We Are Not Brands to be Optimised | The Beauty of the Unfinished Story ❤️

We Are Gloriously Unfinished Beings 

Why Our Truest Stories Defy Neat Endings

#newspaperinlearning

26th May 2026

I happened to read a very interesting article in today’s The Times of India by Santosh Desai titled, “What’s Your Story?”

I am quite surprised to note that this article has a lot of parallels with our blogpost yesterday, (HERE) on the Unbearable Soullessness of the BOThor.

A perfect companion piece? 😊

Both articles seem to lament the mechanisation and the loss of “soul” in modern storytelling.

To Desai, “storytelling” - particularly in business, branding, and social media (like LinkedIn) - has become a manipulative and manufactured tool rather than a genuine form of expression.

Brands need to tell their stories. Individuals’ lives must follow a storyline. Startups must create stories to tell prospective investors. Even ideas need to be dressed up as stories if they want to circulate.

Humans are hence increasingly mechanising their own lives and stories, and as a result, we are faking authenticity, he feels.

While yesterday’s blogpost critiqued AI for “creating” writing that is completely devoid of the lived experience, Desai warns us that humans are starting to write and live like emotionless, calculating machines! (optimising and tuning stories only for outcomes!)

So what then is the true purpose of stories?

Santosh Desai believes that a great story should ‘open up’ possibilities, acknowledge human complexity, and leave us slightly disturbed or ‘unfinished.’ It should be an organic exploration of reality.

I would like to reiterate on the phrase, ‘open up!’

Santosh Desai then highlights the difference between the two kinds of stories.

Says he -

There are two kinds of stories. Closed stories and open stories.

A closed story is designed to arrive at a point. It is created to make us feel a specific way. It begins with an intention and moves toward a resolution! There is no doubt about what the message is. Most contemporary storytelling sits here.

An open story works differently. It does not aim to land at a specific point. It makes us linger on and on. You do not come away with a settled conclusion but with a feeling of being disturbed, of having something get unsettled.

An open story is a worm in the mind, wriggling uncomfortably long after the story is over.

The difference is not just about endings. It is about who wields authority in the interaction.

In a closed story, authority sits with the teller who wields the narrative skillfully. The audience’s role is to ooh and aah at the right moments.

In an open story, authority is shared. The listener participates in making meaning.

Open stories are not easy to circulate. They prod rather than comfort.

Interestingly, most Indian epics tell open stories, which allow for interpretation, discussion and disagreement. Many actions described in these stories sit on a moral hinge, leaving room for debate for a society to question what its values really are.

A great story opens up possibilities. One travels elsewhere from where one returns differently. A great story moves us, not just in terms of emotion but in terms of perspective. We see the world through someone else’s heart, and we are just a bit different as a result.

Think of the story as a form of reorientation. Of something that allows us to acknowledge complexity by understanding it in human terms. It gives us a way of reaching for things without grasping them fully. It expands our sense of how things might be, without insisting that they are so. A great story allows us to stay unfinished by refusing completeness. At its best, a story is a rope tossed into the future.

At their core, then, the difference between an open and a closed story comes down to control versus collaboration.

In other words, it is the difference between a guided tour on a fixed track and being dropped into the wilderness with a compass.

A closed story is engineered for a specific outcome. The author acts as the supreme authority, carefully orchestrating the plot, characters, and emotions to ensure the reader arrives at a predetermined destination. There is a clear moral, the loose ends are tied in a neat bow, and the audience’s role is simply to consume the message.

To Santosh Desai, modern “personal branding” stories are entirely closed ones – “Buy my product” types, and hence leave no room for the reader to reach a different verdict.

Take for example, the story of the Hare and the Tortoise in Aesop’s Fables, which is a good example of closed stories. The story literally ends with a stated moral so the reader cannot possibly misinterpret the point.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol also, though a masterpiece, is a closed story. Scrooge is bad, he is shown the error of his ways, he becomes unequivocally good, and Tiny Tim lives, and the moral message is handed directly to the reader.

