Papers by Kevin Fernandes
Kalyan Bharati (2021 UGC Care Approved, Group I, Peer Reviewed and Referred Journal), 2021
It is often argued that a good piece of literature earns its place in the literary cannon through... more It is often argued that a good piece of literature earns its place in the literary cannon through its literary merit, its cultural significance and its relevance across time. Based on a hypothetical conversation between the 3 rd Mauryan emperor, Ashoka the Great, who ruled in the 3 rd century BCE, and his scribe Kartikeya, Keki Daruwalla's "The King Speaks to the Scribe" was published as part of the poetry collection The Keeper of the Dead (1982), and can be classified as a monologue. The poem explores the thoughts of Ashoka following the Battle of Kalinga, and the bloodshed in that battle that caused his renunciation of violence and the adoption of Buddhism. This paper will argue that instead of remorse and regret recorded in the biographies of the historical Ashoka, the poem presents the conversion to Buddhism and non-violence as an act of a king desperate to save his image and reputation in front of his new conquest, and soften the blow of his victory in the face of the devastation in the aftermath of the war. Using textual and discourse analysis, the paper will then go on to draw parallels between the poem itself and the Covid 19 Pandemic in India, and how certain images in the poem become universal, transcending the actual war at Kalinga, the representation of the war in the poem and our contemporary lived experiences.
Kalyan Bharati (2021 UGC Care Approved, Group I, Peer Reviewed and Referred Journal) , 2021
It is often argued that a good piece of literature earns its place in the literary cannon through... more It is often argued that a good piece of literature earns its place in the literary cannon through its literary merit, its cultural significance and its relevance across time. Based on a hypothetical conversation between the 3 rd Mauryan emperor, Ashoka the Great, who ruled in the 3 rd century BCE, and his scribe Kartikeya, Keki Daruwalla's "The King Speaks to the Scribe" was published as part of the poetry collection The Keeper of the Dead (1982), and can be classified as a monologue. The poem explores the thoughts of Ashoka following the Battle of Kalinga, and the bloodshed in that battle that caused his renunciation of violence and the adoption of Buddhism. This paper will argue that instead of remorse and regret recorded in the biographies of the historical Ashoka, the poem presents the conversion to Buddhism and non-violence as an act of a king desperate to save his image and reputation in front of his new conquest, and soften the blow of his victory in the face of the devastation in the aftermath of the war. Using textual and discourse analysis, the paper will then go on to draw parallels between the poem itself and the Covid 19 Pandemic in India, and how certain images in the poem become universal, transcending the actual war at Kalinga, the representation of the war in the poem and our contemporary lived experiences.
Kala Sarovar, 2021
The identity of a community depends on different factors, and food is one such cultural marker. A... more The identity of a community depends on different factors, and food is one such cultural marker. A complex network of social interactions, market forces and geographic variables produce foodscapes with various social meanings and values. Culinary narratives are an attempt to narrativize these foodscapes - memories, and social and special practices - through films and literature. This paper will attempt to analyze how the cooking and consuming of food becomes a narrative tool for constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing social norms and expectations through three select films from Malayalam Cinema.
The three primary texts for research are Salt n Pepper: Oru Dosa Undakiya Katha (2011), Ustad Hotel (2012) and The Great Indian Kitchen (2021). These films have overt references to food in their titles. What roles does food and its preparation play in these narratives? Is food merely a life sustaining activity, or does it have social functions? How are societal norms and expectations articulated through the everyday rituals of dining? How are discourses of religion, gender, caste, class and labor constructed and articulated through foodscapes?
This paper will also examine how recipes and processes of preparing food become metaphors and narrative tools in the films, and further help the viewer understand oppression, romance and also realization of one’s identity. Even when these three film titles are directly linked to food and spaces related to food, the approach to the unifying factor ‘food’, is very different in each of these films. The construction, reconstruction and deconstruction are happening through food and food practices which includes recipes and dining practices. The close reading of these three films using semiotic analysis will be attempted to bring out the underlying significance of food.
