the inquirerCampus Buzz

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PU Proactive &Think Tank

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Wellness

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On the Wings ofthe Muse

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Potpourri

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Vol.1 No. 5

April 2010

For private circulation

www.pondiuni.edu.in

puinquirer@gmail.com

A students practice Journal of the Department of Mass Communication, school of Media and Communication, pondicherry university

The Gandhi touch

Rahul Gandhi, Member of Parliament (Amethi), was in hiselement during an interaction withPU students on Feb. 5, aerinaugurating the Rajiv GandhiCricket Stadium in the universitycampus.

Mr. Gandhi fired a volley ofquestions provoking students toshare their opinions on a widerange of topics, such as governance,education and democracy, “In India,if you know somebody in politics orif you have friends in the politicalsystem, you can easily enter politics.Otherwise, the political system inour country is inaccessible for mostpeople.”

“It is a paradox that in a seeminglydemocratic country like India,

political parties do not choosetheir leaders in a democratic manner,”said Mr. Gandhi in the hour-longsession.

“During elections in India, political parties don’t allow the youthto be part of decision making. at’swhy we decided that there are goingto be no nominations in the NSUI(National Students Union of India).It was with the aim to democratisethe functioning of Congress youthorganisation that we started internalelections in Youth Congress whichhas even been appreciated by ourpolitical opponents,” he added.

Replying to a question thatchallenged the efficiency of theeducational system in India, heagreed with a student’s view that the

way of teaching should be practical,analytical and interesting. Healso encouraged the idea ofdemocratisation of classrooms,where the instructor is more of afriend than a teacher.

When asked about the activitiesof divisive forces, he said that only asmall group in certain parts madedivisive issues and that the majoritybelieved they are Indians first.

Member of Parliament (Mandsaur)Meenakshi Natarajan, Vice-ChancellorProf. J.A.K. Tareen, Chief MinisterV. Vaithilingam, and the Directorof Culture and Cultural Relations,Prof. A. Balasubramanian were alsopresent at the function.

Talking about leadership

A bureaucrat with a differenceAs a part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations 2009-2010, exemplarypersonalities from in and aroundIndia are being invited to deliver lectures in the university.

Chief Election Commissioner,Navin Chawla delivered a lecture on ‘Electoral Democracy in India’, onDec. 30, 2009.

No stranger to Puducherry,Mr. Chawla has a long-standing relationship with the town; he heldtwo important posts with the Government of Puducherry, in1979-80 and 2000-01.

Mr. Chawla is a humanist firstand then a bureaucrat. Drawn tosocial service, he worked closelywith Mother Teresa. Greatlyinfluenced by her, he has authoreda book ‘Mother Teresa’ and co-authored ‘Faith and Compassion-e Life and Work of Mother Teresa’with Raghu Rai.

During the lecture, Mr. Chawlabriefly explained the workings of theElection Commission. Pointing outthe differences between the 2004 and2009 elections, he appreciated the

technological advancement thatmade communication easier.

Mr. Chawla played a key part inensuring that the transgenderedcommunity gets the right to vote.

Strongly advocating the need for social equity, he spoke about votingrights of those le out of the democratic process since they couldneither register themselves as ‘male’or ‘female’. Now they can registerthemselves as ‘other’.

He also spoke about the needto ensure the participation of under-trial prisoners in the electoralprocess- at present they are notallowed to vote, while they can standfor elections until they are convicted.

He enthusiastically answeredquestions raised by the students.When asked about educating thepublic about Clause 49‘O’, he replied,“It is important to educate the publicand election officers about the election process.” He urged the students to participate in the electionprocess as booth level officers. Healso launched THE INQUIRER’sDecember 2009 issue.

The Inquirer brings to you a university that is moving on the fasttrack. Here, we unfold PU’s proactive engagement in a wide range of activities.The S i lver Jubi le e ce lebrat ionsbrought us a distinguished lecture by Mr. Navin Chawla and many new beginnings that we are proud of.

We are happy that this issue of

The Inquirer is being released onPU’s 20th convocation.

As the university opens its doors toresearchers, professors and professionalsglobally, we celebrate the true sharingof knowledge; and reaffirm ourcontribution to it. Please do write to uswith your news and views.

Radhika Khanna, Editor

Prof. J.A.K. Tareen, Mr. Navin Chawla and Mr. S. Loganathan.

Can polio be eradicated from India?A report on UNICEF’s Workshop for Professors of Mass

Communication and Journalism on page 6.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the world’sonly cabinet rank Minister of Newand Renewable Energy, inauguratedthe International Conference on“Green Energy Technologies: Challengesin Research and Human Resource

Development” on March 23. Dr.Madanjeet Singh, Founder of SouthAsian Foundation and UNESCO’sgoodwill ambassador shared hisvision on green technology. Aphilanthropist and able visionary,

he with Dr. Farooq Abdullahinaugurated the Madanjeet School ofGreen Energy Technology. efoundation plaque and the buildingmodel was unveiled by them.

Let’s go Green!

Inkpot

Youth Express

Building model of MSGET unveiled Dr. Madanjeet Singh, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Prof. J.A.K. Tareen.

e twentieth convocation is beingheld on April 2 when 176 Goldmedals, 13,572 Bachelors (including5238 through distance education),1499 Masters, 237 M. Phil. and 70Ph.D. degrees will be conferred. ShriKapil Sibal, Honourable Minister forHuman Resource Development shallbe the chief guest. Doctor of Letters(honoris causa) is being conferredto Dr. Farooq Abdullah, UnionMinister for New and RenewableEnergy; Shri Javed Akhtar,

renowned lyricist and author; andProf. G. K. Chadha, CEO, SouthAsian University and formereconomic advisor to Prime Minister.

Silver Jubilee Convocation

continued on page 4>

continued on page 4>

Images from

Antarghat- the

vessel within,

a series by

Bandeep Singh

that explores

the symbolism

of the clay pot in

association with

the human body.

A report on our interaction with Bandeep- artist,

photojournalist and photo editor, on page 7.

Photos: Centre for Electronic Media (CEM)

Photo: CEM

Photos: CEM

CAMPUS BUZZ2

For coverage of activities in Campus Buzz, inform us at puinquirer@gmail.com

e Students’ Welfare Wingconducted ‘Aarohan- 2010’- an eventconsisting of literary andcultural competitions from March2-8. e event kick-started withelocution, debate and quizcompetitions. Students from variousdepartments of the universityparticipated in the events.

A music competition wasorganised on March 3, and saw anoverwhelming response from the

Aarohan‘10: Forum for students’ creativity

Discussions in

Anthropologye Department of Anthropologyorganised a three-day seminarfrom Feb. 3-5 at the Social ScienceSeminar Hall.

Prof. Kamal K. Mishra, Professorof Anthropology, University ofHyderabad, was the Chief Guest.e topics under discussion were -Cognitive Anthropology: e use ofLinguistic Epistemology in CulturalAnalysis; Post-Modernism inAnthropology: Rhetoric and Reality;Inter-Jati Exchange Relations inRural India: Towards a eoreticalRevisit and Globality; Globalizationand the Tribes in India.

Research scholars and studentsfrom various departments attendedthe seminar.

PU ON SONG: One of the teams performs at the group song competition.

International conference on Microfinancee Department of Commerceorganised a three-day InternationalConference on Microfinance fromJan. 22-24.

Prof. Tareen suggested setting upa separate agency for the specialisedmarketing of Self-Help Groups’products. He also wanted theuniversity to be involved in micro-fnance by establishing a research cell.