However, an open story mirrors the messiness of actual human existence. The author creates the world, sets the characters in motion, and then steps back, forcing the reader to participate in creating the meaning. They are ambiguous, often ending without a neat resolution, leaving the reader with lingering questions or moral friction.

An open story respects the intelligence and the “inner life” of the reader, allowing them to project their own lived experiences onto the narrative.

Take for example, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, wherein after spending the entire novel recounting a fantastical tale of surviving on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, the protagonist offers a second, bleakly realistic, and brutal version of the story. He then asks, “Which story do you prefer?” The author never confirms which is true – and the reader is forced to choose.

The same is the case with the Mahabharata – and most of the Indian epics which are fiercely open. The lines of dharma (duty/righteousness) are constantly blurred. Even the “righteous” Pandavas use deceit to win the war, and the aftermath is filled with sorrow rather than pure triumph. It forces the listener to constantly debate what is right and wrong.

AI Writing and corporate storytelling are examples of closed stories, simply because, machines and marketing algorithms are only capable of producing closed stories. They optimise for “engagement” and “clarity.”

Only a human, writing from a place of genuine, messy authenticity, has the courage to leave a story open.

Organically human!

I would love to end this post with a beautiful quote by Alice Munro –

A story is not like a road to follow... it’s more like a house. You go inside and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like!

So the takeaway? 

We are not brands to be optimised – but wonderfully messy, deeply complex humans, and our truest stories always remain gloriously unfinished!

That’s because we are a work-in-progress! 😊

You may want to read our past blogpost from nine years ago - dated 4th January 2017 - on how to Think in Stories! Yes, Think critically, deeply and sensitively in stories, HERE on our blog. 

The Unbearable Soullessness of the BOThor | & The Need for Coining New Words ❤️

The Rise of the BOThor & Our Sense of Us!

#newspaperinlearning

I happened to read a very insightful article in the Editorial page of The Times of India, Chennai Edition.

What makes this article super-interesting is the fact that, the writer seems to have coined a new word – BOThor!

BOThor is a portmanteau word of Bot + Author, and it so perfectly encapsulates the soulless, lifeless, and automated nature of AI writing.

By combining BOT (a word associated with mechanical, soulless automation) with AUTHOR (one that traditionally demands deep human insight and lived experience), the writer seeks to highlight the inherent contradiction in AI literature, thereby justifying the addition of a brand new word to the vast repertoire of the English language.

So what pray, necessitates the coinage of a new word?

Well, there are quite a lot of factors. Let us take up just three of them for the sake of this blogpost. 

Firstly, when an invention, innovation or a new concept emerges, a new word is usually coined to name it. Terms like internet, web, software, download, malware, or smartphone didn’t exist until the rise of technology demanded the coinage of these words.

Secondly, our reality is always in a state of flux. It keeps evolving constantly. And as human behaviour and social norms evolve, we need new vocabulary to describe these new dynamics. Words like texting, following, ghosting, mansplaining, or doomscrolling came up in the past decade, to capture these new, felt experiences and shared experiences.

Thirdly, when we realise that there isn’t an exact word for expressing a particular feeling or concept, then we tend to blend existing words together to fill the void. For example, hangry (hungry + angry) or podcast (iPod + broadcast), or brunch (breakfast + lunch).

In this context, on an aside, I quite remember one interesting incident that had happened way back in the year 2003, in my I BA English Literature class. We were discussing the need and the importance of coining new words. And quoting Orwell, I said that, we need hundreds of new words every passing day to reflect the nameless things happening in our minds, in all their aura. I had then gently exhorted my students to come up with new coinages, to describe these new experiences.

Those were the days when neither students nor professors had mobile phones on us, you see! 

So after some brainstorming, one particular student - Ivan Antony John surprised us all with a lovely word.

Sir, I’ve coined a word!

Great, Ivan. What’s the word?

It’s Soulistic, Sir.

Woww! So what does Soulistic mean?

