Bharati College Celebrated ‘Antradrishti’ – A Program for Disable Students

Amidst these difficult times of covid pandemic, Bharati College has been working to provide its students with all kinds of facilities that ensure uninterrupted teaching and learning activities and strengthening of bond between teachers and pupils. In this direction, the College is committed towards disable students for whom the pandemic created tougher challenges like inaccessibility of online education, lack of teachers’ guidance and supervision and paucity of resources. On April 3, 2021, the Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) and the Enabling Unit of Bharati College organized Antradrishti – an annual and cultural fest. Attended by the hundreds of students from the colleges of Delhi University and universities nationwide, the program started with the opening remarks of Dr Rajni – the convener of EOC – followed by the lecture of the principal, Dr. Rekha Sapra, who enlightened the students on gender sensitization. Dr. Sapra focused on the patriarchal structure of societies globally and how this system put obstacles against women and the condition becomes even more difficult for disable women. The second speaker Prof. Sanjeev Kumar from the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, lectured on ‘Self Help’ –a profoundly important topic for disable students amidst these times when they need continuous mentoring, moral boost and motivation to work for their betterment. Among the speakers, Mr N Sivaji Rao – managing trustee of Help the Blind Foundation – stressed on the empowerment of disable students by educating them, professionally train them for industrial jobs and sensitizing the public.  With this, the first part of the program ended with the vote of thanks by Dr. Dinesh Kumar from the Department of History, Bharati College. The second part of the program incorporated three competitions – Self Made Poetry, Debate and Folk Song Singing – in which more than 20 disable students participated. The competitions were judged by the members of EOC – Dr Asha Tiwari, Dr. Sarita Pathak, Dr. Shalu Kaur and Mr. Chetan – who encouraged students and boosted their confidence. These competitions not only fetched reward money to winners but also instill a sense of self-respect. Disable students should not consider themselves marginalized and separated from others rather continuously strive and struggle for their rights.

ANTRADRISHTI - Annual Academic and Cultural Fest, April 3, 2021

Equal Opportunity Cell and Enabling Unit

of
BHARATI COLLEGE
Organizes
ANTRADRISHTI
(Annual Academic and Cultural Fest)
on
April 3, 2021

Program Schedule

1) Webinar: Self Help is the Secret of Your Success (10AM -11AM)

By Prof Sanjeev Kumar

(Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi

2) Workshop: Career Prospects for the Disable Students (11AM -12 Noon)

By Alka Dua

(RCI Registered Professional and Counselor) 

Competitions 

a) Poetry - Self Made Poetry, Language - Hindi/English, Time Limits - 5 Mins

Registration link - https://forms.gle/MG7xpSQJ4BsBnyrj9

b) Debate - Social Media - Usage and Impact, Language - Hindi/English, Time Limits - 5 Mins

Registration link - https://forms.gle/NvqxMvXzFAP1jR9B8

c) Singing - Folk Songs, Language - Hindi/English, Time Limits - 5 Min

Registration link - https://forms.gle/hPE7jhv7kLaBA2Bk8

*Attractive Prizes for the Winners

*Students Participation Certificates will also be given

# Only Differently able students can participate in competitions

Event Registration link-

https://forms.gle/W5prJ7f2A6V6Een7A

Venue – Google Meet link

https://meet.google.com/hgf-hatu-mki

Contact the following for registration or further information:-

1. Nishita Pokhriyal – 8178082667

2. Archi Agarwal – 8859743927

Umberto Eco: Rethinking History and Fiction

Umberto Eco is a known name who gives a new dimension to postmodern fiction through his famous book The Name of the Rose that has received huge appreciation across the world. Eco is one of the first torch bearers that sparked the discourse on the relationship between history and fiction. Apparent from the preface of The Name of the Rose, he writes the story is derived from a manuscript which encapsulates details of a real incident from the fourteenth century. The incident revolves around a much debated issue – “Whether the Church should give away its wealth?” on which the two sects of Christianity divided. The Franciscans debated on the Poverty of Christ whereas the Dominicans countered them vehemently with their arguments for the punishment given to heretic and unbelievers.

