Centre of South Asian Studies ISSUE 75: September 2011 - August 2012 outh ISSUE 76: September 2011 - August 2012 S sia A ANNUAL REVIEW Letter from SOAS UniversIty of London the chair

am delighted to report that the on the subject of an important historical 2011-2012 academic year has incident in May 1817 in Delhi. Sarmila Bose I been filled with South Asia- (University of Oxford) delivered a lecture on related activities. The Centre sponsored the 40th anniversary of the independence a large number of seminars, workshops, of Bangladesh. Yunas Samad (University film screenings, and workshops during the of Bradford) spoke on the subject of US- year. Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of Pakistan relations. More recently, Partha the year was the hosting of the 26th annual Sen (South Asian University) spoke to us on conference of the British Association for national and regional impacts of climate South Asian Studies (BASAS). The BASAS change on the Indian economy. conference was held in April 2012 and attracted an international audience of over The Centre’s annual lecture delivered by 150 registered guests. Other key events one of India’s leading public intellectuals, included the international workshop on law Ramachandra Guha, on the subject of and conflict in Kashmir. The Centre also biography writing in South Asia. Moreover, sponsored the 14th Jaina Studies Symposium the Centre hosted 12th Annual Jaina lecture on the subject of biodiversity conservation delivered by Michael Tobias (UCLA) on the and animal rights. In February 2012, the subject of Mahavira, Don Quixote and the Centre sponsored another international history of ecological ethics and idealism. In SOAS is a college of the University of STUDYING AT SOAS conference, entitled ‘Making a Difference’, addition, the Britain-Nepal Academic Council London and the only Higher Education on the theme of representing/constructing Ninth Annual Lecture was delivered by Anne institution in the UK specialising in the study The international environment and CONTENTS the Other in Asian/African media, cinema de Sales (CNRS, Paris) on the subject of time, of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. cosmopolitan character of the School make and languages. Finally, in July 2012, identity and historical change in the hills of student life a challenging, rewarding and 3 Letter from the Chair Professor Michael Hutt helped organised an Nepal. and Cultures of South Asia. At the conclusion SOAS is a remarkable institution. Uniquely exciting experience. We welcome students international workshop on understanding of his research stay, Dr Jha held a seminar combining language scholarship, disciplinary from more than 130 countries, and 50% of 4 Centre Members the democratic transition in Nepal. At the initiative of many colleagues, the on the topic of the importance of the colour expertise and regional focus, it has the them are from outside the UK. 6 Members News Centre sponsored a number of fascinating saffron in India’s political system. The Centre largest concentration in Europe of academic film-related events, including a question also hosted Chikayoshi Nomura, an associate 13 Research Associates staff concerned with Africa, Asia and the The SOAS Library has more than 1.5 million and answer session with film director Ben professor in the Faculty of Literature and Middle East. items and extensive electronic resources. It 14 Academic Events “as the Chair of Campbell on the subject of his latest film, Human Sciences at Osaka City University. Dr is the national library the study of Africa, Asia ‘The Way of the Road’. The Centre also Nomura undertook two research projects. On the one hand, this means that SOAS and the Middle East and attracts scholars all 15 Event Reports the CSAS, I have sponsored the presentation of the film, ‘The One book project related to the development remains a guardian of specialised knowledge over the world. 22 Centre for the Study of Pakistan Kalasha: Rites of Spring’ (dir. John Sheppard). of corporate organizations of the Tata Iron in languages and periods and regions not In March 2012, we showed the controversial and Steel Company in colonial period. His 24 Charles Wallace Trust Fellowships encouraged that we available anywhere else in the UK. On the SOAS offers a wide range of undergraduate, film, ‘Trangenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret’ second research project attempted to clarify other hand, it means that SOAS scholars postgraduate and research degrees. 26 PhD Students 2011-2012 explore topical and (dir. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy). During the how financial institutions, such as stock grapple with pressing issues - democracy, Students can choose from more than BASAS annual conference, we also presented exchanges, developed in colonial India. 28 South Asia Research (SAR) development, human rights, identity, legal 400 undergraduate degree combinations controversial themes the film called ‘Koel’ (dir. Bonnie Mukherjee). systems, poverty, religion, social change - and from more than 100 postgraduate 29 Research & Enterprise Finally, we sponsored the press launch for The activities of the Centre could not take confronting two-thirds of humankind. programmes (taught and distance learning) the London Asian Film Festival and screening place without the active collaboration from 31 CSAS - Join Us relating to South Asia” in the social sciences, humanities and of the film ‘Senna’ (dir. Asif Kapadia). many of you. Dr Mara Malagodi, the Centre’s languages with a distinctive regional focus interim deputy director has injected a great and global relevance, taught by world- As the Chair of the CSAS, I have encouraged deal of energy to the Centre. She is clear- renowned teachers in specialist faculties. that we explore topical and controversial headed and has come up with great ideas. I CONTACT US themes relating to South Asia. This year want to particularly thank Professor Rachel SOAS is consistently ranked among the top In recent years, the Centre has made a we hosted a special seminar series on Dwyer, Professor Michael Hutt, Dr Matthew We welcome you to become part of the higher education institutions in the UK and concerted effort to engage with the region’s themes in contemporary literature of the Nelson, and Dr Amina Yaqin for their SOAS experience and invite you to learn the world. In 2006 SOAS joined the top 20 Muslim communities and its diaspora. In this Indian subcontinent led by Kavita Ramdya indefatigable efforts. A million thanks must more about us by exploring our website. European universities in the Times Higher regard, the Centre was proud to sponsor the (CSAS Research Associate). We also held go, as usual, to Jane Savory, Rahima Begum, Education Supplement rankings, and in launch of the Centre for Pakistan Studies with a roundtable discussion on the subject of and Dorinne Tin Ming Kaw. 2007 the Guardian listed it again among the www.soas.ac.uk a public lecture by Aamir Mufti (UCLA) on the beauty and brains, an event that generated a top dozen UK universities, which include dialectics of multitude in Faiz Ahmed Faiz. lively debate well beyond the Khalili lecture In many respects, this end of the year report Admissions other University of London colleges (UCL, The Centre also sponsored the book launch theatre. is also my farewell. I have had the privilege LSE and King’s College) as well as Oxford www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/ and discussion of the Framing Muslims of serving my full three-year term as Chair and Cambridge. project. CSAS also hosted a commemoration As is customary, the Centre hosted a number of CSAS and it is now my turn to step down This makes SOAS synonymous with SOAS Library of the work of Agha Shahid Ali. We also held of international visitors. The Centre is proud from this post. I am pleased to announce to intellectual enquiry and achievement. It The international environment and www.soas.ac.uk/library/ a seminar and reading of poetry by Professor to have hosted an outstanding Charles the CSAS community that Professor Michael is a global academic base and a crucial cosmopolitan character of the School make Rafey Habib. Wallace fellow. Dr Sadhan Jha was the Hutt has agreed to serve as the Chair of CSAS resource for London. We live in a world of student life a challenging, rewarding and Research Charles Wallace Indian Fellow for the 2011-12 starting in January 2013. shrinking borders and of economic and exciting experience. We welcome students www.soas.ac.uk/research/ The Centre sponsored a number of exciting academic year. His sponsor was Dr Francesca technological simultaneity. Yet it is also a from more than 130 countries, and 50% of public lectures. These included a public Orsini, Reader in the Literatures of North Professor Lawrence Saez world in which difference and regionalism them are from outside the UK. SOAS, University of London lecture by Abhijit Gupta (Jadavpur University) India in the Department of the Languages present themselves acutely. It is a world that Thornhaugh Street SOAS is distinctively positioned to analyse, SOAS offers a friendly, vibrant environment Russell Square understand and explain. right in the buzzing heart of London. London WC1H 0XG

2 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 3 CENTRE MEMBERS

Dr Richard AXELBY Dr Heather ELGOOD Dr Prabha KOTISWARAN Dr Matthew J NELSON Dr Rahul RAO Dr Tadeusz SKORUPSKI Senior Teaching Fellow Course Director, Postgraduate Lecturer in Law Reader in Politics Lecturer in International Security Reader in Buddhist Studies Department of Anthropology Diploma in Asian Art School of Law Department of Politics and Centre for International Studies Department of the Study of Religions and Sociology Department of the History of [email protected] International Studies & Diplomacy [email protected] [email protected] Art and Archaeology [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Dr Martin W LAU Professor Chandra Lekha SRIRAM Dr Rochana BAJPAI Reader in Law Dr Eleanor NEWBIGIN Professor Peter G ROBB Professor of Law Senior Lecturer in the Politics of Mr Alexander FISCHER School of Law Lecturer in the History of South Asia Professor of the History of India School of Law Asia/Africa Lecturer in Law [email protected] in the Modern Period Department of History [email protected] Department of Politics and School of Law Department of History [email protected] International Studies [email protected] Dr Jens LERCHE [email protected] Dr Sarah STEWART [email protected] Senior Lecturer in Development Studies Professor Lawrence SAEZ Lecturer in Zoroastrianism Dr Peter FLÜGEL Department of Development Studies Mr Paolo NOVAK Professor in the Political Department of the Study of Religions Sandhya BALASUBRAHMANYAM Lecturer in the Study of Religions [email protected] Lecturer in Development Studies Economy of Asia [email protected] Teaching Fellow Department of the Study of Religions Department of Development Studies Department of Politics and Department of Economics [email protected] Dr Magnus MARSDEN [email protected] International Studies Dr Shabnum TEJANI [email protected] Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology [email protected] Senior Lecturer in the History of Dr Jonathan GOODHAND with reference to South and Central Asia Dr Francesca ORSINI Modern South Asia Dr Crispin BRANFOOT Reader in Development Practice Department of Anthropology Reader in the Literatures of North India Tommaso SBRICCOLI Department of History Senior Lecturer in South Asian Department of Development Studies and Sociology Department of the Languages and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow [email protected] Art and Archaeology [email protected] [email protected] Cultures of South Asia Department of Anthropology Department of the History of [email protected] and Sociology Dr Hanne-Ruth THOMPSON Art and Archaeology Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG Professor Werner F MENSKI [email protected] Senior Lector in Bengali [email protected] Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam Professor of South Asian Laws Dr Caroline OSELLA Department of the Languages and Department of the Study of Religions School of Law Reader in Anthropology with Professor Pasquale SCARAMOZZINO Cultures of South Asia Dr Deepita CHAKRAVARTY [email protected] [email protected] reference to South Asia Professor of Economics [email protected] Lecturer in Economics of South Asia Department of Anthropology Department of Financial and Department of Economics Dr Mulaika HIJJAS Ms Alessandra MEZZADRI and Sociology Management Studies Dr Simona VITTORINI [email protected] British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow Lecturer in Development Studies [email protected] [email protected] Senior Teaching Fellow Department of the Languages and Department of Development Studies Department of Politics and Dr Michael CHARNEY Cultures of South East Asia [email protected] Tina OTTEN Mr Naresh SHARMA International Studies Reader in South East Asian and [email protected] Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Senior Lector Urdu/Hindi [email protected] Imperial History Mr Satoshi MIYAMURA Department of Anthropology Department of the Languages Department of History Professor Almut HINTZE Lecturer in Economics and Sociology and Cultures of South Asia Mr Burzine WAGHMAR [email protected] Zartoshty Professor of Zoroastrianism Department of Economics [email protected] [email protected] Senior Library Assistant (Acquisitions Department of the Study of Religions [email protected] and Bibliographic Services) Dr Whitney COX [email protected] Dr Ulrich PAGEL Dr Amrita SHODHAN Library and Information Service Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit Professor Peter MOLLINGA Reader in Language and Religion Senior Teaching Fellow [email protected] Department of the Languages Dr Stephen P. HUGHES Professor of Development Studies in Tibet and Middle Asia Department of History and Cultures of South Asia Lecturer in Social Anthropology Department of Development Studies Department of the Study of Religions [email protected] Mrs Farzana WHITFIELD [email protected] Department of Anthropology [email protected] [email protected] Assistant Librarian South Asia and Sociology Professor Gurharpal SINGH Library and Information Service Dr Kate CROSBY [email protected] Professor David MOSSE Mr Krishna PRADHAN Professor in Inter-Religious Relations [email protected] Seiyu Kiriyama Reader in Professor of Social Anthropology Senior Lector in Nepali and Development Buddhist Studies Professor Michael J. HUTT Department of Anthropology Department of the Languages and Department of the Study of Religions Professor Richard WIDDESS Department of the Study of Religions Professor of Nepali and and Sociology Cultures of South Asia [email protected] Professor of Musicology [email protected] Himalayan Studies [email protected] [email protected] Department of Music Department of the Languages and Dr Edward SIMPSON [email protected] Professor Philippe CULLET Cultures of South Asia Mr Rakesh NAUTIYAL Dr Theodore PROFERES Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Professor of International [email protected] Senior Lector in Hindi Senior Lecturer in Ancient Department of Anthropology Dr Amina YAQIN Environmental Law Department of the Languages and Indian Religions and Sociology Lecturer in Urdu and School of Law Professor Naila KABEER Cultures of South Asia Department of the Study of Religions [email protected] Postcolonial Studies [email protected] Professor of Development Studies [email protected] [email protected] Department of the Languages and Department of Development Studies Dr Subir SINHA Cultures of South Asia Professor Rachel M J DWYER [email protected] Nandini NAYAK Dr Parvathi RAMAN Senior Lecturer in Institutions [email protected] Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema Graduate Teaching Assistant Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology and Development Department of the Languages and Professor Mushtaq KHAN Department of Development Studies Department of Anthropology Department of Development Studies Dr Cosimo ZENE Cultures of South Asia Professor of Economics [email protected] and Sociology [email protected] Reader in the Study of Religions [email protected] Department of Economics [email protected] Department of the Study of Religions [email protected] [email protected] David RAMPTON Mr Abul Hussain KHONDOKER Senior Teaching Fellow Senior Lector in Bengali Department of Development Studies Department of the Languages and [email protected] Cultures of South Asia [email protected]

