Kerala Studies at the Institute of English

 Back when it was almost unthinkable to speak of Malayalam literature or Kerala culture in an English department... a quiet revolution began.

Kerala Studies took root at the Institute of English nearly two decades ago—long before it became a core paper in 2013.

Today, it is evolving into an integral component of the course every student joins for in the 4-Year UG programme across Kerala’s higher education institutions.

Here’s a glimpse into the early days of Kerala Studies at the Institute—a story of resistance against the colonial foundations of M.A. English Language and Literature programmes and reimagining what we teach in the name of "English" - envisioned by Prof. G. S. Jayasree.

By 2025, offering Kerala Studies in English departments in higher education institutions under the Government of Kerala has become a common and expected practice, no longer seen as anything out of the ordinary. But there was a time when discussing even those narratives in Malayalam that had English translations was considered an aberration. 

I joined for PhD research at the Institute of English under the guidance of Prof. G. S. Jayasree in 2006. My research involved exploring the making of the new woman in nineteenth century Malabar. To facilitate the reading, two major texts I had chosen were Indulekha (1889) and Parangodi Parinayam (1892). These texts had English translations, by OUP and Samyukta: A Journal of Women's Studies respectively, before the beginning of my research. Yet, I often encountered puzzled reactions when I mentioned my research topic and the department I was doing research in. 

Fast forward to year 2013 - Jayasree Ma'am introduced Kerala Studies as a core paper under the title "Keralam: History, Culture and Literature" for M.A. students at the Institute of English. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Kerala Studies as a recognized academic discourse.

As far as Jayasree Ma'am was concerned, the framing of this core paper was just one among her many interventions to nurture Kerala Studies as a thriving area of research in her department. One of her pioneering efforts in this area was the starting of Samyukta: A Journal of Women's Studies in 2001, aimed at exploring Malayalam literature and Kerala culture in English language. This initiative marked the beginning of a significant journey to enrich Kerala Studies at the Institute of English during a period when it was largely confined to History or Malayalam departments.

Together with inspiring M.A., M.Phil and PhD students to delve into the fascinating world of Kerala Culture, Prof. Jayasree continued her discussions in the area with UGC funded project titled "Autobiographies in Malayalam: Writing Lives, Writing History" (2016 & 2017) and The Oxford India Anthology of Modern Malayalam Literature (Co-edited with Prof. P. P. Raveendran & published in 2017), a milestone in the discursive formation of Kerala Studies.

What was once an innovative area of academic deliberations in English departments has now become indispensable in higher education institutions across Kerala. I doubt if there can be a more powerful example of decolonising the syllabus offered in English departments than Keralam enjoying the importance that was earlier the sole prerogative of Britain.