Minutes of the 7th board meeting of India - Afghanistan Foundation, 19 October 2013, Kabul
The 7th meeting of the Board of Directors of the India – Afghanistan Foundation (IAF) was held at the Indian Ambassador’s residence in Kabul on October 19, 2013.
Present in the meeting were Ambassador Amar Sinha of India, Ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali of Afghanistan (two Co-Chairs of IAF), Prof. Mohammad Qasim Jamdar, Prof. Nazar Mohammad Azizi, Ms. Najiba Maram (Board members from Afghanistan), Mr. Anand Kishore Sahay (Board member from India) as well as the two secretaries of IAF Mr. Niteen Yeola (Kabul Chapter) and Mr. Safiullah Delawar (Delhi Chapter).Mr. Niteen Yeola also represented Mr. R Tandon, JS PAI.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Sinha welcomed all the Board Members to the meeting and thanked the Board Members since all of them had completed their two year term on the IAF board, and hoped that they would all continue to collaborate and contribute to IAF activities.
After exchange of pleasantries the following decisions were taken:
1. All the pending projects need to be reviewed from feasibility aspect.
2. There is a need to prioritize pending projects and weed out projectsnot implemented for a long time. The ones that can be implemented later need to be categorized in terms of urgency time lines- immediate/ medium and long term.
3. There is need to review the financial limit of Chairperson (the existing limit of Rs 1,00,000) so as to cut down the delay in approval process and implement the projects faster. Though no decision was taken on this.
4. The artists who have been paid themoney to execute any project and have not produced the outcomes, legal course of action should be taken if necessary.When funds are provided to others it should be done on the basis of a written agreement.
5. There should be more communication between secretariat and members of the foundation.
6. There should be more efforts to raise the profile of the foundation as well as increase the public outreach. IAF can partner itself with some reputed organizations in suitable manner.
7. The existing projects to be prioritizedas well as per the importance and urgency - immediate, mid-term or long term.
8. Proposal to hold a conference in JNU (Silk Road Research Foundation) wasapproved. (Facilitator - Ambassador Abdali)
9. The IAF would support to upgrade Afghanistan Studies (Pashto language department) in JNU from Diploma level to degree level. (Facilitator - Ambassador Abdali)
10. More interaction needs to happen between Nangrahar University and suitable university in India (JNU). (Facilitator - Mr Sahay and Dr Jamdar)
11. Website of the foundation - suitable partner - person or agency to update the website on regular basis is to be found out. (Facilitator - Ambassador Sinha and Ambassador Abdali)
12. The website should be linked to relevant institutions in India and Afghanistan such as Persian and Pashto Departments of universities in India and Hindi Departments in Afghanistan.(Facilitator: Mr. Safiullah Delawar and Niteen Yeola)
13. Possibility to be explored about having a Bollywood star - preferably Amir Khan - to deliver a message on social and non-sensitive issues for Afghanistan. (Facilitator - Mr Sahay)
14. While all members of the foundation are busy people, and Ambassadors have a hectic schedule, it was decided that the board members need to take up specific activities so that decision is carried forward
15. Review of proposals/ decisionsfrom last meetings was undertaken and following decisions were taken as indicated (in bold italics):
1. Establishment of Afghan-India Cultural Halls in the embassies of the two countries.
Suitable halls in the two embassies would be appropriately decorated and named “Afghan-Indo Cultural Hall”. The hall will be built throughembassy expenses but will be only decorated The redecoration cost should be within the financial limits of the two Co-Chairs.
Lead: The two Co-Chairs
Priority - Immediate
2. A documentary on Afghans/Pashtuns in India who migrated to India many years ago.
Some members of the Pashtun community migrated to India from Maikhtar, Balochistan during partition. This community is completely assimilated in their milieu and today can hardly be differentiated on basis of dress or appearance. However the older generation continued to speak Pashtu. Today this community gets classified as Punjabis. Mr. Sanaullah Khan and Ms. Muska were chosen as contact persons in India and Mr. Hewadmal in Afghanistan.
Priority – Immediate
Lead: Ambassador Abdali
3. Establishment/Funding existing Resource Centers in JNU and Kandahar University as a one-stop-shop for researchers on Indo-Afghan ties with books and other material on these ties and a Bedillogy Center.
Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) to be contacted for the possibility of opening this Resource Center in their facility and if accepted by ICWA, the Center should be named as ICWA – IAF Resource Center of India – Afghanistan Relations.
