Echoes of a Lost Legacy: Unravelling the Fading Identity and Heritage of the Calcutta Jews in Post-Colonial India

Abstract

This research work aims to examine the identity of the Jewish community in Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) in post-secular India through the lens of diasporic sentiments, focusing on the urgent need for preservation of Jewish heritage sites. It concurrently examines the role of the Indian State in shaping national consciousness towards its minority communities and preserving these minority cultural legacies. Drawing on the works of scholars such as Amitav Ghosh and Nathan Katz, the paper explores the challenges of sustaining minority heritage within the contemporary political and social landscape. Given the dwindling Jewish presence in Kolkata, state intervention is crucial. Strategies such as promoting cultural and heritage tourism, supporting local Jewish initiatives, and implementing inclusive policies can help preserve the Jewish legacy in India, while reinforcing the nation’s post-secular, multicultural ethos. The paper also engages with the broader dynamics of Indian secularism, which, while inclusive, often overlooks the complexities of minority identities like that of the Jews, whose historical ties to both India and Israel complicate their national belonging and identity.