Kam Kaur

Australia

Title: Subverting the Gaze

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Biography

Abstract

This presentation explores how the shackles of coloniality, deeply rooted in ‘hegemonic conditioning’, can be undone through cultural and creative forms of memorisation. Ashis Nandy (1989) posits that colonialism occupied not just land but also the mind, fostering a colonial narcissism that made subjects feel ‘lesser than’ their invaders. This mindset particularly affected women of Indian heritage, portrayed as meek and submissive, in need of the white saviors of the 18th and 19th centuries (Sen 1997). In my work, ‘Horrors of Honour’ (2024), I argue that the concept of honour within British South Asian domestic violence is often redefined by colonial legacies. This reimagining can harm victims, perpetuating hegemonic conditioning that influences their acceptance of alien cultural narratives. To break free from this cycle, we must examine our worldviews and challenge the narratives of ‘lesser than’ and submissiveness that disrupt our psyche. One effective approach is through cultural memorisation, embracing stories of resilience rather than victimhood. I will highlight the 1300s legend of Rani Padmini, a figure representing honour through the lens of female agency and power, countering the male-centric narratives tied to traditional patriarchy. Revisiting such oral histories dismantles colonial narratives and enables us to create new scripts. This critical reflection can disturb entrenched power dynamics and foster equitable power distribution, moving us toward emerging futures, as Bernard Perley (2023) suggests.