Literature for ages, has ‘constructed’ crises and has also ‘concluded’ such crises ❤️

A Memorable One-Day National Seminar @ Sadakathullah Appa College, Tirunelveli

Wednesday, 20th August 2025

#Tirunelveli

Early in the morning, today, while still on board the Nellai Express, I got a call from Dr. Hanif, HoD of English, Sadakathullah Appa College, saying that, they were eagerly waiting at the station in Tirunelveli, to receive me. Felt so excited to meet with Dr. Hanif after many years. 

The Nellai Express came on time, and then we three – Dr. Hanif, Dr. Yunis and myself – we headed straight to the next coffee shop in town.

After checking into my lodging, we joined Dr. Pramod Nayar for breakfast at a happening restaurant in town.

We had such exciting discussions over breakfast, on the current state of affairs with regard to literary studies. 

We should make our literary studies more of skill-based, said Dr. Pramod. 

He added to say that, research scholars today are so superfocussed in just one domain, that if we ask them to teach some other topic, they are very hesitant. That’s one reason such students do not end up getting good teaching assignments.

‘You diversify or die’ – this slogan has become the order of the day especially with regard to literary studies, he quipped.

We then discussed on his NPTEL engagements with IITM, and the various assignments he has taken up in recent days.

After breakfast, we then proceeded to meet the Principal and later headed to the Conference venue.

Dr. Prabhakar in his inaugural address elucidated on the semantic drift in the word ‘crisis’.

Firstly, quoting the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Dr. Prabakar said that the word originally meant, “the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever”. However today, the word connotes to mean, “a difficult or dangerous situation that requires serious attention.”

Secondly, he spoke about how as practitioners of literature we respond to a crisis.

Literature for ages, has ‘constructed’ crises and has also ‘concluded’ such crises.

‘We respond, negotiate, and try to resolve the crisis in our own ways through the medium of literature, creating memorable works of literature in the process.’

Moreover, literature orchestrates politics.  

Tamil Nadu is a very good example where political crisis is articulated by artists / poets / lyricists etc. Major political instabilities, crises have been orchestrated through literature. In a way, the poets were the original anthropologists or myth-makers. That way, the universe is made up of tales, not atoms.

Thirdly, as regards crisis of representation, Stuart Hall calls it the ‘crisis of signification’. A student then takes an ideological stance / position and defends it, he said.

Then, Dr. Pramod Nayar spoke on “The Mineralogical Picturesque and the Melancholic Sublime: Aestheticising Crisis in English Colonial Writing”.

Dinakaran Tamil Daily

He started by talking about aestheticization and adoption of aesthetic strategies to talk about frightening things in literature.

I prefer the word ‘catastrophe’ to ‘disaster’ because the word ‘disaster’ has a semi-divine association to it, while the word catastrophe points not to divine interventions but to the problems caused by human beings. [The word kata – down and strophe – turn, would signify to mean a dramatic downward turn].

For example: Deepsea mining today has led to tectonic shifts.

Just excerpts from Dr. Pramod’s Talk -

The ruins were a blank slate on which the whites wrote their interpretations.

Then developed the science of Geology, saying, Geology will come to the colonies. So it’s picturesque on the top, but what’s below? We need to analyse both the surface and the subsurface!

This interestingly coincides with the founding of the Geological Survey of India.

His talk was divided into three parts, highlighting the –

Firstly, on the conventional picturesque

Secondly, on the mineralogical picturesque

and Finally, on the catastrophic picturesque.

Dr. Pramod’s lecture was very highly engaging and contained a lot of very interesting insights with such valuable takeaways! 

Then, I spoke on ‘Trajectories in Climate Hermeneutics: Representations of Climate Crisis in Literature’.

Touching upon Merleau-Ponty, Gadamer and Ricouer, especially the latter’s take on hermeneutics of suspicion and hermeneutics of faith, I spoke on the need for an environmental epistemology, that’s propelled by a dialectical hermeneutics - that combines interpretive and critical perspectives, which would be a valuable framework for understanding and addressing the climate crisis.

