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Arijeet Mandal

Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, Film STUDIES, Faculty Member

Delhi University(www.englishdu.ac.in), English, PhD Scholar

Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, Department of English, Graduate Student

Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, Social Science, MPhil 2014

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"What, if some day or night a demon
were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to
you: "This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will
have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there
will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every
thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in
your life will have to return to you, aU in the same succession
and sequence--even this spider and this moonlight between the
trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass
of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you
with it, speck of dust!""

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Papers by Arijeet Mandal

Ghiñn: A Reading of Disgust as a Literary Device in Subimal Mishra’s Short Fiction

Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 2023

Disgust is universal to humans across the globe in its broader aspects and localised and individu... more Disgust is universal to humans across the globe in its broader aspects and localised and individualistic in its specific locus and formations. In general, the emotion of disgust is that it works as an anchor against existential dread, the anxiety of death (angst), and the fear of loss of meaning (abject). It is disgusting to look at rotting bodies or slimy, sticky, throbbing, odorous things because it reminds us of the insignificance of life itself. Objects of disgust are rude organic and cosmic reminders of our very anthropocentric and vainglorious conceptions of the self as Being-in-the-World (In-der-Welt-sein). However, disgust is also deeply embedded with networks of social and political power and is used as a tool in encounters with the other. The other target of this disgust could be from the categories of other gender, race, caste, class, and sexualities. This paper tries to engage with a few of those categories in order to understand how disgust as an emotion has both an existential and socio-political charge in-itself. It then tries to analyse Subimal Mishra’s works through the lens and posits the possibility of using disgust as a literary device.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Caste and Cinema

All About Ambedkar: SPECIAL ISSUE ON CASTE AND CINEMA, Oct 31, 2022

The following Introduction briefly traces, albeit in jarring cuts, the evolution of caste questio... more The following Introduction briefly traces, albeit in jarring cuts, the evolution of caste question and its relationship with Indian cinema. It also tries to point out some aspects of Indian film theory, its lacunae and hopes that some of the questions raised here may give rise to future works by other (better) theorists. Pre-Independence cinema in India rarely addressed caste question, and if it did, then it was through an abstract global humanist lens. This tendency to address caste through a hollow and empty shell of a theoretical model unfortunately has stuck around even in these times, and only found newer ways to reinvent itself in Neoliberal times. To understand the reason of Indian cinema's lack of addressing caste more directly and pointedly, it has to be seen as part of a historical process. Only then can we see the history of ideology that is "outside of itself", that is, in the material conditions that made possible Indian caste-society as well as its cine-culture. It also tries to raise questions about the film form, and its many possibilities of experimentation with the caste question (i.e. both in ideological and experiential possibilities). Lastly, it introduces some of the key works in this issue. Of course, with the hope that the readers will forgive and give respite to the many lacunas of the issue, as well as the Editor himself.

The Fragile Barricade: A Report on the drive for digital currency and fallacies thereafter.

TND, 2018

This is a pre-published journalistic article from early 2018.

Little Rebellions: Demands, Transgressions, and Anomalies in the Kamtapur Struggle

Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 2015

During the last years of 1990s and the beginning of the millennia, North Bengal was shaken from i... more During the last years of 1990s and the beginning of the millennia, North Bengal was shaken from its mundane reality right into a middle of a rebellion. With tears of history and warcries of the present, Kamtapur movement revealed itself. In this paper I have tried to locate the social, political, and ideological inclinations that are present within the movement. On one hand my paper intends to critique the presence of what can be called Kochbehar nationalism based on the memory of a pre-independence princely state, on the other hand I am also critiquing the trends and aftermaths of Leftist politics that has been assimilated into the movement itself. While the presence of these two different and to an extent contradictory political thoughts are present within the movement; I have also taken up these new trends in the lights of anarchist tendencies which put more importance on quasi-separations from dominant power centres than class-determinism alone, of course followed by a goal for local empowerment.

Chhi: An enquiry into Vilas Sarang’s Selected Works

Teresian Journal of English Studies (TJES) Volume XIII, Issue III (July-September 2021 Issue)., 2021

The following essay tries to lay down an introductory analysis of the concept of disgust, and app... more The following essay tries to lay down an introductory analysis of the concept of disgust, and apply the very same ideas as an analytical tool for selected literary works by a Marathi/English bilingual author. Disgust is a universal emotion among humans, however, the conditions under which each person feels disgust are largely determined by their cultural conditioning. Vilas Sarang is an author who wrote several short stories that were published in different magazines between the 1970s to 1980s, later some of them were compiled into a collection by Penguin. His works incite disgust and revulsion in their imagery, but only on the surface, his main goal is rather to document the condition of the people living different kinds of life outside the moral structures of well-fed upper and middle classes and castes. His works are also a look into the modern Indian society that has fractured modernity, and wobbles from the weight of it.

