This journal contains a compilation of talks delivered at the History for Peace regional conference on the Idea of Belonging at DPS Coimbatore in 2024.

Belonging is a multifaceted concept. It goes beyond mere physical presence or legal status—it involves emotional attachment and a sense of acceptance and validation within a particular community or nation. In the context of India’s diverse landscape, belonging takes on added complexity. What exactly does it mean to feel like one belongs? Is the sense of belonging tied to language, ethnicity, religion, caste, socioeconomic class, or perhaps food habits? And why are we increasingly questioning who truly belongs in India? Has the rise of majoritarianism made it more challenging to define who belongs and who doesn’t?

Furthermore, as societies evolve and undergo demographic shifts—through globalization, urbanization, internal displacements and forced migrations—how does the notion of belonging evolve? What roles do historical narratives, familial ties and personal experiences play? Besides, while we look at history to understand this complex idea, what about those whose overlooked stories do not even belong to our ‘official’ class histories—people who are Adivasi, Dalit, queer and/or differently abled, among others?

Contents

MEMORY, RECOGNITION AND RECONCILIATION: CULTIVATING THE

SENSE OF BELONGING

Priyadarshini Vijaisri

CULTIVATING THE SENSE OF BELONGING

Anwesha Sengupta

HERITAGE AND BELONGING

Swapna Liddle

MEMORY AND THE IDEA OF BELONGING

Priyanka Seshadri

Download the journal in PDF format by clicking below:

IOB-Coimbatore)WEB.pdf

Download PDF • 1.41MB