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University of Michigan Fall 2017 Newsletter Letter from the Director CSAS International Student Programs Janelle Fosler

I write this at the end of an President of the Maldives, Mohamed been a challenge and a privilege. The agreement with Habib University—a newly exciting summer for the Center Nasheed, thirteen eminent scholars, It has been a challenge because of established private liberal arts university—allows for South Asian Studies (CSAS). We and a filmmaker.T he CSAS also co- the precarious times we live in, with select students to enroll in summer semester ran pilots of two new international sponsored a diverse array of events, the Department of Education’s Title courses at U-M’s Ann Arbor campus. In summer student programs, one with the Indian including two dance performances VI programs that fund the Center 2017, four Habib students joined us on campus: Institute of Science Education and and the annual South Asia Aware- under threat. The CSAS currently Maisam Hyder Ali, Infer Khalid Baig, Fatima Research, Pune (IISER), and the other ness Network Conference, organized holds National Resource Center Hamdini, and SafianH aq. with Habib University, Karachi (see by our undergraduate students. and Foreign Language Area Studies more details on p. 3). These programs Grants from the Department of This year promises to be another are the outcome of an effort at the Education. The former allows for the robust one. Our year kicks-off with CSAS over the past few years to work of the Center, and the latter a lecture by our own Vikramaditya expand our network of institutional allows it to fund undergraduate and Khanna of the Law School, who will collaborations in India and Pakistan, graduate students to study South be speaking on dowry in India on in order to create new opportunities Asian languages (in the last 4 years September 8. This will be followed for students and faculty—both at U-M we distributed $1.2 million in student Contents by a major international conference, and at the institutions we are engag- fellowships). Given geopolitics, “Seeking Social Justice in South Letter from the Director 2 ing. As my tenure as Director draws the work of the Center—producing, Asia” (see p. 6); we are grateful to to a close—this is my fifth and final enhancing, and disseminating U-M Students with IISER (Pune) faculty (from L-R): Rachel Hirsch (UM), Pushkar Sohni (IISER), Naresh Sharma Habib Students at U-M. From L-R: Fatima Hamdini, CSAS International Student Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan for their year—I am pleased that the CSAS knowledge about South Asia—is as (IISER), Andrew Beckman (UM), Milind Watve (IISER), Alec Reznich (UM), and Gyana Tripathy (IISER) Infer Khalid Baig, Safian Haq, Maisam Hyder Ali. Programs 3 support, which allows us to bring now has established relationships critical as ever, at U-M, nationally, Sound and South Asia together leading lawyers, activists, “Travelling on my own for the first with Ashoka University, Delhi Univer- and globally. Putting the CSAS on Conference 4 scholars, and journalists to consider sity, the Indian Institute of Technology a more solid financial footing is time, experiencing life in a different this important theme. We also look U-M Pakistan Conference 5 (IIT), and Shiv Nadar University, all imperative if it is to continue its country, and meeting some of the forward to welcoming His Excellency in and around Delhi, IISER in Pune; important work. Seeking Social Justice in South Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry (Ambas- kindest and most compassionate and with the Lahore University of Asia Conference 6 sador of Pakistan to the US), a range At the same time, directing the Center people in Ann Arbor have been Management Sciences (LUMS) and Endangered Heritage of scholars in our 2017-18 Lecture has surely been a privilege. Working Habib University in Pakistan. We truly remarkable.”­—Infer Baig Conference 6 Series (see p. 16 for details), a film- with staff, students, and colleagues envision sending our students to maker; and to hosting a performance, on the collective and interdisciplinary When asked about her experience, Infer Baig Graduate Student Conference 7 these institutions, welcoming their “Lucknow in Letters: Endeavors, project of South Asian studies has shared: “The Michigan Summer term 2017 has students to U-M, and collaborating IIT-U-M Workshop 7 Achievements, and Tragedies.” We been extremely rewarding intel- been by far the greatest growing experience of my with their faculty. Faculty News 8 will also host our second Graduate lectually and personally. I’d like to life. Here at the University of Michigan, I am taking Our summer activity came on the Student Conference (January 26-27, especially thank Janelle Fosler, the inspiring courses on “Anthropology of the Senses” Building South Asian heels of another active year at the 2018) and the 8th Annual U-M Paki- Center’s Program Specialist, not least and “Gender in the Middle East,” which are very Curriculum 10 CSAS. In 2016–17, we hosted five stan Conference (April 6, 2018). for putting up with my almost limitless relevant to my academic interests. But I am also Teach in: Disappeared Activists conferences, four in Ann Arbor and capacity to produce work for her over In the pages that follow you’ll find learning so much about myself. Travelling on my in Pakistan 11 one in New Delhi: Sound and South these past two years, and all with IISER Students at U-M. From L-R: Farina Mir, Jesil Jose, Ranjana Yadav, Prateek Yadav, Suraj Sharma, more information on the Center’s own for the first time, experiencing life in a different Asia (see p. 4); the IIT-UM South good cheer. Harsha Gowda, James Penner-Hahn (not pictured: Prathamesh Datar). Being Brown in Trump’s activities over the past year as well as country, and meeting some of the kindest and most Asian Studies Workshop (see p. 7); America 11 those we have planned for the coming I am extremely grateful to have had In 2016, the Center for South Asian Studies Program. IISER students were placed in research compassionate people in Ann Arbor have been truly a graduate Student Conference remarkable. I know that when I go back home, I will Graduate Student News 12 year. You’ll also read about research this opportunity to work with you signed agreements with Habib University (Karachi) labs to work alongside U-M students and faculty (see p. 7); and the 7th Annual U-M on and engagement with South Asia and to promote South Asian Studies and the Indian Institute of Science Education and for approximately 10 weeks. Preliminary feedback be carrying with me some of the most wonderful Summer in South Asia Pakistan Conference, on Gender and from across U-M. at U-M. Research (IISER) (Pune), providing an opportunity from both students and faculty has been very memories, friendships, connections, and wisdom Fellows 14 Sexuality (see p. 5); and in conjunc- for their students to study and/or do research at positive, and we hope to have as many as 10 IISER that life has to offer.” tion with other area studies centers, As 2017–18 ends my tenure as Sincerely, CSAS Co-Sponsors Visit by U-M. Both student programs ran for the first time in students at U-M in 2018. We were pleased that Endangered Heritage (see p. 6). Director, I would like to take this Maldives ex-President 15 Farina Mir Spring/Summer 2017. three U-M students were able to take advantage In between, we hosted the Consul opportunity to thank our staff, faculty, CSAS Supports SAADA 15 Associate Professor, of a reciprocal opportunity to study with faculty at General of Pakistan (Chicago), and students for their support of In late May, we welcomed six undergraduate Department of History IISER. We hope to see more U-M students take Library News 15 the former (and perhaps future) the CSAS. Directing the Center has students from IISER to Ann Arbor and sent three advantage of this opportunity to study science and U-M students to IISER’s Pune campus under the CSAS Events 16 the humanities in an international context and auspices of the Michigan-IISER Science Exchange Cover: Mandala #63 (2014) by Osman Khan Editors: Janelle Fosler/CSAS; David Merchant/International Institute Design: Hammond Design work with IISER’s renowned faculty in the future.

