My primary research interest is politics of language, culture and identity in South Asia. I also work on intellectual and socio-cultural history, my specialization being the Marathi speaking regions of western India. I have translated Jotirao Phule's poetry from Marathi into English and worked on non-Brahmin movement led by him. Research methodology, caste politics and gender studies are other areas of my interest. Though primarily trained in political science, I am also interested in linguistic studies. I am a Guest Teacher at Department of Linguistics, University of Calcutta and have also been Adjunct Faculty at Centre for Policy Studies, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore.
B.A. in Political Science (University of Mumbai, 2006)
Advanced Diploma in Sanskrit (Tilak Maharashtra University, Pune, 2006)
M.A. in Political Science (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 2008)
P.G. Diploma in Linguistics (Tilak Maharashtra University, Pune, 2008)
M.Phil. in Political Science (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 2011)
Ph.D. in Political Science (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 2018)
After my undergraduate studies at Ramnarain Ruia College, University of Mumbai, I went to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi where I completed M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Centre for Political Studies. For my M.Phil. dissertation I worked on Language and Marxism: Reinterpreting Linguistic Materialism. My doctoral thesis was titled The Nationalization of Marathi: Politics of Print and Language in Maharashtra, 1805-1920. I joined the Presidency University, Kolkata in 2013. I am also trained in Kuchipudi, a classical dance form from India.
In my doctoral thesis, I examined the emergence of print culture, politics of language and imagination of cultural-political community in colonial western India. This led me to explore various themes related to socio-cultural history of modern Maharashtra, including ideas of festivity, purity and obscenity, satirical novel and critique of Brahminical modernity, railway and negotiations with modernity and expriences of maritime travel.
I worked as Joint Convenor of GenEd/ GE Cell of the university, apart from being member of various committees of the department and the university.
I teach/ have taught the following courses (or portions of them):
UG:
- Indian Political Thought
- Caste and Politics in India
- Colonialism and Nationalism in India
- Gender Studies
- Emereging Issues in the Study of Politics
- Modern Political Philosophy
PG:
- Research Methodology
- Culture and Politics in India
- Political Science: Key Concepts and Theories
- Language and Nation
- Gender and Contemporary Political Theory
- Major Issues in Indian Politics
- Civil Society: Issues and Debates
- Civil Society and Democracy in India
PhD :
- Research Methods in the Study of Politics
- Philosophy in Social Sciences
Currently I am supervising two Ph.D. students, both working on caste politics in West Bengal.
Member, Maharashtra Studies Group
Madhura Damle (2014) "Poems by Mahatma Jotirao Phule", Indian Litrerature, No. 279, Vol. LVIII, No. 1, pp. 10-18. [Introductory note and translation]
Madhura Damle (2014) "Poems by Namdeo Dhasal", Indian Litrerature, No. 279, Vol. LVIII, No. 1, pp. 45-48. [Translation]
Madhura Damle (2015) "Jotirao Phule: Father of Non-Brahmin Movement", in Pradip Basu, ed., Social Thinkers of Modern Times, Kolkata: Setu Prakashani.
Madhura Damle (2015) "Civil Society", in Pradip Basu, ed., Political Sociology, Kolkata: Setu Prakashani.
Madhura Damle and Garima Dhabhai (2024) "Sensitisation through Words: Feminist Jurisprudence and the Supreme Court Handbook on Gender", Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 59, No. 26-27 Review of Women's Studies, pp. 23-30.
Madhura Damle (forthcoming) "Sacred Book, Profane Print: Print-as-Commodity and Patronage in Colonial Western India", Modern Asian Studies.
Presidency University Students Corner