Success stories from businessenterprises, group activities and

community development wereshared by Self-Help Group membersfrom Madurai. ey demonstratedhow they live successfully withmicrofinance facilities with thesupport of NABARD. Ms. AmudhaShanthi from iyagam PengalArakattalai, an organisation workingexclusively for the welfare ofdifferently abled rural women , show-cased a film ‘Securing Livelihoodsfor Differently Abled Women’.

News Briefse Centre for Study of Social

Exclusion and Inclusive Policy organised a National Conference on‘Inclusive Perspectives for the Development of the ScheduledTribes in India’ from March 29-30.It earlier organised a National Conference on ‘Public Action andInclusive Policy: Taking Stock of theReality and Exploring the RoadAhead’ from March 22-24, with thefinancial assistance of UGC.

e Department of PerformingArts celebrated World eatre Day.It conducted a seminar on ‘Dynamicsof South Indian eatre’ at studiotheatre from March 26-27 and a oneday seminar on ‘Indian eatre atCross Roads’ on March 30.

e Department of Social Work celebrated World Social Work Day on March 27 by organising the

‘Ability Nite’. Differently abled students from six schools inPuducherry expressed their creativity and talent in it.

A National Workshop on‘Gender and Masculinities’ was organised by the Centre for Women’sStudies and Department of SocialWork from March 25-26.

e Department of PollutionControl and Environment Engineering conducted ‘Amrutham10’ on World Water Day on March 22.

e Department of English invited Prof. Satchidanandan, poet,critic and editor of Indian Literature

as Writer-in-Residence from March10-20. A Creative Writing Workshopwas also held on March 16.

e Department of Food Scienceand Technology inaugurated the Association of Food Scientists andTechnologists and conducted a oneday workshop on ‘Future of FoodIndustries in India’ on March 19.

e School of Education organised a National Conferenceon ‘Education for Socially and Economically Deprived’ from March12-13.

A Musical Concert by Frenchmusicians, Baptiste Daleman & Co.and songs by the students of theFrench Department was conductedon March 12.

An International Seminar on‘Rajiv Gandhi’s DisarmamentInitiatives: Global and South AsianContexts’ was organised bythe Centre for South Asian Studiesfrom March 9-11.

e Department of Politics andInternational Studies organised aseminar on ‘Political Economy ofDevelopment’ from March 4-5.

e Centre for Bioinformaticshosted the International Seminar on‘Structural Biology’ on Jan. 25.

e Department of Philosophyorganised a National Seminar on‘Consciousness and Self-Identity’from Jan. 21-23.

e Memory STELE, installed by the UNESCO Chair of the University of La Reunion, was unveiled at the PU cultural complexon Jan. 22.

e Department of French organis e d an Inte r nat iona lConference on ‘From South Indiato the Islands of Indian Ocean:Indian Diaspora & Inter Culturality’from Jan. 20-22.

Women’s football rules

e Department of Physical Education and Sports, PondicherryUniversity, organised its first everSouth-West Zone Inter UniversityFootball Tournament for Womenfrom Jan. 4-8.

Teams from various states, suchas Rajasthan, Maharashtra, MadhyaPradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa,Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherrytook part and the four best teams

selected will participate in the AllIndia Inter University FootballTournament for Women whichwill be organised by KurukshetraUniversity, Haryana.

During the inaugural functionon Jan. 4, Vice-Chancellor Prof. J.A.K. Tareen said, “ese games,between states will encouragenational unity and understandingbetween the students.”

Group. e group performancesincluded the genres of Western,Indian and Folk music.

Balayan (Folk) and Belormi(Hindustani) won first prizes in theirevents and became crowd-favouritesfor their enjoyable performances.

Other competitions were danceperformances (classical, folk &choreography), skit, mime, painting(on canvas) and collage.

e essay competitions wereorganised on March 8 in Hindi,English and Tamil. e topic for theEnglish essay competition was“News making vs. News faking”.

Aarohan brought in a wave ofenergy & enthusiasm on the campus.

students. e event covereddifferent categories, such as Vocal,Instrumental, Classical (Hindustani,Carnatic, Folk and Light) and

tourism studies: uGC-sAp National seminare Department of Tourism Studiesorganised a two-day NationalSeminar from March 19-20, on“Creativity and Innovation inTourism Entrepreneurship:Contemporary Trends.” Papers werebased on innovative concepts,research contributions with empirical evidence and casestudies of successful businessmodels and entre p r e n e u r s .

e seminar concentrated onIndia’s relative performance intourism compared to other Asiannations like China, Malaysia andailand and emphasised on theneed for creativity and innovation as the principal ingredients ofentrepreneurship that are neededmore than ever before. Both of theseinvolve entrepreneurial initiativestargeted at the development ofnew destinations, innovations intourism promotion and expansion

and development of markets yetnot explored.Akanksha ‘10: dream it, do it

e Department of TourismStudies also organised ‘Akanksha ’10-Looking Beyond’ an annual event,from Feb. 20-21, in the School ofManagement building.

e Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Tareeninaugurated the function, andreleased ‘Yatra’ magazine, theannual publication of the department.Rakesh Mathur, President, ITCWelcomHeritage, New Delhi, wasthe Guest of Honour and he delivered the keynote address.

Since its conception in 1992-93,this Institute-Industry interfaceevent has provided a platform forinteraction between the industryand academia. is year’s Akankshasaw the launch of the first AlumniMeet of the Department of TourismStudies. A photography and paintingexhibition showcased the creativework of the students.

It brought together CEOs,Directors, Tourism Administrators,Academicians and representativesfrom NGOs to deliberate on keyissues and evolve practices intourism and the hospitality industrythrough panel discussions andspecial lectures.

It consisted of three technicalsessions- ‘Tourism: Reaching out tothe middle class’, ‘Civil Aviation:Expectations vis-à-vis Achievements’and ‘Beyond Incredible India:Rebranding Indian Tourism.’

A workshop on ‘DNA barcoding:Identification of Flora and Fauna’was jointly organised by theDepartment of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences and theDepartment of Biotechnology fromFeb. 22-23. is was to celebrate the

International Year of Biodiversity2010. First of its kind in PU’s history,it contributed to Taxonomy, thebetterment of humankind and its lifesupporting systems.

Practical sessions were conductedfor participants to have hands-ontraining of different techniques thatare involved in DNA barcoding,like genomic DNA isolation,electrophoresis and polymerasechain reaction. e participantswere provided with samples likedifferent plant species, earthworms,bacteria and fungi.

DNA barcoding workshop

Centre for Electronic Media & Mass Communication wins twoawards & two citations in the 20th UGC-CEC Education Video

Competition 2008 & the Competition of Centre for EnvironmentEducation (Vatavaran 2009) respectively.

Students during the culturals at Akanksha.Photo: Agni

Photo: Devanathan

Photo: Vishnu

Photo: CEM

CAMPUS BUZZ 3

Education has no boundaries. iswas demonstrated when Ms. MuslimJan and Ms. Syeda Afshana, came allthe way from Media EducationResearch Center (MERC), KashmirUniversity to Pondicherry Universityto share their thoughts regardingemerging issues in media.

In a two-day workshop whichwas held on Jan. 23 and 25, studentsgot an insight into the real problemsof Kashmir and the role of media.

Discussing “Role of Media inConflict Transformation in Kashmir,”Ms. Syeda Afshana said thatKashmir is currently undergoingconflict transformation. Reportingany conflict is a challenging task formedia personnel. “Professional

journalists do not set out to reduceconflict, although good reportingoen reduces conflict,” she said.Good reporting, according to her, isa debatable topic and there is noproper yardstick to measure it.During the discussion she spoke on

plight of Kashmiri women whosehusbands went missing, whomshe called ‘half-widows’. She alsomentioned that there are more than100 orphanages in Kashmir.

