India and the Postqueer Politics

This book offers a groundbreaking exploration of postqueer politics within the Indian context, reimagining queer theory and activism through an intersectional lens. Moving beyond the binary of queer and straight, it examines how queer epistemologies can address broader sociopolitical challenges, including majoritarian nationalism, caste and class stratification, Islamophobia, environmental crises, and mental health.

By interrogating colonial disruptions of indigenous sexual cultures and envisioning a postcolonial future of egalitarian coexistence, the book advocates for collaborative engagements between queer and non-queer actors to reshape India’s social and political fabric. A key highlight is its innovative approach to queer theory, positioning queer perspectives as tools for disrupting mainstream norms and fostering inclusivity. The book introduces postqueer politics as a non-queer-inclusive worldview, emphasizing collaboration and intersectionality to liberate the most marginalized. It critiques exploitative hierarchies and advocates for queer futurism aligned with broader social justice commitments. Through nuanced analysis, it demonstrates how queer knowledge can empower individuals to challenge socio-cultural unfreedom and create a more equitable society.

Essential for those interested in sexuality, gender, and Indian politics, this book is a valuable resource for students in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Sociology, Political Science, Minority Studies, and Cultural Studies, particularly in courses on identity politics and intersectionality.

Himadri Roy is Professor in the School of Gender and Development Studies at Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. His work spans LGBT Studies, Gender and Cinema, Media, and Literature, with notable books including Cinematic Adaptation of Literary Texts (2023), Author to Auteur (2021), and Reel and the Real (2019). He coedited Queer Provincialism: Narratives and Resilience of Rural India (2025) with Kaustav Chakraborty. He is also a novelist. The Hope Chasers received attention from The Times of India, while L’Amour of Siliguri has been praised for challenging gender binaries. He has published widely and serves on several academic boards and editorial panels across India.

Kaustav Chakraborty is Associate Professor of English at Southfield (Loreto) College, Darjeeling. He has held fellowships at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, and the Nantes Institute for Advanced Study, France. His important publications include Abrasive, Soft and Ecological: Masculinities in North India (2026), Queer and the Vernacular Languages in India: Studies in Contemporary Texts and Cultures (coedited with Anup Shekhar Chakraborty, 2023), Queering Tribal Folktales from East and Northeast India (2021) and The Politics of Belonging in Contemporary India: Anxiety and Intimacy (2019).