Postcolonial Studies and Bollywood

 Postcolonial Theory and Bollywood Films

Lagaan: Lagaan (transl. Agricultural tax), released internationally as Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language epic musical sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, and produced by and starring Aamir Khan, along with debutant Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne in supporting roles. The film is set in 1893, during the late Victorian period of India's colonial British Raj. The story revolves around a small village in Central India, whose inhabitants, burdened by high taxes, and several years of drought, find themselves in an extraordinary situation as an arrogant British army officer challenges them to a game of cricket, as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The narrative spins around this situation as the villagers face the arduous task of learning a game that is alien to them and playing for a result that will change their village's destiny.

Reading resource on 'Lagaan'

1. Subaltern Studies, Bollywood and "Lagaan" 

Using 'Lagaan' as a case in point, this paper argues that popular Bollywood films with their appeal to the mass audience of uprooted peasants, factory workers, the unemployed, uneducated and poor can decolonise the imagination of the Indian masses. It points out that "Lagaan's" efforts at indigenisation and interrogation of prescribed discourses of modernity and history deserve credit for making possible the creation of public debates within a culture where the majority of the population is non-literate, and is unable to partake in elite discussions of culture and modernity.
Chandrima Chakraborty. “Subaltern Studies, Bollywood and ‘Lagaan.’” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 38, no. 19, 2003, pp. 1879–1884. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4413550. Accessed 2 July 2021. 

2. Reading cricket fiction in the times of Hindu nationalism and farmer suicides

This paper will critique postcolonial theory's attempt to read the cricket nationalism portrayed in the Oscar-nominated Bollywood film Lagaan as one that subverts the civilizing mission of British colonialism and also restores the agency of the subaltern classes. Instead, it will argue that this cricket nationalism replicates Indian bourgeois nationalism, which has no place for the subaltern in its imaginary. It will also argue that the postcolonial thesis of decolonization and indigenization of cricket supposedly achieved by Lagaan is marked by a culturalism that does not take into account structural factors such as capital, class and caste that dominate the institution of cricket in India. Finally, against postcolonial theory's tendency to read a text in isolation from the context, it will be contended that the cricket nationalism of the film can only be understood by locating it in relation to the present socio-historic conjuncture wherein forces of capital and nationalism are hegemonic.

Nissim Mannathukkaren (2007) Reading cricket fiction in the times of Hindu nationalism and farmer suicides: Fallacies of textual interpretation, The International Journal of the History of Sport, 24:9, 1200-1225, DOI: 10.1080/09523360701448349 

3. Post Colonialism And Political Resistance In Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India

Using the movie Lagaan as a case in point, the paper examines the post-colonial and political resistance in the 19th century. Lagaan is a Bollywood movie released in 2001 and is directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. The fictional story is set in a village in India and it explores the struggles faced by the citizens to earn their rights. Taking in account of the movie, the paper analyses the socio-political scenario of the country.

4.  INDIAN CINEMA: Then and Now - PARTHA CHATTERJEE

https://www.jstor.org/stable/41804040  

5. Subaltern Studies, Bollywood and "Lagaan" - Chandrima Chakraborty

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4413550  

6. Real and Imagined Audiences: "Lagaan" and the Hindi Film after the 1990s - Rachel Dwyer

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25758031

7. What's so Great about Lagaan? - Sudhanva Deshpande

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23005829

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4413550  

8. Leadership Lessons from Lagaan

 https://www.slideshare.net/mohitsingla/lessons-from-lagaan-16096178 

Watch film 'Lagaan'

Rang De Basanti:

Rang De Basanti (transl. Paint it saffron) is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language drama film written, produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and co-written by Rensil D'Silva.

The film follows a British film student traveling to India to document the story of five freedom fighters of the Indian revolutionary movement. She befriends and casts five young men in the film, which inspires them to fight against the corruption of their own government. It features an ensemble cast consisting of Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and British actress Alice Patten.