According to her, journalists inthe country are not doing justice to

conflict-reporting. “eir reportsrarely incorporate the entire contextof the matter. e media shouldfocus on both the non-violent andthe violent sides of the issue.”

She further said that the peopleof Kashmir had realised thatviolence was not the answer to theirproblems and that the media inKashmir should take responsibilityto overcome these issues. Sheshowed some photos and clippingsrelated to this as well.

In her discussion about“Propaganda and its Techniques” sheexplained, “Propaganda is systematicbrainwashing and it is designed toprovide focus for our mistrust andhatred, to dehumanize the enemy so

that they can be killed withoutremorse.” She also highlighted thedifferent techniques of propagandaand linked the term to the situationin Kashmir.

Later in the day, Ms. Muslim Jantalked about the role one should playin conflict resolution as a mediaprofessional. “One needs to puthim/her in that position tounderstand the problems and to seekout a peaceful solution to theproblem,” she added.

A film, Working on the Edge, anEMMRC MERC production, wasalso showcased. is was followed byan interactive session between theKU professors and the students ofMedia and Communication, PU.

The Department ofPerforming Arts startedfunctioning from the

academic year 1988-89. One ofthe most diverse and interestingdepartments of the university, itoffers the following courses- M.P.A.(Master of Performing Arts),M. Phil, PhD and P.G.D.T.A (PostGraduate Diploma in Drama andeatre Arts, an add-on course).ese courses give students uniquecareer opportunities in various fieldslike Film, Radio, T.V. Networks, andas faculty in educational institutions.

Students here, learn aboutModern Indian eatre, Westerneatre, Classical Indian eatre,Direction, eatre Acting, AdvancedActing, eatre Architecture, PlayProduction, Children’s eatre,eatre Games, eatre Exercises,eatrical Martial Arts, eatre inEducation, Set Designing, Lighting,Designing, Make-Up and CostumeDesigning, Folk eatre, eru-K-Koothu, Mime and Choreography,Mass Communication, Voice &Speech Training, Classical Music,Music for eatre, Performance

Sound Designing, Film Acting, Filmeories & History, T.V. and FilmProduction, Script and Play Writing,Dance eatre, Musical eatre,eatre erapy, Experimentaleatre, Sculpture & Painting relatedto eatre.

e department has goodinfrastructure and also has its ownlibrary with computer and internetfacilities. In addition, there are threeair-conditioned Studio eatreswhich are well equipped with

lighting and sound. ey have an open-air multipurpose theatre as well.

e department has beenorganising several workshops forthe benefit of students. e majorworkshops organised in 2009 were aChildren’s eatre Workshop fromJuly 16-17 with Mr. Sumesh, member,eatre in Education Company,National School of Drama, NewDelhi as the resource person; aThe at re Jam Workshop incollaboration with eatre Mara

from Oct. 10-11 at Bangalore; a tenday eru-K-Koothu Workshopfrom Oct. 19-27 with Sambandaambiran, Secretary, PurasaiKannappa ambiran eru-K-Koothu Manram, Purasai as theresource person; and a one-weekPhysical eatre Workshop fromNov. 2-9 by Jairo Vecgara Fruto andYasmin from Colombia.

In 2010, a workshop on Triple S(Script, Scenes and Shots) wasconducted in the department studio

from Feb 15-16. Lectures on Script,Scenes and Shots were delivered.ree Sangalian Award winningshort films connected to Sri Lankanissues and videos related to Script,Scenes and Shots were screened.

ey also organised a series ofseminars and drama productionsin the recently concluded Worldeatre Day celebrations onMarch 27, stimulating thought andcreativity on the campus.(as told to THE INQUIRER)

In Focus: Department of Performing Arts

Kashmir University media faculty engage PU’s communication students

Students and faculty with Ms. Muslim Jan (fourth from right).

Stills from: (top le) Paari Padukalam (top right) a eatre-in-Education (TIE) production on environment (below) e Miser by Moliere.

In continuation of our sectionwhich is similar to the “Know your University” initiative on thecampus, we are happy to showcaseyet another department. is issueintroduces our readers to theworking and accomplishments ofthe Department of PerformingArts. -Editor

Photo: Gopi

PU PROACTIVE4

Felicitations were given by Prof.V. Renugopalakrishnan, Children’sHospital, Harvard Medical School,Boston and Dr. A. Balasubramanian,Director, Culture and CulturalRelations, Pondicherry University.

In his inaugural address,Dr. Abdullah said that this conference is

important not only for India but alsofor the world. “Due to the energyconsumed by the West, the world issuffering from global warming. Wehave to co-operate with the rest ofthe world too. Whatever we make,we must supply to the countriesthat are not so developed and arein need of thoseresources,” he said.

In a countrywhere even today40% of the peoplehave not seen anelectric bulb, he emphasised on theneed to groom green energy fromnatural sources- the sun, water,earth, fire and ether- all that havebeen venerated and sustained lifefrom the beginning of time. “Eventhough fossil fuels cannot be doneaway with, there is an imperativeneed to harness energy from solar,solar-thermal, tidal and otheralternative sources; and whichcould only be achieved withthe development of humanresources,” he added.

He aired concern on thetremendous amount of loss incurredby the nation due to dishonesty andthe pilfering of money. He urged theyouth to work with dedication. “Youare the builders of the India oftomorrow. Your heart must ache.You must have that feeling in yourheart that you are not doing it foryourself but for the future ofIndia- for children yet not born.”

Following Dr. Abdullah’sinspiring call to the youth, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Tareen gavethe presidential address. Fittinglyi n t r o d u c e d b y D r. U m aC h a n drasekaran, MC, as aninstitution builder and a mover andshaker who moves mountains byshaking everyone out the status quo,Prof. Tareen spoke about thegenesis of the centre. He said thatuniversities have a big role to play incontributing to society and can’t beislands in isolation. “ey need toproactively participate and develop astrong research base in thecountry,” he added.

“If institutions of excellence areneeded, we don’t need people whosleep. PU is the fastest growinguniversity in the country and hasopened its doors to researchers,professors and professionalsglobally,” he said. is importantevent in the annals of PU’s historyended with presentation of voteof thanks by the Registrar,

Mr. S. Loganathan.He lauded Prof.J.A.K. Tareen’sleadership whichdemonstrates thatall miracles are

possible with selfless dedication.e three-day conference

concentrated on: i) sustainability-meeting the needs of society in wayswithout damaging or depletingnatural resources, ii) innovation-de ve loping a l ter nat ives totechnologies to those that have beendemonstrated to damage health andthe environment, iii) reducing wasteand pollution by changing patternsof production and consumption.

It focussed on alternative energysources, green devices, greenchemistry, nano-biotechnology andgreen management techniques. Ateam of scientists from industry andacademics from India and abroadaddressed the students, researchersand scientists.

This e vent wit ness e d t hecoming together of the bestof minds to ensure a betterworld through the use of GreenEnergy Technology.

let’s go Green!

“You must have that feeling inyour heart that you are notdoing it for yourself butfor the future of India– forchildren yet not born.”

-Dr. Farooq Abdullah

e Centre for Women’s Studiescelebrated Women’s Day on March 8in J.N. Auditorium, which was followed by a Film Festival till March12. e theme for this year, also the100th year of International Women’sDay, was ‘Looking back and movingforward’. e Chief Guest,Ms. Sumita Kandpal, a retired IASofficer and member of the MahilaSama k hya , Vice-C hance l lor, P r o f . J . A . K . Ta r e e n , P r o f .D. Sambandhan, Dean, School of Social Sciences and InternationalStudies, and Dr. Usha V.T., Readerand Coordinator, Centre forWomen’s Studies shared the dais.e Centre also celebrated its tenthyear of inception.

