Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 1: The Department of English, Central University of Jammu organized a screening of ‘Shashi Tharoor’ at Oxford Union.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ashok Aima presided over the event. The programme was conceived by Prof. Nandini Bhattacharya, Head, Department of English. The event was attended by Prof. Lokesh Verma, Academic Coordinator, Prof. Deepsheekha Kotwal, faculty members, scholars and students of the department.
The speech by Shashi Tharoor generated a lot of interest and debate. In the Welcome address, Prof. Bhattacharya raised the question whether the coming of the British to India had brought enlightenment or was it concentrated loot.
In his address the Vice Chancellor drew attention to the ethnic and geographical divisions in India that were hindrances to its administration. “The Railways and Civil Services allowed the British to introduce an efficient system of governance. However, the British policy of divide and rule has left a legacy of deep communal divide; while their economic policies have left India in extreme poverty, subject to an intense class and caste struggle,” he said and exhorted the young students to rise above differences with the help of ‘liberating thought’ quoting Rabindranath Tagore. He left the gathering to ponder over the vedic concept of “vichaar, achaar and sanskara.
Prof. Deepsheekha Kotwal drew attention to the psychological impact of colonization in addition to the territorial control by the British.
The faculty members, Neena Gupta Vij, Dr. M.A.A. Farooq, Raj Thakur, Dr. Kiran Kalra and Harpreet Kour spoke on various aspects of colonization. This was followed by vigorous debate and discussion by the scholars and students of the Department. Prof. Nandini Bhattacharya concluded the event on the note “Lest we forget” ie. to remember our past is to accept and go on.
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