Eminent dance scholar

ON September 17 Dr Mohan Khokar, a Balauchi Pathan and an eminent classical dance scholar, died unsung at his Chennai residence. A prolific writer, Dr Khokar authored five books: ‘‘Traditions of Indian Classical Dance’’, ‘‘Adavus In Bharatanatyam’’, ‘‘Folk Dances’’, ‘‘Splendours of Indian Dance’’ and ‘‘Udyay Shankar’’.

For many years he had been a dance critic for several distinguished newspapers in India and abroad. His illustrated note on Indian dance in Encyclopaedia Britannica was adjudged the best entry from Asia. Dr Khokar produced two documentaries of Kathakali and Yakshagana for the University of Rome.

Many institutions in India and abroad such as the New York Lincoln Centre, the Stockholm Dance Museum, Encyclopaedia Britannica, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts use his works as reference for their research projects. Khokar had a unique collection of documents on dance comprising more than a 100,000 rare photographs.

He was born in Quetta (Baluchistan) in 1924. He graduated from Forman Christian College, Lahore, in 1944. Deeply interested in the cultural heritage of India, he came in contact with Shambu Maharaj, Zohra and Kameshwar, Udya Shanker, Ram Gopal, Madhavan Kutty, Rukmini Devi, Balasarswati, Mahakavi Vallathol, and learnt and mastered every nuance of Indian classical dance tradition.

At the age of 25 he headed the Department of Dance, M.S. University, Baroda (Gujarat), from 1949 to 1953. Later he worked as Special Officer for Dance and Secretary, Sangeet Natak Akadami, New Delhi, for 13 years. From 1958 to 1960 he joined hands with Dr Mulk Raj Anand and published dance specials for MARG magazine.

It is sad that this great son of the country did not get the recognition he deserved. We hope the Government of India will announce the Padam Vibhushan award in his honour and issue a commemorative stamp.

S. K. Sharma, President,
Federation of Migrant Groups from North-Western India now Pakistan
Chandigarh

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Power privatisation

Death, devastation and disruption of life in Orissa, caused by the unprecedented cyclone, have been augmented by the damage to infrastructure. Power supply to Paradip had not been restored even two weeks later, leading to the spread of epidemics.

On Divali, the festival of lights, most of the cyclone-affected areas remained in complete darkness — thanks to the private sector companies managing the power supply system in Orissa. Agreed that neither the Orissa government nor the private sector companies were prepared for the catastrophe. But the restoration of power supply should have been taken in hand without waiting for any assurance from the government that the expenditure thus incurred will be reimbursed.

The country is passing through the second generation of power sector reforms. The World Bank is also laying the condition of privatisation of the distribution of power before the grant of further financial aid. Before we opt for further privatisation under the lure of financial aid, the role of the private sector in Orissa must be watched.

Wherever an agreement is signed with a private concern, a condition stating that “in case of disruption of power supply due to a natural calamity or some other reason beyond the control of the private concern, it will be the first and foremost task of that concern to restore power supply in the area without waiting for a claim or commitment from the government while the claims in this regard shall be settled later on” must be added to the MoU or the agreement.

JAGVIR GOYAL
Bathinda

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Poverty and suicides

According to a report published in The Tribune on 30-10-1999, Subash Chand, 27-year-old resident of Sandol village in Palampur subdivision, Kangra district, has committed suicide due to poverty. The report has been confirmed administratively.

Earlier, a teenager girl committed suicide in Bathinda. She also took the extreme step because of poverty.

It is not out of place to mention here that there are a number of schemes being run by the state and Central governments to improve the condition of the poor. Two or three years ago the government conducted a survey and identified the persons/families living below the poverty line. Special yellow-coloured ration cards were issued to them. How could these families not be identified as poverty-stricken, these incidents require a thorough probe.

P. N. GUPTA
Panchkula

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Next millennium

I read with interest the observation made by Mr N. Khosla of Panchkula in his letter, “Next millennium”, published on November 11.

According to my information, the first millennium started on January 1, 000 and ended on December 31, 999, and not on December 31,1000.

Thus the second millennium, which started on 1.1.1000, will end on 31.12.1999. The third millennium will commence on 1.1.2000.

On the time scale of 000 to 999, a period of 1000 units are counted.

K. M. RAO
Chandigarh