GROWING up in the small town of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, in the 1990s and the early 2000s, 23-year-old Bilal Khan taught himself English mainly through American television shows and the occasional Hollywood film on the cable network. In school, he would have laughed if someone had told him that he would go on to pursue English honours in college and pursue 'culture studies'. Back when he was growing up, he had no conception of these fields of education. "It was either science or commerce," Bilal laughs.
The Christ University alumnus now recalls that in those days, not many bright kids opted for 'arts'. When it came to choosing a stream after passing his 10th, Bilal's options were clear. He didn't even think about opting for 'humanities'. "In my state, 'arts' is not something young men are taught to aspire for. I grew up believing, like most other boys, that there is no future in studying arts. In fact, most schools in Jhansi at the time did not even offer humanities stream in Class 11 or 12," recalls Bilal.
He adds that it's not just about the purportedly limited career options available to students of humanities, but the sheer sexism of it that kept him and several other boys at bay. "The gendering of subjects is a very real phenomenon. Arts and humanities are seen as more "emotional" subjects. So poetry, literature is feminine and a man who expresses his feelings is feminine too," Bilal adds.
The 'Alice in Wonderland' Effect
Across small towns of India like Jhansi and indeed even in urban metropolitans, "arts' suffers similar biases: "It's easy", "it's for women", "it has no future". Bilal feels that the discrimination stems from the low employability of these subjects. It isn't just India, but across the world. Social sciences and liberal arts are often seen as the refuge of the "romantic scholar", one whose contribution to society is noted, but not necessarily needed.
Denne historien er fra July 11, 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra July 11, 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
