UGC SAP DRS-I DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
FACULTY OF ARTS THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO UNIVERSITY OF BARODA VADODARA-390002 UGC NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON REGIONAL LITERARY HISTORIOGRAPHIES OF WESTERN INDIA 4-5 February 2011 The organization of Indian states on the Hegelian logic of nation that is premised on the overlap between geography, language and culture makes the task of examining the nexus between region language and literature imperative. In fact, these questions have assumed a new urgency in the context of multiple demands for statehood in contemporary India; each of these demands whether, for example, from Gorkhaland or from Telengana significantly bases their justifications on distinctiveness of language and culture. In part, we can say that they situate their arguments about political status on linguistic and cultural identity. This has posed a challenge to mainstream conceptualizations of what a standard language might be, what has gone into the making of the literary canon in regional languages. Taking a cue from the questions that have emerged from this backdrop, the Department of English is organizing a national workshop on the regional historiographies of western India. The proposed workshop is intended to address the questions that have arisen from challenges to mainstream literary historiography. What has been the shape that regional literary histories have taken? How has this impinged upon national histories of literature? How have little narratives unsettled the canonical accounts of regional literary historiography? How have new objects of study such as oral narrative been accommodated in regional histories of literature? How have notions of identity intersected with questions of literature and culture to set up new histories and alternatives to existing paradigms? An engagement with these questions might help think through the manner in which historiographies of regional languages have been constituted, the way they might intersect. Our particular focus in this workshop would be the examination of adivasi languages of Gujarat, Gujarati, Sindhi, Marathi, Konkani, Rajasthani, and Tulu in the light of new theoretical frameworks drawn diversely from identity studies, theories of colonial discourse and literary genre that have put under question existing structures of literary historiography,. Those interested in attending the workshop may please get in touch with Deeptha Achar at [email protected] or Rajan Barrett at [email protected] for details. Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490