Lead: The two Co-Chairs (Immediate)
4. Collection, compilation and publishing a selection of Hazrat Bedil’s ghazals (e.g. 100 easy Ghazals to begin with).
Lead: Prof. Syed ShahidMahdi (Medium term)
5. Publishing of a spoken Pashto language guide for foreigners, written by Prof. Abdul Khaliq Rashid, and a Hindi-Pashto dictionary. The possibility of adding Dari to the dictionary should also be explored.
Lead: Two secretaries and A. K. Rashid) Immediate
6. Feasibility study to be conducted on printing of brochures for Afghan medical tourists providing them with information on different specialty hospitals, their services, different departments, rates, etc: It would be appropriate to do it through Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan after obtaining rates from various hospitals. It is decided that that for now both sides will only do researches, and will come with proper suggestion/ways on how to facilitate services in the coming board meeting.
Lead: The two Co-Chairs Priority: medium
7. Compile and publish a collection of articles on Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan and Mahatma Gandhi.
Lead: Mr. Anand K. Sahay and Prof. Nazar Mohammad Azizi (medium term).
8. Make a documentary on Buddhist sites linking Afghanistan and India. Mr. Benoy Behal should be contacted for this purpose.
According to priority it is decided to divide this task into two parts:
a- As Mr. Azizi promised that he has collected 70% of the texts needed for the documentary so it was decided to firs complete all the text and Mr. Jamdar promised that he will also help him in giving him books in this regard. (immediate)
b- Video documentary will be provided in long term after reviewing the text.(long term)
Lead: Prof. Ramachandra Guha and Prof. Nazar Mohammad Azizi –
9. Request RTA to dub in Pashto and Dari a documentary on Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan (Badshah Khan) produced by T. C. Mcluhan. (Pending decision from the 4th Board meeting). Her movie will be screened in Kabul on 20 Jan 2014, on Frontier Gandhi’s birthday and IAF will assist in its organization.
Lead: Dubbing: Ms. NajibaMaram- (Medium).Screening in Kabul- Embassies.
10. Support interaction between historians from India and Afghanistan; invite 5-6 historians to visit centers of historical studies in India; initiate participation of Afghan historians in the Indian History Congress meetings. (Pending decision from the 2nd Board meeting)
Lead: Prof. Guha and Prof. Azizi( proposal dropped as this activity can be supported by the two Governments)
11. Academic exchange program:
Sponsoring the air tickets and, if necessary, the accommodation of newly graduated Afghan medical students for a six month internship program in Indian hospitals, and later on expanding the scope to include newly graduates of Agriculture, Pharmacy, Fine Arts, Chartered Accountancy, etc.
It was decided that this can also be done by the two governments so IAF to take up proposals as and when requests are received.
12. Introduction of an Annual IAF Award to be conferred on a deserving personality from Afghanistan/India, each year.
Lead: Prof. Mohammad QasimJamdar to work on a criteria for the Award and present it in the next IAF Board meeting and then make a list of nominees- Immediate
13. Cooperation between National Museums of Afghanistan and India in the following areas:
i. Subject to more information and approval of the two governments, the IAF should sponsor the process of obtaining copies of Afghan-related documents from the archives of the National Museum of India, during 1830-1947 era, for Afghanistan National Museum.
Embassy of India to write to Afghan National Museum.
ii. Sponsoring short term training of Afghan youth for museum, archival and ethnographic museum studies.
Lead: Prof. A. K. Rashid to do feasibility study and estimate cost- to be undertaken by the two governments. IAF only has a supplementary role.
14. Initiate/attract proposals for research on obtaining microfilms of manuscripts in Pashto/Dari, documented in different libraries in India. After evaluation of the proposals and their approval by the IAF Board, the research work should be sponsored by the IAF.
Lead: Prof. A. K. Rashid- since the project is ongoing so no specific action.
15. Attracting concrete proposals on measures to promote Bedil studies in existing departments of Farsi in India, and as appropriate in Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan.
Lead: Prof. Syed Shahid Mahdi- Ongoing.
16. Publishing and distributing the translation of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's book, "Ghobar-e-Khatir" (Letters from jail) by Mohammed Afsar Rahbin in Dari through a leading Afghan publishing house.
Lead: Mr. Niteen YeolaOngoing.
