Thinking Activity
This blog is a response to a thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Department of English at MKBU. In this blog, I will delve into my comprehension of postcolonial studies, focusing particularly on two articles by Ania Loomba. But let's first explore the concept of postcolonial studies.
M. H. Abrahms, in A Glossary of Literary Criticism notes that “The critical analysis of the history, culture, literature, and modes of discourse that are specific to the former colonies of England, Spain, France, and other European imperial powers. These studies have focused especially on the Third World countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean islands, and South America.….. Postcolonial studies sometimes encompass aspects of British literature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, viewed through a perspective that reveals the extent to which the social and economic life represented in the literature was tacitly underwritten by colonial exploitation.”
So by analysing the concept of the postcolonial studies, we come to the conclusion that the postcolonial studies are a reaction against colonialism and it raises questions against the colonial world who were exploiting the third world countries.
Gayatri Spivak, Homi K. Bhabha, Edward Said and many others have talked about postcolonial studies. As I am referring here to the two articles of Ania Loomba in detail in terms of postcolonial reading, it becomes essential to note that she has talked about colonialism of the recent time- in the postcolonial world. How? So let’s explore both the articles one by one.
CONCLUSION: GLOBALISATION AND THE FUTURE OF POSTCOLONIAL STUDIES
In this article Ania Loomba talks about Globalisation and the Future of Postcolonial Studies. She delves into or draws our attention to the past and present forms of empire, emphasising the importance of understanding pre-colonial histories to gain a more sophisticated perspective on contemporary global issues.
As per my interpretation, this article can be divided into four parts:
Role of the Universities
The 9/11 attack:
September 11, 2001 marks the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers- World Trade Centre which marks the significant point shaping contemporary history. This attack or the Global War on terror and the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq mark the significant change while looking at the postcolonial studies. This marked the emergence of the New American Empire which raised questions of domination.
As Ania Loomba notes,
“Since the events of 11 September 2001, the so-called global war on terror, and theUS invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, it is harder than ever to see our world as simply postcolonial. As the New American Empire develops, openly and shrilly advocated by policy-makers, politicians, and academics within the US and elsewhere, it is more “Since the events of 11 September 2001, the so-called global war on terror, and the urgent than ever to think about the questions of dominations and resistance that have been raised by anti-colonial movements and postcolonial studies worldwide.”
All these events are the part of globalisation which examine the relevance of post colonial perspective to the current world state. Globalisation has changed the world a lot. Critica and advocates have argued that we don’t need to focus on the history of European colonialism anymore. Globalisation cannot be analysed using the concepts of centre and margin, so now it is better to see it in terms of transitional networks, regional and international flows. And thus Geographical and cultural borders are breaking down. This idea is quite familiar to postcolonial studies, but it can be changed in how we think about colonial and anti-colonial stories.
Michael Hardt and Nargi in their book ‘Empire’ describes our contemporary global formulation in Imperial terms. It argues that the contemporary global order has produced a new form of sovereignty which is called the ‘Empire’.
Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, in their book "Empire," argue that our modern Empire is different from traditional empires. They call this new form of power "Empire." Unlike old empires, the Empire doesn't have a central base of control, fixed borders, or barriers. It's a more flexible and widespread system of rule that includes the whole world and manages diverse identities and exchanges through adaptable networks. So in a way they state that the new empire is better compared to the old empire.
Susie O'Brien and Imre Szeman, find it useful for thinking beyond the traditional idea of powerful centres and marginalised peripheries in globalisation. They believe this old model has limited our ability to understand modern power dynamics.
However, some critics argue that global power dynamics still involve centres and margins, and globalisation has increased existing inequalities, especially those rooted in colonialism. Tim Brennan points out that the 'Empire' has almost nothing to say about the actual peoples and histories the empires left behind... The authors barely nod in the direction of guest worker systems, uncapitalized agriculture, and the archipelago of maquiladoras at the heart of globalisation's gulag. colonies of today are given little place in the book's sprawling thesis about multitudes, biopolitical control, and the creation of alternative values".
The Global mobility of capital, industry, workers, goods and consumers dissolves earlier hierarchies and inequities, democratises nation and the relations between nations, and creates new opportunities which percolate down in some form or another to every section of society.
In Simon Gikandi's "Globalization and the Claim of Postcoloniality," he notes that even though globalisation is thought to have made postcolonial critique less relevant, it actually emphasises its radical newness by adopting important concepts from postcolonial studies, like 'hybridity' and 'difference.'
