THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010
com
THT campus
Shreemita Maharjan
Kathmandu
“Literature adds to reality, it does
not simply describe it. It enriches the
necessary competencies that daily
life requires and provides; and in
this respect, it irrigates the desert
that our lives have already become.”
— CS Lewis
(British scholar and novelist)
L
iterature, an integral ele-
ment of human life and
civilisation, not only helps
us explore the highest and
the lowest places in the human so-
ciety, but it delves deeper into the
human spirit. Enhancing the hu-
man understanding, English litera-
ture has been one of the very popu-
lar subjects from the time it was in-
troduced some 30 years ago by the
Tribhuvan University (TU). The
charm of this subject has never
ceased to attract students.
Understanding human nature
“Literature is an expression of
humanity which captures the wider
Photos: THT
horizon of human feelings and un-
derstanding,” shared Subash Giri,
who teaches at HIMS College and
Ratna Rajya College (RR). He added
that though in today’s commercial
world literature has been overshad-
owed by other things, English liter-
ature has been an empowering
subject throughout.
“Thousands of students are pur-
suing English literature as a major
subject in both Bachelors and Mas-
ters level,” informed Giri.
Expressing similar views, Puskal
Bhusal who has recently completed
Bachelor’s of Arts (BA) from Tri
Chandra College said, “It is a so-
phisticated subject and not just
about developing language but
about improving knowledge and
opinion about different cultures.”
“Literature encompasses a broad
spectrum of topics from scientific
to philosophical. It is not just about
producing teachers but producing
better human beings. It is not limit-
ed to a certain genre only, as it has
far fetching reach,” explained
Dundi Raj Dahal, a lecturer at RR
College.
He further pointed out that the
course for BA Ist Year, which is in-
www.thehimalayantimes.
PAGE 11
Beyond
fact and
fiction
terdisciplinary in approach, proves
this aspect of the subject.
Broadening the mind
“Every subject has its scope but it
takes perseverance to explore it.
Choosing a subject depends on the
nature of the student but after tak-
ing English literature, it has helped
me change my mindset,” shared
Roshani Dhamala, BA III Year stu-
dent at Pragya Kunja College.
Her classmate, Kriti
Shrestha shared a sim-
ilar experience, “Liter-
ature helps open your
eyes beyond books,
and it is an imagina-
tive subject. I used to
see things from a dif-
ferent angle but now
being a student of lit-
erature, my perspective has
changed.”
Megha Vaidya,
who is in the same
class as Shrestha
shared, “I was a Sci-
ence student but
later I switched to
Arts. Literature is a
fascinating subject; I
enjoy learning new
words and ideas.” She also
enjoys her writing skill as a
freelancer.
Need for new methods
“Only being engrossed in
literature without having
knowledge of other areas of
life is not helpful. A student
must have knowledge of other sub-
jects. So, English literature course
should incorporate research-ori-
ented methods to widen its scope.
There used to be an annual assess-
ment based on students’ projects,
but TU could not implement it in
If you feel that you
have both feet
planted on level
ground, then the
university has
failed you
— Robert Goheen
Celebrating Hispanic connection
K
ATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Centre
of Spanish language and the students
of the Spanish Department at Bishwa
this event, which is not just limited to the lan-
guage; it is about culture, poetry, paintings
and architecture as well.”
Bhasa Campus organised the first Kathman-
du Annual Conference on Hispanic Lan-
guages and Cultures at
the Nepal Academy, Ka-
maladi on May 30.
Many students from Bishwa Bhasa shared
their ideas and knowledge on Spanish poetry,
paintings and architec-
ture. Pratibha Saini
spoke on ‘Sanskrit and
Speaking at the event, Spanish, distant rela-
Ambica Shrestha, Con- tives’. “Many words of
sul of Spain said, “The Sanskrit are directly
use of Spanish language, used in Spanish while
which is being spoken there are other words
the long-run. TU by a huge population with indirect influence.”
should add such practical ap- the world over, is not Likewise, Mukta
proach that was done in Masters limited to teachers and Shrestha spoke on
of Philosophy,” stressed Dahal. students only. Its spec- ‘Bulu’s Glasses: A bio-
THT
Similarly, Giri said, “Though trum is broadening and graphical Approach to
new theories like cultural stud- it is very useful for the entrepreneurs also.” Translation’. “After learning Spanish, I had an
ies and gay-lesbian studies Similarly, Vanesa Ledesma, Chief of Span- urge to utilise it, so I translated a Nepali book
have been incorporated the ish Department at Bishwa Bhasa, stressed on to Spanish to let more people them know
English literature course in TU, the growing interest in Spanish language. “As about Nepali culture,” expressed Shrestha.
it is still dominated by tradi- there aren’t many organisations promoting Manjul Nepal, Sushil Nepal and
tional matters. Due to lack of Spanish language, we want to do that. Experts Sushmita Nepal recited poems in Nepali and
manpower, equipment and infra- in Spanish language will share their ideas at Spanish. — HNS
structure, TU has not been able to
implement new methods.”
“We have been studying years’
old courses. TU should take an ini-
tiative to update the course and add
contemporary elements in the syl-
labus. Literature is a multidimen-
sional subject but it does not look
practical,” shared Bhusal.
However, Giri pointed out that
literature is a practical subject “as it
directly reflects our life”.
Ignorant students
Many literature students
seem to think that career-wise
teaching is the only option for
them, but its reach is beyond
that.
“Literature has a good scope
but opportunities do not come
to you if you don’t work towards
it. Nepalis can become good critics
but not good writers because we
are not trained to be one. In a
country like ours, which is rich in
culture, writers have a bright fu-
ture as they can play a huge role in
bringing it to the forefront,” said
Bhusal.
He also said that students tak-
ing literature just to get a degree
and not thinking about
the future prospects
have become a harmful
trend.
Likewise Dahal added,
“Most of the students of
English literature have no
understanding as to what
they will do after they
complete their studies. In
the long-run there is a lot
to achieve through literature but if
they limit themselves to the pages
of their course books, it will be
problematic. Students should keep
themselves updated with other
branches of knowledge also.”