4 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 5 MEMBERS NEWS

Rochana BAJPAI Crispin BRANFOOT Whitney COX Deepita Chakravarty Philippe CULLET Rachel M. J. DWYER Michael J HUTT

During 2011-12, Rochana Bajpai gave In January Crispin For the academic year 2011-12, Publications In 2011-2012, Philippe Cullet and Prof. In February Rachel Dwyer gave a Michael Hutt has enjoyed his return to teaching and several talks on her recent book, Debating Branfoot participated Whitney Cox served as Visiting Peter Mollinga started a new course lecture on Raj Kapoor for King’s supervision after eight years in faculty management at Difference: Group Rights and Liberal in a conference on Associate Professor in the • “For Bed and Board on Water Law and Governance in Asia Key Scholars Series, organized SOAS and a year of research sabbatical. During 2011-12 Democracy in India (OUP, 2011), including 'Krishnadevaraya and Department of South Asian Only”: Women and Girl that focused in particular on South Asia. by the British Film Institute and he visited Nepal twice. His first visit, in September 2011, at the University of Hyderabad and the his times – Cultural Languages and Civilizations, Children Domestics in This was the first postgraduate course King’s College London, which was was to present a paper entitled ‘Writers and Readers in MS University of Baroda, India. She also Perspectives' at the KR University of Chicago. While Post Partition Calcutta offered jointly by Development Studies published in L’homme. Transitional Nepal’ at the first workshop of the British presented a paper on her new comparative Cama Oriental Institute in the States, he participated (1951-1981)’, Modern and Law. Academy-funded SOAS-Martin Chautari South Asia project, 'Heuristics of hegemony: Debating in Mumbai, India. He in a panel on the Kashmiri Asian Studies, Cambridge At the inauguration of LSE India Partnership Project on ‘The Construction of Public affirmative action in India and Malaysia' delivered the Annual historian Kalhaṇa at the University Press In March 2012, Philippe delivered his Week, 2012, Rachel was Guest of Meaning in Nepal during the Democratic Transition’. in the IHR Comparative Histories of Asia Lecture on the Arts of annual Madison South Asia (forthcoming, 2012) inaugural lecture entitled ‘Reforming Honour and was in conversation His second visit, in March-April 2012, was made in seminar series and travelled to Stanford South and Southeast conference, and delivered (with Ishita Chakravarty). Water Law and Policy in India’. Some with the Bollywood superstar Rishi order to conduct further research on Nepali literature University in connection with this research. Asia entitled 'Making a lecture at Harvard Divinity • ‘Industry, Labour and of his other engagements included Kapoor. The highlight was when and also to contribute to an external evaluation of the Madurai: temple School's Center for the Study the State: Emerging talks on water law and policy reforms he sang ‘Main shayar to nahin’ Nepa School of Social Sciences and Humanities. He Rochana participated in several arts in early modern of World Religions. Whitney Relations in the Indian in India at IDS and a presentation of the from Bobby. convened the second workshop of the Partnership international conferences and workshops South India' at the also accepted an invitation State of West Bengal’ , ‘Draft Model Bill for the Conservation, Project at SOAS on 4-5 July. including Asian Values and Social Justice Metropolitan Museum to join the international Journal of South Asian Protection and Regulation of Ground- Rachel continued her British (Lancaster), Gendered Ceremony and of Art in New York in Steering Committee for the Development, Sage water’, 2011 at the National Workshop Academy-funded research on Ritual in Parliament (London), Shared March 2012, and in May Zukunftsphilologie project, part Publications, (October, of the Forum for Policy Dialogue on the Hindi film biopic, presenting Sovereignty: Rights, Religion and the he contributed to a of the Forum Transregionale 2011) Vol 6, No. 2.(with Water Conflicts in India in Pune. papers at UCLA, the University of Problem of Authority (London) and the workshop on Dynastic Studien, Berlin, which has also Indranil Bose). Sydney and the Australian National Internationalisation of Dalit and Adivasi genealogies in South agreed to publish a monograph University. She wrote an op-ed ‘As activism (London). & Southeast Asia at the he is presently finalising. Publications reel as possible’ about the biopic EFEO, Paris. Finally, he was delighted for the Hindustan Times and have Her acclaimed recent book, Debating to receive an Early Career • Cullet, Philippe & S. Koonan eds, two papers forthcoming. Difference: Group Rights and Liberal Research Fellowship from the Water Law in India – An Introduc- Democracy in India (OUP, 2011) has gone Arts and Humanities Research tion to Legal Instruments (New Rachel began her research on the into a second print run. Council, permitting him to Delhi: Oxford University Press, Indian elephant, giving a paper complete a book project over 2011), 356p. on the elephant in Hindi cinema From 2013, the Politics department will the coming academic session. • Cullet, Philippe, ‘Evolving at the symposium, ‘Making India offer a new MSc in Comparative Political Michael W. CHARNEY Regulatory Framework for Rural Visible’, at Stanford University. The Thought (convenors Rochana Bajpai, Matt Drinking Water – Need for Further paper is being published in a book Nelson and Charles Tripp). The programme Publications Reforms’, in Infrastructure Devel- on animals in South Asia. reframes the study of political thought Michael W. Charney opment Finance Company ed., presented a paper, "The in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as a • Bronner, Yigal, Whitney India Infrastructure Report 2011 Rachel wrote an op-ed about An article, ‘Singing the New Nepal’, appeared in the Great Middle Continent and study of political concepts and of ideas Cox, and Lawrence – Water: Policy and Performance Salman Khan (‘Sallubhai Superstar’) April 2012 issue of Nations and Nationalism. Nepal’s a changing early modern in practice, as opposed to the traditional McCrea, eds. South for Sustainable Development (New for Hindustan Times, spoke adoption of a new national anthem in 2007 reflected Geography: intercultural focus on regions, cultures (Chinese, Asian Texts in History: Delhi: Oxford University Press, for a Financial Times podcast a decision to establish a new social and political contact with Europe and Indian, Islamic, and so on) and canonical Critical Engagements with 2011), p. 151-61. on Bollywood and talked order that was republican, federal and inclusive of the India in the shaping of texts. For further queries, please contact Sheldon Pollock. Ann • Cullet, Philippe ‘Is Water Policy about Bombay for the Royal country’s many minority communities. It came after Burmese cartographies" at Rochana Bajpai ([email protected]). Arbor, Michigan: Asia Past the New Water Law? – Rethinking Geographical Society’s Hidden a ten-year internal conflict, and was followed by the the ASEASUK Conference and Present, Association the Place of Law in Water Sector Journeys. She spoke at the abolition of the Shah monarchy that had ruled the in Cambridge in September for Asian Studies, 2011. Reforms’, 43/2 IDS Bulletin (2012), Edinburgh Festival, at ‘Names not country since the late eighteenth century. The article Publications 2011, a paper on firearms p. 69-78. numbers’, Mumbai, and was a describes the historical and political context of the and warfare in early modern jury member at the International decision to replace the old anthem, the selection of • Bajpai, Rochana, ‘Liberalisms in India: Sri Lanka and Burma at the Film Festival of Kerala. Rachel the new anthem, and the debates that arose in the A Sketch’ in Ben Jackson and Marc World History Association chose ten great films for the ‘Sight Nepali media and public sphere after its lyrics and the Stears ed. Liberalism as Ideology: colloquium in January, and Sound’ ten-yearly poll. Her identity of its author were made known. The discussion Essays in Honour of Michael Freeden. 2012. He also published other media activities included refers to arguments made by Karen Cerulo about the Oxford: OUP 2012. an article, ‘Literary Culture interviews, reviews and features relationship between the syntactic structure of national • Bajpai, Rochana, ‘Beyond Identity? on the Burma–Manipur with the Financial Times, the anthems and the stage reached in the process of UPA rhetoric on social justice and Frontier in the Eighteenth Hindustan Times, Mint and ABC. political modernization of the nation-state in question, reservations’ in Lawrence Saez and Nineteenth Centuries,’ in They were mostly Bollywood and provides some comparative perspectives on the and Gurharpal Singh ed., New The Medieval History Journal related as well as on food, Nepali case. Dimensions of Politics in India: The (2011). Hinduism and nostalgia. United Progressive Alliance in Power. Michael Hutt will take over from Laurence Saez as Chair London: Routledge 2011. of the South Asia Centre in December 2012.

