Meet the Author: Dr. Ali Raza

On 19th November 2021: The School of Economics and Social Sciences hosted Dr. Ali Raza, Associate Professor at LUMS, to talk about his book Revolutionary Pasts: Communist Internationalism in Colonial India. Dr. Ali Raza is a historian who specializes in the history of modern South Asia. He received his DPhil from the University of Oxford. The session was moderated by Dr. Ahmad Azhar. Dr. Raza made an impassioned case for revisiting the historic terrain of revolutionary movements in late colonial Punjab. He argued for the need to adopt a "global" perspective in order to make sense of the localized and concrete development of leftist movements in the fluid context of interwar Punjab. In what constitutes a refreshing departure, Dr. Raza built his larger argument around the individual life trajectories of subaltern revolutionary stalwarts. This mix of micro and macro perspectives made for an exciting talk that was very well received by the audience. The session was attended by faculty members, students, and staff who seemed captivated by the insightful discussion. Dr. Raza engaged with the audience to make the session more interactive and fruitful.