Attend the Launch of Atlas Shrugged in Marathi

Professor Mugdha Karnik from the University of Mumbai had undertaken the monumental task of translating Ayn Rand’s epic novel Atlas Shrugged into Marathi — the regional language of the state of Maharashtra–one of the most populous states in the country. [Note: Prof Karnik's thoughts on her initiative to translate Atlas Shrugged are posted here.]

I have personally heard Prof. Karnik read an excerpt from her translation during one of the Atlas Sunday Club Philosophy Salon’s I organize in Mumbai. She read the passage in which Hank Rearden is holding the dying young wet nurse in his arms. It is a stirring scene in the original novel–and listening to Prof. Karnik read it out in Marathi was equally moving.

I remember telling her at that time that I believe she did not just translate the language of Atlas Shrugged but also managed to translate the spirit of the novel.

Anyway, all of this is in preamble to the reason for this post. The new Marathi version of Atlas Shrugged is being released officially in the city. The following are details. All who are in Mumbai or can travel to the city are urged to attend:

DATE: Saturday, Feb 26, 2011

TIME: 7 pm to 8.30 pm

VENUE: Shivaji Mandir, Dadar, Mumbai

GUEST SPEAKERS

Veena Gavankar and Sharad Joshi

Dhananjay Karnik will introduce Sharad Joshi

COMPERE: Jyoti Ambekar

For more details and information about the book, you can reach out to Professor Karnik at the following address:

Mugdha D. Karnik,
Director
Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, University of Mumbai,
Vidyanagari, Kalina, Santacruz (E),
Mumbai 400098

Tel: 022-65952761/65296962
www.extramural.org

Atlas Meet in Delhi - Watch Ayn Rand's "We The Living" on DVD

The next monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi will take place on Friday, 23 July, 2010. The sequence of Atlas Meets in Delhi have completed one full year. To mark this anniversary, we have a very special treat: the screening of the movie version of Ayn Rand's debut novel "We The Living" on DVD (courtesy Rajendra Lakhotia). 

This movie has a checkered history - it was made in Italy during World War II, without Ayn Rand's knowledge or permission and was based on an unauthorized Italian translation of the novel. Surprisingly, it  has some stellar performances by Alida Valli and Rossano Brazzi and was a cult hit in Italy at the time of its release. 

Decades later, Duncan Scott helped restore the film and re-edit it for release under Ayn Rand's guidance. The result is a stunning recreation of the novel that brings alive each of the characters and moves you to tears!

Since the film is unusually long at nearly three hours, we will watch only the first half on Friday. The viewing will be followed by discussions, and sharing of ideas, on the terrace over snacks and tea.

Date
23rd July 2010


Time
5.30 pm - 7.45 pm


The Agenda


Session I (Savor and Study)
5.30 pm - 7.00 pm: Watch the first half of the DVD of "We The Living" 

7.00 pm - 7.15 pm: Tea and snacks break. 


Session II (Spread and Sustain)
7.15 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussions on the movie and a broad range of topics, including ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas 


The Venue
inlingua International School of Languages,
N-12, first floor,
South Extension - Part I


It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. You may call Vikram on 9810028900 for directions. If you're planning to attend, it would be helpful if you let us know by leaving a comment below or by sending an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in .

Atlas Meet in Delhi - Watch "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life" on DVD

After a break, we're back!

The next monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi will take place on Friday, 18 June, 2010. We have an unfinished agenda from the meeting in March - viewing the second half of a DVD of Michael Paxton's Oscar-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense Of Life" (courtesy of Rajendra Lakhotia). As usual, our members are bubbling with other topics to discuss, so, of course, discussions will follow on the terrace over snacks and tea.


Date
18th June 2010


Time
5.30 pm - 7.45 pm


The Agenda


Session I (Savor and Study)
5.30 pm - 6.30 pm: Watch a DVD of Michael Paxton's Oscar-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense Of Life" (2nd Half)


6.30 pm - 6.45 pm: Tea and snacks break. 
[Those interested in coming in only for one session, could arrive or depart during this time.]


