Migration, Caste, and the Figure of the 'Coolie' in Indian Diplomatic History

This talk explores the histories, journeys, and legacies of 'coolie' migrants as central to the making of Indian diplomacy. I argue that the Indian state framed the 'international' realm as a sanctified space to negotiate what it deemed the 'coolie stain' on its reputation, a discourse shaped by the intersections of caste and class. While examining indenture and the regulation of mobility as intrinsic to postcolonial Indian diplomacy, I also seek to foreground how these migrants themselves actively conceptualised their international status.

Single Motherhood, Celebrities, and Popular Culture in Egypt

Biography: “I am a social and cultural historian of the modern Middle East. My work focuses on gender, sexuality, working classes, and popular culture. I have authored many academic publications, most notably Industrial Sexuality: Gender, Urbanization, and Social Transformation in Egypt from the UT Press 2016 and Unknown Past: Layla Murad, the Jewish-Muslim Star of Egypt from Stanford University Press.
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