Keywords: Culinary narratives, foodscape, recipes, Salt N’ Pepper, Ustad Hotel, The Great Indian Kitchen
Fostering Higher Education: Half a Century in Service., 2019
Keeping in mind the inevitable drift between alumni and institution, universities ought to ensure... more Keeping in mind the inevitable drift between alumni and institution, universities ought to ensure that the alumni are kept updated, so they can stay connected with and keep side by side on the advancement of the institution. Great graduated class connections bring numerous advantages to both the establishment and the graduated class. As alumni of the organisation, graduated classes have an extraordinary association with the college and are, ideally, a sizeable portion of its progressively steadfast supporters. The capable graduated class will have an abundance of experience and aptitudes to impart to current understudies through talks and pamphlets. The article talks about the connect of CHRIST (Deemed to be university) with the alumni, that are said to be the backbones of the university. There is a strap between the importance of a connect, for alumni and for the benefit of the university. As an alma mater, the importance is of these relations are explained from the beginning of their course to the students, through interactions with alumni at the very start. The study also talks about the various departments of the university, and their relations with the alumni. Each department benefits in a different way, and these are reflected in the growth and excellence of the university. The article with elaborate on the importance and the concept of alumni.
CASS Studies , 2019
The large number of chaya kadas -tea shops- that have sprung up across certain neighbourhoods of ... more The large number of chaya kadas -tea shops- that have sprung up across certain neighbourhoods of Bangalore city prove to be an interesting cultural phenomenon. Though not a chain, these shops are almost uniform in appearance, and seem to be a tangible part of the migrant Malayali demographic located in these neighbourhoods.
Do these tea shops provide a sense of familiarity and rootedness in the unfamiliarity of the City? Against the backdrop of a city that has a multicultural and layered history and has become a hub for migrants and diasporic communities, does this space narrate the sense of loss that is part of the migrant experience, and how does one understand that loss? Are these just spaces of refreshment or do they inform a sense of home and an imagined past? What constitutes the link between the diasporic experience of the lived present and the imagined past?
This paper will attempt to understand how the humble chaya kada of Kerala becomes a space to negotiate memory, nostalgia and belongingness in the bustling metropolitan city of Bangalore. The researchers will study the chaya kadas located in the SG Palya-Thaverkere area, on which, nine such tea shops exist. A reading of these spaces as a cultural artefact manufactured through the diasporic experience and the markers that constitute them will be attempted.
Configuring the Common Man: Trends and Perspectives in Contemporary Indian Literature. , 2017
In the recent years, BPOs have emerged as a recurring theme/image in connection with India (popul... more In the recent years, BPOs have emerged as a recurring theme/image in connection with India (popular NBC show Outsourced and the 2006 movie by the same name) and in Indian writing in English(works of fiction include Chetan Bhagat's One Night at the Call Center and a collected non-fiction anthology titled BPO-Sutra, compiled and edited by Sudhindra Mokhasi). The emerging of this trope within popular fiction may be read in the context of service outsourcing which began in India in the mid-80s and saw a rapid acceleration in the 90s. The researcher intends to examine one such text (a novel titled Bangalore Calling by Brinda S. Narayan) in order to understand the relationship between class and gender (particularly femininity) and how gender is performed and constructed within the BPO space portrayed in the text. The research will also explore the role of traditional gender stereotypes in constructing norms for the performance of femininities. The method that the researcher will be using is primarily qualitative and textual, using feminist frameworks, particularly Gender Trouble by Judith Butler. The research findings will be based on a single text and hence, cannot be generalized to all call centre spaces. The research also assumes a singular gender-the feminine, and does not include masculine, gender queer, transgender categories. This research can, however, be extended, with qualitative and qualitative tools, to examine the construction and performativity of masculinities and to explore the BPO as a gendered space. The research falls under the domains of Feminism, Gender Studies, Popular Culture and Sociology.