This way, dialectical hermeneutics can help to uncover hidden assumptions, challenge dominant narratives, and foster a more nuanced understanding of the climate crisis and its potential solutions.

I was happy to release a lovely book by Dr. S. Khaleel Ahamed titled, English Phonetics and Pronunciation: A Handbook, during the inaugural ceremony this morning.

The book of abstracts, as part of the conference proceedings, was released by Dr. Pramod Nayar.

I was also glad to receive a lovely book titled, Ahayattukku Atutta Vitu, written by Mu. Mehta, and translated by Dr. R. David Raja Bose.

In the afternoon, I was so glad to pay a visit to St. John’s College, Palayamkottai, under the invitation of Dr. Benison, HoD, English, St. John’s. Felt overjoyed to see the impactful work done by Dr. Benison, (an illustrious alumnus of MCC) for the welfare of the student community. 

I addressed the students on the topic, ‘An Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism’. This wonderful book on the History of Tinnevelly, was presented to me by Dr. Benison. Eagerly waiting to read it. 😊

So happy that I could also meet with Prof. Jeba Kingsley, a vibrant Professor with St. John’s, and again, an illustrious alumnus of MCC, (Prof. Monsingh’s classmate) now with St. John’s for more than 15 years now, from the year 2010.

Hearty congratulations to dear Dr. Mohamed Hanif and his wonderful team on having organised such a grand National Conference in a highly successful manner. 

What's more... got the lovely news that our I MA student Fenula has bagged the Best Paper Presenter Award today. Congratulations Fenula. We are so proud of you.

On the whole, a rewarding day in every way.

[Waiting for the snaps from S. A College. Shall upload them shortly.]

A Rewarding One-Day National Seminar @ SRM University ❤️

A Rewarding One-Day National Seminar @ SRM University

19th August 2025

A Report

Today SRM University had hosted their National Seminar at their Main Campus.

I was so overjoyed to meet with a long-time friend from MCC, Dr. Duraiswamy - who is now the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, SRM University.

In fact, he had set aside time exclusively to talk with me, and that made it all the more memorable for me.

Dr. Arun played an excellent host. Hearty congratulations to Dr. Arun and his vibrant team, on organising this National Seminar in a very meticulous manner.

Was very happy to see lots of MCC-ians as participants. More than 25 students from SRM Ramapuram Campus had also turned up for the Seminar.

It was such a joy interacting with a host of professors and students after the Seminar.

The programme also saw the release of a few books authored by students of SRM. Hearty congratulations to you all.

My talk was on ‘Hate, Memory and Trauma: The Legacy of Historical Injustices in Literature.’ After the talk, Felt so happy to receive more than ten highly perceptive questions from among the participants.

On the whole, It was a rewarding day in every way.

"Naipaul was deeply interested in the histories that were forgotten or marginalized by colonial rule and sought to give them voice" 💜

‘I am the sum of my books’ | Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul

Musings on V. S. Naipaul

#onhisbirthdaytoday

V. S. Naipaul is a British novelist and travel writer of Indian and Trinidadian descent, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001.

Naipaul’s prose - much akin to Hemingway’s, - is known for its precision, clarity, brevity and economy. He always avoided flowery or decorative language in his writing. Hence once could see a direct, sharp, and often unsentimental style that marks his writing style.

PS: You may want to read more about Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory of Writing, on our past blogpost HERE.

Coming back –

Naipaul was deeply interested in the histories that were forgotten or marginalized by colonial rule and sought to give them voice.

The Nobel Prize committee, in awarding him the 2001 Literature Prize, took cognizance of this fact, and cited his “perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories.” 

One author Naipaul has publicly cited as an influence is Joseph Conrad, another British immigrant (from Poland) whose novels forced the British, and the world, to examine the disturbing implications of empire.

Critics have noted that the dark, brooding atmosphere, tropical settings, and alienated perspective in Naipaul’s prose resemble similar qualities in Conrad’s writing, including the latter’s most famous work of fiction, Heart of Darkness (1899).

As in that work, some of Naipaul’s European characters come emotionally undone as their pretensions are exposed in the alien African setting. A Bend in the River bears direct comparison with Heart of Darkness in the journey each work’s protagonist undertakes. However, some critics have interpreted Naipaul’s work as a defense of the colonial project rather than an indictment of its bitter consequences.