It’s a portmanteau of soul + holistic, sir. It could mean a holistic response to something that we perceive through our senses, he said.

This google report says that the word became popular in 2010s. But Ivan had coined it way back in 2003. However, sadly, back then, in 2003, Ivan did not have the proper platforms to propagate and make popular his new coinage. Quite curiously, I looked up google to see if the word soulistic has been documented. And it says, that the word has become popular after 2010!

So what is Ivan doing now? 😊

He is now the CEO of a company, and just recently he shared with me the lovely news that he has been honoured at The Oberoi, Bengaluru, on being awarded the title of the city’s most influential business leaders! 

OMG! 😊Dear Ivan, we are proud of you!

Coming back, 

In fact, if we look up the synonyms for the word LOVE, we rarely find perfectly matched synonyms.

So I don’t have any other option but to use the same word for different states of emotional responses.

I LOVE my dog.

I LOVE chocolates.

I LOVE my country.

I LOVE my soulmate.

I LOVE English Literature.

I LOVE Shakespeare.

I LOVE Ilayaraja’s music.

I LOVE pizza.

I LOVE birding, etc.

I don’t seem to have a variety of equivalents or synonyms for the word LOVE, to suit it better to each of the contexts. 😊

That’s hence, George Orwell, in his 1940 essay titled, “New Words,” emphasises on the need for coining new words.

That is one reason why Orwell says that, language has miserably failed our inner lives.

He asks –

Is there anyone who has ever written so much as a love letter in which he felt that he had said exactly what he intended?

He further argues that when we try to communicate profound internal states, the clumsiness of our existing vocabulary forces us to “falsify” our true feelings. Hence, without an option, we tend to fall back on imprecise metaphors or cliched expressions that never quite match the vivid reality inside our heads.

And that’s why he asks academia to deliberately keep inventing new words to describe the “nameless things” happening in our minds.

Lovely, ain’t it? 😊

Nameless things happening in our minds, that are yet to get the right words to describe them all.

To conclude then, the English language is a living, breathing ecosystem, and we are at a great need to constantly coin new words - known as neologisms - simply because our old words can’t always carry the weight of our new, newer realities! 😊

So when do we coin a new word?

Simple! When we feel our old words are not capable of carrying the weight of our new, newer realities.

To sum it up then, the article foregrounds something very relevant to literary beings.

What happens when words are generated by a system with no body, heart or soul that hasn’t felt glory or despair?

That’s a hollowing of one of the deepest forms of human connection. Bot hors (that’s bot plus author, in case you asked) are very, very bad news for our sense of us,

says the writer.

And that’s why, beware of BOThors.

Furthermore, storytelling is quite inseparable from human consciousness. Let AI not render them apart!

Chennai Admission Trends 2026 | The Rise of AI and the Decline of Basic Sciences ❤️

Looking Beyond the Bounds of Tradition | How AI is Reshaping College Admissions in Chennai

#Future-ReadyStudent

25th May 2026

#newspaperinlearning

I happened to read an insightful article in today’s The Times of India, on the significant shift in student preferences at arts and science colleges in Chennai.

It is indeed very surprising to see how emerging technology courses are overshadowing traditional academic subjects this year, and specialised programmes like BSc Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Cyber Security are getting incredibly popular this year.

The article also points out a steady decline in admissions for the traditional science programmes - such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Botany – for which Colleges are struggling to fill their seats. Many colleges report having only filled 60% to 70% of their capacity for these subjects.

However, Commerce and Humanities subjects have shown a stable demand this year.

Commerce (BCom) remains the most preferred path overall, though there is a noticeable shift toward specialised versions like Corporate Secretaryship and Honours.

Additionally, humanities and social sciences like BA English Literature and BSc Psychology are also seeing high demand.

College principals across city colleges attribute this trend to students seeking more modern, job-oriented skills. In addition, the delay in engineering admissions and NEET (medical) counselling have caused many students to hold off on joining basic science courses.

The article highlights the fact that, today’s college applicants are highly in favour of specialised, future-ready degrees like AI and Data Science over conventional science programmes.

