SSAI Annual Review 2015/16 www.soas.ac.uk/south-asia-institute SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 3 From the Director Professor Michael Hutt

Welcome to this third edition of the SOAS South Asia Institute’s Annual Review. As you will see from the event listing and members’ reports, 2015-16 was another extremely busy year for us.

We organised and hosted a large number of conferences A donation from the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial and seminars on topics ranging from caste in Trust enabled us to award the first annual prize development discourse in India, to an appraisal of Prime to the Masters student whose dissertation Minister Modi’s first 18 months in office, to two centuries embodies the spirit of Noor and contributes to our of UK-Nepal relations. We contributed to debates on the understanding of the issues that concerned her. future of higher education in India at conferences and roundtables in London, Kerala and Delhi organised by I travelled to India and Nepal twice during the year, the British Council, the Indian Federation of Chambers visiting Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai), of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Universities UK. Panjab University (Chandigarh), JNU, the Yes Institute, Kathmandu University, the ICCR and NDTV, and meeting We exchanged graduate students with JNU and students, alumni and friends and supporters of SOAS. Presidency University and welcomed students from In March, I was one of several members of the SSAI both universities to our second annual graduate who participated in the launch of the Everlasting Flame student workshop, on the theme of ‘Radical South exhibition (curated by Dr Sarah Stewart) and associated Asia’. We also sent the first of our Masters students events at the National Museum in Delhi, which to study in Kathmandu University. HEFCE funding inaugurated SOAS’s centenary programme on Indian soil. received under the Postgraduate Study Support scheme enabled us once again to take 18 Masters On 6 June 2016, in collaboration with SOAS’s Centre students working on South Asia away for a two- for International Studies and Diplomacy and the day residential dissertation writing workshop. Diplomatic Academy of the UK government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we launched a new online We enjoyed our interactions with Dr Bidu Bhushan Masters programme in Global Diplomacy (South Asia). Dash, our Charles Wallace India Trust Visiting One of the SSAI’s stated aims is to make SOAS ‘the Fellow, and were delighted to re-establish SOAS’s first point of contact for government departments, relationship with the Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust. NGOs, business and the media seeking training, We look forward to welcoming Charles Wallace policy guidance, analysis and expert comment on fellows from both India and Pakistan next year. South Asia’: this is a major step in that direction.

Due to the generosity of Mr Michael Palin we were able In April we said goodbye to Jennifer Ung-Loh, who to offer a full two-year scholarship on our MA Intensive served as our Executive Officer on a temporary basis for South Asian Studies. Mr Palin’s donation also enables six months, and welcomed Rosa Vercoe to the role. I am us to digitise a long lost archive of photographs and grateful to them both, and to Jane Savory, for providing films created in the sacred Braj area of Uttar Pradesh by the administrative support that is so crucial to the SOAS faculty and research students during the 1970s. success of any academic endeavour. I am also grateful The Indian Council for Cultural Relations [ICCR] also to Navtej Purewal for her enormous contribution to our approved two short-term scholarships for students on work in her role as Deputy Director, and to all of the our MA Intensive South Asian Studies: these cover return many colleagues, friends and supporters who enabled air fares to India and provide a stipend for the period us to made 2015-16 another very successful year. of the students’ attachment to an Indian university. 4 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 5 SOAS South Asia Institute Research Themes Studying South Asia: Michael Palin’s gift The South Asia Institute’s MA Intensive South Asian Studies offers students the opportunity to develop real proficiency in a South Asian language, study at a university in the region, and develop regionally focused research skills. In August 2015 students on this programme set out for three different universities for their semester of study: Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, Presidency University in Kolkata, and Kathmandu University, Nepal.

1. Resources Under Pressure. 4. Interactions and Interventions It is now very clear that there is a market for this The finite nature of natural resources presents pressing in the Arts. programme, and that the main barriers to recruitment are financial. We were therefore delighted when SOAS challenges to the sustainability of the environment Creative expression and South Asia’s cultural industries Honorary Fellow Michael Palin CBE donated a major for future generations. South Asia’s people face a reflect how South Asian societies interact, respond and gift worth £70,000 in order to fund a full two-year Michael Palin CBE with Professor Anuradha Lohia (Vice- significant shortage of replenish able water and intervene through artistic mediums. For example, the scholarship for a student enrolling on the MA Intensive Chancellor, Presidency University) and Baroness Valerie mass food insecurity, exacerbated by both rapid Bollywood fi lm industry and the region’s burgeoning South Asian Studies in 2016. Mr Palin’s donation will Amos (Director, SOAS). economic growth and climate change. Our specialists ‘art house’ cinema all voice cultural analysis and also support the digitisation and cataloguing of a in development studies and anthropology focus critiques of society. SSAI researchers working in media, collection of about 4,500 photographs of sacred sites on pressures on land, the environment and food music, film studies and anthropology investigate in Vrindaban and Braj, the birthplace of Lord Krishna and water supplies; the delineation of private and the production, distribution and consumption of in Uttar Pradesh (India). The photographs were taken public space; the relationships between agriculture, films; urban soundscapes; literary festivals; and by the late Dr Alan Entwistle (1949-96) during the nutrition and health; the effects of climate change; patterns of broadcasting, listening and viewing. and the development of infrastructure and roads. mid-1970s, while he was a PhD student at SOAS, and 5. Lineages of knowledge and power. are part of the SOAS Library collection. 2. Citizenship, Rights and Inequality. The means by which power is exercised, and the tools We are dedicated to creating a deep and sophisticated Imperatives to address social and economic inequality it uses, are widely understood to rely not merely upon understanding of South Asia in our students and run across the South Asia region, raising questions force but also (and perhaps more significantly) upon SOAS’ resources in this field exceed those of any about how governments and communities are systems of knowledge. The exploration of lineages other British university. Michael Palin’s very generous responding to local and global discourses of inequality of knowledge and power is a strength of the SSAI, gift opens a door for students who are unable to and exclusion. Debates on caste and gender-based given SOAS’s long tradition of critically analysing access this type of academic training on the grounds violence and injustice and the rights of religious historical and contemporary trajectories of power. of cost. We are also delighted that the long lost minorities and migrants continue to raise questions Our historians research topics including South Asian Entwistle collection of photographs of Braj will Juli Perczel, (MA Intensive South Asian Studies 2014-16) about political rights in South Asia and in South urban modernities; South Asian knowledge systems; now become accessible to students of devotional with Professor Alam, Head of the Centre of Indian Asian diaspora communities around the world. SSAI pre-colonial regional identities and non-metropolitan Hinduism and Indian religious history worldwide. Languages and Literatures, and colleague at JNU. scholars working in the fields of law, history, politics, cultures; and justice in the pre-modern period. development studies and migration and diaspora studies focus on inclusion and exclusion on the 6. Prospects for the Indian economy. basis of gender, caste, language and differing ability; migration networks and regimes; the understanding The fast-growing Indian economy is included in The Noor Inayat Khan Dissertation Prize of political rights; and labour and social movements. the BRICS group along with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, and is amongst the G-20 major A donation from the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial The first awardee of the Noor Inayat Khan Dissertation 3. The Politics of Culture and Religion. economies, according to the WTO. Our economists Trust in 2015 will henceforth enable us to award an Prize was Geetakshi Arora (MA Gender Studies and our specialists in financial and management annual prize of £1000 to the SOAS Masters student 2014-15). The prize was awarded in Delhi and was The cultural realm transcends many facets of South studies focus on India in the global economy; changing Asian societies and calls for sophisticated linguistic whose dissertation in South Asian Studies, Gender reported on in several leading Indian newspapers. patterns of trade specialization and public finance; Studies or History related to South Asia embodies and cultural analysis. Religion, in particular, shapes technological and strategic interactions between the evolution of mainstream processes and politics the spirit of Noor Inayat Khan and contributes to our Indian firms; formal and informal lending; labour understanding of the issues that concerned her. (whether by overtly representing religious identities or management relations; and Special Economic Zones. merely utilising religion to mould vote banks and publics Noor Inayat Khan was born in Moscow in 1914 to an within postcolonial nations), while also existing on Indian father and an American mother. She began a the fringes and margins of society in other forms. Our career as a children’s writer, but as World War 2 broke political scientists and historians and our specialists in out she joined the British Special Operations Executive language, literature, and religion research constructions and supported the Resistance in France. The first of national and religious identities; the exercise of woman radio operator to be smuggled into occupied Indian soft power; textual production and circulation; Paris, Noor was executed at Dachau concentration the creation of publics across regions and periods; camp in 1944, at the age of 30. She was posthumously popular religious movements; and linguistic hybridity. awarded the George Cross, the highest British civilian award for bravery, and the Croix de Guerre by France.

