15-Aug-2013 12:00 AM
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The contemporary times stand witness to a constant deterioration of meaning of art and manipulation of theoretical social and political concepts as well as their practical significance. Whether they are questions as serious as social and political concerns of human rights or social exclusion affecting a dignified human survival, or as sensitive as the waning of interest in classical art forms, they call for an urgent need to revisit and discuss the prevalent conceptions.
Art has its unique way of reviving our soul from deadening monotonous routines through its multiple intricate expressions. Forming a singular perception of art or attributing a definitive meaning to it often reduces art from its fascinating complexity and expressive charm. This reductive approach confines art to its modernist understanding, which then fails to take cognizance of the artistic abstraction expressed through different forms and styles.
The Raza Foundation through its series ‘Art Matters’ provides a platform for open discussion on such issues. It endeavors not only to release the true essence of art from the clutches of definitive modernist approach in order to grasp myriad ways of extolling art, but also to stir up debate on the changing meanings of social and political theoretical concepts like rights, justice, liberty, citizenship, etc. Well known, renowned scholars and practitioners from all the diverse fields of arts, dance, music, social science, poetry, and so on are invited for this purpose.
Here, we publish the thirteenth panel discussion of ‘Art Matters’, titled ‘Survival of Languages’ featuring Ganesh Devy, Mrinal Pandey, Anvita Abbi and Namita Gokhale.
Ganesh N. Devy is a thinker, cultural activist and an institution builder, best known for the People’s Linguistic Survey of India and the Adivasi Academy created by him. He is credited to start the Bhaashaa research and Publication Centre. He writes in three languages—Marathi, Gujarati and English
Mrinal Pande is an Indian television personality, journalist and author, and until 2009 chief editor of Hindi daily Hindustan. She left Hindustan on 31 August 2009. She was appointed chairperson of Prasar Bharati, the official apex body of Indian broadcast media by Congress Government
Professor Anvita Abbi is an Indian linguist and scholar of minority languages, known for her studies on tribal languages and other minority languages of South Asia.
Namita Gokhale is an Indian writer, publisher and festival director. She is the author of sixteen books including nine works of fiction.Things to Leave Behind has been published in November 2016. It is a rich, panoramic historical novel that shows Kumaon and the Raj as you have never seen them
The event was organised at the Indian International Centre on 22nd of August 2013.