtle green and pink hues.

Viewing the originals which were of a miniature scale, theskill of h hand which had composed these works becameapparent-her intimacy, knowledge and understandingof the flowers had developed the expertise which she hadhoned over many years.

The enchantment of the works was also in their transientnature. Another humbling realisation brought to mindwas that, despite all our contemporary efforts and designs-it all already existed in nature-nature had alreadyworked out all the forms, patterns, compositions andstructures. Mridula in her work reminded us of that; sherevealed to us the phenomenon and 'myriad formsof nature'.

Fitting or perhaps fateful for an artist whose own nameVichitra means the unexplained phenomenon of nature.

Maybe she was destined to remind us all of the 'Vichitra'.

• CATHERINE MACLEAN

Celebrating DickensFESTIVAL: Consider Yourself at Home - CelebratingCharles DickensInaugurated by Mr. Soli J. Sorabjeev, February 21-23

The IIC organised a three-day festival celebrating the life

and work of Charles Dickens. It included talks,

discussions, a workshop, readings, a concert, a quiz, an

exhibition, and screenings of films based on some of

his best work.

The lecture by renowned

theatre artiste Girish

Karnad, entitled 'Dickens in

India', was inaugurated by

Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee. Karnad

brought out the various

dimensions of Dickens's

personality and his place in

people's consciousness over

centuries, so much so that he

is still staged to large

audiences. He was a novelist

who often did public readings, thereby also dramatising

his work. He even had his own amateur theatre company

of which he was very proud. There are close to 90

biographies of Dickens, but no one biography can claim

to thoroughly do justice to such a complex figure. But in a

reference to India, a rather unpleasant Dickens is revealed.

Referring to 1857 he said, 'I wish I were the Commander

in Chief. I'd do my utmost to exterminate the entire race'.

An interesting point made by Girish Karnad was why

Indian authors were not influenced by him as they were by

others-Dickens used the city, he said, especially the

London of the 19th century, as his protagonist, so to

speak, which was very different from cities in India like

Bombay and Calcutta and therefore hard to relate to.

The members' dinner that evening recreated a Victorian

dinner that included terrines, Irish lamb stew, Roman pie,

and nothing less than Miss Havisham's wedding cake

and sponge fingers.

An exhibition of contemporary paintings was displayed

based on Charles Dickens's 1840 travelogue about his

visit to Italy and France by Livi:a Signorini. Also included

was the 'Charles Dickens Collection', an exhibition on

posters and frontispieces.

The next event was a round table discussion on 'Dickens

and His Afterlives' by panelists Regenia Gagnier, who

spoke about the importance the world has given to this

literary giant; Baidik Bhattacharya who demonstrated a

comparative picture of Dickens's

thought ,seen through the eyes of

Indian authors; and Sambudha Sen

who spoke about how various

people from both theatre and film,

especially Charlie Chaplin, had

captured the image of Dickens in

their works.

Films were screened to a packed

auditorium that included many

students. These were adaptations

of his best works: A Tale of TwoCities that depicts the plight of the

French peasantry demoralised by the French aristocracy

in the years leading up to the revolution, the

corresponding brutality demonstrated by the

revolutionaries to ard the former aristocrats in the early

years of the revolution, and many unflattering social

parallels with life in London during the same time period.

The Pickwick Papers was written for publication as a serial.

It is a sequence of loosely-related adventures set around

1827, and its main literary value and appeal is formed by

its numerous memorable characters. Finally, Nicholas

Nickleby that centres on the life and adventures of

Nicholas Nickleby, a young man who must support his

mother and sister after his father dies. His Uncle Ralph,

who thinks Nicholas will never amount to anything, plays

the role of principal antagonist. 'Illustrating Dickens' was

a workshop for children conducted by Atanu Roy and

Deepa Agarwal in the Gandhi King Plaza who gave us

glimpses of Dickens' famous child characters. The

workshop was attended by children from SpringdalesSchool, Mirambika, Bluebells and the Indian School.

An Open Quiz entitled 'What the Dickens!' followed. Itwas conducted by quiz master Aryapriya Ganguly with14 teams of two partici pants each.

'Of Frogs Expiring and Other Marvels: An Evening ofDickens's Dramatised Readings' was another enjoyableevening with readings brought to us by Yatrik. SunitTandon, Giti Chandra among others read passages fromNicholas Nickleby; Dombey and Son; Martin Chuzzlewit;The Pickwick Papers:Hard Times; David Copperfield;ATale of Two Cities; and Ode to anExpiringFrog.

The Festivalconcluded with

the concert'Please Sir, MayI Have SomeMore?: An

Texts to NotesMUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION:Notes from the Past. Illustrated lecture by Shubha MudgalJanuary 17

Unlike the western norm, Indian musicians are not

usually dependant on, or inspired by, musical notations.

