BALAJI RANGNATHAN GUEST LECTURE

 

Postcolonial literature 

We have virtual  guest lecture by  Prof.Balaji Ranganathan.sir on the Postcolonial studies where,  We have learnt so many essential and important things about Postcolonial literature by Prof.Balaji Ranganathan. He had done a very good studies in Comparative studies, Psychoanalytic studies etc.

 It  was organized by our Honorable head of  English department prof, Dilip Barad sir. corona pandemic has spared a lot all around so physical classes  or gatherings may not have been possible today's time but learning and teaching can run thought technology, following the Shakespearean  idea of  

" SHOW MUST GO ON" 

Day-1

- Black Skin, White Mask: Frantz Fanon (1952)

At the very beginning of the session or a lecture he throw some light on the different binaries between the colonialism and postcolonialism.  

where he talked  about colonialism and postcolonialism are itself is opposite things and it includes two main factors like he referred Ania Loomba's book 

"A settlement in a new country a body of people who set up in a new locality forming a community subject to 200 connected with their parent state the community is so formed consisting of the original settlers and their descendants and successors, as long as connection with the parent state it kept up"

-Ania loomba colonial and postcolonialism

Anya lumbers view about colonialism and postcolonialism.

colonialism is a physical occupation of territory and post colonialism deals with effect of colonisation on culture and societies. 

Imperialism: The Oxford dictionary defines imperial as pertinent to empire and imperialism as a rule and an emperor especially when despotic and arbitrary. This word is coined by British prime Minister Benjamin.

Imperialism: it is a set of norms and laws disconnected with colonialism.

Post-coloniality: it is a mental condition which uniform of discourses. 

Regarding this mention statement he added some historical contributors in his speech such as Edward said, Homi k Bhabha gaytri spiwak, Ranjit guava they were The scholars of colonial studies. They made a remarkable contribution in the concept of  

"HAVE OR HAVE NOT" 

"SUBALTERN STUDIES"

For a better understanding of this aspect he presents very relevant example of early 19 century book "Empire Right Back by Bill Ashcroft" which defines postcolonial subject form at the moment of post colonial studies come to in practicality , time with creating a binary which makes huge difference like,  

Pre-independence -Colonial  

Post-independence- Postcolonial 

New writings in colonial studies creates a change in sensibility in the world. It is has no clear demarcation of time  periods, but the change the sensibility towards post colonial studies is reflect economical state of particular country.  For putting premise towards periodization Ranganathan sir connect this with Indian reference of Gandhi and he said that Gandhi's "Hind Swaraj" or Indian home rule is the text of postcolonial time.

Post-coloniality has a very problem with making anything clear towards periodization as well as it also creating the question of how to to understand what is text?

 what is text?

 Ranganathan sir made a very clear cut idea about text ,which has a methodology to show trajectories towards clear conception. 

"The text which has certain origin or certain endings too"

So some post-colonial discourses are still effect today's time just because of its certainty  of conceptions. In this way Hind Swaraj put a very relevant patriotic argument which is still relevant in today's discourses, furthermore Salman Rushdie's midnight children has very secure state about periodization such as it has a pre independence face as well as post independence face too. 

In the same way Arvind adigas The white tiger it is completely based on globalization not on postcolonial studies. So in this way all text are postcolonial, note all text are gender based , but the very idea of text since  postcolonial to today speaks a lot.

Frantz Fanon: Psychoanalysis of concept of desire:

Frantz  fanon was French writer, who always wants to understand the "FUCTIONS OF DESIRE"  As per the colonial view desire is a  concept of  "STATE OF MIND" in terms of  "MENTAL CONDITION"    as a discourse it has a subjectivity , race and color in form of desire. 

In a general context such desires will not fulfil as much as we want always in a way some how it is near to IMPOSSIBLE, because desire is born within us in a biological form, which we have to accept and need to understand how desires are function. 

It would be a subject of colonialism and post-colonialism , with consideration of universal problem. its a human attributes of understanding relationship of color, gender, human etc.

NEW HUMANISM: 

 Ranganathan sir gave glimpse of concept of love and humanism , where literary meaning of  love and humanism is about unconditional , affection, soft feelings, mercy, humanity etc.

POST-COLONIAL MEANING OF LOVE AND HUMANITY:

 "IT IS TO DIVINE NOT TO DIVIDE "

" I am Toward a new humanism....
  Understanding, among men....
  Our colored brothers....
  Mankind, I believe in you...
  Race Prejudice....
  To understand and to love..."