A major point of criticism the film faced was regarding the possibility of the Indian Army attacking students in a radio station. When Rakeysh was questioned about the same in a scriptwriter's conference conducted by the Film Writers Association in the year 2008, he said the following, "So, in 2005, in Allahabad, a bunch of 4 students took the TV station there, and they were shot dead. Everything I did, it was kind of borrowed, as I said right here. Obviously, what I am also learning is the way I tell a story is not real; you can term it as a-real. For maximum impact, for the message to go through, I felt—since the story was against the establishment—let the establishment do it. After all, the establishment did hang Bhagat Singh. After all, the establishment did come down on the innocent, innocent students in Mandal Commission. After all the establishment did come down on Tiananmen Square. After all the establishment did come down when the whole concept of Flower Power emerged in America. So it's all there. It's borrowed, maybe not as realistically, but it is definitely there in the society. During emergency, there are horror stories. If we have to go back to Kriplani and his movement in Bihar, the stories are absolutely horrific."

Reading resources on Rang De Basanti

1. Rang De Basanti - Consumption, Citizenship and the Public Sphere

The central objective of this thesis is to explore whether the consumption of RDB stimulated citizenship among young audiences and caused an expansion of the public sphere in India.

2. Bollywood as National(ist) Cinema - Violence, Patriotism and the National - Popular in Rang De Basanti

This essay sets out to explore the relationship between violence, patriotism and the national-popular within the medium of film by examining the Indian film-maker Rakeysh Mehra’s recent Bollywood hit, Rang de Basanti (Paint It Saffron, 2006). The film can be seen to form part of a body of work that constructs and represents violence as integral to the emergence of a national identity, or rather, its recuperation. Rang de Basanti is significant in contemporary Indian film production for the enormous resonance it had among South Asian middle-class youth, both in India and in the diaspora. It rewrites, or rather restages, Indian nationalist history not in the customary pacifist Gandhian vein, but in the mode of martyrdom and armed struggle. It represents a more ‘masculine’ version of the nationalist narrative for its contemporary audiences, by retelling the story of the Punjabi revolutionary Bhagat Singh as an Indian hero and as an example for today’s generation. This essay argues that its recuperation of a violent anti-colonial history is, in fact, integral to the middle-class ethos of the film, presenting the viewers with a bourgeois nationalism of immediate and timely appeal, coupled with an accessible (and politically acceptable) social activism. As the sociologist Ranjini Majumdar noted, ‘the film successfully fuels the middle-class fantasy of corruption being the only problem of the country’.

 Watch film 'Rang de Basanti'

Reading Resource:

Postcolonial theory in films - Oxford Bibliographies

Postcolonial theory has hardly been a defining paradigm in the field of film studies. Postcolonial theory originally emerged from comparative literature departments and film from film and media studies departments, and despite the many intersections postcolonial theory has not been explicitly foregrounded. However, there are more similarities and natural points of intersections between the two areas than it would at first appear. For example, both postcolonial theory and film studies emerged at the end of the 1970s with the development of semiotic theory and poststructuralist thought. Both areas engage intensively with the field of representation, implying the ways in which a language, be it cinematic or otherwise, manages to convey reality as “mediated” and “discursive,” and therefore influenced by power relations.

The Anti-Colonial Revolutionary in Contemporary Bollywood Cinema - Vidhu Aggarwal 

In her article "The Anti-Colonial Revolutionary in Contemporary Bollywood Cinema" Vidhu Aggarwal discusses several contemporary films including Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's Rang de Basanti with focus on the figure of the revolutionary hero. The Bollywood film is a cultural form that combines several aesthetic styles, from within India and from the outside. With its formal heterogeneity and as a product of one of India's largest cities, Mumbai Bollywood has had an ongoing fascination with "arrival," that is, with India's status as a contemporary nation-state. While some Bollywood films seem to celebrate fantasy scenarios of India's arrival on the global scene, at the same time they express anxiety about affective possibilities within a new Bollywood of higher production values and larger global reach, an India of mobile borders and attenuated historical context. Aggarwal examines the way the contemporaneity of Bollywood — both in terms of acting style and aesthetics — is negotiated through reenactments of the colonial period and compares Bollywood cinema with aspects of the British film Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle.