6 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 7 MEMBERS NEWS

Mara MALAGODI Werner F. MENSKI Alessandra David MOSSE Nandini NAYAK MEZZADRI

Mara Malagodi was awarded in July 2011 a British Academy Travel Fellowship to present Werner Menski continued to edit South • ‘Plural worlds 2011-12 concluded the primary research for an ESRC Nandini Nayak a paper on 'The Media Coverage of the Drafting of Nepal’s 2007 Interim Constitution: Asia Research (SAGE, New Delhi), presently of law and the Alessandra project which David Mosse coordinated: ‘Caste Out of published a book An Inquiry into Representations of Politico-Institutional Change and Continuity' at the preparing Vol. 32.3 (Nov. 2012). He search for living Mezzadri has Development: Civil Society Activism and Transnational chapter with Reetika workshop 'The Creation of Public Meaning during Nepal's Democratic Transition' jointly maintained an active publications schedule, law’. In Werner been working on Advocacy on Dalit Rights and Development.’ This has Khera in Khera, organised by Martin Chautari and SOAS, University of London under a British Academy much of this focused on his model of law as Gephart (ed.) the project ‘The involved collaborative fieldwork-based research and R. (ed.), 2011, The International Partnership Scheme between the two institutions and held in Kathmandu in kite flying, with new writing related to human Rechtsanalyse Global village? institutional ethnography in three south Indian states, with Battle for Employment September 2011. In August she held a short-term consultancy with UNICEF Nepal. rights issues: als Kulturforsc- Homeworking in the national Dalit rights campaign organisations and with Dalit Guarantee, Oxford hung (pp. 71-88). global economy’ solidarity networks in Europe. Along with academic (MIDS, University Press, In September 2011 Mara enrolled on the part-time Bar Professional Training Course at • ‘Flying kites in Pakistan: Turbulences in Frankfurt am which is sponsored Loyola College) and civil society (SocialWatch-TN, NESA) New Delhi. She City Law School with the support of the BPTC Quatercentenary Scholarship awarded by theory and practice’. Journal of Law and Main: Vittorio by the British partners, postdoctoral researchers, and researchers in allied has presented her the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple to qualify as a Barrister. Social Research (Multan, Pakistan) Vol.1 Klostermann, Academy, Small fields, preliminary research findings have been presented work on social No. 1 (2009-10): 41-57. 2012. Grants Scheme. in several fora during the year: the Conference on ‘Case movements, conflicts In October 2011 Mara organised together with Dr Martin Lau a one-day international • ‘Assessing communal conflicts and • ‘Jürgen Out of Development’ in Chennai (15-16 December 2011); related to mining in workshop on ‘Law and Conflict in Kashmir’ with the sponsorship of the Centre of South Hindu fascism in India’. European Habermas: This project looks ‘Art and Activism in Dalit and Adivasi Movements,’ Panel, central India and on Asian Studies and the School of Law as part of the programme of the Himalayan Film Yearbook of Minority Issues. Special Post-conflict at relations of ASA 2012 Conference, Delhi, 3-6 April 2012; ‘The Devel- India’s ‘employment and Cultural Festival run by Satsang Productions. In January 2012 she organised together Focus South Asia, 8 (2009): 313-35. reconstruction, production in opmental Turn in Dalit Activism: Civil Society Engagement guarantee’ programme with Prof Michael Hutt the screening of the documentary 'Beauty and Brains' on a beauty Leiden: Brill [ISBN 978900417X). non-hegemonic the embroidery with Contemporary Caste Discrimination,’ Panel, BASAS (NREGA) at workshops pageant for transgenders in Nepal; the screening was followed by a panel discussion • ‘Flying kites: Managing family laws and modernity, segment of Conference, London 12-14 April 2012; a conference on ‘The organised by the SOAS with director Catherine Donaldson. gender issues in Bangladesh’. Stamford discourse about the garment Internationalisation of Dalit and Adivasi Activism,’ Senate Department of Law Journal of Law (Dhaka) No. 2 (March spaces and the commodity chain House London, 25-26 June 2012 (organised with School of and the University In July 2012 Mara presented a paper on Sir Ivor Jennings' advisory work on the drafting 2011): 109-34. role of religion’. In in India. It focuses Advanced Studies, Human Rights Consortium, Institute of of Sussex. She is of Nepal's 1959 Constitution as part of a panel on Ivor Jennings' involvement in the • ‘Life and law: Advocacy and expert Pradip Basu (ed.) on areas in and Commonwealth Studies); ‘Disquieting Caste and Capitalism currently working on constitutional politics of South Asia with Madurika Rasaratnam and Martin Lau. The panel witnessing in the UK’. In Livia Holden Modern social around Bareilly, in in Contemporary India’ Panel, EASA, Paris, 10-14 July 2012. publications on the features in the programme of the international conference 'Legal Histories of the British (ed.) Cultural Expertise and Litigation: thinkers (pp. 180- Uttar Pradesh. In above themes. Empire' held at the National University of Singapore. Two weeks later Mara travelled Patterns, Conflicts, Narratives (pp. 151- 198). Kolkata: Setu particular, it looks at to Kathmandu to present as an invited speaker a paper on 'Legal Equality between 72). London and New York: Routledge, Prakashani, 2012. the ways in which Recognition and Redistribution: Constitutional Drafting and Adjudication in India and 2011. • ‘The uniform civil labour contractors Publications Nepal' at the international conference 'Inequality and Affirmative Action: Situating Nepal • ‘Islamic law in British courts: Do we code debate in organise the labour in Global Debates' organised by Yale University, Social Science Baha and Goldsmith not know or do we not want to know?’ Indian law: New process; at the • Khera, Reetika under a British Academy International Partnership Scheme. In Jane Mair and Esin Őrűcű (eds.) developments different types and Nayak, The place of religion in family law: A and chang- of homeworking Nandini, Women Mara has been awarded a three-year British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012- comparative search (pp. 15-36) Mortsel: ing agenda’’. In which are present Workers and 2015) with the project 'Mapping Legal Exclusion: Supreme Court's Interpretation of Intersentia, 2011, also in Journal of Malcolm McLaren in Bareilly town and Perceptions of the Right to Equality in Nepal (1990-2012)', which she will be taking up at the Law Minority Studies, Center for Minority (ed.) The many in the surounding the National Rural Department of the London School of Economics from 1 October 2012. Studies, Kansai University, Osaka, Vol. 6 faces of India. Law villages; at circular Employment (2012): 27-49 [in Japanese] [ISSN 1883- and politics of migration and Guarantee Act, 7735]. the subcontinent. payment systems. in Reetika Khera Publications Publications • ‘Shah Bano, Narendra Modi and reality (pp. 136-82). New Fieldwork for this (ed.), The Battle Authored Books checks about global understandings of Delhi: Samskriti, project will run for Employment • Mosse, David. The Saint in the Banyan Tree: • Malagodi, Mara (2012) Constitutional Nationalism and Legal Exclusion - Equality, Indian law’. Nirma University Law Journal 2012. between January Guarantee, New Christianity and Caste Society in India (A Philip E. Identity Politics and Democracy in Nepal (1990-2007). Delhi: Oxford University (Ahmedabad), Vol.1.1 (2011): 7-26. and May 2012. Delhi, Oxford Lilienthal Book in Asian Studies). Berkeley: University Press. (In Press) • ‘Flying kites in a global sky: New models Lectures on legal University Press, of California Press, 2012. 408 pages of jurisprudence’. Socio-Legal Review pluralism and South 2011. • Mosse, David. ‘Caste and Christianity.’ Seminar 233: Book Chapters (Bangalore), 7 (2011): 1-22. Asian laws were Publications 58-63 (Caste Matters: a symposium on inequalities, • Malagodi, Mara (2012) 'Constitutional Change and the Quest for Legal Inclusion in • ‘Hinduism and human rights’. In John delivered at the Mezzadri, identities and disintegrating hierarchies in India). Nepal.' In: Harvey, Colin and Schwartz, Alexander, (eds.), Rights in Divided Societies. Witte, Jr. and M. Christian Green Universities of Cape Alessandra (2012) 2012 Hart Publishing (In press). (eds.) Religion and human rights. An Town, Copenhagen, ‘Reflections on • Mosse, David (ed.) Adventures in Aidland: The • Malagodi, Mara (2013) 'Protection of Religious Rights in India'. In: Dingemans, introduction. (pp. 71-86). New York: Halle, Bonn, and Globalisation and Anthropology of Professionals in International James et al. (eds.)'The Protection of religious Rights: Law and Practice'. OUP Oxford University Press, 2012. Trieste. An edited vol- Labour Standards in Development (ed.) New York & Oxford: Berghahn (Forthcoming). • ‘Ancient and modern boundary crossings ume on the contribu- the Indian Garment Press, 2011. 248 pages. between personal laws and civil law in tions of the Japanese Industry: Codes of • Mosse, David ‘Aid, adivasis and aspirations for Articles composite India’. In Joel A. Nichols (ed.) legal scholar Masaji Conduct Versus development in western India. In ed Daniel Rycroft • Rasaratnam, Madurika and Malagodi, Mara (2012) 'Eyes wide shut? Persistent Marriage and divorce in a multicultural Chiba is in preparation. ‘Codes of Practice’ and Sangeeta Das Gupta (eds) Becoming Adivasi: conflict and liberal peace interventions in Nepal and Sri Lanka' in Conflict, Security & context: Multi-tiered marriage and the He will be on research Imposed by the Indigenous Pasts and the Politics of Belonging. Development (In Press). boundaries of civil law and religion (pp. leave in the 2012/13 Firm.’ Global Labour London & New York: Routledge, 2011. pp.154-174 219-52). New York: Cambridge University session. Journal, 3 (1). pp. Press 2012. 40-62.

8 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 9 MEMBERS NEWS

Matthew J. NELSON Caroline OSELLA Tina OTTEN Lawrence SAEZ Tommaso SBRICCOLI SOAS in the 1956. He then went on In May 2012, Matt Nelson In January 2011, Caroline Osella travelled as guest of Dept Tina Otten joined SOAS as a member to pioneer the anthropology program From January-May 2012, Lawrence In 2011-2012 Tommaso Sbriccoli joined the presented a talk-'Chatterjee Sociology, University of Hyderabad, to share a platform as key of the ESRC-funded Research Project at the University of Sussex. In 1971 Saez was a visiting professor at ERSC financed Project "Rural Change and v. Democracy: Political speaker with Prof Muhammed Qasim Zaman in an international “Rural change and anthropological he accepted a Professorship at the the Paris School of International Anthropological Knowledge in Post-Colonial Society in Pakistan (and symposium on ‘Tradition, Reform & Revival in Muslim Societies: knowledge in postcolonial India: A University of California, San Diego, Affairs, SciencesPo, Paris. During India", coordinated by Dr. Edward Simpson (SOAS). Beyond)'--at Queen Multiple Readings’. A publication exploring Islamic reform and comparative 'restudy' of F.G. Bailey, where he remained until retirement. his sabbatical stay at SciencesPo, He has been following the project seminars Elizabeth House (QEH) in revival across different Asian countries is forthcoming. Adrian C. Mayer and David F. Pocock” Professor Saez taught a course on the and held three of them on the theoretical and Oxford. in September 2012. Her responsibility After some busy weeks of preparation political economy of Asia. He also methodological implications of restudying an Caroline then went on to be a guest at MG University, Kottayam, is to ‘restudy’ the village Bisipara back at SOAS, Tina left for fieldwork started writing two books, one on the Indian village studied almost 60 years ago by In July 2012, Matt presented Kerala, where she shared a platform as theme speaker with Prof in Odisha (India), where F.G. Bailey in May. During her stay at the field political economy of energy security another anthropologist, in this case SOAS Emeritus a paper focusing on Mary John. Here, Dr Osella gave a talk on: ‘Recent Issues in conducted research in the 1950s. In site she will visit universities in East and the other one on conducting Professor Adrian C. Mayer. constitutional politics in queer and trans theory’ to the recently founded UGC funded MG winter term she and her colleagues India to establish further relationships. political analysis using a statistical Pakistan-'Islamic Law in University Centre for Gender Studies. Following this visit, SOAS took part in various seminars at SOAS She is scheduled to present a series package called Gretl. In November 2011, he convened together with an Islamic Republic: What Gender Centre has also signed a memorandum of understanding as a preparation for the fieldwork of lectures in August and September Livia Holden (LUMS, Lahore) the International Role for Parliament?'-at the for co-operation and joint projects with the MG University period. at the universities of Sambalpur, Lawrence received a grant from UK Workshop “Non-State Law and Governance in Rockefeller Bellagio Centre Gender Studies Centre (Inter University Centre for Social Science Ravenshaw and Central University Trade and Investment (UKTIE) to South Asia and in the Diaspora” at the Institut in Lake Como, Italy. Research and Extension, IUCSSRE). On the 24th of October 2011, Tina Koraput, before she heads to the attend a trade delegation to Nepal Français de Pondichéry, where he presented a was invited to deliver a lecture with capital Bhubaneshwar in November. from 13-18 October 2011. As a paper titled: “Giving Voice to Legal Pluralism. During the Spring of 2012, From 2012-2014, Dr Osella is involved in a joint project the title “Gods in Times of Change: representative of the World Economic Authority and Justice in Rural Rajasthan”. The Matt provided tailored with Sheikh Zayed Women’s University, Abu Dhabi, led by Rituals and Religion in Highland For further information on the project Forum’s India regional council, he also paper has been eventually submitted to the briefings for the Irish anthropologist Dr Jane Bristol-Rhys, who has received a major Orissa/India” at the Universität please visit www.soas.ac.uk/anthro- attended the World Economic Forum Journal of Legal Pluralism, and it has been Ambassador to Pakistan, grant for the joint project, ‘Emiratis, Indians and Transnational Groningen. On the 15th of November pology/rural-change-and-anthropo- (WEF)’s Global Agenda summit in Abu accepted with revisions for a special issue on non- Turkey, Iran, the Swedish Forms of Cultural Identity’. The project, based in both UAE 2011, she delivered a lecture on logical-knowledge-in-post-colonial- Dhabi and the WEF’s India Economic state law and governance. Ambassador to Pakistan, and India, explores Emirati and Indian entanglements and their fieldwork methods at SOAS. india/ summit in Mumbai. He was also and corporate leaders from respective narratives of relationship. An international workshop appointed as the country assessor for Together with Stefano Jacoviello Tommaso Mitsubishi. will be held at SOAS at the end of the project to disseminate India for Transparency International’s edited the book Shifting Borders. European findings and publicise this ongoing work. newly-created Government Defence Perspectives on Creolisation, which is now in Transparency Index. In February, The Department of Politics Gurharpal SINGH and press with Cambridge Scholars Publishing and is pleased to announce Publications Lawrence was appointed to the whose publication is due on September 2012. The Professor Lawrence SAEZ the launch of a new two- • Osella, F. and Osella, Caroline (2012) Islamic Reformisms advisory board of the South Asia book is the result of the International research year MRes in Politics [with across South Asia. Delhi: Cambridge University Press. Democratic Forum (SADF). project “Playing Identities. Migration, Creolisation, Gurharpal Singh and Lawrence Saez Language] in 2012-2013. • Osella, Caroline and Osella , Filippo (2011) ‘Migration, Creation”, a EU financed Culture Project whose have co-edited a new book that is This exciting new degree Networks, and Connectedness Across the Indian Ocean.’ Given his interest in BRIC scientific part he coordinated. drawing a great deal of attention programme, designed for In: Migrant Labor in the Gulf Working Group Summary economies, Lawrence was later in India. The book is entitled New area studies scholars with Report. Doha: Center for International and Regional Studies, commissioned to write a report In October 2011 Tommaso joined the Editorial Dimensions of Politics in India: plans to conduct PhD Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, on the Brazilian economy for Board and Scientific Committee of the Italian Blog The United Progressive Alliance in research in Politics, will pp. 10-11. Longer publication with same title in press, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The Il Lavoro Culturale, where he regularly writes. For Power (Routledge 2011). This book provide two years of inten- University of California. report, entitled ‘Brazil – attractive “Il Lavoro Culturale” he has also chaired a seminar undertakes a critical evaluation sive language study at SOAS • Osella, Caroline (2012) ‘Desires Under Reform: investment destination and engine for in May 2012. of the performance of the United (e.g. Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Contemporary Reconfigurations of Family, Marriage, Love Latin America’, appeared in the Spring Progressive Alliance (UPA), the Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, and Gendering in a transnational South Indian Matrilineal 2012 issue of Trade & Finance, PwC’s He is currently carrying out a long term fieldwork current coalition government Sinhala, Nepali, Pashto, etc.) Muslim community.’ Culture and Religion, 13 (2). in-house research journal. He was in Madhya Pradesh, India. in India. It presents a thorough with two years of high-level • Osella, Caroline (2011) ‘The Gulf and its Indian later asked to comment on his key evaluation of the UPA coalition social science methodology entanglements.’ Middle East in London Newsletter, April . pp. findings for two separate interviews government’s policies and, by training at neighbouring 8-9. for Monocle radio. The podcast of his Publications providing an understanding of Birkbeck College. Applicants • Osella, Filippo and Osella, Caroline (2011) ‘Migration, first radio interview (starting at 18:43) • Sbriccoli, Tommaso & Jacoviello, Stefano new innovations, evaluates the are also invited to apply for Neoliberal Capitalism, and Islamic Reform in Kozhikode is available at (eds). Shifting Borders. European Perspectives effectiveness of these policies ESRC funding to support a (Calicut), South India.’ International Labour and Working- on Creolisation. In Press. Newcastle upon against their aims and objectives. 2+3 programme of MRes Class History, 79 (S1). pp. 140-160. From 26th of January she and www.monocle.com/ Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. At present, the UPA government + PhD study. For details, • Dr Osella has also published in the London Middle East Edward Simpson visited F. G. Bailey monocle24/?openepisode • Sbriccoli, Tommaso & Jacoviello, Stefano in India is reeling under a series of please contact Dr Matthew Institute and in the Middle East Institute newsletters on at his home in Del Mar, California. =11200093 (eds). “The Voice in C. The Creole Attitude corruption scandals. This offers a Nelson ([email protected]). issues related to Gulf migration from India. Tina worked with F.G. Bailey on his of a Bangladeshi Refugee in Italy”, in fresh insight as to the potential crisis fieldnotes until the 15th of February. The link to his second interview (start- Sbriccoli, Tommaso & Jacoviello, Stefano. of governance in India. It is also F.G. Bailey shared his professional ing at 34:03) is available at: Shifting Borders. European Perspectives on highly topical and current. memories with Tina. F.G. Bailey www.monocle.com/ Creolisation. In Press. Newcastle upon Tyne: started his career as a lecturer at monocle24/?openshow=112# Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012.