Etienne Baliban points out that neo-racism is more about cultural differences rather than biological. But today, culture can also function like nature. For instance, Muslims, they are majorly considered as a person who can never successfully assimilate into the western societies, as they are culturally conditioned to be violent, the ideas that dominated the media after the 9/11 attack in US.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist(2007), a novel by Mohsin Hamid is the finest example of it. It was later adapted in the film with the same title, directed by Mira Nair in 2012. This film is based on the 9/11 attack and its impact on a Muslim guy.
Globalisation brings positive changes by breaking down old hierarchies and connecting nations more democratically. However, globalisation isn't always good for everyone. While globalisation has made technology and information more accessible and improved some economies, it has also caused problems.
Market Fundamentalism:
As P. Sainath notes that the mobility of capitals resulted in its own fundamentalism, which he addresses as Market Fundamentalism.
“Market Fundamentalism destroys more human lives than any other simply because it cuts across all national, cultural, geographic, religious, and other boundaries. It’s as much at home in Moscow as in Mumbai or Minnesota. South Africa —whose advances in the early 1990s thrilled the world —moved swiftly from apartheid to neoliberalism. It sits as easily in Hindu, Islamic or Christian societies. And it contributes angry, despairing recruits to the armies of all religious fundamentalisms. Based on the premise that the market is the solution to all the problems of the human race, it is, too, a very religious fundamentalism. It has its own Gospel: The Gospel of St. Growth, of St. Choice."
It advocates the rise of multinational companies which have gained their place as a new empire globally.
Globalisation has provided a lot of opportunities, breaking the boundaries of the physical world. But today
Instead of becoming more united and prosperous, the world economy is now becoming even more divided. Poor are becoming poorer and Rich are becoming richer and richer.
Even the World Bank IMF, acknowledges that the number of poor people globally increased in the 1990s due to unemployment or underemployment. Just as historical colonial globalisation brought the world together economically while generating inequalities, today's new empire also promotes global connectivity and opportunities but increases inequality and creates new divisions.
Globalisation is not just about integration and development but also about imposition and underdevelopment. Like
Debt payments from developing countries,
Depressing the prices of their raw materials,
Removing trade protections,
Allowing large foreign corporations to control their economies, and reducing state support for crucial services
These actions have ruined local industries, loss of job security, and increased poverty and hunger. Globalisation isn't universally positive and has deep consequences that must be considered.
For example, during protests in La Paz against exporting natural gas to the United States, demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with globalisation, equating it with submission and domination. They saw a connection between their region's history of colonialism and the unsuccessful economic changes of the late 20th century, including Bolivia's participation in the modern global economy. Historically, Bolivia's wealth, driven by silver mining in the colonial era and tin mining in modern times, has benefited a select few families. This demonstrates the rise of selected power structures rather than collective.
It's not just the connections between past empires and today's global economy. Even Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz, formerly the Chief Economist at the World Bank, criticises globalisation imposed by institutions like the World Bank and the IMF. He calls it "market fundamentalism." Stiglitz argues that these institutions have promoted economic policies that don't work, especially for developing countries, and have undermined emerging democracies. Moreover, he claims that globalisation itself has been governed in ways that lack democracy and harm the poor in developing nations.
Joseph E. Stiglitz draws parallels between the IMF's approach to developing countries and colonialism, suggesting that it feels like the IMF acts as a colonial ruler, and this raises concerns about whether things have truly changed since the official end of colonialism.
Thus colonialism can be seen still prevailing in the world but has just gained another form.
In contrast to globalisation theorists, some contemporary proponents of a new imperialism openly point to the United States as the main beneficiary and enforcer of this emerging global order. Particularly after the events of September 11, 2001, academics and policymakers in the United States and Britain have been advocating for a new kind of imperialism led by the United States to fill what they see as a power vacuum and chaos left by the earlier wave of decolonization.
The new American empire has a dual approach: they both claim the legacy of past empires and assert the uniqueness of a U.S. empire. This approach is illustrated in an essay titled 'Supremacy by Stealth' by Robert D. Kaplan in The Atlantic Monthly.
Kaplan suggests that similar to how Rome expanded throughout the Mediterranean for the security of its core homeland rather than mere conquest, the United States now seeks a global presence due to the collapsed distances in the modern age. He argues that the United States is building an empire suited for the contemporary world.
In simple terms, the article discusses how some people argue that the United States should act as a global superpower, maintaining world order and preventing major international crimes.
It highlights that while globalisation has reduced the sovereignty of nation-states in some ways, it hasn't eliminated them entirely. Nationalism and national interests still play a significant role in shaping global conflicts. This nationalism leads countries to increase their nuclear power which can hardly be seen as a progressive in any way. Additionally, various anti-globalization movements and resistance efforts exist worldwide, often led by local communities and supported by international alliances. These movements challenge the dominance of multinational corporations and powerful nations.
