Shefali Banerji
About poetry slams, language and their power of creating solidarity
Shefali Banerji is a poet-performer-researcher from India, based in Austria. Having grown up in the lush, green, hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh, whose landscape fuelled their imagination from early childhood, Shefali now calls Kolkata and Vienna their home(s). She finds a sense of community and belonging among spoken word poets, and believes that spoken word poetry creates solidarity among those who participate in it.
At the Feministival you have the opportunity to listen to her art. We spoke to her in advance.
What do you love about performing?
The sense of agency, the empowerment it offers. I’m usually an introverted person around strangers (once you get to know me, that’s a whole different story!). But all introversion, all inhibition, all shyness goes away when I’m on stage! I feel free.
What do you like about poetry slams and spoken word performances? How did you get started?
The community it creates, the solidarity it builds. Of course, performing poetry is thrilling in itself, but more important (for me) is what it yields. Once you start performing, you find a community amidst spoken word performers and enjoyers. Spend a little more time on the scene and you become a family! That is what I love about spoken word!
Now, how I got started? Like most performers, as an angry student getting disillusioned with the world! I had started enjoying/consuming/being obsessed with spoken word as an undergrad, I started performing in Kolkata as an MA student, back in 2016.
How/why did you move to Vienna?
I was a research student in Dublin, and I came across a funded PhD opportunity in Vienna which studied spoken word poetry in the British context! I was amazed – my mind immediately went like, “wait, people are actually researching spoken word! Whoa, that’s right up my alley!” So, I applied for the PhD position. In April 2022, I was hired. In June 2022, I moved here.
So, solidarity for me is showing up – for the people that matter, for the causes that matter, in whatever capacity one can. Time, money, effort, presence, outreach, resources – it doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. But showing up is important. As much as you are able to. That’s solidarity for me.
As far as different forms of solidarity are concerned, I think global majority folks are more community oriented. We demonstrate solidarity by taking care of people around us, by people-oriented actions. Western societies are more capital oriented, I think. Solidarity is often shown through money/economic/financial support and resources. I think both are important.
I’d say language has a lot of power. Which is why it can be really tricky and has been often employed in manipulative or even malicious ways to discredit movements, cause harm to communities, spread misinformation. The biggest example of this comes from media. Everything we consume – from traditional media sources to social media content – shapes our worldview, and it can be both empowering, on one hand, and on the other, dangerous. But since you asked about whether we can make society open-minded with the use of language, yes! Of course, we can! I think language can be really crucial in developing a kinder, accepting society. Using inclusive, affirming language can make people from different walks of life feel safe and why wouldn’t we want that! And while we are at it, why not also stop deploying harmful rhetoric to demonise people from different religious, cultural, sociopolitical backgrounds or those who embody non-heteronormative gender and sexual identities. Why not! If hate and fear mongering is the only way to utilise language for some, then they should be deplatformed. Sadly, that is not usually the case. Paradoxically, they end up amassing huge following. It tells us something, doesn’t it?
Something has to be very wrong with our society if it loves to consume the language of hate and fear over the language of camaraderie. But I guess I have gone off at a tangent here!
What are the biggest differences you see in how society treats women* (LGBTQA+) in India and Austria? (Especially considering that the concepts of gender in Hinduism and Catholicism are quite far from each other.)
Unfortunately, misogyny and queerphobia is rampant almost everywhere. Society mistreats women and queer folks almost everywhere. But the answer to this question has several layers:
- Hinduism doesn’t define India, though the right-wing forces in my country are trying to steer it that way. Our population constitutes of people from different faiths and as per our Constitution, we are secular. So Indian culture is not Hinduism, though it is the majority religion. Having said that,
- I know Europe has some romanticised, exotic notions of Hinduism, but this religion is as bigoted and oppressive as every other institutionalised religion in the world. Patriarchy is very much written into Hinduism, so you can’t expect it to operate differently, no matter how many goddesses we worship, no matter how many gender-fluid gods we have, no matter whether it legitimises genders beyond the binary. In truth, there are several different kinds of oppression embedded in Hinduism – from caste to gender and beyond. Here, I think it’s important to highlight that due to my upper caste Hindu positionality, I’m sheltered from the kind of brutality and violence that women and gender minorities from marginalised caste, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds have to face in India, at the hands of people of my caste location. This also implies that my voice gets privileged when I speak out against gendered violence, because my caste-class location enables this audibility and visibility. However, the privilege doesn’t safeguard me from gendered violence itself, though it does mitigate the austerity of it. So, the bottom line is that Hinduism, and even Indian society at large beyond Hinduism, is mostly very patriarchal and treats women and gender minorities like every other patriarchal society. Poorly!
