The International Conference on “Imagining and Translating the ‘Other’: Engaging with Contemporary Indian Literature” concluded at CUO

The International Conference on “Imagining and Translating the ‘Other’: Engaging with Contemporary Indian Literature” of the Department of English Language and Literature (DELL), Central University of Odisha, Koraput was concluded with a short session on 22.03.2023, graced by the best wishes of honourable Vice Chancellor, and by the presence of Prof. J.B. Pandey, Visiting Professor of Hindi, CUO, who joined as Guest of Honour.
The summing up was done by Prof. Himansu S. Mohapatra, director. The two foreign delegates Chandrahas Choudhury and Prof. Alessandro Vescovi as well as a selection of outstation participants Dr. Manisha Mishra, Head English, Rama Devi Women’s University, Dr. Munira Salim, Head, English, Stewart Science College, Dr. Tyagraj Thakur, Senior faculty of English, Silicon University of Technology, Dr. Siddharth Mohapatra, Senior faculty of English, Nalinikanta Parhi, Lecturer in English, Nilgiri College, and senior journalist and media person Sandeep Mishra gave their responses to the 3-day conference. The vote of thanks was extended by the convener Sanjeet Kumar Das.
Senior professors Prof Guru Charan Behera, Prof Dipti Ranjan Pattanik (both from BHU), Prof Asim Ranjan Parhi (Head, English, Utkal University), Prof Mary Mohanty and Tanutrushna Panigrahi (Utkal University) were present.
The second day of the conference began with a plenary lecture titled “Watch Out, Di: New Vistas in Indian Fiction Today” by Chandrahas Choudhury, which served as a mirror of the whole panorama of new trends in creative writing and translation in Indian literature.
The second day’s proceedings were capped by a cultural extravaganza, put up by the students. The package included poetry recitation, one full length play (Nirajana by Bijay Mishra) and a solo play, songs and dance performances.
The third day saw two plenary lectures, the first one by Prof Alessandro Vescovi, titled “From Toru Dutt to Amitav Ghosh: Two Instances of Translating India for the Word”, and, the second by Prof Harish Trivedi, former professor of English, University of Delhi, titled “Othering Ourselves: The Paradox of (Self-) Translation”.
The spirited participation, learned deliberation, and overwhelming response elicited by the conference underlined the fact that fact that the India-centric turn taken by English studies in India two decades ago had come of age and was in vibrant health.