A dialogue with Sohail Hashmi

Resonance of Diversity: Exploring Syncretic Identity and Imagination
Delhi, India's capital, is a uniquely influenced city, having absorbed the impact of diverse world cultures over centuries. Shaped by centuries of invasions, it carries a distinctive mark on its physical, cultural, and psychological fabric, termed by oral historian Sohail Hashmi as a "syncretic identity." , imagination and creativity.
Sohail, an oral historian, social activist, and filmmaker, leads heritage walking tours in Delhi, aiming to instill an appreciation for the city's history of invasions, loot, and wars, which has also forged a unique syncretic identity.
Today, I recorded a dialogue with Sohail Hashmi as part of my oral history project, "The Legacy of India's Imagination."
The most insightful revelation from our conversation was the realization that respecting diversity extends beyond the present; it involves understanding, respecting, and harnessing the diverse influences shaping our collective memory over time. We explored the origins of rituals pre-dating the formation of religions and delved into the rich cultural resources outside religious identities. Any attempts to homogenize or deny our syncretic culture would hinder the imagination of the future.
I hope you enjoy the dialogue.

[@avi2125]

A savant! Sohail ji is from another era 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏 thanks so much - insights like "creating together"...are priceless...