TWO-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE

 on

Precarity and Resistance:  Bengali Muslim Experience and Contemporary India

on

15-16 November 2025

(Tentative Dates)

Organised by

Bengali Academia for Social Empowerment (BASE), Kolkata, West Bengal

in collaboration with

Department of English, Nagar College, Nagar, Murshidabad, West Bengal &

Department of English, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar College, Betai, Nadia, West Bengal

Concept Note

In her book Frames of War: When Is Life Grievable?, defining the notion of precarityJudithButler observes that all life is precarious, but “‘precarity’ designates that politically induced condition” where certain groups of “populations [are] exposed to arbitrary state violence and to other forms of aggression that are not enacted by states and against which states do not offer adequate protection.” This is precisely the case with Bengali Muslims today. They are facing harassment by state agencies as well as by different pseudo-nationalist groups across different Indian states, exposing them to myriad forms of violence. 

However, to make sense of their present state of precarity, it is necessary to take note of their historical marginality. A glance at history shows they are thoroughly Indian — most of them are Muslims from Dalit Hindu backgrounds, known as Atrāf or Alfaaz Muslims. Thus, they are historically Dalits. During Partition, when affluent and educated Muslims migrated to the newly formed Pakistan, these people clung to their homeland. Under the Sultans, Nawabs, and British rule, they were marginal farmers and labourers. Even eight decades after independence, most of them remain economically and socially backward. There are multiple reasons for this, but a major one is that they were kept out of the scope of affirmative action policies of the state. Although their economic status is comparable to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, until about 15 years ago, no serious effort was made to consider them as backward classes and extend reservation benefits to them. The recent judicial interventions regarding extension of reservation to some groups of OBCs have put hurdles in the way to upper mobility of Bengali Muslims. 

In addition to this, presently Bengali Muslims are facing multiple other challenges that encompass their right to education, right to work, right to political representation and so on. In an era marked by rising “Hindi-Hindu-Hindutva” rhetoric, Bengali Muslims are very often tagged as “infiltrator,” “outsider,” “Bangladeshi” because of their religious and linguistic identity. Currently, the entire Indian population is under scrutiny regarding citizenship, but Bengali speaking citizens face a heightened crisis due to the Bengal’s long-shared border with Bangladesh, a history of refugee migration, a shared language and religions between the two regions. The increasing religious polarization has heightened Muslim-phobia—disproportionately affecting Indian Bengali Muslims, who now suffer doubly for being both Bengali and Muslim.

In the face of different forms of vulnerabilities, the Bengali Muslim writers, social workers and thinkers have begun expressing their collective precarity through literature, periodicals, magazines, newspapers, meetings, and independent digital platforms. They are exploring the possible ways to resist challenges and articulate a new vision for the future.

This conference seeks to examine various forms of precarity of Bengali Muslims community, including threats to dignity of life, disadvantaged positions in education and empowerment, systematic social exclusion from politics, privileged workforces, and urban spaces, as well as socio-economic vulnerabilities and cultural erasure. On the other hand, it aims to explore possible ways to resist precarity, vulnerability and challenges by Bengali Muslims.

Themes:

Academicians, research scholars, faculty members and professionals are invited to submit their original and unpublished research papers in English or Bengali for consideration for presentation. The presentation may be related (but not confined) to the following sub-themes:

Historical Perspectives on Bengali Muslim Precarity and Resilience

Narratives of Precarity in Literature and Arts

Socio-Economic Vulnerabilities and Livelihood Challenges

Systemic Exclusion in Politics and Governance

Education, Empowerment, and Social Mobility

Cultural Identity and the Threat of Erasure

Bengali Migrant Workers and Precarity

Urban Precarity and Bengali Muslims in City Spaces

Gender, Precarity, and Resistance

Religious Identity and Secularism in Contemporary India

Digital Spaces and New Forms of Resistance

REGISTRATION FEES:

Student:  600 INR

Scholar:  800 INR

Faculty: 1100 INR

Rs. 100 less in all categories for

BASE paid members of the current financial year.

We do not provide TA/DA and accommodation.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Abstract: 300 words (with 5 keywords)

Full Paper: 4000-5000 words

Font: Times New Roman; Font size: 12; Spacing: Double space;

Alignment: left.

MLA 9th Edition must be followed for citation.

E-mail the abstract and bio-note to:

baseconferencemail@gmail.com

Dates to Remember:

Last Date of Abstract Submission: 30 September 2025

Intimation of Acceptance: By 05 October 2025

Last date of Online Registration: 06 October 2025

Full Paper Submission: 31 October 2025

Announcement of Final Schedule: 10 November 2025

Publication of the Full Paper

Selected papers in English will be published in an edited volume after a rigorous peer review.

**This conference will be held in-person, however, some slots can be organised in a hydrid mode, if needed.

VENUE: New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal (Exact Venue will be shared later)

The Conference Team

+918926173531 (Whatsapp Only)

Email: baseconferencemail@gmail.com