Fiction on the forum

For context, a work of fiction spanning five centuries, tracing the lives of three women, each born in distinct castes and classes, are fighting for their empowerment.

Key points

• Welcoming the author, who is the chairman of Asian Paints, principal Archna Prasad remarked, Our Author Speak event.
• What better place to discuss these distinct challenges caused by male chauvinism that continues to fracture women today, than in a women's college in Chennai?
• Silence in this sense is driven by rules and regulations, carved out of grammar.
• During his address, the author additionally encouraged students to remain curious to learn.

At M.O.P Vaishnav College for Women, author R Seshasayee was put up to the task of discussing his second published book, by the Library and Digital Resource Centre and Pegasus, the student book club, on Thursday.

Welcoming the author, who is the chairman of Asian Paints, principal Archna Prasad remarked, "Our Author Speak event. It is now a couple years old, is intended for our students to read and hopefully be inspired to become authors themselves. When our faculty decided to create a connection with Mr Seshasayee, I was delighted as it fit right into the scheme of things, giving this academic year's Author Speak sessions a good start."

Notably, the student book club members then anchored the event by asking questions, ranging from his stint as an author after years of being a Chartered Accountant (CA), to questions regarding the book itself that left them curious upon reading.

Expanding on the title – The Grammar of Silenc e – Seshasayee remarked, "Women had been silently accepting their role, not protesting as the rules of the society created sure they didn't question or talk. Silence in this sense is driven by rules and regulations, carved out of grammar. I have applied it figuratively." But despite what the title might provide away, the book discussions concerning the stories of the three women who fought for their voices to be heard, he asserted, adding how he traced the social and cultural history of Tamil Nadu to keep the book contextually grounded.

During his address, the author additionally encouraged students to remain curious to learn. "The ability and the curiosity to learn will only differentiate a successful person from an unsuccessful person, " he shared, adding, "Only education gives economic freedom for women and only economic freedom can provide a woman agency."

In short, fiction on the forum is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.