Democracy’s Heartland: Inside the Battle for Power in South Asia

By S Y Quraishi (Juggernaut, 2025)

Discussants: Amb. Shiv Shankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary (Guest of Honour) ; Prof. Kavita Sharma, Educationist, Former Director IIC, Former President, South Asia University; and Dr S. Y. Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India and Author of the Book

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Moderator: Prof. Pushpesh Pant, Academic, Historian and Food Critic

The Present Colonises our Past : the Future Forsaken

Speaker: Romila Thapar, a pre-eminent historian and Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Opening Remarks: Suhas Borker, Convener, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Closing Remarks: Dr. Aditya Malik, Member, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Chair: Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC (tbc*)

(Collaboration: Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee)

Hindustani Classical Vocal

By Anuran Dasgupta (Vocal)

Tabla: Ujith Uday Kumar

Harmonium: Mausam

By Soumitra Thakur (Sitar)

Tabla: Ujith Uday Kumar

By Priya Purushothaman

Tabla: Pt. Shailendra Mishra

Harmonium: Mausam

(Collaboration: Shanti Agrawal Association of Music, Arts and Literature (SAAMAL)

Pt. Narayanrao Vyas (1902–1984), a legendary Hindustani classical vocalist, left an enduring legacy through his music.

Chief Guest: Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi

Guest of Honour: Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, Delhi

Welcome Speech: Pt Vidyadhar Vyas, son and disciple of Pt. Narayanrao Vyas

Performances by Pt Vidyadhar Vyas accompanied Pt Shailendra Mishra on Tabla and Dr Vinay Mishra on Harmonium.

Performances by Dr. Vineet Goswami, Sh. Anand Oak, Dr. Richa Verma, Dr. Sanika Goregaonkar & Dr. Gatikrishna Nayak, discples of Pt. Vidyadhar Vyas

Prarthana: Composition by Maharshi Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar

(Collaboration: The Vyas Academy of Indian Music)

Kathak Recital

By Anchal Rawat from Delhi disciple of Guru Smt. Malti Shyam

Accompanist: Yogesh Gangani (Tabla), Sami Ullah Khan (Vocal and Harmonium), Puneet Sisodiya (Sarangi) & Gauri (Padhant)

At 19:00

Odissi Recital

By Arnaaz Zaman from Delhi, disciple of Guru Smt. Madhavi Mudgal

(90 minutes;2022; English Subtitles)

Directors: Phil Grabsky & Shoaib Sharifi

Winners of Best Documentary at the BAFTA Television Awards, Best Documentary at the Tiburon Film Festival (Golden Reel); Best International Documentary at the DC Independent Film Festival 2022; and Best Feature Documentary at the Titan International Film Festival and Bali International Film Festival 2022

Spanning two decades in the life of one boy—growing up in a cave beside the Bamyan Buddhas—this film journeys through war, hope, and transformation in Afghanistan. My Childhood, My Country is an intimate, soul-stirring portrait of resilience that invites us to reflect on innocence, loss, and the enduring human spirit. A must-see.

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

The Present Colonises our Past : the Future Forsaken

Speaker: Romila Thapar, a pre-eminent historian and Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Opening Remarks: Suhas Borker, Convener, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Closing Remarks: Dr. Aditya Malik, Member, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Chair: Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC (tbc*)

(Collaboration: Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee)

Democracy’s Heartland: Inside the Battle for Power in South Asia

By S Y Quraishi (Juggernaut, 2025)

Discussants: Amb. Shiv Shankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary (Guest of Honour) ; Prof. Kavita Sharma, Educationist, Former Director IIC, Former President, South Asia University; and Dr S. Y. Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India and Author of the Book

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Moderator: Prof. Pushpesh Pant, Academic, Historian and Food Critic

Director: Sangeeta Gupta

(2024, Hindi, 78 minutes)

A documentary film directed by Sangeeta Gupta on acclaimed Hindi writer Mridula Garg.

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

Carnatic Percussion Solo Recital

By Satish Krishnamurthy from Mumbai, disciple of Kalaimamani Shri K V Prasad

Accompanist: Delhi R Sridhar (Violin)

At 19:00

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Radhika Joshi from Pune, disciple of Guru Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar

Accompanist: Dr. Mausam (Harmonium), Chaitanya Sahni (Tabla)