Illustrated talk by Prof. Ajay Sinha, Julie ’73 and Helene ’48 Herzig Professor, Art History and Architectural Studies Department, Mount Holyoke College. 

Chair: Dr. Yaamniney Mubayi, Culture and Community Development

The talk is based on an art historian’s discovery of over one hundred black and white photographs of Ram Gopal, pioneer of Indian classical dance, taken in New York City in 1938 by an American photographer, Carl Van Vechten. The unpublished and extensive record shows the dancer taking on a variety of poses wearing gorgeous costumes, while the photographer changes fabric backgrounds and studio lighting for full views, mid-shots and close-ups. Examining the stunning record closely, Sinha will build a story of a layered conversation taking place between the Indian dancer and the American photographer, who encounter each other in New York for the first time

Living a Positive Old Age

Speaker: Dr. Harshbir Rana, Founder and CEO, Positive Aged

A Concert by Vidya Shah, well-known vocalist, disciple of Smt. Shubha Mudgal and Smt. Shanti Hiranand

Script and Narration by Chandrasekhar Tampi

Accompanists: Kamal Ahmed Khan(Sarangi);Shanti Bhushan Jha(Tabla) and Ashique Kumar(Harmonium).

(Collaboration: Women on Record) 

Speakers: Dr. Rakesh Batabyal, Associate Professor, Centre for Media Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University;
Bharat Bhushan, South Asia Editor, 360 info; N. R. Mohanty, Senior journalist; and  Bhasha Singh, Senior journalist and writer
 
Moderator: Suhas Borker, Managing Trustee, D. S. Borker Memorial Foundation, Editor Citizens First TV (CFTV) and Trustee, IIC

This is the ninth annual seminar in the series 'Keys to Governance'; the earlier eight 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), Constitutional Morality (2022) and Social and Communal Harmony (2023).
 
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)
 

WEBINAR 

  East & West: Stories of India

 By Catherine Ann Jones (Pippa Rann Books; 2024)

Moderator: Prof. Sukrita Paul Kumar, Poet & Critic 

Panelists:  Prof. Sachin C. Ketkar, Dept. of English, Faculty of Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao Univ. of Baroda, Gujarat; Mr. Roger Edwin Mark Lee, American Foundation Administrator and Ms. Catherine Ann Jones, Author of the Book

An exhibition of photographs by Dr. Jasvir Rana

The exhibition presents a tribute to the living Delhi, and its collection of monuments that capture the resilient soul of a city many times destroyed and rebuilt. The photographs on view include the Mehrauli monuments, monuments at Nizamuddin, Jamali Kamali, Red Fort, Purana Qila with Qila-e-kuna mosque, Jama Masjid, Tughlakabad fort, among other heritage sites

Inauguration on Tuesday, 9 January 2024 at 17:30 hours

A conversation with Charmaine O’Brien, author of Eating the Present, Tasting the Future: Exploring India through her changing food (Penguin Random House India, 2023); and Suvir Saran, renowned Chef and author

What we eat is more than what is on our plates; in this conversation, O’Brien and Saran will explore the evolution of India’s contemporary foodscape and how the myriad forces transforming what and how the country eats reflect broader changes in the country’s economy, social structure and place in the world. The influence of global media and ideals of so-called ‘wellness’ and global trade will be a particular focus
 

Panelist: Shri Kallol Bhattacherjee, Senior Assistant Editor, Foreign Affairs, The Hindu and author of The Great Game in Afghanistan: Rajiv Gandhi, General Zia and the Unending War

Chair: Amb. K.P. Fabian, Professor, Symbiosis University and Indian Society of International Law
 

(75 min; 2023; Marathi, Hindi, Pali with English Subtitles)
A film by Somnath Waghmare who will introduce the film

Screening will be followed by a discussion

The documentary explores the lesser-known history of Mumbai and the Dalit community's long history of social struggle in the city. The heart of the film is Chaityabhumi, a sacred site where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution, was laid to rest. Every year, from December 1 to 6, millions of Dalit-Bahujans make a pilgrimage to Chaityabhumi to pay homage to their revolutionary leader.

Through interviews, personal stories, music, and evocative visuals, the documentary explores the tensions and complexities of caste dynamics in contemporary India.
 

Why We Fail and How to Rise Above Failure
By Amit Dasgupta (Wisdom Tree; 2023)

Discussants: Ms Shovana Narayan, well-known artist and Guru; Ms Sairee Chahal, Founder CEO of SHEROES; Shri Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-chief BW Businessworld  ; Founder Exchange4media ; Shri Anshu Gupta, Founder Director Goonj; and Amb. Amit Dasgupta, former Indian diplomat, writer and author of the book