- Talking about LGBTQIA+ rights in India, it’s been a struggle! Activists have been mobilising for decades to attain the goal of equity, in order to ultimately reach the ideal of equality. The idea of a heteronormative familial structure is deeply embedded in our society, and so it’s very hard to break through. It was only in 2018 that the colonial-era Section 377 (often deployed to criminalise homosexuality) was struck down. Only in 2019 was the Transgender Persons Act passed. Same-sex marriage or even civil partnership is not allowed/recognised in India. So even if we take the whole religion business out of it (as we should), India is really behind as a society when it comes to queer rights and queer acceptance. In fact, ironically, most religions which do not see eye to eye on other issues, often unite on this one in my country – in order to crack down on queer folks and delegitimise queer identities and relationships!
- As for difference in experiences in both countries, it really is context dependent. As a queer femme-appearing person, I am constantly on guard in India. As an immigrant of colour, I am constantly on guard in Austria. I am perpetually on guard. So, I’ll leave it at that.
What could we learn from each other’s cultures?
I don’t know. Tolerance of differences maybe (though I must say my country is doing really badly on that front, but still, we are a diverse nation). Accepting and appreciating different cultures and identities. Living in community? I grew up in a very small town in India so living as a community was a big part of my upbringing. Caring for your neighbours, your surroundings, showing up for those around you – that’s how we were socialised. So, when I had to move, I had the greatest culture shock of my life. I was surprised to see how self-centred and individualistic metropolitan cities can be. And I am talking about Kolkata here. It’s a problem in big cities in India – this lack of community and care. Now that I have been living in Vienna for two years, I see it here. In fact, I think we learnt it from you, it is a western import. But I don’t think this sort of lifestyle is sustainable. So perhaps being more community-oriented is what we could all practice, whether in India or Austria.
What do you think- will we get Equality no matter what (gender, enthicity, religion…) one day? Can we help that day to come quicker? And how?
Hah, I usually call myself a realist – a term I use to mask my pessimism. But when it comes to change, a better future, I’m hopeful. There is an Arundhati Roy quote that I love which goes like this:
As for how we can achieve it… it’s by taking meaningful, concrete, tangible steps, no matter how small. Often, we tend to think that we cannot bring change due to our own insignificance, and perhaps that is true. As individuals we might not all have the power, say, significance, to transform the world, but together, collectively, if we strive for the better, change is possible. History is our witness. Most recently, students in Bangladesh have shown us the way by ending a dictator’s regime, toppling down her 15-year rule, through protest. It was tragic due to the number of lives lost. But they’ve also shown us the power and strength of organising and showing up in numbers. They’ve shown us the power of collective action.
When and why did you start writing your poetry in English?
I have been writing poetry for as long as I can remember, starting at around 6 years of age. Since the medium of instruction at my school was English, it also became the medium of my creative expression. Though, until high school, I also wrote lots of poems in Hindi. Then I went to university, got a degree in English, and unfortunately left Hindi behind altogether. I do want to return to writing in Hindi. And Bangla! And maybe someday also in German, when I have a better grasp of the language.
Did you have, or do you have (feminist) idols (and why you choose them)?
I do. Several. I’m inspired by a lot of women and non-binary folks around me. My mother, my sister, my friends. But someone I’d like to emphatically mention here is Manisha Mondal. She is one of the few female Dalit photojournalists in India and works with the outlet The Print. Her work is phenomenal, and she’s covered some of the biggest stories unfolding in India. We’ve been friends for over a decade, and I’m familiar with her fight against caste discrimination, misogyny, marginalisation. Still, she continues to rise! And how brilliantly! So, Manisha is one of my feminist idols. If you are intrigued about her work, you can check it out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manishaaaaamondalllll
If you could tell your younger self one advice, what would it be?
Stop caring about what other people think or say. Do your thing. If you are true to yourself, you really don’t need to worry about what is expected of you. Clichéd, isn’t it? But my god, the years I’ve spent overthinking my life choices for the approval of others (and sometimes still do), I wish I had used that time for something more productive, doing things that were conducive to my growth (even if unconventional!). But that is how society conditions us, doesn’t it? To play by its rules? So, dear younger self, be bolder, braver, weirder even, if that is who you are! Let go of the tendency to please people – none of them are pleased!
Interview by Claudia Schneider
Info
Shefali Banerji is a poet-performer from Kolkata, India, now based in Vienna. Shefali is currently a PhD researcher with the “Poetry Off the Page” project at the University of Vienna working on the intersections of poetry performance and theatre. Their poetry can be found in publications such as Poetry Wales, The Bombay Review, and more. They have performed their work at National Poetry Festival Kolkata, Vienna Literature Festival, and elsewhere.
Website Shefali Banerji
Instagram Shefali Banerji
Feministival
Get your ticket for the Feministival now and experience
Shefali as the main act at the poetry slam. You can expect a diverse program of music, workshops,
discussions and culture that celebrates the strength and diversity of the feminist platform.
Be there!
📌 // What? FEMINISTIVAL – 10 Years of Sorority
⏰ // When? Fri, November 8, 2024, 3-11 pm
Sat, November 9, 2024, 10 am – 3 pm
📍 // Where? Am Grünen Prater 2, 1020 Wien (Südtribüne Trabrennbahn)