Moreover, Naipaul has contributed richly to the body of modern literature dealing with the theme of displacement, exile, and rootlessness, as dealt with by major authors such as James Joyce, Albert Camus, Ezra Pound, Vladimir Nabokov, Milan Kundera, and Conrad.

This theme is embodied in characters such as Salim in A Bend in the River, an Indian Muslim living in Africa who is treated like an outsider during his country’s political upheaval. It is also shown in the story ‘‘One out of Many’’ from In a Free State, in which an Indian servant finds himself in New York and realizes he is utterly lost regarding matters of money and law in the strange land.

In the late 1950s, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, once colonies of the British Empire, began the process of becoming an independent nation. In his first four novels, culminating in A House for Mr. Biswas (1961), Naipaul drew on his Trinidadian background and current events for subject matter.

A House for Mr. Biswas marks a turning point for Naipaul. Many critics regard A House for Mr. Biswas as Naipaul’s first masterpiece. In 1998, The Modern Library listed the work among the finest one hundred novels written in English.

Reader’s Guide to the Novel: A House for Mr. Biswas follows the life of Mr. Mohun Biswas, a protagonist inspired by Naipaul’s father, as he struggles to find his freedom and a house of his own.

The son of a poor labourer in Trinidad, Mr. Biswas is forced to live as a guest in one crowded, inhospitable house after another. After his father dies, his family moves in with his mother’s sister, Tara, and he is humiliated and beaten by Tara’s brother-in-law Bhandat.

Mr. Biswas vows, "I am going to get a job on my own. And I am going to get my own house too. I am finished with this" [p. 64].

He goes to work as a sign-painter for the Tulsi family, and there he begins a flirtation with Shama.

After his love letter is discovered by Mrs. Tulsi, Mr. Biswas is bullied into marrying Shama, thus beginning a long and unhappy marriage that produces four children, a constant struggle for money, and countless bitter quarrels. After a brief and failed attempt to run a dry goods store in The Chase, Mr. Biswas and his family return to live with the Tulsi family, a pattern that recurs thoughout the novel.

It is in Port of Spain that Mr. Biswas comes closest to happiness, working as a journalist for the tabloid Sentinel, writing outlandish stories, and achieving a degree of local fame. Here, too, his son Anand excels in school and shows signs of talent as a writer. 

But Mr. Biswas’s fortunes suffer several reversals, and it is not until the very end of his life that he is finally able to buy a house–only to find the experience much different than he had imagined.

A vivid portrait of a man who fights to free himself from the entanglements of family, custom, and religion, A House for Mr. Biswas is also an unforgettable look inside colonial society at the beginnings of great transition.

Professor Homi K Bhabha in a LiVE interview at 8.30 PM on 01 February 2021, gave his delightful thoughts on the wondrous Naipaul and his spell on him!

Says he -

Question: You’ve started your journey from Mumbai and then to London and then to Chicago. As a boy from Mumbai, what made you interested in Postcolonial theory and criticism?

Homi K Bhabha: I didn’t start off with the availability of a Postcolonial theory as we know it today, although it is a term that has many definitions and many takes on the definition.

It was not a term of art, criticism or school or theory.

I did my English literature from Elphinstone College [University of Mumbai] and then at Oxford. [M.A., M.Phil., and D.Phil. in English Literature from Christ Church, Oxford University]

When I did my dissertation, at Oxford, I decided to work on V S Naipaul. He was a controversial choice, because as you know, he is greatly admired by many writers, including me, but many people from the postcolonial world at that time found that he was not sympathetic to the postcolonial cause. They found him as a ‘19th century liberal’.

I found that problem very fascinating. I found the conflict or the tension between admiring a writer profoundly for his vision, insights and the richness of his perspectives, and yet having differences with that writer’s politics and his views on history and society.

When I started working on Naipaul, there was no postcolonial theory to appeal to, or to address or to help in my own work. The available theories that were actually quite useful were the Marxist and Structuralist theories at that time.