You may want to read the “Top Five” UG Programmes of 2025, HERE on our past blogpost.

The Joys of Reading & Writing | & Our Priceless Local Treasures! ❤️

A Date with Two Vibrant Young Writers ❤️

#reflections

A Passionate Diarist and the Youngest Author in India! ❤️

24th May 2026

Today, we had a lovely get-together - a lovely rendezvous that we had planned at such short notice but proved a rewarding one for all of us!

Indeed, it was such a joy to catch up over lunch with my cousins, nephews and nieces in a long time.

We also had with us our lovely cousin Mr. Raja Monsingh, who was once India’s Youngest Author way back in the year 2008.

I remember having invited him for a guest lecture to our students in MCC, on 24th January 2008.

So now flash-back to 24th January 2008 –

A nine-year old child prodigy had just published his first book and the Press was all agog interviewing him for days on end, about his book.

24 January 2008 - S -220 Class, MCC

And so it was, that I had invited him to one of my classes, to talk to our students on ‘Books and Writing’.

The little master came sharp on time, accompanied by his proud Mom, Dr. Shubha.

24th January 2008 - Students congratulating the Little Master Raja Monsingh

After Mr. Raja Monsingh’s engaging talk, the students had a rewarding time of interactions with him.

The questions poured forth in quick succession and Master Raja Monsingh tackled them with consummate ease.

When asked, who was his greatest inspiration, he promptly replied, “My Mother!”

But when one student asked him, how much percentage of his success he owed to his mom, he started thinking for quite a while, and calmly replied, “20 per cent”. 😊

When asked, what was his goal in life - when he grows up, - he casually remarked, “That we can think of when I grow up.”

You may want to read the full interview on our past blogpost on 24 January 2008 HERE on our blog. 

Fast-forward to ten years later in the year 2018 -

And the little master Raja Monsingh is now a grown-up gentleman. And what a great achievement he has done in less than 10 years from thence on!

Mr. Raja Monsingh, today!

He has started a foundation called Thaagam Foundation through which he feed hundreds of stray dogs, stray cattle, and destitute human beings, who live on the verge of poverty and deprivation. They have also partnered with a lot of voluntary organisations in the cause of the voiceless.

The Foundation - His Brainchild! 

I was so happy to see his Foundation’s brochure that says,

“Founded in 2018, Thaagam Foundation operates with unwavering commitment to 100% transparency. Our non-government organisation focuses on improving lives across three key areas: uplifting the underprivileged, promoting animal welfare, and preserving our environment. We provide comprehensive support to the homeless, bring joy to orphanages, rescue stray animals, and engage in environmental conservation…”

So happy to note that their Foundation has helped in desilting lots of dumpyard lakes in and around Chennai for the past many years now revitalising water storage in these catchment areas.

So proud of you Mr. Raja Monsingh.

Then I had an extensive time of interactions with my favourite niece Ms. Phia.

Our regular readers woulda been quite familiar with Phia, a voracious reader and writer, whom we had interviewed seven years ago, HERE on our blog.

Fast-forward to today -

Currently, Phia is pursuing her Law Degree in Chennai. Over lunch today, we discussed her current reading, her novel writing, her diary writing etc.

“So what are you reading these days, Phia?” I ask her.

“Rufus uncle, I am literally devouring Toni Morrison these days. I’ve been reading her novels one by one these past months, and I find her quite amazing!”

So which of her novels is your favourite, Phia?

Promptly comes the reply, The Bluest Eye, Rufus uncle.

Are you still into writing your diaries every day?

With a resounding ‘Yes’, she says, ‘Yes, I do, Rufus uncle. Ever since Dad gifted me a diary during my childhood days, I’ve been continuously indulging myself in writing my daily diary every day without fail”.

“Great! Do you see any palpable difference in your writing style today, when compared to your past style of writing, Phia?”