2 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 3 3 2016 Trehan Conference report U-M Pakistan Conference 2017 Sound and South Asia Gender and Madhumita Lahiri Sexuality Salman Hussain

The 7th annual U-M Pakistan Conference was held on April 7, 2017. Organized by the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and the Pakistani Students’ Association (PSA), the U-M Pakistan Conference is an initiative aimed at highlighting new Back (L-R): Shilo Shiv Suleman, Farina Mir, Fizzah Sajjad, Arsalan Khan, Salman Hussain Back (L-R): Gaurav Desai, Manan Desai, Nathan Tabor, Jayson Beaster-Jones, research and research areas on Pakistan and foster- Front (L-R): Nida Mushtaq, Faiza Mushtaq, Omar Kasmani, Nida Kirmani, Anjali Arondekar, Zehra Hashmi Corey Creekmur. Front (L-R): Christi Merrill, Madhumita Lahiri, Isabel Huacuja ing conversations between artists, activists, and Alonso, Vebhuti Duggal, Pavitra Sundar, Amanda Weidman, Linda Hess, academics. The theme of the 2017 U-M Pakistan Farina Mir chaired the next panel, on “Gendered The conference presented work on gendered experi- Madhuja Mukherjee, Neepa Majumdar. Conference was gender and sexuality. The confer- Selves in the Islamic Revival,” which turned ences of moving through spaces, transit, roads, ence sought to highlight the role of gender and the conversation toward gendered movements shrines, and religious gatherings, and how these sexuality in shaping varied experiences of everyday of Islamic revival in Pakistan. Faiza Mushtaq spaces and encounters are negotiated through (Institute of Business Administration) discussed relations of power that are themselves shaped, me- The Center for South Asian Studies hosted an international conference Moving from these nuanced local considerations of sonic cultures, Isabel life in Pakistan. the composition and self-definition of a women’s diated, and regulated through notions of masculinity on “Sound and South Asia” on October 7-8, 2016. The study of what we hear has Huacuja Alonso (California State University, San Bernardino) and Vebhuti Dug- After brief opening remarks by Farina Mir religious organization in her paper, “Organiza- and femininity. The presentations generated ques- conventionally been reserved for the medical specialist, the acoustic engineer, gal (Sarai-Center for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi) presented (Department of History) and Salman A. Hussain, tional Routines and Religious Commitments: tions about how gender ideologies traverse state and the ethnomusicologist. However, in recent years the life of sounds —from their research on the most transnational and ephemeral of sonic media: radio. (Program in History and Anthropology), Mrinalini The Innovative Traditionalism of Al-Huda.” Paired programs and society at large, and how these no- the most refined of classical music to the most irritating of street noises—has Through their work on All-India Radio’s Urdu service and on the use of postcards Sinha (Department of History) chaired a panel on with this paper was Arsalan Khan’s (Union Col- tions are both contested, negotiated, manipulated, become a topic for disciplines as diverse as history, law, economics, performance for radio request shows, respectively, this panel detailed how sound’s famous “Masculinities in Everyday Life,” with papers by lege) paper, “Pious Masculinity: Gender, Ritual and actively (re)produced by individuals and groups studies, and film studies. capacity for non-directional dissipation makes it both tempting and resistant to Nida Kirmani (Lahore University of Management the desires of the nation-state. and Ethical Reflexivity in theT ablighi Jamaat in in various situations. Anjali Arondekar (University of The sound of the In keeping with the broad range of disciplinary Sciences) and Omar Kasmani (Freie Universi- Pakistan” which theorized the enactment of a California, Santa Cruz) concluded the conference and conceptual interests in sound studies, this Sound studies is a burgeoning field across disciplines, and in theS outh Asian tat). In her paper, “Gender, Mobility and Urban body in South Asia specific sort of masculinity amongst the men of by leading a lively discussion with the audience two-day conference brought together twelve context it has focused most insistently on the famous sonic conventions of Violence: the View from Lyari,” Kirmani discussed Tablighi Jamaat. which considered the place of gender and sexuality has been increas- scholars from institutions in the United States Indian commercial cinema. In keeping with this strong sub-field, the conference Baloch men’s experience of traversing everyday in the study of Pakistan, and also how scholarship ingly defined along and India. Faculty from the departments of Asian staged two conversations on film sound.T he first panel on the topic considered life and gendered discourses of fear in Karachi in The presentations generated on Pakistan could impact the field ofG ender and the often-rigid Languages and Cultures, American Culture, the sonic conventions of particular historical moments in Indian filmmaking, the context of both state and non-state violence. questions about how gender ide- Sexuality Studies. Comparative Literature, English, and Music whether in the silent and sound periods of non-digital filmmaking in the early Kasmani’s paper, “Neither. Nor. Trans: Notes on demarcations of ologies traverse state programs This conference was made possible by generous served as chairs and discussants. and mid-twentieth century, as in the research of Neepa Majumdar (University of Dispensable Masculinities and the Promise of women’s lives. Pittsburgh), or in the digital environment of commercial filmmaking today, as ex- Thirdness,” addressed how the question of non- and society at large, and how support from the American Institute of Pakistan Linda Hess (Stanford University) and Nathan Ta- plored by Madhuja Mukherjee (Jadavpur University, Kolkata). The second panel normative gender identities is in flux, and how the these notions are both contested, Studies, as well as the U-M Institute for Research bor (Western Michigan University) launched our discussions through a historical- on the topic, featuring Pavitra Sundar (Hamilton College) and Corey Creekmur state, media, and community are involved in the on Women & Gender, Islamic Studies Program, ly nuanced consideration of the interactions between orality and literacy in South negotiated, manipulated, and ac- (University of Iowa), articulated future directions for the study of Indian cinema project of naming such identities. Residential College, Rackham Graduate School, Asian cultures. Focusing on the overlapping currents of circulation between the tively (re)produced by individuals sounds, considering the bodily sound associated with particular singers and the LSA Central Student Government, Institute for the songs of Kabir and the Urdu mushai’ra, Hess and Tabor covered centuries of Aswin Punathambekar (Communication Studies) imagined sound of history. and groups in various situations. Humanities, Multi-ethnic Student Affairs,R esidence South Asian literature in performance, elaborating on what happens when a text chaired the day’s second panel, “Gender in Public Halls Association, Newberry-Barbour Hall Council, is a song, and what this might tell us about South Asian cultures of listening. The conference concluded with a discussion of the valuation of sound, through and Online Spaces.” Fizzah Sajjad’s (Center for The last panel was on “Public Art: Writing on the East Quad, Office of MulticulturalI nitiatives, Asian, the work of Michele Friedner (Stony Brook University) and Jayson Beaster-Jones Economic Research in Pakistan) paper “Gender Wall.” Osman Khan (School of Art and Design) Much as the first panel focused on aurality, orality, and performance in the north- PacificI slander American Studies, Penny W. Stamps (University of California-Merced). Whether in the priorities of India’s Deaf cultures Equity in Transport Planning” examined how chaired the panel in which Nida Mushtaq and Shilo ern part of the subcontinent, the second panel elaborated the performance and School of Art & Design; and the Departments of: or in the virtual networks of South Asia’s music sales, both demonstrated that our Pakistani urban women navigate public transpor- Suleman of The Fearless Collective presented their sound cultures of southern India with presentations by Davesh Soneji (University Anthropology, Asian Languages and Cultures, understandings of sound are socially constituted and commercially influenced. tation, while Zehra Hashmi’s (Program in History work on murals in urban Pakistan, painted in col- of Pennsylvania) and Amanda Weidman (Bryn Mawr College). Both focused on Communication Studies, History, History of Art, and and Anthropology) paper, “Biometric Belonging: laboration with local residents. The Fearless Collec- the musical repercussions of gender: Soneji on the seemingly continuous but This conference was made possible by generous support from Ranvir and Adarsh Women’s Studies. This conference was also funded Infrastructures of Security and Identity in Urban tive also screened two short films about community continually reinvented world of traditional performance, and Weidman on the Trehan and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, with additional sup- in part by the Center’s Title VI federal grant from the Pakistan,” addressed the entanglements of the and transgendered people in Pakistan. Mushtaq and carefully consolidated cultures of playback recording in the Tamil film industry. port from the: School of Music, Theatre & Dance; Departments of Communication US Department of Education. state security apparatus and the digitization and Suleman’s presentation was accompanied by an The sound of the body in South Asia, we learned, has been increasingly defined Studies, History, English Language and Literature, and Screen Arts and Cultures; (re-)definition of kinship and ethnic identities in exhibition of their work in the gallery space of the along the often-rigid demarcations of women’s lives. the Global Media Studies Initiative; and the U-M Initiative on Disability Studies. post-9/11 Pakistan. International Institute. This conference was also funded in part by the Center’s Title VI federal grant from the US Department of Education.

