Indian lecture series begins today lecture series kicks off today

As a part of the Spring 2004 Lecture Series sponsored by the IU India Studies Program, a discussion of conflict resolution will be held at 6 p.m. today in Swain East 140. The lecture marks the beginning of the program's effort to bring important Indian issues to the IU community.\nTim Callahan, assistant director of the India Studies Program, said the lecture series provides insight into world events. \n"Nearly 20 percent of the world's population lives in Southeast Asia," Callahan said. "We are attempting to bring some of the broad issues of the region into the public light, showing from a different point of view the importance it has throughout the entire world."\nThe speaker, Wajahat Habibullah, once aided in the negotiation of a hostage crisis at Kashmir's Premier Religious Shrine. Amid support for using India's military forces to handle the situation, Habibullah walked into the shrine and negotiated with the insurgents threatening to blow up the mosque. He is currently a secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs in the government of India. Habibullah is set to discuss some of the lessons he learned through his experiences.\nDr. Sumit Ganguly, the director of the India Studies Program, said the importance of education regarding India lies in debunking some of the ideas of India as a remote land of myths and snake charmers. The idea is to show that India is increasingly globalizing part of the international community, he said.\n"We strongly urge people to come ask questions, (to) participate," Ganguly said. "Students, people from the community and anyone with the slightest interest in India and this region of the world are all welcome to join us."\nThe India Studies program has a total of seven additional lectures planned this semester. Other events on the agenda include a concert of Indian sitar music and an ongoing Indian film festival on the weekends.\nThe topics of the upcoming lectures are varied. On March 25, Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information of the United Nations Shashi Tharoor will be giving a lecture sponsored by Union Board.\nThe next lecture, to be presented March 30, will feature Robert Hardgrave from the University of Texas. He has a new book coming out this spring about a Dutch painter who lived in India.\n"The paintings are an exquisite portrait of Indians in 18th century," Ganguly said. "They show how he saw Indians and Indian society, giving an important example of India's early contact with Europe."\nAlso, the India Studies program will be sponsoring a faculty seminar series. Graduate students and faculty are invited to join the program in an effort to create increased awareness of an intellectual community at IU. \nFor more information, the India Studies Web site is located at www.indiana.edu/~isp and their office can be reached at 855-5798.\n-- Contact staff writer Tim Callahan at tmcallah@indiana.edu.