Speaker: Ms Uzramma, Director, Malkha Marketing Trust

Chair: Shri Aseem Shrivastava, co-author of Churning the Earth

Tracing the history of Indian cotton textiles, which once dominated world trade, the speaker will explain how when spinning was mechanized and centralized, cultivators were restricted to one variety of cotton and the interdependence of farmers and weavers was severed. She will share her experience of developing the fabric malkha by combining traditional with cutting-edge technologies, sustained by a series of village-based, field-to-fabric production chains

By Douglas Amrine and Justin McCarthy

Much 18th century harpsichord music was written in suites, and for this recital two large suites have been created by mixing pieces by Bach and by Forqueray, Balbastre, Duphly and Marchand. Though the tendency today is to view Bach as monumental, it is also interesting to view him as one of a group of very competent composers, who when he chose might write music not far from that of his French counterparts.

The duo will play one suite each on a harpsichord modelled after Flemish instruments of the period

Dr Kavita A. Sharma, Director, IIC; Dr Ramesh Bijlani, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi; and Ms Rukmini Sekhar, Director, Viveka Foundation, discuss Acts of Faith: Journeys to Sacred India by Prof Makarand R. Paranjape (New Delhi: Hay House, 2012)

Chair: Dr Karan Singh, M.P.

Towards Growing Links between the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Australia
Speaker: The Hon. Michael Kirby, AC, CMG, former Justice, High Court of Australia

Chair: Shri Soli Sorabjee, President, IIC

By Shalini Gupta from Jaipur

Inauguration by Shri Keshav Malik on Thursday, 4th October, at 18:30

Did Rains do the Harappans In?
Speaker: Dr Shereen Ratnagar, Professor of Archaeology and Ancient History (retd.), JNU

Chair: Dr Uma Chakravarti, Professor of History (retd.), Miranda House, DU

The title refers to the headline of a recent newspaper report on a research hypothesis which will be examined in this talk. A wider perspective will be attempted, touching on summer inundations, flashflood harvesting, stormwater drains, and winter showers, even the possible symbolic importance of the buffalo, all constituting  bronze-age monsoon management

Peace and Security in a Changing World

Speaker: Dr Louise Arbour, President and CEO, International Crisis Group

Chair: Amb.Naresh Chandra, former Ambassador to the USA

Odissi recital based on verses by sants and Sufis by Ranjana Gauhar from Delhi, disciple of Guru Mayadhar Raut

Accompanied by Suresh Sethi (vocal support), Prafulla Mangaraj (pakhawaj), Jeeban Prakash Das (sitar), Rajat Prasanna (flute) and Sanchita Banerjee (manjira)

14:00
Monisha Rajesh reads from Around India in 80 Trains and is in conversation with Parsa Venkateshwar Rao, Jr

15:00
Booker-shortlisted writer Jeet Thayil reads from Narcopolis and is in conversation with David Davidar, Publisher, Aleph Publishing

16:00
Israeli writers Dorit Rabinyan and Sarai Shavit in conversation with poet and publisher Sudeep Sen

17:00
British historian Roderick Mathews, author of Jinnah and Gandhi, in conversation with Swapan Dasgupta

18:00
Farrukh Dhondy reads from his new novel London Company, and is in conversation with Amit Baruah

19:00
Nilanjana Roy, author of Wildings, and Manu Joseph, author of The Illicit Happiness of Other People, in session

20:00
Sri Lankan writer Ru Freeman in session with Shastri Ramachandaran