Finding and fighting for the 'forgotten', negotiating alienation and non-belonging in school contexts, questioning popular narratives to foster belonging, using memory to challenge the hegemony of the popular, exploring intertwined histories of heritage to find belonging––these were some of the themes discussed at the second edition of The Idea of Belonging in Coimbatore on the 5th and 6th of October 2024.

Bela Bhatia’s discussion followed her recent book, India’s Forgotten Country: A View from the Margins (2024), a collection of essays investigating the marginalized people who don’t fit in the ‘New India’. She stressed that equality is not achieved because of different historical factors, therefore underlining the enduring question: how do we ensure that peace and justice are achieved by everyone?

Bhatia shared first-hand stories about the landless people of Bihar and the Naxalite movement of 1995 which allowed the agricultural community to receive at least minimum wage and to fight against the sexual exploitation of women. She underscored that these struggles to survive were termed as illegal, with police siding with the upper-caste landowners, prioritizing landlord interest over the lives of the labourers, therefore, leading these groups to side with private movements. 

Furthermore, Bhatia shared her personal experiences in Bastar, the most militarized area of the country because of Maoist presence. With Amit Shah, the Home Minister, claiming that all Maoists will be wiped out by 2026, there has been a significant increase in fake encounters where Adivasis are killed. To further stress the lack of equality in the area, Bhatia reminded us that when a civilian is killed by a state bullet, responsibility is rarely taken. Of the large number of massacres, only two have witnessed judicial action. The reality of lived experiences at Bastar is obscured by narratives of 'encounters', which makes the need to communicate and relay what is actually going on all the more urgent.

Bhatia’s discussion is about humanity but in situations where both sides claim that the ongoing war is for the people, to save the people, and nonviolence is seen as a weakness, how can humanity and equality be at the forefront? One leaves her discussion with a sense of disbelief but also faith in people like Bhatia herself, who spend their days fighting for the ‘forgotten’. 

Priyadashini Vijaisri in her talk, Memory, Recognition, and Reconciliation, explored questions like: what is the sense of belonging of an untouchable child in a school? What is the sense of belonging we develop during our childhood, and how important is that development? To tackle such important issues, she was inspired by three sources: the first being the documentary by K. Stalin, India Untouched (2007); A biography by Bhanwar Meghwanshi entitled: I Could Not be a Hindu: The Story of a Dalit in the RSS, the story of an untouchable who worked in a right-wing RSS organisation and despite all the sacrifice he gave the organization, he remained a lesser Hindu, thereby pushing him to make it his life’s mission to expose the hypocrisies of Hindutva. Lastly, an academic book by scholars like Geetha Nambissan, addressing the issue of discrimination against Dalit children in schools. 

Vijaisri’s discussion revolved around the concept that belonging is not a given condition, except at a basic level like family; it has to be nurtured through conversation, encounter and, more importantly, in an inter-subjective relationship. She emphasized that belonging is not an inherent human quality, but a sense that is enacted and mediated through association channels. By enacting mutual belonging as members of larger social collectives, we establish a moral position and make claims on others, expecting care and support. She drew attention to the significant role of context in shaping the sense of belonging. Whether in traditional contexts, where myths are a primary medium for fostering a sense of belonging, or in modern contexts, where history has taken over the role of myth, defining and legitimizing the sense of belonging.

Vijaisri demonstrated how a sense of alienation and non-belonging in school contexts can detrimentally affect students’ cognitive abilities. She provided specific examples, such as the doll test, which proved that discrimination instils self-hate among children. By showing a clip of India Untouched, she not only underlined the continued discrimination of Dalit children in schools but also prompted the audience to fully comprehend the profound impact of untouchability. The emphasis on the psychological consequences diverted the conversation to a larger issue. These minorities constitute a quarter of the population, why do they resist? Why don’t they revolt? 

Anwesha Sengupta in 'Deconstructing the Idea of Belonging' presented the book series Itihashe Hate Khori (First History Lessons), written by her and her colleagues in Bangla and later translated to English and Assamese. The series has nine books for middle school children, each dealing with one theme or historical event. Unlike conventional textbooks, these books are designed to be fun and accessible, incorporating vibrant illustrations and written in simple language to engage young readers.

She expressed how the intention of the first three books in the series is to explore what it means to be Indian, highlighting how religious, linguistic, and regional identities overlap with, and sometimes conflict with, national identity. Through these narratives, the books challenge the idea of Indian identity as a homogeneous or static concept. 

