Call
for Papers
An
international (Digital) conference on
Gandhi’s
Hind Swaraj: A Linguistic Exploration
Organized
by
Institute
of Language Studies and Applied Social Sciences,
a
constituent college of Charutar Vidya Mandal University, Vallabh Vidyanagar
3 October 2020
Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi is one of the greatest communicators of our times. His command over Gujarati
as well as English language has been a subject of many scholars, political
analysts, and thinkers. Considered as seminal or foundational work, Gandhi’s Hind
Swaraj charts his philosophical ideas which have been explored in great
details in many scholarly works. This
short tract was written on his return voyage from London to Cape Town on the
deck of the ship SS Kildonan Castle in the year 1909. Inscribed on tissue roll, this work was later
published in two installments in the weekly multilingual (i.e. Hindi, Gujarati,
English, and Tamil) newspaper Indian Opinion, edited by Gandhi. However,
his language especially Gujarati needs a rigorous analysis from a linguistic
point of view. Such analysis is shadowed by examination of Gandhian ideology.
The debate whether India
realized Gandhi’s dream of India hovers amongst the Gandhian scholars. The
question that Indians replaced Britishers after Independence shadows
discussion. Is there any change in the overall lifestyle or is it just a change
in the administration or government or the constitution? Hind Swaraj appears
to preach what was to be practices to prepare India for the post Independent
laborers where human values to dominate over everything else. It was this
reason Gandhi promoted the study of regional languages including his own
language i.e. Gujarati. Do we not see the reversal of this ideology? Can a text
written and consumed in the first decade of the 20th century guide
India in the digital era?
Nearly decade earlier
Himanshu Upadhyay noted Gandhi’s intervention on standardizing Gujarati
spellings. While the spelling debate may continue parallel, Gujarati linguist, Hind Swaraj, a text in Gujarati
requires unanswered questions to be answered. Gandhi’s choice of writing this
text in Gujarati reveals an interesting entry-point for engaging into a
discourse with modern civilization through Gujarati language and literature. Pioneering
such scholarly and philosophical discourse, Gandhi perhaps challenged writings
from the Pandit Yug in the Gujarati literature. Gandhi attempts to test this
through trial and error which begins with the Hind Swaraj and gradually
matures in his autobiography Satyana Prayogo (My Experiments with the Truth).
This conference on aims to bring Gujarati Linguistics and Gandhi’s Hind
Swaraj on the same platform. Such multiple linguistic perspectives will
strengthen our understanding of not only Gandhi’s use of language but also our
first language (i.e. Gujarati).
This conference on
Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj attempts to convey Gandhi’s use of Gujarati
language during his times i.e. 1909. He was in South Africa while he published
this short tract. In fact, he made the Gujarati language global language in the
first decade of the 20th century. This conference aims to
investigate the powerful tool, i.e. Gujarati language, against the British who
banned the book which resulted into Gandhi translating the same book into
English. By rendering his own Gujarati
work into English, Gandhi challenged the British on their turf. He explained
his vision to the British Administration through the English language and
unfortunately, the young Gujaratis today, although familiar with Gandhi, are
unaware of the tools Gandhi used to make his vision clear through the Gujarati
language. The conference Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj: A Linguistic Exploration invites
proposal addressing the following topics to bridge connectivity with Gujarati
linguistics and Gandhian scholars.
Broad Conference Themes:
Historical
Linguistics and Hind Swaraj
Morphological
analysis of Hind Swaraj
Syntax
and Hind Swaraj
Semantics
and Hind Swaraj
Pragmatics
and Hind Swaraj
Sociolinguistic
and Hind Swaraj
Psycholinguistics
and Hind Swaraj
Translating
Hind Swaraj
Discourse
analysis and Hind Swaraj
Writing
and Hind Swaraj
Stylistics
and Hind Swaraj
Colloquialism
and Hind Swaraj
Preference will be given
to the proposals addressing linguistic analysis of the Hind Swaraj.
Please submit your
Abstract here: https://forms.gle/DT866q2VQ5W8z1cN7
Please clearly identify
theme from the above list while submitting the abstract. The abstract should be
not more than 250 words. Full Paper should be written between 4000 to 6000
words. Merely presenting the paper is not eligibility criteria, prior
submission of the full paper is must. This is a bilingual conference, both the English,
and Gujarati. are encouraged for presenting and reading the papers. Font size
12, Times New Roman, and double-spaced left aligned for English in word or PDF
file. For Gujarati, Font size 12, Shruti, and double-spaced left aligned text. The
reference style adopted for the conference and subsequent publication is MLA
Seventh Edition.
