Danga, Deshbhag o Udbastu Somoy: Paschim theke Purbobanga – A Book Review

Danga, Deshbhag o Udbastu Somoy: Paschim theke Purbobanga, Compiled, edited and introduction by Mridul Haque; Kolkata: Mandas Publication, 2024; Pp: 460; Price: Rs. 650; ISBN: 9789395065634

Danga, Deshbhag o Udbastu Somoy: Paschim theke Purbobanga starts with a summary of Dibyendu Palit’s short story Alam’s Own House. The use of this particular story by the editor is significant because it is a story in the crowd of many fictional narratives of partition, which has the migration from West Bengal to East Pakistan and its consequences as its subject which is also the core issue dealt in this book. Anannya Das writes.

The Bangladeshi Immigrants in Odisha: Negotiation of Identities through the Gender Lenses

Chandrika Ray is researching the identity formation from East Bengali immigrants to Orissa, through the experiences and self-definitions of three generations of women, in the same family. Despite being in different Bengali speaking settlements in Orissa for a long time, recent developments have made the community targets of anti-immigrant sentiments. Chandrika writes.

First History Lessons Episode II: Rivers, Tea, and War

The histories of river, tea and war are so embedded in the politics, culture, society and economy of this subcontinent that they cannot be delineated without narrating the lives of the people of this land. The three books mentioned above are part of the project initiated by the Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK), titled ‘Itihase Hatekhari’. The project aims at familiarizing children with the significant issues of various fields in history. The themes of these books span over social, economic, cultural, environmental, geo-political, labour, military, alltagsgeschichte (history of everyday life) etc. various strands of history. The authors have included references from other academic disciplines as well to portray a comprehensible picture for children. Shreyasi Mondal reviews the second set of voulmes to be published in the series.