Category: History and Culture

By -Chandril Ray Chaudhuri Abstract This article examines how the phrase “pure veg” in India goes beyond a simple choice of what to eat and rather serves as a symbol of historical ideas of caste, purity and pollution. Being vegetarian is a  personal, ethical or religious choice but the language of “purity” has been used…

By – Aarushi Ghosh Choudhury Abstract The Bengal famine of 1943 is normally understood as a natural calamity, war-related famine, and the absence of rice supplies. In this regard, this article tries to prove that such an interpretation is too simplistic and, what is more important is that it protects the British government from the…

By- Prachi Agarwal Abstract  Cooking is one of the most basic life skills a person can learn to survive, yet somehow the value assigned to it by society depends on the person and place. Inside the comfort of the house, this skill is treated as an expression of love and duty a woman has towards…

By — Manya Mittal Abstract On January 28, 2024 two protestors from Riposte Alimentaire hurled orange pumpkin soup at the armored glass encasing Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in the Louvre. By examining the group’s foundational manifesto which calls for a “Social Security for Sustainable Food”, we analyze how this act used France’s ultimate cultural…

By -Harishna Devi Abstract What goes on behind the frames of your favourite anime, and how has the popularity of your favourite show been orchestrated to your liking? The anime industry has been flourishing since the 2000s and has greatly contributed to multiple facets of Japan’s cultural popularity. Through this growth several initiatives and government…

By — Manya Mittal Abstract The historical evolution of the animated loop from its mechanical origins in nineteenth-century optical toys to the digital universality in contemporary GIFs and ambient streaming environments is accompanied by a transformation of these loops as a source of animated shock to cognitive soothing and regulation of emotions. Modern digital loops…

By – Prishaa Abstract Animation has been one of history’s most effective propaganda tools. This article examines the systematic weaponisation of animated media by ruling governments across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, using Gramsci’s concept of hegemony and Nye’s theory of soft power. From Disney’s wartime output and the Censored Eleven to Soyuzmultfilm’s Socialist Realism…

By — Aarushi Ghosh Choudhury Abstract In this article, the Mughal and Colonial era will be examined through the metaphor of animation of two royal Muslim women in the history of India, Empress Nur Jahan and Shah Jahan Begum. They were brought to life through painting, coinage, architecture, and texts in a culture where women…

By — Chandril Ray Chaudhuri Abstract This essay provides a critical analysis of the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as the largest example of ‘restorative nostalgia’ harnessed to serve political change. Exploring the cultural and political events leading to the temple’s construction, such as the mass circulation of Ramanand Sagar’s televised Ramayan, L.…

By — Chandril Ray Chaudhuri Abstract What allows mythological narratives to persist across centuries, and continue to define notions of the Indian nation? This article proposes that Indian mythology survives, not as a cultural heirloom, but as a pliable political tool, frequently re-configured according to the needs of ever-evolving technological and political environments. From Amar…

By- Prachi Agarwal Abstract Animated films and videos are often affiliated with a single known cartoon production house like Disney, Pixar or a famous Japanese anime house. However, there are many layers which go unrecognized and not adequately credited. Most modern animated content is a cross-border work, done by thousands of workers whose names hardly…