SPOTLIGHT – Gourab Ghosh | Visiting Faculty | Assistant Professor, Department of English Tetso College

Gourab Ghosh is a Visiting Faculty in the Department of English, Tetso College. Gourab completed his MA in English Studies & MPhil. in English & Cultural Studies from the Centre for English Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Theatre & Performance Studies from JNU.

He has taught English Literature at GD Goenka University, Haryana and Shivaji College of Delhi University before teaching a specialized course on urban development, gender and literary history for the study abroad program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison–CET India. He also worked with Sahapedia as a researcher and curator on Indian performances and rituals. Gourab is interested in archiving and digital humanities and has worked on the Niranjan Jhaveri Jazz Archive at the Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, American Institute of Indian Studies, Gurugram.

Besides receiving a few research and travel grants to travel abroad, Gourab is a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright and Charles Wallace Fellowships for teaching and to research in the United States and the United Kingdom respectively. He is also a Fellow with INLANSO, Varanasi as a senior researcher and visiting faculty teaching Nordic students in India.

Some of his research interests include performance histories, gender and queer studies, urban history and rituals and practices. He has a few publications to his credit and is currently working on two book projects.

3T: What is your teaching philosophy?
Gourab: As a teacher and a queer man, my teaching philosophy is to create a safe space for my students. A safe space for who you are, what you want to be, to say things without any fear and to grow as a confident human being in and outside the classroom. So as a teacher, I try creating such safe spaces for my students and help them to become better human beings and excellent scholars.

3T: What approach or strategy do you use to learn new information?
Gourab: I believe a teacher is also a student. I am open to learning new things and I often learn a lot through my interactions with students. So besides reading and research, I learn new things from my students and colleagues.

3T: What is the best English lesson you have delivered so far?
Gourab: I have been teaching for almost 8 years now. I think when students participate, every lecture becomes great! I think, in general, my lectures on drama are best as that is my expert area. At Tetso, I think I enjoyed teaching Emiley Dickinson to post-graduate students. Dickinson is brilliant! It is always fun to teach her.

3T: What do you hope to contribute to our English Department during your time here?
Gourab: I like teaching at Tetso and I am waiting for the campus to open and students to come. I will definitely start a theatre group. Nagaland, as far as I know, has a rich body of folk/ popular performances but not modern theatre as such. My wish is to do something for Nagaland as I learn about its languages, cultures and traditions. This can start at Tetso with all of you!

3T: What keeps you motivated everyday?
Gourab: Believing in humanity and the healing power of nature. As a human being I cannot let hatred enter me and destroy my soul. Every human being is unique, full of love and we need to understand this. To love and to live with a smile is what keeps me motivated.

3T: This question is based on one of your research interests (gender and queer studies), why do you think it is socially acceptable for women (females) to be masculine than for men (males) to be feminine?
Gourab: I think this assumption is not true. First of all, we need to break the gender binary of man/woman or masculine/feminine. Let’s understand, girls who are ‘masculine’ also face a lot of harassment. A girl with short hair and wearing jeans or riding a bike is often termed as anti Indian culture. And, if one turns out to be queer then their so called ‘masculine’ behaviour is held responsible for being a queer or lesbian. So society does not easily accept women who do not act ‘feminine’. Also, women have fought against such patriarchal customs and notions for years. So, now we see women wearing trousers, t-shirts, smoking and drinking. It really does not matter to them as every woman has the right to do what a man can do in this world. The society still wants to suppress these confident women and the fight against such patriarchal and oppressive society is on. As we say, ‘good women don’t make history’.

On the other hand, ‘feminine’ or effeminate men are harassed, bullied and mentally tortured because they challenge hetero-patriarchal conformity. We seriously need to understand gender, gender expressions and choice. In many cultures, so called feminine men are more accepted compared to toxic masculine men. So the question is who decides what is feminine and masculine? And, I should have the right and freedom to act, behave and live the way I want to beyond the gender binary.

3T: If you were not a teacher, what would you want to be and why?
Gourab: I think I would be a theatre artist if not a teacher. I believe I am at my best when I am on stage. So, maybe I will be an actor or a director if not a teacher.

3T: What are your hobbies?
Gourab: I like to cook, dance and read. I also enjoy long walks.

3T: What is the one thing you found in common everywhere you travelled?
Gourab: Love and compassion. If one believes in oneself and is honest then one is always surrounded by friends. This is true for every one, every region, every tribe, every community.

3T: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Gourab: I do not know. Maybe teaching and as well as doing theatre. I am also very much active in queer politics. So maybe you will see me in activism, too.

3T: Who is your role model? / Who do you look upto?
Gourab: My mother is my role model. She is a teacher and she has been a working woman. She pursued her higher studies when I was a kid. Besides working and taking care of the family, she cleared her post-graduation in Bengali and Music, and was selected to appear for the gold medalist position in Music. She is still very active, sensitive towards the environment and other social issues. She has taught me each and every thing in life; she is my teacher and best friend.