The Beautifully Indian Hindu Mind
 

Discussion around the new book by Harsha V. Dehejia (D.K. Printworld, Delhi)

 

Panelists: Smt Sonal Mansingh, MP; Prof. Makarand Paranjape, Director, Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla; Ms Alka Pande, Art Historian; Dr. Bharat Gupt, Trustee, IGNCA; Shri Pavan K. Varma, author and former diplomat; Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP; and Shri Ashok Vajpeyi, poet, critic and art lover

 

The book explores the Indian aesthetic mind and its concepts of the beautiful

 

Spot Stalk Spy Snoop: Delhi
 

A covert mission of illustrations by Ankur Ahuja from Delhi

 

Preview on Tuesday, 17 March 2020 at 18:30

 

Musical Treasures
 

Concert presented by Tatiana Smantser from Russia (soprano); Larisa Rai from India (mezzo-soprano); and Paolo Devito from Italy (piano)

 

The artists will present a concert of duet and solo pieces by Tchaikovsky, Handel, Pergolesi, Glinka, Varlamov, Verstovsky, Bellini, Rachmaninoff and others

 

India-Russia Relations – Current Status and Future Trends
 

Speaker: H.E. Mr. Nikolai Kudashev, Ambassador of Russia

Moderator: Vijay Naik, Convener, Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents

 

(Collaboration: Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents)

 

Chameli Devi Jain Award 2019

For an Outstanding Woman Journalist

 

Followed by

B.G. Verghese Memorial Lecture

Justice and injustice – Preserving and Protecting the Rights of Citizens

Speaker: Justice Madan Lokur, former Supreme Court Judge and sitting Judge of the Fiji Supreme Court

 

With greater recognition of the rights of citizens, the lecture will examine whether there is an erosion of some of these rights and how the constitutional courts are reacting to this

 

(Organised by The Media Foundation)

 

India, Europe, and the G – 20 Agenda

Introductory Remarks: Yamini Aiyar, President Centre for Policy Research

 

Keynote Address: H.E. Marc Vanheukelen, ‘Hors Classe’ Adviser and Ambassador-at-Large for Climate Diplomacy, European External Action Service

 

Chair: Shri N.N. Vohra, President, IIC

 

Together, India and the EU represent one-fourth of the countries present at the G20 Summit and just over that one-fourth of the G20 countries’ total GDP. Implying that when the two share a common stance, they have potential to push the global agenda in that direction. This public programme of the India-EU roundtable aims at giving an overview of what these areas of cooperation could be, based on the topics covered in the closed door sessions

 

(Collaboration: Centre for Policy Research; and  Bruegel)

 

WOMEN IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA

 

Mapping the Heavens

Speaker: Prof. Priyamvada Natarajan, Professor, Department of Astronomy and Physics, Director, The Franke Program in Science & the Humanities, Past-Chair, Division of Astrophysics, American Physical Society, Yale University, USA

 

Prof. Natarajan will discuss how our conceptions of the cosmos has evolved over time and chart the arc of our understanding of the universe and how we came to so successfully map it

 

 (Collaboration: Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt. of India; and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi)

 

Concert

By Bianca Gismonti   trio – Bianca Gismonti on piano and Julio Falavigna on drums/percussion; and Paolo Andriolo bass guitar 

 

A leading jazz oriented pianist from Brazil, the Bianca Gismonti Duo’s music reveals a vigorous interaction and sensitivity. Bianca Gismonti’s beautiful compositions come along with a rich Brazilian rhythmic gesture, lyric harmonies and inspiring melodies

 

(Collaboration: Embassy of Brazil)

 

Asli Azaadi (45 min; 1997; dvd; Hindi/Gujarati with English subtitles)

Produced & Directed by Sagari Chhabra, award-winning author and film director who will introduce the film

 

A landmark film with interviews of women freedom fighters – known and unknown women who were inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose

 

Followed by

‘Hamaara Itihaas Archives’

Discussion and introduction to India’s first multimedia archive of surviving freedom fighters and witnesses of Partition across India and South-East Asia  

 

Indian Nationalism and Economic Development
 

Speaker: Dr. Amit Bhaduri, well-known Economist

 

Introduction: Suhas Borker, Convener, Working Group on Alternative Strategies

 

Indian nationalism, never a unified stream, assumed greater coherence through the anti-colonial struggle. Independence required redefining it as a ‘nation-building’ state-led project of economic development through industrialization which started changing course gradually as the anti-colonial nationalism began losing steam. A distinct break came with economic liberalization and globalization. The private corporations became increasingly important in this process. Output growth increased dramatically and then slowed, while employment growth went down equally dramatically. Indian democracy began shifting its centre of gravity.  The way out is being sought increasingly in the attempt at redefining nationalism in majoritarian cultural terms. While the control of the corporations over the economy continues to increase and there is rising economic, political and social inequality, popular resistance is also getting greater coherence. The jury is still out, but early signs indicate that cultural majoritarianism itself is undergoing mutation

 

The talk marks the 28th Anniversary of the Working on Alternative Strategies

 

(Collaboration: Working Group on Alternative Strategies)