XV Annual Conference Report

XV Annual Conference of Rajasthan Association for Studies in English (RASE) on the theme Embracing the ‘Other’: Exploring New Literatures was Organized by Department of English Shrimati Keshari Devi Lohiya Government Girls PG College, Ratangarh, Churu, Rajasthan on December 22-23, 2018. Inaugurating the Conference Prof. Harish C. Narang, former Chairman of School of Languages, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi said that literature stands against all divisive forces and brings people together across the world. New Literatures helped develop a bond among the people of erstwhile colonies. He said that commitment in literature means the decision of a writer that he consciously takes about his stand, whether he is with the Haves or the Have-nots. If a writer chooses to be with the people who form the majority of the population of the earth struggling to earn their share on the planet he is committed to the cause of humanity. He said that most of the writers in New Literatures chose to do so. Prof. Ummed Singh, Head of the Department of CDL University maintained that there is a close relationship between economic factors governing the world and the literature being produced. He focused on the distribution of resources and advocated an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for a healthy society. He talked of commoditization of cultural products and the way media has become a tool of making people ‘Unthinking Beings’. He said that the entire third world is a victim of the propaganda war going on in the world. Prof. Suman Bala in her speech talked of the literature of the Diaspora in Australia and discussed how the Diaspora writers have penned down the pains of displacement. Prof. H.S.Chandalia, Vice President of Rajasthan Association for Studies in English, described the journey of the Association and presented the theme note. He said that New literatures in English, is a body of literary writings that reacts to the discourse of colonization. It often involves writings that deal with issues of de-colonization or the political and cultural independence of people formerly subjugated to colonial rule. It is also a literary critique to texts that carry racist or colonial undertones. Prof. Umed Singh delivered the first Prof. S. N. Joshi Memorial Lecture in the memory of late Prof. S.N. Joshi, who served as President of the Association for fifteen years till his demise in June 2018.

In the inaugural Session the research journal of the Association, souvenir of the conference , a book by Dr. Mehzbeen Sadriwala and Dr. Rukhsana Sadriwala and a book by Prof. H.S.Chandalia was released. Prof. Harish Narang was felicitated with a shawl, a citation and a Sreefal. Prof. Mukta Sharma, read the citation. A plenary lecture was delivered by Dr. Dipa Chakravarty, Head, Institute of Languages, Amity University, Jaipur. On the second day of the conference a plenary lecture was delivered by Prof. Sumanbala of Delhi University and another by Dr. S.K. Singh of O.P.Jindal University, Raigadh, Chhattisgarh. Prof. Mukta Sharma and Prof. Sanjiv Kumar chaired these sessions respectively. In the valedictory session Ali Ahmad Khan from Prince Satam Bin Abdul Aziz University of Saudi Arabia was the chief guest and Prof. H.R. Isran Chaired the session. Nearly sixty research papers were presented in the two-days conference. Dr. Sumer Singh, Officiating Principal of the College and Organizing Secretary of the conference offered a vote of thanks. On behalf of the RASE Joint Secretary Dr. Anant Dadheech offered a vote of thanks.