A bust of Noor, established by the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust in 2012, stands in Gordon Square, close to where Noor lived at 4 Taviton Street from 1914 to 1920. Shrabani Basu, Noor’s biographer, records that she used to often sit in her uniform on one of the benches Geetakshi Arora with (L-R) Smita Tharoor of the in the Square and read a book on her days off, and as Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust, Shashi Tharoor, a child she played in Gordon Square with her siblings. and Michael Hutt. 6 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 7 MSc Contemporary India Announcing the new MA Global Diplomacy (South Asia)

A new MSc programme in Contemporary India began accepting SOAS will be offering a new online programme, MA Global Diplomacy applications for admission to start in September 2016. This is an exciting (South Asia), from this autumn. The programme has emerged from an programme which has an emphasis on a social science approach to extended conversation between the British government’s Foreign and cutting edge issues related to the study of contemporary India.Being an Commonwealth office and the SOAS South Asia Institute, and isbeing increasingly significant actor on the global and regional stages, India has offered by the SOAS Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy become a place of academic, economic and policy interest in its own right. [CISD] and the South Asia Institute [SSAI] in collaboration with the FCO’s The South Asia Institute looks forward to welcoming the first batch of MSc Diplomatic Academy. It was officially launched in the Map Room of the Contemporary India students to SOAS. FCO in Whitehall on 6 June 2016.

The MSc Contemporary India Studies degree The MSc Contemporary India Studies is designed This new initiative brings SOAS’ experience in offers a critical, cutting edge study of present day to appeal to those interested in understanding innovative online learning and its excellent international India. The programme takes an interdisciplinary current events and developments in India and reputation in the fields of Global Diplomacy and approach and provides analytical training. who want to gain a deeper understanding for South Asian Studies together in one programme. academic or commercial purposes such as business, The programme will provide students with an in- Students have the opportunity to choose to study industry, government departments or NGO.’ depth critical understanding of the nature of South contemporary India topics, issues and challenges Asian diplomacy and political economy and will in the following subjects: anthropology, cinema, cover, inter alia, diplomacy and security in the region, culture, development studies, history, law, literature, modern history and the effects of colonization, politics, study of religions and languages. political economy, religion, caste and gender.

The MSc Contemporary India Studies programme: The programme aims to introduce students to the complexities of the region and provide a sound • introduces students to recent topics, methods grounding in diplomatic studies. It is intended to and debates in the study of India benefit those who are engaged in or embarking on • prepares students at an advanced level a career in diplomatic or related fields. Students will to pursue research interests deepen their understanding of international affairs and contemporary diplomatic practice with a regional • allows students to opt in for language training focus on South Asia. We look forward to enrolling in Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Panjabi and Urdu the first cohort of FCO-funded students onto this innovative online programme in October 2016, and to The MSc Contemporary India Studies is based welcoming growing numbers of students from other in the South Asia Institute which has an active departments, and indeed from other governments schedule of events and seminars throughout the and other walks of public life, in the years to come. year and attracts renowned speakers and scholars not only from India but also internationally. Internship opportunity Are you interested in our MA or MSc? Are you interested in our MA or MSc? The MSc Contemporary India Studies degree offers students the opportunity to go on a 2-4 week Please contact: Please contact: work placement to India during the course of their SOAS Student Recruitment Office, SOAS Student Recruitment Office, studies, with placements provided through SOAS’ Ground Floor, Main Building Ground Floor, Main Building vibrant alumni network and the Careers Office. SOAS, Russell Square, SOAS, Russell Square, Opportunities for placements fall within three London WC1H 0XG London WC1H 0XG broad areas: NGOs and development; business Telephone: +44 (0)20 7898 4700 Telephone: +44 (0)20 7898 4700 and economics; and media and journalism. They Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] are arranged through the Careers Office and Website: www.soas.ac.uk/sro/ Website: www.soas.ac.uk/sro/ administered by the South Asia Institute. 8 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 9 Recent Achievements by SSAI Scholars

D e v e l o p m e n t t rajectories i n G l o b a l v a l u e c h a i n s D e v e l o p m e n t t rajectories i n G l o b a l v a l u e c h a i n s Mezzadri Crispin Branfoot was on sabbatical Philippe Cullet served as a member of Almut Hintze was elected as a Fellow of This book explores the processes producing and reproducing the garment sweatshop Alessandra Mezzadri Nigel Poole continued to work on the Navtej Purewal organised a two-day in India. Drawing from Marxian and feminist insights, the book theorizes the sweatshop as a complex ‘regime’ of exploitation and oppression, jointly crafted by global, regional and local actors, and working across productive and reproductive realms. The analysis illustrates the links between the physical and social materiality of production, unveiling the distinct circuits of exploitation corresponding to different leave funded by a Leverhulme Research Committees formed to draft the Model the British Academy in 2015 and in March clothing items. As these circuits change across India, on the basis of regional patterns The Sweatshop Regime contributed lectures on DFID-funded programme on Leveraging workshop in collaboration with the of product specialisation, so does the logic of the sweatshop, its composition, the social profile of the labouring poor engaged in garment work, and their working

conditions. Through the eyes of sourcing actors, the whole country can be re-imagined The Sweatshop Regime Labouring Bodies, Exploitation and as a giant department store, with different garment collections exhibited at different Fellowship for his project ‘Pious Vandalism: Groundwater (Sustainable Management) 2016 she was notified of the award of an floors, and created through the sweat of different sets of labourers. Garments Made in India Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, University of Hull: ‘Gendering (In)security,’ Highlighting the great social differentiation of the garment workforce in factories, globalisation and labour workshops and homes scattered across the Indian Subcontinent, the narrative also unveils the multiple patterns of unfreedom this workforce is subject to. These exceed narrow definitions of unfreedom mainly based on forced labour, which are becoming dominant in the debate on global labour standards and ‘modern slavery’. Building Temples in the Tamil Renaissance, Act, 2016 and the Draft National Water ERC Advanced Investigator Grant of 2.5 By discussing interplays between productive and reproductive realms and processes Alessandra Mezzadri with particular responsibilities for research in July 2016. She is currently editing a of commodification and exploitation, on the contrary, the analysis highlights how in the Middle East and social difference and unfreedom pre-exist the sweatshop and at the same time are also reproduced by it. It also highlights the role different actors – like global buyers, regional suppliers and retailers, and labour contractors - play in these processes. Indeed, the book depicts the sweatshop as a complex joint enterprise against the 1850-1930’ and conducted research in Framework Bill, 2016 for the Government million Euros for a project on the training labouring poor, shaped and steered by multiple lords, and where production and on value chains in Bangladesh, India and journal special issue coming out of the circulation – of garments, processes and people- intertwine in manifold ways. It also shows how the labouring body is systematically and inexorably depleted and in India and on labour consumed by garment work, until it is finally ejected from the sweatshop. Finally, the book highlights how the study of India’s sweatshop regime informs contemporary debates on industrial modernity, comparative advantage and cheap labour, modern Tamilnadu in February and August. In of India’s Ministry of Water Resources. of Zoroastrian priests, the performance of slavery, and ethical consumerism. informalisation and health Pakistan, and also research in Afghanistan. workshop. She also gave invited talks at Alessandra Mezzadri teaches at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University January 2016 he and Archana Venkatesan In 2016 he was awarded a Leverhulme their key ritual, the Yasna, and the edition of London. Working papers have been produced on Panjab University, Chandigarh India, Guru and safety provisions in