17. Supporting research projects with a 'research grant' for PhD students interested or willing to do research in areas like history, international relations, literature, linguistics, or other areas. Some of the areas or subjects of study that could be considered, are:
i. Research on linkages between Afghan (Pashto, Brahvi), and Indian (Sanskrit and others) languages;
ii. Archival research on Afghan-India relations in the 19th and 20th centuries from the National Archives of India and the National Archives of Afghanistan, as well as the archives of the Zahir Shah family.
Lead: Amb Abdali, Prof. Syed Shahid Mahdi and Mr Anand Sahay
Mr Arun Sinha and a person from Kashmir University to be requested to research on the above topics- Immediate
18. Research on historic links between the Chishtiasilsila (and perhaps other silsilas) of Afghanistan and India.
Lead: Prof. S. S. Mahdi to talk to D.G. National Archives of India and locate a researcher-
Priority (long Term) It was suggested to find a researcher.
19. Proposal received by the Indian Embassy – Kabul from a leading Afghan actress, Leena Alam:
i. Invite a respected Indian film-maker, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, and one more Indian film professional to Afghanistan for a 12-day Workshop in Kabul.
ii. Sponsor one or more aspiring Afghan film-maker to study film-making at the Whistling Woods International Institute for Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts, with Mr. Chaitanya Chinchlikar.
No action and the proposals were dropped as proposal has not been formalized or repeated.
20. Proposal from Mr. Rahraw Omarzad, Director of Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan, for two projects:
i. Crossing the Distance: aiming to bringing students and art students from schools or universities in Afghanistan and India through the internet, Facebook and other social media in a creative exchange of artistic and cultural ideas crossing boundaries of geography, time, culture, politics and language, eventually, possibly leading to exhibitions of art coming out of this exchange.
No action and the proposals were droppedas proposal not formalized and pursued.
ii. Afghanistan Towards Peace: Proposal to hold a workshop with Indian film-teachers and jury members to select 10 Afghan aspiring film-makers to make short films as part of a video film competition. The films will then form part of a larger art exhibition by 100 artists covering film, painting, photography, calligraphy, graphic and installation to be exhibited at the Darul Aman Palace.
Lead: Co Chair (The IAF will sponsor 5 films and the jury expenses)- Medium to Long
21. Organizing a photography competition on India and Afghanistan (along the lines of the Ministry of External Affairs "India Is" competition), by the Afghan Embassy in India on Afghanistan, and the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan on India on the theme of “Afghanistan and India …. Friends”.
Lead: Two secretaries
Two secretaries to come up with detailed proposal. Also, following competitions to be organized for wider public outreach:
A. Essay competition for School and College students
B. Debate and elocution competitions for School and College students
C. Quiz competitions
Suitable prizes to be awarded as well as partnerships with local media channels to be worked out.
Priority - Immediate
22. Proposal by Prof. M.S. Batra, a leading scholar of Pashto in India:
i. Fund the translation of a book by Prof. Batra into Pashto.
Lead: Mr. Delawar- Medium
ii. Fund the travel and visit of Ms.Masooda, an Afghan lady interested in writing a monograph, thesis or even a book on Prof. Batra's life and relations with Afghanistan.
Lead: Mr. Niteen Yeola- Medium to long term
23. Fund the translation of books on Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan(Badshah Khan) written in India and/or Afghanistan into Pashto and Dari, as per the decision in the 5th Board meeting.
Lead: Mr. Anand K. Sahay-Medium/ Long
24. Sponsor a workshop by acclaimed Indian artists to work with Afghan artists in India, proposed by P.V. Krishnan, an Indian working in Afghanistan, as a personal initiative of his own.
No action and droped as proposal not been followed by the proposer.
25. Continued support for artists, musicians, film-makers, scholars, etc. to participate in cultural events both traditional and contemporary, in India or Afghanistan, on a case to case basis as the IAF has been doing in the past.Since there are no specific proposal this was dropped.
25. To organize visits by journalists from India who are writing on socio-cultural issues.
Lead: Mr Anand Sahay
Above mentioned proposals were approved unanimously. It was also emphatically decided that the IAF must hold its meetings every six months, as per the General By-Laws, or even sooner than that, if deemed necessary.
The two secretaries of IAF, Mr. Delawar (Delhi Chapter) and Mr. Niteen Yeola (Kabul Chapter) presented financial reports of the two chapters and it was decided to have the accounts audited as per the bye law.
The next, 8th, meeting of the Board of Directors of the IAF to be held in New Delhi within six months and the two co-chairs will take up the issue of reconstitution of the boards with their respective Government.
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