A new South Asia-focused forum, made possible by an endowment fund established by UC San Diego faculty member Mohan Trivedi, his wife Nayana and family, will be launched with an inaugural lecture at 5 p.m. April 17 at Great Hall. The Trivedi family’s Gulistan (meaning land of flowers) South Asia Endowment Fund will support the forum in perpetuity.   

The forum honors Ashis Nandy, the renowned Indian author, social theorist, political psychologist and social and cultural critic, and his wife Uma. Ashis Nandy is the author of dozens of books and articles on colonialism and the psychology of politics and culture. He has lectured at universities around the world and is the recipient of the Fukuoka Grand Prize that honors individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the fields of Asian studies, Asian art and Asian culture.  

The guest speaker at this year’s inaugural Ashis and Uma Nandy forum is T.M. Krishna, a highly acclaimed singer of Carnatic music, the South Indian classical music genre considered to be one of the oldest musical traditions in the world. Also a writer and activist, Krishna has performed all over the world and is the recipient of the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Award.  Admission to his lecture, "Dissent in Music: Past, Present, and Future,” is free and open to faculty, staff, students and members of the public.