The many voices that a text speaks

"TEACHING Literature in the Context of Culture and Translation Studies" was the theme of a University Grants Commission course held in Chennai from January 28th to February 17th. Thirty-eight participants (from across Tamil Nadu - there was one person from Assam) formed the fifth batch of specialists attending it. It was labelled Refresher Course Batch Five.

At the inauguration was Australian poetess Judith Rodriguez, visiting faculty in the Department of English, University of Madras. Dr. Swaminatha Pillai and Dr. Raghuram Singh spoke on the first day.

Dr. C. P. Ravichandra's lectures on multi-culturalism and Canadian literature laid the foundation for the deliberations. His definition of simulation simulacra and an exposition of post- modernism gave participants an insight into the rigour of culture studies. Dr. K. Chellappan, shared his views on the poetics of post-modernism. His illustrations of historiographic metafiction from Canadian literature were striking. He said of translation - "A good text has so many voices". Dr. Balachandran, from M. S. University, Tirunelveli threw light on critical theories and their impact on the teaching literary texts. According to him a text can be better understood it one is aware of the five codes (which Roland Barthes has identified): the pro-eratic, hermeneutical, cultural, seimic and symbolic. His other lecture on Canadian First Nation writing was inspiring. The title "English Agonistes" aroused everyone's curiosity. Dr. M. G. Ramanan, University of Hyderabad, traced the growth of the history of English education in India chronologically, and ended his discourse as a theoretician. He paid tributes to Prof. C. D. Narasimiah, doyen of English studies in India, and Prof. K.R.S. Iyengar. Dr. Felix Wilfred's oration on "What is Pluralism in Culture?" was informative. His second talk on "Feminism and Christianity" bore evidence to the catholicity of his outlook and ability to steer the participants towards systematic thinking.

Moving from the known to the unknown was Dr. Saraswathi who dwelt on the teaching of methodology - at the cross-roads of culture quest. "A practising teacher is the best example for designing a text book", validated her statement. Writer Ashokamitran, spoke about his novel Eighteenth Parallel and the annexation of Hyderabad after Partition. It was a fusion of history and personal memories. Mrs. Vaasanthi, writer and editor of India Today (Tamil), shared her experience as a feminist. The task of unravelling comparative literature and its theory was given to Padma Srinivasan, Madurai Kamaraj University. Her talk on translating Tamil Bhakthi Literature, especially Andal's, with examples from mysticism of the East and the West, was provocative.

Sadananda Menon's efforts to up hold the role of the media and its influence on shifting cultural perspective was commendable. English Studies Officer of the British Council, Dr. Rathi Jaffer's discourse on decolonising modes of writing - the British Council perspective, was a succinct account of translation as a cultural transaction as it reflected the negotiation between two cultures. Dr. Chitra Shivakumar spoke on sociology and cultural studies.

Dr. Nirmal Selvamony, Madras Christian College, averred that cultural studies as an inter-disciplinary subject was a must in the present-day context which showed how advertisements play a major role in cultural studies.

His colleague, Dr. Manohar Samuel, highlighted the Black experience in multicultural America. Dr. Padmamalini, Stella Maris College, spoke on Indian fiction and its reflection on our culture while Dr. Anandhi from Delhi spoke on women and empowerment, laying emphasis on the quota of reservation for women.

Dr. Noel Irudayaraj, Bharathidasan University, unravelled his absorbing discourse on Foucault, Althusser and Derrida's theories; an eye-opener on the healthy interaction between deconstruction and post-modernism.

Mr. Rodriguez, a visiting professor from Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia and now with the Department of English, University of Madras, spoke on aboriginal Australian women writers. It gave fresh insights into Australian literature and culture. She motivated us in creative writing too by engaging the participants through the methods she was using in teaching writing in Melbourne.

Prof. Eugenie Pinto brought Australian immigrant voices into the classroom while speaking on Australian multicultural poems. Dr. Younger, an Australian researcher, shared her views of Indian studies. Dr. Padma Arasu's talk on "Gender and Culture" transported us to the world of theatre of issues with its focus on culture and talk tradition. Performance as interpretation was taken up by Harini Sankaranarayan when she took up Ambai's short story "Yellow Fish" and made it into a moving show of a mother living out her memory of her dead child. Yamuna, Madras Players, with her troupe enacted a scene from "Tipu Sultan" - reviving Tipu, in flesh and blood, enlightening us on the role of theatre in education. Participants enacted some parts.

Sandhya Rao of Tulika spoke on multiculturalism and political correctness in children's book. Mini Krishnan, Macmillan, shared her experience in editing translation. Gita Wolf, Tara Publishing House, highlighted her efforts to print childern's literature and emphasised the new sense of sub-adult fiction. Shobha Viswanathan expressed her views on the need for messages in the Aesop's Fables, the Jataka Tales and the Panchathantra to be made into catchy tunes to motivate youngsters. Dr. Prema Srinivasan shared her experience in translating Australian children's literature.

Dr. Rahim spoke on literary conventions in translation. He differentiated between transcreation and translation. Prof. Baskaran harped on skills while teaching English as well as while translating. Prof. Madanagobalane's talk on the thin line between translation and creative treason was ably demonstrated by a comparative study of Puthumajpittan and Maupaussant.

The course helped participants critically analyse topics such as Orientalism, Nation and Narration, Marxism and examine Manusmrti, the Bible, the Koran and Gandhiji from the points of view of gender and human rights. There was also a video on Australian Studies, a documentary on Ashokamitran by writer Thiru Sa Kandasamy and Deepa Mehta's "Fire". A visit to Dakshin Chitra and Koothupattarai wrapped up the course. The rehearsal of the play "England", directed by Mr. Anmola Vellani, was appreciated. Randor Guy spoke on how classics were made into films and their long standing popularity in Hollywood studies.

The valedictory function was presided by the Director of Max Muller Bhavan, Dr. Eleonora Rahimi-Larijani, Mr. Victor, Director of Collegiate Education, Mr. Mohanakrishnan, vice-president, Macmillan, and Mrs. Sukanya Chandhuk, regional manager, Macmillan. A compilation on the translations of short stories and poems as well as a couple of creative and critical pieces by the participants were released. The coordinator of the course was Dr. C. T. Indra, Head of the Department of English, University of Madras. The director, Academic Staff College, Cynthia Pandian was associated with the programme.

C.P.R. ANURADHA

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