2020-21

Department of English

INKA ‘20

Phantasia: Infinity and Beyond

19-20 October 2020

Inka '20, the annual literary fest organized by the Department of English, St. Xavier's College, Jaipur, with this year's theme being Phantasia: Infinity & Beyond was held on 20 October, 2020. On 19 October, the Inaugural Session was held on the online platform Google Meet. Commencing at 10:00am, the dignitaries were welcomed, and this was followed the Head of the Department, Dr. Atiqa Kelsy answering the question that has been troubling everyone, "Why Inka 2020". After the introduction of the theme of this year's Inka and blessings by Rev. Fr. Varkey Perekkatt, SJ, Manager, St. Xavier's College, Jaipur, a musical interlude by Zikra Hussain of B.A. English (Hons.) III transported the audience to another world.  Rev. Dr. Sherry George and Rev. Dr. Raymond Cherubin, Vice Principals, extended their wishes for the success of the fest. Next, Inka's theme for this year - Phantasia: Infinity & Beyond was explored, and followed by a message by the Principal, Rev. Fr. A. Rex Angelo, SJ.

This year, the Department of English, in collaboration with its social initiative partner – ‘All About Happiness Foundation’, coordinated a social drive titled "Syaahi", the poster for which was released on 19 October. The volunteers would place boxes at 35 spots all around the city with the purpose of collecting discarded empty ballpens and short pencils - aiming to refill the pens and then donating them to government schools and NGOs after 10 days. Apart from this, team INKA visited the ‘Hindu Anath Aashram’ to share a meal. Thus, the day was concluded on a generous and altruistic note.

On 20 October, the major events of Inka '20 were held. At 9:00am, the Debate competition - In Pursuit of Dispute - was organised, with the topic being "Indian Media has lost its ability to speak Truth to Power". The event was conducted successfully, witnessing numerous participants and audience, all of whom gained insightful information. Next, Poetry Slam, in collaboration with Soulstuff was orchestrated. Numerous participants recited soulful poetry, making the event a creative success. This was followed by the much-awaited Author’s Session, wherein Alumni Moderator Charu Datta was in conversation with Julian Peters, a comic-book artist and illustrator of Modern Poetry, from Montreal, Canada, whose book "Poems to See By: A Comic Artist Interprets Great Poetry", has become an instant-favourite. It is a visual journey through the poems of Eliot, Wordsworth, Yeats and Keats, to name a few. The session ended on a high note with Mr Peters sharing his work with the audience and filling them with awe and also helping them to see the nuances of illustration.

Finally, the closing ceremony was held, wherein the results of the various competitions were declared, and the winners' entries were highlighted. A vote of thanks by event-coordinator Dr. Rama Hirawat concluded the festivities that were Inka '20.