Books by Kevin Fernandes
Routledge , 2024
Konkani, with over 22 lakh speakers as per the 2011 Census, creates a complex cultural micro-univ... more Konkani, with over 22 lakh speakers as per the 2011 Census, creates a complex cultural micro-universe, showing variations and diversity across caste, religion and region. One of the 22 Scheduled Languages in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, this member of the Indo-Aryan language group is a minority language in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Till it became the State Language of the Indian state of Goa, Konkani has never been the language of power or administration. According to the 1991 Census, as compared to the national average of 19.44% for bilingualism and 7.26% for trilingualism, Konkani speakers scored 74.20% and 44.68% respectively. This makes Konkanis the most multilingual community of India. This paper will attempt to identify and explore some of the ways in which the Queer is articulated in the Konkani linguistic and socio-cultural universe, specifically focusing on Roman Catholic communities.
Being “non-normative” or seen as deviant in the eyes of heteropatriarchal Catholicism, what are the slurs and slang expressions used in the Konkani universe to describe non-normative behaviour surrounding gender and sexuality? Do these words originate in Konkani, or as a language that is constantly in conversation with other languages, is there borrowing? Does the absence of vocabulary suggest a historical absence of queer identities? What are the ways in which non- heteropatriarchal identities are lived and articulated? Or are they articulated at all? What role does migration to urban centres like Mumbai, Pune or Bangalore, or the Middle East play in realizing queer identities, and if there is silence surrounding them in Konkani, how to individuals think of these identities and articulate them in new contexts?
Located in my own Konkani Catholic experiences, I propose to “search” for the Queer in Konkani through interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals located across Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai, secondary work of scholars of Konkani, and lived experiences. This oral ethnography becomes very important, particular in the absence of a strong written culture. A textual and discourse analysis will be made of the same.
Keywords: Konkani, Queer, LGBTQ+, vocabulary, slurs, lavender linguistics, socio-linguistics.
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Papers by Kevin Fernandes
The three primary texts for research are Salt n Pepper: Oru Dosa Undakiya Katha (2011), Ustad Hotel (2012) and The Great Indian Kitchen (2021). These films have overt references to food in their titles. What roles does food and its preparation play in these narratives? Is food merely a life sustaining activity, or does it have social functions? How are societal norms and expectations articulated through the everyday rituals of dining? How are discourses of religion, gender, caste, class and labor constructed and articulated through foodscapes?
This paper will also examine how recipes and processes of preparing food become metaphors and narrative tools in the films, and further help the viewer understand oppression, romance and also realization of one’s identity. Even when these three film titles are directly linked to food and spaces related to food, the approach to the unifying factor ‘food’, is very different in each of these films. The construction, reconstruction and deconstruction are happening through food and food practices which includes recipes and dining practices. The close reading of these three films using semiotic analysis will be attempted to bring out the underlying significance of food.
Keywords: Culinary narratives, foodscape, recipes, Salt N’ Pepper, Ustad Hotel, The Great Indian Kitchen
Do these tea shops provide a sense of familiarity and rootedness in the unfamiliarity of the City? Against the backdrop of a city that has a multicultural and layered history and has become a hub for migrants and diasporic communities, does this space narrate the sense of loss that is part of the migrant experience, and how does one understand that loss? Are these just spaces of refreshment or do they inform a sense of home and an imagined past? What constitutes the link between the diasporic experience of the lived present and the imagined past?
This paper will attempt to understand how the humble chaya kada of Kerala becomes a space to negotiate memory, nostalgia and belongingness in the bustling metropolitan city of Bangalore. The researchers will study the chaya kadas located in the SG Palya-Thaverkere area, on which, nine such tea shops exist. A reading of these spaces as a cultural artefact manufactured through the diasporic experience and the markers that constitute them will be attempted.