of University of California Davis discussed International Academic Fellowship to and translation of their sacred texts. In Cover image source: arfabita/Shutterstock agriculture-nutrition policies and value Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New India in the University their new book In Andal’s Garden: art, work on a project entitled ‘Sanitation March 2016 she attended the opening chains, and some publications are in Delhi India, and the Institute of Business ornament and devotion in Srivilliputtur in India: Understanding a Complex of the exhibition ‘The Everlasting Flame’ of Turin’s India summer school the pipeline. New research under way Management (IoBM), in Karachi Pakistan. (Marg Publications, 2015) at the Jaipur and Controversial Right.’ He delivered in New Delhi which she co-curated. programme in 2016. Her publications concerns drivers of dietary diversity in Several publications came out this year, Literary Festival. In April he delivered the a keynote speech on water security at Her publications included ‘Who are the during the year included ‘Class, gender Afghanistan, supported by local partners. including two journal articles: Purewal, N. keynote lecture for a two-day workshop the Sustainable Mountain Development Zoroastrians?’ in the British Academy and the sweatshop: on the nexus (2015) “Interrogating the Rights Discourse ‘New Directions in Nayaka Studies’ at Summit-V in Leh-Ladakh in September Review 28, (Summer 2016); and (with between labour commodification and on Girls’ Education: Neo-Liberalism, the University of Chicago on the art, 2016, and also organised a workshop on Anna Tessmann), ‘Zarathustra’s Time and exploitation’ Third World Quarterly, Rahul Rao was on research leave in 2015- Neo-Colonialism, and the Beijing Platform history and literary cultures of 16th to ‘Right to Sanitation: from Articulation to Homeland: Linguistic perspectives’ in: M. 37(10); ‘The informalization of capital 16, funded by a Leverhulme Research for Action”, IDS Bulletin, Vol. 46, Issue 4; 18th century south India. In August he Implementation’ at the Centre for Policy Stausberg and Y.S.D. Vevaina (eds.), and interlocking in labour contracting Fellowship. He is working on a book Purewal, N. and V. Kalra (2016) “Adaptation delivered a talk at the British Council in Research in New Delhi. He published The Wiley Blackwell Companion networks’ Progress in Development that will explore the relevance of time and Incorporation in Ritual Practices at Chennai during Madras Heritage Week on a book chapter entitled ‘International to Zoroastrianism. (Oxford Studies, 16(2); and ‘Working poverty in and temporality in the politics of queer the Golden Temple, Amritsar,” Journal of British architectural photography in Madras Water Norms and Principles – Impacts University Press, 2015). many sizes: A survey of Delhi garment movements in three locations—Uganda, Ritual Studies as well as a book chapter: T. Presidency 1855-1910. His publications on Law and Policy Development in India’, workers challenges key assumptions India and Britain—yoked together by Kamran and N. Purewal (2015) “Pakistan’s included ‘The Tamil gopura: from temple in Mauro Bussani & Lukas Heckendorn the experience of British imperialism Religious Others: Reflections on the in the labour standards debate’ Global gateway to global icon’ in Ars Orientalis Urscheler (eds), Comparisons in Legal and its afterlives. During the year he Minority Discourse on Christians,” in Feyzi Ismail co-authored an article entitled Labour Column (235). University vol. 45, Special Issue: The Transmission Development – The Impact of Foreign ‘Class struggle, the Maoists and the published three articles: ‘The Diplomat R. Long et al. (eds.), Beyond Islam and of Architectural Knowledge in South Asia, and International Law on National of Witzwaterstrand, Global Labour and the Domestic: Or, Homage to Faking Security: State and Nation-Building Since Indigenous Question in Nepal and India’ in University (GLU); and her monograph 78-112; Venkatesan, Archana & Crispin Legal Systems (Zurich: Schulthess). Economic and Political Weekly (L(35): 112- It’ Millennium: Journal of International 1947 in Pakistan, Routledge: London. The Sweatshop Regime: Labouring Branfoot In Andal’s Garden: art, ornament 23) and an encyclopaedia entry on ‘Nepal, Studies; ‘Recovering Reparative Readings and devotion in Srivilliputtur (Mumbai: Marg bodies, exploitation and garments Made of Postcolonialism and Marxism’ Critical imperialism and anti-imperialism’, and Simona Vittorini travelled to India Publications, 2015) and the edited volume Peter Flugel organised the 18th Jaina in India (Cambridge University Press). Sociology, and ‘Global Homocapitalism’ wrote about Nepal’s 2015 earthquake in in October 2015 to attend the Third Traditional Arts of South Asia: continuities Studies Workshop on Jainism and Science Radical Philosophy, 194 (Nov/Dec). OpenDemocracy (‘Nepal: Natural disaster, India-Africa Forum Summit, funded by in contemporary patronage and practice of the Centre of Jaina Studies at SOAS unnatural suffering’ OpenDemocracy, 2 Satoshi Miyamura presented a a grant from the British Academy and (London: Saffron Books, 2015.) on 18-19 March 2016 and co-organised May 2015). At SOAS she co-organised paper entitled ‘Industrial Relocation, BASAS. She contributed commentary with Nalini Balbir the Jaina Studies Panel Amrita Shodhan published two the event ‘Nepal’s Earthquake One Year Organisations of Labour and Conditions on and analysis of this summit and also at the 16th World Sanskrit Conference in articles during the year: ‘The East India One: Resilience, Relief and Remembering’, for Industrial Development in India’ at the of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK James Caron began his sabbatical year Bangkok on 29 June, at which conference Company’s Conquest of Assam, India, and with colleagues from the Britain-Nepal 44th Annual Conference on South Asia, in November 2015, for Islam Channel, at the 4th Annual Herat Security Dialog, he also delivered a paper on Jaina “Community” Justice: Panchayats/Mels Academic Council. She participated in at Madison, Wisconsin in October 2015 the BBC, the Financial Times, South Asia organised by the Afghan Institute for Prosopography. Peter Flugel further reports in Translation’, Asian Journal of Law and a workshop on ‘What is South Asia?’ and published an article entitled ‘Diverse Monitor, and the Italian radio station Strategic Studies in October 2015. This that during 2015 three new volumes Society 2; and ‘Gandhi : Imperialism and and gave a seminar presentation on trajectories of industrial restructuring and Radio Popolare. In March 2016, she conference gathered academics, poets, appeared in the Centre of Jaina Studies Anti-imperialism’ in The Encyclopaedia ‘Ethnic unrest and rising nationalism in labour organising in India’ in a special was invited to present a paper entitled diplomats, journalists, and activists in the edited series Routledge Advances in Jaina of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism, South Asia’, both at Oxford University. issue of Third World Quarterly, (37(10): ‘The Third India-Africa Forum Summit Herat Citadel, Afghanistan, to explore Studies: these were Piotr Balcerowicz’ published by Palgrave-Macmillan. 1921-1941) of which he was also co-editor. 2015. Charting Narendra Modi’s Africa new paradigms of security based in monograph Early Asceticism in India: The special issue of TWQ, entitled ‘Class Policy’at the Global Insecurities Centre, Islamicate critical humanities, alongside Ajīvikism and Jainism, and two edited James Mallinson’s Hatha Yoga Project Dynamics of Development’, also contained Subir Sinha lectured at the University of University of Bristol. and in September more commonplace approaches. His volumes: Jaina Yoga, edited by Christopher team had a very productive year collating an article co-authored by Miyamura with Turin in June 2016 and published four 2016 she attended The African Studies sabbatical year ended with his participation Key Chapple, and Jaina Scriptures and and editing manuscript readings for the Jonathan Pattenden, Liam Campling and papers during the year: ‘Marxism and Association of the United Kingdom’s as one of two mentors from SOAS, Philosophy edited by Peter Flügel and ten texts they are editing and undergoing Benjamin Selwyn, entitled ‘Class Dynamics Postcolonial Theory: What’s left of the annual conference in Cambridge where alongside Jan-Peter Hartung, in the Olle Qvarnström. In February 2015 the fieldwork. The highlights have been of Development: A Methodological Note’ debate?’ Critical Sociology (online 17 she presented a paper entitled ‘Reciprocal University of Peshawar and Hanns Seidel three year research project Johannes two discoveries: that the Amritasiddhi, (Third World Quarterly, 37(10):1745-1767.) December 2015, with Rashmi Varma); Perceptions in Contemporary Indian- foundation’s two-week summer school in Klatt’s Jaina-Onomasticon, financed by the oldest text on physical yoga (c.11th ‘Histories of Power’, the ‘Universalization Ghanaian relations’ with Dr David Harris. Governance, Conflict, & Peace Building. Leverhulme Trust Research Grant RPG- century), was composed by tantric of Capital’, and India’s Modi Moment: On 23 September 2016, Simona was He also presented at the University of 2012-620, was successfully completed by Buddhists; and the oldest depictions of David Mosse was invited by the Committee Between and Beyond Marxism and invited by the Centre for African Studies Peshawar’s fifth annual Borderland Studies Peter Flugel and Kornelius Krümpelmann. complex yoga postures, on a decorated for the Celebration of the 125th Birth Postcolonial Theory’ Critical Sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University and the conference, and used this opportunity to Two new research projects were started city gate in Dabhoi, Gujarat. More Anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar to speak (online April 27 2016); ‘On the verge of African Studies Association of India to lay the foundations, along with Peshawar- in 2015-16: the Exploratory Survey of information about the project can be found in the Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on ‘The civil society in Contemporary India’ in Alf deliver a key note speech to a symposium based faculty, for a monthly Borderland the Jaina Heritage in Pakistan (2015-16), at the project website: hyp.soas.ac.uk. Relevance of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nilsen and Srila Roy (eds). New Subaltern on Contemporary India-Ghana Relations. Studies Reading Circle—to be conducted sponsored through a Gift of Baron Dilip – Today and Tomorrow’. He delivered Politics (New Delhi: Oxford University in the near future via e-conferencing Mehta, Antwerp; and Literary Heritage between faculty and research students at further public lectures at events celebrating Press) and ‘Commentary on Structures of the Aniconic-Traditions (2016-17), Burzine Waghmar presented a paper at SOAS and at the University of Peshawar’s Ambedkar Jayanti at Rashtrasant Tukadoj and Subjectivities’ in Uday Chandra financed by British Academy / Leverhulme Werner Menski continues to edit South the National Museum’s ‘Zoroastrianism department of Political Science. Finally, he Maharaj Nagpur University and VN Institute and Daniel Tariff (eds.) Staking Claims Trust Small Research Grant SG152131. Asia Research and produced a Special Issue in the New Millennium’ conference that and Dr Hartung presented on Afghan- of Technology, Nagpur. On 21 April 2016 (New Delhi: Oxford University Press). on Caste for SAR 36.3 (November 2016), formed a part of the Everlasting Flame Pakistan borderland studies at four leading he delivered the 2016 Ambedkar Lecture dedicated to former SOAS Director Paul International Programme in Delhi in March universities of Islamabad. In between, at Edinburgh University, entitled ‘Caste, Webley. He published ‘Still Asking for the Mayur Suresh presented papers at Kings 2016, and wrote the lead essay for the James also discussed the early stages Religion and Nation: Warping the Terrain of Moon? Opening Windows of Opportunity College India Institute on 2 December 2015 catalogue accompanying the ‘Zoroastrian of his research into digital humanities Social Policy’. His publications for the year for Better Justice in India’. in a Special and the Contemporary South Asia Seminar Threads: Life & Culture’ exhibition at the methods for historical ontologies at include Jadhav, S., Mosse, D. and Dostaler, Issue on India for Verfassung und Recht Series, University of Oxford, 4 February, IGNCA. He co-edited (with Sunil Sharma) events in Melbourne, Aarhus, London, N. ,‘Minds of caste – Discrimination in Übersee (49.2) and provided a joint 2016 entitled, respectively, ‘Law and the and contributed three papers to Firdawsii and Kyoto. His publications for the year and its affects’ Anthropology Today, 32: introduction to the book edited by Kyriaki Culture of Epistolarity: Why ‘terrorists’ Millennium Indicum: Proceedings of the included four articles in South Asian History 1–2; ‘Misunderstood, misrepresented, Topidi and Lauren Fielder on Religion as write letters’ and ‘Magical horrors and Shahnama Millenary Seminar (Mumbai: and Culture (‘Borderland Historiography contested? Anthropological knowledge Empowerment: Global Legal Perspectives absurd realities: the law of the police in a K R Cama Oriental Institute). He also in Pakistan’, (SAHC 7(4); ‘Sufism and production in question’ Focaal—Journal (Routledge). Apart from serving on terrorism trial’ and contributed to panel delivered a talk, ‘The East is a career: a Liberation across the Indo-Afghan Border: of Global and Historical Anthropology numerous editorial boards, he was involved discussions on Sedition and the Nation, at centennial appreciation of SOAS’, to the 1880-1928’ (SAHC 7(2)); ‘Popular Culture, 72 (2015); a review article entitled ‘Caste, in several doctoral training programmes Somerville College, University of Oxford on Camden Historical Society in July 2016. Radical Egalitarianism, and Formations class and the reproduction of privilege’ and Summer Schools in Switzerland, Italy 8th March, 2016 and Global Sexual Politics (New Delhi: Oxford University Press). of Muslim Selfhood in South Asia’ (SAHC Amal Gunasena presented jointly with in Anthropology of this Century 14, and Germany and presented a paper at on 16 March, 2016. On 18 February 2016 7(2)); and ‘Activism, knowledge and Prof. Kate Crosby a paper entitled ‘Boran September 2015 (http://aotcpress.com0; the 4th ICLARS Conference in Oxford he served as a discussant at a conference publishing: some views from Pakistan and kammatthana manuscripts from Sri and ‘Accommodation, reconciliation on Freedom of Religion in India.. on ‘Legal Transfer within the Common Burzine Waghmar and Farzana Afghanistan’ (SAHC 7(1), with M. Ahmad). Lanka’ at a conference on Traditional and rebellion in the history of Tamil Law World’ organised by the Centre for Whitfield co-hosted the 95th South He also published ‘The Lives of Amir Theravada Meditation in Siem Reap, Catholicism’ in Malekandathil, Pachuau Critical European Law, Birkbeck, University Asia Archive and Library Group Hamza Shinwari: on personal histories Cambodia from 4th to 8th July 2016 and Sarkar, (eds). Christianity in Indian of London and Max Planck Institute for conference, 30 June 2016, focusing on against an imperial border’ Tanqeed | a organized by King’s College, London History: Issues of Culture, Power and European Legal History, Frankfurt. Indo-Persian studies in memory of the magazine of politics and culture, 10. and Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient. Knowledge (New Delhi: Primus Books). first SOAS director, Sir Denison Ross. European Legal History, Frankfurt. 10 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 11 Alumni: Taking the South Asia Institute to India Charles Wallace India Trust Fellowship Report

