The world is not divided by disciplines; neither should knowledge be.

Confluence: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies focuses on publishing research articles authored primarily by students. The journal seeks to publish multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and adopts a rigorous yet thoughtful review process wherein every submission is reviewed by two experts in the field with emphasis on challenging the authors to meet requisite academic standards. During the production of this volume, the review process focused on mentoring and encouraged authors to work closely with the Board of Editors. With this view, the journal organised a poster exhibition of shortlisted articles to take research work to the broader community as well as provide an opportunity for budding scholars to engage with critique. The current volume is a result of that vision. We are thankful to the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, particularly Director Dr. Anita Patankar for providing a space where students can engage in interdisciplinary research and encouraging the Board in its efforts to institutionalize a process wherein mentoring becomes a constructive engagement to help young scholars. The Board of Editors also thanks the Panel of Reviewers for their insightful comments and the student interns without whose energy and assistance, the production of this volume would have been impossible.

The current volume showcases the breadth and depth of knowledge that liberal arts education provides. Understanding the construction and representation of identities is a main concern in this volume possibly highlighting the importance of identity issues in a “glocal” world, wherein the impact of globalization has sometimes reinforced nativist reinterpretations of local and national identities. Identity formation and representation in multicultural societies is a fascinating area of study and truly enriched by interdisciplinary scholarship. Authors in this volume have explored identity construction among non-resident Indians as well as domestic migrants, explored representation of women in Bollywood cinema dealing with terrorism, the category of the bhadralok in Uttam Kumar’s Bengali films, analysed oral narratives of ‘events’ long past that have resonance in contemporary times, and studied how academic disciplines need to evolve in the context of changing salience of trans and intersex identities in contemporary society. Other articles have analysed how issues like terrorism have been discussed by political leaders and covered by Indian media and the implications of that discourse on India’s national security. Further, recent challenges varying from China’s investments in Africa and Asia, plastic recycling in Pune, and viability of mental health apps have also been analysed.

The journal seeks to be a forum where ideas become rigorous arguments. In the future, we hope to become a platform to showcase the research work of young scholars across India without disciplinary boundaries.

The Board of Editors