News & Updates | Department of Literature and Languages

Translation often serves as a vital bridge between languages and cultures and Translators are often poised as “gatekeepers” who preserve the authenticity and richness of a text. Dr Bidisha Pal, Assistant Professor at the Department of Literature and Languages in her research paper, “From Transregional to Global Space: Translating Dalit Autobiography and Bridging the Boundaries” speaks of the power of translation in safeguarding and raising awareness of caste. Her work also illustrates how translation smoothens the divide between language and enables the voice of the marginalised to be heard.

Abstract:

The present research brings forward some standpoints. First, the translation of Dalit autobiographies creates transnational solidarity. Second, the translators play the role of gatekeepers to show that translation sustains the literary and cultural essence ingrained within the texts and initiates and engages dialogic discussions among the audience and readers on the global platform. Third, the translation of Dalit autobiographies arrests the attention of those global readers who barely nurture any idea on caste, class, and casteist politics and deep-rooted issues like untouchability in India and constructs a distinct literary geography.

Explanation in layperson’s terms:

The research deals with the idea of literary translation and its necessity. These two autobiographies are written in regional Bengal. When translated, the boundary of regions gets dissolved, and the essence of the texts reach the global arena. Besides, translation also acts as the bridge to the outer world. However, oftentimes the act of translation is not an innocent act anymore; rather it interferes with the original meaning to transcreate.

Practical/ Social Implications:

The research talks about translation and its necessity to bridge boundaries. The texts that the article focuses on are from the people of the marginalized communities of Bengal who write to voice their concerns and who feature in a considerable period of history that should be known to people. Since, linguistic regionalism is the main constraint for the literary texts, translation provides the desired space and opportunity to help them reach the global platforms and their history and literature become part of the larger repertoire of World Literature.

The link to the article:

Journal of World Literature Volume 9 Issue 4 (2024)

Minor languages face many challenges in India and elsewhere. With most of these languages on the verge of extinction, preservation efforts using technology need to develop a different vision for helping these languages and their communities. Dr Soni Wadhwa, Assistant Professor from the Department of Literature and Languages, has published her research in the article “Digital Technology for Literature Revitalisation: A Framework for Sindhi Libraries in India” in the Q1 journal Preservation, Digital Technology and Culture, highlighting on overcoming these challenges. Her research emphasises a five-point framework to revive Sindhi literature.

Abstract

Linguistic diversity does not find adequate space in LIS discourses around libraries in India and other regions with similar kinds of linguistic heritage. This study focuses on the state of Sindhi literature in India through a look at the libraries that house the works of Sindhi literary activity in post-Partition India. The objective is to highlight the role of libraries within language revitalization efforts. This study puts forth a five-point framework for digital transformation of Sindhi libraries in India which can help broaden the digital transformation efforts elsewhere in the Global South especially with minor languages and dialects. While the five-point framework is customized to the specific challenges faced by Sindhi regarding its script (and includes designing solutions for OCR, transliteration, and text to speech interaction), its principles could be applied to several other linguistic contexts, especially in the Global South. It, thus, seeks to bring LIS into sharp focus within the social imagination of communities of readers and as speakers of a language, and not just as academic institutions alone.

Practical Implementation/Social Implications of the Research

1. Using this five-point framework, scholars from various fields (history, partition studies, language, literature, digital humanities, digital archiving, etc) can identify different ways of preserving the Sindhi language.
2. The use of technology for this purpose can lead to technological innovation, which in turn can accelerate preservation efforts.
3. Similar models and frameworks can be developed for other minor languages.

Collaboration

The project is funded by IIT Indore.

Read more