REVISITING SITA : the poetry of Dr. Nandini Sahu

Points of discussion :
1. Sita is one of the defining figures of Indian womanhood, yet there is no single version of her story. Different accounts coexist in myth, literature and folktale. Could you please introduce us to your Sita?
2. Can we consider Sita as an Academic Poetry? Is Nandini, the maker of Sita, a poet of her community or is she a poet of the institution, i.e. University?
3. Canonical texts deify Sita while regional variations humanize her. Folk songs and ballads connect her timeless predicament to the daily lives of rural women. Modern-day women continue to see themselves reflected in films, serials and soap operas based on Sita’s narrative. Your proximity of Sita clearly links to various folk narratives, which is evident in several cantos. Could you please give us some idea on your association with folklore and myth in the making of Sita?
4. You have been teaching English literature and your specialization has been Critical Theory. Do you ever feel that Theory overtakes your poetry? Is your Sita some sort of one-to-one correspondences between your poetry and postmodern theories?
5. You have deconstructed the character of Sita, from its status as religious doctrine and bring it back to the realm of myth, which is malleable to imagination. It actively encourages us to make the story our own, reminding us that the Ramayana can be ours as much as it was Valmiki’s or Tulsidas’. Now this mélange of history and reconstruction of myth reminds me of Foucault who underlines the need to study “the events of history” while creating our present. How do you like to associate that to your Sita?
6. Sita continues to exert a powerful influence on the collective Indian psyche. Sacrifice, self denial and unquestioning loyalty are some of the ideals associated with popular perceptions of Sita. Do you think that language plays a greater role specially when we are trying to recreate an epic character like Sita?
7. Contemporary writings by women have heralded a different wave of communication for and with women. They not only create strong characters, but also explore contours of literary definitions beyond the limits of the defined canon of feminist writing. Especially while exploring mythology, they have been informed by this constant political struggle to appropriate their recreated, gendered version as the historical version of a feminine reality. Can we have some of your comments on the Gender Discourse in Sita?