Keywords
Intersectionality
Gendered Representation
Caste
Counter Memory
Postcolonial Monuments
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper analyzes whether post-independence Indian monuments represent a break from colonial aesthetic rules or form a nationalist reimagining of them. It contends that while abstract colonial allegories seem to have been replaced by named historical figures, such as Rani Lakshmibai, yet the built environment nevertheless disciplines female autonomy by enforcing conformity to upper-caste, patriarchal norms of respectable womanhood. Using an intersectional perspective, the study uncovers the double erasure of Dalit women, as illustrated by the case of Jhalkaribai, who are removed from official monumental spaces and restricted to oral traditions. Finally, the paper concludes that decolonizing memory and monumental landscape necessitates a shift away from mere national iconophilia towards plural and decentralized living modes of remembering that challenge the authoritarian singularity of stone.
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