4 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 5 Conferences 2017 Seeking Social Justice in South Asia Graduate Interdisciplinary IIT-UM Workshop on Farina Mir South Asian Studies Conference on South Asia Farina Mir The Center for South Asian Studies is • How are struggles for social justice intercon- Mrinalini Sinha of struggles against discrimination, marginaliza- The IIT-UM Workshop on South Asian Studies, held pleased to host an international conference on nected? That is, what are the common structural tion, and the mechanisms of social exclusion at the Indian Institute for Technology, New Delhi, on February September 21-23, 2017: “Seeking Social Justice in causes that produce the varied forms of oppres- and oppression that shape the lives of millions of 24, 2017, stemmed from a larger CSAS initiative to expand in- South Asia.” The aim of the conference is to focus sion and social inequality that each of the confer- people across the region. The Center for South Asian Studies hosted an interdisciplinary conference on South stitutional relationships in India. CSAS has sought to expand attention on stark and persistent political, economic, ence participants works on? We will think of these Asia for graduate students on March 24, 2017. Graduate students from any discipline at the We look forward to welcoming: engagement with higher education institutions in India since and social inequalities and the ongoing struggles to causes in national, regional, and global terms. University of Michigan were invited to present papers that focused on any period or aspect of address them in contemporary South Asia. Flavia Agnes, Majlis Legal Centre, Mumbai the study of South Asia. A selection committee comprised of Professors Aniket Aga, School of 2014, when then U-M President Mary Sue Coleman visited • Where are the opportunities for solidarity Natural Resources and Environment, Aswin Punathambekar (Department of Communication India. The CSAS has been supported in its efforts to establish The conference will bring together a group of inter- between movements—nationally and regionally? Khalid Anis Ansari, Glocal University (UP, India) Studies) and Mrinalini Sinha (Department of History) selected the eight students who pre- new relationships with Indian Institutions, particularly those nationally-renowned lawyers, activists, academics, And relatedly, what are the fractures that hinder Sara Hossain, Bangladesh Legal Aid Services sented their work at the day-long conference. The conference ended with a keynote address by that focus on the humanities and social sciences, by a grant and producers of media (journalists/filmmakers) broad-based coalitions? and Trust Professor Douglas E. Haynes, Department of History, Dartmouth College. from the Office of theV ice-Provost for Global Engagement to consider a range of interconnected struggles • What are the shared colonial legacies that Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka Senior Analyst, for social justice, including religious and ethnic and Interdisciplinary Affairs.T he IIT-UM Workshop provided structure social oppression, injustice, and in- International Crisis Group (London) Graduate students from any discipline at the University of polarization, gender and sexuality, caste politics, humanities and social science faculty at U-M the opportunity equality in South Asia? One place we might focus Zainab Malik, Justice Project Pakistan minority rights, urbanization and displacement, Michigan were invited to present papers that focused on any to share research with faculty and students from the Depart- attention given the expertise of the participants and media and information access. Presentations P. Sainath, Founder Editor, People’s Rural Archive period or aspect of the study of South Asia. ment of Humanities and Social Sciences (DHSS) at the IIT, is on the shared inheritance of colonial jurispru- will address these issues in the Bangladeshi, of India New Delhi, and to consider areas of joint research interest. dence across these four postcolonial states. Presenters represented several different academic departments and were at different stages Indian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan contexts. A.R. Vasavi, National Institute of Advanced Sciences in their graduate career. The following students presented their work at the conference: The workshop was • What role—if any—can international advocacy (retired), Bangalore The conference gives us the opportunity to Hoda Bandeh-Ahmadi, Anthropology (“Scenes of Inheritance: Intellectual Kinship and the play in effecting social justice inS outh Asia? jointly organized by consider such issues not only in their national Bezwada Wilson, Safai Karmachari Andolan Ethnography of Academic Anthropology and Sociology in Delhi”); Tapsi Mathur, History (“How And what role does the international context play Farina Mir of U-M contexts, but also in regional and international This conference is made possible by the generous to Become a Native Explorer: English Education and the Making of a Professional”); Vybhavi in producing and/or buttressing oppression and and Farhana Ibrahim frames. As such, we hope to be able to consider support of Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan, and the Balasundharam, Economics (“Can Cheaper Generators Help Small Firms Under Chronic injustice in South Asia? of IIT, and brought the following issues: Electricity Shortages? Evidence from a Generator Subsidy Program for MSME’s in India”); College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. together twelve fac- This conference will take a comparative approach Sikandar Kumar, History (“Hindi Literary Criticism and the Challenges of Developing a Social ulty (six from each to reflect on the complex cross-border implications Aesthetics in India (1920-1950): A Survey of Premchand, Ramchandra Shukla and Ramvilas Sharma”); Matthew Schissler, Anthropology (“Footnote to Partition, 1938? Burma in India, institution) with Riots in Burma”); Meenu Deswal, History (“Intractable Women: Adultery and Abduction in complementary in- Colonial Punjab (British India)”); Anil Menon, Political Science (“Historical Warfare and Long- tellectual interests to exchange research and consider areas Run Economic and Political Development in India”); and Sangita Saha, History and Women’s of future collaboration. Convergent themes in scholarship Endangered Heritage Conference Studies (“Transforming Domestic Labor, Constructing ‘Worthy’ Selves: A Study of Selected led to five panels on: (1) Politics and Publics, with Mrinalini Janelle Fosler Women’s Autobiographies from Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Bengal”). Sinha (History, U-M), Arudra Burra (DHSS, IIT), and Aswin The keynote lecture, “Brand-Name Capitalism, Advertising, and the Making of Modern Punathambekar (Communication Studies, U-M); (2) Spatial Conjugality in Western India, 1918-1940,” by Professor Douglas E. Haynes (Dartmouth Col- Imaginaries, with Bharati Puri (DHSS, IIT), William Glover War, climate change, globalization, and economic development Heritage,” and shared perspectives gained from her involvement in preserv- lege), wrapped up the day: it was not only characteristically insightful but, fortuitously, it also (History, U-M), and Farhana Ibrahim (DHSS, IIT); (3) Ethics pose significant threats to the world’s natural and cultural heritage.S ocieties ing archaeological heritage in Southern India. touched upon many of the themes that had arisen during the day-long conversations on the and Interiorities: Textual Considerations, with Farina Mir around the world share many of the same concerns, even as specific regions, The conference began with a film screening ofDestruction of Memory, which student papers. Professor Haynes’ audience was able to pick up on the resonances of the vari- (History, U-M) and Milind Wakankar (DHSS, IIT); (4) Transla- countries, and communities face unique challenges. tells the story of the “war against culture” in Syria and Iraq, looking not just ous themes that had emerged earlier in the day and later to follow-up on conversations in the tions & Interruptions: Language, Caste, Nation, with Simona The Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) collaborated with the Museum at the ongoing actions of Daesh (ISIS), but also revealing past decisions that informal setting of a conference dinner sponsored by the Center. Sawhney (DHSS, IIT) and Christi Merrill (Comparative Studies Program, African Studies Center and the Centers for Latin Ameri- played a role in allowing for the destruction of heritage sites. The conference The successful outcome of the day found both the university community and Professor Haynes Literature and Asian Languages & Cultures, U-M); and (5) can and Caribbean Studies, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, and was comparative in scope, with speakers representing South Asia, Southeast exposed to the kind of work undertaken by our students and the student-presenters exposed Religious Transformations, with Sarbeswar Sahoo (DHSS, Southeast Asian Studies to hold a two-day symposium to establish a dialogue Asia, East Asia, Latin America, and Africa and the Middle East who presented to the range of faculty expertise on campus, beyond their individual disciplines, from which IIT) and Varuni Bhatia (Asian Languages and Cultures, U-M). surrounding global heritage. International experts and the U-M community on topics related to preserving global heritage in their various regions. This they might potentially in the future draw. It is our hope that the discussions initiated in New Delhi will were invited to identify threats to heritage and develop strategies to mitigate conference provided a much-needed conversation on the complexities and continue in Ann Arbor. To that end, the CSAS is planning these dangers in both global and local contexts. challenges of protecting heritage around the world. The success of the conference owed to the willingness of the student-presenters to share their work as well as to the faculty, students, guests, and visitors who gave their time, many for the to host Farhana Ibrahim and Simona Sawhney for short The CSAS sponsored two speakers to share their expertise on the South The Endangered Heritage conference was made possible by the Departments of entire day, to take part in the conference. The enthusiasm and support of the graduate student residencies at U-M in 2017–18. We hope that in the coming Asian region. Gurmeet Rai (Director, Cultural Resource Conservation Initia- Anthropology, Asian Languages and Cultures, History of Art, Near Eastern Studies, volunteers, notably Leslie Hempson (History), Zehra Hashmi (Anthropology and History) and years, we can further solidify the relationship between our tive, New Delhi) stressed the importance of working with local communities and the International Institute, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Museum of Anthro- Salman Hussein (Anthropology and History), who chaired individual sessions at the conference institutions by sending U-M faculty to IIT as visiting scholars in appreciating both the tangible and intangible aspects of heritage. Uthara pological Archaeology, and the Museum Studies Program. This conference was were imperative to the success of the conference. and U-M students to study there. Suvrathan (Bard Graduate Center) participated on a panel on “Expanding also funded in part by Title VI federal grants from the US Department of Education.

