Decolonisation must be viewed through multiple lenses: Prof. Soumhya Venkatesan

Soumhya Venkatesan. File | Photo credit: KV Srinivasan

Colonialism is not a unique and uniform experience worldwide. It is understood differently in all regions, made up of the historical specificity of each place. Similarly, decolonization must also be seen through multiple lenses, says Soumhya Venkatesan, author or Decolonize anthropology: an introduction And professor of social anthropology at the University of Manchester, England.

Duration a recent interaction with The HinduProf. Dr. Venkatesan reflected on the colonial origins of anthropology as a discipline and how he can go further and contribute to the construction of a better world. “Anthropology Emerged During the Colonial Period, When European Powers, In Expanding Empires, Sought To Understand Other Societies in Order To Government To Them. Colonization is Understood Differently in Differ Single, Decodlise, Decron, Decodlise, Decodlise, Decodlise, Likewise, LIKEWISE Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise, Likewise. Anthropology treats communities not as objects of study, but as collaborators in the shared search to understand the world.

Prof. Venkatesan, also author of Craft Matters: Artisans, Development and the Indian NationA critical exploration of the role of artisans in the socioeconomic narrative of India, explained about the social life of objects, the agency of people and things, and the evolutionary relationship between tradition and modernity in artisanal practices.

Elaborate your experience in working with SivacharyarsSculptors and artisans who create terracotta structures of folk deities in Pudukottai and Mamallapuram, said that the statues of deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and Sakthi, typically sculpted from Eleberrate, are consecrated through those involving mantra Canting and the ceremonial discharge of blessed water. These stretch rituals several days. On the contrary, the installation of folkrays, usually made of terracotta, revolves around animal offers as part of the consecration process.

She said that, unlike stone or deities sculptures, which are rarely painted, the statues of popular theory are vividly. While the priests traditionally decorate stone idols with flowers, the terracotta figures are adorned with paint and are placed in open spaces to worship, exposing them to the natural elements. As a result, these statues suffer gradual wear and replace periodically with the newly designed. Stone idols, once consecrated, usually remain intact unless they are damaged. Professor Venkatesan observed that when a statue receives human attributes and becomes divine, it becomes a superhuman entity.

Explaining about employment opportunities in the traditional art and craft sector, he said: “It is very crucial, partly in terms of how much employment the art and traditional craft sector obtains and how much money this work generates.

According to her, education is experiencing a transformation, partly in Tamil Nadu. People’s aspirations are changing, driven by the constant movement of the State towards a more qualified labor market. “A significant number of young people now pursue fields such as computer programming, software development and software tests. This marks a clear department of the skills sets of their parents’ generation. As a result, the youngest generation is earning a large number of people with text experience.