Although musical notation has been in use for well over a

century, practitioners of Indian music are still mostly

given to learning, teaching and performing by direct face

=to- face oral transmission. So when singer and composer

Shubha Mudgal was presented a volume titled Rajasthan

Ke Rajwade Geet (Court Songs of Rajasthan) by Arvind

Singh of the former Udaipur princely family, the book lay

untouched on her bookshelf for a long time. Recently,

however, Mudgal has been rummaging through the 500-

odd compositions that are notated in it and bringing

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.

Evening with Oliver Twistand Other Worthies',presented by AchingShaiza, Mino Maneckshawand Reuben Israel,accompanied on the pianoby Kyoko Ito. It depictedDickens's unromanticportrayal of criminals andtheir sordid lives that isrelieved by his tongue-in-cheek humour. Thepresentation included readings from the novel anddramatised songs from the musical of the 1970s usingillustrations by Georgc Cruikshank, Dickens'scontemporary and the original illustrator of most ofhis books.

An altogether unique Festival.

With only an electronic tambura and tabla for

accompaniment, Mudgal gave a riveting performance of a

number of songs set in a variety of genres from khayal to

tbumri and geet to a packed house that had a number of

musicians and music lovers present. Notations of Indian

music tend to be skeletal at best and only those who have

learnt raga music from traditionally trained masters can

flesh them out and give them a life beyond the printed

text. Having been trained by performing musicians of die

last generation like Ramashray Jha, Kumar Gandharva,Jitendra Abhisheki and Naina Devi, Mudgal was at ease

as she sang out piece after piece in ragas like Tilak Kamod,

Khammaj, Gauri to list just a few. The sheer unaffected

charm of her renderings was infectious and she soon

had the audience asking her a plethora of questions

and the lively discussion that followed was immensely

enlightening.

• S. KALIDAS

Memorv 01 MadibaTALK: Remembering Mandela - First Hand by Saeed NaqviFILM: InterviewsJanuary 25

Nelson Mandela remains the most charismatic andinfluential figure in the struggle of South African Blacksagainst the White rulers who were extreme in their tyrannyagainst the ethnic majority who had moral and ethicalrights over the land and its enormous mineral wealth. In1989, the great day arrived when the ruling governmentheaded by EW De Klerke agreed under intenseinternational pressure to hold free and fair elections andlost inevitably to the Black majority. A new chapter inSouth Africa's history opened.

Veteran journalist Saeed Naqvi was present whenMandela was released from prison and had interviewedhim. He presented two of his documentaries shot 25 yearsago on low-band video that are still in good condition.These are of considerable value to students of 20thcentury political history. The interview with Nelson

Art, Music and PoetrvPERFORMANCE: Jashn-e-ZindabadCollaboration: SRUTI, February 15

'Zindabad' is how members of SRUTI-Society forRural, Urban and Tribal Initiative-greet each other andthey celebrated 30 years of grassroots work for socialjustice with a jashn involving art, music and poetry fromall over India.

Held at the lIC's Gandhi-King Plaza, the programmebegan with Nageen Tanvir and her troupe. ofChhattisgarhi accompanists presenting folksongs.Nageen has imbibed the progressive ethos of NayaTheatre, founded by her father Habib Tanvir, andenriches it with her training in classical Hindustanimusic. Her repertoire, rendered in a rich sonorous voice,included traditional but forgotten folksongs fromChhattisgarh and Up, as well as a tbumri and a ghazal byNazir Akbarabadi, ending with one ofTanvir's politicalcompositions. The lyrics captured the vitality and rhythmof rural and tribal life at work and at play, its moodsranging from domestic humour to seasonal celebrationsand ritual evocations. The accompanying instrumentswere classical and folk, with the entire performance

Mandela also affectionately known as Madiba, the Father-Figure, reflects the hopes and aspirations of the oppressedoverwhelming majority, though his words are measured;he is measured in his optimism as are his colleagues likeWalter Sisulu and Ahmad Katchalia, an exceptionalIndian of Gujarati origin.

The second documentary on Indians in South Africa,.largely from Gujarat, brings out their insularity, perhapsinadvertently. The Indian population there has beenprosperous and treated like a buffer between theniselves andthe Blacks and the White rulers. The Indians, like in otherparts of the world where they migrated, clung tenaciously totheir culture or their memoty of it inherited from theirforefathers, who were there in the late 19th century, mostlyas indentured labour. Over time, they became successfulbusinessmen and professionals in other fields.

Madiba, a programme devised by Saeed Naqvi featuringthe two TV documentaries and a question and answersession afterwards was commendable. It was in tribute tothe recently departed Mandela, a giant amongst men.

• PARTHA CHATTERJEE

capturing the spirit of Naya Theatre's locally groundedprogressive cultural work.