Confirmed Keynote
speakers:
Dr. Yogendra Vyas, Former
Director and Professor in Linguistics, School of Languages, Gujarat University:
Hind Swaraj and Satyana Prayogo: a writer’s journey from Barrister
to Mahatma
Dr. Arvind Bhandari,
Former Professor, Department of Linguistics, School of Languages, Gujarat University:
Discourse Analysis and Hind Swaraj
Dr. Rajend Mesthrie,
Professor in Linguistics, SARChi Chair in Linguistics, University of Cape Town
: TBC
Dr. Nilotpala Gandhi, Professor
in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, and Head of the Department
(Linguistics), Gujarat University: Sociocultural Aspects and Hind Swaraj
Dr. Ritu Jain, Lecturer,
School of Humanities, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore: Hind
Swaraj, Education, and New Education Policy 2020: Multilingual Singaporean perspectives
on Language Policy
Confirmation Awaiting
Professor Rajend
Mesthrie, SARChi Chair in Linguistics, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Key Dates:
|
Abstract
Submission |
20th
August 2020 |
|
Acceptance
of Abstract |
30th
August 2020 |
|
Full
Paper Submission |
20th
September 2020* |
|
Acceptance
of Full paper |
30th
September 2020 |
*Non-negotiable. If full papers are not submitted on/before the due
date, an invitation to attend and participate in the
conference will remain cancelled.
Conference Venue:
Google Meet (Link will be shared later)
Conference Dates:
3 October 2020
Conference Fees (non-refundable):
|
Professor |
INR
800 |
|
Associate
Professor |
INR
700 |
|
Assistant
Professor/Adhyapak Sahayak |
INR
500 |
|
PhD
Scholar |
INR
250 |
The fees should be paid
as soon as the abstract is accepted for the Conference on the following account
details:
Name of the Bank: Oriental
Bank of Commerce
Vallabh Vidyanagar-
388120 Dist. Anand, Gujarat
Name of the Account: ILSASS
College
Account No:09522413000201
IFSC Code: ORBC0100952
Fees once paid is
non-refundable. The Organizing committee will award the Best Paper Prize (only
for PhDs and MAs) for Linguistics in Gujarati and English.
Presenters will receive
e-certificate once the feedback form has been filled after the conference. The link will be shared after the last paper
of the conference has been presented. No communication in this regard shall be
entertained before and during the conference. Decision of the Organizers will
be final and abiding. There exists a strong publication opportunity for
deserving and original research papers; however, the papers should strictly
follow the guidelines suggested here. No further communication in this regard
will be entertained. Plagiarism check will be carried out. If the organizers
decide to record the conference, live stream on YouTube, and store the recorded
material, the same will be communicated through the selected channels of
communication.
Patrons of the Conference
CVM University and
Institute of Language Studies and Applied Social Sciences (Vallabh Vidyanagar,
Anand, Gujarat)
Please contact Dr. Mrunal
Chavda, Assistant Professor in English for any queries on 6352877174 between
10.30 am to 5.30 pm.
Online conference Protocols:
·
Mute if not presenter.
·
Check your mic and video ahead of the
conference
·
Dress formally to suite the conference
·
Sit, do not sleep or lie down, decently if
video is turned on.
·
Use earphones/headphones, not the
Bluetooth headsets.
·
Join the conference on time. Be punctual.
Respect others’ time.
·
Share PowerPoint to save time and avoiding
technical glitches.
·
Use chat box during the conference to
raise questions, queries, and comments.
About Institute of
Language Studies and Applied Social Sciences (ILSASS)
Institute of
Language Studies and Applied Social Sciences popularly known as ILSASS was
established in the year 2009. The aim of establishing this institute is to
provide excellent education to the students who wish to graduate in arts and
social sciences. The Institute has been established by Charutar Vidya Mandal,
the biggest educational trust of Gujarat, which is already running 45
educational institutions catering to around 35,000 students from across the
country and abroad. The college offers various specialization in BA such as
Applied Economics, Politics, and International Relations, English Language
& Literature, Journalism and Mass Communication and Applied Psychology. It
also teaches BSW with a special emphasis on Social Enterprise and MHRM. All
these courses are taught through English Medium. The college is situated amidst
the lush greenery of Vallabh Vidyanagar, an educational campus that dates back
to 1946. These courses provide students a distinct global perspective and trains
students to become global citizens.
