Decolonizing the Classroom: My Comprehensive Learning Journey through the National Seminar on IKS and English Studies
Introduction
As a second-semester M.A. student at the Department of English, MKBU, my encounters with literary theory have primarily been framed through Western perspectives . However, the recent two-day National Seminar on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and English Studies, supported by the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), profoundly shifted my academic worldview . It opened my eyes to the incredible potential of integrating our rich indigenous traditions into modern English literary studies . This blog post is a comprehensive reflection of my learning outcomes, focusing deeply on the transformative inaugural session, the extensive plenary talks that dominated the event, and the insightful paper presentations that demonstrated how these theories can be practically applied .
This blog is assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad to make us reflect upon the National Seminar organised by our department. Click here to access the documentation of the workshop.
Setting the Tone: The Inaugural Session
Before diving into the specific scholarly sessions, I must reflect on the inauguration, which perfectly set the intellectual parameters for the entire seminar . Our Head of Department, Dr. Dilip Barad, articulated the core vision: integrating IKS is not an exercise in anti-English sentiment or post-colonial victimhood. Instead, it is an effort to move beyond the rigid binaries of Eastern versus Western thought . He beautifully referenced the concept of yin and yang, reminding us that knowledge systems should be seen as complementary rather than oppositional . He also stressed that English is no longer just a colonial relic; it is an Indian language, spoken with our own unique accents and cultural nuances .
Adding to this, Principal Dr. Vishwash Joshi warned us against the uncritical glorification of the past . He emphasized that India's spatial and temporal complexities—spanning thousands of years and assimilating numerous cultures—require a highly balanced, scholarly approach. We cannot discard everything as superstition, nor can we blindly glorify every ancient practice . This balanced, global perspective formed the sturdy foundation upon which the rest of the seminar was built .
My Learning Outcomes: A Deep Dive into the Plenary Sessions
The plenary sessions were the absolute highlight of the seminar . Each speaker offered a distinct, highly specialized lens through which we can integrate IKS into our English curriculum . As an M.A. student, these talks provided me with entirely new theoretical frameworks to apply to my future research .
1. Decolonizing Research Methodologies with Prof. Dushyant Nimawat
Prof. Nimawat challenged our default reliance on Western research frameworks, pointing out that blindly applying theories like Western feminism to regional Indian texts can sometimes result in cultural blind spots . Drawing on Linda Smith's work on decolonizing methodologies, he argued that we have the right to develop and utilize our own indigenous tools to measure and analyze knowledge . He proposed using ancient Indian Pramanas (valid means of knowledge) as a highly structured, 2000-year-old research methodology. For instance, he illustrated how Pratyaksha (direct perception) aligns perfectly with the literary practice of close reading, while Anumana (logical inference) provides a basis for rigorous deductive argumentation . He also highlighted the tradition of Vada—a truth-seeking, open-minded debate where contradicting ideas are welcomed and synthesized . His session taught me that our indigenous systems offer a microscopic, scientific approach to literary research that we have vastly underutilized .
2. The Ecology of Emotion: Dr. Kalyani Vallath on Dravidian Aesthetics
Dr. Vallath’s session was a revelation, introducing me to the classical Tamil Tinai aesthetics from the Tolkappiyam and Sangam poetry . She explained how ancient Dravidian literature structurally connects human emotions directly to specific landscapes, dividing poetry into Agam (the interior world of feeling) and Puram (the exterior world of social action) . She detailed the five major Tinais, each representing a landscape, a flower, and a specific emotional state :
- Kurinji (mountainous regions): Symbolizes secret union and transgressive love.
- Mullai (forest jasmine): Represents patient waiting and longing with hope.
- Marudam (agricultural plains): Signifies domestic conflict and tension.
- Neidal (water lilies/seashores): Embodies anxiety, longing, and the possibility of loss.
- Palai (arid wastelands): Signifies intense separation, destruction, and devastation.
Dr. Vallath brilliantly bridged this ancient system with modern global ecocriticism, showing how Thomas Hardy’s use of Egdon Heath in The Return of the Native mirrors the Palai landscape's ability to shape human destiny . This session expanded my understanding of ecocriticism far beyond Western romanticism .
3. Revolutionizing the Classroom: Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay's Pedagogical Shift
Dr. Chattopadhyay addressed the structural realities of our English departments, which are still deeply entrenched in the colonial legacy of Lord Macaulay’s 1835 minute on education . Utilizing Paulo Freire's concepts, he critiqued the "banking model" of education, where students are treated as empty vessels receiving deposits of foreign knowledge . To counter this, he advocated for a dialogic method—Samvada—similar to the profound, questioning dialogue between Arjuna and Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, where the student is allowed to argue, push back, and debate .
Even more practically, he showed us how to apply Indian logic to plot analysis . Instead of just summarizing a plot, we can use Anumana (inference) to deduce a character's unseen psychological motivations . Furthermore, instead of relying solely on Freudian psychoanalysis, we can use Vedantic concepts like Atman, Brahman, and Maya to elevate a character's struggle to a cosmic, existential battle against material illusion .