6 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 37 Faculty News

Aniket Aga, 2017; R.Y. Bakkegaard, Arun Agrawal, Mousumi “Application of the revised WHO Cau- Christi A. of early undergraduate students, to evaluate and track maternal and study music and dance, one-on-one, Assistant et al, “National socioeconomic sur- Banerjee, sality Assessment Protocol Following Merrill, Asso- and was awarded for Mir’s work child health in rural villages in West in the homes of professional music Professor, veys in forestry: Guidance and survey Research Immunization in India” in Vaccine. ciate Professor, with Paulina Alberto (Department of Bengal in collaboration with the and dance gurus, specially selected School for modules for measuring the multiple Professor at Departments History) on the course, “History 101: School of Information and Univer- by Dr. Rush for this program. Students Environment roles of forests in household welfare the School of Leela of Comparative What is History?” Mir gave public sity of Michigan Health System. perform a final concert inI ndia at the and Sustain- and livelihoods,” (No. FAO Forestry Public Health, Fernandes, Literature and lectures at the Eisenberg Institute end of the program, then perform at ability, and Paper no. 179, p. 172p). FAO, CIFOR, presented Glenda Dicker- Asian Lan- for Historical Studies at U-M and the Shobita Parthasarathy, Associ- the School of Music upon their return. Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan Society IFRI, World Bank, Rome, Italy; L.V. “Analysis of Case-Control Studies son Collegiate guages and Cultures, was awarded Dhar India Studies Program at Indi- ate Professor, Gerald R. Ford School The host organization for the program of Fellows, was awarded the 2016 Rasmussen, C. Watkins, & A. Agrawal, at the Workshop on Quantitative Professor of a Michigan Humanities Award with ana University on her current research of Public Policy, recently published (in Mysore) is the Swami Vivekananda Sardar Patel Award for his PhD thesis, “Forest contributions to livelihoods Methods for Public Health Research- Women’s Stud- sabbatical leave in 2016–17 to write project, Producing Modern Muslims: her second Youth Movement, voted the “#1 NGO Genetically Modified Democracy: in changing agriculture-forest land- ers from SAARC Countries” at the ies and Politi- her latest book project, Genres of Real Everyday Ethics in Colonial India. She book, Patent in India in 2016.” The Science and Politics of Trans- scapes,” Forest Policy and Econom- University of Calcutta in December cal Science, has been conducting Life: Mediating Stories of Injustice also presented at the Association for Politics: Life genic Agriculture in Contemporary ics, 2017; and Meriem Bouamrane, 2016; and “Statistical Methods in research for her book, India’s Liberaliz- Across Languages. The book is based Asian Studies Annual Conference. Mir Forms, Mar- Mrinalini India. The award is given to the best Marja Spierenburg, Arun Agrawal, et Cancer Research” at the National ing State: Urbanization, Inequality and on research conducted in India in completed her term on the Council of kets, and the Sinha, Alice doctoral dissertation on Modern India al, “Stakeholder Engagement and Institute of Cancer Research and Hos- Water Politics in India. She published 2013-14, which was supported by the American Historical Association Public Interest Freeman in the US across the fields of humani- Biodiversity Conservation, challenges pital Workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh. “Disciplinary Quandaries: A Meta- a National Endowment for the Hu- and as Vice-President of the American in the United Palmer Profes- ties, social sciences, education, and in socio-ecological systems: some Banerjee visited Bangladesh as part commentary on The Relationship manities/American Institute of Indian Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS). States and Europe (University of sor, Depart- fine arts.A ga co-authored an article insights from Western Africa and of a School of Public Health Dean’s Between Political Science and the Studies Senior Fellowship. The book She continues to serve on the Board Chicago Press, 2017). Parthasarathy ment of His- (with Chitrangada Choudhury) on the French biosphere reserves,” Ecology delegation to explore research, Interdisciplinary Study of Asia,” Verge: is linked to another current project: of Trustees of the American Institute spent two months in India conducting tory, spent the cascading impacts of demonetisation and Society. 21(4), 2016. education, and scholar exchange op- Studies in Global Asias (3.1, Spring translating Kausalya Baisantry’s for Indian Studies and the AIPS. fieldwork for her new project, which 2016-17 academic year as the Helmut on the tomato farmers of Western portunities. Additionally, Banerjee did 2017), and completed Feminists Dohara Abhishap [Doubly Cursed], a explores the Indian and international Stern Fellow at U-M’s Institute for Maharashtra, which was published in Syed outreach work at Pioneer High School Rethink the Neoliberal State: Inequal- Dalit woman’s “life story” in Hindi that Ritesh politics of technological interventions the Humanities, working on her Economic and Political Weekly and Ekhteyar to bring Rabindranath Tagore’s music ity, Exclusion and Change (New York offers an eloquent protest against the Mistry, As- to alleviate poverty. An article from third monograph, Complete Political the People’s Archive of Rural India Ali, Direc- to high school students. University Press, forthcoming [2018]). discrimination Baisantry experienced sistant Profes- this research entitled “Grassroots Independence: The Strange Geneal- in January 2017. A short article on tor of the Fernandes served as a member of the because of her (untouchable) caste sor of Health Innovation Systems for a Post-Carbon ogy of a Nationalist Indian Demand. government responses to agrarian South Asian Matthew American Institute for Indian Studies and gender. As part of that work she Behavior and World: Promoting Economic Democ- Sinha was also Visiting Professor at distress in the wake of demonetisa- Language Boulton, and continues to serve as the South has recently begun collaborating Health Educa- racy, Environmental Sustainability, the Centre for Historical Studies at tion is forthcoming in the Hotspots Program, Senior Associ- Asia editor of Critical Asian Studies. with Laura Brueck (Northwestern tion at the and the Public Interest,” is forthcom- Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. series of Cultural Anthropology. Department of Asian Languages ate Dean for University) and John Vater (University School of Public Health, received a ing in Brooklyn Law Review. University She gave lectures at several institu- and Cultures, is participating in the Global Public Ram Mahalingam, Department of Iowa) to co-edit a special issue of National Institutes of Health research of Michigan’s Institute for Research tions, including Ambedkar University Arun Less Commonly Taught Languages Health at the of Psychology, was promoted in Words Without Borders on activist lit- project grant for $2.1M to complete a on Women and Gender has provided (Delhi) and the University of Glasgow. Agrawal, (LCTL) Partnership. This project (a School of 2016–17 from Associate Professor erature translated from Hindi; and with longitudinal study of adolescent to- a seed grant to support development Her essay, “Nations in an Imperial Samuel Trask collaboration of the Big Ten Academic Public Health, in collaboration with to Professor. Swarnim Khare (Asian Languages and bacco use and tobacco control policy of this project. Crucible,” in Gender and Empire: The Dana Profes- Alliance), funded by the Andrew the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Mahilingam Cultures) and the Language Resource in India, working with the Healis Sekh- Oxford History of the British Empire sor, School for W. Mellon Foundation, seeks to Education & Research, Chandigarh, was selected Center to publish an accompanying saria Institute for Public Health. Mistry Stephen Companion Series (Oxford University Environment transform the way LCTLs are taught received a small pilot grant from by the LSA digital archive of source materials for published “Antenatal tobacco use and Rush, Press, 2004), was recently translated and Sustain- by leveraging cutting edge research the Michigan Institute for Clinical Executive the Hindi classroom. secondhand smoke exposure in the Professor of to Greek in the volume Φύλο και Committee Performing ability, published a number of articles and advances in instructional technol- & Health Research for validation of home in India” in Nicotine & Tobacco αυτοκρατορία (2017). Sinha also this past year, including: M.F. Gebara ogy. Ali will be part the three-person an anti-measles IgG assay using for the 2017 Farina Mir, Research (February, 2017). Arts Technol- completed a four-year term on the & Arun Agrawal, “Beyond Rewards team that will be developing materials saliva samples from children and John Dewey Award for his ongoing Associate ogy at the Executive Board of the Association for and Punishments in the Brazilian for the teaching of Hindi. Ali is also adolescents in Chandigarh, India. commitment to the education of un- Professor, Bhramar School of Asian Studies (AAS), which included, Amazon: Practical Implications of participating in collaborations at U-M This work builds upon a previously dergraduate students. Winners of the Department Mukherjee, Music, Theatre & Dance (SOMTD), led among other things, the finalization of the REDD+ Discourse,” Forests, 8(3), on language-lerning that received two awarded study in Chandigarh funded Dewey award model the full range of History, was John D. the Summer Program in India (study the AAS-in-Asia Conference in Delhi 2017; J. Erbaugh & Arun Agrawal, grants: the Gilbert Whitaker Fund for by the Trehan Foundation. Boulton of John Dewey’s own considerable the recipient Kalbfleisch of music/yoga/dance), a month-long in summer 2018. “Clarifying the landscape approach: the Improvement of Teaching from U- published: “Have community health talents: scholarly productivity, provi- of the 2017 Collegiate opportunity for students from U-M to A Letter to the Editor on ‘Integrated M’s Center for Research on Learning workers increased the delivery of ma- sion of leadership, and engagement Matthews Undergraduate Teaching Professor of go to India that has been in place for landscape approaches to managing and Teaching; and a Level II Faculty ternal and child healthcare in India?” with and care for students. Award from the College of Literature, Biostatistics a decade now. Over 130 students social and environmental issues in Project Grant from LSA’s Instructional in the Journal of Public Health; and Science and the Arts. The award in the School of Public Health, was from SOMTD have gone to Mysore, the tropics’,” Global Change Biology, Support Services (ISS). recognizes excellence in the teaching awarded MCubed Diamond funding India with Professor Stephen Rush to