Bidu Bhusan Dash PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Media and Communication Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Email: [email protected] In November 2015 a gathering of For information on how to apply for the Charles alumni took place in Delhi at Lodhi Wallace Trust Visiting Fellowship, please visit: Gardens. Over 60 alumni attended www.soas.ac.uk/south-asia-institute/fellowship/ the evening reception which was an February-April, 2016 on my way back from SOAS to ILSC late in the evening, opportunity to meet classmates as made me feel nostalgic. I soon discovered that there well as to network with other SOAS On 19 October 2015, I received a mail from Jennifer are a good number of community radio stations in the Ung Loh on behalf of Michael Hutt informing me that I United Kingdom which are managed by the South Asian alumni living and working in and am selected for the Charles Wallace India Trust 3 Month diaspora. I visited the Desi Radio in Southall and Betar Visiting Fellowship at School of Oriental and African Bangla in East London. I also visited the RadioLab 97.1 around Delhi. Studies (SOAS), University of London. The next day I FM, a campus based community radio of the University received a congratulatory mail from Richard Alford, of Bedfordshire, Luton Campus. I thank Janey Gordon, Secretary of the trust. I started to research more about Lawrie Hallett and their students for having a wonderful my project, SOAS and London, and finally landed at interaction about their community radio. Though radio Heathrow on 1 February 2016. The moment I landed, I was not my research project for CWIT fellowship, as a fell in love with London and its unpredictable weather. scholar of community radio studies, I could manage to visit them and write stories on them. My article ‘Going I joined SOAS on 2 February 2016. From the very Desi in London’ is published in CRNews, a community beginning of my stay at London, I attended as many radio newsletter published by the University of Hyderabad. At the opening of the Everlasting seminars, talks, documentary screenings, book releases, and protest events as I could, to experience the charm of Two long walks – from ILSC to Tower Bridge via Flame exhibition in March 2016, a an international student’s life, I was spoilt for choice. At Westminster and the walk back, and the Thames reception was held at the National SOAS I was introduced to several new ideas on media and Path from Hampton Court Palace to Richmond are development in South Asia. I also spent a good amount ever memorable. I will also never forget losing a few Museum in Delhi for alumni as well of time in the SOAS Library and the British Library to look pounds in gambling on the Westminster Bridge. I had at history of society in Kerala and other issues and writing the rare privilege of seeing the idols of Shiva Pārbati as for SOAS offer-holders interested my paper on moral policing and social media in the state and Sri Jagannath trinity in anthropological tribal attire in meeting former SOAS students of Kerala. I presented the working paper in a conference from my home state Odisha now housed in the British on Internet, Participation and Society: Opportunities for Museum, London and at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford as well as faculty visiting India for the Global South at University of Warwick on 17 March respectively. It was definitely a rich experience in 2016. I also had the privilege of sharing my research at a terms of meeting people and also learning so much. the exhibition. seminar at SOAS on 27 April 2016, which was chaired by Subir Sinha. I really appreciate the interest with which the It was indeed an honour to be awarded as the Charles audience engaged with my presentation and the enriching Wallace India Trust (CWIT) visiting fellow at the School discussion that followed. I also attended the ECR Social of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of Media Workshop at the University of Aberdeen on 19-20 London for the academic year 2015-16. I could never April 2016 for which I have Jennifer A Holden to thank as have engaged better in the various academic activities she invited me to the workshop. These events provided at SOAS, London and other parts of the UK. Hence, me with wonderful opportunities to connect with scholars I am highly grateful to the CWIT secretary Richard from different universities across the United Kingdom. Alford, not only for arranging this visit but also taking interest in my research, coming to my office in the Apart from the great academic environment that SOAS third floor of 21-22 Russell Square, having tea in the provided, every day of my stay in London brought SOAS canteen, and the wonderful farewell I received. I something new. Staying at the International Lutheran would also like to thank Michael, Navtej, Jane, Jennifer Students’ Centre (ILSC) brought many benefits. Academic and Subir, who were wonderful and always patient engagement started right from the breakfast table in ILSC, with my queries. I express my sincere thanks to the where we would in discuss a wide range of international CWIT, SOAS and British Council India for their kindness issues; whether it is blasphemy in South Asia, or refugee and support, which made this a dream come true. in Germany, attack on Syria or tea culture of Colombia.