About CHARUTAR VIDYA MANDAL
Path Traversed
Vallabh Vidyanagar which has a short past but a long history, is a living
memorial of Sardar Patel, the epic person. He dreamt of a modern and prosperous
Independent India in terms of regeneration of villages through (1) the
education, (2) advanced agriculture and (3) cooperative ventures. We are indeed
very fortunate that we have here all the three : Vallabh Vidyanagar is the realization
of his first dream; Institute of Agriculture at Anand (now Anand Agricultural
University) is the fruition of the second and Amul Dairy, the cradle of
cooperative dairying, is the fulfilment of the third.
BHAIKAKA & BHIKHABHAI: THE
CREATOR DUO
The genesis and phenomenal growth and development of Vallabh Vidyanagar, the
well-planned and unique educational township situated in the heart of the
Gujarat State, is stranger than fiction. Based on local talent and local
resources, the city is a peerless example of self-reliance and dedication.
While working in Sindh (now in Pakistan) as Superintending Engineer in Sukkur
Barrage, Yevala in Maharashtra and Ahmedabad Municipality, as a distinguished
Chief Engineer, Shri Bhailalbhai Dyabhai Patel, later warmly taken to their
heart by the people of Gujarat as ‘Bhaikaka’, had earned reputation for his
sense of values, discipline, dedication to duty and absolute integrity. Having
been born and brought up in a family of strained financial resources in Sojitra
village in Kheda district he had known what it meant to be poor. So, while in
dedicating himself to the cause of rural India which was sunk in inertia,
squalor, and abject poverty. Once during a meeting between him and Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel, who knew Bhaikaka as a man of practical bent of mind,
unusual ability and character, Sardar advised him to go to the villages and
work for their regeneration. Sardar’s wish was tantamount to a command to him.
Bhaikaka’s irresistible desire to improve the lot of the poor villagers coupled
with Sardar’s advice or command impelled him to take early retirement from the
service. He saw that the most potent instrument to improve the subhuman life of
villagers was to bring higher learning to their very doorstep and thus the
concept of establishing institutions of higher education started taking shape.
He got in touch with Shri Bhikhabhai Kuberbhai Patel. a dedicated and
farsighted educationist, fired by the same ideal. He had played a pivotal role
in the establishment of Charotar Education Society in Anand and Narmada
Kelavani Mandal at Shuklateerth.
Torrential Rain of Land
They held several meetings in different parts of Kheda (then Kaira) district
and a couple of them of about five hundred persons interested in higher
education in Anand town. On March 28,1945 it was decided to draw and implement
the plan of planting an educational township in a wilderness infested with
dacoits which later came to be known as Vallabh Vidyanagar. Bhaikaka and
Bhikhabhai worked out an ingenious scheme based on enlightened self-interest.
They persuaded the farmers to donate their land free of cost, saying, “Donate
your land to us now; we’ll develop and use two-thirds and return you the
remaining one-third in course of time”. It was explained to them that while
having the pleasure of assisting in the establishment of an educational
township at no cost to themselves the building plots they would each obtain
would appreciate sufficiently not only to cover the value of the land donated,
but also leave a handsome margin of profit. It was a win-win situation, and the
response was overwhelming. At a meeting in Bakrol, a village at a hailing
distance from today’s Vallabh Vidyanagar, spontaneous offer of land was made to
Bhaikaka and Bhikhabhai.A map of the village was spread before the duo and they
were asked to mark with a pencil the area needed. Residents of Anand and
Karamsad (Sardar Patel’s village) followed suit. Thus, a total of 555 acres of
land at the intersection of Bakrol, Karamsad, and Anand was received in
donation. It was a torrential rain of land!