Dr. Usha stressed on the need tohighlight women’s issues, whichneeded to be discussed and givenample importance. In addition,Ms. Sumita Kandpal talked about

the Mahila Samakhya, anorganisation set up by the HRDministry in Uttarakhand whichempowers women to be an activepart of mainstream society.

The Vice-Chancellor alsooffered some interesting viewsregarding the negative portrayal ofwomen in the media, especially insoap operas. He emphasised therole of education in women’s

empowerment, and the need forthem to break out of the stereotypescreated by society.

He also released two books-‘Women and Moral Policing in India’and ‘Gender Violence: SomePrimary Facts’. e talk wasfollowed by the screening of adocumentary called ‘Twilight atHome’, produced by the Centre forWomen’s Studies.

e International Colloquium onthe ‘European Convention onHuman Rights: Lessons fromExperiences’, organised by theDepartment of Politics and Inter-national Studies, in collaborationwith the University of Paris 13,France, took place from March 1-3.

e colloquium catalysedan intense and a long awaiteddiscussion on human rights andtheir violations plaguing theinternational context in general andthe European, South Asian and theIndian contexts in particular.

e Vice-Chancellor, Prof. J.A.K.Tareen, in his informativePresidential Address, said that thecontours of Human Rightsperceptions vary from communityto community and he stressed on thenecessity to include this within the

scheme of things. Prof. MohannanBhaskaran Pillai, Head ofthe Department, brought to the forethe reality of the idea and discussedthe practice of non-American andnon-European perspectives onHuman Rights.

e deliberations encompassedseveral important issues relatedto women, minority rights,environmental issues and media.Focus was also given to forcedmarriages and anti-terrorism lawson human rights as well as thefundamental freedom of expressionas practiced by the media and theviolation of its rights bymedia personnel.

Students were given theopportunity to participate aspanelists and share their ideas withthe academic community.

Women of the world forge ahead

Dr. Usha V.T., Ms. Sumita Kandpal, Prof. J.A.K. Tareen and Prof. D. Sambandhan.

DebAtes AND DisCussioNs

european Convention on human rights

On March 8, the Centre for Study ofSocial Exclusion and Inclusive Policyorganised an interactive capacitybuilding programme for thedifferently abled students of theuniversity. is was another stepby the Centre in carrying outaction-oriented research that canlead to policy suggestions for the‘socially excluded groups’.

Faculty member, A. Chidambaram,who has been actively researching ondisability, conducted a survey withinthe university to identify differentlyabled students on the campus. esestudents were invited to participatein the capacity building programme.

Mr. Elangovan, Deputy Director,Department of Social Welfare,Government of Puducherry, andMr. Anburaj, Vocational GuidanceOfficer, District RehabilitationCentre, Nagapattinam were the keyspeakers.

Mr. Elangovan spoke on thedifferent welfare schemesavailable for differently abledpersons and Mr. Natrajan spoke onthe different Acts for persons withdisability. e event was also aimedto create a platform for differentlyabled students to meet in order tocreate a forum to organise similarevents in the future.

empowering the differently abled

>continued from page 1

(en)abling access

To focus on the information needsof the visually-impaired, anexperimental initiative has beentaken by the Ananda RangapillaiLibrary. One terminal at the onlinereference section is provided withessential soware and hardware toenable visually impaired students/scholars to browse/access e-contentwith ease.

A demo during the recent AAACommittee visit by Ms. Karkuzhali,a scholar from the English

department was largely appreciatedby members.

Students of class II and IV of theKendriya Vidyalaya, situated in thePU campus, took a tour of theuniversity with their teachers. eyvisited the library, which motivatedthe children to read. eir interestwas kindled and they were curiousto know if they could becomemembers of the library and werehappy to note that a children’s librarywas coming up soon.

qualities, Rahul Gandhi said thatevery student has the capability to bea leader and a teacher shouldencourage him/her and bring outthat potential. “Curiosity is the keyto be a leader,” he added.

As he mingled with the studentsaer the session, on his way out hedevoted about a quarter-of-an-hourwith Vijayata, a differently abledstudent of PU (for more on Vijayatasee Vol. 1 No. 4 of The Inquirer on the website).

Vijayata took the initiative andasked Mr. Gandhi what were hisideas for offering solutions to problems faced by the differentlyabled in the country.

In a detailed discussion thatfollowed Vijayata was asked for hersuggestions. Few days aer thesession Vijayata also sent an abstractto Meenakshi Natarajan and awaitsa positive reply.

On and off the dais, Mr. Gandhiformed an instant rapport with thestudents. He reaffirmed his capacityto connect with the youth of today.

>continued from page 1

The Gandhi touch

INTERACTIVE MOMENTS: Dr. FarooqAbdullah with children during culturals.

e Department of Biochemistryand Molecular Biology organised atwo-day Silver Jubilee NationalSymposium on EcosustainableManagement of Plant Diseases. Itwas held from March 12-13.Prof. B. Kannabiran, Coordinator,stated that the excessive use ofsynthetic pesticides has led toenvironmental pollution through theaccumulation of toxic residues in thesoil, water and food.

He also talked about the resultingconsequences and stated that theenvironment needs to besafeguarded by reducing the use ofsynthetic pesticides. is can bedone by switching to eco-friendlypesticides and alternative fertilisersthat do not harm the environment.

Eco-friendly solutions

ANANDA RANGApillAi LibrAry

Photo: Bagalavan

Photo: CEM

5

e Centre for Electronic Media &Mass Communication organised atwo-day national seminar on“Emerging trends in Media: theRise of Digital Culture and itsImpact on Information Society”from Jan. 21-22.e seminar was inaugurated byVice-Chancellor, Prof. J.A.K. Tareen,Dr. R. Sreedher, Director, Commonwealth Educational MediaCentre for Asia (CEMCA), NewDelhi and Shri R. Mahadevan, former Chief Editor, BBC WorldService, London.

In his keynote address, Dr. Sreedher discussed the transitions that this knowledge society is undergoing and said thatthings are changing with the rise ofdigital culture. He also talked aboutthe lack of emphasis on the role ofeducation in media.

e seminar gave a platform toall the participants to understand theimpact of technology on culture andsociety from both theoretical andpractical perspectives.

It consisted of nine technical sessions on the topics: Mobile Technologies: A New Media Perspective, Internet and Online Culture, Social Media, DevelopmentCommunication, ICT and Development, New Media Journalism, Television/Film in Transition, Print Media & Radio and E-learning.

We share here some of the important developments in mediawith our readers:

MOBILE CULTURECell phones are ubiquitous

today- everyone from the mailmanto the corporate executive owns one.Cell phones have completelychanged the way people communicate. ey also have a

greater role in developing countrieslike India, where mobile technologyhas cut across economic and socialbackgrounds. It has helped in quickcommunication whether at the timeof a natural disaster or in helpingfarmers be aware of crop prices.NEW MEDIA & SOCIAL MEDIA

New Media is one of the mostresearched and revolutionary formsof media today. An interesting ideaput forth in the seminar was that ofthe future of new media. Augmentedreality is a growing area in virtualreality research and generates acomposite view for the user. It isa combination of real scenesv ie we d by t he us er and avirtual scene generated by thecomputer that augments it withadditional information.

Social media is yet another formof new media that consists of socialnetworking sites, professionalnetworking sites, blogs, micro blogs,forums, video blogging, book-marking, photo sharing etc. Sitessuch as Myspace, Facebook, and

Twitter have completely changed theway people communicate. Socialmedia thus plays a vital role inparticipatory journalism, paving theway for registering opinions andwider social interactions.TELEVISION IN TRANSITION

With the advent of broadcastingtechnology, television is heralding anew era in digital media. DTH(Direct-to-Home) is the revolutionaryplatform in satellite channelbroadcasting technology, that offersusers a wide range of programmingoptions and makes TV viewing apleasurable and interactive experience. In two decades, a series of economicand political changes have contributedto the globalisation of the televisionas a medium and as an industry.With over 300 satellite television

channels, India is poised to becomethe home of the largest number ofviewers in the world.