Session II (Spread and Sustain)
6.45 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussions on a broad range of topics, including ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas 


 Not in Delhi? No worries, you can also participate in the discussions live over the internet via audio/video conferencing. If  interested, send an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in at least one day in advance.


The Venue
inlingua International School of Languages,
N-12, first floor,
South Extension - Part I


It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. You may call Vikram on 9810028900 for directions. If you're planning to attend, it would be helpful if you let us know by leaving a comment below or by sending an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in .

Atlas Meet in Delhi - Watch a DVD of "Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life"

The next monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi will take place on Friday, 19 March, 2010. Those present at the last meeting had wanted to view a DVD of Michael Paxton's Oscar-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense Of Life" (courtesy of Rajendra Lakhotia). So, that will be the main agenda of the meet, of course, followed by hot discussions over hot snacks and hot tea as always! 


Date
19th March 2010


Time
5.30 pm - 7.45 pm


The Agenda


Session I (Savor and Study)
5.30 pm - 6.45 pm: Watch a DVD of Michael Paxton's Oscar-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense Of Life" 


6.45 pm - 7.15 pm: Tea and snacks break.
[Those interested in coming in only for one session, could arrive or depart during this time.]


Session II (Spread and Sustain)
7.15 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussions on ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas amongst students -
i) continuation of discussions on ideas mooted in previous meetings (Organizing talks in schools through personal contacts).
ii) other ideas for promoting the same.


 *New* : You can also participate in the discussions live over the internet via audio/video conferencing. All you need is a web-browser and audio capabilities on your computer. If you have a webcam, then you can see us and be seen as well. If you are interested, you must send an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in at least one day in advance to receive the link and instructions.


The Venue
inlingua International School of Languages,
N-12, first floor,
South Extension - Part I


It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. You may call Vikram on 9810028900 for directions. If you're planning to attend, it would be helpful if you let us know by leaving a comment below or by sending an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in .

A report on the Atlas Meet in Delhi on 19th February

The 7th Atlas Meet in Delhi took place on Friday, 19th February 2010. Billed as the 'Fountainhead Special', it attracted a gathering of nine enthusiasts, including newcomers to the meet Mayank Sharma, Bindu Mangalpalli and Ashok Atluri, as well as old-hands Barun Mitra, Vikram Bajaj, Arun Virmani, Poonam Vasudeva, Sunil Khetan and Rajendra Lakhotia.


The evening began promptly with a viewing of trailers and excerpts from the movie "The Fountainhead". Animated discussions followed on issues ranging from the casting of the film to whether it captured the spirit of the novel well or not.


Next, each of the participants shared their favorite quote from the novel and expanded on why they liked it. More than a few chose the famous line "But I don’t think of you." that is delivered by Roark in response to Toohey's question. Others remembered the exchange between Keating and Roark when Roark admonishes "Never ask people. Not about your work."; or the section when Roark feels the emotion of pity upon seeing Keating's pathetic attempts at painting - his true, but long-suppressed, passion. Some favored the exchanges between Roark and Wynand or Roark and Dominique, but in every case it was fascinating to learn how a few words in a novel had such a life-changing impact on the individuals who read them!


Atul started another, even more interesting round of discussion by asking the question if any of those present had any fundamental disagreement with Ayn Rand's world view. There were some who felt aggrieved by her view of India and Indian dance, while others were unhappy with her depiction of the mother-son relationship in her novels; some were still grappling with applying her ideas in real life, but nothing was shared that was of significance in a fundamental sense. Atul, himself, was miffed by Ayn rand's attitude towards women as evidenced by Ayn Rand's views on a woman as the president of the United States! The debate was often heated and lively, but amicable throughout. 


Rajendra had carried a DVD of Michael Paxton's Oscar-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense Of Life", but we found that we were way past the curfew hour and agreed to schedule a viewing for the next meeting, which is due on 19th March, Friday.

Atlas Meet in Delhi - "The Fountainhead" Special

The next monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi will take place on Friday, 19 February, 2010. This time (on the suggestion of Mayank Sharma, a new participant), the Meet will focus on discussions of Ayn Rand's exhilarating novel - "The Fountainhead".

