Power and Memory: 

Historical Distortions, the Perversion of Politics and the Dilemmas of Remembering and Forgetting

Power and Memory is a semester long course offered in the academic year 2023-24 sem-2. This seminar delves into the intricate relationship between historical memory and political manipulation, exploring the pervasive misuse of history to shape contemporary political landscapes. Through an interdisciplinary lens, this course scrutinises post-conflict distorted historical memory, the ramifications of historical legacies, monument controversies, and the profound impact of such distortions on politics across diverse global contexts. The course explores the deliberate perversion of historical narratives, utilising examples such as Holocaust denial, the denial of Tiananmen Square of June 4th, and the Haitian slave revolt for Independence; examining how such denialism distorts collective memory, perpetuates prejudice, and influences socio-political ideologies and identities.