Hardt and Negri argue that we can challenge powerful systems, like the Empire, from different angles. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) in India is a good example. People protested a plan to build big, unsustainable dams that could force many tribal folks out of their homes. Even though they didn't stop the dams completely, the NBA's efforts made a big impact.
They used local knowledge and methods inspired by Gandhi, and with their hard work, they got the World Bank to pull out of funding the project in 1993. This protest brought attention to how local and global economic and political powers are connected.
Plachimada Coca Cola Struggle. Plachimada is a tribal agricultural village located on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, which became a hotspot for continuous protests against Coca-Cola when the company established a cola bottling plant there in 2000.
The villagers claimed that the plant was responsible for water shortages and a decrease in agricultural yields.
Farmers in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district, India, oppose the construction of a cement plant on wetlands, a project undertaken by Nirma Ltd.
These farmers protested against the plant's development in the village of Padhiyarka, located within the Mahuva taluka. Farmers refused to give the land to the Company under the leadership of Mahuva taluka MLA Kanubhai as it could affect the livelihood of farmers.
Both of these examples indicate the hidden dangers of Globalization that have been sensed by the people, which may lead to the rise of selected power structures rather than collective.
The Role of Universities:
The last but not the least concern is acknowledged is the emergence of the new imperialism that has been significant for educational institutions.
Niall Ferguson suggests that the US must learn from Britain and send its best and brightest students from its leading universities on the imperial mission. But how will the best students be prepared to do so? In a report called 'Defending Civilization: How Our Universities are Failing America and What Can be Done About it', the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) suggests that universities are not up to this task because, unlike the rest of the country, large numbers of American academics and students are critical of US policies.
The report points out that many people on U.S. college campuses are saying that Western civilization is to blame for global problems, even though it gave us important ideas like democracy and human rights. The report criticises universities for not focusing enough on what makes America and Western civilization unique and instead quickly adding classes about Islamic and Asian cultures.
Furthermore, even those who teach Western history and literature are not resistant to critique. A report of ACTA expressed concerns not only about the exclusion of Shakespeare from required courses but also about Shakespeare and Renaissance classes being influenced by a focus on social issues such as poverty and sexuality.
That's why postcolonial studies are often criticised. These criticisms are increasing and changing over time. For example, Stanley Kurtz, who works at Stanford University, wants the U.S. Congress to connect government funding for "area studies" programs in American universities with the aim of preparing students for jobs in national security, defence, intelligence agencies, and the Foreign Service. Kurtz believes that these programs have become "anti-American" because of the impact of postcolonial studies, especially Edward Said's work called Orientalism.
Edward Said's work has been crucial in showing how academic knowledge and government power were connected during the time of colonialism and how this connection still affects the world today. To keep universities as places where different ideas are welcome, and to ensure that academic research isn't controlled by any one group, it's essential to continue studying and questioning past and present empires.
This article ends with the very significant question in terms of the role of universities and education,
If universities are to remain sites of dissent and free intellectual inquiry, if scholarship is not to be at the service of America Or any other power, critiques of the past and ongoing empires are going to be more necessary than ever.
The concern of free intellectual activity remains pivotal which constantly raises questions against the power structures.
Tigers:
This film is based on a Pakistani salesman's conflict with the giant multinational company Nestle.
Rang De Basanti:
This film depicts the clash between politicians and businessmen versus a group of young college boys. One of them has to confront his own corrupt businessman father before taking on a politician.
Ghayal Once Again:
This movie tells the story of young people who witness the murder of an RTI activist by a powerful business owner named Bansal.
Honey Adulteration with Sugar Syrup:
There have been cases of honey adulteration with sugar syrup, raising concerns about the purity and safety of honey products in the market.
In 2015, Maggi faced a massive food safety scandal due to allegedly high lead content. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India imposed a brief, nationwide ban on all Maggi products.
Ban on Pepsi & Coke in India due to Pesticide Issues and water protest:
Pesticide residue in Pepsi and Coke exceeded limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. In one bottle of Coca-Cola bought in Calcutta, the level of the carcinogenic pesticide Lindane exceeded standards by 140 times. Even People have accused Coca-Cola of dehydrating villages in its pursuit of water resources to feed its plants, drying up the local agriculture. And it was agreed by the company that the plant can't be done without water.
In a nutshell, this article provides significant overview of Globalization and the future of postcolonial studies and rightly includes the below points:
The September 11 attack and its consequences which led to the rise of American imperialism.
The Concept of New Global Empire
Rise of selected power structures
Market fundamentalism
Stopping critiques of of these events by students or academicians
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