'The Fountainhead' probably has a special place for most fans of Ayn Rand's works. On this blog, more than two-thirds of the respondents list it as the first book of Miss Rand's that they read in answer to "Tell us about your journey: Share your experience...". Nobody can remain unmoved after reading this epic drama of the individual vs. the collective!

It is always a great joy to revisit the wonderful world of Ayn Rand, to soak in the spirit of her characters and see the world as it ought to be. We'll begin by watching short video excerpts from the movie version of The Fountainhead, including Roark's speech in defense of his dynamiting Courtland.

To make the evening more enjoyable for everyone, participants are encouraged to choose their favorite characters from the novel (from both the heroes and villians) and come with a quote from each character. We can then talk about how events in the novel relate to our own lives today and to the world around us.

Date

19th February 2010

Time

5.30 pm - 7.45 pm

The Agenda

Session I (Savor and Study)

5.30 pm - 6.45 pm: Watch trailer of "The Fountainhead", followed by a video excerpt of Roark's speech from the movie. Share favorite characters and quotes. Discuss relevance to our lives and the world today.

6.45 pm - 7.15 pm: Tea and snacks break.

[Those interested in coming in only for one session, could arrive or depart during this time.]

Session II (Spread and Sustain)

7.15 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussions on ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas amongst students -

i) continuation of discussions on ideas mooted in previous meetings (Organizing talks in schools through personal contacts).

ii) other ideas for promoting the same.

*New* : You can also participate in the discussions live over the internet via audio/video conferencing. All you need is a web-browser and audio capabilities on your computer. If you have a webcam, then you can see us and be seen as well. If you are interested, you must send an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in at least one day in advance to receive the link and instructions.

The Venue

inlingua International School of Languages,

N-12, first floor,

South Extension - Part I

It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. You may call Vikram on 9810028900 for directions. If you're planning to attend, it would be helpful if you let us know by leaving a comment below or by sending an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in .

A report on the Atlas Meet in Delhi on 15th January

The 6th Atlas Meet in Delhi took place on Friday, 15th January 2010 (let's call it "The Eve of January 16th"!). Barun Mitra, Vikram Bajaj, Arun Virmani and Rajendra Lakhotia attended the meet and also celebrated the 105th Birth Anniversary of Ayn Rand (which falls on 2nd February 2010).

It took a while for everyone to get assembled on a cold and somewhat foggy evening. The talk centered around the continuing financial crisis and chances of China's economy hitting a brick wall.

A little later we were joined by a new member at the meeting, Rajendra Lakhotia. It was the first time at the meet for Rajendra, who lives in Gangtok and has been an Ayn Rand fan since he first read her in 1968. For many of the early years, he corresponded with or visited Objectivists on visits to the USA. Back home, he would hand out Ayn Rand's novels to young people he knew and still does. While he has maintained his interest in Ayn Rand's works and philosophy for over four decades, the Atlas Meet was probably the first time he succeeded in connecting with other dedicated Objectivists in India!

After introductions, we began the meeting by viewing an excerpt from Michael Paxton's Oscar-nominated documentary "Ayn Rand: A Sense Of Life". We watched with fascination the glimpses of young Ayn with her two sisters, her early influences in literature and the impact of the Russian revolution on her life. (Her first conception of a hero, it turns out, came from a comic book character of a British officer in the jungles of 19th century India!)

With less time on hand, we decided to watch the remaining videos at subsequent meets and moved on to the highlight of the evening - cutting a cake (a rich chocolate truffle arranged by Barun) in honor of Ayn Rand's 105th Birth Anniversary!

Once the party was over, we concluded the meeting, even as we look forward eagerly to the next one.

Atlas Meet in Mumbai

Dear All,
We are reviving the Atlas Meet in Mumbai.

Date: 24th January 2010

Venue: A45, Vijay Kunj, Opp New Model English School, Vakola, Santacruz East, Mumbai.

Agenda: Right now open to suggestions.

