Prof. N.K. Jain Memorial Lecture

Prof. N.K. Jain Memorial Lecture

The Department of English under the aegis of the IIS University hosted the first Memorial Lecture in memory of late Prof. N.K. Jain, former Dean, Dept. of English, on 31 October 2019, at the ISIM Auditorium. Prof. Jain’s family, colleagues and friends were in attendance at the Lecture, at which the Speaker, Prof. Sachidananda Mohanty, spoke eloquently on the topic ‘Cosmopolitanism in an Age of Insularity and Xenophobia’.

Report: First N.K Jain Memorial Lecture

The Department of English, IIS (deemed to be) University held its first N.K. Jain Memorial Lecture on October 31, 2019 at the ISIM Auditorium. In keeping with the University's tradition, the programme began with the lighting of the lamp and a formal welcome of the guests. Dr. Ashok Gupta, Honourable Vice-Chancellor paid a tribute to the memory of Prof. Jain followed by Dr. RoopaMathur, Dean Faculty of Arts and social Sciences,introducing the speaker for the day, Prof. SachidanandaMohanty.

Prof Mohanty's lecture centered around the need to re-look at our conceptualization and advocacy of progression and liberalism in an age where insularity, xenophobia and totalized paranoia have a pervasive effect on the mind of the individual and the community. Citing examples from literary works in which the other nationality was often portrayed as the villain of the piece, he expounded how deeply entrenched xenophobia is. The lecture also dwelled at large on Benjamin Barber's work Jihad vs McWorld. He went on to explain how, in order to democratize the country, de-colonizing the Indian mind is an essential first-step, coupled with homogenizing cultural differences.

His lecture was followed by an ex-student of the IIS University, Ms. Shefali Martins sharing her experience of being under Prof. Jain’s tutelage. The memorial lecture came to a close with a formal Vote of Thanks proposed by Dr. RimikaSinghvi, Head, Department of English.