Artist Floating World

 An Artist of the Floating World - Kazuo Ishiguro

An Artist of the Floating World (1986) is a novel by Nobel Prize- winning British author Kazuo Ishiguro. It is set in post-World War II Japan and is narrated by Masuji Ono, an ageing painter, who looks back on his life and how he has lived it. He notices how his once great reputation has faltered since the war and how attitudes towards him and his paintings have changed. The chief conflict deals with Ono's need to accept responsibility for his past actions, rendered politically suspect in the context of post-War Japan. The novel ends with the narrator expressing good will for the young white-collar workers on the streets at lunchbreak. The novel also deals with the role of people in a rapidly changing political environment and with

the assumption and denial of guilt.

The novel is considered as both historical fiction and global literature

(Weltliteratur). It is considered historical fiction on account of its basis in a past that predates the author's own experiences, and it draws from historical facts. It is also considered global literature on account of its broad international market and its thematicization of how the world today is interconnected. (Source)

Reading Resources

Online Test - Check your understanding

Video Resources

Video 1: Form | An Artist

Video 2: Key Themes | An Artist

Video 3: Plot Summary | An Artist

Video 4: Cruel History of Japanese Imperial Militaristic Campaigns

Video 5: An Introduction to the Novel

Video 6: Characters & Narrative Strategies | An Artist

Video 7: Title of the Novel: Explained | An Artist

Video 8: Reading Important Passages | An Artist

Video 9: Themes | An Artist of the Floating World

Video 10: Great Art: Explained | Ukiyo-e

Video 11: About the Author | Kazuo Ishiguro | 

Video 12: Introductory Presentation by Students (2023)

Worksheets:

1. Worksheet on the Author Kazuo Ishiguro & Title of the novel 'An Artist of the Floating World'

2. Worksheet on Characters, Theme, Narrative & Importance Passages from the novel 'An Artist of the Floating World'

1984

 Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-four, also published as 1984, novel by English author George Orwell published in 1949 as a warning against totalitarianism. The chilling dystopia made a deep impression on readers, and his ideas entered mainstream culture in a way achieved by very few books. The book’s title and many of its concepts, such as Big Brother and the Thought Police, are instantly recognized and understood, often as bywords for modern social and political abuses.

Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-four as a warning after years of brooding on the twin menaces of Nazism and Stalinism. Its depiction of a state where daring to think differently is rewarded with torture, where people are monitored every second of the day, and where party propaganda trumps free speech and thought is a sobering reminder of the evils of unaccountable governments. Winston is the symbol of the values of civilized life, and his defeat is a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of such values in the midst of all-powerful states. (Source)

Genre Study:

Dystopian Literature & Orwellian

• Worksheet - 1: Understanding Dystopia and Orwellian

Movie Adaptations (Source)

• Worksheet - 2: Screening Film Adaptation of George Orwell's 1984

(1) 1984 (1956)

Director: Michael Anderson

Notable Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Jan Sterling, Michael Redgrave, Donald Pleasence

The first film adaptation of 1984 was a British production released in 1956, directed by Michael Anderson and starring Edmond O'Brien, Jan Sterling, Michael Redgrave, and Donald Pleasence. The 1956 film remained faithful to the themes and story of the novel, but made many changes to plot points and characters, combining, rearranging, and replacing elements of the novel in order to make a clearer storyline. Additionally, the characters of O’Brien and Goldstein are renamed O’Conner and Calidor. While well-received, this movie never became a hit.

(2) 1984 (1984)

Director: Michael Radford

Notable Cast: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton

The second film adaptation was released in the actual year 1984, directed by Michael Radford and starring John Hurt, Richard Burton, and Suzanna Hamilton.

This adaptation remained more faithful to the plot of the novel, although it 

diverged significantly in its ending. In the film, Winston’s confession is broadcast 

publicly after he is released from the Ministry of Love. While the film—like the 

novel—ends with Winston encountering an image of Big Brother, the film seems to

indicate that the image instills shame, regret, or grief in Winston, while the image in

the novel instills love for Big Brother. Like its predecessor, this adaptation was 

well-received, but not a major hit.

Online Test - Check your understanding of the novel

Video Resources

 

Crash Course - 1

   

Crash Course - 2

   

Newspeak

   

Video Summary

   

Summary of the novel

   

1984 - BBC-Why it still matters?

   

How to recognize a Dystopia?

   

What is Orwellian?

