Memory is often depicted as a passive recollection of the past. However, within the caste-based Indian experience, memory functions as an active force, shaping both present conditions and historical understanding. This talk draws on fieldwork conducted at key Dalit monuments in Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi NCR in 2023, examining how individual and collective memories are consolidated and their role in shaping political narratives and intergroup inequalities. The talk draws attention towards how Dalits have mobilized collective memory in the anti-caste struggle to create counter-narratives that challenge Hindutva’s dominant narrative. Dr Choudhary will explain how political parties led by dominant castes continue to appropriate Dalit icons, sanitizing Dalit collective memory to fit their political agenda. He will also discuss how recent efforts to construct a unified Hindu identity as the sole historical narrative have further marginalized Dalit collective memory. Based on the aforesaid insights, Dr Choudhary will argue that Dalits occupy a structurally unequal position and are subject to mnemonic inequality and injustice within the caste-based mnemonic hierarchy. Overall, this talk highlights the essential role of memory in understanding the ongoing dynamics of caste politics in India.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr Vikas Kumar Choudhary
Vikas Choudhary recently submitted his PhD thesis in political science, which examines the politics of memory within India’s post-2014 political landscape. Using a phenomenological perspective, the thesis theorizes how experiences of privilege and oppression shape the constitutive structures of individual memory. He has presented his PhD work at various institutions, including King’s College London, where he was awarded Best Paper Award in 2023. Vikas has previously completed M.Phil. in political science and holds a diploma in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. He has published papers in various national and international journals, including J-Caste. Currently he is a faculty member at the Centre for Writing and Pedagogy (CWP) at Krea University.
