From Sakuntala to Software: Changing Visions of India in Germany

A One-Day Symposium in Frankfurt

Projected date: May 2016

Organiser: Indisches Kulturinstitut, supported by the Consulate General of India,
Frankfurt

Today, political, trade, and cultural relations between Germany and India are poised
at a point of promise, with the recent signing of several bilateral agreements between the
respective Merkel and Modi-led governments, in areas ranging through pharmaceuticals,
transport, tourism, renewable energy and so forth. However, the back-story to this position of
mutual co-operation adopted by both countries is far longer and more complex, some
elements of which this symposium attempts to capture some elements through open, public
discussion.

Willst du die Blüthe des frühen, die Früchte des späteren Jahres,
Willst du, was reizt und entzückt, willst du was sättigt und nährt,
Willst du den Himmel, die Erde, mit Einem Namen begreifen;
Nenn’ ich, Sakuntala, Dich, und so ist Alles gesagt.

J.W. von Goethe

Going backwards in history, in the late 18th and 19th centuries literary and cultural
icon Goethe happened to be only one of the many German poets and thinkers who were
enraptured by Kalidasa's drama and other glories of ancient Indian civilisation. These
intellectuals became some of the first people to highlight the richness of Sanskrit texts of
philosophy, religion, ethics, literature, and philology. Not surprisingly, the branches of the
Goethe-Institut in India are named “Max Mueller Bhavan” in homage to the well-known
German Indologist. With the rise, influence, and abiding legacy of European imperialism,
however, India, although never formally a German colony, became enveloped in a jumble of
contradictory images. Those enticed by the exotic charm of a land awash with spiritual
insight were often jolted by the realities of Third World poverty and backwardness, lending
force to images that continue to haunt the public imagination through trusted media sources
such as ZDF documentaries.

From the turn of the millennium onwards, however, a new reality about India has
come to the fore in the German economy, with the mass influx of skilled professionals in the
fields of IT, finance, banking and university research. This community's presence in
Frankfurt and elsewhere has, to some extent, dislodged stereotypical views about India as a
land mired in timelessness and tradition, patterned by Bollywood-style festive extravaganzas
and miracle-wielding holy men.

This symposium aims at engaging the wider public in a balanced and independent
assessment of the significance of such developments, and their likely influence upon future
perceptions of India in Germany. Together with a series of talks by experts from diverse
walks of life, including journalism, public policy, IT, economics, new media and
performance arts, the event will be punctuated by live performances of classical Indian
dances and music, as well as a selection of mouth-watering snacks.

Concept: Pooja Tillu and Malini Roy

Text: Malini Roy (roym26@gmail.com)