   

Introduction by Students

   

Orwellian Explained

  

God is Power | 1984 | George Orwell

Critique of Religion | 1984 | George Orwell

Great Gatsby

 The Great Gatsby - by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby, third novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. Set in Jazz Age New York, the novel tells the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Unsuccessful upon publication, the book is now considered a classic of American fiction and has often been called the Great American Novel. (Click here to read more)

Additional Reading Resources (Click to open)

Online Test

Video Resources

Introduction and Analysis of the novel 'The Great Gatsby':

Summary and Analysis of the novel 'The Great Gatsby'

Character Study - Nick Carraway, the Narrator

Understanding Jay Gatsby's character

Psychoanalytical Study of Jay Gatsby - Shame & Guilt

The study of the novel and the film adaptation - The Great Gatsby by Baz Luhrmann

The Great Gatsby | Novel and Film Adaptation from Dilip Barad

TVF's Aspirants Web Series

 TVF's Aspirants: Pre... Mains aur Life

1	"UPSC - Optional Me Kya Hai?"	Apoorv Singh Karki	Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish	7 April 2021
Abhilash entered the Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, to prepare for his UPSC CSE, which is famous for Coaching institutes of Civil service examinations. He is trying to change his optional subject but the things become difficult as it is his last attempt.

2	"Teacher Sahi Hona Chahiye"	Apoorv Singh Karki	Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish	14 April 2021
Abhilash became dissatisfied with his teacher in the institute eventually decided to leave his coaching institute as he is worried about his examination.

3	"Positive Approach Rakh Yaar"	Apoorv Singh Karki	Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish	21 April 2021
After being taunted regarding his negative approach, Abhilash went to study at the library, where Dhairya enters his life after which things turn positive. But, things turns out impotent.

4	"Plan B Kya Hai?"	Apoorv Singh Karki	Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish	28 April 2021
Finally, Abhilash realises that cracking UPSC is difficult, no matter how determined a candidate is. He also realises that he needs a backup plan.

5	"UPSC - Pre...Mains aur Life."	Apoorv Singh Karki	Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish	8 May 2021
IAS Abhilash Sharma struggles when the past meets the present. Things took turn when Sandeep Bhaiya, his mentor cum friend from the past, returns as a colleague and advise him as he used to do.

W.H. Auden Poems

 Poems: W. H. Auden [21 February 1907 - 29 September 1973]

Wystan Hugh Auden, known as W. H. Auden, was a prolific and influential poet of the 20th century. Born in 1907 in York, England, Auden's poetic career spanned over four decades, and his works covered a wide range of themes and subjects, from politics and war to love and spirituality. His poetic voice was distinctive, and his contributions to the field of literature were significant.

One of the key characteristics of Auden's poetry was his ability to blend traditional poetic forms with contemporary language and themes. He was able to take the classic poetic forms such as the sonnet or the ballad and infuse them with a modern sensibility, making them relevant to his time. This approach to poetry was particularly important during the mid-20th century when modernism was in full swing, and poets were experimenting with new forms and techniques.

Auden was also known for his ability to tackle complex and challenging themes in his poetry. For instance, in his poem "The Shield of Achilles," Auden presents a bleak and disturbing view of the world in the aftermath of World War II. The poem is a commentary on the horrors of war and the potential for violence that lurks within human nature. Similarly, in "September 1, 1939," Auden reflects on the political upheavals of the time and the need for hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

Another notable feature of Auden's poetry was his use of irony and wit. His poems often had a satirical or humorous edge that challenged the reader's assumptions and expectations. For example, in his poem "Miss Gee," Auden portrays the tragic life of a spinster in a small town, but does so with a touch of humor that undercuts the pathos of the situation.

Finally, Auden's poetry was marked by its spiritual and philosophical depth. He was deeply interested in questions of morality, ethics, and spirituality, and his poetry reflects this preoccupation. For example, in his long poem "For the Time Being," Auden explores the meaning of Christmas and the role of the divine in human affairs. He also wrote extensively on the nature of love, and the ways in which it can transform and enrich our lives.

W. H. Auden was a significant figure in the world of poetry, whose work continues to inspire and challenge readers today. His ability to blend traditional poetic forms with contemporary language and themes, his willingness to tackle complex and challenging subjects, his use of irony and wit, and his spiritual and philosophical depth all contributed to the enduring appeal of his poetry.