In addition, international mediaconglomerates are taking overcompanies and rolling out newformats in television production. For

instance, Warner Bros. has recentlystarted aligning its business with theBollywood film industry. ICT– INFORMATIONCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

ICT is the buzzword fordevelopment today. It empowerspeople to find, explore, analyse,exchange and present informationr e s p o n s i b l y a n d w i t h o u tdiscrimination. It also gives usersquick access to ideas andexperiences from a wide range ofpeople, communities and cultures.

ICT also plays a vital role todayin empowering the differently abled.It attempts to help in many wayssuch as capacity building, enrichinglearning opportunities and providingaccess to knowledge. It iscomplementary to learning, and

helps improve life skills. us,ICTs have impacted society onmany levels. DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

Development communication isa communication strategy used topromote social development. emost pressing issues covered underthis are related to sustainabledevelopment. Environmental issuescan be addressed through awarenessand activism which can be madepossible through various forms ofcommunication (interpersonal,group, organisational, mass, etc).Social debates can be initiated todiscuss these issues using bothtraditional and mass media.Awareness about HIV-AIDS andother important issues can alsob e generated through various development communicat ionprogrammes targeted at differentstrata of society.E-LEARNING

E-learning refers to variousforms of technology-enhancedlearning. It is also called onlinelearning, virtual learning, distributedlearning, networked or web-basedlearning. Modern technology hasmade learning very easy andeffective. Numerous websites,on-line teachers, EDUSAT, videosand animations have opened a widerange of opportunities for studentsto explore. Particularly in the area ofDistance Education, E-learning canprove to be a very useful tool forknowledge dissemination.

emerging trends in Media: Digital Culture and information society

Prof. A. Balasubramanian, Dr. R Sreedhar, Prof. J.A.K Tareen, Mr. R .Mahadevan, Prof. V Senapathi and Dr. S Arulselvan.

THINK TANK

A National Conference on‘Re-reading Sri Aurobindo’ was organised by the Department ofEnglish from March 4-5 to mark thecentenary of Sri Aurobindo’s arrivalin Puducherry. Pondicherry University saw a confluence of people from all over the country, including an unusual mix of academics, devotees and researchscholars. It was a gathering to engagewith Sri Aurobindo with a fresh perspective, to re-read his work andbe inspired again.

Prof. Murali, offering anoverview of the conference, said thatthis was an occasion to try and lookat the person, who has contributedso much to our understanding. Hesaid, “It is my argument that SriAurobindo was essentially a poet.”

e keynote address was delivered by Dr. Manoj Das, from Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and arecipient of the Padma Shri for hiscontribution in literature. He opinedthat, “To present the mystic thoughtof India through a language that isnot Indian, has been Sri Aurobindo’scontribution, along with writings onpoetry, sociology and a wide rangeof subjects. Sri Aurobindo’s maincontribution was to the vision of the

future of man- from liberation ofIndia from foreign rule to theliberation of man from ignorance-he brings a touch of fulfilment to alldisciplines.” He also narrated anevocative story on human greed inhis inimitable style and said, “egreatest freedom is defeating the secret demon within our inconscience.”

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. J.A.K.Tareen stressed on the need to haveconvergence between disciplines, including understanding of mysticism and noble thoughts thatmake universal education possible.

He announced that the Sri Aurobindo School of Eastern andWestern ought would be activated

and also proposed an eveningDiploma course in Sri AurobindoStudies. He also expressed that the

university was keen to institute aChair for Sri Aurobindo Studies incollaboration with Sri Aurobindo

Ashram. His plans were met withmuch applause and appreciation.

ere were many eminent SriAurobindo scholars at the conference: Dr. Prema Nandakumar,Prof. Makarand Paranjpe from JNU,Dr. Ananda Reddy of SACAR, Ms.Shraddhavan, Mr. Georges VanVrekhem and Dr. Rod Hemsell.Most of them stressed on the need tore-read Sri Aurobindo. e sessionscovered a vast range of topics: SriAurobindo’s poetry and poetics, philosophy, his epic poem Savitri,the foundations of Indian culture,yoga and metaphysics, drama,

psychology and politics. e conference was a ground for

different ideas. Prof. Paranjpe spoke

on the need to evolve an integralhermeneutics to read Sri Aurobindo.Questioning the role of the mind inthis endeavour, he spoke of theblocks which came about due to exceptionalism, which led to totalitarianism, and also of the concentration/contraction of the entire project on two individual persons: Sri Aurobindo and eMother. Another point of view waspresented by Dr. Ananda Reddy whospoke of the binaries of hagiographyand historiography, which he dismissed as intellectual jugglery,and the need to rise above it by re-reading Sri Aurobindo in silence,involving an inner re-reading.

One of the most passionate papers came from PU’s Finance Officer, Mr. S. Raghavan who offereda fresh and novel reading of Sri Aurobindo and Wordsworth’s poetry. e conference ended with around table discussion, whichrevolved around the question of collective and individual yoga; therelevance of Sri Aurobindo todayand the different perspectives withwhich we could engage with his textsin the contemporary world.

Remembering Sri Aurobindo

Delegates and organisers at the e ‘National Conference on Re-reading Sri Aurobindo.’

Ketaki Chowkhani (Alumna, Department

of English, PU), Radhika & Rohan

Smarak

The Inquirer pays tributeto Sr i Aur o b i n d o , a greatvisionary & spiritual leader, onthe occasion of the centenaryce lebration of his arrival inPuducherry on April 4.

Photos: CEM

WELLNESS6

Let’s eradicate Polio once and for all

Values to help each other

On occasions you want tohelp someone and youask yourself: “How can I

help my friend or this familymember who is depressed?” Whenyou don’t want to help yourself it isdifficult for anyone else to help you.When someone does not want tohelp themselves and is not preparedto make the effort to come out ofthat state, the way in which we canhelp is to be like a sun, to shine andgive off light. If someone wants totake the light, let them open theirwindows and take the light and, ifnot, they will continue to be closedaway in the house in the dark. Buteven then they know that outsidethere is light.

e best way to help is to freeyourself of negativity, blockages andinner fears, and that way you

generate an environment in whichpeople are not afraid, they feelthemselves unblocked and naturalwith you, they relax and feelcomfortable with you. In thatenvironment their most positive partcan emerge, their inner leader, theirinner ruler. Being yourself, nothonouring others because you wantsomething from them, but ratherloving them, allowing them to openthemselves to their true being can help ingenerating bridges and not walls.

To build more bridges and fewerwalls you need:

To trust. Learn to trust becausetrusting yourself, others and lifeopens you up to unimaginablepossibilities. Don’t worry if someonedeceives you, if the other is not honest ,if this, if the other… Stop puttingconditions with the “ifs” and act.

Faith. Jump over the barriers,don’t turn them into excuses. If youdon’t accept challenges, your life willbe of a “boring security”, whose baseis the fear of the new and of change.It may appear secure and comfortable, but it is an illusory security, that maybe broken at any moment and in any

way. Acceptance.

Mistakes, failures,ups e t s , d i s -appointments,are part ofgrowth and of

knowing the process, and theyshould not be condemned or feared.Each human being has passed or ispassing through them, and it willcontinue to happen.

Remain light. Everything has itsmeaning and significance. If nottoday, in the end you will understandthat meaning. It is healthy both forthe mind and the body not to weighoneself down with exaggeration anda lack of perspective.