Eco has not only articulated these religious and philosophical issues but also tried to show their sociological and economic impact on marginalized people. Weaving around the themes of history and fiction, Eco’s Foucault’sPendulum, another of his masterpiece, raises the question of how fiction inspired from the history is treated as truth by the reader who takes it substitute of history. This kind of fiction does not challenge the discipline of history rather it brings forth forgotten history.

Umberto Eco: Rethinking History and Fiction analyzes the common ground between history and fiction. The book argues that the two disciplines have their relevance and produce knowledge. The book is a an attempt to understand the ways in which history and fiction intrude into each other territories and open terrains for the reader to grapple with their complexities.

                                                  

Table of Content

I)        Chapter 1– History and Fiction

II)       Chapter 2 – The Name of the Rose: A Study of History and Fiction

III)      Chapter 3 – The Name of the Rose: Knowledge, Detection, Threats, Institutionalization and Interpretation

IV)      Chapter 4 - Foucault’s Pendulum: The Creation of Multiple Histories

V)       Chapter 5 - “Towards of New Middle Ages”: Resurrection of Past in Present

VI)      Conclusion – Eco’ Fictional History and Sensational Fiction

Bibliography

A Sahib's War by Rudyard Kipling

A Sikh soldier Umr Singh, who was a servant of Kurban Sahib wants to go back to his mother country India.  Umr Singh served in the British Army for a long time and now he is old. Although Umr Singh held the position of trooper in the British army, he clung to his Kurban sahib and did all kinds of choruses for him like cooking and other tasks. Kurban Sahib died three months ago. The relationship between Kurbaan Sahib and Umr Singh was so intense and that they broke the ideological differences and became good friends. At one moment, Kurbaan Sahib decided to go back to England but after sometimes he rejoined the contingent of British army. Despite returning to England, Kurban Sahib always remembered his Indian soldiers and when he rejoined the British army he curiously searched for them. Umr Singh and Kurbaan Sahib knowingly got themselves transferred from India to Capetown to become eyewitness of the Boer war.

Kipling advocates that either a nation rules or being ruled; it cannot be ruler and ruled at the same time. It is provocative statement from Umr Singh underscores the glorious era of British rule in South Africa and prestige earned by Englishmen. 

Boer war accounts disseminates across continents via writing records and memoirs of Indian soldiers went into the battle. Mostly the people fighting in the Boer war adopted gorilla techniques pretending to be in peace with white flags on their houses but shooting the English soldiers at night. Farmers, women and children wear soldiers uniform. Untrained people were battling with the British soldiers.

Soldiers Three

Soldiers Three is a collection of stories written between 1882 and 1888 with three major characters – Mulvaney, Learoyd and Ortheris – sharing their personal experiences, adventures, romance, military exercises, mischievousness and pranks. These stories, as such, are not concerned with colonial wars, administrative control, masculinity, chivalry, death and sufferings instead cover the garrison army at rest. His writings evoke feelings and action of soldiers at parade ground or resting in their quarters. Kipling was embarrassed to make war the subject of his writing. He mainly confines to the phases of military life: parades, drills, guardhouses, discipline, alcohol, punishment, training, diseases and homesickness.

Kipling shifts from private life of underdog soldiers in Barracks to regiments battling on the Northwest frontier of India in “The Drum of Fore and Aft.”  It is a story of two young drummer boys Jakin and Lew who shame their army by going into the battlefield against powerful and fanatical Muslim fighters alone.  The regiment is inspired from the courage of two boys and retreat against the enemy. The battle is won but both Jakin and Lew died.     