1. September 1, 1939

Original Poem

W.H. Auden's poem "September 1, 1939" is one of the most powerful and influential poems of the 20th century. Written in the aftermath of the outbreak of World War II, the poem reflects on the political turmoil of the time, the rise of totalitarianism, and the sense of despair and anxiety that many people felt as they faced an uncertain future.

The poem is set in a bar in New York City, where the poet is observing the reactions of the people around him to the events that are unfolding. The opening lines of the poem are particularly striking, as they describe the mood of the city in the aftermath of the news of the war:

"I sit in one of the dives

On Fifty-second Street

Uncertain and afraid

As the clever hopes expire

Of a low dishonest decade"

These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a meditation on the state of the world at the time. Auden reflects on the failure of human beings to live up to their ideals, the danger of nationalism and totalitarianism, and the need for hope in the face of adversity.
One of the most powerful aspects of the poem is its use of imagery. Auden uses vivid and evocative language to paint a picture of a world in crisis. He describes the "cracked tin tray" of the moon, the "thugs" who "can be heroes," and the "blind skyscrapers" that tower over the city.
Throughout the poem, Auden reflects on the idea of love and its role in the world. He writes that "we must love one another or die," and that love is the only way to overcome the forces of hatred and violence that threaten to destroy us. This idea is central to the poem, and it has resonated with readers for generations.
In the final stanza of the poem, Auden reflects on the role of poetry in times of crisis. He writes that "poetry makes nothing happen," but that it can provide comfort and solace to those who are struggling. He suggests that poetry can offer a way to transcend the limitations of the present moment, and to imagine a better future.
"September 1, 1939" is a powerful and moving poem that reflects on the political turmoil of the 20th century. Its vivid imagery, its powerful message of love and hope, and its reflection on the role of poetry in times of crisis have made it one of the most enduring works of literature of the past century.

2. In Memory of W. B. Yeats

Original Poem

W.H. Auden's poem "In Memory of W.B. Yeats" is a tribute to the great Irish poet who had recently passed away. Yeats was a major influence on Auden, and this poem is a reflection on his life and his work, as well as an exploration of the role of poetry in the modern world.
The poem is structured in four parts, each of which explores a different aspect of Yeats' life and work. The first part is a meditation on Yeats' poetry, and the ways in which it reflects the tensions and contradictions of his time. Auden writes that Yeats was able to "make us feel the tumultuous events he lived through" and that his poetry "mirrored the contradictions of his time."
The second part of the poem is a reflection on Yeats' personal life, and the ways in which his poetry was shaped by his experiences. Auden writes that Yeats was "no easy personality" and that his poetry was marked by a sense of "unresolved conflict." He suggests that Yeats' personal struggles were a key part of his creative process, and that his poetry was a way of working through those conflicts.
The third part of the poem is a tribute to Yeats' legacy, and the ways in which his poetry continues to resonate with readers today. Auden writes that Yeats was a "master of the artifice of eternity" and that his work continues to inspire and challenge readers to this day.
The final part of the poem is a reflection on the role of poetry in the modern world. Auden suggests that poetry has lost some of its power in the modern era, as we have become more cynical and skeptical of its ability to change the world. He writes that "poetry makes nothing happen," but that it can still provide comfort and solace to those who are struggling.
Overall, "In Memory of W.B. Yeats" is a powerful and moving tribute to one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Auden's exploration of Yeats' life and work, as well as his reflection on the role of poetry in the modern world, make this poem a timeless and enduring work of literature. It serves as a reminder of the power of poetry to inspire and transform us, and the importance of honoring those who have dedicated their lives to this craft.

