Decolonising Development, Episode 41

Guests: Rahul A. Sirohi (Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati) and Sonya Surabhi Gupta (Jamia Milia Islamia) Host and Producer: Maria Bach (Walras Pareto Centre, University of Lausanne) In this episode, I talk to professors Sirohi’s and Gupta’s book on development discourses from India and Latin America. As mentioned in the episode, here is the poem translated at the beginning of the last chapter: Problems of Underdevelopment Monsieur Dupont calls you unculturedbecause you cannot tell who wasVictor’s Hugo’s favourite grandson.Herr Müller has started to screambecause you do not know (exactly)the day that Bismarck died.Your friend Mr. Smithan Englishman or Yankee, I cannot tell,becomes incensed when you write Shell.(It seems you leave out an “l”and, what’s more, you pronounce it chel.)Okay, and what of it?When it’s your turn,make them say cacarajícaraand ask them where is the Aconcaguaand who was Sucréand just where on this planetdid Martí die.And please:tell them to always speak to you in Spanish. Nicolás Guillén  Trans. by Rahul Sirohi and Sonya Surabhi Gupta