SRUTI Fellows, and particularly Dalit activist Selvaraj'stroupe from Andhra Pradesh, presented a range of songsand dances that were simple, moving, and raw. The tea-break allowed a peek at the stalls selling books on peoples'movements and handmade products, while the Societyalso felicitate Its oldest eo-traveller, the sprightlyoctogenarian L.R. Sarin, in between the Dastangoipresented by the talented Manu and Nadeem. Dastangoi'srecent proliferation is a delight, and this one was based ona brilliant story by celebrated Rajasthani litterateurVijaydan Detha, into which was woven the theme ofgender justice. The story of 'Shahzadi Chowboli' marriedmagic and metaphor to reveal female protagonistsoutwitting men, prisoners to defunct ideas of malehonour and false pride. The rendition was most engaging,with its delightful Chinese-box narrative structure andcreative blend of rustic Rajasthani and Hindustani.

A film tracing SRUTI's journey, an open session ofsharing, and performances by JUST US and SPACE, twocontemporary all-women bands, rounded up the coldevening, warmed equally by coal braziers and bonhomie.

• MAYAJOSHI

libraries and the ICTRevolutionTALK: A Debate for and Against the Motion - This Housebelieves that libraries and librarians are Irrelevant in theContext of the Increased Dependency on ICT for access toInformation by young librarians: Or. Akhtar Parvez; RajeshSingh; Raj Kumar Bhardwaj; Rajni Jindal. Remarks byMr. Jagmohan; Or. N. Vijayaditya; and Or. S.M. OhawanChair: Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee, January 10

While, on the one hand, the Information andCommunication Technologies (lCT) have broughtunprecedented changes in the libraries seeking tomodernise library and information services, the digitalrevolution which sparked the digital publication trend inscholarly communication has eventually led the shiftfrom physical to digital library services. The webrevolution has introduced innovative web-based servicesand provided new means of access and delivery ofinformation. The user community has become self-sufficient in exploring the world of knowledge andusually does not need to approach libraries and librarians

Buddhism and the StateTALK: The 26th Wllhelm von Pochhammer Memorial Lecture2014. From Ashoka to Jayavarman VII- Some Reflections onthe Relationship Between Buddhism and the State in Indiaand Southeast AsiaSpeaker: Professor Hermann KulkeChair: Satinder K. LambahCollaboration: Federation of lndo-Berrnan Societies in Indiaand Hanns-Seidel-Stiftunq, January 6

German ambassador Michael Steiner observed thatBuddhism today exists in India in a much reduced form insharp contrast to its former glory. And much of ProfessorHermann Kulke's lecture focused on the decline of theBuddhist tradition in India, after the rule of two ofAncient India's and South East Asia'sgreat rulers Ashokaand Jayavarman VII, who were ardent propagators ofBuddhism. Ashoka produced the earliest and largestnumber of inscriptions of early India with clear Buddhistconnotations, and Jayavarman VII left us not only SouthEast Asia's largest number of inscriptions but alsoproduced the largest number of monuments in AngkorVat in Cambodia, particularly in Bayong.

for their day to day academic pursuit.On the other hand, a library has to play a role ininculcating the reading habit and be a gateway toknowledge. However, studies reveal that people nowadaysdepend on major gateways, search engines like Googlemore than libraries for seeking information. Hence, theidea of the library as a major source of information hasindeed come under threat.Seen from the users' perspective, it appears that librarianshave used ICT so far as a tool to reshape library facilities,not as a means to revamp, 'innovate and deliver value-based services.The main issues for debate were identified as follows:Arelibraries and librarians relevant in the digital age? Willlibraries and librarians be able to face the challenge fromcompeting giants like Google in 'resource discovery'?libraries and librarians' role-is to manage information, nottechnology; do libraries create a literate environment forlifelong learning? what can improve public perception oflibraries and librarians? what will be the future role oflibraries and librarians? do the digital resources substitutethe print resources?

• S.MAJUMDAR

But soon after their deaths, their erstwhile great empires,at their zenith, went into a rapid decline. In Kulke'spersonal view, people at that time were not prepared forAshoka's message. The tendency was to find legitimationfor Hindu rulers according to tradition.

Kulke also exposed the contradictions III deed andphilosophy of the great Hindu rulers such as the Guptas,Satvahanas and Ikshvaku rulers who though greatsupporters of Buddhism, also believed in horse sacrificewhich was anathema to Buddhism. Yet this support alsoproduced some wonderful Buddhist monuments inIndia. Buddhism has contributed much to these beautifulcultures and ideas which later became part of Hinduism.

Noted scholar' and panelist, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayancommented that Kulke presented two fundamentalpropositions in relation to political power andsubsequently, what happened with that political powerand Buddhism asdistinct from Hinduism in this area.

Eminent historian Romila Thapar enriched thediscussion and suggested that one needs to go beyondtalking of Buddhism and Hinduism as these or any otherreligious ideologies are extremely complex.