Phia's lovely collection of books at home! (2019)

“Well, Yes! Looking back, I’m also able to trace how I’ve evolved over the years in what I capture in my daily diary entries. Back then, the things I wrote sound a bit childish, especially when I read them today, and today I feel my writing today sounds a tad bit more responsible, and grounded in yet another mode of reality! And guess what? I’ve started writing essays, and hence temporarily I’ve put on hold my novel writing,”

says Phia.

“Phia - the books that you read – do you prefer reading the soft copies or hard copies of the book?” I ask her out of curiosity.

“Always the hard copy, Rufus uncle. Of course I order those books through Amazon or Flipkart and stack them neat amongst my little library collection,” she adds.

“So what happened to your love for Michelle Obama’s Becoming, that I saw you reading, seven years ago?”

Oh yes, Rufus uncle. I’ve even read her latest book titled, The Look, which was released last year. It’s a lovely illustrated memoir that explores her fashion evolution, the meaning of her clothing choices, and her personal style journey, and I’m eagerly waiting to read her upcoming book as well, says Phia.

After interacting with Monsingh and Phia, I turn to my sister Susan Paul and tell them proudly about how voracious a reader, their Susie Aunty has been, ever since her childhood days.

Dr. Susan Paul currently (an expert in the Japanese language) heads the Department of History at Stella Maris College, Chennai.

To the far left is Dr. Shubha, my maternal aunt, (Chithi) who had christened me - Rufus :-)

Then, my brother-in-law Mr. Vinodh, took us all upstairs to show us his vast library collection. He said it had taken him more than 10 lakh rupees to set up this library, and he has opened it up to a few of his friends to make use of these rare collections.

Felt so happy to be in the company of bibliophiles!

Indeed, a rewarding day in every way! 😊

PS: This second part of the blogpost is a lighthearted addition to whoever wants peacefulness and wholesomeness to their Sunday evening, especially for nature lovers or anyone who enjoys bird-watching! 😊

Well, yesterday, we had a rewarding time of fellowship in Mala aunty’s home in Ranipet, Vellore. I was so surprised to see birds of all hues, lining up in such large numbers to most of their houses in the vicinity.

Especially, it felt so heartwarming to see the return of the house sparrows, so beautifully taking their turns at the ledge for their share of the pie! And what started as a quiet munch for the bulbuls, soon turned into a bustling bird buffet of sorts.

I was so in awe of this noble gesture! You may want to watch the cute video on our vlog HERE. 

Let’s take some little time to share food and water with our feathered friends and our local animals - dogs and cows – that would be a beautiful reminder of the joys of dwelling in peaceful coexistence and interconnectedness with our neighbourhood’s unique local wildlife – our priceless local treasure!

The Discipline of Time | Celebrating the New Top Cop of Greater Chennai ❤️

Punctuality and the Clock | Leadership Lessons from Mr. Amalraj IPS

& A Few of My Lovely Students

#newspaperinlearning #rolemodels

23rd May 2026

I was so happy to read a news article in today’s The Times of India & The Hindu newspapers, Chennai Edition, on Mr. Amalraj IPS, taking charge as the Police Commissioner of Greater Chennai.

Yes! I felt so happy for him on his promotion to this prestigious office.

The reason?

I’ve had the blessed opportunity of witnessing first hand, his amazing sense of punctuality and discipline, during my tenure in the Deanery of Student Affairs.

On an aside, personally, I’ve got the greatest admiration for Mr. Amalraj, because of the fact that he is an accomplished writer as well. He has authored several successful books as an IPS Officer. An IPS officer doubling up as a writer is a lovely combo, ain’t it?

Coming back –

In June 2022, Mr. Amalraj had taken charge as the new Police Commissioner of Tambaram.

As part of the Deanery of Student Affairs, we had then wanted to organise a Road Safety Awareness Programme, in collaboration with the NSS Unit of our College. Our Principal had wanted me to invite him personally for the programme, and so we got an appointment from his Office to meet with him.