BBC Radio was my all-time favourite radio channel during my stay in London. Far from the home, when I heard songs like Likhe jo khat tujhe on NuSound Radio, a community radio station in East London, 12 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 13 Visiting Scholars’ Reports The Centre for Pakistan Annual Review

Aratrika Bhattacharya, Visiting Scholar discussions on different issues of gender and Pakistan. I have been honoured by attending the annual lecture As part of a link between Presidency University in of 2016, ‘ISIS, Paris, Pakistan and the search of Peace’ Kolkata, India and SOAS, University of London; I was by Prof. Ahmad and his film screening ‘Journey in to selected from Presidency University to make a research Europe’. It inspired me by the variety of his conversation trip to London for five months (February to June about Muslim minorities and their integration in peace 2016). The offer letter came as a shock and surprise building for multicultural peaceful society of the West. at the same time. I was very excited at the prospect of crossing boundaries and taking my work outside of my We had great opportunities of all SOASIAN visiting country to discuss, debate, research and incorporate scholars get together. These meetings were full of The last year has been an eventful reviews and ideas from researchers worldwide and use simulative intellectual discussions in informal enjoyable one of the best libraries in the UK. However, I was getting settings of cafes and public lawns, sometimes on walks. year for Pakistan culturally married just a week before my departure to the UK, and and politically with continuing it was not really an easy decision to leave the one-week I attended numbers of workshops, seminars and old husband and a newfound family to make the trip tutorials during my stay at SOAS. The library and challenges for its democracy and alone for half a year. Thank God for such wonderful IT support is remarkable, once you join in SOAS; it and ever-supportive parents, husband, in-laws and means you are in safe hands. Their timely resources the limits of free speech. professors at PU that everything beautifully fell in place! provision enabled me to publish my research article from Sage Publications; ‘Women Representation in Here at SOAS the Centre for Pakistan has had a very At SOAS, I felt at home with amazing hosts at SSAI. Pakistani Legislatures: A Study of 2002, 2008, and busy year curating a series of events that highlighted Prof. Michael Hutt being my academic guardian, my 2013 General Elections’. I would like to take this the latest scholarship on key issues connected from initial days were made easy with the constant help opportunity to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to the entire radicalisation to minority rights in Pakistan from a variety from Jennifer, Jane and Nenna. My research on the community of SOAS, who made my stay memorable. of contexts including the disciplines of Anthropology, music performance tradition and the dynamics of Film, Gender, History, Literature, Journalism, and ageing in the Bauls of Bengal also received multiple Professor Yanfen Wang, Visiting Scholar Politics. One of the highlights of the year was the and constant inputs from Prof. Hutt, Dr. Navtej Purewal, Centre’s collaboration with the Graham Layton Trust Dr. Stephen Hughes, Dr. John Stevens, Dr. Sanjukta My experience as a visiting scholar at SOAS from July for a charity film screening of the Pakistani film Manto Ghosh, Dr. Priyanka Basu and Ms. Sahana Bajpaie. to December of 2016 can be described as beautiful. directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. The film director I extensively benefited from the archives at SOAS I really enjoyed the time when I was in London. has received the President’s Pride of Performance library, and of course, the huge collection of sound First of all, I would like to thank Professor Michael Hutt award since. For the Centre, the screening of Manto archives at the British Library. By the virtue of thi who offered me the opportunity to be a Visiting Scholar was a culmination of our cultural trajectory for the between Swat and London and we wish her good luck last few years from when Professor Ayesha Jalal first with her field research. I feel a great sense of sadness s fellowship, I also got to access the LSE and Senate at SOAS South Asia Institute. I was able to get some valued advice and access to a lot of resources about delivered the Annual lecture on the Pity of Partition that I am writing this as my last Annual Review as Centre House libraries. During my stay at London, a part of to the SOAS student production Tales of 1947. Chair. It is a job that has been close to my heart and my research was published in the US-based online Nepal to do my project in the library of SOAS and at the British library. As a result this resource, in December of I have been enriched by conversations with so many journal, ‘Café Dissensus’ ( Issue 27), and I acknowledge Our Annual lecture was delivered in the format of a academics, activists, artists and others dedicated to Ms. Sanjukta Ghosh wholeheartedly for giving me 2016, one of my articles (which belong to my project) conversation by notable SOAS alum Professor Akbar was published. Secondly, my grateful thanks go to the the project of a research led Centre on Pakistan. I am the opportunity. I was fortunate to be a part of SSAI’s Ahmad on ‘ISIS, Paris, Pakistan and the search for truly honoured to have had the support of colleagues doctoral workshop ‘Radical South Asia’ during my staff in the library of SOAS. During the first three months peace’ and Professor Lord Bhikhu Parekh. The coming (from July to September) the School was on a summer at SOAS who invested in me the responsibility for stay and also got to exhibit my music in as part of together of two eminent academics resulted in a the Centre as part of a new initiative to make visible the SSAI’s Sangat series on Basant. With so much to vacation, but the service that was provided despite this dynamic exchange of ideas reminding us of the wealth holiday period was beyond satisfactory. When the new the study of Pakistan at SOAS. I hope that we have learn, relish, experience and take back home at the of scholarship in Pakistan, India and its diasporas in succeeded in developing a forum where people can end of the fellowship, I know that the decision which academic term began in October I was attracted to the the UK and USA. We also screened Professor Ahmed’s colourful campus life of SOAS, like participating the freely exchange ideas, develop new projects and once seemed difficult, was wholly worth taking.. new documentary film, ‘Journey into Europe’ as research collaborations both within the School and conference “the Past before us: heritage and history part of the Centre’s collaboration with the Muslims, in South Asia” held at the beginning of October. beyond. I have enjoyed listening to and taking part in Shabana Shamaas Gul Trust and Cultural Dialogue project. Both events a variety of conversations from different perspectives Khattak, Visiting Scholar Attending the conference gave me a chance to meet attracted high profile visitors and the film screening that have opened up new ways of looking at Pakistan. and communicate with different scholars from UK, brought the honourable High Commissioner of I am convinced that we can change the Pakistan brand My Postdoctoral research study, ‘The War on Terror is USA, India, Pakistan and Singapore. Participating in Pakistan, Syed Ibne Abbas and his wife to the KLT. through a continued investment in cultural dialogue, a War on Women in Swat Valley: Women Education some lectures at SOAS and LSE, contributing in part Ahmad’s documentary film has been described as an a tolerance of difference and mutual respect. under Terror and Displacement (2001-2011)’ brought to some seminars or even auditing some classes in emotionally powerful and fascinating story representing me in to one of the world prestigious institutes, different places gave me a new perspective on my feelings of identity and acceptance amongst Muslims I would like to thank the admin teams in the Centres SOAS. I loved the atmosphere; it was incredibly area of research. All of these events, the different in Europe historically and in the present bringing and Programmes office who have tirelessly supported warm welcoming and friendly. I found myself in a topics and the ideas have all broadened my horizon. together perspectives from archbishops, chief rabbis, the Centre’s extensive schedule of events, project diverse global village rather than an institute, full of all the grand mufti, heads of right wing parties and partnerships and kept everything ticking over. I shades of cultures. I was supported and encouraged Lastly but not the least, I would like to thank the staff of everyday people. It advocates a message of bridge am also indebted to the South Asia Institute team by teaching as well as administration staff. I felt like SOAS South Asia Institute. Jane and Rosa did me a great building in times of crisis revisiting Al-Andalus. and the Pro Director of Research for including the home and enjoyed SOAS multicultural community. favour upon my arrival at SOAS; they made my academic Centre as part of South Asia led resources at SOAS. journey a smooth one. Both Jane, Rosa, as well as This year we also welcomed a new Visiting Scholar in I am also thankful to those who have freely given My close interaction was with the Centre for the Study Dorinne, Thomas and Yasimin were very nice and helpful. the Centre, Dr Shabana Gulkhan Khattak who is working their time to the Centre including our incredibly of Pakistan (CSP) and Gender Studies because the on a postdoctoral project on the impact of terrorism resourceful and energetic student body. relevance of my research project. My profound gratitude All in all, I had a valued academic trip to SOAS and I have and counter-terrorism on women’s education in Swat, to Dr. Gina Heathcote of Gender Studies for allowing me collected enough materials and developed new ideas Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Dr Khattak completed her PhD I wish my successor the very best for the future. to attend her lectures about gender and terrorism that to do further or more researches. I enjoyed and will at Middlesex university and was formerly a lecturer at indeed strengthened my study’s theoretical framework. treasure the good memory of my experience in SOAS. Qurtabah university Peshawar and International Islamic Amina Yaqin Amina Yaqin, my mentor and formal chairperson of university, Islamabad. She will be dividing her time Centre Chair, July 2016 the CSP has been a constant supporter; we had long 14 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 15 Academic Members

