Decolonization must be viewed through multiple lenses: Professor Soumhya Venkatesan

Soumhya Venkatesan. File | Image source: KV Srinivasan

Colonialism is not a single unified experience of the whole world. In the historical particularity of each place, it is understood in different ways in each region. Likewise, decolonization must be viewed through multiple lenses. Decolonizing anthropology: Introduction Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester, England.

Recently with HinduProfessor Venkatesan reflects on the colonial origins of anthropology as discipline and how it transcends and contributes to building a better world. “Anthropology emerged during the colonial period, and when European powers expanded their empires, they tried to understand other societies to rule them. The understanding of colonization was different in different places. Similarly, decolonization was not one aspect, but should also be understood in multiple aspects.” Anthropology regards communities as the object of research, but as collaborators in the common pursuit of understanding the world.

Professor Venkatesan, too Craftsmanship: Craftsmen, Development and Indian Countrya critical exploration of the role of craftsmen in Indian socio-economic narratives, explains the social life of objects, the agency of people and things, and the evolving relationship between tradition and modernity in craft practice.

Explain her and SivachariyarsShe said sculptors and craftsmen made structures of folk deities in Pudukottai and Mamallapuram Spell Pour the holy water by chanting scriptures and rituals. These rituals usually span several days. In contrast, the installation of folk deities, usually made of clay, revolves around animal devotion as part of the devotion process.

She said that unlike the stone sculptures of gods that are rarely painted, folk god statues are vivid. Traditionally, priests decorate stone idols with flowers, while clay figures are adorned with paint and placed in open spaces for worship, exposing them to natural elements. As a result, these statues will gradually wear out and be replaced regularly with newly made statues. Once a dedicated stone idol is always left unchanged unless damaged. Professor Venkatesan observed that when human attributes are given and become sacred, it becomes a superhuman entity.

Explaining job opportunities in the traditional arts and crafts field, she said: “It’s crucial, partly about the amount of work in the traditional arts and crafts field and how much money it generates. Because all over the country, people don’t want to continue doing this work or can’t continue to do this work. So we have to keep working and if they can continue to go on, then they can continue to go on.”

According to her, education is undergoing a shift, especially in Tamil Nadu. People’s desires are shifting, driven by a steady shift in the state towards a higher skilled labor market. “A significant number of young people are now pursuing fields like computer programming, software development, and software testing. This marks a clear department from the skill sets of their parents’ generation. As a result, the younger generation is gaining access to a vastly different set of opportunities. In a context like Tamil Nadu, it would be especially insightful to study the evolution of educational institutions and how changing demographics are influencing their structure and focus,” she added.