We were promptly informed that, he would like to meet us at 11.30 am in his (Commissioner’s) Office. We were there much ahead of time, waiting to meet, interact and invite him. Sharp at 11.30 am he asked his Private Secretary to invite us into his office. We had a short and rewarding time of interactions with him, and the gentleman promised us that he would be there in Campus on time.

As promised, he was there on time – in fact 20 minutes ahead of time – and then after the formal welcome and honour given by our Principal, he came to the event venue sharp at 10 am.

During his lecture at the event venue – the Chemistry Seminar Hall – he gave some very valuable advice for students.

Here goes Mr. Amalraj IPS -

When does rashness happen?

Rashness happens only when you’re late. So you should remember to start early. By habit you should make it a point to start a bit early.

In the police force, we have a saying –

‘To be a successful police officer be a bit early to office. Remain a bit late in office’.

Never rush.

We used to have periodic meetings in the Marina office. Some officers always come well in advance.

For them it’s become a habit. When the Chief Minister calls for a meeting, we’re there on time. Once you make it a daily routine, it becomes part of your habit.

80% of the work that we do, happens because of our habit: be it the dress we wear, the food we eat, or the friends with whom we talk, etc.

Similarly, the habit of being early a bit always helps in preventing accidents.

To catch a bus, be there a bit in advance. Tell this to your friends and relatives as well.

The beauty of life is not just winning. It’s about following rules.

Winning is always there. You will always win. Win depends on your opponent. If your opponent is a child, you win easily. At the same time, if your opponent is tougher than you, then it’s quite a task to win!

So what matters is, follow the rules and win. When you write an exam, no one is watching, still you follow the rules. That's integrity. Winning that way, gives you credibility and integrity.

So to sum up what I’ve said –

1. Follow rules always

2. Be a bit early by habit on a regular basis.

3. Lead by example. Be a perfectionist.

said Mr. Amalraj, IPS. You may want to read his entire talk on our blogpost HERE. 

Even as Mr. Amalraj IPS, takes on the prestigious mantle of Police Commissioner of Greater Chennai, his amazing sense of punctuality and discipline stand as living testaments to the fact that true leadership is not an accident; rather, it is the ultimate reward of a life governed by punctuality and discipline!

I am reminded of this timeless thought by eminent critic Scupin Richard –

Punctuality is not just about arriving on time; it is a profound expression of respect for your own commitments and the time of others.

Now, on a personal note –

I’ve always admired students who come to my classes ahead of time. Late comers? I really pity them and I feel so sad for them, and I so wish and pray that they come out of the chaos that has engulfed them! 😊

I would love to quote from a recent message I received from one of our best students – Fr. Jomon Joseph, (2022-24 Batch MA English) who has always been to my classes a record 10 - 15 minutes ahead of time.

You may want to read through our past blogposts on his name featuring in the Early to Class Club HERE.

Just two days ago, I heard the blessed news that he has been promoted as Vice Principal of a famous School in Kerala. So proud of you Fr. Jomon Joseph!

There’s a classic proverb that goes like this –

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men”.

A timeless reminder that punctuality, dedication, and true discipline will always open doors and bring elevation in life!

On that note, I take this opportunity to sincerely appreciate all my lovely students who have been consistently writing their blogs with such punctuality and discipline all through their holidays. I admire you guys. Keep it up!

I’m sure you will stand before kings!

What is the Use-Value of English Literature Today? 💜

The Academia – Society Connect!

How English Departments Can Stay Relevant!

#newspaperinlearning

This is in continuation of our past blogpost on “Preserving the Ecological Wisdom of Dying Languages”.

And the purpose of this blogpost is three-fold!

Firstly, for the backdrop! On how English Literature found its way into academia.

When English literature was first proposed as a formal academic discipline for the very first time in the 19th century, the proposal had to face a lot of resistance from elite Universities like Oxford and Cambridge.

Well, that’s because, the academic establishment was of the firm opinion that, reading books was a purely leisure-oriented activity, and hence it lacked the intellectual rigour and “use-value” of traditional subjects.