10 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 11 MEMBERS RESEARCH NEWS ASSOCIATES

Research Associates

Dr Maha HOSAIN AZIZ Pasquale SCARAMOZZINO Edward SIMPSON Burzine WAGHMAR Amina YAQIN BA(BROWN) MA(COLUMBIA) MSC PHD(LSE) Chikayoshi NOMURA Kavita RAMDYA Publications This year Edward Simpson has Burzine Waghmar is finishing his Publications Dr Avril POWELL become the Principle Investigator on doctorate on Middle Iranian diplomatics. MA(CANTAB) PGCE PHD(LONDON) Scaramozzino Pasquale, an ESRC-funded project looking at Concomitantly, he has been a temporary Co-edited Book Living in London has been a special time in Chikayoshi Nomura’s Kavita Ramdya Alessandrini Michele, Fattouh rural change in post-colonial India. As Urdu and Gujarati lector since 2004, and (with Rehana Dr Kavita RAMDYA life. He found the Centre an excellent place to study South Asia provided two Bassam and Ferrarini Benno, part of this project, he has organised catalogues vernacular titles in South and Ahmed and Peter BA(NEW YORK) PHD(BOSTON) and its dynamics and there were many highlights to his stay. seminars under “Tariff Liberalization and Trade a seminar series on issues of social Central Asian languages at the library. Morey) The Centre’s interdisciplinary approach gave Chikayoshi the the series title Specialization: Lessons from change in South Asia. The Faculty This year, Burzine was an external Culture, Diaspora opportunity to meet members of the academic community of "Literature India”, Journal of Compara- of Arts and Humanities at SOAS also auditor of the Voice of America's (VOA) and Modernity in Visiting Scholar from various disciplines. Exchanging ideas gave him a more of the Indian tive Economics, Volume 39, funded a related series on ‘restudies’ Pashto and Urdu radio networks for Muslim Writ- comprehensive understanding of his research project on the Subcontinent" Issue 4, December 2011, pp. in anthropology, which he organised which he submitted reports to its ing, New York: Dr Chikayoshi NOMURA development of corporate organizations of India in the colonial to the SOAS 499-513. with Richard Axelby. At the start of Broadcasting Board of Governors, State Routledge, 2012. BA MA PHD(TOKYO) period. He also had valuable opportunities to participate in several community. the year Edward was elected to the Dept., Washington DC. Further, he read ISBN: 978-0-415- Osaka University engaging lectures and a workshop: CSAS Annual Lecture given by The author of During the last couple of Board of the British Association of papers in London at The British Library's 89677-1 1 August 2011 - 31 March 2012 Professor Ramachandra Guha ‘Why South Asians Don’t Write Good "Bollywood decades, India has experienced South Asian Studies (BASAS). With arts South Asian Archive and Library Group Biographies, and Why They Should’ on 25 Nov. 2011; Workshop, Weddings: Dat- an important process of trade collective (CAMP) from Bombay, He (SAALG), on which he serves as the SOAS Article ‘Law and Conflict in Kashmir’ on 31 Oct. 2011; Lecture by Dr. Abhijit ing, Engagement reform. Tariffs on imports took part in a retreat in North Carolina representative, about Kushano-Bactrian • ‘Muslims as Gupta, ‘What Really Happened under a Tree outside Delhi, May 1817’ and Marriage in were slashed and restrictions and collaborated on an installation that documents of ancient Afghanistan Multicultural on 23 Nov. 2011; and Lecture by Dr. Sarmila Bose, ‘The Legacy of Hindu America" to trade were removed. In this went to the Documenta contemporary (principal research and the core of Misfits in 1971—40 years on’ on 8 Dec. 2011. These events gave Chikayoshi addressed the paper Pasquale Scaramozzino art show in Kassel, Germany. A book his thesis); and another on Perso- Nadeem rewarding opportunities to deepen and widen his interest in South poetry of Nobel et alia examine how the based on the piece will be published Pakistan cultural relations in the period Aslam’s Asia. Furthermore, the Library of SOAS has primary sources useful Prize-winning production structure of in- later this year. In June he gave a public leading up to the 2,500 anniversary Maps for for his research fields, and its staff were very kind and efficient. Tagore's poetry dustries in India responded to lecture at l’Ecole française d’Extrême- celebrations commemorating Cyrus Lost Lovers’, Maha Hosain AZIZ Chikayoshi would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the in "Gitanjali", this process of liberalization by Orient in Paris with Kai Kresse from the Great at Persepolis, 1971. This Culture, members and staff, especially Dr. Lawrence Sáez, the Director, for Rushdie's first looking at the effects of policy ZMO, Berlin. Edward organised a was at a conference organised by Diaspora and allowing him access to such precious opportunities and resources. novel "Midnight's reform on the structure of panel at the European Association the Univ. of Edinburgh, Persepolis 40 Modernity In 2011-12, Maha Hosain Children" and India’s trade in manufactures, of Social Anthropologists (Nanterre, Years on: International Conference on in Muslim Aziz designed and taught an Naipaul's first from 1990 to 2006. The Paris) on natural disasters with Martin the Archaeology, History and Recep- Writing, interdisciplinary course on political novela "The authors use disaggregated Sökefeld, LMU, Munchen, and another tion of Persepolis wherein he exam- New York: opinion writing in the MA Program Mystic Masseur". trade flow data to show that at the European Association of South ined the appropriation of Pahlavi Iran Routledge, of the Politics Department at the structure of comparative Asian Studies (Lisbon) on ‘restudies by Pakistanis and Parsis - the latter 2012. ISBN: New York University. Her students “Themes in advantage of industries in anthropology’ with Patricia Jeffery, included among the former- or the 978-0-415- produced well-researched opinion Literature of in India has substantially Edinburgh. subcontinent's Zoroastrians who 89677-1 pieces on varied political topics the Indian transformed during this period. constitute the oldest Iranian diaspora Review Essay including development failures in Subcontinent” The technological content anywhere. • ‘The poetics Afghanistan and militant recruitment considered of trade has gradually shifted Publications and politics in Pakistan. She is also teaching overarching from low-technology sectors • Simpson, Edward, ‘Kutch and the Burzine is a regular commentator on of memoir a condensed version of this ideas such toward medium-technology sea.’ In: Varadarajan, Lokita, (ed.), Pakistani developments for BBC News writing: course in a series of video-based as double sectors. In addition, the profile Gujarat and the sea. Vadodara: 24 (lawyers' 'long march'); Al Jazeera Fawzia lectures for the Virtual Education segregation, of trade specialization has Darshak Ithias Nidhi, pp. 537-548. English (Lahore bombings); BBC Afzal-Khan‘s Project Pakistan that targets local isolation and moved toward some of the 2011. WM Birmingham (post-floods relief Lahore underfunded universities. nostalgia in the most dynamic sectors in world • Simpson, Edward, ‘Blame challenges); and Channel 4 (Governor with Love: works of major trade. More specifically, those Narratives and Religious Reason in Taseer's slaying). His expertise was Growing Outside of academia, Maha is contemporary industries where import tariffs the Aftermath of the 2001 Gujarat also sought on contemporary Pashto Up with a Senior Analyst at Wikistrat, a authors of the have been reduced the most Earthquake.’South Asia: Journal war verse (BBC Radio 4); Iranian Girlfriends, geopolitical consultancy using a There were also non-academic highlights to his stay. Chikayoshi Indian diaspora have experienced, on average, of South Asian Studies, 34 (3). pp. intelligence subversion in India (World Pakistani unique global crowd-sourcing enjoyed the changing seasons —from the comparatively cooler in relation to the largest improvements in 421-438. 2011. Politics Review); and Elizabeth Taylor's style’, methodology to analyze politics. London summer to its winter; the changing seasons and colours the changing their degree of intra-trade • Kresse, Kai and Simpson, Edward, recently auctioned Taj Mahal diamond Wasafiri, In one project, she produced make life in London so very exciting. He will also treasure his historical, specialization. The findings of Between Africa and India: Thinking at Christie's (New York Times). Among Spring 2012, analysis on the political risk factors memories of the parks. No matter what the season, people could political, this paper therefore support comparatively across the western. his several publications is now the no. 69 that could further derail Pakistan's always be seen having picnics or jogging; would-be artists could socioeconomic, the view that that the trade Working Paper. ZMO Working posthumously revised and expanded stability in different time horizons. be observed painting and photographing scenes of the trees, the and cultural liberalization policies that Papers 5. 2011. edition of Annemarie Schimmel, The She also contributed blogs to CNN's river, and the stores and houses on the streets seen from the parks; contexts of India pursued since the early • Parry, Jonathan and Simp- Empire of the Mughals: History, Art, Global Public Square, including parents could be seen walking alongside their children, while in the migration. 1990s have been instrumental son, Edward, ‘David Pocock’s Culture (London, 2004). Burzine also posts on the moral economic roots sky, birds soared on the winds—all very warm and endearing. His in enhancing the international Contributions and the legacy of co-compiled an annotated bibliography of the global Occupy movement stay in London has been one of the most fabulous times of his life, competitiveness of industries. Leavis.’ Contributions to Indian of Annemarie Schimmel's publications and the decline in legitimacy of and he will cherish it forever. Sociology, 44 (3). pp. 331-359. (1943-2003) for the Govt. of Pakistan's state-citizen relations worldwide. 2011. Iqbal Academy, Lahore.