Sengupta explained how the broader objective of the series is to make young readers question widely accepted narratives, especially in the context of historical events like Partition. One key message being that Partition, and by extension, Indian identity, was experienced differently by various communities, and these experiences were shaped by factors like religion, geography, and gender.  The series also touches on contemporary issues such as the Citizenship Act of 1955 and its amendments, showing how definitions of ‘Indian’ have been increasingly contested in modern times, especially for marginalized communities.

Sengupta and her team organized interactive workshops with schoolchildren, fostering discussions and activities such as illustrations to engage with them in these ideas. The workshops not only imparted knowledge but encouraged the children to express their own perspectives. The children’s illustrations reflected their own lived experiences of rural-to-urban migration, which helped them relate to the historical narratives of Partition and refugee migration. The project team has since incorporated this understanding into the writing and development of the books, making sure to engage with children throughout the creative process to incorporate their ideas and perspectives.

Furthermore, the workshops were held in urban schools and with underprivileged children on the outskirts of Kolkata, adding practical depth to the project’s goal of fostering critical thinking about identity and history.

In her talk on Heritage and Belonging, Swapna Liddle emphasized the ever-growing importance of heritage in education, noting that it has become a noteworthy part of the school curriculum and a broader social discussion. She raised concerns about the overuse of the term ‘heritage’ and questioned what it truly means. Liddle explored the connection between history and heritage, pointing out that heritage is not just about studying the past, but about understanding the living legacies, tangible and intangible, that shape our present. 

One of the key points of the discussion was the complexity of what constitutes Indian heritage. She argued that there is no singular ‘Indian heritage’ as India is made up of diverse regions, languages, and peoples. Moreover, Liddle stressed that the boundaries and identities that define India today result from historical accidents, and privileging any one form of ‘Indianness’ risks oversimplifying this complexity.

Liddle also highlighted the importance of considering different aspects of heritage, such as built heritage where monuments provide tangible links to the past. However, our focus should be on more than just the grand structures of the powerful because it would limit our understanding. She urged that a broader view, which includes the everyday lives and contributions of ordinary people, such as their traditional crafts and local cousins, is necessary to fully know heritage.

Additionally, she discussed food and craft traditions, illustrating how these have evolved over centuries through interaction with other cultures. Liddle argued that the introduction of foods like potatoes, tomatoes and chilies, as well as the influence of languages such as Farsi, show how India has continuously adapted and integrated new elements into its heritage.

Liddle’s greater purpose of the discussion was to underscore the need for a more nuanced understanding of heritage, which respects both its diversity and the people who continue to transmit it through practices like crafts and food.

Priyanka Seshadri’s talk was an insightful reflection on her work with oral history projects. She mainly focused on her time at the Partition Museum in Delhi. Oral history, as she explains, collects first-hand hand accounts of historical events by interviewing the individuals who experienced them directly. By approaching history in this manner, the aim is to preserve the voices of ordinary people, often excluded from the elite dominated historical accounts. 

Seshadri worked on recording the memories of the people who lived through the Partition in 1947 of India and Pakistan along religious lines, which resulted in widespread violence and displacement. The Partition Museum pursued to document these personal stories in order to create a ‘people’s history’, in which the memories of regular people, especially marginalized communities, would take centre. 

The project was a community driven initiative. Seshadri described how the museums collected its stories by contacting elderly people, conducting interviews in their homes and recording their experiences. The stories were then presented in the museum through multimedia displays, allowing visitors to engage directly with the personal narratives and engaging them to then participate with their own story. Through this, Seshadri explained, the museum blurred the lines between the audience and the museum itself, making everyone part of the historical memory. 

She strongly highlighted how personal memories can challenge the official narratives promoted by governments. The museum, for instance, commemorated ‘Partition Remembrance Day’ on August 17, two days after Indian Independence Day, to recognize the trauma and violence, often omitted from national histories. 

Seshadri also underscored the complexities of oral histories, noting the biases and limitations in personal recollections, particularly in a politically charged environment. She emphasized the importance of reflecting on the potential as well as the challenges of oral history in creating inclusive recollection of the past.

The talks were followed by workshop sessions each day. Anish Mukherjee and Elia Jameel, part of the AltEd team, encouraged students to explore the concepts of belonging and otherness, shaped by media-driven narratives in today’s cultural landscape. 

