In the pilot episode of Lekh, I speak to Nico Slate, Professor of History, Carnegie Mellon University on his recent book Lord Cornwallis is Dead: The Struggle for Democracy in the United States and India. Spanning nearly three centuries and as many continents, Lord Cornwallis is Dead presents a sweeping look at the struggle for democracy and freedom that connected both India and the United States.
The book examines struggles and battles against racism, casteism and imperialism that tested democracy in both countries. This story and history is worth considering and reflecting on now as the United States, the world's oldest and most powerful democracy, and India, the world's largest and most populous democracy, face new political, social and economic challenges that raise questions on whether these two countries can weather these headwinds and serve as examples for democracy in the 21st century.
The discussion begins by probing the origins of the book before moving to dissect the central argument and the themes or 'keywords' around which the book is framed. Midway through, we run through a few words and concepts featured in this book and Professor Slate's other works that encompass history, area studies, democracy, culture and literature.