Anthropology Development Dr Navtej K Purewal Financial & History of Art Dr Stefanie Lotter Dr Stephen P Hughes Professor Jonathan Goodhand Deputy Director, SOAS South Management Studies and Archaeology Teaching Fellow Asia Institute Expertise: Nepali society and culture; Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Professor in Conflict and Expertise: Feminist scholarship and Professor Pasquale Dr Crispin Branfoot museology; social and cultural Development Studies Expertise: India, especially the gender in South Asia, including female Scaramozzino Senior Lecturer in South Asian Art anthropology of the Himalaya; elite Expertise: South and Central Asia; Tamil-speaking south, and Sri Lanka: feticide and routes and barriers to Professor of Economics and Archaeology studies; heritage studies popular cinema, media theory, historical complex political emergencies, girls’ education; sociology of religion, Expertise: Architecture, sculpture and Email: [email protected] humanitarian aid; NGO capacity building, Expertise: Macroeconomics; fiscal policy; anthropology and visual anthropology particularly popular religious practices painting in South Asia, especially in aid, conflict and development applied econometrics Email: [email protected] and contemporary transgressions of southern India; pilgrimage and sacred Dr David Lunn Email: [email protected] religious boundaries in the region of Email: [email protected] Simon Digby Postdoctoral Fellow Professor David Mosse geography; material religion; colonialism Punjab across India and Pakistan and material culture Expertise: 19th and 20th century Hindi Professor of Social Anthropology Dr Feyzi Ismail Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] and Urdu literature; cinema; music; Expertise: India, especially Tamil Senior Teaching Fellow History Professor Bhavani Shankar journalism; north Indian literary history; Nadu and adivasi western India; Expertise: NGOs and social movements, Dr Michael W. Charney Dr Heather Elgood, MBE intellectual history; literary translation Professor of International Food, caste and religion, dalit politics, politics and development in Nepal and Reader in South East Asian and Course Director of the Diploma in Agriculture and Health Email: [email protected] vernacular Christianity, environmental South Asia, global protest and change, Imperial History Asian Art history, common property resources, alternatives to neoliberalism and Expertise: Analysis of economic drivers Dr James Mallinson Expertise: The history of Buddhist Expertise: Persian, Jain, Sultanate and indigenous irrigation, participatory rural imperialism of over- and under-nutrition, nutrition Lecturer in Sanskrit and societies in South and Southeast Asia and Mughal manuscript painting; ritual arts development, aid agencies, anthropology transition, dietary policy evaluation, Classical Indian Studies Email: [email protected] of culture, technology, and warfare in of Hinduism of development impact assessment and the role of colonial Africa and Asia Email: [email protected] Expertise: Sanskrit, Poetry and Email: [email protected] Dr Jens Lerche agriculture in enabling better nutrition Ethnography of Yoga Reader in Agrarian and Labour studies and health Email: [email protected] Dr Caroline Osella Email: [email protected] Expertise: India; labour, social movements Email: [email protected] Dr Roy Fischel Reader in Anthropology with Languages and Cultures and globalisation; labour and the ILO; Mr Rakesh Nautiyal reference to South Asia Dr Subir Sinha Lecturer in the History of South Asia labour and caste in India; agrarian Ms Sahana Bajpaie Senior Lector in Hindi Expertise: Kerala, South Asia, South Asian Senior Lecturer in Institutions and Expertise: History of precolonial South Teaching Fellow in Bengali political economy Expertise: Hindi language diaspora: ethnophysiology, concepts of Development Asia, in particular Muslim polities and Email: [email protected] societies; the Deccan, 1300-1700; South Expertise: Bengali language person, gender, ethnicity, psychology and Expertise: South Asia: institutions of Email: [email protected] Asia and the early modern Muslim world Email: [email protected] anthropology Dr Alessandra Mezzadri development, NGOs, social movements; Professor Francesca Orsini Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Lecturer in Development Studies the environment, common property Dr James Caron Professor of Hindi and South institutions and resource use Dr Parvathi Raman Expertise: International trade, global Dr Eleanor Newbigin Lecturer in Islamicate South Asia Asian Literature commodity chains; production networks Email: [email protected] Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Senior Lecturer in the History of Modern Expertise: Islam in South Asia; Expertise: Hindi Literature; North Indian and industrial systems; informality and South Asia Afghanistan and Pakistan; literary cultures; Hindi; Urdu Expertise: The Indian Community in processes of labour informalisation; Expertise: History of modern South Indo-Persianate sociocultural history; South Africa; Politics and identity in South inequality and social structures of Economics Email: [email protected] Asia, particularly the transition to transnational non-Western history; Africa; African and Asian Communities oppression; gender, feminisms and Professor Mushtaq Khan independence; gender, family and law in activism and social movements Mr Krishna Pradhan in Britain; Political and cultural issues in reproduction; the political economy colonial and post-colonial India Email: [email protected] Senior Lector in Nepali Diaspora Studies; Historical anthropology; of the garment industry; the political Professor of Economics Philosophical issues in anthropology economy of India Expertise: South and South East Asia: Email: [email protected] Professor Rachel Dwyer Expertise: Nepali Language Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] institutional economics and political Dr Amrita Shodhan Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema Email: [email protected] economy; the economics of rent seeking, Expertise: Hindi Cinema; Indian popular Professor Edward Simpson Professor Peter P Mollinga corruption and patron-client networks; Senior Teaching Fellow Mr Naresh Sharma culture; Indian film; Hinduism; new Professor of Social Anthropology Professor of Development Studies late industrialisation and the state Expertise: Nineteenth century Senior Lector in Urdu and Hindi transformations in western India; middle classes; Mumbai/Bombay; Gujarati Expertise: Islam in South Asia; politics, Expertise: South Asia, Central Asia; Email: [email protected] Expertise: Urdu and Hindi language gender, caste and community in law language and literature; Gujarati diaspora ethnography, and society of Gujarat; social comparative political sociology of water Email: [email protected] Dr Satoshi Miyamura and governance; histories of partition esp UK and East Africa; comparative theory and the western Indian Ocean; resources and development; technology India/Palestine Indian literature the ethnography of reconstruction after and agrarian change; boundary work Lecturer in the Economy of Japan Dr John Stevens Email: [email protected] catastrophic natural disasters in natural resources management; Expertise: South & East Asia, particularly Email: [email protected] Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellow Email: [email protected] interdisciplinary social theory India and Japan; development Dr Shabnum Tejani Professor Michael J Hutt Expertise: The interconnected histories economics; labour economics; of modern West Bengal, Bangladesh and Email: [email protected] Senior Lecturer in the History of Professor of Nepali and Dr Damian Walter institutional economics; labour- Britain; comparative religion and political Modern South Asia Himalayan Studies and Director, Senior Teaching Fellow of Dr Paolo Novak management bargaining; research SOAS South Asia Institute theology in India and Britain; postcolonial Anthropology and Sociology Lecturer in Development Studies methods in economics Expertise: Nineteenth and twentieth theory; the historical construction of century social and intellectual history, Expertise: Nepali literature; Expertise: Nepal; shamanism and ritual Expertise: Trans-nationality with particular Email: [email protected] gender, race, class and nation; social, particularly of the Bombay Presidency; the Nepali media; Nepali politics; practice; anthropological theory, reference to migration; refugee regimes; cultural and transnational history Dr Pallavi Roy communalism and nationalism in India; Bhutanese refugees past and present borders and NGOs Email: [email protected] Lecturer in International Economics debates around secularism and Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] religious intolerance Dr Amina Yaqin Expertise: policy; infrastructure; Mr Aishwarj Kumar Email: [email protected] Senior Lecturer in Urdu and Dr Nigel Poole political economy Teaching Fellow Senior Lecturer in Development Studies Postcolonial Studies Email: [email protected] Expertise: Hindi language Expertise: Agri-health and nutrition, Expertise: Urdu language and literature; Email: [email protected] natural resources and food value chains, post-colonial literature and theory; poverty reduction gender studies; South Asian literatures in English; feminism in a Third World Email: [email protected] context; gender and politics in Pakistan Email: [email protected] 16 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 17

