SHORT TAKES
Notes of harmony
Randeep Wadehra

Perspectives on music
by Ashok Da. Ranade. Promilla & Co. /Bibliophile South Asia, N. Delhi. Pages: 370. Rs 750.

E.M. Forster had once remarked that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was the most sublime noise to have ever penetrated the ears of man. Of course, one man’s music can be another’s noise. But, seriously, what is music? There is no cut and dried definition but, generally speaking, it may be defined as "the art of expression in sound, in melody, and harmony, including both composition and execution" (Chambers Dictionary).

Ranade’s book provides us an India-specific perspective on music. Indian music is a confluence of various cultures and sub-cultures, both indigenous and alien, which interacted with each other at different points of time at various socio-cultural planes. So, if one notices the influence of Greek, Arab, Iranian and other cultures on Indian music forms, traditions and instruments then it could be attributed to the process described in the book as ‘cumulative cultural accretion’.

What makes this book eminently readable is the fact that its scope is not limited to the traditional divisions of classical music, viz., Hindustani and Carnatic. It takes a serious note of all forms of music like the primitive, folk, religious, art, popular and confluence. Thus we get to know of certain hitherto neglected aspects of various forms of music, their geneses, evolution and present status. The chapter on confluence music is very revealing, especially the comparison with fusion music. This book doesn’t just upgrade your knowledge on the subject but enriches your mind too.

Handbook for Public Information Officers

by R.S. Tolia. Natraj, Dehra Dun. Pages: 256. Rs 250.

The Right to Information Act, 2005, provides for "setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the constitution of a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto."

Such good intentions do not fructify merely through pious platitudes. An entire new administrative mechanism needs to be set up, which should be responsive and efficient. Only then will the citizens benefit. Consequently, the role of the Public Information Officer becomes crucial. It is imperative that he should be well trained and informed in order to discharge his duties competently. The author is an experienced bureaucrat associated with Uttarakhand since the birth of the state; he has served there in various capacities, including as Chief Secretary and Chief Information Commissioner. Tolia’s handbook provides comprehensive information on the provisions and procedures that should be of immense use to PIOs.

Panjab and the Lion of Panjab

by Prof. Dr. Harnam Singh Shan. Panjab University, Chandigarh. Pages: 155. Rs 300

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1830) was the founder of Sikh empire in Punjab. Having succeeded to the leadership of a small Sikh confederacy, he occupied Lahore in 1799 and was anointed a ‘Maharaja’ although he never adorned himself with the regalia consonant with the title.

Later on, he turned his attention eastwards and tried to conquer the Phulkian rajas across the Sutlej. However, the rising British power came in his way. His kingdom extended from the Khyber Pass to the Himalayas, and to the Sindhu River in the south. There are any number of legends dwelling on his simplicity, generosity and sagacity. However, this book has very little text in English, barring in the form of translation in patches, and would be of interest to those who know the Gurmukhi script.

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