National conference on Indian English poetry concludes
ALIGARH : The two-day National Conference on “Indian English Poetry: Toru Dutt to Vanavil K. Ravi”, organized by the Department of English, Aligarh Muslim University, concluded today with the valedictory session held at the Conference Hall, Faculty of Social Sciences. The conference, celebrated the contribution of Indian English poets, asserting the expression of Indian sensibility and emphasizing upon the need to create a canon of itself.
The chief guest of the valedictory session, Dr Zoya Zaidi, a bilingual poet in Urdu and English expressed her views on the theme and said that language is a culture in itself, not just a means of communication. She recited some of her poems, namely ‘The Bees Announcement’ and ‘Life is an Ocean Deep and Wide’ and concluded by singing a self-composed Urdu Nazm, ‘Áaiye Baithiye’. The session ended with a vote of thanks extended by Prof. Munira T, Convenor of the conference.
Earlier, welcoming and introducing the chief guest, Dr Zoya Zaidi, Prof. Mohammad Asim Siddiqui (Chairperson, Department of English) said that Dr Zaidi has an extraordinary love for literature and writes poetry which is at par with many renowned poets. He also recalled the charismatic personality of Prof. Zahida Zaidi and her contribution to Aligarh Muslim University.
The valedictory programme was preceded by a plenary session. Prof. Ameena Kazi Ansari delivered a talk on “From the Creative to the Critical: On Evolving a Poetics for Indian English Poetry”. She expressed her views about the Indian experience and sensibility as two areas to which one reacts in the context of the works of Indian English Poets. She underlined the ways to read the contemporary poetry through its poetics to evaluate Indian English poetry. She drew attention to the subtheme of Indian experience and identity and talked about how literature is not only a mirror, it is also a map, a geography of the mind.
Discussing a new term ‘deshscape’, used in the work of a Canadian scholar, Prof Kazi said that the nation according to eminent critics is a historical idea which emerges from tradition, culture and ideas. She discussed Nissim Ezekiel’s poem “Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.” which focuses on the urban working-class milieu in India and the elitism of Indian English.
Prof. Kazi also talked about the art of translation and discussed how we have come a long way from Raja Rao’s idea of the spirit of Indian writing in English and how our identities have transitioned from colonial, postcolonial, to neo-colonial.
In her keynote address, an internationally acclaimed poet, critic, translator and academic, Dr Sukrita Paul Kumar talked about “Owing the Liminal: Indian English Poetry” by insisting on liminality as a basic condition for writing Indian Poetry in English. She highlighted the ability to practice multiple cultures as an advantage of liminality between two or more languages.
Prof. Mohammad Asim Siddiqui, in conversation with the poets, Mr Vanavil K. Ravi, Prof. Ranu Uniyal Pant, and Prof. Sami Rafiq on the topic “Celebrating Indian English Poetry”, discussed the various contours of Indian English poetry and the efforts of Indian translators in defining the post-colonial aspects of literary creativity.
Responding to Prof. Siddiqui’s question on the possible difficulties in writing poetry in two languages, Mr Ravi remarked that “poetry comes naturally to him and the language is secondary”.
The Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Arif Nazir remarked that poetry is the essence of life and gives meaning and direction. In his conclusion, Prof. Nazir recited a few poems on diverse themes.
There were eight extensive parallel paper reading sessions attended by around 50 dignitaries from all over the country. More than 45 research papers were presented at the Conference on topics ranging from identity, folklore, myth, spirituality, Bhakti, to ecofeminism and ecocriticism
Dr Saquib Abrar, Co-convener of the conference, presented the conference report, which was followed by certificate distribution to the participants.