A Journey Towards Light
by Sushmindar Jeet Kaur (Penprints, 2025)

Discussants: Kavita Singhal , writer, poet, social worker & educationist; Satbir Chada, Author & Poet ;Seema Jain, Bilingual Poet, Translator and Editor; Mandira Ghosh, Poet, Author & Researcher; Sushmindar Jeet Kaur, Associate Professor and Head, PG Department of English, G. Gn. N. Khalsa College, Ludhiana & Author of the book

Chair : Dr. Sukrita Paul Kumar,  Indian poet, critic and academic

Iran: Recent Developments
 

Speaker: Amb D.P Srivastava, former Ambassador to Iran from 2011-15, served in Cairo, Riyadh, Washington Brussels and Prague and Dr. John Cherian, former Editor, Foreign Policy, the Frontline

Chair: Amb K P Fabian, Professor, Symbiosis, and World Peace University, Pune.

This talk examines the latest wave of protests in Iran, widely interpreted by sections of the international media as a potential tipping point for the regime. Analysing the external pressures shaping the situation, rhetorical threats from Trump without military intervention, and Israel’s advocacy of regime change—while assessing the broader regional implications. The discussion also foregrounds India’s significant strategic stakes in Iran’s stability and in the security of the wider region.
 

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Deepak Singh from Meerut, disciple of Pt. Madhup Mudgal
Accompanists: Shambhu Nath Bhattacharjee (Tabla); Chetan Nigam (Harmonium); Shashank & Arun (Tanpura)
 

Chandigarh – A World View
 

Speaker: Peter Sanders, an Australian architect, planner, and artist

Moderator: Rajesh Luthra, an architect and urban designer, Principal at Development Consortium, and Visiting Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Drawing on his first-hand experience of working in Chandigarh in the early 1960s, the talk examines the city’s global significance in modern architecture and urban planning, reflecting on Le Corbusier’s vision, Pierre Jeanneret’s role, and the broader implications of international architectural collaboration in post-Independence India.
 

Multilateralism and the future of AI
 

Speaker: Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies 
 

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC
 

This talk examines how multilateral cooperation can shape the responsible governance of artificial intelligence, balancing innovation with ethics, equity, and global security. Drawing on international policy perspectives, it explores the role of global institutions in ensuring AI benefits humanity at large.

Day of Mindfulness: The Way Out is in
 

Speakers: Pháp Hữu, Abbot of Plum Village; Jo Confino, Author and Journalist; Monastics and teachers from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition
Chair: Dharmacharya Shantum Seth
This Programme is grounded in the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and offers participants an opportunity to engage with contemplative practices that cultivate awareness, compassion, and insight. The programme will include guided mindfulness meditation, reflections by Plum Village monastics, and periods of dialogue and inquiry.
Participants are requested to register in advance at www.ahimsatrust.org or by writing to ahimsatrust@gmail.com
 

(Collaboration: Ahimsa Trust)

Echoes of the Mandala
 The exhibition unveils the reflections of Nepali artists, channelling their imagination through ingenious impressions in paintings that connects the ancient civilization of Nepal & India. These artworks masterfully capture the coexistence of the sacred and profane, inviting viewers to ponder the eternal fusion of tradition and modernity in a shared cultural tapestry.

Participating Artists : Ajit Shah Krishna Mahato , Balaram Nhisutu , Bidhyaman Tamang , Binod Pradhan , Chirag Bangdel , Hari Baidhya , Jeevan Rajopadhyay ,  Kailash Shrestha , Krishna Lama ,  Kunti Shree Thapa , Laya Mainali , Lok Chitrakar ,  Manasi Bhatt ,  Manish Shrestha ,  Mukti Singh Thapa ,  Narendra Malla , Naresh Sainju ,  Pramila Bajracharya , Prithivi Shrestha , Priyanka Singh Shrestha ,  Rabin Ghatuwa , Rajan Pant , Rajani Sinkhwal ,  Ranju Yadav , Rashmi Manandhar ,  S C Suman ,  Sagar Manandhar , Samjhana Rajbhandari ,  Sangee Shrestha ,  Seema Shah ,  Sujan Dangol ,  Sunil Ranjit ,  Sushma Shakya ,  Ujay Bajracharya ,  Uma Shankar Shah , Utsab Sthapit , Wang Lama, Prachanda Shakya.

Inauguration of the exhibition on 13 Feb at 16:30 hrs by Honorable Dr. Karan Singh

Guests of Honour: H.E Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to India and Shyam Saran, President, IIC

(Collaboration: Nepal Embassy, BPKF, India, Everest Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
 

Soorma 
(131 min;2018; Hindi with English subtitles)
Director: Shaad Ali

Based on the life of Sandeep Singh, the film chronicles the remarkable rise of a gifted young hockey player from Punjab to the Indian national team. At the peak of his career, a tragic gunshot accident leaves him paralysed from the waist down, seemingly ending his future in the sport. Defying medical odds through extraordinary grit and determination, Singh stages a dramatic comeback, returning to international hockey and eventually leading India as captain.

(Collaboration: Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) 
 

Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani
(124 min; 1946; Hindi with English subtitles)
Director: Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre

Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film narrates the extraordinary true story of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis, an Indian doctor sent to China to treat soldiers fighting the Japanese invasion. Based on a story by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, it follows Kotnis’s tireless medical service in war-ravaged Yan’an, his personal bond with a Chinese woman, his success in containing a devastating plague, and the ultimate sacrifice of his own life in the cause of compassion and international solidarity.

(Collaboration: Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) 

Aaj Kavita 
 

Poetry readings by Pankaj Rag, Gaurav Pandey, Amrit Ranjan and Hemant Devalikar

(Collaboration: Raza foundation)