Review on the guest lectures on postcolonial studies

                         This Blog is the feedback on Guest lecturer Balaji Ranganathan sir who came from Central University of Gujarat and he taught us about postcolonial studies. We had three days sessions from 14th to 16th September 2018, on the  postcolonial paper.

 

                         Postcolonial studies is very hard to understand but Balaji sir taught each and every unit very wonderful and simple way. His level was very high than us because he is teaching to the P.HD scholars in CUG but he knew our level and try to teach as per our level so, he gave very simple examples so that students understand easily the concept of postcolonial studies. I liked the teaching method of Balaji sir and what were the unique ideas/style/concept I learn from the three days.

ORIENTALISM BY EDWARD SAID: ~Balaji sir explained the unit Orientalism very well and provide some good information about India's condition before independence and after independence. He said that orient helps to define yourself. He said that this is specific era of study in which people like to learn not material but want to be academic. He explained  A Tempest very shortly and provide basic information about it. He suggested to read original A Tempest. He identify difference between The Tempest and A Tempest very interestingly.

~Edward Said is writre and talk about  the Orientalism. The term 'Orient' is derives from the latin word 'Orients' means 'East'. Study of orient it means study of orients. 

~Orientalism raise the question against our mentality that how we think about those who belong different culture, specially west consider middle - east as "Other" but treat them as enemies is not good. For example :- Muslim Community. In the context of demonization of Islam, Television represents Jihad in America, for militants Jihad is a holy war, and their main purpose is to establish an Islamic empire. Media reveling only worst side of Islam, at that time those people who are believers of Islam or who have influence of that, they can see only problems of that society. And as a result the human side of Islamic and Arabic world are rarely found.

Orientalism traise to explain that how we understand people,strangers, who look different to us by virtue of the color of their skin.

Said argued that orient and occident worked as oppositional terms, so that the orient was constructed as negative inversion of western culture.

The structure of orient is nothing more than a structure of lies or the myths which, were the truth about them to be told, would simply blow away.

Orientalism as a system of knowledge about orient an accepted grid for filtering thorough the orient into western consciousness, just as that same investment multiplied indeed made truly productive the statements profiling out from orientalism into the general culture.

• Fluent English: I liked his fluency in English language, pronunciation, vocabulary, tone, voice everything was superb. He also said that it is good that you all are from Gujarati medium and though you selected English in bachelor and also told that if you want to become a master of English language than keep it twenty four hours with you. make your surrounding English. Balaji sir also talk to us that daily conversation and communication use English language and set your mind to think about English thoughts.

• Method: Method is very important aspect in teaching learning process if method is not  interesting than students get bore. So, I liked Balaji sir's method, he made an interaction rather than a lecture, because first he ask students that what you think about the topic and what it is and keep on asking such a questions before the beginning of the topic so students can curious about the topic. So, Balaji sir used various approaches and tools like chalk an talk, videos, pictures etc and his style to begin topic was wonderful, he talked through various history to make interesting topic.

• Knowledge: Balaji sir has very good knowledge about the postcolonial studies. Postcolonial studies very hard, because to teach such a paper one must has the knowledge of the History, Orientalism, religions and geography of regions. Thus, Balaji sir has enough knowledge about different religions, regions, various books, philosophers, theorists etc. . So, we can say that Balaji sir's reading is very vast and he gave various examples from various books and theories to convey the ideas very easily. He has knowledge about the holy books like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Quran, Bible, Geeta, etc and also gave various examples from these books for extra knowledge.

• Unique idea/concept:  I liked the idea about the Net/Set preparation pattern in which Balaji sir gave a unique pattern that solved 8000 MCQ with proper way. We can not read world's literature thoroughly we have to prepare in this way and it takes long time too. Another, is about the idea of "nation" and "State" in which sir explained that state means the territory of authority like king, queen, government have geographic state, but nation means an imagination. I liked this idea because sir explained it very well that people have their own definition about the nation, person by person it can be change because it is all about the imagination of people which make nation whatever they want, like now a days many countries like America, India imagining nation as Christian nation and Hindu nation. So, nation is an imagination was superb example and concept which I have learnt from Balaji Sir. 
• Sir also talk about the preparation that sir tell us to don't buy expansive books of literature this all material available on internet and read original text because in interview people ask about original points, concept and theory. Sir told us that don't think that you are the students of literature so you can not do any other kind of job, he said that learn any other foreign language like Chinese, Japani, etc to make good business and earn money to one lakh. So, it was also a new ideas to be succeeded in life.

• Use of Examples: Sir used various interesting examples throughout the sessions but I liked most was the example of desire<>Conflict in 'Imaginary Homeland' in which sir drew a formula about the conflict of desire and said that every human have desire, without desire one can not live. So, here is the formula of desire:

1.  Approach approach conflict (++)
2.  Approach avoidance conflict (+-)
3.  Avoidance avoidance conflict (--)

Understand this formula let me give an example that, one girl is looking for marriage and thinking about the handsome and wealth boy and feel good but she do not like the look of boy so, here we can say that this desire is approach avoidance conflict. And also sir tell about the skin color is not important in live life, skin color based on biological system of body.

Thank you......