Options are:
(a) Watching a video/interview, which will be followed by a discussion.
(b) Meeting of new people to discuss ideas of Ayn Rand in general.
(c) Any other suggestion you may have.

Please do drop in your comments/suggestions.

Thanks,
Kirti
ph# (0) 9820226297

Atlas Meet in Delhi - Celebrating Ayn Rand's 105th Birth Anniversary

The next monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi will take place on the coming Friday, that is on 15 January 2010. Since Ayn Rand's 105th birth anniversary is just round the corner on 5th February 2010, we'll also mark the occasion with a small celebration!

Date

15th January 2010

Time

5.30 pm - 7.45 pm

The Agenda

Session I (Savor and Study)

5.30 pm - 6.30 pm: Watch a trailer of the wonderful Oscar-nominated short film "Ayn Rand: A Sense of life", followed by a video of Ayn Rand's first television interview given in 1959. In this engaging interview, Ayn Rand capsulizes her philosophy for CBS's Mike Wallace. The discussion ranges from the nature of morality to the economic and historical distortions disseminated about the "robber barons." She also comments on her relationship with Frank O'Connor, provides some autobiographical information and gives her perspective on the future of America.

6.30 pm - 7 pm: Tea and snacks break. We'll cut a cake for Miss Rand!

[Those interested in coming in only for one session, could arrive or depart during this time.]

Session II (Spread and Sustain)

7 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussions on ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas amongst students -

i) continuation of discussions on ideas mooted in previous meetings (Organizing talks in schools through personal contacts).

ii) other ideas for promoting the same.

*New* : You can also participate in the discussions live over the internet via audio/video conferencing. All you need is a web-browser and audio capabilities on your computer. If you have a webcam, then you can see us and be seen as well. If you are interested, you must send an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in at least one day in advance to receive the link and instructions.

The Venue

inlingua International School of Languages,

N-12, first floor,

South Extension - Part I

It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. You may call Vikram on 9810028900 for directions. If you're planning to attend, it would be helpful if you let us know through the comments column below or by sending an email to vbajaj@aynrand.in .

Change in Schedule for the next Atlas Meet in Delhi

Please note, the monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi will not take place this Saturday owing to the Christmas and New Year holidays. Instead, the next meet will now take place in the new year on the third Friday of the month, that is on 15 January 2010. Please note the change in day and week and mark your diaries accordingly.

Date

15th January 2010

Time

5 pm - 7.45 pm

The Agenda

Session I

5 pm - 6 pm: Savor Ayn Rand's philosophy and study her ideas. Discussions shall take place on topics of interest to those present.

6.15 pm - 6.45 pm: Tea and snacks break. Those interested in coming in only for one session, could arrive or depart during this time.

Session II

6.45 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussions on ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas amongst students -

i) continuation of discussions on ideas mooted in previous meetings (Organizing talks in schools through personal contacts).

ii) other ideas for promoting the same.

The Venue

inlingua International School of Languages,

N-12, first floor,

South Extension - Part I

It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome.

A report on the 5th Atlas Meet - Delhi

The 5th Atlas Meet in Delhi took place on Saturday, 28th November. It was much like the previous one - a small, cosy gathering of familiar faces. In attendance were Poonam, Vikram and Arun.

The discussion touched upon topics from the last meeting, but the hot new issue was the Mumbai attacks of last year. The first anniversary of the attacks had just gone by two days before we met. All agreed that even after one year, the government had done nothing much to secure our borders or our cities, and another carnage was just as likely.

One point of view was that we should have become like a fortress by now, with a fenced border and heavily patrolled coastline. But the other view was that a country like ours is too vast a space to fortify. Therefore, the only effective response to such attacks is to go after the states that sponsor terror, and strike at the root of the problem.

That being said, it was agreed that India was presently in no economic or military state to do so - specially given the encirclement of it that China has accomplished through several client states. That leaves only Uncle Sam with the wherewithal to do something. But, given the developments of the past eight years, it lacks the will to do much.

Sadly, the conclusion reached was that there was no option for us in India but to sit tight, lick our wounds, try and grow strong, and wait for the equation to change over the next fifteen to twenty years.

