Prof. Jonathan Gill Harris, author of The Girl from Fergana, his recently published memoir, was invited at the Centre for Distance and Online Education, JMI for a special lecture on “Cultural Confluence and Politics of the Neighbor” on April 23, 2026. Prof. Gill offered numerous instances of cultural confluence among the different ethnicities including Persian, Arabs, Indians and Jews from his latest memoir The Girl from Fergana. He emphasised on the fact that somewhere all the different ethnicities have had cross cultural amiable exchanges, which was once a norm in the past, has become a rarity in our present.
Being a professor of English, Prof. Gill discussed about the development of different languages and their affinities with each other. He proclaimed, “languages often develop less like a tree and more like potato tubers. Unlike branches, which stem from just one trunk, potatoes can form underground connections, through their tubers, with other potatoes”.
While having an engaging conversation with the interlocutor Dr. Mohd. Farhan, Assistant Professor (English), CDOE, prof. Gill responded with his witty yet insightful responses about the idea of cultural confluence and its urgency in our times. He spoke on wide ranging ideas of cultural affinities in the historical times of Silk Routes and concluded his talk with an optimistic note that we should carry forward amicable cultural exchange among diverse ethnicities.
Followed by an engrossing question and answer session, prof. Mushahid Alam Rizvi, the Dean, CDOE, concluded the session with his resonating takeaway message of cultural harmony and unity among the diverse ethnicities. Dr. Bushra Hussain, Assistant Professor (Education) presented a vote of thanks to the faculty members and students attending the talk from different disciplines.
Source : Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi