National Seminar on
Cosmopolitanism in Literature held at USTM

Sectarian Identity Assertion Challenge
to Literature: Prof. Bhaduri
9th
Mile, Khanapara, Ri Bhoi, 20 April 2018: “We must
talk about cosmopolitanism as we are living in an
extremely difficult time when sectarian identity
assertion and fundamentalism of different form,
including Nationalism, are raising their ugly heads and
challenging the very foundation of humanity.” This was
stated by Prof. Saugata Bhaduri, Centre for English
Studies, Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal
Nehru University while addressing the inaugural session
of a two-day national seminar on “Challenges of
Cosmopolitanism in English Literature” here today. The
seminar has been organized by the Department of English,
University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya (USTM).
In his Keynote address, Prof. Saugata Bhaduri referred
to Immanuel Kant’s essay “Perpetual Peace” and said that
with increasing trade and commercial relationships among
Nation States, soon war will become a thing of the past
because the need for economic growth will require
nations to be hospitable to each other, leading to a
certain type of mutual tolerance and cosmopolitanism. He
also referred to the French philosopher Jacques Derrida
telling that cosmopolitanism has to emerge from cities.
Deliberating on cosmopolitanism, nationalism and world
literature, Prof. Bhaduri said that the purpose of
literature should go beyond sectarian identity and that
indigenous literature that are on the verge of vanish,
can also form part of world literature.
Speaking on the inaugural session of the Seminar,
Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor, USTM said that literature
has a great role to play in the society. The North East
of India is a mosaic of varied tribes, ethnicity,
languages and dialects where the cosmopolitan approach
in literature finds validity.
Addressing the Seminar, Dr Alaka Sarma, Pro Vice
Chancellor, USTM spoke on cosmopolitan culture existing
in USTM and explained how cosmopolitanism gets reflected
in literature. Earlier, the welcome address was
presented by Dr. Pronami Bhattacharyya, Assistant Prof.,
Dept. of English, USTM.
Different Sessions of the National Seminar was chaired
by Prof. Mala Renganathan, English Department, NEHU;
Prof. Ipsita Chanda, Dept. of Comparative Literature,
EFLU, Hyderabad and Prof. Anjali Daimari, Department of
English, Gauhati University.
Research papers have been presented in the Seminar from
different universities and colleges including Tezpur
University, Gauhati University, Dibrugarh
University,Cotton University, Assam University, Silchar,
KK Handiqui State Open University, Nowgong Girls’
College, Handique Girls’ College, Mahapurusha Srimanta
Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, Nagaon, Bajali College,
Pathsala and Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia College, apart
from the host university. Some of the papers presented
in the Seminar include: “Migration and Displacement in
the Parsee Context: A Reading of Select Novels”,
“Identity politics in Cosmopolitan Culture: A Study of
Salman Rushdie’s The Golden House”, “Cosmopolitanism VS
Nationalism: A Study of Amitav Ghosh’s Shadow Lines”,
“William Blake and Walt Whitman: Representing Urban
Culture in Poetry”, “Coexistential Attitude towards
Culture: A Study of Orhan Pamuk’s Istanbul: Memories and
the City”, “A Juxtaposition of the First and Second
Generation Diasporic Writers in the Context of Indian
English Diasporic Literature”, etc.
|