Received Sylff fellowship in 2023, 2024, 2025
Academic supervisor: Dr. Samarpita Mitra
Current affiliation: Jadavpur University
My project seeks to narrate a story of development of Hindu nationalism in late colonial India. My interest in political history stemmed primarily from engagements in political activity in West Bengal in the 2010s. I was curious to learn about the historical trajectory of Hindu nationalist organisational activity in the province. This quest took me to colonial archives across India. This was my initial encounter with official and organisational documents about several Hindu nationalist organisations. Building on this experience, my present Ph.D. project seeks to find out how such domains of politico organisational activity interacted with 'Hindu' philosophical/scriptural content in late nineteenth and early twentieth century India. It thus lies at the intersection of political history and the history of religion in colonial South Asia. Through this research, I hope to unearth hitherto unexplored axes of contradiction within Hindu nationalism. At a broader level, this project is also an exploration of new ways to approach the ever contentious theme of the relationship between religion and politics, and desires to contribute meaningfully to ongoing discussions around questions of nationalism, secularism and identity in South Asia.
Academic Achievements, Social Engagement Initiatives
Ranked 2nd in B.A. Hons.Degree in History in 2014, completed M.A. in History with First Class in 2017 and earned an M.Phil. Degree in History in 2019.
Elected as the General Secretary of the Arts Faculty Students' Union, Jadavpur University in 2015. Served in the position till 2017.
