This study examines how Bengali folk songs serve as emotional and historical archives for communities affected by displacement, indentured labour migration, and partition. It investigates how oral compositions rooted in rural and subaltern traditions articulate loss, longing, and separation through metaphor, melody, and repetition. Drawing on postcolonial theory, feminist historiography, and memory studies, the research argues that these songs preserve a counter-memory that resists state-sanctioned narratives and historical erasure. By foregrounding gendered mourning, ruptured intimacy, and dislocated geographies, the songs offer a critique of nationalist triumphalism and the emotional costs of mobility and state-making. They construct a cyclical temporality where mourning does not resolve but returns, functioning as a form of affective resistance. The singers—often women and labouring classes—become custodians of memory, embedding political critique within lyrical grief. Far from being static cultural remnants, these folk songs represent a dynamic form of oral history, voicing the lived experience of historical trauma and demanding an ethics of listening and remembrance in the present.

The paper provides the comparative analysis of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India and some of the prominent international education systems such as Finland, Singapore, the USA, and Germany. The research will attempt to establish best practices in different fields like multidisciplinary learning, vocational training, teacher training and technology integration and how best practices can be modified to apply to the Indian situation. The review of literature and case studies presented in the study outlines the ways, in which NEP 2020 is in line with the global trends in education, in that it emphasizes holistic and inclusive education, flexibility in curriculum design and development of vocational skills. The paper highlights the prospects as well opportunities that India is likely to face when it integrates international strategies into its heterogeneous socio-cultural and economic environment. Among the major discoveries, there are the possibilities of vocational training models in Germany and Singapore which can be used to improve the process of skills development within the framework of NEP 2020, and the necessity of the local teacher training models based on the example of the education system of Finland. The paper also covers the need to close the digital divide to provide access to equitable access to India to technology-driven education. Finally, the study will also provide the policy suggestions on the ways in which the global practices should be adjusted to suit the educational needs of India, supporting the vision of the NEP 2020 of an inclusive, multidisciplinary and future-ready education system.

This paper examines the representation of women’s bodies within the framework of Bāul philosophy, focusing on its spiritual, cultural, and gender dynamics. The primary objective is to explore how Bāul songs and literature depict the female body as both a medium for spiritual liberation and a site of societal control. Through critical engagement with theories from Foucault, Butler, Irigaray, Spivak, and de Beauvoir, the study analyzes the duality of women’s bodies being symbolized as empowering yet objectified in Bāul tradition. The research also addresses the subversive or reinforcing nature of patriarchal structures in these representations. By comparing Bāul with other South Asian mystic traditions, the paper offers insights into the intersection of gender, spirituality, and body politics while highlighting the contemporary relevance of these themes within feminist discourses.

This paper delves into an in-depth exploration of Lalon’s conceptualisation of ‘Moner Manush’, transcending the conventional confines of ‘Jaat’ (caste) and Dharma (religion). Through a nuanced analysis of Lalon’s evolving perspectives, the study traces the transformative journey of the idea of ‘Moner Manush’. By dissecting the lyrical and philosophical aspects, the paper illuminates how Lalon’s spiritual musings challenge societal norms, promoting a universal ethos that goes beyond distinctions. This inquiry aims to unravel the evolving nature of Lalon’s concept of ‘Moner Manush’ and its enduring significance in fostering inclusivity and spiritual interconnectedness, surpassing the limitations of caste and religion.

The Bhakti Movement of India was enlightened by the involvement of many canonical luminaries, whose mission and vision not only helped the movement encompass the diverse Indian culture, but also strengthened the core aspect of the philosophy of the country. Among those great luminaries, Mirabai is considered to be the best-known and the most cherished. Her bhajans (devotional songs) are powerful enough to inaugurate a new trend in the way of worshipping the Supreme Lord. They are celebrated worldwide for their soothing melody, charming tune, and passionate expression of her complete devotion to Lord Krishna. In fact, through her bhajans, Mirabai gives an important message: it is pure devotion to the Lord that will bring relief to the jivas (beings) by transposing them from this world of finite to the realm of infinite.