8 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 9 New South Asia Faculty Teach-in: Disappeared FLAS Fellowship Awards Savithry Namboodiripad will join U-M this fall as a U-M Participants in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From L-R: Andrew Walker, Activists in Pakistan The CSAS is pleased to announce that 10 un- Collegiate Postdoctoral Fellow in the College of Literature, Alana Rodriguez, Dan Cameron, Zehra Hashmi, Samuel Farris, Ellen Myers, dergraduates and 6 graduate students have Sciences, and the Arts and the National Center for Institu- Sriram Mohan, Karin Tice, William Thomson , Juan Cole Salman A. Hussain been awarded Foreign Language and Area tional Diversity. In fall 2019, she will begin a tenure-track Studies (FLAS) Fellowships for the 2017-18 position in the U-M Linguistics Department. Namboodi- On January 16, 2017, South Asia Solidarity in Michigan (SASMi)—a network of graduate students at the academic year. The Center for South Asian ripad’s research interests include language contact, University of Michigan—and the Center for South Asian Studies hosted a teach-in on the disappearances of Studies offers FLAS awards in Bengali, Hindi, language use in post-colonial societies and immigrant Building South Asian activists and bloggers in Pakistan. Between January 4-7, 2017, four Pakistani bloggers and an activist went Punjabi, and Urdu. communities, and language emergence and change. She completed her PhD in missing: Salman Haider (poet, actor, playwright, writer, and a lecturer at the Fatimah Jinnah University in 2017 from University of California, San Diego. In her PhD thesis, she conducted Undergraduates Rawalpindi); Ahmed Waqas Goraya (medical anthropologist); Aasim Saeed (IT specialist); Ahmed Naseer field experiments in Kerala,I ndia, measuring variation in Malayalam word order. Curriculum in K-12 Hanisha Arora (Hindi) Sophomore, Raza (shopkeeper); and Samar Abbas (rights activist, and President of Civil Progressive Alliance Pakistan). She is interested in how language use and contact can lead to language change, Computer Science and Data Science Major Haider, Goraya, Saeed, and Raza had each been involved in online activity. At the time of the teach-in, all were focusing on how use of English is resulting in changes to Malayalam phonology, Ruchica Chandnani (Hindi) Junior, Biopsy- Education unaccounted for, however all were returned to their homes one month after their abduction. lexicon, and syntax. Future work will investigate the relationship between lan- chology, Cognition, and Neuroscience Major guage use and language structure by comparing immigrant speech communities Dan Cameron The teach-in began with Salman A. Hussain (Program in Anthropology and History) providing an overview of Vaidehi Dongre (Hindi), to different communities of Malayalam-speakers inI ndia. A native speaker of the specific cases of the five disappeared activists/bloggers, and a brief history of the blasphemy law that Senior International Studies Major Malayalam who grew up in Minnesota, Savi received her Bachelor’s and Master’s was mobilized in the Pakistani media to malign these activists after their disappearance. Farina Mir (History) Sara Farooqui (Urdu) Sophomore, Intended degrees in Linguistics from the University of Chicago. She is looking forward to The Center for South Asian Studies co-sponsored two major cur- described the vibrant culture of dissent in urban Pakistan, the particularities of the spaces of dissent, and how Chemical Science Major returning to the Midwest after her time in Southern California. riculum outreach programs this year—The World History & Literature the crackdown on web activism in urban areas presented a troubling new development in the history of state- Initiative (WHaLI) and the UM-University of Puerto Rico Symposium. civil society relations in Pakistan. Zehra Hashmi (Program in Anthropology and History) discussed what the Shreeya Gangal (Hindi) Junior, Meha Jain is an Assistant Professor in the School for implications of the disappearances and the securitization of cyber-spaces for intellectual and political freedom Business Major Environment and Sustainability and is also part of the The aim of these programs is to connect experts in world area studies in Pakistan and elsewhere. The discussion that followed these three presentations was enriched by Bruno Ibrahim Ijaz (Urdu) Senior, Sustainable Food Systems Initiative at the University with K-12 teachers to build a more global curriculum. Teachers who Renero’s (Program in Anthropology and History) comments on enforced disappearances in Latin America. Public Policy Major of Michigan. Jain’s research examines the impacts of attended either program were given access to a resource bank compiled The teach-in addressed the specificity of enforced disappearances and the victimization of political activists in environmental change on agricultural production and Tarana Joshi (Hindi) Junior, over the past years, including videos, photos, presentation slides, data- Pakistan, while also placing these issues in a global context of the increasing repression of dissent. strategies that farmers adopt to reduce negative impacts. bases, and other resources suggestions by area studies experts. Asian Studies Major Her work combines remote sensing of satellite imagery Syeda Mahmood (Urdu) Senior, The 11th World History & Literature Initiative (WHaLI) Conference was and geospatial analyses with household-level and census datasets to examine Sociology Major held at the University of Michigan’s School of Education on June 21-23, farmer decision-making and behavior across large spatial and temporal scales. Being Brown in Trump’s America: 2017. Titled “Resistance & Rebellion in World History & Literature,” the Shriya Suresh (Hindi) Junior, To date her work has focused on the impacts of weather variability and ground- conference drew participation of over 40 teachers from the local area, A Roundtable on Hate Crimes Against South Gender and Health Major water depletion on agricultural production in India, and whether smallholder Chicago, and Puerto Rico. The conference was partially funded by Title Rohan Wagle (Hindi) Junior, farmers are able to adapt their cropping practices to mitigate these impacts. Jain Asians in the United States VI federal grants and is a collaborative project between the School of Computer Science Major currently has several ongoing projects related to sustainable agriculture in India, Education and the five NationalR esource Centers in the International Salman A. Hussain including: (1) examining the impacts of more efficient fertilizer use in Bihar; (2) Institute. Presentations on South Asia were made by Farina Mir (History), Graduate Students identifying the impacts of warming temperatures on wheat yields across the Shahla Farghadani (Urdu) is a PhD stu- who spoke on “Gandhi and His Historical Significance;” and by Zehra In the aftermath of a racially-motivated shooting that killed one Indian-American and wounded another in Feb- Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) and how farmers may be able to adapt to reduce dent in the Near Eastern Studies Department. Hashmi (Anthropology and History), who spoke on “Feminist Resistance ruary, 2017, the Center for South Asian Studies co-sponsored a roundtable discussion on the political climate for negative impacts; and (3) the effects of groundwater depletion on agricultural to Military Dictatorship in Pakistan.” South Asians in the United States. Organized by two U-M student organizations, Tricontinental Solidarity Network William Hall (Persian) is pursuing a Master’s production in the IGP and how farmers are adapting to falling water tables. (Tricon) and South Asia Solidarity in Michigan (SASMi), the roundtable was held on March 20, 2017. Panelists degree in South Asian Studies from the Center The third annual UM-University of Puerto Rico Symposium focused on included Manan Desai (American Culture), Hafsa Kanjwal (History & Women’s Studies), Salman A. Hussain (History for South Asian Studies. “Citizenship & Identity in the Classroom,” and was held at the University & Anthropology), and Shama Lakdawala (Chai Tea Party). Discussion was moderated by Tapsi Mathur (History). #exstrange Rebekah Modrak of Puerto Rico on March 2–3, 2017. The symposium featured presenta- Rachel Hirsch (Hindi) is pursuing a Master’s degree in South Asian Studies from the Center #exstrange was an online curatorial project generating a collection of tions by scholars from various disciplines, with expertise on different In introductory remarks, Hussain presented a brief sketch of the post-9/11 escalation in hate crimes against for South Asian Studies. artworks meant to be encountered, auction-style, by the users of eBay. areas of the world and historical periods. The conference sought to create South Asian Americans, and connected this history to the immigration-related state measures that target The artists creating the artworks-as-auctions on #exstrange used the a space in which faculty and graduate students from the University of them. He then argued that the term “South Asian” ought not elide the many differences that exist among Salman A. Hussain (Hindi) is a PhD eBay interface and listing template as the tool of production for their work. Michigan and the University of Puerto Rico could share the innovative South Asian communities and individuals, urging that South Asian-American solidarity be based on the student in the Interdepartmental Program in Launched on January 15, 2017, #exstrange presented a new artwork-as- and diverse ways in which they are studying the concept of citizenship acknowledgement of these differences. Kanjwal focused her comments on growing up as a MuslimS outh Anthropology and History. auction each day until April 8, 2017. The project is the creation of Rebekah with over 45 teachers and teacher candidates from San Juan, Puerto Rico Asian woman in the US. She connected the post 9/11 increase in Islamophobia and state surveillance target- Sierra LaPoint (Hindi) is pursuing a Master’s Modrak, U-M Stamps School of Art & Design and Marialaura Ghidini, a and surrounding areas. South Asia content was provided to the group by ing Muslims to US foreign policy. She also highlighted some of the political postures and positions Muslim- degree in South Asian Studies from the Center curator who teaches at the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology Sriram Mohan (Department of Communication Studies), who spoke on Americans have adopted in this context. Desai deepened the discussion by historicizing contemporary events for South Asian Studies. in Bangalore, India. All #exstrange works are archived online at exstrange. “The Photoshop State: Image Manipulation, Visual Culture and Electoral by talking about three moments: the Asiatic Barred Zone Act of 1917, the Bhagat Singh Thind case of the early Janaki Phillips (Hindi) is a PhD student com. A book documenting was published in July 2017 by Maize Books, Politics in Digital India;” and Zehra Hashmi (Program in Anthropology and twentieth century, and the late-twentieth century wave of anti-South-Asian violence known as “dot-busting”. in the Department of Anthropology. with support from the Center for South Asian Studies. History), who gave a talk entitled, “Biometric Belonging: Identification and Lakdawala, a South Asian cultural and media activist spoke about the shockwaves of Trump’s election. These Security in Urban Pakistan.” brief comments were followed by a robust discussion.

