Ahona Panda

Dr. Ahona Panda is an Assistant Professor of History at Claremont McKenna College. She holds a PhD in South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago (2019), alongside BA and MA degrees in English literature from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Her research explores modern South Asia, decolonization, British imperial history, and intersections of language, religion, and nationalism.

Her current book project, Bengal Undivided: Language and the Limits of Nationalism in Modern South Asia, re-examines Hindu-Muslim relationships through shared linguistic heritage, challenging Partition-centric narratives. This work draws on literary archives, political documents, and cultural materials to trace transnational linguistic identities post-1947.

Dr. Panda's awards include the 2020 Sardar Patel Dissertation Award for her doctoral work on Bengali philology and political movements. Her research bridges historiography with critical theory, addressing themes of caste, race, gender, and print culture.