3. Epitaph on a Tyrant

Original Poem

W.H. Auden's poem "Epitaph on a Tyrant" is a short but powerful reflection on the nature of dictatorship and the dangers of political power. The poem was written in the aftermath of World War II, a time when the world was still reeling from the atrocities committed by Hitler and other totalitarian leaders. The poem is a warning against the dangers of tyranny and a call to remember the lessons of the past.
The poem is structured as an epitaph, a memorial inscription that is typically written on a tombstone. In this case, the epitaph is written for a fictional tyrant, whose name is not given. The poem reflects on the characteristics of this tyrant, and the ways in which he abused his power.
The first stanza of the poem sets the tone, describing the tyrant as "Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after." This line is a clear indication that the tyrant is not simply a madman or a monster, but someone who was driven by a desire for control and order. The line also suggests that the tyrant's pursuit of perfection is what ultimately led to his downfall.
The second stanza of the poem describes the ways in which the tyrant maintained his power, through "fear and the fire of hate." This line is a reminder of the tactics used by many dictators to maintain their grip on power, through the use of propaganda, censorship, and violence.
The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most powerful, as it reflects on the legacy of the tyrant and the lessons that can be learned from his life. Auden writes that "He held on tight and rode out the storm," suggesting that the tyrant was able to survive for a time, despite the damage that he inflicted. However, the final lines of the poem serve as a warning, reminding us that "In the nightmare of the dark/All the dogs of Europe bark."
Overall, "Epitaph on a Tyrant" is a haunting and powerful poem that serves as a warning against the dangers of political power. The poem is a call to remember the lessons of the past and to remain vigilant against the forces of tyranny and oppression. Auden's use of language is simple yet effective, and his message is one that remains relevant and important to this day.

Worksheets:

1. Worksheet-1 - 1 Sept 1939

2. Worksheet-2 - Use ChatGPT to analyse Sept 1, 1939

3. Worksheet-3 - In Memory & Epitaph on Tyrant

Check your understanding - Appear in an online test

Introductory presentation by Students (2023)

WBYeats Poems

 Poems by W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)

1. The Second Coming

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Analysis of the poem - 'The Second Coming'

Reading 'The Second Coming' as Pandemic Poem

2. On Being Asked for a War Poem

I think it better that in times like these

A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth

We have no gift to set a statesman right;

He has had enough of meddling who can please

A young girl in the indolence of her youth,

Or an old man upon a winter’s night.

Analysis of the poem 'On Being Asked for a War Poem'

Check your understanding of these poems - click here to appear in an online test

Additional Reading resources:

1. About W B Yeats

2. Video recording of online class on 'The Second Coming'

3. Video Recording of Online Class on 'On Being Asked for a War Poem

Students Response | On Being Asked for a War Poem

Students Response | The Second Coming

Memorabilia 2021

 Memorabilia 2020-21

The Memorabilia 2021 prepared by the Students can be accessed here

Video Recording of the Online event: Annual Day 2021

From the Desk of the Head of Department of English

#covid19 #coronavirus #corona #pandemic

Our last year, the academic year 2020-21, was entangled in these hashtags. Today is no better. The pandemic has turned India into quagmire. Officially, India is recording highest number of covid infected cases in entire world, for last several days. People are struggling to get oxygen cylinders, ventilators, hospital beds. The hotels are converted into paid-covid centers. Several academic institutes have started temporary covid care units. We are amidst second wave of covid19 pandemic and Indians are the hardest hit in entire world.

It is but obvious that Corona Pandemic is a natural calamity. Though some conspiracy theories try to convince us that this virus is man-made in Wuhan Virus Laboratory in China and it is a sort of biological war started by China to economically destroy India and enemy countries, yet we do not have ample evidences to believe in such theories. What is important for us to believe in, rather than these conspiracy theories, is that how such natural calamities are aggravated by human error of judgement. How, we the humans, are responsible for the tragedies that happen in our societies and in our personal lives – is something very important to be learned from this pandemic.

We are aware of the fact that India lowered its guard against the pandemic in the month of March 2021. Officially, it celebrated the victory against Corona Virus. The leaders got busy with election rallies; the people got busy with religious congregations. There was widespread skepticism regarding vaccination among common-men. All these human errors of judgement are equally responsible for the tragic situation in which we, the Indians, are today. We come into such a dire situation because people in power deny to accept the advises of the experts. At times, they are taking decisions based on intuitions or astrology instead of scientific evidences. And then we all suffer!

However, it is not only the natural mutations of the virus and the errors of judgement by human agency that is responsible. It is our immunity or lack of it, also, to be made accountable. We have rich heritage of Yoga, Pranayama and Ayurveda. But when it comes to make it a part and parcel of everyday life, we are the laziest lots. These precautionary life-style is neglected, I would say, criminally neglected, and then, when the house is on fire, we think of digging the well. Then, when the milk is spilled, what’s the use of crying over it.

