When the best in the industry come together on one platform, you have The Erudite Talk. Continuing the series initiated by CPS Global School, Thirumazhisai, this week witness two webinars on divergently different topics- a very practical problem of Covid 19 and its impact on Tamil Nadu juxtaposed with the esoteric understanding of Literature through certain approaches.
The third chapter of the talk series was a rendezvous with Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, Scientist E and Deputy Director ICMR, National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai. Dr. Kaur is also one of the members of the Chief Minister’s COVID19 control team in Tamil Nadu. The session started off with Dr Kaur explaining the types of pandemics the world has seen so far and their impact on the world. While elaborating on the types of transmissions and stages of the infection, being a frontline worker, Dr Kaur gave us an insight into the facts about the current scenario, esp in our very own state. She outlined precautionary measures to safeguard ourselves. Her presentation was followed by an interactive question answer session which helped allay the doubts and fears that the participants had regarding COVID 19. As a takeaway Dr Kaur explained how a change in our lifestyle is the need of the hour to tackle these tough times.
As the takeaways from the third chapter started bringing about a change in lifestyle, we realised that one of the ways to remain calm in this pandemonium is reading books. Yes, books are a man’s best friend. Understanding the nuances of literature, be it the linguistic or literary nuances or the various lens through which we can comprehend literature was brought home by Fulbright Alumni and Associate Professor in the Department of English, Mizoram University, Dr. Cherrie Lalnunziri Chhangte, currently based in Chicago in her talk on Understanding Literature- Some Practical Approaches. She immaculately articulated the various components of literature and especially the various lens from Biographical to cultural to feminist, which are applied by a discerning reader to comprehend a text. In the intellectual Q&A session, she responded to queries ranging from why Shakespeare is timeless, to how literature has evolved over time to how literature can shape one’s identity. The best part of this 4th chapter of the series was how she beautifully interweaved literary technicalities with a lucid talk. She honoured the request to read from any of her own creative endeavours, a poem on identity. As they say morning shows the day, indeed the intellectual impetus reiterated the prime standing of Literature in our lives.
