Blogs

In this piece, I reflect on how key motifs—journeys, everyday objects, and acts of movement—have echoed through my personal exploration of diasporic memory and heritage. I dwell especially on the metaphor of “the cracked cup of memory,” coined in 1996 at the outset of my academic journey in Indian diasporic studies, and trace how three decades of scholarly reflection, communal connection, and transnational academic collegiality have nearly soldered it whole.

Enbah reflects on her first ever international conference and the impetus to engage in creative experimentation more often.

Nithiya reflects on translation as an act of resistance and connection. Through her work with marginalised Malaysian Indian women, she shows how language carries emotion, memory, and identity. Translation becomes a way to honour their voices, challenge her own privilege, and build bridges between lived experiences and public understanding.

Keshia reflects on her journey of reconnecting with her roots through the URMI project. Though born in India, she grapples with feelings of dislocation and privilege as she works alongside Malaysian Indian women affected by colonial legacies. Through poetry, personal memory, and participatory research, she explores how shared heritage and solidarity can offer healing and understanding, even from the position of an “outsider within.”

Nithiya shares her reflections on celebrating cultural and religious events by exploring how the events connect her to the resilience of her ancestors. She draws parallels to the enduring strength of the women involved in the URMI project and how the cultural events symbolise their struggles.

Enbah reflects on her fieldwork experience in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, emphasizing the emotional connections and unique challenges faced by participants. She weaves in her own experience of making sense of trauma via communal storytelling.

Geetha reflects on their journey as a person with Indian ancestry and diasporic identity. They discuss how this personal connection shapes their understanding of colonial legacies in Malaysia, especially the marginalization of Malaysian Indian women, drawing parallels to their academic work