12 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 13 seminar conference film screening workshop ACADEMIC EVENTS book reading EVENT SEP 2011 - AUG 2012 lecture REPORTS discussion

Seminars Other Himalaya Film & Cultural Festival 13 & 24 October 2011 23 November 2011 13 October 2011 25 November 2011 Abhijit Gupta (Jadavpur University, Himalaya Film & Cultural Festival Centre of South Asian Studies Kolkata) In collaboration with Satsang Annual Lecture What Really Happened under a Tree Productions In collaboration with BASAS From 13 October to 31 October 2011 the outside Delhi, May 1817 The Way Of The Road Ramachandra Guha (Indian writer, Himalaya Film & Cultural Festival celebrated Q&A with Taj Khan Kalash (Director) and public intellectual) the rich and varied cultures of the world’s discusson wth Tom Crowley (Director Why South Asians Don’t Write Good mightiest mountain range with film, music, 6 February 2012 of The Kalash People’s Welfare Society) Biographies, and Why They Should art and photography. Professor Rafey Habib (Poet) and Syra Munir (Explorer) Shades of Islam: The film programme reflected the huge 21 Poems For A New Century diversity of the Himalaya, with films from 20 January 2012 The Ninth Annual Lecture of the Britain-Nepal Academic Council Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Dr Anne de Sales (Chercheur at the National Centre for Scientific Research 24 October 2011 Film Screening Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. Some were 7 March 2012 Himalaya Film & Cultural Festival Beauty and the Brains classics, some were shown for the first time (CNRS) in association with the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre) Harsha Man Maharjan (Researcher in In collaboration with Satsang Catherine Donaldson, Michael Hutt, in the UK. SOAS screened two films. Our god Braha saved us from our wrong thinking: time, identity and the Media Group at Martin Chautari in Productions Mara Malagodi, Rahul Rao & More historical change in the hills of Nepal The Kalasha: Rites of Spring Kathmandu) The Way of the Road 31 October 2011 John Sheppard (Director) Indian Idol, Prashant Tamang, In the documentary Director, Taj Khan and the politics of Nepali identity 7 March 2012 Kalash, showed how creating an alphabet Lecture for an ancient language that has never been written was a daunting task. On top of 31 October 2011 Usha Ramanathan (Independent Law Dr Anne de Sales delivered the BNAC’s Finally, she analyzed a particular event 21 March 2012 this, Taj Khan had to convince the Pakistani Britain-Nepal Academic Council Ninth Researcher) ninth annual lecture to an audience of that exemplifies the pitfalls of identity the Kavita P. Ramdya (SOAS Research government to give official recognition to Annual Lecture Many Ambitions and an Identity Project approximately 80 people in the Khalili villagers have to negotiate in order to be Associate) the Kalash language and script, so that it Dr Anne de Sales (Chercheur at the Lecture Theatre at SOAS on 31 October agents in the political transformation of Literature of the Indian Subcontinent: National Centre for Scientific Research could legally be taught in the schools. Themes in Literature of the 2011. their nation: a Maoist leader’s invocation (CNRS) in association with the University 9 March 2012 of the local god Braha at the conclusion Indian Subcontinent A Q&A with director Taj Khan and post of Paris Ouest Nanterre) Film Screening and Discussion She posed a number of questions of a speech. She argued that this should screening discussion with Tom Crowley ‘Our god Braha saved us from our “We’re Indian and African”: Sidis of India that she had found being asked with be understood not just as a contradiction, (director of The Kalash People’s Welfare wrong thinking’ Time, Identity and Dr Shihan Desilva (Senior Fellow, increasing acuity during her visits, over or even as a cynical flourish for the benefit 18 April 2012 Society) and Syra Munir (Explorer) followed Historical Change in the Hills of Nepal Institute of Commonwealth Studies, the course of thirty years, to the heart of of gullible villagers, but as evidence for the Dr Sadan Jha (Charles Wallace India the film screening. Fellow at SOAS, University of London University of London and Member of the the Maoist insurgency in Western Nepal: coexistence of past and present in people’s and Assistant Professor, Centre for Scientific Committee of the UNESCO How are we to assess the changes everyday experience of being-in-time. Social Studies, Surat, India) 31 October 2011 Slave Route Project) Nepal has seen in recent decades? Saffron: Towards A History of Colours Workshop Can we explain changes over time in Anne de Sales’ doctoral research focused on Law and Conflict in Kashmir terms of historical development, as a the shamanic tradition of the Kham-Magar Speakers included: 12 March 2012 rational series of objective changes? Why of Northwestern Nepal and resulted in a 23 April 2012 • Martin Lau (SOAS) Film Screening followed Press Launch does thinking in terms of rupture and monograph entitled Je suis né de vos jeux Kavita P. Ramdya (SOAS Research • Chandra Lekha Sriram (SOAS) for London Asian Film Festival continuity rapidly lead to a frustrating de tambours (Nanterre, Société d’ethnologie, Associate) • Mara Malagodi (SOAS) In collaboration with Tongues on Fire dead end? How should we include in 1991). Her recent work concerns the social Literature of the Indian Subcontinent: • Werner Menski (SOAS) Senna our analysis the different scales of space and cultural impact of the Maoist uprising in Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children” • Matthew Nelson (SOAS) Asif Kapadia (Director) and time involved in the changes as we rural Nepal, with special attention to local • Rahul Rao (SOAS) perceive them? narratives. She is also co-editor with Robert • Zimran Samuel (9, St. John Street Parkin of Out of the Study and into the Field: Dr de Sales began her lecture by Ethnographic Theory and Practice in French 10 May 2012 Chambers) Shubhodeep Shome 12 - 14 April 2012 Kavita P. Ramdya (SOAS Research (SOAS) discussing the methodological difficulties Anthropology (Berghahn Books 2010). British Association for South Asian involved in identifying ongoing changes. Associate) • Sudhanshu Swaroop (20 Essex Studies Annual Conference She argued that if objective changes do The text of Dr de Sales’ lecture was Literature of the Indian Subcontinent: Street Chambers/Bar Human Rights The Future of South Asia The Kalasha: Rites of Spring V.S. Naipaul’s “The Mystic Masseur” Committee) The Kalasha are a tribal people, 3,000 exist, the inherently subjective dimension published as ‘Time, Identity and Historical • David Taylor (SOAS) strong, who live in the high valleys of the of the notion of change, pervasive Change in the Hills of Nepal’ in the • Matthew Webb (Petroleum Institute) Hindu Kush mountains in the North West in discourse since the 1950s, and its European Bulletin of Himalayan Research 4-5 July 2012 13 June 2012 • Grégoire Webber (LSE) Frontier Province of Pakistan. The Kalasha eminently ideological character in a No. 39 (Autumn-Winter 2011), pp. 106-27. Workshop Professor Partha Sen (Dean of the are unique as a pagan people in this Islamic revolutionary period, merely multiply To subscribe to the EBHR, go to www.digi- The Creation of Public Meaning during Faculty of Economics, South Asian Republic. the points of view. However, all include talhimalaya.com/collections/journals/ebhr Nepal’s Democratic Transition University, New Delhi) some perceptions of time and in the where back copies are also archived. Copies National and Regional Impacts of Joshi, their three day festival of song and second part of her lecture she described of the edition containing Dr de Sales’ lecture Climate Change on the Indian Economy dance, rituals and sacrifice and the re-telling the different time scales at work within a may be purchased from the Managing 24 July 2012 of legends celebrates the coming of spring Magar community that was declared the Editor, Michael Hutt ([email protected]). Film Screening and encourages chivalrous romance capital of Nepali Maoism, and showed In collaboration with Rita Payne Media between the sexes. All this provides a how these various understandings are Michael Hutt and The Commonwealth colourful focus for this film which explores part of the community’s identity and Journalist’s Association the life and customs of the Kalasha. provide the motivation for its actions. Koel Bonny Mukherjee (Film Director)

14 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 15 EVENT REPORTS

Law and Conflict In Kashmir Annual Presentation on Asia for 31 October 2011 Sixth Form Students 2011 24 November 2012

The SOAS Centre of South Asian Studies searching in nature, of the audience. He After lunch the next speaker was John Hare. Hackney, the London Borough for which He explained how in Pashtun society and the School of Law jointly hosted a covered the changes occurring in the world, He is a member of the RSAA, recipient of its he is now Press officer, has over 40 such there are mechanisms for dialogue and one-day interdisciplinary workshop on The Royal Society for Asian Affairs and of India and China growing; the increased Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal, given organizations active within its boundaries. discussion to try and get compromise. and Law and Conflict in Kashmir organised by SOAS, University of London Annual amount of immediate communication for work of outstanding merit in exploration. There are over 300 London and U.K. these need to be used and encouraged; the Dr Martin Lau and Dr Mara Malagodi in Presentation on Asia for Sixth Form Students available – email, mobile phones, the He has worked for many years in the Gobi based media organizations for Russians Taliban don’t trust the West; America has collaboration with the London Himalayan 2011 was held on 24 November 2012 Internet and all its social networks – and all and Taklimakan deserts studying the wild ranging from those dealing with Russian produced no evidence of a link between Film Festival 2011 and the UK Political used by those in the audience. Bactrian camel and persuading the Chinese and ex Soviet states’ life to one dealing Al Qaida and the Taliban which in the light Studies Association (PSA) Politics of South There were present 185 people of whom authorities to set up a national park for its with Georgian wine and even shopping of Guantanamo makes a fair trial for any Asia Specialist Group. Papers addressed 170 were school students, the majority He demonstrated the impossibility protection. He kindly agreed to talk at very guides for oligarchs’ wives. Contact with Taliban members difficult to believe in. It the relationship between political violence, studying for A2 or AS exams but also some of predicting future developments as short notice. some of these has led him to attend a wide has suffered a high attrition rate amongst fundamental rights and “legal” counter- GCSE and mature students. The day was demonstrated by the above and events such variety of meetings and functions both both members and leaders. The Taliban insurgency measures in Indian-administered chaired by Mr. Adrian Steger, member of as the South Asian Tsunami, September He described the Bactrian wild camel or “flat informal but also official at embassies, introduced Fatwa against the cultivation of Kashmir, Pakistani-administered Kashmir Council of the RSAA who welcomed those 2001, the SARS influenza outbreak etc. He head” to translate its Mongolian name. He ambassadorial residencies and City Hall. His the poppy has been rescinded and is now (AJK) and Akshai Chin. The workshop attending on behalf of the RSAA and SOAS outlined how all the main areas of economic explained how remarkable this animal is and interviewing both the present and former allowed as a pragmatic means to an end. explored the role of law in constraining, and described the functions and activities activity were increasingly important in the in fact a separate species from the domestic Mayor of London on behalf of some of these They have learnt to dodge drone planes/ regulating, containing and/or aggravating of both and the advantages of studying at East and that those present might well have Bactrian camel (and also dromedary). It can organizations showed how well he had bombs, which do miss their targets and may violent conflict in Kashmir. Speakers, chairs SOAS. either to work there or for multinationals survive wide extremes of temperature, live established good relations with them. be of tactical but not strategic use. and discussants included: Matthew Webb that did if they wanted cutting edge jobs. on salt water and survive in an atomic bomb This talk, often at variance with more official (Petroleum Institute), Grégoire Webber (LSE), The first speaker was Lord Mervyn Davies, He also discussed the checks and balances testing region with no evidence of genetic The last speaker of the day was James views provoked vigorous discussion that Shubhodeep Shome (SOAS), Sudhanshu previously Minister of State for Trade and responsibilities of a free press and need damage or change. Fergusson who talked about “The Taliban, continued over tea afterwards. Swaroop (20 Essex Street Chambers/Bar Promotion and Investment and ex- to recognize that one country’s definition the unknown enemy.” He described the Human Rights Committee), Zimran Samuel Chairman and C.E.O. of Standard Chartered of these (and democracy) might not be He described his 1999 journey to the Taliban as an organization that is not well Each of the days’ talks was followed by lively, (9, St. John Street Chambers), David Taylor Bank. He spoke to the title of: “The another’s. southern edge of the Taklimakan and the known or understood and that needed to informal and well informed discussions (SOAS), Werner Menski (SOAS), Matthew Economies of Asia.” find of a naïve population of camels (and be so and negotiated with. He discussed the between audience and speaker. Nelson (SOAS), Chandra Lekha Sriram The next section was the every popular other animals); that is one that has not been history and development of the Taliban from (SOAS), Rochana Bajpai (SOAS). His presentation consisted of several short “language tasters”. The audience was divided previously exposed to man. Sadly in 2005 the original 30 members in 1994 appearing The day finished with Mr. Steger thanking talks interspersed with questions, quite into three groups to get an introduction to: gold miners and their use of cyanide in gold after the civil war in Kandahar. Aspects of the speakers, those who had participated Mara Malagodi Mandarin with Dr. Lianyi, Arabic with Maha extraction had decimated the habitat and Taliban views were discussed including in discussion and the staff of SOAS for their Collinson and Burmese and Khmer with killed and scattered the camels. He reported government, the place of women in society help, in particular Jane Savory and Rahima Dr. Justin all members of staff at SOAS, to how well Chinese Government had risen to and links with Al Qaida. He outlined the Begum. whom many thanks. the challenge of this disaster and cleaned up difference between the two and the need to What Really Happened under a Tree outside Delhi, May 1817 the area with the resultant return of some differentiate between them. The problems Sponsorship towards the cost of the day was After this Dr. Nibal Bouresli spoke about: camels. He outlined the threats facing the of the code of Pushtunwali were raised and very kindly provided by The Greville Trust Abhijit Gupta (Jadavpur University, Kolkata) “The U.K. and Kuwait, what ties us?” Dr. wild Bactrian camel including an increase how half the Taliban had wanted to hand and Wolsey Neech Ltd. 23 November 2011 Bouresli is the Kuwaiti Cultural Attaché in in the wolf population, as herdsmen can no over Osama bin Laden after 2001 but Mullah London and has considerable experience in longer carry arms in view of insurgency in Omar had refused to do so because it was The following schools and colleges were Media studies in both America and Kuwait. Xing Chiang. against the code. Following the coalition represented: SOAS was delighted to host Abhijit She outlined the history of the relationship invasion in 2001 and the expansion of its • Abingdon School Gupta, Associate Professor in the between Kuwait and the U.K. as evidenced The audience was impressed with the allies of the Northern Alliance the Taliban • Anglo European School, Essex Department of English at Jadavpur by treaties and agreements up to 1990 and daunting landscapes and weather shown in had retreated to Kandahar and the south • Benendon School University, Kolkata who is a specialist the Iraqi invasion. his slides, the last of which was of a herd of of Pakistan and with the advent of the • Canon Palmer Catholic School of the History of the Book in India 33 camels in Mongolia. Sadly whilst the wild invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan was rather • City of London School for Girls (he edited three volumes: Print Areas, She described the demographics of Kuwait Bactrian camel survives it can hardly be said forgotten (by some). The Taliban regrouped • The Cotswold School, Glous. Moveable Type, and New Word Order) and the “m&ms” of modern life; marketing to flourishing. between 2003 and 2005 and in 2006 • Cranbrook School and has just completed the first Short- and media and how these were shaping and fighting escalated. By 2011 over 400 British • Dulwich College Title Catalogue of Books Printed in the influencing the development of modern James Willsher spoke next. He is also a and 2000 American soldiers have died in • Emmanuel School Bengali Language 1868-1947. Kuwait. Within this there were many cultural, member of the RSAA. He described his Afghanistan and since 2007 the I.E.D. as • Latymer Upper School educational and economic links developing progress “from sixth former to unofficial a weapon has prospered. The Taliban has • Layton 6th Form College His talk focused on Homi Bhabha’s with the U.K. in ways that were different ambassador”, describing the often frustrating proved very good at propaganda as shown • London Academy essay on a group of villagers assembled from the relationships outlined in the treaties journey from school to satisfying job via by the large prison breakout of 2008. • Orleans Park School under a tree outside Delhi and circulating copies of a Biblem, which has long been of the past. many twists and turns as well as the types of • St Clare’s, Oxford considered as one of the most influential essays of postcolonial theory. Abhijit Gupta experience it was worth gathering en route. He emphasized that there are many • St Dominic’s 6th Form College argued that for the historian of the book, however, the essay leaves a large number There followed a lively discussion about . He emphasized the need to have a goal problems in Afghanistan that remain to be • Tolworth Girls School of questions tantalizingly unanswered: what were they books, where did they come the potential conflicts between various to aim for but also to accept that varying sorted out; the army and police are poor, • Varndean College, Brighton from, by what route or process did they reach the hands of the villagers, and most cultural aspects of life in Kuwait and the jobs will lead to it. He described how he had infiltrated and probably untrustworthy, • Welling School, Bexley importantly, why were the villagers carrying so many copies of the Bible. The paper U.K. – as representing the West. These come to know an large number of Asian President Karzai could be considered a • Westminster sought to answer these questions, and in the process, provide an account of the related to religion, the role and place of media resources based in London covering failure, America still thinks a military solution • Wimbledon High School early journeys of the missionary book over eastern and northern India. women in society, the nature of law and its television, radio, print and the internet and possible and CIA and USA special forces enforcement and the potential damage of how these networks were almost unknown whilst having a high profile have a poor Royal Society for Asian Affairs Francesca Orsini perceived western cultural imperialism and to most Londoners. propaganda value. the influence of Saudi Arabia.