On the same vein, you may want to listen to a lecture by this blogger on “The Use-Value of Literature”, six years ago, in May 2020, at The Cochin College, Kochi, on their YouTube Channel HERE.

So yes! For centuries, the curriculum at Oxford and at Cambridge was dominated by Mathematics and the Classics (ancient Greek and Latin). These subjects were believed to possess immense “use-value”, because of the fact that, complex Latin syntax, Greek grammar, and ancient philosophy were seen as the ultimate training grounds for the minds of future clergymen, civil servants, and imperial administrators.

That’s hence, when compared to these ‘great’ subjects, reading poetry and fiction in English seemed comparatively easier, and hence they carried the ‘soft’ subject stigma, incapable of training the intellect.

Added, there was this notion amongst a large section of academia, that reading Shakespeare or Milton was simply something a gentleman did in his armchair for pleasure and entertainment purposes.

Also, literary appreciation – back then - was seen as a matter of personal taste, emotion, and sensibility, rather than hard, examinable facts.

However, as the 19th century progressed, the cultural landscape saw a radical shift of sorts. The societal authority of religion was slowly on the wane, and great Victorian thinkers like Matthew Arnold argued that literature could step in as the new moral glue to hold society together, providing the much-needed “use-value” that was denied to the subject hitherto.

That’s how, Oxford and Cambridge finally relented, and “accommodated” the study of English Literature in its curricula.

At the end of it all, then, English literature did not enter these elite universities for its artistic beauty! On the contrary, it was introduced because, in an era of social unrest, cultural crisis, and global empire, literature finally acquired the political and moral “use-value” that the academic establishment had originally asked for!

This takes us to the second core point of this blogpost!

Like unto the “use-value” crisis of the 19th century, English literature stares at an existential crisis today.

In an age of automation and distraction, there is an urgent need than ever before, to reposition English literature to the demands of society.

And this crisis today is quite similar in scope to the “use-value” crisis of the 19th century!

Earlier, spurred by the Industrial Revolution and yes - Jeremy Bentham’s concept of utilitarianism, academics had demanded that literature justify its existence in a world obsessed with quantifiable productivity. If a poem could not build a bridge, cure a disease, or generate wealth, what good was it?

Today, in the same vein, academics and industry demand that literature justify its existence in a world obsessed with quantifiable productivity and economic utility!

Earlier, in the 19th century, the machine threatened the physical labourer; today, artificial intelligence threatens the intellectual labourer.

Just visualise this situation where -

If an AI can give us an instant summary of Jane Eyre in less than three seconds, or generate an insightful and highly perceptive essay on Shakespeare’s use of the iambic pentameter, or write an inspiring sonnet, why-o-why should we spend hours struggling to read and analyse texts – especially when a machine can do that for us, instantly?

This takes us to the third and final point for this blogpost –

How to effectively capitalise on the “use-value” of English literature and make it relevant and functional to the needs and demands of society?

Firstly, a socially engaged academia is our most powerful vajrayudha to reposition English literature and attune itself to the needs and the requirements of society.

Secondly, reframe the value proposition. It’s high time the goals of the literature classroom change or in other words, evolve for the better!

And how-o-how do we do that?

Let’s stop summarising “themes” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in the literature classroom! Let’s leave it to AI which has already won the battle on this front! 

It’s time we stopped using those monotonous and bugging PowerPoints that supplement the work of the teacher in the literature classroom!

It’s time we stopped using the literature classroom as a one-way monologue, where the student is a mere passive receiver of content!

And yes! It’s time literature students stopped marketing themselves as people who simply read books by the dozen and pride themselves about it! I personally feel that, there’s no palpable use in merely reading books by the dozens and not acting upon them in the service of the greater common good!

It’s time literature classrooms stop giving those cliched assignments and dulling presentations in the classroom – mere paper tigers that don’t have any use-value for the literature student.

It’s high time literature students and professors start marketing ourselves as specialists in human behaviour!

Finally, it’s high time literature students step outside the bounds of the classroom and step into the community – the living laboratory!