Brief History of Spitting: An Indian Account

HumanitiesUnderground.org, 2020

The following paper tries to explore how spitting has its own history. It then tries to decode ho... more The following paper tries to explore how spitting has its own history. It then tries to decode how a spitting body has its own political and historical perspective, and that they are largely social in nature. The paper then discusses an ontic problem, and an ontological problem of spitting in general. Lastly, the paper tries to formulate how spitting and its political-ontology in case of India is deeply ridden with problems of a class-caste society.

Theses on the role of Disgust in Class-Caste Values

Disgust is the aversive reaction found in the most Egoistic of beings in the animal kingdom, in t... more Disgust is the aversive reaction found in the most Egoistic of beings in the animal kingdom, in this case, the humans. A sense of self was present even in the first single-celled organism that developed its outer wall as an extendable appendage; one should not underestimate the role of Hunger in the evolution of the sense of self (If one doubts, let her re-read my hypothesis when terribly hungry). In case of humans, however, the knowledge of the self comes with the added knowledge of the finitude of the self.

Of Margins and Cages: A Brief Discourse on Freedom, Entrapment and the Representations of Sex-Work in Sarang’s Stories.

Some consider that literature is a way of knowing the world; some take it further by accrediting ... more Some consider that literature is a way of knowing the world; some take it further by accrediting literature as the signposts and guardrails of the society. I concur that Vilas Sarang takes the best of both worlds. The following paper is a brief analysis of two stories by Sarang. They are vigilant at every step, and crucially expository at others. The stories run detailed, featured and present an insightful discourse on the world of sex workers and related problems. Even the most speculative and sensitive authors and social scientists often fall short in addressing the age old exploitative profession. Sarang’s women characters are thinking, imaginative and strong, but are exploited by the conceits of the world. The stories address the issues of ethnicity and caste as part of the problems in prostitution cartels. It also projects some characters from the invisible underbelly of the nation. In Sarang’s stories the ghastly, nightmarish reality of the world meets hauntingly beautiful literature.
I present this paper humbly accepting that I have but only tried to analyse the stories from their socio-political aspect. I also present my paper and in guise, request others to read Vilas Sarang’s brilliant works.

Ghiñn: A Reading of Disgust as a Literary Device in Subimal Mishra’s Short Fiction

Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 2023

Disgust is universal to humans across the globe in its broader aspects and localised and individu... more Disgust is universal to humans across the globe in its broader aspects and localised and individualistic in its specific locus and formations. In general, the emotion of disgust is that it works as an anchor against existential dread, the anxiety of death (angst), and the fear of loss of meaning (abject). It is disgusting to look at rotting bodies or slimy, sticky, throbbing, odorous things because it reminds us of the insignificance of life itself. Objects of disgust are rude organic and cosmic reminders of our very anthropocentric and vainglorious conceptions of the self as Being-in-the-World (In-der-Welt-sein). However, disgust is also deeply embedded with networks of social and political power and is used as a tool in encounters with the other. The other target of this disgust could be from the categories of other gender, race, caste, class, and sexualities. This paper tries to engage with a few of those categories in order to understand how disgust as an emotion has both an existential and socio-political charge in-itself. It then tries to analyse Subimal Mishra’s works through the lens and posits the possibility of using disgust as a literary device.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Caste and Cinema

All About Ambedkar: SPECIAL ISSUE ON CASTE AND CINEMA, Oct 31, 2022

The following Introduction briefly traces, albeit in jarring cuts, the evolution of caste questio... more The following Introduction briefly traces, albeit in jarring cuts, the evolution of caste question and its relationship with Indian cinema. It also tries to point out some aspects of Indian film theory, its lacunae and hopes that some of the questions raised here may give rise to future works by other (better) theorists. Pre-Independence cinema in India rarely addressed caste question, and if it did, then it was through an abstract global humanist lens. This tendency to address caste through a hollow and empty shell of a theoretical model unfortunately has stuck around even in these times, and only found newer ways to reinvent itself in Neoliberal times. To understand the reason of Indian cinema's lack of addressing caste more directly and pointedly, it has to be seen as part of a historical process. Only then can we see the history of ideology that is "outside of itself", that is, in the material conditions that made possible Indian caste-society as well as its cine-culture. It also tries to raise questions about the film form, and its many possibilities of experimentation with the caste question (i.e. both in ideological and experiential possibilities). Lastly, it introduces some of the key works in this issue. Of course, with the hope that the readers will forgive and give respite to the many lacunas of the issue, as well as the Editor himself.