• GAURIKA KAPOOR

Intriguing TalkTALK: The Mahabharata - History, Science or Myth?Speakers: Or. Vishwa Adluri; Or. Joydeep BagcheeChair: Or. Suresh K. GoelCollaboration: Oraupadi TrustJanuary 15

According to Suresh K. Goel, former DG, ICCR, whochaired the session, the Mahabharata is not just a productof history, origin of existentialism but also a 'Way ofProgress'. He also said that the virtual barrier betweenhistory and myth isvery basic. Mahabharata, according tothe chair, has everything that Bharatbarsha means.

Beginning from the Mahabharata studies in the west(primarily Germany) and providing an intriguing andlogical explanation of it, the speakers with theircommendable, critical scholarship explained thehistorical conflicts, prejudices of western (German)philosophers, intellectuals and artists against themagnificent epics, Mahabharata and the Gita.

Thus, Vishwa Adluri and Joydeep Bagchee undertook avery careful and difficult approach to nearly two centuries

Along the Amu DarvaTALK: Medieval Riverlogues - Crossing and ContestationsAlong the Oxus BorderlandIllustrated lecture by Dr. Manu P. SobtiChair: Professor Madhavan K. PalatFebruary 3

While speaking on 'Medieval Riverlogues: Crossing andContestations Along the Oxus Borderland', an architectand renowned historian Dr. Manu Sobti, highlighted theriverlogues among two cultures through his film andlecture. Through his audio-visual presentation, heelaborated how a river divides or bridges two cultures,especially by citing the example of Arab and Persiancultures during the army expansion and encounters of thepast. His research was about the medieval cities along theSilk Route, andAmu Darya is one of the principal carriersof trade between the two worlds i.e. Silk Route.

In his lecture, Manu Sobti categorically tried to look at ariver in a historical perspective. By going beyond the

of German philological scholarship on the Mahabharataand the Bhagavad Gita.

The epic serves as a connective link between India of theAryans and India of the Hindus-between white Aryans'and black aboriginals. Thus the racial principle was usedto read Indian history. Theosophists of Germanyhistoricised the Mahabharata which was misrepresentedin the 19th century and they did not accept theMahabharata as a philosophical and meaningful text.They also cut up the Gita, and according to some, theGita was corrupt. The speakers challenged the theory thatthe Brahmanic religion corrupted an original epic.

To get into the depth of two hundred years of history andchallenge it is daunting and no easy task and the speakerswho are also rhe authors have very successfully achievedtheir aim.

The entire interactive talk organised by the Draupadi Trustproved beyond doubt what VishwaAdluri had stated: thatthe epic isnot just history, but the mother of history.

• MANDIRA GHOSH

geography, he tried to find out how a river in some waybecomes a trepan history, which is generally an unusualpractice. While doing so, Manu Sobti didn't forget tofocus on the region's biggest river to find out the reasonbehind its cultural and historical importance in CentralAsia. In his lecn re, he not only mentioned the complexphenomenon of the Oxus river of Central Asia, but alsoportrayed how the river itself witnessed hoards of peoplegoing across its banks and its significant roles. And last butnot the least, he also looked at architectural history as away to analyse physical artefacts, which often never gobeyond geography or potamology and covered the wholePersian region by highlighting that aspect of history. Atthe end, Manu Sobti also shared a few pictures of 1905which show the Jewish School in the desert whichreflected the wonderful sense of how people hadinteracted with those buildings.

• SHAHID SIDDIQUI

love, the lover.and theBelovedTALK: love - The Sufi Foundation for BlissSpeaker: Shaykh Hisham KabbaniIntroduction: Sadia OehlviJanuary 6

Founder of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order ofAmerica, this Lebanese master of universal love unfoldeda clear view of human society free of strife. Extollingspontaneity, he spoke unrehearsed of his subject, love, aswithout boundaries and knowing all languages, the kingof life. Explaining that the root of the word 'mohabbaiwas 'ha-ba', he said it meant hayat or a beautiful life andbaqah or ever-existence without boundaries.

He praised the learned people of India, saying that theylived among saints and that the Ulerna-al-Hind hadalways been held in high regard. Shaykh Kabbani took theexamples of the mazhars of saints visited by millions eachday. They say there is no life in the grave, then who isattracting these millions? He explained that it is the

Vivekananda's RelevanceTHE MAJOR SCHOOLS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY:Swami Vivekananda - His Relevance TodaySpeaker: Or. Pratap Bhanu MehtaChair: Rajiv MehrotraCollaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility ofHis Holiness the Oalai lama, January 13

Pratap Bhanu Mehta's lecture on the Vivekanandamoment in Indian Philosophy was a momentousconclusion to the series oflectures on Indian Philosophy.Vivekananda's entry point into political philosophy washis conception of leading a religious life. However, hedidn't adhere to the conventional bhakti or intellectualtraditions. While the concept of bhaktiwas unavailable asa locus of inter-subjective agreements, the argumentativeintellectual culture left no scope for any understandingof subject matters.

