Rohit K. Dasgupta is an academic in the School of Culture and Creative Arts at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
and a
British Labour Party
The Labour Party is a List of political parties in the United Kingdom, political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of Social democracy, social democrats, Democratic socialism, democratic socialists and trade u ...
politician. Prior to this he was based at the
Institute for Media and Creative Industries at Loughborough University.
In 2018 he was elected Councillor in the
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London boroughs, London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of County Borough of West Ham, West Ham and County Bor ...
for the Canning Town South Ward.
He was re-elected for the same ward again in 2022 He contested the Parliamentary seat of
East Hampshire
East Hampshire is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Petersfield. Other towns are Alton and Bordon.
The district was originally to be known as the District Council of Petersfield. It comprised 42 seat ...
for the Labour Party in 2017, coming second with an increase of 7% vote share. He is also Secretary of the Newham Branch of the
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The F ...
. In 2019 he was selected as an MEP candidate for the South East region (5th on the list) but failed to get elected.
Dasgupta is also a member of Labour's
National Policy Forum
The National Policy Forum (NPF) of the British Labour Party is part of the policy-making system of the Party, set up by Leader Tony Blair as part of the Partnership in Power process. A Provisional National Policy Forum had been established by Bl ...
and sits on the Work, Pensions and Equality Policy Commission.
Background
Dasgupta gained a
BA degree in Comparative Literature from
Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University is a public state university located in Jadavpur, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was established in 1905 as ''Bengal Technical Institute'' and was converted into Jadavpur University in 1955. In 2022, it was ranked four ...
, India, then graduated
MA in English from the
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in Augu ...
,
PGCE from the
University of West London
The University of West London (UWL) is a public research university in the United Kingdom with campuses in Ealing, Brentford, and in Reading, Berkshire.
The university has roots in 1860, when the Lady Byron School was founded, later Ealing Col ...
, and
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper
''Piled Higher and Deeper'' (also known as ''PhD Comics''), is a newsp ...
from the
University of the Arts.
Political career
He was elected as a
Labour and Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated Labour Co-op; cy, Llafur a'r Blaid Gydweithredol) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections who stand on behalf of both the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party and the Co-operativ ...
party Councillor in the
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London boroughs, London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of County Borough of West Ham, West Ham and County Bor ...
for the Canning Town South Ward in the
2018 United Kingdom Local elections
Council elections in England were held on Thursday 3 May 2018. Elections were held in all 32 London boroughs, 34 metropolitan boroughs, 67 district and borough councils and 17 unitary authorities. There were also direct elections for the may ...
.
Following his election he was appointed Commissioner for Social Integration and Equalities in Newham since 2019 by the Mayor. He had previously contested the East Hampshire parliamentary seat in the General election, coming second with 17% of the vote share. Dasgupta is also the Chair of his local Labour party branch
and Secretary of the Newham
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The F ...
. He was one of the first Bengalis from West Bengal, India to contest the British Parliamentary elections.
Dasgupta is also a member of
BAME Labour
BAME Labour (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Labour), formerly the Black Socialist Society until 2007, is a socialist society affiliated to the Labour Party made up of black, Asian and ethnic minority Labour Party supporters.
History
After bl ...
,
Labour Movement for Europe
The Labour Movement for Europe (LME) is the only pro-EU society affiliated to the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. It is one of 20 "socialist societies" affiliated to the UK Labour Party, just like the Fabians and The Jewish Labour Movement. ...
,
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The F ...
,
GMB and
UCU. In 2018 he was elected on to the national committee of
LGBT Labour
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
. In 2019 he was selected as an MEP candidate for the South East region but failed to get elected.
He has previously expressed his opposition to Brexit and support for a second referendum.
Academic career
Dasgupta is Senior Lecturer in Cultural Industries and Programme Convenor for Creative Industries and Cultural Policy at the University of Glasgow. He has previously worked at Loughborough University,
Winchester School of Art
Winchester School of Art is the art school of the University of Southampton, situated 10 miles (14 km) north of Southampton in the city of Winchester near the south coast of England.
History
The Winchester School of Art was founded in 18 ...
, University of Southampton; University of the Arts London and
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
. Dasgupta has authored and edited several books on media and digital culture, cinema, sexuality, gender, sexual health, anthropology and activism. He has also written for outlets such
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
,
The Conversation
''The Conversation'' is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr, and R ...
,
Tribune Magazine
''Tribune'' is a democratic socialist political magazine founded in 1937 and published in London, initially as a newspaper, then converting to a magazine in 2001. While it is independent, it has usually supported the Labour Party from the left. ...
,
Left Foot Forward
''Left Foot Forward'' (''LFF'') is a left-wing political news and comment site in the UK, established in 2009. Its creator, Will Straw, the son of Alice Perkins and Jack Straw, edited the newspaper until December 2010.
Straw was succeeded by ...
,
Labour List
LabourList is a British news website supportive of, but independent of, the Labour Party, launched in 2009. Describing itself as Labour's "biggest independent grassroots e-network", the site's content includes news, commentary, interviews, campa ...
and the
Huffington Post. He has been involved in strike action against pension cuts, organising against homophobia and supporting inclusive relationship and sex education.
Electoral history
2017 General Election
2018 Local Election
2019 European Parliament election
2022 Local Election
Writing
Books
* (with Gokulsing, K.M., eds) (2014
Masculinity and its Challenges in India: Essays on Changing Perceptions, Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland and Co
* (with Datta, S. and Bakshi, K., eds) (2016
Rituparno Ghosh: Cinema, Gender and Art New Delhi, New York & London: Taylor & Francis: Routledge
*(2017
Digital Queer Cultures in India: Politics, Intimacies and Belonging New Delhi, New York & London: Taylor & Francis: Routledge
*(with Dhall, P. ) (2017
Social Media, Sexuality and Sexual Health Advocacy in Kolkata, India New Delhi & London: Bloomsbury
*(with Banerjie, N., Dasgupta, D., and Grant, J., eds) (2017
Kolkata/London: Seagull Books and Chicago: University of Chicago Press
*(with Dasgupta, D., eds) (2017
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
* (with Begum, and L. Lewis., eds) (2018)
Styling South Asian Youth Cultures: Fashion, Media and Society London: Bloomsbury
* (with Datta, S) (2019
100 Essential Indian Films Lanham,MD and London: Rowman and Littlefield
* (with Bakshi, K) (2019
Queer Studies: Texts, Contexts, Praxis Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan
* (with Banerjie, N and Boyce, P) (2022
COVID-19 Assemblages: Queer and Feminist Ethnographies from South Asia London: Routledge
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dasgupta, Rohit
Academics of Loughborough University
Scholars from Kolkata
Labour Party (UK) people
Indian emigrants to England
Councillors in the London Borough of Newham
1987 births
Living people
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
British politicians of Indian descent
LGBT politicians from England
Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society
Fellows of the Higher Education Academy