Climate, Culture and Colonialism: British perceptions of India in the Early Colonial Era

Dr. Suparna Bhattacharyya

In 1757, upon their initial encounter with a new colony, the British embarked on a journey to understand an unfamiliar land, along with its inhabitants and its distinct climate. Through certain assumptions and preconceived notions, the British Raj sought to justify its governance in India. Any discourse on the colonial period would remain incomplete without considering these colonial representations. The British aimed not only to manage their colonies through their interpretations but also to legitimise their rule as a period of civilisation. Over time, entrenched preconceptions have provided new perspectives on the tropical environment and its unique flora and fauna. What remains intriguing is the diversity of European reactions to the Indian environment, and how these reactions contributed to the broader colonisation process. This work seeks to revisit these prevalent notions, as well as the British Raj's understanding of their colonies during a time of rapid change.

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Multilateral Institutions: Instruments of Defending and Creating Hegemony

Sazzad Nayeem

This study critically examines the transformation of multilateralism from a liberal institutional framework into a geopolitical instrument of influence. Multilateral institutions were established to uphold cooperation, peace, and liberal values in the post-World War II order. Major Powers, particularly China and the United States, utilize these institutions not solely for cooperation but as strategic instruments to assert and safeguard their hegemonic interests. Through a detailed analysis of China’s engagement with institutions such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the paper explores how China projects its global vision and cultivates influence across the Global South. Simultaneously, it evaluates the United States’ evolving multilateral strategy, including its leadership in platforms like the QUAD, AUKUS, and the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGI), which collectively aim to counterbalance China’s growing influence. Drawing on liberal and realist theoretical frameworks, this study questions whether contemporary multilateralism remains a mechanism for genuine international cooperation or whether it is utilized as a platform for competitive power projection. The findings highlight a critical shift in the global governance architecture, with profound implications for the future of the international order.

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Language Politics in Indian Media: A Systematic Literature Review of Cultural and Sociological Dimensions

Piu Banerjee

India has more than 19,500 languages and dialects (Census of India, 2011), which reflects its cultural diversity but also creates social conflict. The colonial legacy of English continues to shape linguistic hierarchies, reinforcing inequality and complicating policy decisions after independence. Language politics in India is deeply rooted in history, culture, and power, and the media plays a central role in this process. Language is often used by the state to promote nationalism. The debate between Hindi and regional languages highlights the tension between national integration and regional identity. Media, in this context, acts both as a preserver of culture and as a force driving regionalism. Minority and tribal languages remain largely neglected, threatening cultural survival and widening inequality. Although digital platforms and AI create new opportunities for linguistic inclusion, they also risk reproducing existing biases. English-language media continues to cater mainly to elites, while regional media struggles with external pressures. Overall, the politics of language in Indian media is closely linked to democracy. Strengthening media literacy, safeguarding minority languages, and ensuring digital inclusion are essential steps toward building a more equal and culturally rich society.

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Urban space, gaze, and flaneur: A critical reading of the photographs of Vivian Maier

Srijani Dutta

Vivian Maier is one of the critically acclaimed women photographers of America. Her works engage with the urban streets and human beings depicting the tales and relationships of different types. Her characters constantly make a critical and stimulating interaction with the urban spaces. Her women characters become the active gazer (s) along with the male characters. Consequently, her photographs capture the different shades and shadows of America. American literature is a broad umbrella that shelters many genres and sub-themes. Since the beginning of the civilization, literature has been maintaining an intricate crossover with visual arts. Literature broadly means poetry, drama, novel, stories etc. This essay tries to display how photography interweaves a melodious and inseparable bond with literature by focusing on the literariness of the photographs. This essay attempts to read the representation of the urban places, gaze, streets, human beings and their intricate symbiosis in the works of Vivian Maier’s photography.

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টুসু সত্যাগ্রহ : একটি সাংস্কৃতিক অধিকার অর্জনের আন্দোলন

মৌমিতা বিশ্বাস

এই প্রবন্ধে "টুসু সত্যাগ্রহ" আন্দোলনকে একটি সাংস্কৃতিক অধিকার আদায়ের ঐতিহাসিক অধ্যায় হিসেবে উপস্থাপন করা হয়েছে, যা ভাষা ও সাংস্কৃতিক স্বাতন্ত্র্য রক্ষার সংগ্রামের প্রতীক। টুসু গান, যা মূলত একটি কৃষিভিত্তিক উৎসবের অংশ, একসময় রাজনৈতিক প্রতিবাদের শক্তিশালী মাধ্যম হয়ে ওঠে। বিহারের মানভূম জেলায় বসবাসকারী বাংলাভাষী জনগণের ওপর হিন্দি ভাষা ও সংস্কৃতির চাপিয়ে দেওয়া এবং বাংলা ভাষার ব্যবহারে সরকারি বিধিনিষেধ জারির প্রতিবাদে এই আন্দোলন শুরু হয়। ১৯৪৮ সাল থেকে ১৯৫৬ সাল পর্যন্ত টুসু গান রাজনৈতিক লোকসঙ্গীত হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়ে আন্দোলনকারীদের মধ্যে চেতনা ছড়িয়ে দেয়। অরুণচন্দ্র ঘোষ, ভজহরি মাহাতো ও কাননবিহারী ঠাকুর প্রমুখ নেতাদের নেতৃত্বে সংগঠিত এই আন্দোলন ছিল অহিংস, কিন্তু বিহার সরকার তা দমন করতে হিংসাত্মক উপায় অবলম্বন করে। এই প্রবন্ধে টুসু গানগুলির ভাষা আন্দোলনের প্রেক্ষাপটে প্রাসঙ্গিকতা, আন্দোলনের ধরন, সরকারি নিপীড়ন এবং গণমানুষের প্রতিক্রিয়া বিশ্লেষণ করা হয়েছে। শেষে পশ্চিমবঙ্গের অন্তর্ভুক্তির মাধ্যমে আন্দোলনের সফল পরিণতির কথা তুলে ধরা হয়েছে। এই প্রবন্ধের মূল উদ্দেশ্য হলো টুসু সত্যাগ্রহের সাংস্কৃতিক, রাজনৈতিক ও ঐতিহাসিক গুরুত্ব তুলে ধরা এবং এটি কেবল ভাষার জন্য একটি আন্দোলন নয়, বরং আত্মপরিচয়ের সংগ্রাম—এই বার্তা পৌঁছে দেওয়া।

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