The Sargam and the Solfège

Illustrated presentation by Nilima Buch

The presentation will focus on the origin of Western classical and Hindustani music; discussing some similarities and differences between two of the oldest classical forms. The talk will be illustrated using different audio examples of famous recitals for a better understanding

Nilima Buch is a professional singer and stage performer. She also conducts workshops for music enthusiasts and is actively performing as a soloist and choir member with Lyric Ensemble Delhi, Vocal Academy of India and K M chamber choir 
 

Our History, Their History, Whose History?

Speaker: Prof. Romila Thapar, pre-eminent historian, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

The talk will examine the current crisis in the teaching and writing of history as reflected in new syllabus for school, college and University, and in public statements on the past. There is a bifurcation between popular public views and those of professional scholars of history. The questions to be answered are how did this come about? How legitimate are the changes being formally suggested? And why these changes are being contested by historians? The focus will be on one frequently quoted interpretation relating to the second millennium AD., discussing the relationship between two communities. 
 

ASI  Outside India

Conservation of Iconic Monuments in South-East Asia

Illustrated lecture by Shri Janhwij Sharma, Additional Director General  (Conservation, World Heritage), Archaeological Survey of India
 

Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

Rigoberta Menchú: Daughter of the Maya (USA)
(61 min; 2016; English/Spanish)
Director: Dawn Gifford Engle

The film captures the inspiring journey of the Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, an indigenous Mayan woman, who stood as a resilient symbol of peace and reconciliation across ethnic, cultural and social divisions during the civil war in Guatemala. The courage and tenacity of the indigenous Mayan peopleshines through in this beautiful, tragic, and ultimately triumphant film

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)

Launch of Marg’s magazine 

Introduction: Naman P. Ahuja, Curator and Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Editor of Marg Publications

Speakers: Laila Tyabji, craft designer, writer and Chairperson, DASTKAR; Ritu Sethi, Founder-Trustee, Craft Revival Trust and Editor, Global InCH, journal of intangible cultural heritage; and Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala, textile designer known for invigorating and contemporizing the Parsi Gara embroidery tradition while retaining its essence

Chair: Dr. Abigail S. McGowan, Professor of History and the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, University of Vermont. She is the editor of Marg’s archival volume on Textiles, Readings on Textiles: From 75 Years of Marg

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Marg, this commemorative issue brings together core writings on Indian textiles from the magazine’s archive to explore how Marg writers and editors have shaped our understanding of textiles and their role in Indian history and society. Since the 1940s, articles by top scholars in the field have explored the deep heritage and ceaseless innovation of Indian textiles, across regions, materials, time, and communities. Assembled here from the Marg archive, these articles document the rich diversity and vibrancy of Indian textiles through stores of objects, artisans, designers, and consumers

(Collaboration: Marg)

Navigating India: $18 Trillion Opportunity

By Bharat Joshi (Rupa Publications: 2017)

Speakers : Amb. Freddy Svane, Ambassador, Royal Danish Embassy; Ms. Lakshmi Puri, Distinguished Fellow, Indian Association of International Studies;  Former Assistant Secretary- General, UN; Deputy Executive Director, UN Women & Former Ambassador of India ; Mr. Toshihiko Kurihara, Chief Representative New Delhi, Japan Bank for International Cooperation ; Sh. Bharat Joshi, Chairman, Joshi Konoike Transport & Infrastructure; CEO, J Curve Ventures and Author of the book
   

Presented by Transatlantic Roots led by renowned avant-garde jazz pianist, Bruno Angelini from Paris

With Fabrice Martinez on trumpet and  bugle; and Eric Echampard on drums
 

(Collaboration: Delhi Music Society)

Speaker: Prof. Ashutosh Varshney, Director, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences, Professor of Political Science, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University, USA

Chair:  Ms Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research
 

The talk is based on two recent papers by Prof. Varshney where he argues that since 1947 India has done better as an electoral democracy, and less well as a liberal democracy. The recent assessment of international agencies about India’s democratic decline should be viewed as claims about the latter, not the former. India’s electoral democracy remains vibrant, buts liberal democracy has weakened. Prof. Varshney will define the two concepts of democracy, electoral and liberal
 

Speakers: Col. (Dr.) Divakaran Padma Kumar Pillay, Research Fellow, Manohar Parikkar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses; and Dr. T.K. Vinod Kumar, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (Int.), Kerala Police

Chair: Dr. Adil Rasheed, Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

Communal riots and terrorist attacks are one of the most extreme forms of violence that can occur in any society. It not only causes serious damage to property and loss of life, but also damages the social fabric. Communal conflicts also provide a fertile ground for rise of terror groups and the occurrence of terrorist attacks. Such conflicts and violence pose an existential threat to a diverse, multi religious democratic society. It is therefore the primary function of the state and the administration to monitor, prevent, and control the occurrence of communal conflict and terrorism in any society.
Kerala is one of the states in India with a high degree of religious diversity. While the diversity enhances the social and cultural vibrance of the society, it has posed a challenge for the rulers and administrators of the state historically. On the basis of a historic analyses of the relations between religious groups in the state, the talk addresses the challenges, tools, and processes of maintaining communal relationship in contemporary Kerala.

Speakers:  Dr. Mujibur Rehman, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Jamia MIllia Islamia; Dr. Harish S. Wankhede, Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Dr. Ananya Vajpeyi, Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi; and 
Prof. Mary E. John, Professor of Women's Studies, Senior Fellow and former Director, Centre for Women's Development Studies, New Delhi 

Moderator: Suhas Borker, Managing Trustee, D. S. Borker Memorial Foundation and Editor, Citizens First TV (CFTV)

This is the eighth annual seminar in the series 'Keys to Governance'; the earlier seven seminars in the series were on 'Compliance and Delivery' (2016), 'Political Will' (2017) , 'Constitution as Ideology' (2018), 'Education as Empowerment' (2019), 'Steel Frame' (2020), Independence of Judiciary (2021) and Constitutional Morality (2022).          
 
The annual seminar is held in remembrance of Shekhar Borker, 'Banana Boy' on the Indian postage stamp, private sector administrator, citizen environmentalist and advocate of empowerment of persons of disabilities who passed away in 2015 on 7 January. 

(Collaboration: D. S. Borker Memorial Foundation)