Life is a game. Know the rulesand play it well. A good player isaware, easy, tolerant and flexible,does not stay trapped into a scene, anorm or another player for muchtime; they give respect and attention,but continue going forward. A goodplayer plays their role and does nottry to play that of others.

Respect for being. Recognise

your spiritual re-ality as a humanbeing, with somegood inner re-sources that youshould discoverand use. Don’taccept false exter-nal supports, such as name, fame,position, praise. You are what youare because of what is within you.e point of reference is the eternaland valuable, and it is inside you. Soyou cannot fear that it will be spoilt.

Silence and positive attitude.Realise the importance of beingsilent from time to time, to re-examine and renew positivismtowards yourself and towards life. Ifnot, the speed and immensity of thenegative forces of being, or of others,will make you fear again.

Miriam Subirana from Spain is a

columnist with The Inquirer. She is

Director of YESOUISI, International

Centre for Creativity, Spirituality and

Coaching. In this issue we have another

extract from her book DARE TO LIVE -

Reflections on Fear, Courage and Wholeness.

Published in India byIndra Publishing House.

The polio virus todaycontinues to thrive in theworld in four endemic

countries- Nigeria, India, Pakistanand Afghanistan. What are thechallenges and what needs to bedone to eradicate polio from India?Recognising the important role ofthe media, UNICEF, in technicalcollaboration with the NationalPolio Surveillance Project-India(NPSP) and the World HealthOrganization (WHO) organised aworkshop for Professors of Journalismand Mass Communication inBangalore from Feb. 15-18.

Mr. Deepak Gupta of UNICEFstressed on the need for strategiccommunication for behaviourchange. Pointing out the need forresult-based communication, he saidthat the media campaigns needed tobe systematic, planned and sustainedto effect social change.

Prof. J.S. Yadav, Director, International Media Institute, emphasised on the social responsibility of journalists to contribute to development communication rather than focusingon negative news.

Information about polioeradication was shared in technicalsessions by NPSP officers Dr. PavanMurthy and Dr. V.N. Holla. Speaking about those most likely tobe affected by polio, they said new-born babies, and other childrenup to five years of age, are at maximum risk. erefore, the children need routine immunisationwith the Oral Polio Vacc ine(OPV)- two drops supple-mented by repeated doses at least sixmore times to provide complete protection against polio. Since there

is no cure for polio, it could only beprevented by giving OPV and byreducing risk factors that help thepolio virus to spread.

Polio experts said that keepinggood personal hygiene and sanitationconditions, reducing diarrhea,ensuring better nutrition forchildren, and exclusive breastfeedingfor the first six months aer birthcan help improve the polio vaccineefficacy. For this, the governmentneeds to provide proper watersupply, sewage and toilet facilities,they added.

Although the pulse poliocampaign in India has reduced thecases from 200,000 in 1978 to 732 in2009, persistent efforts are needed tomake the country polio free. Civilsociety too needs to press upon thegovernment to ensure properfacilities, especially to sections of thesociety living amidst poverty.

e teacher participants weresensitised to ground realities by filmscreenings and field visits to anurban health centre, a slum and an

anganwadi centre at Malleshwaram.ey interacted with auxiliary nursemidwives, a lady health visitor and alady medical officer, as well as slum

dwellers to get an understanding ofkey aspects related to polio.

e field visit reflected India’ssuccess story of the immunisation of172 million children by 2.3 millionhealth workers and volunteers whovisited 200 million houses nationwide.Despite grappling with poverty andunderdevelopment, India has madetremendous leaps in the eradicationof polio through the dedicationof millions of volunteers andanganwadi workers.

So what can the media do topitch in for this cause? Buddingjournalists, film makers and mediapractitioners need to be informedabout facts related to the spread andcontrol of the polio virus. It is hopedthat the media task force will createinnovative communication campaignsso that each child will be healthyand safe from the disability causedby polio.

Suicide is defined as thedeliberate killing of oneself. Itis a problem that affects

people of all age groups, but mostlyadolescents and young adults.During adolescence, the documentedrates of suicide attempts are higherthan at any other time in the humanlifespan.

Adolescent suicide is a sensitiveissue for society to think about anddiscuss, but it can oen be prevented.Experts have put forward variousreasons for the dismal state ofmental health among people. Someof these reasons, which mentalhealth experts term as ‘acute stressfactors’, include family conflicts,academic failures, unemployment,unfulfilled romantic ideals, alcoholabuse and a voracious appetite forhigh-end consumer goods.

For the overwhelming majoritywho engage in suicidal behaviour,it is probably an appropriatealternative resolution to theirprecipitating problems. Suicide isoen considered a permanentsolution to a temporary problem.

It is estimated that over 1 lakhpeople die by suicide in India everyyear. Our country alone contributesto more than 10 percent of suicidesin the world. e suicide rate inIndia has been increasing steadilyand has reached 10.5 (per 1 lakh ofpopulation) in 2006, registering a 67per cent increase from 1980. Out ofevery three cases of suicide reportedevery 15 minutes in India, one iscommitted by a youth in the agegroup of 15-29.

India grapples with infectiousdiseases, malnutrition, infant andmaternal mortality and other majorhealth problems and hence, suicideis accorded a lower priority. Mentalhealth services are inadequate for theneeds of the country. For a population of over a billion, there areonly about 3,500 psychiatrists. Rapidurbanisation, industrialisation andemerging family systems result in

social upheaval and distress.Inability to cope with the pace andto live up to expectations results indepression, a silent killer, whichleaves people vulnerable to suicidalbehaviour.

ere is an emerging need forexternal emotional support. eenormity of the problem combinedwith the paucity of mental healthservice has led to the emergence ofNGOs in the field of suicideprevention. e organisationsworking in this field includeB e f r i e n d e r s , a v o l u n t a r yorganisation with 31,000 volunteersin almost 40 countries that lendsemotional support to peopleundergoing s t ress and he lpsprevent suicide.

Befrienders centres in India areRoshni in Secunderabad, Saath inAhmedabad, Maithri in Kochi, eSamaritans in Mumbai, Aasra inNavi Mumbai, Sumaitri in NewDelhi, Sneha in Chennai, LifelineFoundation in Kolkata and Maitreyiin Puducherry.

Speaking to Mr. K. Kumar,Director of Maitreyi, Puducherry, welearnt that whenever there is aproblem, people usually stopcommunicating with all thosearound, which is not a solution.“One should speak about one’sproblems. Let people know becausethere is always a way out!” he added.

With the interventions of theseorganisations, we can prevent suicide. Proper counselling accom-panied with love and care can helpthe person evolve and be able to takelife as it comes.

India holds the second positonin terms of highest rate of suicides.

Kerala, the country's first fullyliterate state, has the highest number of suicide cases-32 deaths per day.

In the Union Territory ofPondicherry at least 15 youth, between the age of 15 and 25, commit suicide every month.

Suicide: the path to nowhere

Bagalavan & Varisha

e movement to eradicate polio isthe largest public health campaignthe world has ever seen. e needto give OPV to children iscommunicated to parents in ruralareas through interpersonalcommunication. is effort is madeby the thousands of communitymobilisers belonging to the SocialMobilization Network (SMNet).ey realised that nothing beats thefamiliar face, the eye contact, the liltof the local dialect and the genuineconcern of the friendly neighbourhoodaunt who visits your home and asksaer the health of your little one.

SMNet has played a major rolein the containment of polio since2001. Formed by UNICEF andCORE, it is a network of door-to-door grassroot crusaders, reachingout to families in polio-endemic andhigh-risk areas in UP and Bihar.

e role of media is crucial inthe polio eradication campaign.