Exemplary Self-reliance
The founders decided to establish two institutions - Charutar Vidya Mandal and
Charotar Gramoddhar Sahakari Mandal. The former was to be devoted to the cause
of education, that is, establishing colleges and schools and the latter meant
to produce the building materials for educational institutions and residential
quarters. They were registered on August 10, 1945 and September 7, 1945,
respectively. Bhaikaka and Bhikhabhai came to reside in the wilderness in an
improvised residence - a hut measuring 8 ft and 1 0 ft on March 3, 1 946. They
chose a mango tree and installed themselves under it, in the divine presence of
Lord Brahma, the Super Creator, dreaming, planning, breaking a new ground,
organizing, getting things done and resolving snarls to plant a city of
education far from the maddening hustle and bustle of cities. It merits a
special mention here that Bhaikaka, the Patriarch of Mango Tree, as he was then
called, despised the idea of copying or borrowing know-how and do-how from
anywhere. His indomitable faith in the local human material, though inexperienced,
propelled him to bake bricks for the buildings locally. He established building
material units -workshop and foundry, cement pipe factory, tiles factory,
rubber factory and prestressed concrete factory to produce, in addition to
bricks, lime, timber doors and windows, flooring tiles, hume pipes and various
concrete products. The materials thus produced worked out cheaper than in the
market and in addition, provided employment to the local people. It is
difficult to resist the temptation of recalling here that Bhaikaka invited a
Harijan to inaugurate the brick-kiln, a Muslim mechanic to lay the foundation
of the workshop and foundry and a Brahmin to lay the first brick of the V. P.
Science College! A printing press named as Gramoddhar Printing Press, for
printing handbills, booklets, books, research journals, and question papers,
was also set up. Bhaikaka, the man with green thumb, planted a thousand trees.
It is to him that we owe the lush-green, stately, shady trees all along the
roads in Vallabh Vidyanagar.
ABOUT VALLABH VIDYANAGAR
Culture
The town is the synthesis of varied cultures, which enable it to evolve and
expand the quality life, as well as to foster an environment of creativity
amongst the student citizens. Those who stay here always cherish the golden
moments of life in the campus. Today, the town has compounded in strength and
consolidated itself to take on the challenges of the emerging future.
Vidyanagar is a mixed culture of say pan-India. One is sure to find the
different ways of cultural exchanges among the students and faculties.
Life
The life at Vidyanagar is all about discovering one’s self. To be a part of the
life that will offer a lot one should be ready to take up the challenges.
Academic is at its best, fun and frolics do compete with it. Days are hectic
with studies while nights go with fun places filling the air with discussions
about the day’s happenings and eating out at almost all the places that glitter
with neon lights. Roaming till late night is a very common aspect of citizens.
Even girls are safe.
Environ
When one enters Vidyanagar, the lush greenery, which is a sure means of
breathing fresh air in all seasons, catches the eyes of the naturalist. Its
lush green trees of different types and kinds have not only made the town
environment-friendly, but also have created a serene and ever enjoyable
tranquil atmosphere generating synergistic ecstasy in the campus. The campuses
are built surrounded with trees of various kinds. Vallabh Vidyanagar is blessed
with the splendor of nature. The pollution-free environ, attracting many to
make the town their permanent home, add value to the academic life in the
campus.
Amenities
Vallabh Vidyanagar has all the amenities which major metropolis offer; rather
it has the best of both the worlds - glamour and simplicity. Apart from the
academic aspect, V.VNagar has a unique chain of food courts, almost all
nationalized and non- nationalized banks and accommodation facilities up to
five star levels. It encapsulates the contemporary trends of the youth, while
at the same time it attempts to make these trends meaningful by making felt the
presence of different spiritual vibes.
Location
Vallabh Vidyanagar embraces a rarity of raison dore behind its origin and a
variety of education with its development and growth. Strategically located
between Ahmedabad and Vadodara, Vallabh Vidyanagar today has reckoned to be an
Active Educational core in the western constituent of India & just six
kilometers from India’s milk city Anand. One can visit the city of Vallabh
Vidyanagar by flying to the International airport at Ahmedabad as well as the
Domestic airport at Vadodara. If one chooses to travel by road, National
Highway 8 takes less than an hour to reach Vallabh Vidyanagar from Vadodara.
Contact US:
Write to us:
Mota Bazaar, Vallabh
Vidyanagar, Anand, Gujarat 388120
India
Call us: 02692 230 190
Visit Our Website:
http://www.ilsass.edu.in/
https://www.cvmu.edu.in/