The Name of the Rose Adapted

According to a report published on Hypable, Umberto Eco’s most famous novel “The Name of the Rose” is adapted into a series to be premiered on TBD 2019. The adaption would be telecasted into the eight episodes. As per the report, the adaptation “could be the most compelling adaptions of 2019.” The novel revolves around the series of murders committed in an Italian monastery which are solved by a monk – William of Baskerville who uses the detective techniques of Sherlock Holmes. In the report of Hypable, it is also said, “resembling a Holmesian feel, there is a labyrinth library complete with a mute librarian poisoned pages, scorpions, locusts and bodies piling up by the day. Grab a copy of the novel before you watch the series........    

“The Captive” from Traffic and Discoveries by Rudyard Kipling

The Captive is a story of a man Laughton Zigler whom the narrator met during his visit to the camp of prisoners caught in the Boer War. Mr. Zigler shares his experiences with the army officers of other nations. He also tells the narrator about his invention of a new gun for which he finds no buyer.  Mr. Zigler is a professional inventor of arms. He has a strong confidence on his inventions and skills. Fortunately, he finds Mr. Van Zyl, a Boer commander, who expresses his interest in Zigler’s invention of new light gun and explosives.

The story then shifts to the fighting between the British forces and South Africans over the rising influence of Britain in South Africa. Mr. Zigler underestimates the potentialities of the Royal British Artilleries and thinks that his invention of new light gun machine can be detrimental to the British forces. However, there are no casualties to the British forces as such from Zigler’s gun.

The British forces imprison Mr. Zigler and Mr. Van Zyl. British commanders question Mr. Zigler of his new invention of light gun and how does it help soldiers in the war. Captain Mankeltow questions Zigler about some specific parts of his gun to find out why it weighs so light. Captain  Mankeltow and the General of the British army disclose that they would like to have this war continued for next six months to train their soldiers and boys. In wake of less area to set up training camps, these small battles on the soil of natives serve the training exercise for soldiers.

“The Captive” is related to Britain’s tough opposition to the South African natives participating in the Boer war. It gives an insight into the unmatched strength of the Royal British Army gaining popularity for recruiting young soldiers and technology upgradation that modernizes arms and ammunitions proved impossibly advanced for opposition soldiers. These small wars turns out to be a training camp for soldiers.

The Prague Cemetery III

In Paris, Simonini begins the business of forging documents. The business operates from a small room located over a junk shop near place Maubert. Not only this, he succeeds in getting the work of forging documents from the French government. So the next thirty years, he proves a potential agent for the French Secret service as he keep checks on the revolutionaries planning to rebel against Napoleon III. He, in fact, gives intelligence to the secret agency when the Paris Commune happens. His engagement with the French secret service earns him a lot of money and wealth. He spends this money to pay the bills and to fulfill his passion for delicious food. However, he always plans to retire from his business of forging documents to a decent pension. While forging, he somehow hatches a plan in which he finds that the Jews are plotting for the domination of world. Simonini gets success in hatching the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion when he learns about the novel – Joseph Balsamo – written by AlexandreDumas. Most of the novels which he forged are written in the form of diary. On one morning, when Simonini wakes up he finds that he has lost his memory. When he looks around, he suspects everything and thinks that something terrible has happened…….. the remaining story is left for readers……..

The Prague Cemetery Part II

During his mission, Simonini finds out that the thousands of red shirts supporters of Garibaldi are students, craftsmen, artisans, professionals of different trades but none of them belong to the community of peasants. Simonini also discovers that though Garibaldi becomes the leaders of protestors and invaded Sicily, he does not believe in social revolution. Simonini meets two Italian patriots – Ippolito Nievo and Nini Bixio – who seems to have possessed some very important documents. Simonini receives an order that he has to destroys those documents in the possession of Nievo. Simonini heads to executes his plans for which he blows up the ship on which Nievo is sailing. In the explosions, hundreds of people died as they drown in the water. Simonini is punished for his deeds and exiled to Paris in France. He reaches the French capital in 1861 and starts his new life in isolation. This is the turning point of the book………continues

