Fraternal Enmity: Violence as Popular Sovereignty

Anindya Sekhar Purakayastha (Kazi Nazrul University)

 

Abstract
The leitmotif of undifferentiated »national unity« as the normative logic of the political, finds wider popular purchase. But what role does violence play when the category of the political is mediated by forceful justification of the singular and the uniform? This project deconstructs the catastrophic function of violence as normative popular will or as legitimate manifestation of people's sovereignty. It draws on close readings of two recent works - Violent Fraternity: Indian Political Thought in the Global Age (Kapila, 2021) and Mahabharate Hingsha (Violence in the Epic, Mahabharata, Bhattacharya, 2022).

 

The speaker
Anindya Sekhar Purakayastha, currently with the School of Translation and Cultural Studies, Institute of Language Studies and Research (ILSR), Kolkata, India, is Professor in the Department of English and Co-coordinator of the Centre for Critical Social Inquiry at Kazi Nazrul University in India. Anindya's current research focuses on postcolonial literature and cultural practices, critical theory, violence and citizenship rights. He is one of the founding members of the Postcolonial Studies Association of the Global South (PSAGS).
In the winter term 2022/2023 he follows the invitation of the Frankfurt research initiative »ConTrust. Trust in Conflict - Political Life under Conditions of Uncertainty«. During his stay he cooperates with Pavan Malreddy, Principal Investigator of the research initiative »ConTrust«.

Participation and registration
For participation on site, please register in advance (contact: Beate Sutterlüty; email: b.sutterluety@forschungskolleg-humanwissenschaften.de).