Conference on ‘Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Post-colonial Literature’
Aligarh : International online conference on ‘Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Post-colonial Literature’ of the Publication Committee, Murshidabad Centre of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) brought together subject experts for intellectual exchange on legacies of race and post colonialism, subaltern studies, aesthetics, realism, modernism and contemporary English and vernacular literature.
The keynote speaker of the inaugural function, Prof Mohammad Asim Siddiqui (Chairman, Department of English) discussed the importance of postcolonial criticism and the prevailing issue of racism in societies across the globe.
He remarked: Post-colonial criticism analyses whether a text upholds or subverts colonial ideals. Post-colonial literary criticism frequently focuses on relationships between colonizers and colonized people in literary texts.
Delivering the keynote address of the technical session, Prof Alexander Kure (Department of English and Drama, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria) shed light on how Post-colonial critics reinterpret and examine the values of literary texts, by focussing on the contexts in which they were produced.
The Chief Guest of the Inaugural Session, Prof Iqbal Ali Khan (Coordinator, Nodal Office, AMU Centres) highlighted the important literary works from post-colonial times and discussed the issue of cultural exploitation expressed through literature.
Dr Nigamananda Biswas (Director In-charge, AMU Centre and Conference Director) spoke on the impact of colonization on global migration and the conditions of migrants.
Prof Nazia Hasan (Women’s College) delivered a talk on ‘Of Pansies, Gossips and Meatless Days: A Glance at a Post-colonial Memoir’—in which she gave an account of Sara Suleri Goodyear’s heartbreaking 1989 memoir, ‘Meatless Days’.
Dr Md Mahmudul Hasan (Department of English Language and Literature, International Islamic University, Malaysia) spoke on ‘The Muslim Diaspora in Britain and its Literature’.
He gave insights on the political and cultural involvement of Muslim community in Britain and the impact of the literary work of British Muslims.
Dr Chandrakant Langare (Shivaji University) explained how race, ethnicity and Post-coloniality is central to the discipline of cultural studies.
Moses Aule, researcher working under the supervision of Prof Alexander presented a paper on ‘Post-colonialism and the Discourse of Displacement in Chimamanda N. Adichie’s Americana’ in which he discussed the physical and psychological effects of displacement and migration.
Dr Md Rakibul Islam (Assistant Professor of English, Department of Law) discussed the importance of post-colonial literature in shaping the present world order.
Over all 103 papers were presented in eleven sessions.
Prof Nazia Hasan (Department of English, AMU), Prof Samina Khan (Department of English, AMU), Prof Aysha Munira Rasheed (Department of English, AMU), Prof Anup Kumar Dey (Department of English, Assam University), Dr Saugata Kumar Nath (Department of English, Assam Central University, Silchar), Dr Chandrakant Langare (Shivaji University), Dr Md Sajidul Islam (AMU), Dr Fouzia Usmani (AMU), Dr Md J Hossain (KN College, Berhampore), Dr Kusumika Sarkar (Women’s College, AMU) and Dr Tanmoy Kundu (Midnapore College) were the resource persons.
Dr Md Rakibul Islam, Dr Mohd Arif, Dr Asif Iqubal Shah, Dr Sk Tibul Hoque, Dr Syed Atif Jilani, Dr Abdul Samad and Dr Aijaj Ahmed Raj delivered the introductory and welcome addresses of different sessions.
Shaila Mehmood and Dr Md Sarwar Alam conducted the sessions; while Dr Md Talib Siddiqui, Dr Syed Atif Jilani and Akhlaqul Azam extended the vote of thanks.