The Prague Cemetery Part I

Published in October 2010, The Prague Cemetery is the sixth novel of famous Italian author Umberto Eco who is known for his one of the best-selling novel – The Name of the Rose. The story revolves around Simone Simonini who was born in the city of Turin in 1830. Simonini loses his parents at a very young age; his father lost his life while fighting for the united Italy while his mother died when he was very young. His grandfather nourishes him and indoctrinates that the French Revolution was the outcome of plan made by the Bavarian Illuminati, Jacobins and most importantly Knights Tempers. But behind this revolution the Jews are the ultimate force.

After completing his education in law, Simonini begins to work for a corrupt lawyer who teaches him how to do forgery and embezzle the funds. These skills turn out to be the problem for him as the Piedmont Government engages him for the job of spy. Simonini received the task to send updates of Giuseppe Garibaldi activities from Palermo. Garibaldi invaded the city of Sicily in 1860 with the support of Thousands Red Shirts………continues..........

The Name of the Rose : Overlapping of History and Fiction

The Name of the Rose opens avenues for re-looking at the conflict between two disciplines – history and literature  – as the reader after reading the book finds himself on a fragile ground to understand if he has read a history book or a postmodernist detective fiction. When we study The Name of the Rose in context of postmodernist theory of history and fiction, we find that Eco prioritizes concerns to present the changing social, political and religious spheres with the help of fiction. It also leads us back into the domain of detective fiction wherein the world of Conan Doyle emerges. Fiction grounds on imagination that helps in the construction of narrative picture and history gives the picture of past. Fiction infiltrates into the territory of facts with the presentation of verified data in the form of names, factions, dates, and incidents. This crossing of the boundary blurs the demarcation of history and fiction as the reader finds himself incapable to treat the content fact or imaginatively constructed. Linda Hutcheon argues that the

writing of postmodernists is best represented by those works of historiographic metafiction which self consciously distort history. This distortion of history could be accomplished through various means such as blending of “history and fantasy.”  Postmodern historical novels incorporate historical documents, events and historical personages into the fictional worlds of their works, drawing attention at the same time to this process. Linda Hutcheon in her Poetics of Postmodernism labels postmodern historical novels as “historiographic metafictions” since they thematize the theory of contemporary historiography and problematize the distinction between history and fiction. She explains her reason for such a label thus: “[historiographic metafiction] puts into question, at the same time as it exploits, the grounding of historical knowledge in the real past. This is why I have been calling this historiographic metafiction.” [1]

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[1] Linda Hutcheon, The Poetics of Postmodernism. London: Routledge. 1989 p. 92.

The Role of the Reader

Eco’s The Role of the Reader points to the construction of the reader in a closed text as well as the open text. This construction of the reader depends upon the intention of the author in the closed text while the role of the author is limited in an open text as it does not require a reader to read the text consciously. An open text has an open structure and invites the reader to examine it using multiple approaches for the production of a hosts of meanings. In contrast, the closed text impedes the reader from generating his own meanings since the text continuously reminds him that its relevance emerges from the time period in which it was produced. The reader finds himself stuck in the closed meanings deeply rooted in the life of author. Not only this, the text forces the reader to context it with the author’s politics. There is another dimension to it which Eco defines in the following words - ‘‘You cannot use the text as you want, but only as the text wants you to read it’’ (Eco, Role 9).  In order to construct a model reader with the help of text, the art of decoding the meaning from the structure of the novel has to be learned.

Foucault's Pendulum

Foucault's Pendulum is a story of three friends named Belbo, Diotallevi and Casaubon. The three work for a vanity publisher in Milan. In their job profile, they get many manuscripts about occult conspiracy theories to read. The three claim that they can write better occult conspiracy theories and decide to invent their own conspiracy for fun. They named this satirical intellectual game "The Plan".

