I am a DPhil Candidate in Political Theory at St Anne’s College. My dissertation, The Discontents of Memory, investigates how states ought to address public commemorations of morally complex figures who have contributed both significant good and serious harm. The project evaluates whether, and under what conditions, nationalist, historical, or cultural attachments can legitimately mitigate calls for removal, recontextualization, or other state responses, and how such considerations align with universalist commitments to justice, dignity, and political equality. A central thread is whether evil can serve as a baseline criterion in assessing what states owe in cases of tainted memory.
Beyond my dissertation, I am deeply interested in the nexus between politics and religion in South Asia, the history of Hindu nationalism, and the ethical turn in literary and film theory. I hold an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London, an MSc in Film Studies from the University of Edinburgh, and a BA in Literary and Cultural Studies from FLAME University, India. I am also at work on my first novel, Edinburgh, August 31st, which explores themes of celebrity ennui, memory, and grief.
