February 2016 – DR. T.K.TOPE Arts & Commerce NIGHT COLLEGE, Parel, Mumbai

February 25, 2016February 25, 2016

Afanasy Nikitin

Afanasy Nikitin was a Russian merchant and one of the first few Europeans who visited India. He wrote a book named The Journey Beyond three seas (in Russian)

Ref:-

University of British Columbia site.

February 25, 2016

Where the mind is without fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

-Rabindranath Tagore

Ref:-

1. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/where-the-mind-is-without-fear/

February 19, 2016March 21, 2016

India-Russia relations – Dr. Sanjay Deshpande

Director, Centre for Central Eurasian Studies , University of Mumbai

Talk on: – India – Russia relations

Medium: – Marathi

For Class: – TYBA Political Science (a group of about 25 students)

Date:- Wednesday, 24^th February, 2016

Time:- 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm (One hour of talk and a brief question answer session)

Click here to download the audio file of the lecture.

(Recording by Vijay Kijbile)

About the Guest

Prof. Dr. Sanjay Deshpande is the Director of the Centre for Central Eurasian Studies, University of Mumbai. The Centre offers 4 papers at M.A. level in combination with other social science disciplines such as Economics, Politics, History, Sociology, and Geography and Mass communications.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union the emergence of the Commonwealth of Independent States has acquired major significance in the academic circles because of its regional importance, energy resources and ethnic volatility. All the developments in that region are of great interest to India. The Centre for Central Eurasian Studies therefore has shifted its earlier focus from being exclusively Soviet/Russia centric to the periphery, taking into consideration their significance in international scene. The research activities carried out in the Centre pay special attention to various issues involved in these areas: economic and political changes, demographic situation, ethnic conflict, gender issues, human rights aspects, security and terrorism. The academic activities in the Centre are basically oriented towards understanding the ongoing socio-economic political, cultural and ethnic problem. In the conference and seminars organized by the Center emphasis is laid also on Indo-Russian relations and Indo-Central Asian Relations. The scholars in the Centre are also paying attention to the issues like energy, security, geo-politics, ethnicity, nationality problems and geo-economics in Central Eurasia. These issues constitute the thrust area of the research, documentation and publication of the Centre for Central Eurasian Studies. The Centre promotes interdisciplinary research and teaching on social, economic, political, ethno-national and foreign policy problems of the countries of the post-Soviet space.

-From the official brochure of the centre.

February 17, 2016March 21, 2016

Indo-Pak relations – The Kashmir Issue – Prof. Prashant Kelkar

Talk on: – Indo-Pak relations – The Kashmir issue

Medium: – Marathi

For Class: – TYBA Political Science

Date:- Thursday, 25th February, 2016

Time:- 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm (One hour of talk and a brief question answer session)

Click to download the audio file of the lecture.

(Recording by Vijay Kijbile)

About the guest

Prof. Prashant Kelkar

Associate Professor, Political Science

CHM College, Ulhasnagar, dist. Thane

Visited USA under the faculty exchange programme of the College.
Currently pursuing his Ph. D. at the Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai. The Kashmir issue is his area of study.
Working as an active member of the Bombay University and College Teacher’s Union – BUCTU

February 17, 2016February 20, 2016

Nationalism of Ravindranath Tagore – Dr. Swati Pitale

Talk on: – Nationalism of Ravindranath Tagore

Medium: – Marathi

For Class: – TYBA Political Science

Date:- Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016

Time:- 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm (One hour of talk and a brief question answer session)

About the lecturer

Dr. Swati Pitale

Associate Professor

Department of Political Science

Shailendra Education Society’s Arts, Commerce and Science College,

Shailendra Nagar, Dahisar(E)
Mumbai-400 068

M.A., APGDUM (Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in Urban Management, YASHDA, Pune), Ph. D.

Completed one orientation and three refresher courses with ‘A’ grade.
Completed a short term course in research methodology.
Recognized as Ph.D Guide in the subject of Politics by the University of Mumbai.
Recognized teacher for P.G. Course in Political Science of the University of Mumbai.
Completed Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan.
Completed Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in Urban studies from Yashada, Pune
Sanctioned UGC Minor Research Project
Member of Syllabus Committee of Board of Studies of Politics Paper V of T.Y.B.A. 2013-2014
Co-authored a text book for TYBA on “Political Thought”.
Organised an international seminar on Rise of New Russia in collaboration with the Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai and the Centre for Central Eurasian studies, University of Mumbai.in February 2016.

Source:- Shailendra College Website

February 7, 2016March 8, 2016

Virendra Valsangkar

Director of the National Award Winning Film

“Vishnupant Damle : The Unsung Hero of Talkies”

(Click above link to see trailer on YouTube)

College Function Poster

“विष्णुपंत दामले – बोलपटांचा मूकनायक”

मी शाळेत होतो तेव्हाची म्हणजे १९८० ते १९८५ च्या दरम्यानची गोष्ट. पाचवी ते दहावी ची वर्षे. त्या वयात पिक्चरशी केवळ एक भावनिक नाते असते. पिक्चर मधील स्टंट, प्रेक्षणीय स्थळे, स्टोरी, नट नट्या इथपर्यंतच पिक्चरचे आकलन मर्यादित. अधिक लक्ष पॉपकॉर्न आणि वडे यांच्यावरच. पिक्चरचे समीक्षण, टीकात्मक परिक्षण वगैरे डोक्याच्या पलिकडच्या गोष्टी.

