International Conference
Understanding Geo-centrism, Naturalism and Collectivism through Indigenous Literatures
26-28 December 2023
Organized by:
Department of English, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur
In association with
Rajasthan Association for Studies in English
Conference Report
The Department of English, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur and Rajasthan Association for Studies in English, RASE, jointly organized an International Conference on Understanding Geo-centrism, Naturalism and Collectivism through Indigenous Literatures, from 26-28 December 2023. It was RASE’s XX Annual Conference.
“Ja se jahaj…nahin/ Ja se Jameen, ja se jangal aur ja se jal” struck the keynote to the deliberations that resonated with the opposing worldviews of the civilized people and the indigenous peoples. The conference Director, Head of the host department, Dr Minakshi Jain, extended a warm welcome to the guests and participants in the city of lakes. The Key Note Speaker Kanji Bhai Patel, a renowned poet and Gujarati writer, underlined the callousness of the modern world and written language that fails to connect with the beauty and multidimensionality of oral indigenous cultures. An acclaimed Hindi writer/novelist Hariramji Meena, the Chief Guest, rejected the idea of human supremacy and the popular illusion that one is born human after a long process of evolution, living eighty four lakhs of lives. He spoke of the collectivism and naturalism that was a way of life with indigenous communities. Hariramji also talked of the consensus approach that many Tribal communities follow which is far better than our democratic government that is not even a majority rule most of the time! Dr T C Damor, former Vice Chancellor of Rajeev Gandhi Tribal University highlighted the intuitive approach to life among tribal communities and their harmonious connection with nature. Head of the Department of Philosophy, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Prof Sudha Chaudhary, the renowned social scientist, writer and activist emphasized upon the need to learn from the tribal philosophy and world view and not to impose the Non-tribal world view on them. Everyone agreed that the sustainable indigenous ways of life need to be adopted in order to counter the exploitative approach to nature.
Prof Sharad Srivastav delivered the S N Joshi memorial lecture which is a regular feature of RASE’s Annual Conference. S N Joshi was a faculty member in the department of English, Mohanlal Sukhadia University and was the founder President of RASE. Prof Shrivastav, who superannuated from the same department a few years ago, and had been a student of S N Joshi, spoke of Joshi Sir as a great scholar, teacher and an even greater human being!
Prof Hemendra Singh Chandalia, the founder and guiding spirit behind RASE, brought out The Annals of RASE, which was released during the inaugural session along with the conference Souvenir and the 2022 Journal of RASE. A number of books were also released: Love and Harmony in World Literature – Editor- Dr. Sumer Singh; A Study of Tradition and Modernity in the Selected Novels of Shashi Deshpande– Dr. Chitra Dadheech; Indian Folklores:Cultural Narratives– Dr. Jayshree Singh; The Delphic Musings – L.S.Rathore and Eagle’s Coin – L.S.Rathore. Prof Chandalia who superannuated in November 2023 from the department of English JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur was felicitated by RASE members and also by the members of the department of English, Mohanlal Sukhadia University. He spoke about the last twenty conferences held by RASE in various regions of Rajasthan.
In Meet the Writer session noted writer Hariramji Meena; Dr. Sunita Ghoghara, an Adivasi novelist; Rekha Kharadi, an Adivasi poet, spoke on the writing process and read out some of their poems while sharing their life experiences as members of indigenous communities. In a special online session Dr Geraldine Sinyey from Cameroon, Africa presented her paper and shared her life experiences.
In the Panel Discussion, on the second day, Prof Nilanjan Chakrabarti from Vishv Bharati Shantiniketan analysed Geo-centrism and Collectivism with reference to the ideas of Darwin and Pascal. He believed that Tribal life is fundamentally egalitarian. Prof Dipa Chakrabarti from Amity University Jaipur spoke about the struggle of Tituba in a West Indian novel based on the famous Salem Witch Trials.
Prof Sumanbala of Delhi University spoke about the portrayal of Indigenous people in Latin American, European and African Literature. Dr Taw Azu from Arunachal Pradesh expressed the anxiety of Nyishi, Galo communities in the face of coercive tactics on the part of Christian and Hindu communal forces. The Panel Moderator Prof Chandalia read out his Geocentric poem ‘pahad ke bare me koi kuchh nahin kehta,’ spilling the pain of the indigenous people, mesmerizing the audience.
The Kaleidoscope session had four documentaries to compel the audience feel and think about the causes and effects of the crises faced by- Dongria, Kondh tribes of Odisha in Niyamgiri; Indigenous people of Australia in The Men of the Fifth World; santhals in Santhals of Godda district; meenas in Meenrag.
The evening of the second day had a rainbow of song, music and dance performances by the students of the host department and some of the participants of the conference. The cultural eve began with a big bang as some of the tribal students of Mohanlal Sukhadia University performed a high pitched Bheel tribal dance!
Some 64 papers were presented in the sixteen technical sessions, during the parallel sessions on the first and the second day of the conference.
The conference scaled new heights on the third day when the participants visited the Ogana village, some 72 kms away from the conference venue. Dr Khushpal Garg spelt out the purpose of visiting the villagers and asked the participants to meet them not to teach them but to learn what they have preserved and what the urban civilised society has begun to miss in their rush for material success. He divided the participants in six groups to visit Gejvi, Gandhar, Ranpur, Mohini, Samija, Kolar villages in Ogana area. Having a first hand exposure to tribal rural life for the participants, majority of whom had visited such small villages for the first time, was an unforgettable and thought provoking and, for some, somewhat disturbing experience. The huge gap between the much publicized myth of development and the reality on the ground was in front of us all! The visit was facilitated by Gandhi Manav Kalyan Samiti and hosted by Rana Punja College at Ogana. The Valedictory Session was held in their college building at 2:00 pm, after a sumptuous Dal-bati-churma lunch! Each speaker underscored the fact that the crises faced by the present civilized world can be overcome to a large extent if we are ready to introspect and relearn the lessons we have forgotten from the life practices of indigenous peoples! A note of caution was also struck by quite a few speakers reminding us not to glamorize the tribal lives or overlook the huge problems they are facing. Mr Saurabh Meena, the Organising Secretary, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, during his vote of thanks pointed out that since the trajectory of development cannot be reversed whatever fresh start we make will have to march forward, though cautiously and carefully! A sensitive, nuanced harmonious coexistence among the diverse elements, living and nonliving, has to be chiseled before the onward march of humanity makes progress in real sense.
Minakshi Jain
Conference Director
28.12.2023
Udaipur