That’s how I got into this area, and then of course I discovered the work of Edward Said and Gayatri Spivak.

Now over to Derek Walcott’s take on V. S. Naipaul -

INTERVIEWER: How do you respond to V. S. Naipaul’s repeated assertion—borrowed from Trollope—that “nothing was created in the British West Indies”?

WALCOTT: Perhaps it should read that “Nothing was created by the British in the West Indies.” Maybe that’s the answer. The departure of the British required and still requires a great deal of endeavor, of repairing the psychological damage done by their laziness and by their indifference.

The desolation of poverty that exists in the Caribbean can be very depressing. The only way that one can look at it and draw anything of value from it is to have a fantastic depth of strength and belief, not in the past but in the immediate future.

And I think that whenever I come back here, however desolate and however despairing I see the conditions around me to be, I know that I have to draw on terrible reserves of conviction. To abandon that conviction is to betray your origins; it’s to feel superior to your family, to your past. And I’m not capable of that.

So truey that, ain’t it?

To conclude, then -

‘I am the sum of my books’, says Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul.

Indeed he is the sum total of the aura of ‘postcolonial critical thought’ in all its magnificent glory!

Suchmuch is Naipaul’s way and sway over the Postcolonial literary credo!

Image courtesy: trtworlddotcom

PS: You may also want to read on the legendary Homi K Bhabha’s interview, where he talks about why he chose to work on V. S. Naipaul for his PhD, on our past blogpost HERE.

MCC to Undertake Deer Census on 365-acre Campus 💚

MCC to Undertake Deer Census on 365-acre Campus

#newspaper

16th August 2025 | Times of India, Chennai Edition

Madras Christian College, one of the few campuses with a thriving wildlife population, is planning to undertake a deer census. According to the previous census conducted in 2022, it has 85 to 90 spotted deer on its 365 acre campus.

Due to the college’s various initiatives, the campus has witnessed the birth of many fawns in recent times, indicating an increase in its population.

The Wildlife Conservation Club and Scrub Society, the two clubs within the college, will jointly organise the census from the last week of Aug.

“We will divide the entire campus into 10 to 12 quadrants and conduct the census simultaneously. Student volunteers from both clubs will be involved in the census. It will be conducted once every two weeks for a year,” said Anita Pearline Esther, president of Scrub Society and a faculty member from the department of zoology, MCC.

The census is also expected to reveal more about the behaviour of the deer and the plants they favour, among other details.

“We are also planning to undertake a campaign among students through skits and street plays against domesticating the wild animals. Students offer the animals biscuits, among other edible items which are not healthy for them. This awareness will help us to protect them,” said S Saranya, vice-president of the Wildlife Conservation Club.

In collaboration with Blue Cross, the club also sterilized and vaccinated 41 dogs and two cats on the campus to reduce the threat to deer and other animals.

The club is exploring innovative strategies to avoid conflict between wildlife and domestic animals.

“We are exploring a data-driven landscaping project to map and separate natural territories for wild animals to reduce conflicts often triggered by the search for food,” said Paul Wilson, principal of the college and president of the Wildlife Conservation Club.

The campus also has peafowl, snakes, mongooses, porcupines, and hares. 

Cordially Inviting You... | One-Day National Seminar @ Sadakathullah Appa College, Tirunelveli ❤️

Sadakathullah Appa College (Autonomous)

Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

We Cordially Invite You to the

ONE-DAY NATIONAL SEMINAR

On

Representations of Crisis in Literature

Inaugural Address [9.30 am]

by

Dr. S. Prabahar

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University

The Mineralogical Picturesque and the Melancholic Sublime: Aestheticising Crisis in English Colonial Writing

by

Dr. Pramod K. Nayar

University of Hyderabad

Trajectories in Climate Hermeneutics: Representations of Climate Crisis in Literature

by

Dr. Samuel Rufus

Madras Christian College

Debris to Discourse: Narratology and the Language of Catastrophe

by

Dr. D. M. Amala

Sri Meenakshi Govt Arts College for Women, Madurai

Turbulent Narratives: Crises in Australian and Canadian Fiction

by

Dr. S. Saira Banu

Cordially Inviting You | A One-Day National Conference at Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, TN ❤️

