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Staying in Our Lanes: Desi Childhoods, Gandhi Statues, and the Hard Work of Solidarity (New Article)
In the middle of the very difficult period we’re living in, I haven’t been able to share my article, “Staying in Our Lanes: Desi Childhoods, Gandhi Statues, and the Hard Work of Solidarity,” published over a month ago.
Here’s the link, with some comments to follow.
As some of you know or will see, this was incredibly difficult to write. I often write about solidarity — but it’s usually either at a distance from my own experience or, if I speak of myself, it’s part of a broad political call to come together.
There’s a political call here too, but it’s different than usual. It’s asking us to forge solidarity, yes, but never to erase ourselves in the process. Something I have learned over time, and am still learning.
In other words: that there are risks to take in solidarity work, and difficult conversations to have to make it deeper than simply declaring togetherness and showing up to some events.
This article appears as a “Working Note” in the academic journal South Asian Public Culture as part of a dossier on Black-South Asian solidarity assembled by Priya Jha and Shoba Sharad…