The three friend - Belbo, Diotallevi and Casaubon – are obsessed with ‘The Plan’ and sometimes forget that it is just a game. The situation becomes even worse when other conspiracy theorists learn about ‘The Plan.’ Belbo realizes that the people of some secret organization believes in their plan and target him. The secret society believes that Belbo knows the key to the lost treasure of the Knights Templar. The famous Foucault pendulum of Musée des arts et métiers in Paris plays a major part in the novel…………………….continues

On Ugliness

As per the news published in Iran's Books New Agency, Umberto Eco gathered ideas and concepts of ugliness from different books written at different point of time in the past.  Umberto Eco published the book titled  ‘On Ugliness’ in 2007 to which he referred in an interview "If a novelist does not challenge his scientific character, his writing style remains consistent and unchanged." 

The book is unique in the sense that it deals with various several "several aspects of ugliness in the classical world, the concepts of fascination, death, martyrdom, resurrection, hell, demons, monsters and sinister signs, the ugly, ridiculous, shameful, ugliness of women from antiquity to baroque and the presence of evil in the modern world." (IBNA)

Umberto Eco Reappears in Detective Fiction "The 7th Function of Language"

Once again detective fiction writers could not avoid referring to the legendry author – Umberto Eco - and his provocative artistic skills of creating mysteries. This time Laurent Binet has experimented to write a postmodernist and post structuralist detective fiction based on the life famous critic – Roland Barthes. His new novel The 7th Function of Language stuns the reader when they find that Roland Barthes did not die in an accident rather it was a planned murder for a secret document possessed by him. This secret document has details about the potency of language to persuade people. This document could enable its possessor to be the master of the world.  

The story has characters known for their academic and intellectual works. Among them, Umberto Eco, Roman Jakobson and Julia Kristeva are the ones who Laurent Binet included to create such a wonderful postmodernist detective fiction. The Protagonist meets Umberto Eco in the city of Bolgna. 

New Spark to the Mystery of Templers and Holy Grail

As per a new report published on the website of History Channel, the mystery of Templers has sparked discussion with an English cave came into limelight. The cave is engraved with some mysterious images that remind people of eight hundred years old Templers and Holy Grail. 

The mystery is so intrigue that it has been dragging writers, historians and scholars to unearth the truth. Writers, historians and explorers are so much of obsessed with the mystery that in the first decade of twenty first century Dan Brown gave a new twist to it by fictionalize in his famous book – The Da Vinci Code. And who can forget the legendry Italian Writer Umbero Eco for his masterpiece – Foucault’s Pendulum that stunned the reader with its thrilling unraveling of truth in fiction -

“Generation after generation, from Walter Scott’s nineteenth-century romance ‘Ivanhoe’ to Umberto Eco’s 1988 novel ‘Foucault’s Pendulum’ to the video game franchise ‘Assassin’s Creed’, the Templars are portrayed as a strange, often shadowy and sometimes downright evil organization, deathless and self-interested, guarding secrets and treasure, and out to control the world.”[1]

 Foucault’s Pendulum drags readers interested in searching the truth of Holy Grail and Templers in fiction. Even more encouraging is the way academia responded to the popular historical fiction.

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[1] http://www.history.com/news/medieval-carvings-spark-new-templar-theories

Not Just Detective Story

On December 27, 2016, The New Indian Express published an opinion article titled "A detective story, not for the faint hearted" by Shom Biswas on Umberto Eco's famous postmodern novel - The Name of the Rose - to acquaint the reader with the queerness of the story situated in the fourteenth century and exploiting the modern detective techniques of inquiring into the mysterious death of monks. I agree with Biswas to a great extent with regard to the summary and unique plot but apparently the author fumbles on the issue of knowledge and philosophical debate in different spheres including the Roman Catholic Church, diverse opinion of Christians on poverty, division of Christians followers and most importantly, the threat to the church from Aristotle's philosophy. Even more surprising for the readers is the character Baskerville - not a new creation rather an imitation of Arthur Conan Doyle's short story - "The Hound of Baskerville"