The Fragile Barricade: A Report on the drive for digital currency and fallacies thereafter.

TND, 2018

This is a pre-published journalistic article from early 2018.

Little Rebellions: Demands, Transgressions, and Anomalies in the Kamtapur Struggle

Sanglap: Journal of Literary and Cultural Inquiry, 2015

During the last years of 1990s and the beginning of the millennia, North Bengal was shaken from i... more During the last years of 1990s and the beginning of the millennia, North Bengal was shaken from its mundane reality right into a middle of a rebellion. With tears of history and warcries of the present, Kamtapur movement revealed itself. In this paper I have tried to locate the social, political, and ideological inclinations that are present within the movement. On one hand my paper intends to critique the presence of what can be called Kochbehar nationalism based on the memory of a pre-independence princely state, on the other hand I am also critiquing the trends and aftermaths of Leftist politics that has been assimilated into the movement itself. While the presence of these two different and to an extent contradictory political thoughts are present within the movement; I have also taken up these new trends in the lights of anarchist tendencies which put more importance on quasi-separations from dominant power centres than class-determinism alone, of course followed by a goal for local empowerment.

Chhi: An enquiry into Vilas Sarang’s Selected Works

Teresian Journal of English Studies (TJES) Volume XIII, Issue III (July-September 2021 Issue)., 2021

The following essay tries to lay down an introductory analysis of the concept of disgust, and app... more The following essay tries to lay down an introductory analysis of the concept of disgust, and apply the very same ideas as an analytical tool for selected literary works by a Marathi/English bilingual author. Disgust is a universal emotion among humans, however, the conditions under which each person feels disgust are largely determined by their cultural conditioning. Vilas Sarang is an author who wrote several short stories that were published in different magazines between the 1970s to 1980s, later some of them were compiled into a collection by Penguin. His works incite disgust and revulsion in their imagery, but only on the surface, his main goal is rather to document the condition of the people living different kinds of life outside the moral structures of well-fed upper and middle classes and castes. His works are also a look into the modern Indian society that has fractured modernity, and wobbles from the weight of it.

Brief History of Spitting: An Indian Account

HumanitiesUnderground.org, 2020

The following paper tries to explore how spitting has its own history. It then tries to decode ho... more The following paper tries to explore how spitting has its own history. It then tries to decode how a spitting body has its own political and historical perspective, and that they are largely social in nature. The paper then discusses an ontic problem, and an ontological problem of spitting in general. Lastly, the paper tries to formulate how spitting and its political-ontology in case of India is deeply ridden with problems of a class-caste society.

Theses on the role of Disgust in Class-Caste Values

Disgust is the aversive reaction found in the most Egoistic of beings in the animal kingdom, in t... more Disgust is the aversive reaction found in the most Egoistic of beings in the animal kingdom, in this case, the humans. A sense of self was present even in the first single-celled organism that developed its outer wall as an extendable appendage; one should not underestimate the role of Hunger in the evolution of the sense of self (If one doubts, let her re-read my hypothesis when terribly hungry). In case of humans, however, the knowledge of the self comes with the added knowledge of the finitude of the self.

Of Margins and Cages: A Brief Discourse on Freedom, Entrapment and the Representations of Sex-Work in Sarang’s Stories.

Some consider that literature is a way of knowing the world; some take it further by accrediting ... more Some consider that literature is a way of knowing the world; some take it further by accrediting literature as the signposts and guardrails of the society. I concur that Vilas Sarang takes the best of both worlds. The following paper is a brief analysis of two stories by Sarang. They are vigilant at every step, and crucially expository at others. The stories run detailed, featured and present an insightful discourse on the world of sex workers and related problems. Even the most speculative and sensitive authors and social scientists often fall short in addressing the age old exploitative profession. Sarang’s women characters are thinking, imaginative and strong, but are exploited by the conceits of the world. The stories address the issues of ethnicity and caste as part of the problems in prostitution cartels. It also projects some characters from the invisible underbelly of the nation. In Sarang’s stories the ghastly, nightmarish reality of the world meets hauntingly beautiful literature.
I present this paper humbly accepting that I have but only tried to analyse the stories from their socio-political aspect. I also present my paper and in guise, request others to read Vilas Sarang’s brilliant works.