By Apoorvanand
This article is about the ‘postponement’ of a seminar titled “Bharat Ki Parikalpna: Ateet, Vartman aur Bhavishya” (The Imagination of India: past, present and future) which was to be held in the first week of April in a college of the University of Delhi. I am not naming the college for obvious reasons. I know about the event because I was supposed to participate in it as one of the speakers. But barely 10 days before the scheduled date, this is the email that I got from the college:
Dear Sir,
In continuation of our earlier email, we regret to inform you that due to administrative reasons, the two-day international seminar on the subject “VISION OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE” scheduled to be held on 8th and 9th April, 2025 has been postponed.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
With regards,
The mail was from the principal of the college. The language is very courteous. It pleads for understanding and cooperation in the matter. I am left wondering what kind of understanding and cooperation is being expected from me by the authorities. The matter is no longer the seminar. It is now the ‘postponement’ of it. So, I write back:
Thank you for the information.
Hope the ground for postponement is reasonable and it is only a postponement and not cancellation.
Thank you for inviting me and for thinking about doing such a discussion.
Sincerely, Apoorvanand
But while writing this reply, I kept thinking about the convener of the seminar who had been talking to me about it for the past month. Looking for more names, asking about their contact details. I could see that he was deeply involved in it and sincerely wanted to ensure diverse voices, viewpoints to be there in the seminar. He told me that he did not have money to bring people from outside Delhi but did want scholars and intellectuals from the North-eastern and the southern parts to be represented, even if online.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