So, the basic question is, What is means human? Human is not who has not capacity of thinking only but reason is that Dolphin and chimpanzees also has a self consciousness. Humans are endowed with material development, language and technology. And humanism is that larger inclusive philosophy; higher state of awareness and New Humanism is free from binaries.

 BLACK SKIN WHITE MASK 

Today, we just completed initial two chapters  In this work , named

1. The Negro & Language

2. The Woman of color & The White Man

As we know that and also Ranganathan sir mentions that " LANGUAGE COMMANDS HAS A VERY POWERFUL MOTIONS OF SUPERIORITY" The very idea of language is Sherly connected with the identity of individual to gender and caste as well. 

" IN HISTORY NIGRO WANTS TO SPEACK FRENCH "

PROBLEM OF DARK (REDISH COLOR): 

 You may discourage of society over language, during the post-colonial reading the very question of WHAT MAKES YOU COLORED?  stands strongly and the hypothesis is that  it would be the CULTURE, LANGUAGE, GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS, LEGACIES,RACES etc. 

Mystery of language helps to evaluate yourself about your jungle judgments or thinking, but sometimes the harsh cultural complexity creates a inferiority complex with one to another. some superior language has a very "MODERN IDEA OF BEING LESS-SAVAGE" language is a more civilized form of education will soon penetrate in culture we hope. 

 PSYCHO EXISTENCE OF BLACK AND WHITE IDEOLOGY: ( CHAP-2)

" What does a man\women want?

A question with full of subjectivity and sensitivity , we can study we can understand it personally that as well as with cultural connotations that inferiority take a place where the idea of racism is there... 

  "What does the black man\women want?"

Here, Ranganathan sir gave very good point of CASTE in post-colonial studies where caste is a discourse of marginality, completely sealed with inferiority, minority.

" The White Man is sealed in his whiteness.
  The black man in his blackness."

Race and gender is biological , true but prejudices are completely  made by social structures .caste is portages word as they are with red colored ( Latin Americans) White man are sealed with whiteness and Dark man sealed with darkness. this all are cultural social stigmas which post-colonial study might gone though it well. 

Portaguese IDEA OF CASTE: In early 18-19 century portages come up with the idea of caste , here Ranganathan sir added the many references of Hindu Varna system,

  

A Hindu caste system largely following such beliefs of varna and all, also include GUPTA periods RUGVEDA, etc. so the change of imaginary gods are constant formation of social structure just like racism. 

 DEPRESS CLASSES :   Depress classes are mainly poor lower people of society 

• COLONIAL, 
• SUBALTERNS,
• BOURGEOIS 

In this way the universal idea of humanism and equality says each and every person have same blood, same physical system to react and to survive, same mind to think and create everything good or bad ways. 

Binaries of color  consciousness : 

BLACK SKIN: May not have black heart 

WHITE SKIN : May not have white heart

ECONOMICAL IDEA OF PRIVILEGE: 

 Idea of black and white and  colonized country come up with economical idea of privileged to yourself. The mingling of business is a better cultural   example of economical privilege. economic activities is connecting with colonialism for example.

"Money connected with power and also economics of any particular person to to country is also connected with power and money so in this way economics divided into inter-realization   is connected with race which leads to inferiority complex.

 For example Gandhi faced this problem he was travelling by train and ticket cheeker throw him outside of train and said coolies can not  travel in first class, link of example given here, 

https://www.mkgandhi.org/gandhiji/35getdown.htm

2. The desire of  coloured woman & The White Man

A colored woman desired white man? 

• Biological ideas unique fermion, 
• Law of attraction
•  Margins of  civilization 

Frantz fanon, search for the universal desire of transcendent basic ideal of color race prejudice. The women of colored desire of white man. one way it is very problematic idea or dream we can say, but another way it is every common phycological condition of (mind and heart) well structured social human . 

"Psychology and biology "

The psychology of every dark colored person is to get a white it man or woman with a blue eyes brown hair, light skin it is in a way provide a sense of satisfaction.

So so a very problematic idea of oneself to imagine or to be desire of a something very superior beyond then and his or her on capacity so anything beyond the regular or ordinary circumstances this will considered as sin.

So our today's discussion of postcolonial studies virtual lecture ends with the last sentence is by Ranganathan sir that individual's psychology and biology is as different as like a ice and fire so if the psychology and biology will mixed with each other It will create a big main so keep it separate.....

So it was my basic ideas of knowledge regarding postcolonial studies and also reflective blog on today's virtual lecture by Balaji Rangnathan sir. 

THANK YOU