S5 Ep4: Un-Bordering the Map with Rohini Rai

About this episode

Jerry speaks with Dr. Rohini Rai about her research on the politics of the Eastern Himalayas and the impact of colonial borders on her home region.

In this episode, Jerry speaks with Dr. Rohini Rai, a sociologist of race, ethnicity, and migration, and lecturer at Brunel University in London. She is also the co-founder of the Critical Himalayan Collective, a scholarly, activist network focused on reimagining Eastern Himalayan studies through Indigenous knowledge, art, and critical dialogue. Rohini shares a map from the Royal Geographical Society Collections showing the colonial borders imposed on her home, Sikkim. The ‘Sketch Map of Sikkim and parts of Darjeeling, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan’ was initially produced to accompany a report of a British surveying expedition in 1884-1886 led by Colonel Tanner. We learn about Rohini’s research on the politics of the Eastern Himalayas and Himalayan diaspora in the UK. We also hear about Rohini's personal history in the region and the inspired projects using embodied practices like dance to reclaim colonised archival materials and remap ancestral lands. From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites each guest to share a…

People in this episode

Host: Jerry Brotton

Guest: Dr. Rohini Rai

Topics covered

• race
• ethnicity
• migration
• colonialism
• Himalayan studies
• cultural reclamation

Keywords

• Himalayas
• colonial borders
• migration
• Indigenous knowledge
• cultural history
• dance
• archival materials

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brunel University, Critical Himalayan Collective

Places: Sikkim, Eastern Himalayas, UK, Darjeeling, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan

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