Confy @ MS University, Udaipur

Planetary Futures and the Global South

 IASA Bienniel Conference

Mohanlal Sukhadia University,Udaipur

16-18 January 2018

 In association with:

DAAD-Global South Network, University of Tuebingen

JNU-UPE-II Project “Asian Crossroads: Indic Neighbourhoods, Global Connections,”

Project on Science and Spirituality, JNU

Samvad India Foundation, New Delhi

 India has been called the “cross-roads” of the entire region of the Indian ocean oecumene, literally on the “road to everywhere.”[1] For almost every important intellectual, political, and cultural current from East to the West and from West to the East, India became the point of transition, mediation, or even fruition. This is as true of the evolution of British colonialism in Asia and Australia as it is of prior times. The question, however, is how these connections might play out in the future, but also in terms of how futures are to be imagined, designed, and executed from hereon. It is this exciting discursive terrain of future studies that this conference fouces on, with special referene to India, Australia, and the Global South.

The aim of this conference is to study some of these cross currents of Global Futures, to document available knowledge about them, explore alternative futures for Indic-Australian inter-relationships,and to create new paradigms for understanding theglobalisation of both India and Australia in this light. Our main objective, then, would be to try to explore Indic-Australian connections from colonialism to global futures and begin to explore the range of ideas and processes implicit to these processes. With this view we plan to engage with the history, politics, and cultural formations of cross-connections between India, Australia, and the Global South, including Africa and Latin America, giving primacy to oceanic and cross-continentalintellectual and cultural traffic. In addition, the conference will focus on issues such as traditional knowledge systems, spiritual and sacred practices, Indo-Australasiannationalisms, transfers of science, technology, and culture, and relations in social practices, arts, and media in the region, especially as they impact our thinking on Global Futures.

Confy @ JNU

“India and Ireland: Colonialism, Nationalism And Modernity”

an international conference organized by

Centre for English Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

with support from the Irish Embassy, New Delhi

Partners: UGC Special Assistance Programme,

India Habitat Centre, Sahitya Akademi,

Samvad India Foundation

7 - 10 January, 2007

THEME NOTE

In colonized countries, internationalist perspectives of “brotherhood” and “commonality of circumstance” were a regular practice. In nineteenth- and early twentieth-century discourses of nationalism, cross-cultural identifications of sodalities of the oppressed gave the particular challenges of a nationalist movement a global significance, and sometimes, an ethical basis.

As we know, such compacts and identifications across the globe allowed native intellectuals to challenge the rhetoric of humanism and liberalism which glossed colonial speech. Yet present-day theoreticians of culture and revisionist historians have shown a wariness towards un-critical parallelisms of ex-colonial countries. Such intellectual angles have questioned the frameworks which easily navigate between settler communities like Ireland and non-settler colonies like India.

However, “India and Ireland” as a framework of cultural, political, social and historical enquiry gives rise to challenging questions which further portrays the multidimensional nature of colonialist discourse, the diverse landscapes of nationalist imaginations, and the complex answers provided by native intellectuality in the face of growing modernity. Indeed, read contrapuntally, the problems of cross-colonial identifications which have been highlighted in recent criticism may only be the first step in recognizing the alternative codes of similarity which guides the Indian and the Irish postcolonial and modern subject today.

Rich in intercultural allusions, Irish and Indian discourses of identity intricately weave the Celtic and the Oriental, the European and the Eastern, sometimes seeking affiliation in precolonial and ancient history. The present conference seeks to navigate these and other areas of Indo-Irish dialogue.

Confy @ Osmania University, Hyderabad

Three-day International Conference on Commonwealth Literature

8-10 February 2018

Osmania University, Hyderabad

Concept Note

“A room without books is like a body without soul.” (Cicero)

In today’s multicultural and multi-lingual society, the focus of literary studies has drastically changed. The focus has shifted to postcolonial theory, lesbian and homosexual writing, diaspora, ethnic studies and corporate fiction. In the last three decades, writers across the globe have enriched the literary scene by dealing with contemporary themes and issues. Some of these writers are Margaret Atwood, Peter Carey, David Malouf, J.M. Coetzee, Gunter Grass, Kazuo Ishiguro, Milan Kundera, Rohinton Mistry, Toni Morrison, Ben Okri, V.S. Naipaul, Michael Ondaatje, Zadie Smith and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Today Indian English literature has registered a remarkable growth and many of our writers like Anita Desai, Bharati Mukherjee, Amitav Ghosh, Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdie and Jhumpa Lahiri have achieved international recognition. As Indian writing in English has come of age, it is time to examine where it stands in terms of other literatures in the world, and what are the reasons of its popularity.

Comparative Approach

Some of the books published during last three decades have made indelible impact on us. We now are the citizens of the world and can no longer afford to neglect the excellence of other literatures in the world. Just as national literature is the reflection of the national history, so is the world literature a by-product of comparative literature. We are glocal—both local and global. While comparing Indian writers/ movements with overseas writers/ movements, we are mainly concerned with relationships, resemblances and differences. Such an approach will give wider dimensions to the realm of contemporary literature.

Humanities/ Social Sciences

The conference is both comparative and interdisciplinary in character. Literature is closely related to humanities and social sciences. Certain political and social movements have all-pervading influence on common people as also on literary milieu. A writer is essentially the conscience bearer and moral watchman of his people. The conference will therefore discuss, apart from literature, like Terrorism, Popular Culture, Human Rights, Feminism, in all spheres of knowledge. Papers are therefore invited from scholars in the disciplines of History, Political Science, Philosophy and Psychology, within the larger framework of the theme of the conference.