The book is unique as it opens avenues for the interested readers to see it through a prism that enables them to realize its critical potential.

for more information visit - http://centurypublications.co.in/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=3507

Umberto Eco Quotes for Games and Entertainment

As per the PC Games, "Quote is a game about burning books and feeding authors to a ravenous kiwi-like creature in order to purge the world of knowledge. Ostensibly, you’re the bad guy, an empty vessel sent by the tyrannical Bliss, God of Ignorance to destroy fiction and fact alike. In the surreal confines of the game however, you’re Novella, Priestess of Bliss, a heroic girl on a mission to cure the world of a blight that consumes everyone it reaches."


“We decided very early on that we should lock ourselves away and make something as strange as possible,” explains Quote’s lead designer Robin Lacey. Indeed, what do Italian philosophers and ‘90s Saturday morning cartoons have in common? Nothing. And yet overtones of both Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose and Cartoon Network's finest can be glimpsed in every nook and cranny of this isometric brawler.


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History give an access to unknown past through narrative structure scaffolding on facts and manuscripts drawn from achieves. These manuscripts and detailed accounts corroborate with ruined archeological sites with inscriptions and arts. Thus, history represents rational and objective truth that answers to all the queries of people about the past.  What happens when a fiction writer chooses stories and characters from history? If a fictional story is based on a historical incident and characters, what is the difference between fiction and history? Does the reader not find himself cheated? What stand does the reader take with respect to fiction and history? These questions inform about the substitutive nature of history and fiction that have infiltrated into each other territories. Does it really obliterate the difference?   The questions become easier to answer if we define history and fiction in their respective territories. In fact, neither history is fictitious nor fiction is history; they do not pose a challenge to each other only inform about narrative structure and their representation through language.

The debate on the substitutive nature of history and fiction becomes important when I read Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, which is drawn from a manuscript, narrating a story of monastery from the fourteenth century. The manuscript is based on a real incident and Eco employs its content to write the book incorporating real characters and organizations. He sheds light on the problems people faced owing to their religious positions, and how science proved detrimental to religion.  The book exhibits the significance of rational thinking and theory of deduction (primarily used by Sherlock Holmes) to access knowledge. The study has discovered that history is a source of knowledge about the past which uses scientific methods as a detective employs to solve a mystery.  The study also takes into account the theories of history and fiction with a specific reference to borrowing of content and characters from other sources without acknowledgment. Foucault’s Pendulum is a story of three editors who develop a PLAN from second rate manuscripts on historical incidents. A secret organization considers the fictitious PLAN to be real and kills the three editors. They borrow their content on the Templars and other secret organizations from the manuscripts. The study shows that history emerges through multiple texts. Each text has its own significance and essence; each text oozes from the other. The production of text questions the authenticity from which it has evolved. In Foucault’s Pendulum, Eco sets a conversation between past and present then move to the borrowing from the past and its articulation in new framework. 

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 Umberto Eco Dies at Eighty Four

The death of Italian author - Umberto Eco - at the age of eighty four is an immense lose to his admirers. Known for his best-selling book The Name of the Rose, Eco produced captivating historical fiction on the middle ages. His works spell bounded the readers with an intense philosophical debates and thought provoking narratives. Published in 1989, Eco’s second book Foucault’s Pendulum received enthusiastic response from the readers who were mesmerized by synchronization of mystery, history, fiction and philosophy. Eco seemed to have evinced an unrealized fact that the publication of vanity books containing mysteries could be catastrophic to the society. Such books challenged the established opinion and threatened the faith of people in the existing system. As shown, Foucault’s Pendulum dealt with a game based on various conspiracy theories about The Knight Templers.

Eco was not only known for his postmodern historical fiction but also for his works in philosophy and literary criticism.      

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