Mehta spoke of how those who think of themselves asworldly, end up denying the world and themselves due totheir result-oriented actions. Swami Vivekanandaattempted subtly at making religious life more worldly byaccepting life in all its manifestations. Liberty was at thecore of Swami Vivekananda's political philosophy and the

eternal love that these people embodied, a love thatopened up to all-rich and poor, intellectual andcommoner, and this iswhat has made this country great.

Saying that voluntary worshipfulness is accepted andacknowledged, he gave the example of a sheikh whodonated his possessions in order to be able to respond tothe question, 'What ispoverty like?'

Speaking of Sufism, he said it could not accept a form butit could accept a subtle being, and that love was a way ofentering this subtle divinity. But one had to free oneself asa drop leaves its form to enter the ocean oflove.

Shaykh Kabbani gave many descriptions of the lovebeyond description. He quoted Rabi'a al-Adawiyya, whospoke of her love as beyond desire of Heaven or fear ofHell. He conjured the vision of Jalalluddin Rumi, risingabove gravity to circle a sacred geometry as he whirled.Like the spinning darvaishesradiating their divine energy,the Shaykh's eloquence brought his transcendentlove to life.

• MAHADEVAN RAMASWAMY

path to freedom spans spiritual, personal and emotionaldomains. Vivekananda believed in freedom of the self bythe self. Hence, the conditions of freedom must exist in anindividual or a society itself.

The Vedantic concepts Aham Brahmasmi (I am thatBrahman) should be accepted with the notion of TatTvam As; I'hat art thou). Sole acceptance of the formerwould be an arrogant, self-centered approach. This ideaforms the metaphysical foundations of democracy,equality and thus, the thrust of Vivekananda'spolitical philosophy.

This metaphysical arrangement was accepted by thinkerslike Ambedkar and Aurobindo as well. Deliberation onthis arrangement ended up rendering practical Vedantatoa descriptive metaphysical talisman, something quiteunlike what Vivekananda wanted.

The lecture ended with the open question as to whetherthis thought project, providing metaphysical basis todemocracy, was requisite or accessible at all. One alsoneeds to reflect on whether this project is consistent inVivekananda's conception of an 'ideal woman', which isdebated to be anti-feminist on various levels.

• SONAKSHI SAMTANI

The Gloria Steinem ReaderTALK: As if WomenMatter - TheEssential GloriaSteinem ReaderPanelists: Gloria Steinem, Ela Bhatt and Or. Oevaki JainModerator: Ruchira GuptaCollaboration: apneaap Women Worldwide and IndianWomen's Press CorpsJanuary 15

This event marked the launch of the book, As if WomenMatter-The Essential Gloria Steinem Reader, acompilation of renowned American feminist GloriaSteinem's writings by activist and journalist RuchiraGupta. During the evening, various speakers, includingSteinern herself, underlined her ties to India over the lastfour decades. First, development economist Devaki Jainspoke about Steinem's role in broadening the women'smovement and creating knowledge that was also relevantfor feminists in developing countries.

Followingthis, SEWA (SelfEmployed Women's Associationof India) founder Ela Bhatt presented her theory of thefeminine way, drawing upon her experiences at the fourdecade-old organisation. Bhatt and Steinem first met inthe early 1970s, and the latter has described SEWA as the

Indian Design ScenarioTALK: FRONTIERS OF HISTORY: An Uncertain Arc-

\

Impressions of India's Design CenturyIllustrated lecture: Itu Chaudhuri. Chair: Prof. SuchitraBalasubrahmanyan, February 20

This latest lecture in the three year old series trulyexpanded the scope of History to new frontiers. Designbegan in prehistoric times, but awareness of its multi-levelimportance is new. In India, this awareness needs greaterfocus, and Itu Chaudhuri's enormous researchhighlighted the sparseness of study of the Indian scenario.Chaudhuri explored the purpose of Design as itsemphasis shifts between functional, experiential andsymbolic, and studied trends over the past century in afour phase timeline: pre-1947, 1947-61, 1961-91 and thecurrent phase 1991 onwards. These phases mark majorshifts. The first bore a marked British stamp thatcompletely negated princely studios. Overwhelmingfascination for India led to abundant pictorialdocumentation in sryles of contemporary British art.Kalabhavan and Shantiniketan grew to counter theBritish influence, and these explored folk and tribal arts as

instilling of self-respect in women. Bhatt explained thatthe feminine way, as represented by SEWA, did notexclude men. She dwelt on how the world neededfeminine leadership to save natural resources and finddevelopment solutions. Applying the theory to the sphereof international relations, she presented a grihini orhomemaker's manifesto for the world: by bringing natureinto the peace process; weaving the concept of work intotherapy, digniry and sustainabiliry; the idea of sustainableand plural peace; and a shared environment as a guaranteeagainst war.

Extending these ideas, Steinem spoke about how her visitsto India taught her that real change came from bottom uprather than top down. She dwelt on the three stages of thesocial justice movement: dependent, independent andinterdependent, placing the women's movement on thecusp of the last stage. She explained that a country'sviolence to itself or other countries was linked to violenceagainst its women, and that there was a crucial linkbetween democracy within families and normalisingdemocracy in the wider political system.

• SONAM]OSHI

well asoriental sryles.Post-independence till 1961, Chaudhuri labelled 'Indiain a hurry.' Nehru wanted to put craft into industry andset up government boards dealing with handicrafts andweaving. Kamalad vi Chattopadhyay and Pupul Jayakarwere the tsarinas of this era. Corbusier and Kahnimpacted architecture and Charles and Ray Eames werecommissioned to make a study of Indian Design. TheirIndia Report became the basis for the next phase of a fewdecades when the National Institute of Design beganfunctioning in Ahmedabad.NID has impacted every aspect of Design through itscommitment to Earnes' recommendations whichsuccessfully enmeshed Nehru's industrialisation withanti-industrialists like Tagore. The theme now became'craft interventions' where the Design product became ameans of societal change.Gradually Design changed from being merebeautification of surfaces to today's expansion of domainto include everything from logos to teapots to furniture tocensus forms and web pages. Yet Chaudhuri feels that theIndian contemporary design dynamic isscattered.

• BHARATI MIRCHANDANI

Changing DelhiDISCUSSION: Ilelhi-capturinq Women's Lives and Change InA City In Transition - Civil Lines, Inner Wheel Clubs andChanging DelhiSpeakers: Minna Kapur; and Purnima NarayanCollaboration: Centre for Women's Development StudiesJanuary 20

Civil Lines residential area came up on lush orchard landsalong the Yamuna when the British centre moved fromCalcutta to Delhi. The walled city by then wasovercrowded and hot. The elite moved to the fresh air ofthe new palatial bungalows of Civil Lines. Two ladies ofthese privileged families spoke about growing up in a'Delhi that was still Delhi' as aptly expressed by MinnaKapur. Her love for the place is so strong that it overflowsto encompass all Delhi through the changes wrought bymany decades.

This love, instilled by their nurturing pleasurablechildhood within cultured and educated extendedfamilies, provided both speakers of the evening aconfidence to leap into the unfamiliar. Both are activeworkers with Inner Wheel Clubs Delhi chapter, reaching

Unethical Medical PracticesDISCUSSION: Unethical Medical Practices - How doI Save Myself?Keynote Speaker: Dr. Naresh GuptaPanelists: Dr. K.K. Talwar and Dr. Navin DangCollaboration: Consumers IndiaJanuary 24

IIC and Consumers 1ndia havecollabo-rated to organise aseries of lectures to raise information aboiit=consumerredressal regarding misleading facts about products. Theintroduction was precise and informative aboutadvertisements which had been refuted throughlaboratory studies, an example being 'Revital' , leadingpeople to consume artificial products when smallamounts of natural produce can give equal if not betternourishment. The-series was necessirated- by theproliferation of advertisements that promised miracles inbody building or weight loss-other facets ofmedical tourism.

The panelists were well-known doctors of the city ofDelhi. The nobility of medical science came underdispute with the Doctors trials after the Second World

out to underprivileged cornmunmes, interactingextensively with them to explore their problems, andfacilitating solutions.

Purnima Narayan gave an insight into her Kayasth familywhere each unit housed 30-60 persons sharing a commonkitchen, pooled resources, and familial love kept in checkby strong hierarchical traditions. Both men and womenwere highly educated. Men served the rulers, whetherMuslim or British with utmost loyalty. Being close topower, they adopted elite lifestyles and became patrons ofculture, especially music.

While the Mathur families lived in close proximityenabling a few hundred members to gather for eachfestival without needing to drive, other families werescattered across the expanding city. Yet the values of jointfamily culture, where every mum, aunt or uncle was eachchild's mum, aunt or uncle existed. Obedience and loveabounded and has sustained through changing times.

This was an evening that evoked a yearning for an in-depth study of this small but influential elite.

• BHARATI MIRCHANDANI

War and the experiments to end the lives of jail inmatesand other people thought inferior by the Nazi regime.TheHippocratic Oath of 'do no harm to anyone' was rockedfrom its foundation, an attitude that had lasted as the artof the science of medical practice for over 2000 years.Modern medicine with the discovery of penicillin andother inventions ushered new ethics. With time, diseaseschanged and presented fresh dilemmas to doctors-suchas patients urging doctors not to reveal contentious factsabout their health. The field emerged with many more.miraculous interventions oflife-saving procedures such asorgan renlacement. Governments attempted to putlegislation in pIa e as pre eilt-wl"-measuresand su ort topeople The discussion also highlighted that theConsumer Protecricm-Acrjs central for the protection ofpatients and their families~di many otherlegislations such as the Organs Act or the PrenatalDiagnostic Act and the management of Medical \Xiage.Issues in bio ethics and drug use have been under scrutinyas well. Thus, the bio medical ethics comprise severallayers and several stakeholders.