We are supposed to keep one law of nature at our fingertips: A single rotten mango can infect all the healthy mangoes, but all healthy mangoes can not remove the rot from a single infected mango.

The point is, we all have to be hale and hearty. Even if a single person in a society is not taking care of his/her health, s/he is a danger to all human beings. If s/he gets infected by virus, s/he is going to spread and infect all healthy immune system. All healthy immune systems are incapable to transmit good health to a sick human. A sick human is capable to transmit sickness to all healthy humans. Isn’t this the crude and bitter reality of nature!

The life lessons we learn from the zeitgeist of our times are useful in our normal times also:

1. 1)    When it comes to take decisions, which can affect innumerable lives and it may turn down to be the matter of life and death, believe in conclusions drawn out of logic and rationality. In short, do not take decisions based on intuition or irrational calculations.
2. 2)    Never celebrate small victories. What seems to have ended might be just a small battle. The war might still be going on and we may be unaware about it.
3. 3)    Always ask – ‘What next!’.
4. 4)    Always remember – ‘Readiness is all’. Remember, so many sports persons got infected with corona virus. The Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) has been postponed because of several cricketers got infected in the bio-bubble. So, even if you are keeping your immunity stronger with yoga, pranayama, Ayurveda or sports and outdoor games, be ready for the infection. So far as rotten mangoes are with us, we, the healthy mangoes, are prone to infection.
5. 5)    Every thing is just a mind game! Keep your mind engaged with some sort of activities. Only keeping body fit is not enough for immunity. The mind, too, shall be engaged with something creative, constructive and beautiful. Keep your mind busy with the work you love to do!
6. 6)    Learn to enjoy isolation! Practice individualism. It is not to say that do not be a part of community. Be ready to help the community but be self-reliant, Atmanirbhar! In short, do not give the remote control of your happiness or sorrow to others. Have a control over your remote control.
7. 7)    Remember, immunity is the key to happy life! Health is heaven, and illness is hell! No better than corona pandemic can teach this simple lesson so effectively.

Writing for this very well edited Memorabilia 2021, I am indeed glad to see that almost of all students are safe and healthy in this time of illness. Baring a few students, all others are hale and hearty. It was great to see that in the Webinar Presentation Season 4, all students made their presentation and no body gave an excuse on the grounds of illness. This is something rarely found even in normal days. It seems you in good health because you all are keeping yourself creatively and constructively engaged with your studies and other work. Keep doing so! Never keep your mind idle!

Finally, I would like to say that this was a very good batch (2019-21) of students. Most of you were very eager to know more, your eyes were hungry to learn more and more, your sincerity in your work was very genuine, your habit of doing a little bit more than expected was something very rarely found these days.

The prime objective of our Department is to (i) develop literary sensibility, (ii) generate interest in academic & research writing, (iii) make students critical thinkers, and (iii) hone digital skills among our students. In this batch, I am glad to say that, the number of students who displayed these achievements are in large number than those who didn’t. Many of you have set a higher benchmark for the batches to come.

This year was a year of learning and doing so many new things. It was the year of disruptions. After teaching for two and half decades, the teachers start getting safe in their cocoon. In our younger days, we break the cocoon to get ourselves beautiful wings to fly like butterfly. The metamorphosis from caterpillar – to – chrysalis - to – butterfly

gets somewhere stagnant. We start believing that we have metamorphosed into butterfly. The corona year, for me, was a realization that there were I got stagnant was a phase of ‘chrysalis’. The challenges of teaching and also learning lot many things in this corona year was something like ‘becoming a butterfly’. This year was full of trials and errors, in short, of learning a lot – to teach in online mode, hybrid mode – to make lightboard, to try various innovative practices in teaching – learning to live stream events – was like getting new wings to fly.

All that was done during this pandemic year – is documented here https://sites.google.com/view/webinar-eng-mkbu/home .

Best wishes to all the students to shine out in real life situations. Never let your guards down. Keep on honing new sills. Never think that you have already metamorphosed into butterfly. Always keep in mind that you may be still in your cocoon and keep on breaking the self-imposed limits. The tough times make us tougher. The bitter times make us better. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!