Reading Latin America: Weaving words into poems", celebrating the work of Aida Cartagena

Speaker: Ambassador of Dominican Republic to India, H.E. Francisco Comprés H

Discussants: Rosa Silverio, Eminent Dominican Republic poet, Minu Bakshi, esteemed Urdu poet, former professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Moderator:  Prof. Noorin Khan, Professor and In-Charge, Spanish and Latin American Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia

Aída Cartagena Portalatín was a Dominican poet, novelist, literary critic, and educator. She was an important member of Poesía Sorprendida, an influential literary movement that emerged in the Dominican Republic during the 1940s. Writers associated with the movement expressed political dissent and challenged the oppressive dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, employing complex systems of symbolism to evade state censorship and persecution. Her poetry reflects this surrealist tendency, while also encompassing philosophical, historical, political, and feminist perspectives, reflecting a universalist worldview. Her notable works include Una mujer está sola, Yania Tierra, and Escalera para Electra.

(Collaboration: Embassy of Dominican Republic)

HIMALAYAN DIALOGUES
Between Himalayas and Ocean: Ancient Connections, Modern Relations between India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Chair: Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, MP-IDSA, New Delhi

Moderator: Rajiv Ranjan, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, DU

Discussants: Gaurav Bhattarai, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Diplomacy, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu; Medha Bisht, Associate Professor of International Relations, South Asian University, New Delhi; S Sathees Mohan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Strategic Studies, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), Sri Lanka

From the Himalaya to the Indian Ocean, the civilizational connections have been shaped by a shared Buddhist tradition, an interwoven socio-cultural heritage and connected history. The dialogue brings scholars from Kathmandu and Colombo to Delhi to deliberate on how such ancient exchanges, from Lumbini to Anuradhapura via Bodh Gaya, continue to shape contemporary diplomacy, cultural imaginations and regional cooperation.

AAJ KAVITA 
Janardan Gond (Prayagraj), Mahesh Alok (Agra), Sandeep Tiwari (Bareilly) and Nidheesh Tyagi (Delhi)
With kind regards,

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)

State of Parliamentary Democracy in India 
Speakers: Balveer Arora, Professor Emeritus and Chairman, Centre for Multilevel Federalism and former Professor, Centre for Political Studies and Rector, JNU; Sobhana K. Nair, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu; Amrita Madhukalya, Special Correspondent, Deccan Herald

Moderator: Suhas Borker, Editor, Citizens First TV (CFTV)

This is the 20th edition of the annual discussion which began in 2006.

(Collaboration: Working Group on Alternative Strategies)
 

Aaj Kavita

An evening of Poetry readings by Anil Tripathi (Lucknow) , Himanshu Jamdagni (Sonipat), Abhishek Kumar Ambar (Meerut) and Sanjay Kundan (Delhi)

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

Book Discussion Group

Law of Sexual Harassment at Workplace: Practice and Procedure

By Amish Tandon (‎Niyogi Books, 2025)
 

Moderator: Mohua Chatterjee, Veteran Journalist, formerly of Times of India

Discussants: Sunieta Ojha, Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India; N Venkatraman, Additional Solicitor General & Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Amish Tandon, Advocate, Delhi High Court & Author of the book

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP 

Far from the Rooftop of the World: Travels among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents
By Amy Yee (University of North Carolina Press, 2023)

Author will be in conversation with Dr. Apa Lhamo, Former Research Fellow, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy

CLEAN AIR DIALOGUES
International Clean Air Day 
Year-Round Action for Clear Skies – Evaluating Progress and Sustaining Momentum

Moderator: Sapika Panda Bhatt, Co-Founder, Raahgiri Foundation and Director, Nagarro

Discussants: Tarun Kumar Pithode, Member Secretary,CAQM; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Chairperson, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC); Vinay Pratap Singh, Chairperson, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB); Aparna Arora, Chairperson, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) (TBC)

The session shall assess progress in improving regional air quality. It will highlight successful interventions and cross-border coordination, while exploring ways to sustain clean-air action throughout the year and prepare for the challenges of the winter season.

This is the fifth discussion in the series of dialogues under the umbrella of ‘Uniting Science, Health, Policy & People’

(Collaboration: Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and Raahgiri Foundation)

MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION
Cultural Confluence & Folk Songs Workshop with Mangka Mayanglambam
Learning Manipuri Folk Songs

A workshop with Mangka Mayanglambam, renowned Manipuri folk singer and Pena artist. Join in to experience the living traditions of the beautiful state of Manipur from India's North East through folk music.

Entry through registration only, kindly register here : 

On 6th September Lecture Room No.2 & 7th September Lecture Room No.1 (Annexe Building)

(Collaboration: Emerging North East Eco Forum (ENEEF)
 

Book Discussion Group

The Kashmiri Yogi Extraordinaire Gopi Krishna Shivpuri
by S N Pandita ( Shubhi Publications; 2026)

Gopi Krishen (Krishan) Shivpuri was a Kashmiri Pandit Yogi, who has remained nearly unknown within his own community, less known in India but universally renowned in the West during his lifetime, (1903-1984), The pages that fill this monograph demonstrate that Gopi Krishna was the greatest Kashmiri Pandit, Kashmir has produced in more than one thousand years since the time of Acharya Abhinavagupta in the tenth century.

Chair: Dr Karan Singh, Padma Vibhushan, scholar, statesman & former Union Minister

Speakers: Prof Shashi Prabha Kumar, President, IIAS Shimla; Prof Sudhir Sopory, Former Vice-Chancellor, JNU; and SN Pandita, author of the book.