New Delhi, October 10, 2025: The Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), organized a one-day International Conference on the theme “Semiotics of Love: Between the Anthropological and the Cosmological Aspects of Being.”
The conference commenced with a welcome address by Professor Mukesh Ranjan, Head of the Department of English, who highlighted the significance of the theme in contemporary academic discourse. The event brought together distinguished scholars from India and abroad for a rich exchange of ideas on the philosophical, cultural, and semiotic dimensions of love.
Among the guests of honour were Professor Emeritus Harjeet Singh Gill (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Professor Emeritus Jonah Raskin (Department of Communication Studies, Sonoma State University, California, USA), and Professor Rashmi Doraiswamy (MMAJ Academy of International Studies, JMI).
Special guests included Professor Ishwar Dayal Gaur (Department of Evening Studies, Punjab University, Chandigarh), Professor Rosy Singh (Centre of German Studies, JNU), Professor Nishat Zaidi, Professor Saroj Kumar Mahananda, and Professor Nishat Haider, all from the Department of English, JMI.
The first plenary panel featured Professors Harjeet Singh Gill, Jonah Raskin, and Rashmi Doraiswamy, who delivered thought-provoking presentations titled “Semiotics of Love,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It? Thoughts on Love and Semiotics,” and “Transgressing Species Boundaries: Love, Its Sacrifices, Its Epiphanies.”
The second plenary session saw insightful discussions from Professors Ishwar Dayal Gaur, Rosy Singh, Nishat Haider, and Anuradha Ghosh on topics such as “Semiotics of Love and the Qissa Art: The Legend of Heer Ranjha,” “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: Reflections on Love in Literature,” “Conceptualizing Love: A Critical Analysis of Harjeet Singh Gill’s Dialogue With a Girl Friend,” and “Semiotics of Love/Love for Semiotics (Somewhere in Between…).”
The conference also included nine paper presentations by research scholars and students from JMI and other universities, offering diverse perspectives on the semiotic dimensions of love across disciplines.
The valedictory session was addressed by Professor Harish C. Narang, who reflected on the evolving interpretations of love and its intellectual significance. The session was chaired by Professor Mukesh Ranjan.
Dr. Roomy F. Naqvy (Department of English, JMI) delivered the vote of thanks, extending gratitude to the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Dean, Head of Department, the esteemed guests, and Professor Anuradha Ghosh for her initiative in organizing the event.
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