• ASHASINGH

Remembering Farooq SheikhFILMS: A Tribute to Farooq Sheikh (1948·2013)February 25-27

Sikandar Mirza (Farooq Sheikh), is the only character inGaram Hawa who witnesses the changing meaning offreedom as his family gets beaten down at every corner.This, slightly idealistic, yet entirely believable charactercomes alive because of Sheikh who plays it with a lot ofsincerity, in his debut film. GaramHawa is the story of theMirza family. At every point, Mirza loses something whilehis faith in his nation is tried and tested.

"""~'"UI'4 #.~'1,4"

M.S. Sathyu's Garam Hawa is empathetic; [uU ofcharacters so human0~~wciter~sty comesthrough. Kaifi Azmi "and Shama Zaidi's screenplay,though uneventful, is completely heart-breaking. Thequestion of identity raiscd-througlithe film comes out inthe most tragic scene of the film when Salim Mirza'smother refuses to leave her haveli and goes into hiding.Sathyu~--greatesttriumph is the compassion that he is ableto lend to a heart-rending story offaith.Muzaffar Ali's Gaman presents a very earnest protagonist,Ghulam Hasan, who moves to Mumbai (then Bombay)from his native village in Uttar Pradesh to earn a living. Alitrusts Farooq Sheikh with the role of Ghulam Hasan, who

brings earnestness as well as vulnerability to the foreeffortlessly. Gaman deals with the subject of migration,and the impact it creates on lives everywhere. It tries topresent, simply, a complex issue that filmmakers havebeen trying to portray. Sheikh's portrayal of Ghulam istinged with a touch of innocence and honesty. Hisinnocence is matched only by the"intensity and grace ofSmita Pati!'

Muzaffar Ali allows the screenplay to meander when thedrama needs depth. Jaidev's music is a solid pillar in thefilm, but the montages they are used behind are so aimlessthat the meaning is completely lost. The sound design aswell as cinematography are below-par, so much so that,technically, Gaman is completely outdated today.Sai Paranjpye's Chashme Buddoor brought one of thegentlest bachelors on screen, in Hindi films. Siddharth,played by Farooq Sheikh, displayed a certain level ofinexperience in courting a woman, a big no for anyactor at that time. That inexperience has charmedgenerations hence.One of the better films about male bonding, ChashmeBuddoor also stars (late) Ravi Baswani as Jai and RakeshBedi as Omi. Sai Paranjpye displays a light touch in all herfilms and Chashme Buddoor is no different. The threecharacters represent the times perfectly.ChashmeBuddoor has the privilege of being one of the fewfilms that uses its Delhi setting rather well. Capturing thelaid-back nature of youth through the three characters,the extremely picturesque monuments bring in acertain perspective .•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••_-.Unfortunately,the gentlehumour ofChashmeBuddoor mightbe missed OUtinroe--c:ynicism ofthe present day,and it mightappear slightlyunrealistic androman ticised.That, however,doesn't takeanything awayfrom Paranjpye'sclassic.

A FlL.'4 orMIJ;:,A,I-7tAf? su,IlCISJC woer

• AMIT UPADHYAYA

Annual SubscriptionAll members are requested to pay their annual subscription for the year 20 14-20 15 in time. An extract of Rule 9 of theMemorandum 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 1stApril 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 theamoun t deposi ted is towards annual subscription for the year 2014-15.

Annual Pavment for lie Quarterlv 2014-15The IIC Quarterly (two single and one special double issue) addresses vital contemporary issues relating togovernance, civic and international affairs, ethics and society, education, law, environment, indigenous knowledgesystems, literature, cinema and the arts.The annual rates for the IIC Quarterlyfor the financial year 2014-15 are :

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AmendmentThe following amendment proposed by Mr. R.K. Chhabra (LF-04) in the minutes of the 561hAnnual Gencra1.Bodymeeting 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 theCentre rightly was completed in 2009. My only request is that the BT may please consider it and rectify the mistakethey 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 theCentre rightly was completed in 2009. My only request is that the BT may please note the same and records beamended accordingly.'

