Our History, Their History, Whose History?

Speaker: Prof. Romila Thapar, pre-eminent historian, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

The talk will examine the current crisis in the teaching and writing of history as reflected in new syllabus for school, college and University, and in public statements on the past. There is a bifurcation between popular public views and those of professional scholars of history. The questions to be answered are how did this come about? How legitimate are the changes being formally suggested? And why these changes are being contested by historians? The focus will be on one frequently quoted interpretation relating to the second millennium AD., discussing the relationship between two communities. 
 

Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

Rigoberta Menchú: Daughter of the Maya (USA)
(61 min; 2016; English/Spanish)
Director: Dawn Gifford Engle

The film captures the inspiring journey of the Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, an indigenous Mayan woman, who stood as a resilient symbol of peace and reconciliation across ethnic, cultural and social divisions during the civil war in Guatemala. The courage and tenacity of the indigenous Mayan peopleshines through in this beautiful, tragic, and ultimately triumphant film

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

Launch of Marg’s magazine 

Introduction: Naman P. Ahuja, Curator and Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Editor of Marg Publications

Speakers: Laila Tyabji, craft designer, writer and Chairperson, DASTKAR; Ritu Sethi, Founder-Trustee, Craft Revival Trust and Editor, Global InCH, journal of intangible cultural heritage; and Ashdeen Z. Lilaowala, textile designer known for invigorating and contemporizing the Parsi Gara embroidery tradition while retaining its essence

Chair: Dr. Abigail S. McGowan, Professor of History and the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, University of Vermont. She is the editor of Marg’s archival volume on Textiles, Readings on Textiles: From 75 Years of Marg

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Marg, this commemorative issue brings together core writings on Indian textiles from the magazine’s archive to explore how Marg writers and editors have shaped our understanding of textiles and their role in Indian history and society. Since the 1940s, articles by top scholars in the field have explored the deep heritage and ceaseless innovation of Indian textiles, across regions, materials, time, and communities. Assembled here from the Marg archive, these articles document the rich diversity and vibrancy of Indian textiles through stores of objects, artisans, designers, and consumers

(Collaboration: Marg)

Presented by Transatlantic Roots led by renowned avant-garde jazz pianist, Bruno Angelini from Paris

With Fabrice Martinez on trumpet and  bugle; and Eric Echampard on drums
 

(Collaboration: Delhi Music Society)

Santoor Recital

By Bipul Kumar Ray from Delhi, disciple of the late Pt. Bhajan Sopori

Accompanied by Saptak Sharma on tabla
 

At 19:00
Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Amrita Dutta Majumdar from Delhi, disciple of Smt. Uma Garg and Shri Dinanath Mishra

Accompanied by Bivakar Choudhury on tabla and Ajay Mishra on harmonium
 

CANCELLED 

(30 min; 2022; English)
Director: Sujay 

Premiere screening of the first documentary on the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946. Using forgotten footage sourced from the Imperial War Museum and Cambridge University in the UK and press clippings from India and Pakistan, and juxtaposing this material with expert narrations of this story of valour. The Last Push reconstructs the mutiny by Royal Indian Navy ratings, which shook the British Raj in its sunset months and hastened its decision to leave India to Indians.

(Collaboration: IANS India Private Limited)

(96 min; 2007; English)
Directors: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi 

Multiple award winner including Jury Prize & Palm Dog, Cannes Film Festival 2007; César for Best Adapted Screenplay & Best First Film, César Awards, France 2008; NYFCC Award for Best Animated Film, New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2007; Audience Award for Best Foreign Feature Film, São Paulo International Film Festival 2008; among others

Based on Marjane Satrapi's best-selling graphic novel about her life in pre and post-revolutionary Iran and then in Europe. The film traces Satrapi's growth from child to rebellious, punk-loving teenager in Iran. In the background are the growing tensions of the political climate in Iran in the 70s and 80s, with members of her liberal-leaning family detained and then executed, and the background of the disastrous Iran/Iraq war.
 

Lecture and demonstration presented by Subhasis Sabyasachi, Bamboo artist, and Junior Research Fellow, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India who has been involved in a unique research developing bamboo musical instruments. 

Bamboo instruments to be demonstrated and played include, tabla, guitar, sitar, xylophone, violin, flute and mridangam. The repertoire includes folk, classical and Rabindra Sangeet
 

Ashwati Parmeshwar, soprano and Sviatlana Radashkevich, pianist, present melodies across genres, from the Classical to Christmas  

(Women – An epitome of power and strength)

Talk by Chief Acharya H.H. Swami Avdheshanand Giri

Inauguration by By Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

(Collaboration: Ladli Foundation)