Law Media and Film Dr Rahul Rao Dr Ulrich Pagel Library & Professorial Research Dr Samia Bano Dr Somnath Batabyal Senior Lecturer in Politics Reader, Languages and Religions of Information Services Associates Expertise: International relations theory, Tibet and Central Asia Senior Lecturer in Law Lecturer in Media and Development critical theory (especially postcolonial Expertise: History of Buddhism in Tibet, Mr Burzine K Waghmar Professor Peter Robb Expertise: Muslim Family law in the UK Expertise: South Asia with a focus on and queer theory), comparative political Mahāyāna Buddhism, Kanjur Studies, Senior Library Assistant Emeritus Professor and Europe, Family Law, Multiculturalism, India; transnational news spheres with thought, gender and sexuality, South Asia Vinaya, Religions of Central Asia, (Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services) Expertise: The history of modern South Citizenship, Islamic Jurisprudence and a special focus on India; Development Email: [email protected] Tibetan, Sanskrit Email: [email protected] Asia; early Calcutta, c.1780-1830, Indian Human Rights, Feminist and Critical discourse in India and its articulation in Email: [email protected] agrarian history, especially Bihar and Social and Political Theories, Issues mainstream and alternate news forums; Professor Lawrence Sáez Mrs Farzana Whitfield Eastern India concerning the rights of Muslim women environmental politics. Professor in the Political Economy of Asia Dr Theodore Proferes Subject Librarian and Gender Equality Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Expertise: International political economy, Senior Lecturer in Ancient (South Asia & Development Studies) Email: [email protected] Dr Murali Shanmugavelan comparative political economy, Indian Religions Email: [email protected] Professor Werner Menski emerging markets; energy security; fiscal Expertise: Vedic language and religion; Emeritus Professor Professor Philippe Cullet Senior Teaching Fellow federalism; South Asia Indian philosophy Expertise: Classical and modern Hindu Professor of International and Expertise: India; Tamil Nadu; caste (and Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Visiting Scholars law; Muslim Law; Laws of South Asia; Environmental Law media); Dalits; mass media; critical Family law; Comparative law; South Expertise: Law and environment, media theory; mobile phones; digital Dr Mari Miyamoto Dr Simona Vittorini Professor Gurharpal Singh Asians in the UK; Immigration law; law and natural resources, intellectual media practices including mobile apps; Newton International Fellow Senior Teaching Fellow Professor in Inter-Religious Relations Ethnic minorities property, water, human rights, ethnography of communication and and Development and Dean, Faculty of Expertise: Bhutan; cultural politics of international law, India media; social anthropology Expertise: Nationalism; South Asian Email: [email protected] politics; modern Indian politics Arts and Humanities environmentalism; global political issues; Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tibet; secularism Email: [email protected] Expertise: Politics; Religious Studies; Mr Alexander Fischer Development; Politics and Corruption; Email: [email protected] Sikh studies; multiculturalism; Lecturer in Law Music transnationalism and development Expertise: Constitutional and Study of Religions Professor Richard Widdess Email: [email protected] Research Associates Comparative Public Law, Constitutional Dr Peter Flügel Professor of Musicology Dr Sanjukta Ghosh Theory, Federalism, Law and Courts, Law Reader in the Study of Religions Dr Sarah Stewart and Politics, Laws of South Asia Expertise: History and theory of Indian Lecturer in Zoroastrianism Research Associate classical music, dhrupad, Newar music Expertise: Jaina Studies; South Asian Email: [email protected] History & Culture; Anthropology & Expertise: Zoroastrianism, with particular Expertise: Modern South Asia (nineteenth of Nepal, historical ethnomusicology, century to present day, with focus on Dr Vanja Hamzić analysis of musical performance, Sociology of Religion reference to the living tradition in Iran and India. the Bengal Presidency, modern West Lecturer in Law cognitive approaches to music, music Email: [email protected] Bengal and Bangladesh); agrarian and Email: [email protected] Expertise: Islamic Law; Laws of South and meaning, music and religion Dr Jan-Peter Hartung food policies; rural-urban linkages, commodities and consumption; Asia (esp. Pakistan), South East Asia (esp. Email: [email protected] Reader in the Study of Islam Dr Vincent Tournier histories of scientific knowledge and Indonesia) and the Arab World; Legal Seiyu Kiriyama Lecturer in Expertise: Intellectual History of Islam with practices, press and public sphere; Anthropology; Legal Historiography (esp. Buddhist Studies Seljuk, Mamluk, Ottoman and Mughal Politics & special reference to South Asia and the socio-economic and cultural histories wider Persianate World, Political Islam, Expertise: Buddhism in Ancient and Early Law); Human Rights Law; Gender, International Studies of migration, urbanisation and heritage Sexuality and Law; Legal Theory; Law of later Islamic Philosophy and Theology Medieval South Asia practices Tort; Family Law; Law and Aesthetics/Art; Dr Rochana Bajpai Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Global Law/Governance Senior Lecturer in Politics Dr Sîan Hawthorne Dr Cosimo Zene Dr Mara Malagodi Email: [email protected] Expertise: Contemporary political Lecturer in Critical Theory and the Reader in the Study of Religions Research Associate theory, particularly multiculturalism; Professor Martin W Lau Study of Religions Expertise: Anthropology of religion, theory methodology, particularly political Expertise: South Asian laws and politics, Expertise: Narrativity; Cultural Memory; in the study of religions, continental Professor of South Asian Law ideologies; modern Indian politics especially Nepal, India and Pakistan; Religion and Gender; Feminist philosophy, Gramsci and religion, comparative constitutional law; law and Expertise: Laws of South Asia; Email: [email protected] comparative environmental law, Historiography; Postcolonial theory; intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, conflict; human rights Postsecularism and gender; Intellectual minorities (Dalits), mysticism and heresy, Islamic law Dr Sutha Nadarajah Email: [email protected] history in the study of religions non-Western Christianities, Mediterranean Email: [email protected] Lecturer in International Relations Email: [email protected] anthropology; South-Asia (India, Dr Avril A Powell Expertise: International Relations theory, Mr Mayur Suresh Bangladesh), Sardinia, world philosophies Emeritus Reader, Department of History international security; global public policy; Professor Almut Hintze Lecturer in Law Email: [email protected] Expertise: Islam in South Asia; Mughal North-South relations; civil wars; peace Zartoshty Brothers Professor history; Muslim-Christian relations Expertise: Anti-terror laws; law and processes; peacebuilding; securitized of Zoroastrianism anthropology; legal theory (particularly development; politics of the ‘War on Email: [email protected] Expertise: Indo-Iranian philology; on theories of emergency legality); Terror’, international financial regulation Zoroastrian literature and religion sexuality and gender identity in South Asia Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Dr Matthew J Nelson Reader in Politics Expertise: Politics of South Asia, Politics of Islam, Islam and democracy Email: [email protected] 18 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 19 SSAI – Events Listing September 2015 – August 2016

Seminars 27 April 2016 20 October 2015 28 October 2015 Seminar Book Launch Film Screening 23 November 2015 Contemporary Hindi Film Directors: Secularism, Islam and Education in India, An Ordinary Election Seminar From Behind the Scenes to Being Scene 1830–1910 Subir Sinha (SOAS University of London) Stealers The Maldives: Islamic Republic, Speaker: Robert Ivermee Lalit Vachan (Director) Tropical Autocracy Professor Aysha Iqbal Viswamohan (SOAS University of London) (IIT Madras, India) Professor Srirupa Roy J.J. Robinson (author) Discussant: Professor David Arnold (University of Göttingen, Germany) (Warwick University) 20 April 2016 8 December 2015 28 October 2015 Seminar Seminar Book Launch India, Islamophobia, and the Global War Cultures of Fear: Community Journalism amidst Chronic Urban Unrest To End a Civil War: Norway’s Peace on Terror Engagement with Sri Lanka Laurent Gayer Professor Achin Vanaik Mark Salter (Author) & Various Speakers (University of Delhi) (CNRS/CERI-Sciences Po, Paris) 30 October 2015 3 February 2015 24 May 2016 Conference Seminar Seminar The future of the rural world? The Crisis of Islamic Masculinities The Dabistan and Orientalist views of Sufism Africa & Asia 6 – 7 November 2015 Amanullah de Sondy Chair: Baroness Valerie Amos Conference (University College Cork) Professor Carl W. Ernst (UNC-Chapel Hill) Keynote Speaker: Edward Simpson Mountstuart Elphinstone and the (SOAS University of London) Historical Foundations of Afghanistan 24 February 2016 Events Studies: Reframing Colonial Knowledge Seminar 12 November 2015 of the Indo-Persian World in the Post- Colonial Era State, religious institution and 5 September 2015 Lecture community: Conservation and Keynote Speaker: William Dalrymple stigmatized slaughter in pastoral Conference Britain Nepal Academic Council Annual Keynote Discussant: Shah Mahmoud societies in the Himalayas Caste out of the Shadows: A conference Lecture: The Unique Blend of Literature, on caste, inequality and development Politics, and History in the Writings of Hanifi Mari Miyamoto (Newton International Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala Fellow, SOAS South Asia Institute) 5 October Professor Abhi Subedi 19 November 2015 9 March 2016 Panel Discussion (Tribhuvan University) Panel Discussion Assessing Modi’s Track Record, Eighteen Seminar Commemorating the Life of Radical Kenyan Trade Unionist and National 13 November 2015 Months On Lost in Transition: Rebuilding Nepal Liberation Activist Makhan Singh Film Screening Kul Chandra Gautam (Author) Chaired: Dr Navtej Purewal What the Fields Remember 2 December 2015 (SOAS University of London) Panel Discussion 17 March 2016 Conversant: Mayur Suresh (SOAS, University of London) Making Social Responsibility the Main Seminar Course: Social change and good 9 October 2015 Subasri Krishnan (Filmmaker) The New Pakistani Consensus: Conference business in the restaurant world Democracy As An Agreed Façade? Nicole Wolf (Goldsmiths University) Muslim South Asia Graduate Iqbal Wahhab, OBE, FRSA Christophe Jaffrelot (King’s India Institute) Conference 2015 (Founder Of Roast Restaurant And The 18 November 2015 Cinnamon Club on page 7) Book Launch 21 April 2016 7 October 2015 Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature and 29 January 2016 Seminar Film Screening and Q&A Performance in North India Film Screening Syncretic Erotics: Pre-colonial with Director Modernity in Nawabi Lucknow Francesca Orsini Zinda Bhaag Between Memory and Museum (SOAS University of London) Professor Ruth Vanita Discussant: Rachel Dwyer Arun Wolf (Director) (University of Montana) Katherine Schofield (Historian of Music in (SOAS University of London) Mughal India) Speaker: Dr Meenu Gaur (Director) 27 April 2016 15 October – (until 31.12.2016) Seminar Exhibition 4 – 5 February 2016 Rural world in India Kiss Me!: Protest Against Moral Policing Film Screening and Q&A In Kerala, India Edward Simpson with Director Dr Bidu Bhusan Dash (Charles Wallace (SOAS University of London) Chauthi Koot and India Fellowship 2015-2016 Recipient) Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan Derek Malcolm (The Guardian) Gurvinder Singh (Director) 20 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 21 Centre for Study of Pakistan – Events Listing September 2015 – August 2016

