I grew up between Bhubaneswar, Mayurbhanj, Singhbhum, and Gopiballavpur, shaped by internal border cultures—a mix of Bihar/Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. I identify with a hybrid Odia-Bengali ethnicity, common in the border regions of Odisha and West Bengal. This identity is shaped by both mainstream dialects and practices, as well as local tribal influences—a cultural intersection that often goes unacknowledged and unaddressed.
Academically I am along the borders of anthropology, sociology and development studies. My training has primarily been in sociology, my thesis advisors are anthropologists and my findings resonate with development studies scholars. The interdisciplinary perk is having a wider outreach and potential for high impact research. The downside is spending enormous amount of time searching literature from three vast fields and spending even more time handling the politics and economy of citation while writing.
My research focuses on understanding intergenerational continuity in precarious work. Using India's powerloom cluster in Surat as a case study, I explore why workers across four generations from Odisha continue working in powerloom shopfloors—despite their awareness of stigma, labor demobilization, stagnant wages, and eroding social life. I focus on three key areas
- The social history of powerlooms in India.
- The social life of precarious indusrial workers.
- The intergenerational social reproduction of precariousness.
Research Areas
My primary areas of academic interest and expertise include:
- Informal Economy
- Labour Migration
- Precarious Work
- Working Class Identities
- Non Movements
Teaching experience
I have received teaching award and teaching fellowship for the following modules. Jacques Ranciere’s book ‘The Ignorant Schoolmaster’ has aided me in teaching.
- Culture and Society SC2202/AN2202
- Sociology of Power SC3205
- Asian Interconnections HSA1000
Books I am currently reading
Braverman, H., 1974. Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Tadiar, N.X.M., 2022. Remaindered Life. Duke University Press.
Ruwanpura, K. N., 2022. Garments without guilt?: global labour justice and ethical codes in Sri Lankan apparels. Cambridge University Press.
Gronemeyer, Reimer, and, Michaela Fink., 2023. Industrialization in Ethiopia: Awakening - Crisis - Outlooks: The Example of the Textile Industry. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.