This paradigm shift in the literature classroom – from the classroom to the community – the vital need of the hour, would – I’m sure make literature regain its use-value, and also make it relevant to the needs, demands and requirements of society, wherein our literature classrooms cease to be mere academic exercises, and instead evolve into living laboratories of cultural celebration and preservation!

I would like to end this post with an inspiring observation made by Spivak, at her insightful Plenary in Sibsagar College, Assam, on 12th October 2012, that I had the blessed privilege of being part of!

Here goes Spivak –

In the year 2000, when the University of Toronto was about to shut down its Comparative Literature program, I went to talk to the President and it got a lot of publicity on the internet also. I told him that it was “health care for a culture”.

You can never think of doing moral metrics by indulging in knowledge management techniques! The true aim of the Humanities is to train the soul! And yes! you've got to do it slow! Not fast!

And therein lies the phenomenal ‘use-value’ of English literature.

PS: You may want to read the full speech, transcribed by this blogger, on our past blogpost HERE.

Coming up next in our blogpost – Does “use-value” alone define the study of English literature?

Preserving the Ecological Wisdom of Dying Languages 💚

How to Halt a Phonocide!

Protecting the Linguistic Jewels of the Western Ghats

#newspaperinlearning

I was thrilled to read a feature article in today’s The Times of India, titled, “How to Solve a Phonocide”.

The article features a noble initiative by my good friend, Dr. Armstrong, Head, Dept of English, University of Madras, and his vibrant team for having launched the Indigenous and Endangered Languages Laboratory (IELLAB). Their mission is to document the songs, stories, and daily speech of these communities before they vanish forever. Yes, my kindred spirit Dr. Ganesh also features in the news article. 😊

When a language dies, it doesn’t just take its words with it - it takes away generations of ecological wisdom, cultural memory, and unique ways of understanding the world. Linguists call this “phonocide.”

This quiet crisis is currently threatening the indigenous hill tribes of Tamil Nadu. As younger generations migrate for school and work, they are adopting dominant regional languages, leaving their ancestral tongues to fade with their elders.

The project focuses on a “microcontinent” of linguistic diversity within the Western Ghats and Nilgiris, taking up five of the following languages for preservation - 

Toda, known as the linguistic jewel of the Nilgiris, is a critically endangered language that has a complex sound system with rare vowels and trills. Its vocabulary is deeply tied to the community’s traditional buffalo and dairy culture.

Kota, spoken by traditional artisans and blacksmiths, contains highly specialized vocabulary for metallurgy, pottery, and music. Instead of being written, its knowledge has historically been passed down entirely through songs and community rituals.

Irula, spoken by expert honey collectors and herbalists, is a living encyclopedia of the forest. It holds thousands of precise terms for medicinal plants, animal behavior, and ecosystems that aren't even documented in modern science yet.

Soliga, spoken by one of India’s oldest forest-dwelling communities, actually encodes the physical landscape into its grammar. It uses special linguistic markers to describe location and distance relative to the mountain slopes.

Badaga, has the largest speaker base (around 130,000 people), but it is highly vulnerable to language shift. The Badaga language is also famous for its vast oral epic tradition, capturing centuries of social and agricultural history on the Nilgiri plateau through proverbs and ballads.

Preserving these languages is a very important academic exercise. Indigenous languages carry vital, sustainable living practices and environmental knowledge that cannot be fully translated into English or Tamil. When we lose a language, we lose a distinct way of naming and understanding the natural world.

In this regard, the feature article serves as a reminder of the noble roles and responsibilities of academics – especially in the domain of English literature – to prevent this phonocide.

Just to add to the article’s insights, I would like to suggest David Crystal’s lovely book titled, Language Death. I would also like to quote from our previous blogpost on 25th September 2017, on how a ‘Banished Manipuri script stages a comeback,’ which was by all means, a ray of hope to linguaphiles all over, that can act as an additional cue and clue to preserve these dying languages.

You may want to read that highly relevant article that complements this article to a tee, on our past blogpost HERE.