16 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 17 EVENT REPORTS

Centre of South Asian Studies Annual Lecture Beauty and Brains Shades of Islam ~ 21 Poems Making a Difference – Many Ambitions and an Identity Project Ramachandra Guha Catherine Donaldson, For A New Century Representing/Constructing the Usha Ramanathan (Independent Law Researcher) (Indian writer, public intellectual) Mara Malagodi, Rahul Rao Professor Rafey Habib Other in Asian/African Media, 7 March 2012 25 November 2012 20 January 2012 6 February 2012 Cinema and Languages 16-18 February 2012 Dr Ramanathan›s work has focused for On the evening of What would you do to stop rape On the 6th of February, 2012, the past couple of years on issues related to privacy in the context of the proposed 25 November 2012 and abuse being part of your Rutgers University’s Professor of The conference ‘Making a Difference – introduction of the Unique Identification Dr Ramachandra everyday life? Enter a Beauty English Dr. Rafey Habib gave a Representing/Constructing the Other in project (UID). Her lecture taking off Guha, historian and Pageant? reading to the SOAS community Asian/African Media, Cinema and Languages’ from this new project explored broader biographer based from his book of secular and was held from 16-18 February 2012 at SOAS issues related to the impacts on privacy in Bangalore, gave mystical Muslim poetry “Shades of and organised by Griseldis Kirsch. As part of of UID as well as other related proposals this year’s Centre Islam: 21 Poems for a New Century”. a consortium of African and Asian Studies such as the National Population Register of South Asian Speaking to a variety of topics in (CAAS), it was this year that SOAS hosted and National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). Studies Annual a post-9/11 world such as suicide the conference and hence most of the She analysed some of the many issues lecture. Guha’s bombing and the Gaza strip, Dr. participants came from CAAS institutions. The arising in this context, ranging from the books include Habib’s poetry does not skirt around conference attracted academic interest not limitations of the proposed technological From left: Philippe Cullet with Usha Ramanathan before a pioneering sensitive issues in the war against just from the participating institutions; in the solution in delivering an identity to the the lecture environmental terrorism and tensions within the end, over 40 participants from seven different poor that justifies the project politically history, The Muslim world. Inspired to speak out nations were hosted. Consequently, the to consequences of surveillance, profiling, tracking, tagging and invasions of privacy. Unquiet Woods against fundamentalist Islam, conference ran in two parallel sessions over (University of two of the three days and all attracted large Philippe Cullett California Press, audiences. Rather than a small symposium, 1989), and an we were able to make this a big and award-winning international event. social history of All of the panels were well visited and “We’re Indian and African”: Sidis of India cricket, A Corner discussions were lively and fruitful. The Dr Shihan de Silva (Senior Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, of a Foreign Field speakers mostly engaged in case studies University of London and Member of the Scientific Committee of the (Picador, 2002). Image credited to Kois Miah of how ‘difference’ was appropriated when UNESCO Slave Route Project) The Centre cohosted the lecture with the British Association familiarity and cultural proximity also played To be third-gender in Nepal 9 March 2012 for South Asian Studies in the elegant surroundings of the a vital part. Researchers came from different means a choice of three careers; British Academy at Carlton House Terrace. The lecture was fields of study and looked at different giving blessing at weddings, preceded by BASAS’s AGM and attracted by external guests. regions, but all of them looked at either Asia, begging or prostitution. They are Africa or the Middle East, but with a distinct Two films on Sidis produced by Beheroze Shroff were screened by the SOAS Centre of excluded from family and school, Dr Guha began by noting that biography lies at the emphasis on the Middle East and Japan. As South Asian Studies seminar series. The films were preceded by a lecture by Dr Shihan are prey to security forces, intersection of literature and history. Whilst South Asia is the conference was multidisciplinary, the de Silva on the historical presence of Africans, their achievements and their distribution blackmail and sexual abuse. home to very many literary traditions, long-standing and aspects in the discussion did not just include throughout India. However, as Nepal attempts to still robust, and South Asian historians have made their questions regarding the papers, but added write a new constitution there is mark on global scholarship, the art and craft of biography From left: Kavita Ramdya, Rafey Habib to the academic debate as sometimes The first documentary - “We’re Indian and African”: Voices a chance of change. In order to and David Taylor is poorly developed in the region. The number of well- theoretical concepts were highlighted. The of the Sidis explores the lives of the Afro-Indian Sidis of be heard above the clamour and researched, well-written biographies of and by South papers were put in panels along regions, Bava Gor village in Gujarat. The men and women relate the civil unrest, the third-genders with Asians can be counted on the fingers of one hand, or at rather than thematic similarities so that challenges of their work as caretakers of the shrine of their Sunil Pant and the Blue Diamond best two. The lecture attributed this lack to the influence of Dr. Habib addressed issues in his audiences with interest in a particular region, ancestral saint Bava Gor. The Sidis also discuss their sacred Society embarked on the Beauty the region’s dominant religion, Hinduism; to its dominant collection with a non-traditional but also those interested in a particular Goma-Dhammal dance as it is performed for devotees and Brains Talent Contest. This is historiographical tradition, Marxism; and to a more general medium, poetry, which he genre could attend. The rooms in which and for spectators. The film also gives a glimpse into the the story of a community gaining disregard for the preservation of papers and documents. explained to audience members, the sections were held were not far apart, spiritual legacy of the Sidis through the Parsi devotees of Still from the film 'Voices of the the confidence to confront It then students and independent scholars so that anyone interested could easily move Bava Gor in Bombay. Sidis: Ancestral Links' produced prejudice and tell society they are by Beheroze Shroff (University of suggested at SOAS, appealed to literary and between the sections. The keynote speech natural human beings. California, Irvine, USA) how these political readers alike. His candid was given by Dr Dolores Martinez (SOAS), who The second documentary - Voices of the Sidis: Ancestral deficencies demeanor and fresh take on the introduced the theme by looking at various Links is an engaging portrait of an urban Sidi family in could be politics of the East in light of the representations of difference in Western and Bombay, India. Babubhai the father traces his ancestry to Zanzibar, Tanzania. His wife, overcome, sensitivities in the West around Japanese film. Fatimaben, speaks about her grandmother who worked in a Hindu royal court. Their so that Islam provided a fresh outlet for daughter, Heena speaks about issues of identity. Babubhai also discusses his former work as scholars engagement in discussion typically The conference was sponsored by the a stuntman in Bollywood films. and writers reserved for the nighttime news. British Academy, the Great Britain Sasakawa at last begin Foundation and the Faculty of Languages and The event concluded after a question and answer session and a lively discussion. to do some Kavita Ramdya Cultures. justice Shihan de Silva (Institute of Commonwealth Studies) to the Grieldis Kirsch remarkable range of influential individuals produced by and in South Asia. From left: Michael Hutt, Catherine Donaldson and Mara Malagodi