Books by Kevin Fernandes
Being “non-normative” or seen as deviant in the eyes of heteropatriarchal Catholicism, what are the slurs and slang expressions used in the Konkani universe to describe non-normative behaviour surrounding gender and sexuality? Do these words originate in Konkani, or as a language that is constantly in conversation with other languages, is there borrowing? Does the absence of vocabulary suggest a historical absence of queer identities? What are the ways in which non- heteropatriarchal identities are lived and articulated? Or are they articulated at all? What role does migration to urban centres like Mumbai, Pune or Bangalore, or the Middle East play in realizing queer identities, and if there is silence surrounding them in Konkani, how to individuals think of these identities and articulate them in new contexts?
Located in my own Konkani Catholic experiences, I propose to “search” for the Queer in Konkani through interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals located across Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai, secondary work of scholars of Konkani, and lived experiences. This oral ethnography becomes very important, particular in the absence of a strong written culture. A textual and discourse analysis will be made of the same.
Keywords: Konkani, Queer, LGBTQ+, vocabulary, slurs, lavender linguistics, socio-linguistics.
The three primary texts for research are Salt n Pepper: Oru Dosa Undakiya Katha (2011), Ustad Hotel (2012) and The Great Indian Kitchen (2021). These films have overt references to food in their titles. What roles does food and its preparation play in these narratives? Is food merely a life sustaining activity, or does it have social functions? How are societal norms and expectations articulated through the everyday rituals of dining? How are discourses of religion, gender, caste, class and labor constructed and articulated through foodscapes?
This paper will also examine how recipes and processes of preparing food become metaphors and narrative tools in the films, and further help the viewer understand oppression, romance and also realization of one’s identity. Even when these three film titles are directly linked to food and spaces related to food, the approach to the unifying factor ‘food’, is very different in each of these films. The construction, reconstruction and deconstruction are happening through food and food practices which includes recipes and dining practices. The close reading of these three films using semiotic analysis will be attempted to bring out the underlying significance of food.
Keywords: Culinary narratives, foodscape, recipes, Salt N’ Pepper, Ustad Hotel, The Great Indian Kitchen
Do these tea shops provide a sense of familiarity and rootedness in the unfamiliarity of the City? Against the backdrop of a city that has a multicultural and layered history and has become a hub for migrants and diasporic communities, does this space narrate the sense of loss that is part of the migrant experience, and how does one understand that loss? Are these just spaces of refreshment or do they inform a sense of home and an imagined past? What constitutes the link between the diasporic experience of the lived present and the imagined past?
This paper will attempt to understand how the humble chaya kada of Kerala becomes a space to negotiate memory, nostalgia and belongingness in the bustling metropolitan city of Bangalore. The researchers will study the chaya kadas located in the SG Palya-Thaverkere area, on which, nine such tea shops exist. A reading of these spaces as a cultural artefact manufactured through the diasporic experience and the markers that constitute them will be attempted.
Being “non-normative” or seen as deviant in the eyes of heteropatriarchal Catholicism, what are the slurs and slang expressions used in the Konkani universe to describe non-normative behaviour surrounding gender and sexuality? Do these words originate in Konkani, or as a language that is constantly in conversation with other languages, is there borrowing? Does the absence of vocabulary suggest a historical absence of queer identities? What are the ways in which non- heteropatriarchal identities are lived and articulated? Or are they articulated at all? What role does migration to urban centres like Mumbai, Pune or Bangalore, or the Middle East play in realizing queer identities, and if there is silence surrounding them in Konkani, how to individuals think of these identities and articulate them in new contexts?
Located in my own Konkani Catholic experiences, I propose to “search” for the Queer in Konkani through interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals located across Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai, secondary work of scholars of Konkani, and lived experiences. This oral ethnography becomes very important, particular in the absence of a strong written culture. A textual and discourse analysis will be made of the same.
Keywords: Konkani, Queer, LGBTQ+, vocabulary, slurs, lavender linguistics, socio-linguistics.