पण त्या वयातही माझ्या एका मित्राचा दृष्टीकोन वेगळा होता. त्याने एकदा श्याम बेनेगल यांचा चित्रपट पाहिला. त्याला त्या सिनेमाबद्दल त्याच्या कथानकाबद्दल, दिग्दर्शनाबद्दल त्याला काही प्रश्न पडले. त्याने बेनेगल यांचा पत्ता मिळवून त्यांना पत्र लिहीले. काही दिवसांनी बेनेगलांनी पत्रास सविस्तर उत्तर पाठवले. त्याच्या सर्व प्रश्नांना समाधानकारक उत्तरे मिळाली. त्या पत्रलेखक मित्राचे नाव विरेंद्र वळसंगकर. शाळेत असल्यापासून त्याला सिनेमाचे, दिग्दर्शनाचे प्रचंड आकर्षण. सिनेमा क्षेत्रात काम करणे हे त्याचे स्वप्न. खडतर परिश्रमांनंतर त्याने आपले उद्दीष्ट साध्य केले.

त्याला वाचनाचीही खूप आवड होती. वाचलेली गोष्ट जशीच्या तशी सांगता येणे हे त्याचे आणखीन एक वैशिष्ट्य. शाळेत मधल्या सुट्टीत तो गोष्टी सांगायचा. टारझन, पॅपिलॉन, जेम्स बाँड, शेरलॉक होम्स या सर्व कथा मी त्याच्याकडूनच ऐकल्या. बऱ्याच इंग्रजी चित्रपटांचा परिचय त्याच्याशी बोलतानाच झाला. पाश्चात्य पॉप संगीतामध्येही त्याला खूप रूची आहे. ब्रायन अॅडम्सचे “Please forgive me…” त्याच्याकडेच ऐकल्याचे आठवते

मी अभ्यासासाठी नेहमी त्याच्या घरी जायचो – विशेषतः परिक्षा जवळ आली की दोन तीन दिवस तरी माझा त्याच्याकडेच मुक्काम असायचा. त्यांच्या घरात एक वेगळेच वातावरण मी अनुभवले. एका खोलीत भींतीवर जगाचा नकाशा टांगलेला होता. नॅशनल जिओग्राफिक चे अंक पहायला मिळत. आज आपण गुगल मॅप्सचा वापर करून प्रवास करतो. कॉलेज मधे असताना छापील मॅपवर व्यवस्थित नियोजन करून भारताच्या संपूर्ण पश्चिम किनारपट्टीची मोटरसायकलवरून सफर विरेंद्र त्याचे काका आणि काही आते मामे भावंडे या सर्वांनी मिळून यशस्वी रीतीने पार पाडल्याचे मला आठवते. आजोबा कै.विष्णुपंत गुंडोपंत तथा गुरुराव वळसंगकर प्रतिथयश आणि नामवंत वकील. वडील एस. टी. मध्ये इंजिनियर, एक काका सीए – सतत काहीतरी अॅक्टीवीटी घरात चालू असायची. ब्रिटीश काळात बंदी घालण्यात आलेल्या सावारकरांच्या “१८५७ चे स्वातंत्र्य समर” या पुस्तकाची प्रत मी त्यांच्या घरीच पहिल्यांदा पाहिली.

शाळेनंतर आमचे मार्ग वेगळे झाले. तो सिव्हील इंजिनियर झाला. नोकरी लागली. पण मन त्यात रमत नव्हते. एक दिवशी बंडखोरी करून सर्व सोडून तो पुण्याला निघून गेला. तिथे सुमित्रा भावे यांच्या बरोबर काम करीत स्वतःची प्रगती करून घेतली. त्याने दिग्दर्शित केलेल्या विष्णुपंत दामले यांच्या वरील चित्रपटाला (डॉक्युड्रामा) नॅशनल फिल्म अॅवॉर्ड मिळाले. स्लोव्हाकिया येथे झालेल्या फिल्म फेस्टीवल मध्ये त्याच्या आणखी एका माहितीपटाला पारितोषिक मिळाले. त्याच्याबद्दलचे नेटवर उपलब्ध असलेले काही संदर्भ त्याची आणखी चांगली ओळख करून देतील :-

Some extracts from his personal website :-

Virendra Valsangkar : A graduated civil engineer trained himself in filmmaking by working
with director duo Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar in early years.

Received National Award for ‘Vishnupant Damle : The Unsung Hero of Talkies’ as ‘best
biographical / historical reconstruction’ film in 2012.

As a director he directed

a short fiction ‘Sometimes’,

a suspense thriller TV program ‘Olakh’ for a Marathi channel and

certain documentaries on various subjects, including

‘Forts of Maharashtra’,

‘Maharashtra:the place’, ‘The Unfolding White’,

series of documentaries about the ‘Tribes of Maharashtra’ and

few documentaries for educational and social institutions.

Also worked as an editor for

the National award winning Marathi feature film ‘Devrai’(The sacred Grove) and

‘Ha Bharat Maza’( India is my country).

Received ‘International Jury Award’ for the documentary ‘The Unfolding White’ in Ekotop film festival, Slovakia