In a certain sense, every time World Hindi Diwas is celebrated, not only does it evoke the idea of the monolingual identity of the Indian nation but also invents certain linguistic claims and imaginaries about the Hindi-Hindu past. One dominant way in which such linguistic assumptions around Hindi are imagined and practised is by insisting on a binary choice between Hindi-Hindu and Urdu-Muslim. This social binary of two languages exists despite their fl uid meanings in medieval India. The article argues that while Hindi and Urdu are assigned distinctive historical genealogies, what is often missed is the context of fl uidities of medieval India where such vocabularies of linguistic and social binaries hardly existed.

Over the past few decades, the rhetoric of smart and futuristic cities has defined the agenda of urbanisation in India. The underpinnings of these projects are heroic assumptions of modernity(ies) to achieve new goals and aspirations often assuming forms of urban utopia and taking a disruptive approach to urban planning. Our research, which focuses on the capital project of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, shows how the idea of Amaravati in its built and imagined form makes sense to various stakeholders. The research was conducted using qualitative field-based research methods in four villages (Neerukonda, Kuragallu, Ionolu and Nowluru) in the Amaravati capital region. Based on recent interventions in the studies of postcolonial urbanism we propose three key arguments. First, Amaravati in its built and imagined form confirms and negotiates the global discourse on world class city. The second, idea of Amaravati is conceived and progressed by presenting a futuristic vision rooted in the historical patterns of Telugu aspirations for a modern technocratic state. Third, Amaravati embodies the spirit of speculative urbanism, and the project is propelled by the grammar of speed. Lastly, the chapter shows how the idea of world-class in the Global South is imagined and formed by a complex network of inter-referencing and worlding practices.

Indian diversity is a result of generations of co-mingling and the delicate social fabric faces challenge of the ever- growing threat of communalism. To understand the challenge of communalism it is imperative for us to define and recognise its manifestations. This chapter will focus on defining communalism, its changing form from pre to post independence, how the contemporary political scenario has promoted communal passions of the masses, that is often manifested in the communal violence, how it has made history central to their communal programme; and finally the repercussions of the communal hate mongering on the Indian social fabric. It is through communal interpretation of history and its propagation through all possible means that pits one community against the other. This chapter will counter the communal interpretation of history and will focus on the need for the promotion of counter narrative.