The Department of English of The Bhawanipur Education Society College organized a special lecture delivered by Prof. Niladri R.Chatterjee, of Kalyani University, on 5th of April, 2023 for its Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. The lecture was held in the college premises, in Room 129-A. It was attended also by faculty members of the Department of English.
Mr. Soumyajit Chandra, Faculty of the Department of English introduced the esteemed speaker and a formal welcome was extended to him by Ms. Sonal Kapur, Assistant Professor, Department of English. Several students joined the lecture after a formal registration.
The lecture began with the speaker’s extensive discussion on ‘binaries’ and the creation of binaries. Prof. Chatterjee then mentioned how social stigma, impurity and untidiness come to be associated with some sexual identities. With this, he turned his discussion towards queer identities and the politics of the representation of queer identities in society. Additionally, Prof. Chatterjee also emphasized the need for Feminism, charted the history of the Feminist movement, Stonewall Riots and talked at length about the decriminalization of Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He also refuted all kinds of binaries and stated that all identities are, in fact, non-binary and therefore, all-inclusive.
In the course of his very engaging talk, Prof. Chatterjee then talked about the concept of ‘rhizome’ propounded by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari to underscore the idea of being in the middle – or ‘intermezzo’ which, according to Prof. Chatterjee, would help one to understand queer or non-binary identities. That identities are not fixed or rooted to a singular worldview was focused on.
In the last segment of his lecture, Prof. Chatterjee drew a very interesting reference to the queerness of Shiva and Vishnu (Mohini) as explicated in Indian mythological iconography through Ardhanariswara. He talked in great detail about the queer Harihara, and Ayappa, the queer child of Harihara (Hariharaputra) to substantiate his idea of queer identities, thereby emphasizing that post-structuralist thought enables us to contest the idea of set identities that are often binary in nature. Finally, he mentioned Homi K. Bhabha’s ‘Third Space’ which helps one to understand the politics of polarity and evade it successfully.
The lecture was followed by a Q&A session in which students engaged with the speaker in an intelligent discussion. Dr Gargi Talapatra, Head of the Department of English, then thanked Prof. Chatterjee for his visit and lecture.
The event was followed by tea for students and online feedback forms were circulated among them. Students enjoyed thoroughly which made the lecture a grand success.
Sekhar Das, Geologist, shared his mine of experience – first as a part of the nationalised behemoth Coal India Limited and currently as a consultant with various entities engaged in mining operations.
The Second Session of Digital Marketing took place from 16th September to 20th September. Mr. Pramod Maloo, on the first day with his new batch, taught the importance of AUTHORITY and RELEVANCY along with relevant examples to make sure that the students were clear with their concepts.
Date: 18th to 22nd August, 2014 Students: 200 Day 1- Monday, August 18 Young students with a vision and ambition to succeed and driven by their dreams to be a successful entrepreneur thronged the venue on the first day of the Entrepreneurship Development Program organized by The Bhawanipur College from the 18th to 21st of …
Department of English, The Bhawanipur Education Society College On 28th July 2020, an international online reading session titled ‘Writing in Confinement’ (in collaboration with IQAC) was organized by the English department of The Bhawanipur Education Society College. The event was open to all the faculty members and students of the college, along with research scholars, …
The Politics of Impurity: Special Lecture by Prof Niladri R. Chatterjee
The Department of English of The Bhawanipur Education Society College organized a special lecture delivered by Prof. Niladri R.Chatterjee, of Kalyani University, on 5th of April, 2023 for its Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. The lecture was held in the college premises, in Room 129-A. It was attended also by faculty members of the Department of English.
Mr. Soumyajit Chandra, Faculty of the Department of English introduced the esteemed speaker and a formal welcome was extended to him by Ms. Sonal Kapur, Assistant Professor, Department of English. Several students joined the lecture after a formal registration.
The lecture began with the speaker’s extensive discussion on ‘binaries’ and the creation of binaries. Prof. Chatterjee then mentioned how social stigma, impurity and untidiness come to be associated with some sexual identities. With this, he turned his discussion towards queer identities and the politics of the representation of queer identities in society. Additionally, Prof. Chatterjee also emphasized the need for Feminism, charted the history of the Feminist movement, Stonewall Riots and talked at length about the decriminalization of Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He also refuted all kinds of binaries and stated that all identities are, in fact, non-binary and therefore, all-inclusive.
In the course of his very engaging talk, Prof. Chatterjee then talked about the concept of ‘rhizome’ propounded by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari to underscore the idea of being in the middle – or ‘intermezzo’ which, according to Prof. Chatterjee, would help one to understand queer or non-binary identities. That identities are not fixed or rooted to a singular worldview was focused on.
In the last segment of his lecture, Prof. Chatterjee drew a very interesting reference to the queerness of Shiva and Vishnu (Mohini) as explicated in Indian mythological iconography through Ardhanariswara. He talked in great detail about the queer Harihara, and Ayappa, the queer child of Harihara (Hariharaputra) to substantiate his idea of queer identities, thereby emphasizing that post-structuralist thought enables us to contest the idea of set identities that are often binary in nature. Finally, he mentioned Homi K. Bhabha’s ‘Third Space’ which helps one to understand the politics of polarity and evade it successfully.
The lecture was followed by a Q&A session in which students engaged with the speaker in an intelligent discussion. Dr Gargi Talapatra, Head of the Department of English, then thanked Prof. Chatterjee for his visit and lecture.
The event was followed by tea for students and online feedback forms were circulated among them. Students enjoyed thoroughly which made the lecture a grand success.
Related Posts
Seminar on Mining
Sekhar Das, Geologist, shared his mine of experience – first as a part of the nationalised behemoth Coal India Limited and currently as a consultant with various entities engaged in mining operations.
Digital Marketing (Second Session)
The Second Session of Digital Marketing took place from 16th September to 20th September. Mr. Pramod Maloo, on the first day with his new batch, taught the importance of AUTHORITY and RELEVANCY along with relevant examples to make sure that the students were clear with their concepts.
Entrepreneurship Development Program 2014
Date: 18th to 22nd August, 2014 Students: 200 Day 1- Monday, August 18 Young students with a vision and ambition to succeed and driven by their dreams to be a successful entrepreneur thronged the venue on the first day of the Entrepreneurship Development Program organized by The Bhawanipur College from the 18th to 21st of …
Webinar on “Writing in Confinement”
Department of English, The Bhawanipur Education Society College On 28th July 2020, an international online reading session titled ‘Writing in Confinement’ (in collaboration with IQAC) was organized by the English department of The Bhawanipur Education Society College. The event was open to all the faculty members and students of the college, along with research scholars, …