18 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 19 EVENT REPORTS

Senna / Press Launch for London Asian Film Festival British Association for South Asian The Creation of Public Meaning during Nepal’s Democratic Transition Asif Kapadia (Director) Studies Annual Conference: 4-5 July 2012 12 March 2012 The Future of South Asia 12-14 Apri 2012 The second workshop of the above Buss (Heidelberg)); the portrayal of Nepali project was hosted by the Centre of women (Seira Tamang (Martin Chautari)) The screening of the film was preceded by the press launch for London Asian Film Festival. The Festival South Asian Studies at SOAS on July 4-5 and the royal palace massacre of June 2001 which is an annual event dedicated to expressing the drive and spirit of independent media and cinema with a The British Association for South Asian Studies 2012. The three-year partnership project (Marie Lecomte-Tilouine (CNRS, Paris)). connection to South Asia. In its 14th year, the festival provides a unique international platform for Asians working (BASAS) is one of the world’s leading learned is funded by the British Academy and the Ramesh Parajuli (Martin Chautari) provided in film and media. societies for the study of South Asia. It is partner institutions are SOAS and Martin some historical depth to the discussion with committed to supporting advanced research Chautari, an academic NGO founded in his analysis of the ways in which the Nepali SOAS was delighted to host the screening of Senna (2010), directed by Asif Kapadia, a British filmmaker of Indian in the humanities and social sciences of Kathmandu in 1992. The presence of government attempted to police the print descent. The film won many awards including winner of the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, the BAFTA South Asia through funding opportunities, four contributors was made possible by media during an earlier period of political Award for Best Editing and the World Cinema Audience Award Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2011. conferences and workshops, lectures, additional funding from the South Asia transition, during the 1950s. Rumour and The film tells the story of the monumental life and tragic death of legendary Brazilian motor-racing Champion, research groups, publications and online Specialist Group of the Political Studies conspiracy theory was the central concern Ayrton Senna. Spanning the decade from his arrival in Formula One in the mid 80’s, the documentary follows discussions. Association and the Editorial Committee of papers by Mallika Shakya (Pretoria), who Senna’s struggles both on track against his nemesis, French World Champion Alain Prost, and off it, against the of the European Bulletin of Himalayan described the way in which a series of politics which infest the sport. Sublime, spiritual yet, on occasion, ruthless – Senna conquers and transcends The CSAS was honoured to host the 26th Research. riots that were sparked off by disparaging Formula One to become a global superstar. Privately, he is humble, almost shy, and fiercely patriotic, donating BASAS annual conference on 12-14 April remarks about Nepalis supposedly made millions to his native Brasil and contemplating a life beyond motor-racing. Yet he is struck down in his prime on 2012. The conference attracted over 150 Until comparatively recently, Western by the Bollywood star Hritik Roshan played the blackest weekend in the history of the sport, watched live on television by 300 million people. Years on he is delegates and the panels covered a wide scholarly work on Nepali society has out among the workers in a garment factory revered in Formula One as the greatest motor racing driver of all time – and in Brasil as a Saint. range of subdisciplinary themes. Some of largely failed to engage with indigenous in the Nepal Tarai in late 2000; and Hutt the more popular panels revolved around discourse, mainly because the political (SOAS), who attempted to explain the huge issues of Dalit activism, reinterpreting history economy of scholarship on Nepal commercial success of the 2007 book 12th Annual Jaina Lecture: Mahavira, Don Quixote and the history of ecological ethics and idealism in South Asia, interrogating Indian capitalism, conducted outside Nepal has never Raktakunda. In addition to all of this, Monica Dr Michael Tobias (Los Angeles) transformative public works, the politics of demanded such an engagement. The Mottin (London Met) described the ways in 21 March 2012 land in contemporary India, the gendered print media, television and radio, film and which political dissent has been articulated effects of social mobility, and India as a great 14th Jaina Studies Symposium: Biodiversity Conservation and Animal Rights: theatre, poetry and popular song, which in recent Nepali theatre, Kailash Rai (Martin power. The conference also showcased a exist predominantly in Nepali but also Chautari) analysed the content of a selection Religious and Philosophical Perspectives number of niche panels on art, culture, and increasingly in other Nepalese languages, of memoirs published by women who 22 March 2012 literature. Some of the most popular panels have been largely omitted from fought on the Maoist side in the 1996-2006 will be available as podcasts on our website considerations of the immense changes ‘People’s War’, Dan Hirslund (Copenhagen) soon. Other highlights included the screening Nepal is undergoing as it emerges from assessed Maoist political rhetoric in relation The 12th Annual Jaina Lecture at SOAS was delivered on 21 March 2012 by Dr Michael Tobias of Santa Fe (USA) on ‘Mahavira, Don of the film KOEL (dir. Bonnie Mukherjee). a period of armed conflict and begins to perceived instances of ‘coruption’, and Quixote and the history of ecological ethics and idealism.’ Dr Tobias, an American author, ecologist, mountaineer, and filmmaker has The newly-launched King’s India Institute to construct the framework for a more Laura Kunreuther (Bard College) described written more than 35 books and 100 films have been distributed, translated, and broadcast internationally. The lecture attracted a full generously hosted a reception for the BASAS representative non-monarchical state. the new trend among the Nepali middle house and was followed by a lively discussion. conference delegates. This project explores the ways in which class of maintaining archives and producing the meaning of socio-political events biographical texts. The designation of a The lecture marked at the same time the opening of the 14th Jaina Studies Workshop, an International Symposium on Biodiversity Many important academic issues were and developments is constructed, discussant to each paper enriched the Conservation and Animal Rights: Religious and Philosophical Perspectives on 22 March 2012 with ten distinguished speakers discussed at the conference. From conveyed and consumed in Nepal. It workshop greatly; these included David from four different countries. This symposium addressed the lack of public reflection on the value and the limitations of received institutional point of view, there was a very aims to enhance our understanding of Holmberg and Kathryn March from Cornell, religious paradigms and intellectual habits across cultures concerning the welfare of animals and plants by opening up a new frank and informative open forum discussion the democratic transition in Nepal, foster Amanda Snellinger from Seattle, Ingemar dialogue between thinkers and activists from different religious and philosophical backgrounds on the global problem of biodiversity about the future direction of BASAS. Despite increased collaboration between UK- and Grandin from Linköping, Anne de Sales from conservation and animal welfare. The conference was the challenges that learned societies find Nepal-based researchers in these fields, Paris, Stefanie Lotter from London, Sondra attended not only by academics and students but also themselves during these times of fiscal and draw the Nepali and international Hausner from Oxford, Bandita Sijapati from by members of the Jaina community and animal rights austerity, the general consensus was that research communities into a new kind of Kathmandu and Chiara Letizia from Milan. activists from Britain, North America and Continental BASAS was well poised to meet its future conversation with one another. Europe. It provided a forum for discussion and dialogue challenges. The conference also benefitted This workshop was preceded by a workshop between distinguished scholars, activists, ethical and from its widening international audience. This Thirteen papers were presented and at Martin Chautari in September 2011; we philosophical thinkers reflecting on the potential of year, in particular, we were pleased to host a discussed. Of these, two (an incisive intend to publish a selection of the papers existing cultural, religious and philosophical resources number of Japanese scholars who organised paper on the language of ethnicity by from the two workshops in forthcoming contributing to new trans-cultural orientations towards a panel on reconsidering Marwari and its Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka (Bielefeld) and a issues of the Martin Chautari journal Studies the preservation of human and non-human forms of life. representations. presentation by Khadija Chennoufi-Gilkes in Nepali History and Society and in the (SOAS research student, Linguistics) of European Bulletin of Himalayan Research, It was funded through sponsorship of from the Dancing The BASAS conference has always served her approach to the content of an online currently edited by Hutt. An edited volume Star Foundation of Los Angeles and the Jiv Daya to encourage postgraduate and early career Sherpa community journal) focused is planned for the longer term. Foundation of Dallas. Podcasts of the presentations, scholars. The conference offered dedicated on the emergence of a discourse of prepared by the SOAS AV Department, are available on the panels on research methodology and writing ethnic identity. Four papers analysed As convenor, I would like to record my conference website: www.soas.ac.uk/biodiversity/ a policy brief aimed at early career scholars. the Nepali media’s treatment of specific thanks to Jane Savory and Rahima Begum of In that spirit, BASAS awarded the BASAS prize topics: peacebuilding (Tejendra Pherali the SOAS Centres and Programmes Office, An initial offer to publish the proceedings has been made for the best paper presented by a post- (Liverpool JMU)); the failed attempt by and to my research student Mona Chettri, by Cambridge University Press. graduate student to Berenice Guyot-Rechard the then Maoist prime minister to replace who handled the bulk of the administration. Peter Flugel (University of Cambridge). Indian pujaris with Nepali pujaris at Pashupatinath temple in 2008 (Johanna Michael Hutt Lawrence Saez

20 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 21 he first year for the Centre for the Study of Seminar Listing Event Listing Pakistan has been exciting, rewarding and T challenging. The response from colleagues, 27 October 2011 17 September 2011 students, public and private bodies has been immense Pakistan: Resilience and Stagnation Symposium and has highlighted the urgent need for a dedicated Professor Anatol Lieven (King’s College) Cohosted with the Faiz Cultural Academy Centre devoted to the understanding of the pres- CENTRE FOR THE Faiz Ahmed Faiz – Centenary Celebration ent, past and future of Pakistan. We have made a start 17 November 2011 Iftikhar Arif, Salima Hashmi, Aamir Mufti, Geeta Patel , Masood Raja, toward establishing an international reputation and are Sindhi nationalism: colonial past and postcolonial present Aamer Hussein, Christina Oesterheld now looking to consolidate our future through grants, STUDY OF PAKISTAN Dr Sarah Ansari (Royal Holloway) endowments and partnerships. 17 September 2011 1 December 2011 Centre of the Study of Pakistan Launch The Political Economy of Improved Governance- The Centre began its official life with a big opening Making Decentralization Work in Pakistan event held in September 2011, the Centenary Celebration of the renowned Urdu 22 September 2011 Dr Ehtisham Ahmed (Senior Visiting Fellow, LSE) poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Other speakers later in 2011 included writers, academics In collaboration with Framing Muslims and activists, Mohammad Hanif, Anatol Lieven (King’s College, London) Sarah Book Launch & Discussion 8 December 2011 Ansari (Royal Holloway), Ehtisham Ahmed (LSE), Kamila Shamsie, Mirza Waheed The Beloved Witness: Celebrating Agha Shahid Ali and Sarmila Bose (University of Oxford). Events held thus far in 2012 include 11 October 2011 Mirza Waheed, Kamila Shamsie and Nitasha Kaul Book Launch and Discussion Professor Shaheen Sardar Ali (Warwick University) talking about Pakistan’s Mohammad Hanif ‹Our Lady of Alice Bhatti implementation of CEDAW and Yunas Samad (University of Bradford) reflecting 8 December 2011 on Pakistan-U.S. relations, in January, Matthew McCartney (Oxford University) The legacy of 1971 - 40 years on adDr.essing Pakistan’s economy, in February, a screening of Emmy-winning Sarmila Bose (Oxford) director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s documentary film, Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret, in March, along with Claire Chambers (Leeds Metropolitan 15 December 2011 Faiz Ahmed Faiz University) talking about Pakistani fiction written in English the same month. “Miniature Manoeuvres’: Testing Tradition in Centenary Celebration After the Spring Break talks were held on Pakistan’s post-flood rebuilding Contemporary Miniature Painting in Pakistan 17 September 2011 activities with the British Pakistan Foundation and DFID in April. We ended the Dr Virginia Whiles (Chelsea College of the Arts, term on a literary note debating the ‘presence of a language’ with the well- From second left: Francesca Orsini, Amina Yaqin and Getta Patel at the University of the Arts, London) known short story writer and novelist Aamer Hussein (Southampton University) Centres launch in May. During the academic year public Lectures were given by Aamir Mufti 19 January 2012 Faiz has had and continues to have a (UCLA), Professor Mohammad Waseem (LUMS) and Geeta Patel (Virginia). Write- ‘Domesticating’ the Convention on the Elimination national following as a people’s poet in ups for many of our events are available on the event archive of our website: of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Pakistan. He also remains a figurehead for www.soas.ac.uk/csp/events in state, government and society: A case study of the present generation of Urdu poets. Pakistan’s implementation of CEDAW He excelled in interweaving the classical External activities for CSP steering committee members Matthew Nelson and Professor Shaheen Sardar Ali (Warwick University) ornamental style of an aristocratic Urdu Amina Yaqin included participation in a one-day Oxford workshop on Pakistan rhyme and metre with modern social realism. Beyond Bombs and Beards: Contemporary Pakistan in May 2012 organised by 26 January 2011 He was a poet, a journalist, a policy advisor and cultural Pakistan-US Relations: A Rocky Marriage the Contemporary South Asian Studies Programme, School of Interdisciplinary commentator whose career spanned the period of anti-colonial Professor Yunas Samad (University of Bradford) Area Studies, Oxford University. Amina Yaqin was an invited participant in the resistance and the aftermath of a post-partitioned state. This year

