Event date:
Wednesday 6 June to Thursday 7 June
Time:
13:00
Location:
Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, 2 Hope Park Square
Dr Giacomo Mantovan
Embodiment and discipline: the process of becoming a Tamil Tiger
This lecture analyses how a non-state military organization, the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), converted boys and girls into fighters. Focusing on narratives of military training, it shows the three stages of becoming a fighter: firstly, the separation from the family, then the military drills, and lastly the integration into the LTTE. In this process, the inculcation of discipline through physical conditioning and punishments, as well as establishing an “emotional regime” (Reddy 2001), are paramount milestones for the construction of fearless and loyal fighters.