As the group moved to the cafeteria, and to the ever-present tea and Samosas, the talk veered towards ways of sustaining the Atlas Meet initiative. A suggestion, put forward by Arun, was that we could look at shifting the Meets to the 3rd Friday of the month, as Saturdays (specially 4th Saturdays) were invariably a holiday and many do not want to make the journey into town when they have other family commitments.

On that note, the meeting was concluded.

The 3rd Monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi

The third monthly Atlas meet in Delhi is round the corner! As usual, it is scheduled for the fourth Saturday of the month - the 26th of September. It is rather bold of us to choose a date that coincides with a festival weekend, but we thought we'll stay with our original fourth Saturday decision (out of respect for our principle!), and hope that some of you can make it even amidst the festivities. Or perhaps, because of the festivities.

Here are the details about the 3rd Monthly Atlas Meet in Delhi:

Proposing a new structure

We have introduced some changes in our structure this time to offer participants more flexibility. If you've been regular with our updates, you would know that there are two parts to our meeting - 'savor & study' and 'spreading the initiative'. This time we will keep each part distinctly separate from the other and limit each to 1 hour and 15 minutes, with a long break in-between. The idea is to give the participants the freedom to attend only one or the other session, depending on their interests, and convenience. Of course, you are free to attend both if you're interested!

Also, this time we are planning to experiment with having two simultaneous discussions during the 'savor & study' session, so that we can accommodate a wider range of interests. Once again, you can choose the one that interests you more. Some of the issues that were suggested at the last Atlas Meet, are posted here.

Date

26th September 2009

Time

4.30 pm - 7.45 pm

The Agenda

4.30 pm - 6 pm: Savor Ayn Rand's philosophy and study her ideas. Two separate discussions are planned for this session. Details will be posted soon.

6 pm - 6.30 pm: Tea and snacks break. Those interested in coming in only for the second session, should arrive during this time.

6.30 pm - 7.45 pm: Discussion on ways to spread Ayn Rand's ideas amongst students.

The Venue

inlingua International School of Languages,

N-12, first floor,

South Ex - I

It is an open meeting - anyone interested in Ayn Rand's ideas is welcome. If you're planning to attend, please let us know either through the comments column below, or drop us a line at info[AT}aynrand.in.

Action Points From The Atlas Meet In Delhi, Aug. 2009

This is following on from the previous blog post…

The participants of the Delhi meeting brainstormed a list of possible ideas for the ‘savor and study’ part of future meet ups. Here is the list –

1. Applying objectivism to issues of current relevance
2. Viewing other installments of the John Galt Speech video series on youtube
3. Discussing the objectivist ethics of rational self-interest and how it applies to specific circumstances (‘walking the talk’, as Geetika put it).
4. Discussing and countering socialist and other ‘anti-objectivist’ perspectives pertaining to life, philosophy and socio-economic factors. Also, perhaps, discussing criticisms of Ayn Rand and objectivism.
5. Talking about Ayn Rand’s fiction.
6. Discussing the ideas in objectivism that we found it hard to accept.
7. Discussions about free-market economics.
8. Discussing and understanding aspects of objectivist philosophy.
9. Presenting and talking about excerpts and lines from Ayn Rand’s novels.
10. Optimism vs Pessimism in India.

This is as far as we could go. Although there are a lot more ideas that could have come up in this list, even this much could provide enough sustenance for several future meetings. After the brainstorming, Vikram made an excellent suggestion –in subsequent meetings, individuals should take the responsibility to present a topic and their thoughts on it briefly. After this, it will be thrown open for comments, opinions, questions and argument. While every meeting need not necessarily follow this pattern, it is a very good suggestion to take forward as a general practice.

Barun, with his irresistible initiative, has already volunteered to present and lead the conversation for the following three topics:

1) Relevance of Objectivism in India, and the reasons for optimism
2) Environmentalism: The assault on man - looking at climate change / conservation / consumption
3) Rationality vs scientific rationalism - universal value vs specific valuation.

Let’s hope there are others who are just as forthcoming!