I was one of the early bloggers in India and was in fact one of the first YouTubers (didn't post many videos though). Even on the social media, I was quick to jump on to Facebook and was part of the early microblogging club (aka Twitter).

New communication platform has always interested me. And Telegram, I think, its hugely underleveraged even after so many years. Though, I have attempted to grow audiences around Telegram in my day job to some success.

This Telegram channel's primary intent isn't to attract subscribers. But to give me yet another viable space where I can say what I want to. As elsewhere, I will not follow a formula or a pattern. This channel, like on other platforms, will be a potpourri. If you like khichdi, you might like it here :)

#Timelapse | Morning after an unseasonaly rainy night

Zoya Akhtar's 'The Archies' and memories of M from Mawprem

Watching a new generation of Bollywood kids making their debut in this Netflix film, I couldn’t help but think of M, the girl from Mawprem who had opened up the world of Archie comics to me

https://www.cuttingthechai.com/2023/12/14328/zoya-akhtars-the-archies-and-the-memories-of-m-from-mawprem/

This photograph captures in a snapshot what the pandemic, the lockdown and work from home meant for me

https://www.cuttingthechai.com/2023/12/14362/this-photo-from-2020-captures-my-year-of-the-pandemic/

Ameen Sayani (1932-2024)

The 1979 riots are generally believed to be the first communal riot in Shillong. But then the history of Khasi-Bengali strife in the Meghalaya capital dates to when Shillong was the capital of undivided Assam and before India attained Independence.

https://www.cuttingthechai.com/2024/07/15135/the-1938-shillong-riots-the-forgotten-story-of-the-khasi-bengali-clashes-in-undivided-assam/

The forgotten partition: The partition of Assam in 1947

It is widely known that when India became independent and Pakistan was formed, two states were partitioned - Bengal and Punjab. What is lesser known, is that a third Indian state - Assam - was also divided between the two countries.

Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh) was part of Assam since 1912. Following the Sylhet referendum of 1947, most of the district was transferred to Pakistan excluding a portion of the Karimganj subdivision.

Just gave the old personal website a much-delayed refresh https://soumyadip.com