10 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 11 Graduate Student News

2017 Graduates languages—including Hindi, English, and execute a “pop-up” exhibition Alexander Zehra Hashmi, a PhD candidate Swarnim Janaki nerability for Indians in Burma since and Persian—Grewal argues that in Chanderi, a historic weaving town won in the Program in Anthropology and Khare is a Phillips is the late colonial era. In Summer 2017, Harjeet Singh Grewal is currently Persaud the boundaries of the Urdu language in Madhya Pradesh. Lynch was a the New Re- History, re- PhD student in a doctoral he completed a second period of finalizing his dissertation, R“ e-reading – – itself are constituted and reified via Visiting Scholar at the American searcher Prize ceived the So- the Depart- student in the archival research in the British Library the Janamsakhi,” for submission in comparison and translation. Academy in Rome in 2016-2017, at the 2017 cial Science ment of Asian Department of in London, supported by the Islamic August 2017, and continues to be affiliated with Economic Research Languages Anthropology. Studies Program and a Rackham when he will Hafsa Kanjwal received a PhD CSAS as a Research Scholar. History Society Council’s and Cultures. This summer Graduate Student Research Grant. receive his from the joint program in History and conference at Royal Holloway, Univer- International Her PhD project focuses on nonfiction Phillips began doing preliminary Also during the summer, he and col- PhD from the Women’s Studies in August 2017. John sity of London for his paper, “Risk Miti- Dissertation accounts of imprisonment produced research for her dissertation project leagues in Burma and at St. Antony’s Department Her disserta- Mathias’ gation and Selection under Forward Research Fellowship, Wenner-Gren by political prisoners in India. Her in Himachal Pradesh. Her summer College, Oxford, neared completion of Asian Lan- tion, “Building dissertation, Contracts: Nineteenth-Century Indian Foundation for Anthropological work is concerned with the way the project investigated encounters with of an 18-month project in gathering guages and a New Kash- “Contentious Indentureship.” His paper focuses on Research Dissertation Fieldwork Indian state responds to figures British ghosts and local spirits in the oral histories of inter-religious life Cultures. In it, he argues that, contrary mir: Bakshi Ethics: Creativ- out-migration under indentureship as Grant, and the National Science who challenge mainstream political Shimla hills through the lenses of across the country. In 2017-18 he will to popular understanding of the – – Ghulam ity and Persua- a means of insuring against economic Foundation’s Doctoral Dissertation discourse, and how this dynamic is memory, colonialism, enchantment be preparing for field research and janamsakhi as a form of biography Muhammad sion Among fluctuation. Persaud’s larger research Research Improvement Grant for chronicled within accounts written in and the supernatural. In addition preliminary exams, supported by an or hagiography of Sikhism’s founder, – – – – and the Poli- Environmental Organizers in South agenda encompasses both historical her dissertation. Hashmi will be in Urdu, Hindi and English. Khare spent to her research, Phillips received NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Guru Nanak, the janamsakhi consti- tics of State-Formation in a Disputed India” is an ethnographic study of ac- and contemporary migration within Pakistan conducting research dur- the summer of 2017 in Lucknow and a summer FLAS award for Hindi at tutes an exegesis of Sikh scripture – – – Territory (1953–63),” examines the tivists in Kerala’s “people’s struggles,” and out of South Asia. He completed ing the 2017-18 academic year. New Delhi, working as a Research AIIS’s program in Jaipur, as well as an Syed Abdul (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, or SGGS). state-building practices of the early a mode of grassroots community his dissertation, “Three Essays in Assistant for Christi Merrill (Compara- academic year FLAS award for Hindi Akbar Shah By reading intertextually between the – – postcolonial Kashmiri state in the organizing primarily concerned with the Economics of Migration”, and Leslie tive Literature; Asian Languages and for 2017-18. is a visiting janamsakhiand the SGGS, Grewal’s aftermath of its disputed accession the impacts of industrial pollution, received his PhD from the Depart- Hempson, Cultures), to create an archive of Hindi graduate work offers new interpretations of this – to India. Hafsa will be joining Lafay- land rights, and other environmental ment of Economics this spring and a PhD can- Dalit literature connected to the Trans- Sangita student in genre, in which he shows that Nanak’s ette College in Fall 2017 as Assistant conflicts.T he study follows activists will start as an Assistant Professor of didate in the lation Networks digital projects. Saha is a PhD Anthropology philosophy posits a form of non-oppo- Professor of South Asian History. as they transform their own ethical Economics at the University of North Department student in the at the sitional being, unaffected by notions lives—learning protest songs, go- Carolina at Asheville in the fall. of History, is Sriram Joint Program University of Michigan, writing of identity and difference, that could Jane Lynch ing to marches instead of going to completing Mohan is a in History and his dissertation “Practices and help us approach issues of pluralism graduated in work, or giving up tea and Western her dissertation, “Making the Khadi PhD student in Women’s Stud- Perceptions of Bureaucratic and diversity even today. December medicine—and also as they attempt continuing Students Economy: A Political Economy of the Communi- ies. Saha is Corruption: An Ethnographic Study Non-Violence for Twentieth-Century of Land Revenue Administration Sara 2016 with to persuade others with magazine Farida cation Studies interested in exploring daily domestic India.” She will be teaching a course in Pakistan.” He is interested in Hakeem a PhD in articles, roadside speeches, and Begum, program. His practices and new family relation- Anthropology. guided tours of pollution. Describing Phd Candi- in the History Department in Fall dissertation ships produced in late-nineteenth a detailed description of how the Grewal is Her doctoral the entanglements of changing one- date in the 2017 on Islam and Muslim commu- examines how digital media technol- and early-twentieth century Bengali Patwar system which is notoriously an Assistant dissertation is entitled, “The Good of self and changing others in people’s Department nities in the Indian Ocean World. ogy and culture entwine to transform households. She received an Interna- perceived as corrupt works today Professor of Cloth: Bringing Ethics to Market in struggle activism, Mathias attempts of History, what it means to ‘do’ politics in South tional Institute Individual Fellowship and how bureaucratic structure World Lit- India’s Handloom Textile Industry.” to attempt to push beyond binaries spent 2016–17 Randeep Asia today. He is currently engaged in for summer archival research in India. and procedures, state policies erature in the It traces the history, networks, and between freedom and determinism in in Kolkata conducting research. Hothi, a PhD preliminary ethnographic fieldwork in She was also awarded a Community and socio-political and economic Department of English at MacEwan corporate projects of the Delhi-based ethical life, arguing for the importance Her research was supported by a candidate in Chennai and Bangalore on the use of of Scholars fellowship for summer organization of post-colonial University in Edmonton, Canada. She company Fabindia —the largest of various “unfreedoms” in even the Fulbright fellowship and the Rackham the Depart- mobile payment apps in the aftermath 2017 by the Institute for Research on Pakhtun society facilitate and create was awarded a PhD by the Depart- private retailer of craft in India—as most strategic, norm-contesting ethi- International Research Award. Her ment of Asian of demonetization in India. Mohan is Women and Gender. room for corruption in Pakistani ment of Comparative Literature in they intersect with regimes of cal projects. He received his PhD from dissertation, “Ties that Bind, Ties Languages co-editing a volume on global media bureaucracy. Syed is the recipient 2016. Her dissertation, “Urdu Through property, efforts to support rural the Department of Anthropology and that Break: the World of Bengali and Cultures, and digital culture in South Asia with Matt of a four-year Split-PhD Scholarship Its Others: Ghazal, Canonization, livelihoods, and the interests and the School of Social Work in Spring Women’s Friendships”, examines the was awarded the Charlotte W. Aswin Punathambekar (Communica- Schissler is a under the faculty development and Translation,” examines the ambitions of middlemen (seths) and 2017. In August 2017, Mathias will social world of Bengali women in the Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation tion Studies). The volume stems from PhD student in program of Quaid-i-Azam University codification of Urdu language and weavers who produce cloth sold in join the Florida State University Col- twentieth century, with an emphasis Fellowship from The Woodrow Wilson the conference, “Digital South Asia,” the Depart- Islamabad, Pakistan. literature around a highly popular Fabindia stores. With the support lege of Social Work as an assistant on everyday experiences of sociality Foundation for his project titled sponsored by the CSAS in Fall 2015. ment of An- form of poetry called the ghazal. By of an Engaged Anthropology Grant professor, where he looks forward to and friendship. She will be continuing “Global Disseminations of Sikhism: thropology. His analyzing both academic scholarship from the Wenner-Gren Foundation, conducting further scholarship on her research in Dhaka in Fall 2017. An Ethnographic Study of Sikh Televi- dissertation and popular narratives that link the Lynch is currently working with local politics, community organizing, and sion Production in Punjab.” research seeks to understand shifts in ghazal to proximate literatures and weavers to collaboratively design the environment in India. the organization of violence and vul-

