Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Mar 16: A Two-Day International Conference on ‘Precarious Lives, Vulnerability and Violence in Indian Public Sphere’ organized by the School of Languages and Literature, inaugurated at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), here today.
The inaugural session began with an introductory address by Dr. Isha Malhotra, Head, School of Languages and Literature, SMVDU. She emphasized that the conference aims to strike an interface with literature and language within the critical framework of precarity beyond the lexical parameters of insecurity and vulnerability within the Indian public sphere.
Prof. VK Bhat, Dean FOHSS delivered the welcome address and elaborated that addressing precarity requires a holistic approach that takes into account the political, economic and social factors contributing to varied vulnerable conditions as well as the lived experiences and perspectives of those who are most affected by them.
Nagendra Singh Jamwal, Registrar SMVDU briefed the participants about the University and its constant and successful endeavours to organize such scholastic events. He fore-grounded the relevance of the conference terming it a ‘watershed moment’ and remarked that conferences like this are extremely significant in propagating the academic discourse.
Padma Shree Prof. RK Sinha, Vice Chancellor formally inaugurated the conference as a chief guest and highlighted the importance of such relevant themes in contemporary times. He emphasized how “Precarity” has emerged as a central concern in scholarly research partly responsive to political mobilizations against unemployment and social exclusion.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Kanika Batra, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Texas Tech University on the title ‘Precarity and Transgender Vulnerability: Bombay Dost and the Limits of Queer Intersectionality’, who marvellously connected precariousness with the transgender community.
Eminent plenary speakers include Dr. Om Prakash Dwivedi from the School of Liberal Arts at Bennett University whose plenary address was titled “The Many Frames of Precarity”.
Dr. Anurag Kumar, the convener of the conference proposed a formal vote of thanks, while research scholars namely Devika Sharma and Eva Sharma of School of Languages and Literature conducted the proceedings.
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