SACRED HEART COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS)

TIRUPATTUR-635601, TAMIL NADU

UG DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH (SHIFT I)

Organizes

A ONE-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE

on

DIGITAL HUMANITIES AND LITERARY

STUDIES: INTERSECTIONS AND INNOVATIONS

DATE: 26th August 2025

TIME: 9:00 AM

VENUE: MOTHER THERESA HALL

“Digital Humanities and Literary Studies: Intersections and Innovations” seeks to explore the evolving landscape where technology meets literature. The Conference brings together scholars, educators, and researchers to discuss how digital tools are transforming the reading, teaching, and analysis of texts, opening new interdisciplinary pathways in literary studies.

ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS

UG & PG STUDENTS

RESEARCH SCHOLARS

FACULTY MEMBERS

REGISTRATION FEE

STUDENTS – ₹200 PER PARTICIPANT

RESEARCH SCHOLARS – ₹250

FACULTY MEMBERS – ₹300

PLUS ₹50 EXTRA FOR PAPER

PRESENTATION

(Mail your abstract on or before 22nd August 2025)

julianxericies@shctpt.edu

ON THE SPOT REGISTRATION

Ms. A. UME HABEEBA

8825536478

umehabeeba@shctpt.edu

CONTACT

Dr. D. JOY CHRISTINA

9788631155

joychristina@shctpt.edu 

Cordially Inviting You... ❤️

 

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES

SRM INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Kattankulathur, Chennai

Department of English

organises

A One-Day National Seminar on

Hate, Memory and Trauma: The Legacy of Historical Injustices in Literature

Date & Time Tuesday, 19th Aug 2025, 10 am IST

Location Seminar Hall, FSH Block II

Think Tank | The Staff-Student Study Circle | A Report

Think Tank:  Staff-Student Study Circle

Session Summary by Ms. Shannon Patricia

Topic: Therapeutic Strategies and interventions to support the mental, emotional and social well-being of students in the Tertiary Education Space.

The session began with an introduction by the event managers Ms. Aarthi and Ms. Venkata Vishnupriya.

Dr. Rufus delivered the welcome address as he introduced the topic for the day’s discussion.

The session began with a brief monologue on cultivating an essence of purpose in college life by Mr. Jim Isaac. He highlighted the importance of empathy and the essence of human touch in “showing up for someone when they need you”.

This was followed by a performance from the students of II MA English (Aided).

Ms. Jothika quickly pitched in to underline the essence of humaneness and purpose in life. She quoted Sartre when she said “Existence precedes essence”. She also suggested that it would be immensely helpful for the students if they are to be provided with a workshop to identify their purpose.

The ensuing part of the session witnessed a talk on Music as Therapy by Mr. Rudolph Godson and Mrs. Sandhra Godson. Mr. Godson enlightened us with the therapeutic essence of music. He voiced his passion “to rewire the brain with music therapy”.  “We try to treat people with music” he added.

He also helped us understand the essence of it by demonstrating the quintessence of a sliding whistle.

Meanwhile he also cited a recent article which discussed the role of Beethoven’s music in healing cancer cells.

Dr. Nirmal pitched in to pose a question as he asked whether it is limited to instruments and playlists. To which Mr. Godson responded with a plethora of examples of instruments which are used. 

Mrs. Sandhra highlighted the significance of xylophones in enhancing motor skills in children with special needs and also added on the therapeutic value of music women who are undergoing labour.

Furthermore the session witnessed a brief nugget of thought from Ms. Sethu Parvathy (I MA Pub Admin) who underlined the factors of consistency and encouragement that boosted her journey as a blogger. “Starting something always gets you to heights” said she.

Ms. Safa Salsabeel (II MA English) added that many would often experience the urge to express themselves but the fear of being judged curtails them.

Ms. Harshini (III BA Pol Science) highlighted the significance of self-realisation which fuels the need to seek support. She also sided with the former as she highlighted the stigma surrounding counselling services. She advocated for an integrated approach where digital platforms are harmonised with offline resources. Anonymous google forms was a welcome suggestion in this regard. She also advocated for a mental health hour which promotes meditation and journaling while suggesting a webinar/ workshop on the same.

