The two-day bilingual international conference on “(Un)dying Colonialism: Deferring Centres, Dissenting (Post) colonial Voices” commenced at the School of Letters, Mahatma Gandhi University. Prof.Dr. C. T. Aravindakumar, Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, formally inaugurated the conference.
The event held as part of the V. C. Harris Vaijnanika Sadas, commemorates the birth centenary of Frantz Fanon and pays tribute to Prof. V. C. Harris, noted scholar, critic, and former Director of the School of Letters. In his keynote address, Prof. Udayakumar, former Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, reflected on postcolonial frameworks in the context of contemporary global transformations. The day also featured paper presentations and a roundtable discussion on “Revisiting Fanon”, with eminent scholars Prof. A. K. Ramakrishnan, Prof. P. P. Raveendran, Prof. P. J. Thomas, and Prof. K. M. Krishnan sharing their insights.
The evening plenary talk, “Fanon Yesterday, Fanon Today,” was delivered by Prof. Lewis R. Gordon, distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut, followed by discussion led by Monika, transgender rights activist and Treasurer Trustee of Ondede.
The first day concluded with Chilanka, a Malayalam adaptation inspired by Mahesh Dattani’s Dance Like a Man, reimagined within a Kerala milieu and performed by students of MGU. The presentation explored themes of gender, generational conflict, and the politics of art.
The conference will conclude today (Wednesday) with further plenary sessions and paper presentations.