Call for Papers

•       Landmarks in Indian and World Literature 1990-2018

•       Globalism and Literature

•       Diversity, Multiculturalism

•       Local, Glocal and Global Identity

•       Feminism

•       Eco-Criticism

•       Diaspora literature

•       Minority literature

•       Subaltern Studies

•       Comparative literature

•       Special sessions on Canadian, Irish, African and Australian literatures

Highlights

•       Renowned Keynote Speakers and Resource Persons

•       Plenary Lectures

•       Panel Discussions

•       Release of the Journal

•       Readings by Creative Writers

•       Book Releases/Book-Exhibition

•       Conference Dinner

•       Cultural Evening

Creative Writing Session

A number of creative writers will participate in the session. Ms. Roswitha, German writer in India, will deliver a special lecture on her recent novel.

Publication

Select Papers presented at the Conference will be brought out as a volume of essays—an ISBN publication—or as a special issue of the U.G.C.-approved bi-annual journal The Commonwealth Review. However, articles of only the subscribers will be considered for inclusion.

The aim of this International Conference is to encourage academics, scholars and practitioners representing an exciting diversity of countries, cultures and languages to meet and exchange views in a forum encouraging respectful dialogue.

Objectives

The deliberations of the conference will be useful for sharpening the research tools and strategies by the teachers and research scholars. The conference will discuss multiculturalism focusing on the ideological issues of caste, gender, religion, and the social movements affecting the new literatures written in different languages and regions with a view to bringing out the multicultural diversity of the globe. It is hoped that the conference will enlighten the delegates and scholars about the nature of the new literatures, the ideological and cultural deep structures lying behind them, and the way the multiculturalism of the writers has questioned the established beliefs and systems to uphold humanism based on the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

The City of Hyderabad

Hyderabad, the Capital of Telangana, is a historical city—well-known for pearls. It is a seat of learning and has more than seven universities. A multicultural city, it is famous for grandeur and royalty. Places to visit include Char Minar, Salar Jung Museum, Fort and the Lake. Weather in November is pleasant. Accommodation will be provided in the OUCIP Guest House on twin-sharing basis.

Book Exhibition

There will be a Book Exhibition where members can display their publications. Members who wish to get their books released may send copies of the books preferably in advance.

What to send

A 200-word abstract should be submitted by 30 December 2017 along with the information in this order: a) author b) affiliation c) email address d) title of the abstract. Abstracts may be sent to: iscstudies@gmail.com

Acceptance

Acceptance will be sent by the Academic Committee, within three days from the receipt of the abstract. Submission of registration fee and travel bookings may follow.Certificate of Participation in the International Conference will be given to all registered delegates. Convener, Academic Committee: Professor Jagdish Batra, Jindal Global University. Sonepat.

Important Dates

Abstract Submission: 20 December 2017

Registration Fee: 10 January 2018

Registration Fee

Foreign delegates

USD 300, includes accommodation for 4-5 nights, hospitality and conference kit

India delegates

Rs. 3500 per person. It includes Conference fee, accommodation, Conference kit and hospitality.

Rs. 2500 per person, not needing accommodation. It includes Conference fee, Conference kit and hospitality.

Research scholars, not employed and below 30: Local Rs. 2000;

Outstation with accommodation Rs. 3000.

Spot registration will not be possible.

Late Fee after 10 January 2018: Rs. 300

Kindly note that we are not in a position to assist with the conference travel or subsistence. Participants are requested to approach their institutions for travel grant and conference fee.

For all queries, contact:

Secretary, ISCS: iscstudies@gmail.com

Dr. Suman Bala:balasum@gmail.com      Mobile: 0-9891097657

Bonding with Ruskin @ Chennai

"Bonding With Ruskin"

as a part of the Chettinad Sarvalokaa Festival!

A living legend's words laced with music & movement - we recreate the innocence of Ruskin Bond’s stories on stage through story-telling techniques and music.

Bring your family to Rani Seethai Hall on December 8, 2017 and enjoy!

About the play:

The Play which has a feast of colour and sound, looks to recreate the innocence and irreverence of Ruskin Bond’s stories on stage. As it is with most retellings of famous writers on stage, Ruskin Bond himself plays a pivotal character in most of his stories. The greatest attribute of the stories threaded together as a play you will see, is the range of his writing – in terms of plot, landscapes, characters and genre. From his love for the quiet hills of Deoli to the haunted mansions in Dehra.

From innocent tales of unrequited love to terrible stories of violence in marriage. We as an audience journey into each story through a train - and at each stop – a different tale awaits. The play attempts to weave together a variety of musical & storytelling techniques with the text of bond providing a completely different yet honest perspective of the writer’s best stories. Bring your entire family and relive the stories of a legendary writer!

About the festival: Chettinad Sarvalokaa Performing Arts Festival is honored to bring together artistes from across different forms of Performing Arts from the fields of theatre,music and dance. The festival consisting of 4 shows will happen across 3 weeks in December 2017 and will take place in Chettinad Rani Seethai Hall.

Directed By

Dushyanth Gunashekar

Venue

Chettinad Rani Seethai Hall

Date & Time

08 December 2017

Time: 7:30 PM

Confy @ Regional Institute of Education, Mysore