The first exercise involved analysing two images, the feedback demonstrated how easily people make snap judgments from a single moment in time, without considering the broader context. By reflecting on the responses, the speakers introduced the distinction between fact and opinion, which led to a broader discussion on misinformation (unintentional falsehoods) and disinformation (deliberate spread of false information), emphasising the importance of critically evaluating the information encountered in media. This session's main takeaway was to recognize that biases shape our initial impressions and to understand how easily bias can influence one’s perspective formed unconsciously when engaging with media.

On day two, the workshop started by analysing three advertisements each designed to influence its audience by playing on insecurities or reinforcing stereotypes. These ads demonstrated how manipulation in advertising can create a sense of need, disenfranchising consumers by exploiting societal norms and personal insecurities. In contrast, two more advertisements were shown. These inspired positive responses from the students because they rejected the manipulation of insecurities, signalling how demand in society has changed. These differences in the two set of ads highlighted how media can either empower or manipulate audiences. The students noted how the emotionally charged advertisements made viewers feel part of something larger, demonstrating the power of media to influence perception and identity.

The workshop concluded with a discussion on the broader business of television and media, teaching the students that media companies sell consumer attention to corporations, governments, and political parties, therefore, revealing how the messages delivered to the public are often shaped by the need to make visual content more alluring, teaching them to consider who benefits from the dissemination of particular narratives. They learned the importance of mindful consumption of media and being cautious about the information they encounter, crucial when navigating the complex media landscape, where fact, opinion, misinformation, and disinformation often overlap.

Sreyasi Chatterjee’s workshop provided a comprehensive guide for teachers on integrating oral history into education. Drawing on her experience transitioning from high school to undergraduate teaching, Chatterjee stressed the value of oral history as a teaching tool to promote mental well-being, foster belonging and engage students in active learning. 

She shared multiple activities for children to engage on conversations on the idea of belonging. An example was the “Circles of Belonging exercises, were students draw circles starting with their name in the centre and adding people they feel connected with in the outer rings, the greater the distance from the students name, the lesser the degree of connection. Exercises like this one, Chatterjee explains, open discussions about identity, connection and support systems, allowing students to explore their sense of belonging. 

Chatterjee also highlighted the importance of exploring different identities and boundaries of belonging, such as in the Band-Aid Solution game, which illustrates the ineffectiveness of applying one solution to different problems. She discussed how to teach students the need to differentiate between equality and equity, she shows different photographs of individuals with varying physical abilities facing the same challenge. Activities like this one encourage students to consider diverse perspectives. 

The workshop evolves with Chatterjee advocating the need to use oral histories to challenge traditional historical narratives. She argues that history often centres around legitimized voices while neglecting marginalized ones. According to Chatterjee, oral history is a way to turn towards micro-histories, making previously overlooked stories an intrinsic part of our understanding of the past. 

She further explained how oral history is not just about content but context, urging teachers to encourage students to look beyond factual information and focus on emotions and social construction of identity. By engaging with primary sources, like interviews and personal collections, students can learn empathy, develop research skills and foster intergenerational dialogue. Chatterjee strongly emphasized during the whole duration of the workshop the value of oral history in fostering critical thinking, inclusivity and personal connection in the classroom. She highlights how because of various constraints a teacher might have, finding and creating new material for teaching comes with complications. However, she urged and provided a range of resources for educators to integrate oral history into their teaching methods.

The workshop by Nisha Abdulla explored themes of cultural syncretism, identity and belonging, using her solo play wepushthesky as a medium to illustrate these complex concepts. The play draws from various cultural and religious mythologies, including the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Islamic narratives like Karbala, reflecting Nisha’s own plural identity as a Muslim woman artist in contemporary India. Through these stories, she examines the intersection of personal, cultural and collective histories, and how these inform one’s self and belonging. 

A central part of the workshop involved audience participation. Nisha invited the participants to reflect on their own experiences of belonging and unbelonging, encouraging them to think about the spaces, people, and circumstances that evoke these feelings. This reflection was deepened through discussions on how cultural practices, such as food and storytelling, play a significant role in constructing a sense of identity. She emphasized that food, for instance, carries emotional, cultural and personal significance, shaping our memories and how we relate to our heritage. 

The workshop also touched on the political implications of identity and belonging, especially for marginalized groups, and the responsibilities individuals and communities have to foster inclusion. Through exercises and storytelling, Nisha encouraged participants to consider their roles in making others feel a sense of belonging, connecting this personal responsibility to broader societal dynamics. 

The participants left the workshop with the understanding that belonging is not just a feeling, but an active, everyday practice. It involves making choices about inclusion, culture and identity. This practical insight was the key takeaway from the workshop.