December 5, 1983
The President today announced a special cultural exchange agreement between the United States and India for 1984 through 1986. The agreement, first discussed during the official visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, to the United States in July 1982, puts emphasis on the United States in India for 1984 and on India in the United States in 1985.
The President also announced that Mrs. Reagan will serve together with Mrs. Gandhi as Honorary Chairpersons for the respective National Committees organizing the program for the Festival of India in the United States in 1985.
Dillon Ripley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, will chair the U.S. National Committee, and the India National Committee will be chaired by Smt. Pupul Jayakar. The Indo-U.S. Subcommission on Education and Culture will assist in the programing for the Festival.
From the spring of 1985 until the spring of 1986, the Festival of India will offer a comprehensive view of the highlights of social and cultural life in India from ancient times to the present day. It will depict the variety, character, and quality of modern India by presenting the continuity of traditional skills in folk and classical arts simultaneously with India's industrial and technological advances.
The Festival will consist of a series of exhibitions and programs of music, dance, drama, and films, as well as seminars, workshops, and lectures on various aspects of Indian literature, arts, and social sciences. Major U.S. art institutions will participate in the Festival.