Representing Conflict

Conflict, as it is usually understood, is a clash of interests between individuals or communities, or a simultaneous existence of mutually exclusive and opposing feelings. But time has taught us that the end of physical conflict does not necessarily imply conflict-resolution and that various kinds of conflict may even underlie seemingly peaceful conditions. Our engagement with literature has introduced us to the various facets of conflict in society and in the self. A socio-political approach to reading literary texts within the framework of multiple narratives of history and through the lenses of gender, race, class and caste has nuanced our understanding of conflict as it emerges in the domain of literary representation and elsewhere. It would not be an exaggeration to assert that the idea emerges as a focal point of any undertaking in the domain of literary studies today. The representations of conflict in various media as well as the the increasing preoccupation with conflict resolution (especially in the form of an educational and professional discipline) has brought it into the realm of discursive practices in unprecedented ways. Through an analysis of the various manifestations of conflict in literature and other forms of art, we hope to explore the dynamics of conflict on ground, in representation and as a discourse. Aiming at a multidimensional focus on the theme, we wish to analyze the external conflicts between the individual and society on the one hand and the internal conflicts at work in the mind of an individual on the other, even as we explore the possibility of the existence of a bridge between these two aspects. We shall also explore the diverse vantage points that give rise to disparate, often contradictory narratives found at the heart of any conflict.

Through this seminar, then, we aim not only to explore conflict through various academic lenses but also to extend its scope by understanding it through performing arts. Hence, besides academic papers, the focus will also revolve around alternate modes of expression among students, and discussion sessions regarding the same. We have called for proposals for academic papers as well as paintings, photographs and dramatic performances that deal with the theme of conflict and its representations so as to enhance the approach of the seminar.