“The solution is accessible and evolving. Let’s normalise seeking it” she said. However, her views on the therapeutic nature of Video games stirred waves of opinion.

Ms. Kadambari (II BSc Maths) posed a serious question on the reliability of Artificial Intelligence. She urged us that we should be mindful of the limitations that it entails. “Mental health is very personal” she said. So volunteers can be preferred over AI. Human beings are social organisms and we need human intervention which brings us to the art of listening - the most coveted skill.

“Sharing is the first step to solve mental health problems” she added.

Ms. Ann Mariah also touched upon the fear of judgment. She insisted that people aren’t fully equipped to listen as she advocated for the skill to be necessarily acquired.

Mr. Jim Isaac (III BA Pol Science) advocated that confiding in a human creates a sense of companionship as they share a relatable experience. He also stressed that it is important to be there for someone.

Ms. Thejashree (II BSc Psychology) highlighted the need for crediting ‘mental issues’ as a problem as she went on to question the reliability of AI.

Mr. Al Thameez (II MA Pol Science) provided us with the ethical discrepancies in using AI as it can never take the place of counsellors.

Ms. Prisella (III BBA) advocated that resorting to seek support from AI can be related to that of a ‘sinking ship’.

Mr. Rishidh Prasanna (II BCom) focussed on the essence of video games as an art form. He insinuated that video games do offer exposure to society.

Mr. Godson was quick to advocate that relying on AI solely isn’t advisable. He also sided with the idea of an anonymous link to serve as a platform for people to express their thoughts.

Meanwhile Professor Sujitha pitched in with a movie suggestion which highlights the detrimental effects of over-reliance on AI.

Dr. Nirmal suggested a book which served to be relevant to the topic of discussion.

Dr. Nirmal began by citing the founder of ChatGPT as he went on to decode the phenomenon of stress. He added that Stress isn’t a bad thing. He said that it helps us to grow and focus on areas which require development. He advocated that peer networking is the best way to tackle stress.

Ms. Shreemathi introduced us to the avenue of Mental toughness training. She advocated for TED Talks which prove to be a valuable addition to the sources that aid in battling stress. She also highlighted the importance of acknowledging both the sides of the coin. Furthermore she pointed that one cannot simply restrict the limits of digital medium to AI.

Ms. Rajshri also highlighted the need to foster listening skills in people.

Ms. Thejashree pitched in to advise people to refrain from self-diagnosis and be mindful of the terms that are used to identify a state of mind.

The session then witnessed a series of performances.

Mr. Harish and Ms. Nivedhaa were the first ones to put their foot forward.

This was followed by an enthralling session from Dr. Meera Rajeev.

She managed to combine performance with perceptions as she elegantly demonstrated the quintessence of dance as an art form. She highlighted that life is beautiful and we must learn to enjoy it. Thereby empowering us not to delve too deep into the aspects of stress. She also presented that any art form fosters consistency and discipline in the practitioner. “Art is a sort of penance” said she.

This was followed by a performance from Ms. Ann Mariah and Ms. Terese Maria Broosily.

Prof. Sujitha presented us with the roots of Dance Movement Therapy as she advocated for a workshop on the same. “Not everyone is good in expressing themselves verbally so dance works for them” said she.

Mr. Koshy Varghese (III BA Economics) presented an overview of his ideation on ‘Consulting Club’.

He cited Sriram College, Delhi to have housed the best Consulting club in India. He proposed that the club fosters skills in the students which can serve as a pathway for them to secure a place in a company.

Ms. Eine Elizabeth George presented the necessity to think differently which should be combined with the willingness to challenge the norms. “Don’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth” said she. She also added that the key is the mindset. “Impact is not a destination but a journey” she said as she emphasised the significance of a transformative journey.

Finally, Ms. Ascentana enlightened us with her performance. She affirmed and appreciated the nature of music as a medium to express oneself.

The session concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Ms. Swarna Llekha.

Session Summary by Ms. Shannon Patricia