Narrating the pasts and selves: in dialogue with Ashis Nandy\'s "Memory Work"

Abstract

Through taking Ashis Nandy\'s Memory Work as the entry point to his psychological-political thoughts toward colonialization, de-colonialization and the empathetic critique of ultra-nationalism in India/South Asia, this paper aims to emphasize Nandy\'s essential argument to see how ideologies of modern colonialism work on molding the narrative of pasts and vivisecting the multiplicity of subjecthood - which Nandy termed as multiple selves. In this regard, this paper considers Memory Work as a revitalization of the perspective to look into how the selves and the narrative of pasts inter-configure each other under colonialism and nationalism. The paper also further looks for alternative accountability of pasts and selves within communities and their cultural traditions.