Technically advised by the WHO,UNICEF manages the overallcommunication strategies.

It has been able to generate ahigh degree of visibility by enlistingthe support of celebrities. Mediacampaigns featuring film stars andcricketers with the slogan ‘do boondzindagi ki’ and the tagline ‘harbaccha har bar’ have beenimmensely successful.

e media has the power to cleardoubts and misconceptions, reportfacts, emphasise the benefits of polioimmunisation, mobilise support,under l ine issues and raiseparticipation among the generalpublic. It can inform, remind andpersuade families to act and tostimulate the forces that make adifference in this field.e polioeradication programme could beand should be a subject for talkshows, case studies, documentaries,discussions and educational films.

Radhika & Sukanya

ON THE WINGS OF THE MUSE 7

Abooming laugh, a ratherquirky sense of humourand an aura of passion and

a lot of dedication characterised

Mr. Bandeep Singh, Photo Editorof India Today, as he came to theclassroom to interact with thestudents of M.A. Mass Communicationon Feb. 11. e interaction wasopen, informal and illuminating.

One of the first things he saidabout photography was that it couldnot truly be ‘taught’ in a classroomsetting. He emphasised that whilethe technical aspects are taught inthe photography course, the creativity that lets one take an evocative shot comes from within.

He talked about the early 50s and60s, when a photograph was the primary interface, the only visualreference for news. It was interestinghow he explained concepts in photography to the students in a waythat they could understand– hetalked about how memory operatesas a series of images, and how mucha photograph can actually conveyand add to plain text, which codifiesthe visual element.

He then took questions on thedifference between photojournalism

in newspapers and magazines.e question of ethics as a

photographer taking photographsduring the time of war or calamitywas also raised. “e moment youput your camera to your eye, you become an extension of the cameraitself...one needs to experience themoment, yet professionally, detachhimself/herself from it,” he explained. Issues of perspective, howto really get behind the lens and understand the situation so as toportray it suitably in a photographand so on, were also discussed.

In addition, Mr. Bandeep Singhtook questions about his recentwork, Antarghat-a photography exhibition in Puducherry, under theoverarching theme of Sa: e Feminine. It is a creative explorationof the idea of the feminine form, inthe Indian aesthetic tradition. eplay of light and shadow, as well asthe symbolism of the clay pot in thephotographs made them a work ofart. Some students were interested tolearn about the technical aspects ofhis photographs, and Mr. Singh explained the processes.

Sharing lighter moments withthe students, he talked about his college days and asked the studentsabout their experiences as MassCommunication students. He alsooffered some suggestions for The Inquirer, on how it could beimproved upon. Overall, it was an extremely thought-provoking interaction with an energetic and dynamic photographer.

The Language of Photography

Ramli Ibrahim: an artist at work

The beauty of Odissi was explored in a creative wayin the programme

‘Spellbound: A tryst with timelessOdissi’ on Feb. 9, at theSri Aurobindo Ashram eatre,Puducherry. Ramli Ibrahim and his7-member Sutra Dance eatregroup from Malaysia, resplendent intheir majestic attire, gave a riveting performance.

It combined influences from different dance forms and mesmerised the audience. Trulymulticultural in its essence, it waschoreographed and interpreted tosuit the contemporary context, andbrought forth the idea that art formsgo beyond geographical boundaries.

Overall, it was wonderful to seea Malaysian troupe adapt and perform Odissi, with so much

aesthetic as well as artistic finesse. Ramli’s art, however, transcends

the merely aesthetic. In his ownwork as well as his teachings to hisstudents, he aims to use dance as aplatform for public awareness about

contemporary and classical art. Ramli’s perception about the

process of teaching is different and

unique. In an earlier Narthaki onlineinterview he said, “ I love teaching. I can spot a student’s latent talentwaiting to be extracted, to express itself. I want to nurture that talent. I don’t like people diving at my feet!

Whatever you do, you must startwith a pure inner heart, not just anoutward ritualistic show. When it

comes to a performance or class, ifthey don’t come up to expectationsor make me wait, they get hell fromme. at’s the guru in me. If you donot have respect for your art or foryour parents’ money, why are you

wasting my time and yours? at’swhy we have performed very fewarangetrams and we do not recommend it unless the student isserious about making dance a veryimportant part of his/her life.”

Talking about artistic freedomand promoting traditional dance, hesaid, “I want to see Dance with acapital D,” meaning that he wants tosee it elevated as a much higher formof art than it is currently.

One of the most famous lines bythe great poet W.B. Yeats came tomind on watching this ‘spellbinding’performance: ‘O body swaying tomusic/O brightening glance/Howcan we know/e dancer fromthe dance.’

It is oen said that an artist creates his own space. Indeed,Atsushi Takenouchi, a Butoh

dancer from Japan made this veryevident with his unique performancein the courtyard at theSri Aurobindo International Centreof Education on Feb. 10. ebackdrop was simple- a couple oftrees around which Takenouchi gavehis creative performance. Hismovements were fluid, simple andsymbolized man’s relationship withnature. e dance was accompaniedby natural sounds with instrumentsmade from stones, sea shells,bamboo and bells played bymusician Komiya Hiroko.

“Butoh is based on the conceptof an old Japanese word called Jinen.It is a dance form that communeswith nature; it is like dancing withthe flow of the universe, celebratingit,” explained Takenouchi. is ideawas clear as one watched the performance- consisting of improvisations that just seemed to

come from within, in a series ofspontaneous, subtle movements.

It is interesting to note that theinspiration for their work came

when Hiroko and Takenouchi inter-acted with disabled children andwere fascinated by how much merebodily expressions and sounds canconvey, and how one need not ‘plan’or ‘fix’ melodies and dance steps.is influenced Takenouchi’s danceas well as Hiroko’s use of simple instruments derived from nature. eir ongoing experimentshave resulted in performances suchas this. e graceful movementsaccompanied by very primal, earthyrhythms made for a mesmerizingshow, and le many enthralled.

butoh: Dance communes with Nature

(top) Atsushi Takenouchi presents Butoh, (below) mu.3sician Komiya Hirokoexplains about the musical instruments; Atsushi Takenouchi & Komiya Hiroko.

Ramli Ibrahim (centre) and his team perform at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram eatre, Puducherry.

Nandini & Sukanya

Balasubbulakshmi & NandiniNandini

Thirukkural is a classic collection of Kurals (couplets) authored by

Thiruvalluvar. It expounds various aspects of life and is one of the most

important works in Tamil- also called "Ulaga Podhu Marai" (the Common

Knowledge for the world) as it does not advocate any specific religion.

Above is the English translation of a couplet from Chapter 60 in

Thirukkural along with its visual representation rendered by an artist.

“With rising

water the stem

of the lotus

unwinds;

The dignity

of men is

measured by

their minds.”

Painting by Late Pather Velai Ramanathan

A three-day Carnatic and Hindustani classical music festival was held at theSri Aurobindo Ashram eatre fromMarch 26-28 to commemorate theCentenary of Sri Aurobindo’s Arrival inPondicherry. e audience was enthralledby stalwarts, such as Pandit HariprasadChaurasia (Flute - Hindustani), UdayBhawalkar (Vocal - Hindustani), BombayJayashri (Vocal - Carnatic), R. VidyaBharathi (Vocal - Carnatic), ‘Kalaimamani’S. Kasim & S. Babu (Nadhaswaram - Carnatic),Murad Ali Khan (Sarangi - Hindustani).