16 February 2016 18 May 2016 Seminars Events Film Screening Panel Discussion Documentary Screening of Azad and Nepal’s Earthquake One Year On: 1 October 2015 8 October 2015 Jinnah: A Political Rivalry in Late Resilience, Relief and Remembering Seminar Lecture Colonial India The causes of radicalisation in Pakistan New Muslim Elite and the Vernacular: Amar Sohal (Merton College, Oxford) 20 May 2016 and in Britain An Anthropological Perspective on Workshop Owen Bennett Jones Colonial Sindh 10 March 2016 Ambedkar Dialogues: Challenges Faced (BBC World Service) Michel Boivin (National Centre for Film Screening By Ambedkarite Radicalism Today Scientific Research, CNRS) Tongues on Fire Film Festival: True Cost – Interrogating Attempts To Silence 22 October 2015 Debates On Caste Seminar 30 November 2015 23 March 2016 The history of the Durand Line and its Book Launch 16 and 17 June 2016 Workshop relevance today The Shias of Pakistan: Andreas Rieck in Britain-Nepal Academic Council SSAI MA workshop for Bijan Omrani (Asian Affairs) Conversation Bicentenary Workshop on MA dissertation students, Andreas Rieck (author) Britain-Nepal Relations Cumberland Lodge 12 November 2015 Seminar 3 December 2015 9 May 2016 1 – 2 July 2016 Rhyming One Culture with Another: A Panel Discussion Workshop Workshop Poetry Reading and Conversation with APS: A turning point in Pakistan’s war Radical South Asia (Workshop with Gendering (In)Security: The Exclusionary Shadab Zeest Hashmi against terror? graduate students) Affects of Neo-Liberalism Shadab Zeest Hashmi (poet) Dr. Farzana Shaikh (Chatham House) Dissertation Ahsan Akbar (author) Huma Yusuf (Dawn Newspaper) Saqlain Imam (Journalist) 9 May 2016 26 November 2015 Panel Discussion Seminar 29 January 2016 Indian University Campuses under Islamisation of Names in Pakistan Film Screening Pressure: National and International Dr Tariq Rahman Zinda Bhaag Dimensions of Recent (Beaconhouse National University) Meenu Gaur (Film Director) 7 January 2016 Chair: Rachel Dwyer (SOAS University of London) Book Launch State and Nation-building in Pakistan: 20 May 2016 Sangat: Dialog Punjab beyond Islam and Security Annual Lecture R. Long, I Talbot, Y Sumand & G. Singh ISIS, Paris, Pakistan and the search for (eds) The monthly term-time meetings of Sangat have seen a rich programme of readings, peace: conversations with an Islamic Chair: Dr James Caron scholar discussions and recitations of poetry written by prominent figures in Punjab’s literary and (SOAS University of London) Speaker: Professor Akbar Ahmed shared Sufi tradition. During the 2015/2016 academic year, many students and members (American University in Washington, D.C.) 21 January 2016 of the public from outside of SOAS attended the sessions in broadening its reach with Discussant: Bhikhu Parekh many postgraduate students from SOAS also attending and participating. Amarjit Chandan, Seminar (Emeritus professor at the Universities a renowned London-based Punjabi poet, along with the Sangat team, including Radha Can commerce cover the umma? of Hull and Westminster) National and regional taste Kapuria a PhD student in Music and History at King’s College London, maintained the energy Reina Lewis (London College of Fashion) 21 May 2016 and sharpness of the sessions over the year. Film Screening 17 March 2016 Journey into Europe Particular highlights were the sessions on Waris Shah when writers Ruksaana Ahmed and Seminar Ravinder Kaur led a session on gender and ‘honour’ in Waris Shah’s Heer and the session Chair: Dr Amina Yaqin The new Pakistani consensus: Professor Akbar Ahmed on Shah Hussain (Madho Lal) in which sexuality and its taboo status in 16th century Punjab Democracy as an agreed façade? (American University in Washington, D.C.) were discussed in relation to the life and poetry of Shah Hussain. Christophe Jaffrelot (Sciences Po and Professor Peter Morey CNRS (Paris) and King’s India Institute (Professor at the Universities of 6 October 2015 3 November 2015 7 March 2016 (London) ) East London) Poetry Reading Poetry Reading Poetry Reading Rendition of Heer Ranjha Sangat: Dialog Punjab – Heer Sangat: Dialog Punjab – Basant Waris Shah (Poet) Waris Shah (Poet) 22 | SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 SSAI ANNUAL REVIEW 2015/16 | 23 SOAS Exhibition: The Everlasting Flame, SOAS South Asia Institute Key Staff Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination By Sarah Stewart

Michael Hutt (Director) School visit to the SOAS exhibition at the National Museum. In March 2014 the Indian Government’s Minister of Finance, & Navtej Purewal (Deputy Director) Mr Arun Jaitley, announced in his budget speech that the Government would sponsor the SOAS exhibition, The Everlasting Flame, Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination, to go on tour to India.

So began a two-year preparation for the exhibition the Arab conquest of Iran in the seventh century. The that was first held in the Brunei Gallery (October 9 – National Museum refurbished a magnificent gallery, December 15, 2013) to be reassembled for the National twice the size of the Brunei Gallery, and procured Museum in Delhi. Not only was this the first time that a 30 new display cases. The exhibition kept its original SOAS exhibition had been taken on tour but sponsors of designer, Colin Morris Associates, and the installation the EF in London, particularly the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of a walk-in fire temple and 10-metre glass etching of a of Europe, were rewarded by its tangible success in monumental staircase from Persepolis were installed. Delhi where there was a footfall of over 43,000 visitors. Unique to the Delhi exhibition was a Schools The exhibition lent its name to the International programme, organized by the Museum, for children Everlasting Flame Programme, organized by Dr Shernaz of all ages. Activities included themed walks, project Cama, Director of Unesco Parzor, that presented two work centred on highlight objects as well as mini Join the SSAI additional exhibitions on the Parsis of India as well as lectures. Through the programme many young people The South Asia Institute welcomes individuals and a cultural programme. The Ministry of Minority Affairs learned not only about Zoroastrianism but were also groups with an interest in South Asian studies who (MOMA) sponsored the Programme and Minister Dr introduced to SOAS. An alumni event with a guided tour would like to get involved with our activities. Najma Heptulla took a special interest in the project. of the exhibition (organized by the SOAS alumni office) attracted a large number group of alums and friends. There are several ways of getting involved: The SOAS exhibition was opened by Baroness Valerie Amos, and Mr Venu Vasudevan, Director of Exhibition curators and Catalogue editors in Delhi: • As a Student: The SSAI runs our own two-year MA the National Museum. Present were Baroness Tessa Sarah Stewart (SOAS), Firoza Punthakey Mistry Programme, MA Intensive South Asian Studies Blackstone, Chair of the British Library Trust, Professor (Zoroastrian Studies Mumbai), Ursula Sims-Williams and (from 2016) a new MSc in Contemporary Michael Hutt, SOAS, and Lord Karen Bilimoria. (British Library), Almut Hintze (SOAS), Pheroza India Studies. SSAI members also supervise PhD Contacting the SSAI Godrej (independent author and curator, Mumbai), students working on a range of subjects relating Taking the exhibition to India gave the curators the Shernaz Cama (Director, Unesco Parzor). to South Asia. We hold seminars and workshops Email: Email us at [email protected] to opportunity to expand the collection to include new specifically for students. receive our weekly e-bulletin. objects, paintings and textiles that have been described in a Supplement to the existing Catalogue, published • As a Public Member: We hold many events free and Telephone: +44 (0)20 7898 4390 by the National Museum. These included objects open to the wider public, including our regular from the V&A, gold coins from the British Museum, seminar series events (Wednesday evenings) and Facebook: Like us or follow our page at manuscripts from the British Library and the National Sangat Dialog Punjab (Monday evenings). www.facebook.com/SouthAsia.SOAS Museum in Delhi, and some original wall paintings Join up to the e-bulletin and receive regular Twitter: Follow and interact with us: @SOAS_SAI from Penjikent, Samarkand courtesy of the State updates about our activities. Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The exhibition Webpage: www.soas.ac.uk/south-asia-institute/ was greatly enhanced by loans of Sasanian silverware • As a Visiting Scholar or Research Associate: We welcome applications from interested scholars and Achaemenid stone tablets from the National Blog: blogs.soas.ac.uk/ssai-notes Museum of Iran, Tehran. We were also able to borrow to join the SSAI. Contact the Institute for further new paintings, furniture and textiles that had not been information or visit www.soas.ac.uk/research/ Address: SOAS South Asia Institute displayed before thanks to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet. honorary-appointments/visiting-scholars.html Fourth Floor, Brunei Gallery SOAS, University of London The exhibition provided a visual narrative of Left: Silver dish showing watery scenes loaned from the Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square Zoroastrianism, from its ancient roots in Central Asia, Iran National Museum in Tehran. London WC1H 0XG through its history as the state religion of imperial Right: Portrait of Khanbahadur Hormasjee Kharshedji Iran, to the settlement of Zoroastrians in India after Bhaba loaned from the Bombay Parsi Panchayet.