History and Culture – Page 3 – NICKELED AND DIMED

The Politics of Access: Piracy as Resistance in the Digital Age

By — Chandril Ray Chaudhuri Abstract This essay examines the link between modern digital piracy and economic exclusion, arguing that piracy should not be viewed today as theft, but as a form of resistance against the cultural monopolisation facilitated by late-stage capitalism. Drawing historical parallels with maritime piracy, which challenged the wealth-centred trade monopolies of…
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The 64 Squares of Power: Chess and the Soviet Project

By – Sahasra Sai Murtineni Abstract This article examines the profound impact of chess on Russian culture and politics, particularly during the Soviet era. It argues that the Soviet Union strategically cultivated chess excellence as a symbol of its intellectual superiority and a tool for projecting its ideological dominance on the world stage. The rise…
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Revisiting Economic History: Gendered Silences in Early-Modern India

By – Tanishka Shah Abstract This paper tries to reconstruct the economic contributions of women in early modern India, centering labour that has long remained peripheral in official accounts and mainstream historiography. It argues that women were indispensable actors in India’s agrarian, artisanal, and proto-industrial economies. From spinning cotton for a thriving textile export industry…
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Archiving Emotion in The Lunchbox

By — Apoorva Lakshmi Kaipa Abstract In The Lunchbox (2013), a mistake by the dabbawala system in Mumbai sets in motion the lunch deliveries from a young homemaker to a widowed accountant accompanied by a set of handwritten notes. The misdelivery turns into a more intimate attachment and a journey of something deeper. The lunchbox…
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Economy Of OTTS – Decline of The Golden Indian Television

By – Poorvanshi Tyagi Abstract The year 2012 brought Over The Top(OTT) platforms to the forefront of India’s Media & Entertainment industry. Though relatively unknown in its formative years, OTT platforms managed to attract millions of Indian users with the onset of the pandemic, growing into a large-scale industry. This article sheds light on the…
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Choked, Torn and Bleached: The Global Bioeconomies of the Female Body

By – Sujal Bamal Abstract A preference that is established on the obsession of molding the female body to soothe the male gaze is a system of control disguised as beauty. Rooted in gendered, economic and cultural power, aesthetic standards emerge at the start of every decade and the female anatomy serves as the canvas…
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Culture, Capital, Commodity: On Shillong’s Mawphlang Forests and the Dangers of Ecotourism

By – Poorvanshi Tyagi Abstract The 1996 ecotourism initiatives at the Mawphlang sacred forests brought recognition to the essence of the area, transforming it into a wonder destination for many. A multitude of trip-advisory articles shed light on the systematic structure set in place for the exploration of these sacred groves. It raises a moral…
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The Price of India’s White Gold

By – Apoorva Lakshmi Kaipa Abstract This article examines how the industrialisation of dairy has transformed a culturally sacred practice into a system marked by cruelty, pharmaceutical manipulation, and consumer deception. It will explore the intersection of bioeconomics, cultural tradition, and ethical consumption through the lens of India’s dairy industry and the emerging vegan movement.…
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Meerut 1987: Memory, Erasure, & the Silences of Power

This article examines the 1987 Meerut riots, focusing on the systematic erasure of the massacre through state complicity and narrative manipulation. It explores how communal tensions, political interests, and biased investigations contributed to reframing the violence as a “riot” rather than a state-enabled massacre. By analyzing institutional failures, selective violence, and the withholding of justice,…
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From Enlightenment To Colonialism: A Look At India’s Lost History

By – Poorvanshi Tyagi Abstract Colonialism in India, among other things, resulted in the loss of Indian knowledge and culture. British imagination of India arose as a product of philosophical developments stirring in Europe during the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. With the embarkation of the civilising mission, came knowledge production and modification…
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How Queerness Is Authentically Indian

By – Apoorva Lakshmi Kaipa Abstract This article will explore the vibrant and longstanding presence of LGBTQ+ identities within Indian culture, one that predates colonial influence and religious orthodoxy. This article examines sacred texts and traditional practices that reveal India’s historical acceptance of diverse gender identities and sexualities, while tracing how colonial influence distorted these…
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The Hidden Trailblazer of Indian Football

By – Sujal Bamal Preface For as long as I have known her, she has remained a bright light of joy and exuberance, illuminating everything that she sees and filling people up with hope and peace. Despite her struggles throughout her life, she has said that the driving forces fueling her actions are kindness and…
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