India( ns) on the Psychoanalytic Couch: An Introduction to the Work of Sudhir Kakar
India remains one of the few non-western countries to have a vibrant psychoanalytic movement – and it was by far the �rst to start.
Psychoanalysis in India began in the year 1922 with the establishment of Indian Psychoanalytical Society by Girindrashekhar Bose in Kolkata( then Calcutta). Ernest Jones was appointed by Sigmund Freud to look after the society. This society later spread to the cities of Mumbai( then Bombay), Delhi and Ahmedabad.
In 1945, after Bose retired, psychoanalysis saw a decline in Kolkata. In the year 1955, B. M. Institute of Mental Health was established in Ahmedabad by the Sarabhais, which was later handed over to governmental control in 1985. During the time period of 1945-1985, the Indian Psychoanalytical Society at Mumbai saw many splits and scandals. Sudhir Kakad started practising as a psychoanalyst in Delhi in 1975.
Kakad believes that there are 4 overlapping lenses which are to be used when practising psychoanalysis in India: Hindu i d e a s, S o c i o l o g i c a l & Anthropological Studies, Pop culture and mass media and clinical work. Out of these, clinical work is the most important, and not all of them are weighed equally.
Kakad also talks about the concept of“ Maternal Enthrallment”, which is a very deep bond that exists between a mother and her child. Since birth, a child is surrounded by women, who nurse him, bathe and clean him and minister to his every need. Men are not involved in the growth of the child in the �rst 3-5 years. The child is allowed to mature at his / her own rate, with practically no disciplining, which creates a very seductive and enthralling environment. This leads to the mother becoming a central character in the child ' s life. This sets the stage for
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