History and Culture – Page 2 – NICKELED AND DIMED

The Historical Transformation of Supernatural Beliefs

By -Apoorva Lakshmi Kaipa Abstract This article looks into the history of practices labelled as witchcraft or attributed to supernatural forces that we understand scientifically today. Centred on the Salem witch trials and witch hunts in Europe, the article details how epilepsy, mental illness, and possibly ergot poisoning were wrongly interpreted as diabolical possession or…
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Why the Far Left Disagrees with Woke Culture

By – Chandril Ray Chaudhuri Abstract Will the system of oppression persist if social inequalities are solved but not economic disparity? A resounding no is the answer in the far-left school of thought. Whereas an activist can call themselves woke and emphasize identity politics, race, gender, sexuality, and other identifying signs, communists and deep-red theorists…
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Jokes Apart: How Laughter Masks Hierarchy?

By — Hansin Kapoor Abstract In India, comedy often straddles a fine line between critiquing authority and reinforcing social hierarchies. This article examines how comedy deploys abusive and even gory language to target caste, class, gender, and regional minorities. by drawing on Goffman’ s concept of stigma, Durkheim’ s theory of deviance, Foucault’ s discourse-power…
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The Unmasking of an Unbalanced Reality: How Tribal Literature Reveals A Long-Drawn Oppression

By — Nandini Pandey Abstract The Adivasi population of India is diverse and consists of various different groups and tribes. Despite their differences in practices and culture, they stand united on the grounding of exclusion and suppression that they have faced from society for generations. This essay examines such oppression through the works of tribal…
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The making of social hegemony through media and culture

By – Apoorva Lakshmi Kaipa Abstract This article examines the role of media in sustaining social power structures through Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony. Media platforms, films, pop culture and advertising reproduce dominant ideologies instead of operating as neutral channels of communication. The article will: explore how social media algorithms shape visibility and reinforce already…
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Trumbo : Revisiting Communist Imagination in post-WWII America

By – Poorvanshi Tyagi Abstract Trumbo (2015) is based on the tumultuous career of Academy Award winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. The film examines the life and mind of Trumbo, whose public support for communism in the Cold War era shaped his personal, social and professional life. Through the lens of Trumbo, this article aims to…
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Is AI Rewriting Rights in India?

By — Hansin Kapoor Abstract In India’s high-stakes technological renaissance, artificial intelligence is a Pandora’s box brimming with promise but also peril. On the one hand, AI fuels innovations in healthcare, agriculture, and governance; on the other, it raises profound human rights dilemmas. UNESCO notes that AI is re-shaping the way we work, interact, and…
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Food : A Saviour For the Victims of Partition

By – Nandini Pandey Abstract The role of food in our lives is immense, yet often goes unnoticed. It is not merely a daily habit but a source of comfort, livelihood and income for an abundance of people. The food we have from outlets for our enjoyment helps sustain a legacy in each bite that…
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Tamil Nadu’s Struggle for Language and Culture

By – Apoorva Lakshmi Kaipa Abstract This article examines the indirect legacies of Partition in Tamil Nadu, focusing on the Dravidian movement, anti-Hindi agitations, and linguistic state formation. Drawing on scholarly and journalistic sources, the article highlights how Tamil politics developed unique strategies in response to the post-partition centralisation and language imposition. Introduction Partition is…
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Namasudra Refugees: Caste, Partition, and the Marichjhapi Tragedy

By:- Tanishka Shah Abstract While Partition is conventionally narrated as a conflict of religions, for Dalit Namasudra refugees it was equally a story of caste marginalisation. From their pre-partition mobilisation and Jogendranath Mandal’s alliance with Muslims, to their subsequent displacement, relocation to Dandakaranya, and the violence of the Marichjhapi massacre in 1979, the Namasudra…
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Urdu, Hindi & Tapering Cultures : Reimagining the nation-state post Partition

By – Poorvanshi Tyagi Abstract The Partition of 1947 finds its legacies in the geography, culture and traditions of India and Pakistan today. Partition memory plays an important role in shaping the Indian nation-state with respect to its imagined sense of belonging, homogeneity and national identity. The prominence of sanskritised Hindi and consequent erasure of…
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Lock ’Em Up, Cash ’Em In: Penal Labour in the Ledger of Empire..

By — Hansin Kapoor Abstract This article examines the intertwined development of the penal system and economy in British colonial India and argues that colonial jails and laws were not merely instruments of order, but also of profit and social control. Prisons were turned into “houses of industry” where convicts toiled in shops and fields…
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