india & me cafe

india & me cafe: who tells the story?

What if the stories I grew up with weren’t the only truth? What if the systems I want to change also shaped me?

india & me is an interactive digital “cafe” space.

We welcome anyone 16+ from anywhere in the world.

For our September cafe, we especially invite students and young people across India and the Indian diaspora (particularly in the UK) who want to reimagine how they see privilege, identity, history, and themselves. Whether shaped by caste, race, faith, family silence, or inherited pride, this space is for the curious, the questioning, and the conflicted.

In a time where narratives are weaponised and truths are fragmented, we ask: Whose truths are we living in? Who gets to tell the story, and who gets remembered?

Through dialogue, reflection, and lived experiences, this cafe offers room to sit with questions like:

• What’s my idea of India, and how do I connect with its many Indias?
• Can I hold both privilege and pain in the same body?
• What shapes how I see “us” and “them”?
• What do merit and reservation really mean to me?
• How are our rights and freedoms connected?

what to expect: 3 days, 12 hours, 10 tables

india & me cafe unfolds across 10 themed “tables”, spread over three days. Each table invites us to explore a different layer of identity, community, and social location.

These are not abstract ideas. They show up in:

• the jokes we laugh at
• the silences at our dinner tables
• the stories we inherit but don’t always question

Each table builds on the last. We ask participants to commit to all three days to honor this space's depth and care.

explore what each table offers and the interactive steps of this process here: the cafe tables.

contribution:

We offer a sliding scale to reflect different circumstances and needs:

Standard: £50

Pay-it-forward: £70 (contribute more if you can, so resources are redistributed and someone else can join who might otherwise be excluded)

2-for-1 offer: This option includes two tickets. Two people can join us for the price of one standard contribution.

Feeling the pinch: get in touch via email, we’re happy to work something out. This option reflects our belief that access should not be restricted by financial or any other barriers shaped by systemic inequalities. While we may not always be able to meet every circumstance, we will use our privileges to adapt to your needs. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via indiaandmecafe@gmail.com

If you are in India and it is more convenient for you to contribute using an Indian bank, please register and book your place at the cafe via this link.

If it is more convenient for you to contribute through Eventbrite then proceed with the Eventbrite register in this link.

why we ask for contribution:

india & me cafe is a not-for-profit, community-rooted space. Your contribution honours our facilitators' time, labour, and emotional investment.

We keep the number of participants intentionally small to build a space that feels safe, grounded, and brave. That also means we commit to facilitators beforehand, so contributions are non-refundable.

what you'll leave with

This is not a crash course or a checklist.

You’ll leave with:

• A deeper understanding of where you come from and how that shapes you
• A community of others asking similar questions
• A space that doesn’t offer easy answers, but opens room for reflection

You may not leave with all the answers. But you’ll likely leave with new questions about yourself, your story, and your place in what you want to change.

few seats and many questions!

Not everyone wants to ask these questions. But if you do, we’re here.

P.S. The cafe unfolds across 3 days, so check the "agenda" for exact dates and times.