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3 Days Journey with Dr. Balaji Rangnathan Sir

Our Head of the Department and professor Dr. Dilip Barad has invited Dr. Balaji Rangnathan from the Central University of Gujarat. Gandhinagar to our Department of English, MKBU.


He came in our department for 3 days ... On 19,20,21th August, 2019. Balaji sir came here to deal with Postcolonial studies.

◆ The various topics which discussed by him are :-

1. Black Skin, White Mask by Frantz Fanon
2. Orientalism by Edward Said
3. A Tempest by Aime Cesaire
4. Imaginary Homlands by Salman Rushdie
5. How to prepare for competitive exam [ G-Set, NET]

When he first started talking we are amazed by his ascents. It takes us 5 minutes to adjust with his ascents because he has very different ascents then us. But we enjoyed a lot his three days lectures.

Then he started talking about post colonialism and ask us why we are studying post colonialism? We all are giving him reasons and he said that the era of post colonialism has gone. Now we are living in globalized world, there should be paper on globalization then post colonialism.

◆ In the very 1st day, He deal with Unit 1- Black Skin, White Mask by Frantz Fanon. He discussed all 8 chapters which given in the text.

1. The Negro & Language
2. The Woman of color & The White Man
3. The Man of color & White Woman
6. The Negro & Psychopathology
7. The Negro & Recognition
8. By way of Conclusion

He emphasizes to read original text and he himself learned us through the original text. I wrote and observed some original text's sentences....

" Toward a new humanism....
  Understanding, among men....
  Our colored brothers....
  Mankind, I believe in you...
  Race Prejudice....
  To understand and to love..."

" What does a man want?
  What does the black man want?"

" The White Man is sealed in his whiteness.
  The black man in his blackness."



● He said that black man considered as colonised by giving the example of " A Tempest" ...that
Calabon is very much a " Jungle Savage."

 Then he  said that Tribes are also considered as a criminalize people.

● Then he also pointed out about Psychoexistance - inspired by white skin.

●Then he said about Humanism....means love objects or hate objects.

● Creole:- Mix cultures (races)
   Mullato:- half white/ half black people.

 Then he said that colonial resistance is not about biological.
Fanon said that the problem is within insight not outside. It's nothing like hate & love.

Structure of desire are not gender in Colonialism.
Through this ...when white woman loves black man then blackman is automatically considered that he has a white world.


◆ Then he asked some questions:-

1. How does one construct black consciousness?
2. How is the Black streotyste created?
3. How is it reinforced through mediums?

 Colonial Bianary also show that What a man want? And What a black man want? This type of questions shows bianary and bianary being an important part of Colonialism and gender discrimination.


◆ In second day, He deal with another 2 chapters:-
1. Orientalism by Edward Said
2. A Tempest by Aime Cesaire

When he is talking about Orientalism he taught us that Edward Said is particularly talking about middle east. Then he says Orientalism is not just an idea but it is a material idea, philosophical discourse and now it has become academic. Edward Said has taken this idea from two books of Michel Foucault's "Archeology of Knowledge" from which he has taken idea of knowledge and second is "Discipline and Punish" from which he has taken the idea of power. Orientalism is about the different way through which west looks towards the east.

Vico's great observation that....

" Men make their own History."


Then he taught us about "A Tempest" by Amie Cesaire make us understand the difference between "The Tempest" by Shakespeare and "A Tempest" by Amie Cesaire. Also advice us to read original texts.

◆ On 21the August, 2019 - the last day he deal with another chapter - " Imaginary Homlands by Salman Rushdie.

He has discussed four essays with us which are Imaginary Homelands, Commonwealth Literature Does Not Exist, On Palestine Identity, The New Empire Within Britain. In which he has talked about host nation and parent nation, post colonial literature and new literature, Palestine’s, the different problem of Britain about racism.

 Normally, Diaspora goes into imagination in terms of conflict. There is theory based on conflicts.

1. Approach Approach Conflict 【+ +】
2. Approach Avoidance Conflict 【+ -】
3. Avoidance Avoidance Conflict 【- -】

Then at last session, he talked about Net/Set exams and told us to take it as competitive exams and not like any other academic exams. He advice us to read available material and not going for preparing everything by self when it is available. It is data based exam so collect data and do smart work then hard work.


While talking all these things he has given examples from archeology, psychology, philosophy, movies, and he also has shared his own experience of travelling. With all these things he has made his class interesting. Surely in these limited time he has given too much knowledge which will going to help us during exams and in life also. The way he taught us with variety of things made learning interesting and we are very thankful to Balaji sir for coming here and give his precious time and knowledge to us and we are also thankful to our Head of the Department Dr. Dilip Barad sir to invite such a dignitary to taught us.

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