CLA 1 | Question 2

Summary

The transcript discusses an anthology titled *This Side, That Side: Restoring Partition*, curated by Vishti Kos in 2013, which features 28 short comics by artists from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The collection explores personal and imagined narratives around the traumatic event of the Partition of British India. The essay delves into three works from the anthology, analyzing how decolonization is portrayed through visual styles. It highlights the decolonial approach in the comics as counter-narratives that challenge dominant Western discourses on Partition, memory, trauma, and human struggles during that period.

Takeaways

• 📚 The anthology 'This Side, That Side: Restoring Partition' was curated by Vishwajyoti Ghosh and published in 2013, featuring 28 short comics by artists from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
• 🖌️ The collection of comics narrates memories and fictional accounts related to the Partition of British India, reflecting on personal struggles, emotions, and trauma experienced during that period.
• 📖 The anthology situates itself within the historical context of the Partition, which led to significant turmoil, displacement, and disenchantment in the region.
• 🖼️ The comics are recognized for their unique visual and pictorial representations that convey themes of partition trauma, memory, and the refugee crisis.
• 🔍 The essay focuses on three specific works from the collection: 'The Taboo' by Malini Gupta, 'DTI M and Afterlife' by Sanjay Chakraverti, and 'Making Faces' by Orijit Sen, exploring their portrayal of decolonization.
• 🧠 The concept of decolonization in these comics involves challenging Western modernity and dominant knowledge systems by offering alternative narratives and visual styles.
• 🌍 The anthology contributes to a broader intellectual movement in the Global South that critiques Western dominance and emphasizes the need for a decolonized perspective on historical events.
• 🗣️ Decoloniality is described as both a thought process and an attitude, aiming to resist Western ideologies and promote rational perspectives that differ from Western viewpoints.
• 🎨 The graphic anthology employs a non-traditional, decolonized visual style that merges conventional comic forms with innovative techniques to represent historical and personal narratives of the Partition.
• 📚 The works draw on the theories of notable decolonial thinkers like Aníbal Quijano, Walter Mignolo, and María Lugones to create counter-narratives that challenge the existing discourse on Partition and colonial legacies.

Q & A

What is the title of the collection discussed in the transcript?

The title of the collection is 'This Side, That Side: Restoring Partition,' published in 2013.

Who curated the anthology 'This Side, That Side'?

The anthology was curated by Vishti Kos.

How many short comics on partition are featured in the anthology?

The anthology features 28 short comics on partition.

What regions do the artists in the anthology come from?

The artists come from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

What major historical event is the anthology centered around?

The anthology is centered around the partition of British India, a widely believed abysmal event that caused disaster, disenchantment, and relocation.

What does the anthology explore in terms of its narrative focus?

The anthology explores personal memories, imaginary pieces, and an archive of people’s struggles, emotions, and trauma related to the partition.

Which three works are analyzed in the essay?

The three works analyzed are 'The Taboo' by Malini Gupta, 'DTI M and After Life' by Sanjay Chakraverti, and 'Making Faces' by Orit S.

How is decolonization depicted in these works?

Decolonization is portrayed in the visual styles of the works as decolonized counter-narratives, challenging dominant discourses on partition.

What is the significance of decolonial sentiment in the visual styles of the comics?

Decolonial sentiment in the visual styles helps dislocate dominant Western knowledge systems and emphasizes a perspective that aligns with the Global South's struggles against epistemic and existential violence.

What broader intellectual movement does the essay associate with decoloniality?

The essay associates decoloniality with challenging Western modernity and the civilizational crisis, as articulated by scholars such as Anibal Quijano, Walter Mignolo, and Maria Lugones.