12 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 13 Summer in South Asia Fellows 2017 Ousted Maldives President’s Library News Struggle for Environmental Justice and Democracy Access to “East India Organized in 2006 with a gener- table Trust, Caroline therapies. Neha’s research explores Natas˘a Gruden-Alajbegovic´ and Bryna Worner Company” Archive ous donation from an anonymous the largest Richburg is a the integration of community-based Jeff Martin donor, the Summer in South Asia organization junior studying lay counseling in a traditional mental The Center for South Asian Studies co-sponsored a visit by President Undergraduate Fellowship (SiSA) has serving the Ti- Biomolecular health treatment program. Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president in the history of the provided 83 students with funding betan refugees Science and Coleen Maldives, on March 6, 2017. “The Island President’s Struggle for Democracy and The University of Michigan Library, with the support of the for research and internships in India. living in the Anthropology. Truong is a Environmental Justice in the Maldives,” sponsored by the Donia Human Rights CSAS, recently purchased a new database from Adam Matthew called Please join us on October 6th for the area. Addison Caroline was junior pursuing Center, featured President Nasheed (in office from 2008–2012) along with the East India Company. This digital resource allows students and Summer in South Asia Symposium or served as a contributing writer to their in Mumbai with the Foundation for a dual-degree renowned international human rights lawyer, Jared Genser, and U-M Associate researchers to access a vast and remarkable collection of primary visit the blog (sisa2017.ii.lsa.umich. magazine along with teaching English Mother and Child Health (FMCH), an in Business Professor of Natural Resources and Environment, Rebecca Hardin. The panel, source documents from the India OfficeR ecords held by the British edu) to learn more about the 2017 and leading conversation classes. organization focused on individualized Administration moderated by Donia Human Rights Center director and U-M associate professor of Library, the single most important archive for the study of the East India SiSA fellows’ time in India. Her final research project investigated care for malnourished infants, commu- and Biopsy- sociology Kiyoteru Tsutsui, examined how global challenges of climate change, Company. The manuscript records included in this database consist of the role of Buddhism and culture in nity education, and support for local Natalie chology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. environmental justice, human rights, and democracy converged in the Maldives, over 1.2 million pages of digitized content. If there are any questions the everyday lives of the refugees she mothers. Caroline’s project explores Andrasko is Coleen was in Hyderabad with Family and explored possible ways forward as the next presidential election in the concerning the database please feel free to contact the South Asian worked with. what is meant by the term “actionable a senior with a Planning Association of India, an orga- Maldives looms in 2018. Currently in exile in London, President Nasheed is Librarian, Jeff Martin ([email protected]). knowledge,” as used by stakeholders, major in Inter- Christopher nization dedicated to providing quality planning to participate in these upcoming elections. and the uniformity of knowledge dis- national Stud- Olson is a reproductive health information and semination to local clinics. ies and minors junior planning services through educational and clini- CSAS Supports SAADA in Program to major in Po- Neel Swamy cal services. Coleen’s project focuses in the Environment and Asian Lan- litical Science is a senior on examining the socio-cultural and The Center for South Asian Studies supported a collaboration guages and Cultures. Natalie spent and minor in studying Neu- operational challenges affecting the between the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) and two months interning with Frontier Community roscience with sustainability of a family planning and the Department of American Culture in summer 2017. SAADA is Markets in Jaipur, Rajasthan where Action and Social Change. Chris a minor in Gen- reproductive health clinic in India. an independent national non-profit organization working to create a more inclusive society by giving voice to South Asian Americans. she researched how Frontier Markets conducted independent research on der & Health. Vijay Vob- addresses rural electrification by urban planning, examining the master Neel interned It does this by documenting, preserving, and sharing stories that bilisetty is a partnering with local entrepreneurs plans of Bangalore and Amritsar to with Swasti on the Avahan India highlight their unique and diverse experiences. junior majoring and training rural women to sell their learn what values are motivating plan- AIDS Initiative, an HIV prevention and in Biomedical Tizarat Gill, an LSA senior, worked with Manan Desai (Communi- solar products to other women in a ning in the two respective cities and health resource centre in Bangalore Engineering. cation Studies; and a member of SAADA’s Academic Council) to program called Solar Sahelis. why those motivations are present. that focuses on structurally and He interned develop the SAADA collection by examining archival materials at systematically addressing the health Marianne Jo Ellen at inStem, U-M, particularly those in the Labadie Collection and the Bentley needs of marginalized populations, Drysdale Pellman is a an autonomous research institute in Library. Gill is currently translating Punjabi materials in the SAADA initiated by the Bill and Melinda Gates is a sopho- senior major- Bangalore. Vijay studied disease mod- collection which date back to the 1940s. Together, Gill and Desai Foundation. Neel’s project focuses more with an ing in Musical eling techniques to bridge the gap in are planning to co-author a piece for SAADA about Hucheshwar on the ways in which the initiative intended major Theatre and our understanding of the molecular Mudgal, a migrant from Karnataka who became the editor of The have proven to be successful and how in Public Policy minoring in mechanisms underlying inherited Negro World in the 1920s and worked closely with Marcus Garvey. Swasti has empowered individuals with minors in Creative