Nritya Bharati, a two-day classical dance festival was held at JIPMER Auditorium from Feb. 27-28. It was organised by Sri Geetagovinda Pratisthana and saw six solo performances comprising new choreographies by leading artistes: Priya Venkatraman (Bharatnatyam), Bimbavati Devi (Manipuri), Gopika Verma (Mohiniattam),Hari (Kathak), Sharmila Biswas & Aruna Mohanty (Odissi).

Culture briefs

Photos: Bagalavan

Photos: Bagalavan

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (third from le) at the music festival

Advisory Board

prof. A. balasubramanian

Gopinath s.

samarjit Kachari

shuaib haneef

tejas Joseph

Editor

radhika Khanna

Sub Editors

balasubbulakshmi b.

Devanathan V.

Nandini swaminathan

rohan sharma

sukanya s.

Vishnuprasad s.

Page Design & Layout

bagalavan perier b.

Vishnuprasad s.

Illustrations

iyappan. e.

Reporters

Agni Kumar behera

Aviini Ashikho

bagalavan perier b.

balasubbulakshmi b.

Devanathan V.

Jitendriya Jena

Nandini swaminathan

smarak samarjeet

sukanya s.

Varisha ravi

Vishnuprasad s.

Editorial Assistance

Nithiaraj s.

The Inquireris a students practice journal

brought out by the

Department of

Mass Communication,

Pondicherry University,

R. V. Nagar,Puducherry,

India.

Send us your feedback

and articles at

puinquirer@gmail.com

8 POTPOURRI

Pondicherry Fashion Weekend2010, which took place at eSunway GRT Grand was a huge

success as it drew praise from several international tourists.

e designing was done by Sandeepand Pritam, best known for their assistance in designing the costumes ofthe film ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ and the event waschoreographed by Dalu, the livewire of allmajor fashion shows in South India, suchas Miss South India, Miss Kerala, Miss

Tamil Nadu and Miss Andhra Pradesh.e show was sponsored by

Warehouse, Tequila, Naturals FamilySalon, Globus Wine and e SunwayGRT Grand, with SS Music being themedia partner and Big FM the radiopartner.

Nine models, the majority beingfrom Bangalore and Chennai, walked theramp for Sandeep and Pritam. e showwas followed by a party and a DJ Night.

The Bonjour India festivalwas a perfect example oftwo cultures converging,

exchanging ideas, traditions and artforms as well as appreciating andlearning more in the process. efestival, consisting of over 200 eventsspanning most major cities in India,had a special resonance here inPondicherry, with its past as aFrench colony as it formed the

perfect backdrop for this Indo-French celebration of cultures.

From Dec. 10 to Jan. 27, the festin Pondicherry covered French filmscreenings, talks by eminent Frenchwriters, exhibitions by French artistsand photographers as well as culturalprogrammes and concerts. A fewhighlights of the Festival include the

performance by Sacred Drummersfrom the La Réunion Islands onGoubert Avenue, and a musical concert, or ‘Fete de la Musique’ at theOld Port by a Creole band calledZiskakan. In addition, an embroidery exhibition by Jean Francois Lesage was organised at theAlliance Francaise, Maison Columbani. It showcased his workon cloth, bags, and paintings made

entirely with extremely fineembroidery work.

World renowned sociologist,Dominique Wolton, held a talk onJan. 21 on ‘Globalization andCultural Diversities’- certainly an apttheme in the context of the festival.

ere was also a workshop ontravel writing, called the Festival of

Carnet de voyage (Travel Diaries),organised on Jan. 26. It encourageda mostly young audience to engagewith travellers who write about theirexperiences. Damien Roudeau, ElsieHelberstein, Janine Brejeon and JeanDeloche were some French writerswho talked at length about the passion they have for travel and forrecording their encounters.

Photography exhibitions, including the work of Marcel Fortini,a French photographer residing atPondicherry, were organised. Photographs were put up all alongthe Beach Road as well as on thewalls of the Consulate building. ethemes included aerial photographyand architectural photography. eFilm Festival held from Jan. 23-26,at Alliance Francaise, SuffrenStreet, was aimed as a tribute toFrench filmmakers Joel Farges andMichel Fessier.

Other highlights included asplendid display of fireworks onJan. 20, at the Old Port. e festivalconcluded on Jan. 27 here, andcontinued in other cities, aer clearlyachieving its aim- ‘Vive la difference’- to celebrate the differences in twodiverse cultures.

A taste of French cultural exuberance

Ziskakan: transcending music

It has oen been said that musicneeds no language to be appreciated- music is universal

in its language of giving energy, stirring something deep within andenthusing people.

Ziskakan is a Creole band fromthe island of La Réunion. Formed in1979, it is headed by Gilbert Pounia(vocals and guitar), Rouben Savariaye (tabla and drums), GerardClara (vocalist and drummer),Pascal Manglou (electric guitar),Jean Raddiga (keyboard), andGerard Parame (drums). eirmusic aims to preserve Creoleculture, identity and tradition, andpresent its complexity and richness

to the world. A little known fact about the lead

vocalist, Gilbert Pounia is thatthough he’s from the La Réunionislands, he’s of Tamil origin. eband launched a magazine as well asa radio station to promote Creolelanguage and culture. Early in theircareer, they covered other areas ofperforming arts as well, such as

theatre, dance, and storytelling.ey were here in Pondicherry

recently, to perform at a concert atthe Bonjour India Festival, on Jan. 22at the Old Port. e band was veryinteractive with the audience, andlively in its music. It was reminiscentof gypsy music, with a very rusticfeel, accompanied by dancers intraditional attire. e mood wasrelaxed, and fun, as quite a few in theaudience joined in the dancing onstage. e music had elements offusion in it as well, with Indian taalbeing incorporated, and tablas beingused as instruments. e songs werein both Creole and Malagasy (thelanguage spoken in Madagascar),

and seemed to blend the untamedexpression of African music, thebeautifully craed melodies andbeats of Indian Classical music, andthe essence of Creole culture. A lotof French locals in the audienceseemed to connect with the music,and the concert ended on a colourfuland hopeful note of more tours inIndia in the future.

The charm of Fashion!

An Ability Mela wasorganised on Feb. 20, nearthe Gandhi statue on

Beach Road by the VocationalRehabilitation Centre for theHandicapped (VRC) under the aegisof the Directorate General ofEmployment and Training, Ministryof Labour and Employment of theGovernment of India.

e VRC is one of 20 centresacross the country which providetraining and also identify jobs andplace its trainees in different areas ofwork depending on their interestsand skills along with providingCareer Counselling and Guidance.

Differently abled persons fromthe age group of 15-50 years areeligible to apply for training here.Vocational courses on offer hereinclude General Mechanics, ComputerApplications, General Electronics,Dress Making and AutomobileMechanism. Trainees are given astipend of Rs. 100/- as per their daysof attendance.

e fair showcased cras created

by the students and trainees at theVRC. Many young students fromNGOs such as SADAY (Centrefor Special Attention-DeservingAdaptable Youngsters), Satya SpecialSchool and ARUNIM (Associationfor Rehabilitation under NationalTrust Initiative for Marketing) werealso present.

e fair demonstrated thecapabilities of the differently abled,who are given the opportunity andskills to earn their own livelihoodand lead fulfilling lives. It washeartening to see young studentsfrom the Satya school and Saday atthe fair, enjoying lighter momentswith their teachers, and interactingwith the visitors. Young Venkatesan,from one of the schools wasfascinated by this reporter’s camera,though shy initially, and liked havinghis picture taken. e atmospherewas that of warmth, joy and supportamong the students and trainees,and all the visitors to the Ability Fairappreciated the beautiful cras andproducts on display.

Puducherry Ability Mela

Nandini

Nandini

Vishnu

Photo: Nandini

Photo: Nandini

Photo: Nandini

Photos: Vishnu

Nandini

BoNJour, INDiA!