ObituarvIt iswith deep regret that we mention the untimely passing away of Ambassador (Retd) Jagdish C Sharma, the spouse ofour Director Dr. Kavita A, Sharma and a distinguished Member of the Centre (M-2736). We wish to put on record thesignificant contribution made byAmbassador Jagdish C Sharma towards helping lIC organise national and internationalprogrammes and conferences at the lIC Our thoughts arewith the Director Dr. KavitaA. Sharma in her moment ofgrief

A-I023A-1155A-1197A-1362A-4271A-4325A-4646

Shri Ranjit BhatiaShri AN. KapurMs. Salima TyabjiShri I.Z. BhattyMrs. Annapurna SinhaMrs. Nirmal KhubchandDr. V.Anand Swamy

OA-472M-0982M-1150M-1276M-1415M-1503M-3858

Ms Raj Kumari DattaShri R.L. SahniShriAS. GilaniAmbassador (Mrs.) Soonu KocharOr. CL. NahalShri CM. LalShri Pankaj Agarwala

Highlights for April- Mav 2014LECTURES

1 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill,Kamaladevi Complex

The Quest for Consciousness

Speaker: Julio Ozan Lavoisier, well-known philosopherfrom Argentina

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

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LECTURES

New Vistas in Chemical Science: A Ring Side View

Speaker: Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, Department ofScience and Technology, Government of India

2 May 2014 at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill,Kamaladevi Complex

Radio Window to the Universe

Speaker: Professor Jayaram N. Chengalur, NationalCentre for Radio Astrophysics, T~ta Institute ofFundamental Research

7 April 2014-at 6:30 pm in Seminar Rooms 11 - Ill,Kamaladevi Complex

MUSIC ApPRECIATION PROMOTION

The Last Flute Maker - The Disappearance of theInstrument Maker

A dialogue between Jagdeep Singh Bedi, sitar andsurbahar artist and teacher at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya;and Ajay Rikhi Ram, sitar player as well as instrumentmaker with 'Rikhi Ram', the oldest instrument shopin Delhi

Coordinator/moderator: Smt. Manjari Sinha, notedmusic critic

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

Reading Contemporary Chinese Art

Illustrated lecture by Professor Suman Gupta, Professor ofLiterature and Cultural History, English Department,Faculty of Arts, The Open University, UK

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

Indian Archaeology

India in Cambodia-Conservation of Angkor Wat andTa Prohm

Illustrated lecture by Jahnwij Sharma, Director(Conservation), ASI /

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

IIeQuarterly Release: Living with Religious Diversity

PERFORMANCES

1 April 2014 at 6:30 pm inthe Auditorium

Abbas: The Man Who SawTomorrow

A multi-media presentationby Hamari Urdu Mohabbat

The programme highlightsK.A. Abbas' legacy andachievement and will includeclips from some of his memorable films, photographs, hisown words and voice; and presentation of two songs fromhis films written by KaifiAzmi andAli Sardar jafri

Organised to mark the birth centenary of KA. Abbas

11 April 2014 at 6:30 pm inthe Auditorium

Concert - Piano Recital

By Raphael AlexandreLustchevsky, internationallyrenowned Polish pianist andSteinwayartist

24 April 20 14 at 6:30 pm inthe Auditorium

An Evening of Classical, Broadway, Jazz and Pop

Concert presented by The Delhi Genesis Choir - allmale choir

Guest artist: Nadya Balyan (soprano)Pianist and conductor: Aching Shaiza

Festival '" ·.•. 41·,. ~

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9 April 2014 from 6:00pm onwards in theAuditorium

Celebrating Spring

Sattriya Recital

By Sangita Phukon from Assam, disciple ofGuru Jatin Goswami

Bharatanatyam Recital

By L. Murugashankri from Chennai, disciple of Smt.Parvathi Ravi Ghantashala

Films

16 April 2014 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

Films on Spirituality and Faith

The Art of Happiness

Director: Alessandro Rak

Recipient of the Young Cinema Award, VeniceFilm Festival

5- 6 May 20 14 at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium

Films on Indian Classical Music

Research, screenplay and directed by Anjali Kirtane whowill introduce the screenings

5 May, 2014

Sangeetache Suwarna Yug (Golden Age ofClassical Music)

A musical drama that covers the period 1850-1 ?50

6 May,2014

Gaan Yogi: Pt. D.Y.Paluskar

Exhibitions

2 - 12 April 2014,11:00 am to 7:00 pmin the Art gallery,Kamaladevi Complex

Millennium Dreams

A photographic project presenting eleven photographerspresenting interpretations of Gurgaon throughdistinctive artistic, documentary styles

Photographs by Vaibhav Bhardwaj; Chandan Gomes;Manoj Bharri Gupta; Vinit Gupta; Arvind Hoon;Saumya Khandelwal; Natisha Mallick; AparnaMohindra; Vicky Roy;Ajay Sood; and Monica Tiwari

Cur.ator: AdityaArya

23 - 29 April 20 14, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm in the AnnexeArt Gallery

JalAnand

Impressions from the Maha Kumbh Mela 20 13

Photographs by Cord Meier-Klodt, jean-Pierre Muller,and Lalit Verma

DICKENS AND THE IllUSTRATORA PART 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