Writ- cardiomyopathies by analyzing the through community engagement. Community Action & Social Change ing. Jo Ellen was in Mumbai volunteer- effects of certain genetic mutations on and Gender & Health. Marianne was ing for Khula Aasman, an organization Neha Tiwari the physiology and function of cardio- H o w t o ma k e a G i f t in New Delhi at Prajna, an NGO de- dedicated to blending expressive arts is a senior myocytes, muscle cells that compose voted to enriching the lives of children therapies with social change. She with a major in heart tissue. through art, dance, and meditation facilitated creative theatre workshops International OUR CENTER DEPENDS upon your generosity. If you would like to make a gift you may do so programs. Marianne’s final project ex- with various communities across Studies and plored how creative activities benefit Mumbai, including women in incar- a minor in online by going to our website at: ii.umich.edu/csas and clicking on the “Give Online” button. children living in conditions of need. ceration and women in trafficking. Biochemistry. You may also call the Gift Help Hotline from Monday through Friday, any time between 8 am and 5 pm: Jo Ellen’s final project focuses on the Neha was in Goa working with San- Addison Kamb is a senior double- immediate emotional effects of the gath, an NGO dedicated to improving 1-888-518-7888 majoring in Biology and Creative workshops on the participants and health by empowering existing com- Writing & Literature. She was in what forms of art therapy resonated munity resources to provide appropri- Dharamshala working for Lha Chari- with them the most. ate physical, psychological, and social Thank you for considering a gift to the Center for South Asian Studies!

14 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7 15 All events are free and open to the public. A complete and updated list can be found on our website, ii.umich.edu/csas/news-events/events.html CSAS Lecture Series 2017-18

September 8, 2017 November 2, 2017 January 8, 2018 Vikramaditya Khanna, University of Michigan Iffat Fatima, Filmmaker Nayanjot Lahiri, Ashoka University School of Law Film Screening and discussion of Khoon diy Baarav India’s Archaeological Heritage Since Changes in Dowry Practices?: Insights on Dowry (Blood Leaves its Trail) Independence: Challenges and Dilemmas and Its Regulation 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall February 2, 2018 September 21, 2017 Asher Ghertner, Department of Geography, P. Sainath, People’s Archive of Rural India Rutgers University Telling the stories of 833 million Indians in the Atmospheric Citizenship: Distributions of Life digital age: The People’s Archive of Rural India in the Wake of Delhi’s Airpocalypse 4pm • North Quad Space 2435 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall September 22-23, 2017 February 16, 2018 Seeking Social Justice in South Asia S.V. Srinivas, Azim Premji University Conference November 6, 2017 Reactive Viewing: Screens and Publics September 29, 2017 Thirumalachari Ramasami in 21st Century India Policy Talks at the Ford School 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall Ronit Ricci, Department of Asian Studies, 4pm • Annenberg Auditorium Hebrew University of Jerusalem March 9, 2018 Sarandib, Lanka, Ceylon: Banishment and Belonging November 13, 2017 Sanjay Muttoo and Saman Habib 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall Ranjani Mazumdar, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Lucknow in Letters: Endeavors, Achievements, October 6, 2017 Jawaharlal Nehru University and Tragedies Summer in South Asia Fellowship Symposium The Highway, Automobility and New Promises in 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall 1960s Bombay Cinema 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall March 30, 2018 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall October 11, 2017 Munis Faruqui, Department of South & South- Mohsin Hamid November 17, 2017 east Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley Nathan Tabor, Department of History, The Rise of the Imperial Eunuchate under Exit West: A Novel Western Michigan University Emperor Aurangzeb, 1658-1707 4:30pm • Rackham Amphitheatre Eating the Audience’s Brain: Persianate Sociabil- 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall October 13, 2017 ity in 18th-Century Delhi’s Poetry Salons April 6, 2018 Farhana Ibrahim, Department of Humanities 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, 8th Annual UM-Pakistan Conference December 1, 2017 New Delhi April 13, 2018 Chitralekha Zutshi, Department of History, Marriage’, ‘Trafficking’ and theT ransnational Family: Amita Baviskar, Institute of Economic Growth, College of William & Mary Moral and Legal Regulation of Nineteenth Century University of Delhi Self and the World in a Life Narrative: Sheikh Women’s Mobility in the Western Indian Ocean Consumer Citizenship: The Social Life of Industrial Muhammad Abdullah’s Aatish-i-Chinar 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall Foods in India 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall October 20, 2017 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall December 8, 2017 Veena Das, Department of Anthropology, Kajri Jain, Department of Visual Studies, Johns Hopkins University University of Toronto Inordinate Knowledge: Intimacy and Publicity “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”: in a Slum in Delhi Modi’s Statue of Unity and the Sense of Scale 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall 4pm • Room 110 • Weiser Hall

2017 Regents of the University of Michigan Michael J. Behm, Grand Blanc; Mark J. Bernstein, Ann Arbor; Shauna Ryder Diggs, Grosse Pointe; Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms; Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor; Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park; Ron Weiser, Ann Arbor; Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor; Mark S. Schlissel, ex officio

The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable 500 Church St, Ste. 400 | Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106 federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action.

734-615-4059 P | [email protected] | ii.umich.edu/csas This newsletter is funded in part by a Title VI NRC grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

16 U n iversity of Mi c h i g a n C e n t e r f o r S o u t h A s i a n S t u d i e s • F a l l 2 0 1 7