The Conversation

5 books and films that tell the story of the trauma of the Partition of India and its aftermath

Written by Madhur Anand, Professor & Director, Global Ecological Change & Sustainability Laboratory, University of Guelph

Muslim refugees sit on the roof of an overcrowded coach railway train near New Delhi, trying to leave India after the 1947 Partition.AP Photo

Editor’s note: At midnight on Aug. 14, 1947, India achieved independence from British colonial rule and Pakistan was created as a separate homeland for Muslims. More than 200 years of British rule had...

The metaverse isn't here yet, but it already has a long history

Written by Tom Boellstorff, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine

As far back as the late '80s people could venture into a virtual online world.Screenshot of Habitat from Lucasfilm Games

Nattie’s metaverse romance began with anonymous texting. At first “C” would admit only to living in a nearby town. Nattie eventually learned “Clem” was a man with a solitary office job like hers. For...

India turns 75: Fast facts about the unusual constitution guiding the world's most populous democracy

Written by Deepa Das Acevedo, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Alabama

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Indian independence in Bangalore, Aug. 8 2022. Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images

India will celebrate its 75th birthday on Aug. 15, 2022.

Its independence from British colonial rule followed a complex process, including Partition: the division of India into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India....

An interfaith discussion on the role of religion in mental health

Written by Emily Costello, Managing Editor, The Conversation US

Human connections can help people through difficult times.fizkes/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Religious leaders often try to support the people they serve during challenging times. This supportive role was especially important during the past few years as the nation dealt with a pandemic, social distancing and the loss of more than a million lives.

In a...

Politicians seek to control classroom discussions about slavery in the US

Written by Raphael E. Rogers, Professor of Practice in Education, Clark University

A Texas law says slavery cannot be taught as part of the 'true founding' of the United States.Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images

Of all the subjects taught in the nation’s public schools, few have generated as much controversy of late as the subjects of racism and slavery in the United States.

The attention has come largely through a flood of...

At 75, Pakistan has moved far from the secular and democratic vision of its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah

Written by Farah N. Jan, Senior Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania

Mohammad Ali Jinnah addressing the assembly in Karachi on Aug. 15, 1947, after the creation of Pakistan.AP Photo

This month marks the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence and of its Partition from British India in a devastating process that uprooted more than 15 million people and resulted in 1 million to 2 million dead. Hindus,...

Russia’s threats to shut down Jewish Agency raise alarm bells for those who remember the past

Written by Shaul Kelner, Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University

During the Cold War, Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union was tightly restricted. Dzurag/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked a surge of refugees fleeing the war zone, but political repression and economic uncertainty have also prompted emigration from Russia itself. Among the emigrants are...

There's reason for people on opposing sides of abortion to talk, even if they disagree – it helps build respect, understanding and can lead to policy change

Written by Kate W. Isaacs, Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has split the country into joyous supporters and furious dissenters. Emotions are running high, and some protests have turned violent. Yet research shows that people on either side of the abortion rights issue can bridge their divide if they speak directly and respectfully with one another....

Farmers can save water with wireless technologies, but there are challenges – like transmitting data through mud

Written by Abdul Salam, Assistant Professor of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University

Wireless sensors and data systems can help farmers use water much more efficiently by monitoring soil conditions.Lance Cheung/USDA via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Water is the most essential resource for life, for both humans and the crops we consume. Around the world, agriculture accounts for 70% of all freshwater use.

I study computers and...

American Sikhs are targets of bigotry, often due to cultural ignorance

Written by Simran Jeet Singh, Visiting Lecturer, Union Theological Seminary

A candlelight vigil in Oak Creek for the victims of a mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in August 2012.AP Photo/Tom Lynn, File

Ten years ago, a white supremacist opened fire on a Sikh congregation in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring several others before taking his own life. An eighth person, Baba Punjab Singh, was...