4. Western Literature's Eastern Roots: Prof. Ashok Sachdev
Prof. Sachdev provided a fascinating literary history lesson, tracing the profound influence of Indian philosophy on British and American literature . He demonstrated that Western writers didn't just use Indian concepts as ornaments; they used them as vital philosophical tools to counter the materialism and desolation of the post-industrial world. He highlighted how T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land finds its ultimate resolution in the Upanishads through the "Fire Sermon" and the concluding chant of "Shanti." Perhaps his most striking comparative analysis was between Shakespeare's Hamlet and Arjuna from the Mahabharata . Both are princes paralyzed by moral dilemmas, caught between duty (Dharma), fate, and action . This comparison effectively demonstrated how we can intuitively read canonical Western texts through an Indian philosophical lens .
5. Language as Knowledge: Prof. Atanu Bhattacharya
Prof. Bhattacharya dispelled the myth that the Bharatiya tradition experienced a "break" in continuity, preferring to view it as an uninterrupted flow (Dhara) . Focusing on language studies, he highlighted Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, viewing it not merely as a rigid grammar rulebook, but as a generative, computational text . Crucially, he explained that in the Indian knowledge system, language (Shabda or Vak) is never just a utilitarian tool for communication; it is intricately tied to the production of knowledge itself. He contrasted this holistic approach with the colonial model developed at the Fort William College, which stripped language of its cultural narratives and taught it purely through mechanical rules for administrative utility .
6. The Politics of Translation: Prof. Sachin Ketkar
Prof. Ketkar challenged our fundamental understanding of translation . He argued that the concept of "equivalence"—the frustrating search for an exact English match for words like Dharma—is a myth we must overcome . He rejected the idea that "poetry is what is lost in translation," asserting instead that modern translation studies view translation as an act of interpretation, a semiotic transformation, and a highly political act. He used Sri Aurobindo’s translation of the Rig Veda as a prime example . By translating the text with an esoteric interpretation—treating Agni as the mystic fire of truth rather than just a primitive sacrificial flame—Aurobindo was actively countering colonial discourse . This session taught me that studying how a text is translated is just as important as studying the original text itself .
7. Reclaiming the Divine Feminine: Dr. Amrita Das
Dr. Das offered a highly unique, cross-cultural perspective by reading the Hindu Goddess culture through the lens of postmodern French feminist psychoanalyst Luce Irigaray . She pointed out that while mainstream Western feminism often focuses on sameness and equality with men, Irigaray emphasizes ontological sexual difference and the necessity of a "divine feminine" to help women achieve true autonomy. Dr. Das explored how Eastern traditions emphasize "breathing" (Prana) and maternal genealogy as pathways to female empowerment . By analyzing contemporary texts, she illustrated how female characters are empowered not by male gods, but by a lineage of goddesses and deep sisterhood .
Insights from the Paper Presenters
While the plenaries laid the theoretical groundwork, the paper presentations showcased how these ideas are applied in ongoing academic research . Two presentations particularly stood out to me as an M.A. student looking for research inspiration .
Dr. Ruchi Joshi presented a fascinating exploration of Jacques Derrida’s concept of Aporia—the state of puzzlement, impasse, or undecidability in a text's meaning . She convincingly argued that this post-structuralist concept finds deep resonance within the Indian Knowledge System, particularly in the Upanishadic concept of Neti Neti ("not this, not that"), which also navigates the limits of language and the ambiguity of ultimate reality . This proved that our ancient texts have long engaged with the same complex philosophical questions that modern Western theory attempts to answer .
Dr. Vijay Mangukiya offered a brilliant comparative study bridging the 15th-century Bhakti movement in India with 19th-century American Transcendentalism . He juxtaposed the vernacular dohas of Saint Kabir with the philosophical essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson . Despite being separated by centuries and geography, both thinkers radically rejected organized religion and priestly authority, advocating instead for a direct, intuitive relationship with the divine.
Conclusion
To culminate this enriching experience, alongside my classmates Sejad and Mulraj, I presented a poster titled “Existential Nihilism and the Crisis of Meaning in Late Modernity: A Comparative Study of the Bhagavad Gita, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Camus.” It was my first paper presentation! We explored how the Bhagavad Gita offers a profound "Third Way"—providing stable, ontological grounding through Dharma—as a counter to the fragile ethical agency found in Western existentialism .
As I reflect on these intensive two days, the overarching lesson is crystal clear: integrating the Indian Knowledge System into English Studies is not a retreat into the past; it is a massive leap forward into a more dynamic, pluralistic, and intellectually vibrant future . Whether we are using Pramanas for research, Tinai aesthetics for ecocriticism, or reimagining translation as an act of political resistance, IKS provides us with a robust toolkit to read global literature with fresh, decolonized eyes. As a Master's student, I feel profoundly empowered to apply these frameworks to my own syllabus, moving beyond the traditional Eurocentric canon to truly claim my academic heritage .
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