Guardian Open Weekend Roundtable on Pakistan’s future and how it could has seen a host of activities across the world honouring his memory 2 February 2012 and work. At SOAS we ran a unique international seminar in affect us all in March 2012. Tinderbox or Tiger? Pakistan, the forgotten Agha Shadid Ali collaboration with the Faiz Cultural Foundation, Framing Muslims Asian economic success 1950-2011 and the Centre for the Study of Pakistan to commemorate the The Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Abdul Wali Khan Dr Matthew McCartney (Oxford University) university in Pakistan in 2012. centennial. The renowned Urdu poet, former Chair of the Pakistan Academy of Letters and the National Language Authority, Iftikhar 9 February 2012 Arif gave a masterful summary of Faiz’s career and his intertextual I am also delighted to report that the new MA in the Study of Liberalisation, Dictatorship and Development: influences ranging from a traditional craftsmanship recalling Hafiz Contemporary Pakistan was approved in 2012 and admissions are now Pakistan 1988-2011 to the European modernism of Ezra Pound. Arif’s overview was open. We look forward to welcoming future students to this exciting Dr Matthew McCartney (Oxford University) complemented by an insightful review of Faiz’s own translations of new programme. Further information about the MA including details of how to apply is available on our website: www.soas.ac.uk/southasia/pro- 15 March 2012 his letters to Alys Faiz by Professor Salima Hashmi, Dean of the School grammes/ma-in-the-study-of-contemporary-pakistan/ A Comparative Approach to Pakistani Fiction in English of Visual Arts and Design at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore Dr Claire Chambers (Leeds Metropolitan University) and Faiz’s daughter. Hashmi brought a valuable perspective from the New Research Associates familial perspective that shed light on the inclusions and exclusions 19 April 2012 that Faiz introduced into his own translation. Geeta Patel, Associate Mohammed Hanif and Amina Yaqin I would like to extend a warm welcome to Professor Ayesha Jalal, Tufts Pakistan post floods: a health emergency Professor from the University of Virginia gave an intellectually University who joins us as a Professorial Research Associate and Dr. Suniya Qureshi (British Pakistan Foundation), stimulating paper retrieving a modernist perspective on Faiz through Matthew McCartney, Oxford University as Research Associate. We look Edward Mortimer and Pierre Townsend (DFID) the lens of Miraji to help theorise how his critique of the poet brings forward to collaborative research and teaching led activities with our together a compelling perspective on chronopoetics, fleshed politics esteemed colleagues. 26 April 2012 and romantic realism. Christina Oesterheld’s (Heidelberg University) Cohosted with the SOAS Centre For Cultural Literary & contribution looked at the intertextualities in Faiz’s poetry, in particular Finally a big thank you to all members of the steering committee for Postcolonial Studies & SOAS Centre For Gender Studies those with the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet as an attempt to highlight their invaluable support throughout the past year especially our external The Presence of a Language some of the poet’s work which gets forgotten amongst the greatness advisor Professor Ian Talbot from Southampton University who is a Aamer Hussein of his ghazals (love lyrics) and rhymed verse. Aamir R. Mufti, Associate tremendous source of inspiration for the study of Pakistan. We say Professor at UCLA brought the day’s proceedings to a close with a goodbye to our interns Sara Jafri and Mahwash Bhimjee who brought 2 May 2012 sophisticated and dynamic keynote on Faiz and the ‘historical present’, Cohosted with the SOAS Centre For Cultural Literary & energy, enthusiasm and creativity to the Centre throughout the year in particular a close reading of his late poems and the vocabulary Postcolonial Studies and SOAS Centre For Gender Studies and wish them well with their future goals. Last but not least I would like of the revolutionary imagination in the twentieth century that is Sending the Zanana on a Railway Journey: to extend heartfelt thanks to Jane Savory and Rahima Begum whose conceptualised through them. The workshop was attended by a Ismat Chughtai, Gender in Space, Time and Visuality incredible administrative support got us off to a flying start. packed audience in the Khalili Lecture Theatre at SOAS and will Geeta Patel (University of Virginia) remain memorable for a long time to come marking a new and exciting chapter in the field of Pakistani literary and Cultural Studies. I look forward to the year ahead with many possibilities for the future 3 May 2012 growth of our Centre. We have an exciting line up of events details The Faiz centennial also marked another historic occasion, the Gender, Transgender and South Asia inauguration of the new Centre for the Study of Pakistan at SOAS, of which will be available in September. If you have any comments, Further information about the Centre Geeta Patel (University of Virginia) suggestions or ideas about getting involved with the Centre please don’t and its activities is available on: www.soas.ac.uk/csp/ chaired by Dr Amina Yaqin. hesitate to get in touch. 9 May 2012 Shahid Syed Amina Yaqin We are also on Facebook: Is Pakistan ‘muddling through’? Chair, Centre for the Study of Pakistan www.facebook.com/Pakistan.SOAS Mohammad Waseem (Lahore University of Management Sciences)

22 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 23 CHARLES WALLACE TRUST FELLOWSHIPS

End of Fellowship Report by Dr Sadan Jha SOAS (13-14 April,2012). Taking a historically Charles Wallace Trust Charles Wallace Indian Fellowship 2011-2012 informed perspective and borrowing Visiting Fellowships at SOAS insights from Michel Foucault’s notion of A poem by Dr Lakshmi Arya governmentality, this paper examined the manner in which crowd has been treated Two three month Visiting Dr Lakshmi was awarded the 2009-10 write my experiences of London addresses the broad field of in different registers and discourses in Fellowships are awarded annually by Charles Wallace India Trust Visiting and the time spent in the Centre visuality in the historical context three specific politico-historical junctures: the Centre of South Asian Studies, Fellowship at SOAS. I of South Asian Studies at SOAS, of late 19th and 20th century movements led by Mahatma Gandhi (first SOAS, one with the Charles Wallace Univeristy of London. And, my words India. In recent decades, there half of twentieth century), Jay Prakash India Trust and the other with the The Centre is pleased to announce refuse to move in a regimented manner seems to be a fascination Narayan (in the mid nineteen seventies Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust. that a number of her poems appeared often desirable for a report. Images among scholars to work on against the imposition of internal Emergency in Pratilipi last year, one of which is from the streets, the cacophony of tube pictorial representations. Yet, and seizure of civil liberties) and Anna Applicants must be an Indian/ included below. compartments and colours of paintings little attention has been paid Hazare against corruption (2011-12). I am Pakistan national and be residing displayed in Victoria & Albert Museum on either to explore vernacular thankful to Lawrence Saez, who encouraged in India/Pakistan at the time the reverberate simultaneously along with sources (other than Bengali) or me to convene a panel in BASAS conference application is submitted. The faces of shopkeepers and customers to understand the manner in on the Practices of Governance. fellowship is only open to those who Hot Steel and Water of less glamorous markets i.e. Petticoat which new technologies of image have completed a PhD. lane, Brick lane, Spitalfield and Camden. I making interacted with existing Stratford Upon Avon - the home of Shakespeare After my return from London, I am now restlessly recall my difficulties in following vocabularies and concerns for working towards converting my research The fellowships are awarded to I said to you that the language entering my ears in the seeing and showing to shape Bahotari—seventy two tales narrated by and presentations in the form of academic those who would are ready to make all my poems were shopping stores, tubes and buses. Wikipedia new regimes and vocabularies of visual a wise parrot) but also on how to visually publications. In addition to it, I search for a the most of a short period of study for a man who caressed words suggests it was multicultural London English experience. organize spaces and arenas i.e. local maps, language to render my experiences of daily and discussion at SOAS. in a language I did not understand colloquially called Jafaican. I was expecting games and class rooms to name a few. life in London, my conversations with people a language redolent of a city of fog and mists, streets bearing During my fellowship, I focused on the on the streets, photographs of densely Applications will be encouraged in fishing nets and bathing worshippers hats, grandeur appropriate for the image dynamics of this experience by looking Some of the questions and findings of my etched graffiti and my monologues. particular from those scholars who under hot steel and water of an empire and a city of ruins. Instead, at the period between 1850 and 1920s archival research found an outlet in my have had no or little opportunity of speeding trains I found her unassuming, welcoming, through vernacular literature, primarily lecture that was delivered in SOAS towards to do research outside India or on howrah bridge accommodative, modest and multicultural. Hindi (“Emergence of a New Language: the end of my fellowship (“Saffron: Towards Pakistan. Seeing and Showing in Late Nineteenth a History of Colours”, SOAS, 18 April 2012). I told you of Century North India”). British Library houses This was focused on the history of colour Indian/Pakistan citizens must be arms lips neck hands the single largest collection of this corpus. Saffron. Framed as a part of the history of in the early to middle stage of on a half-lit rocky beach “..the monochrome Scholars working with pictorial registers Indian National Flag, this paper ventured their academic careers working in and a once-shared world in different other contexts of South Asian into references of Saffron from the past the fields of the Arts, Humanities of half-light passionate beliefs of such solitudes was history have demonstrated a general apathy centuries, investigated the colonial concerns and Social Sciences which are otherwise repeatedly towards the relation between image and the and documentations in the late 19th century supported at SOAS. For a list of but when did you, word. The idea was to address this gap and and delineates the manner in which it subjects please check the Taught bearer of my secrets, and joyously broken deepen our understanding of this period, emerged in late 1920s as a colour having Masters programmes on the SOAS coil like a honey-drip website: www.soas.ac.uk/admis- into the creases of my widely recognized as one of the most national stature from its humble position of The Lake District by gracious, warm and crucial moments in shaping the long term a katcha colour, and acquired a recognition sions/pg/subject/. Please note day-thoughts and night-dreams affectionate presence of a dynamics of knowledge, experience and as an ‘old colour’ (by Nehru) symbolizing The monochrome of such solitudes was that Humanities and Social Science modernity in South Asia. ‘Indian Life’ (by Suniti Kumar Chatterjee). otherwise repeatedly and joyously broken by subjects which are not supported when did you cross number of people during Secondly, an attempt was made to analyse gracious, warm and affectionate presence at SOAS will normally not be the two feet of my sojourn in London..” It would be erroneous to jump into findings the role played by history in defining of a number of people during my sojourn in considered. Those who are already clean floor, slant rays, table-chair so soon yet the archive definitely initiated Saffron, defining Hinduism and equating London. I am thankful to Francesca Orsini enrolled in any Higher Educational and coffee froth me to a thick and multipronged relationship Saffron with the Hinduism (replacing or my academic contact in SOAS (for her warm Institution in the United Kingdom that kept the propriety of our speaking between the printed word and the worlds marginalising red in the process). This was and inspiring presence, suggestions and (including SOAS) are not eligible to to become the silence of images in sphere of Hindi vernacular. It is also an attempt to respond to some of the conversations), Jane Savory (for being such apply. Applicants must demonstrate in all my other conversations? multipronged as the investment was made conventional political questions by looking a prompt, caring and wonderful host always sufficient English language ability, The flaneur looks back and finds himself not merely on inserting pictures in school at hitherto untouched area of scholarship— ready to help), Richard Alford of Charles both written and spoken, to sitting in Asian and African studies reading texts and books of stories (like Shree Shuk history of colours. In this sense the paper Wallace India Trust (for making it possible participate in discussions and use room of British Library exuberantly tried to bridge the gap between in most affectionate manner), CSAS faculty resource materials. struggling to make sense of elementary cultural history of the visual with members (Naresh Sharma and Aishwarj Further poems by Lakshmi mathematical diagrams from primary school the conventional political history of Kumar and Edward Simpson for making me can be found at: texts, advertisements of picture frames, South Asia. comfortable in SOAS), Deljana Iossifova and Further details available online: www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/ cartoons and the cover pages of Hindi Ulysses Sengupta (for Semolina and Aloo • http://pratilipi.in/2011/11/blue- th fellowship/ books published in the second half of 19 Continuing my focus on these two chat, for giving me shelter in your house crayon-river-lakshmi-arya/ century. coordinates—visual and the political, with a smile and for showing me London or email [email protected] I made another presentation on and the Wales) and to those new and • http://pratilipi.in/2010/06/eve- It was a privilege to be in the city, to be ways of looking at the crowd forgotten friends with whom I wandered on ning-poems-lakshmi-arya/ a recipient of Charles Wallace India Trust (“Dissecting the Crowd: Historicizing the streets, smelled snowfall, went to LSE Fellowship that enabled this three months the Future of Dissent in India”). pub, attended lecture in UCL, saw Banksy’s (February to May 2012) visit and to have a This was presented in the annual Bristol, visited countryside, shared Hindi warm and caring host like the Centre for conference of British Association poetry over coffee and exchanged passions South Asian Studies at SOAS. My research for South Asian Studies held in for philosophers and writers, Shukriya for Sadan Jha in front of Tower Bridge, London making my visit serene and memorable.

24 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 25 RESEARCH Students SEP 2011- AUG 2012 Announcing a new MA in the Study of Contemporary Pakistan at SOAS

Pakistan contains one of the world’s oldest city civilisations, Mohenjodaro, and the Sanaa ALIMIA Pragya DHITAL Sonia KHAN Usman QADIR Sunari SENARATNE banks of the Indus have been a world Afghans in Pakistan: Reworking Paper Chains: An Investigation of Caretaker government in Bangladesh: The Political Economy of Technol- Reconfiguring Aspiration: Post Tsunami centre of culture, warfare and religion ever Citizenship and Sources of Translingual Commerce in Salvation or a recipe for disaster? ogy Acquisition in Pakistan: Policy and Reconstruction in Coastal Sri Lanka since. The nation came into being with Political Power, 1978-2009 North Indian Print Media Supervisor: Professor Werner F. MENSKI Constraints in the Automobile Industry Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE the partition of the British Raj between Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON Supervisor: Dr Rochana BAJPAI Supervisor: Professor Mushtaq Khan India and Pakistan in 1947, and since then Priya KUMAR Sohini SENGUPTA it has combined its agricultural base with Val ANDERSON Ahmet Riza EMIROGLU Wireless Platforms and Borderless Griev- Shamraiz QAYYUM Being hungry and Becoming free: a middle-income industrial economy. A The Eurasian ‘problem’ in The Exploration of the Idea of Emanation ances: An Analysis of Transnational Diaspora Muslim skilled socio-legal Marginality, Identity and Livelihoods nation of shocking failures in education nineteenth century India through the Comparison between the Linkages navigation in Britain in Rural Western Orissa and health, it is still a flourishing centre Supervisor: Professor Peter ROBB Islamic and Indian Philosophies with Special Supervisors: Fiona ADAMSON and Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE of South Asian music, cuisine and poetry. Reference to Ibn Sīnā and Abhinavagupta Rahul RAO Since the 1990s it has also developed a Sandhya BALASUBRAHMANYAM Supervisor: Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG Ayaz A QURESHI Soofia SIDDIQUE lively media landscape—overwhelmingly in Rent Creation, Political Clientelism and Dr Whitney COX Lidia Jolanta LEWANDOWSKA-NAYAR Pakistan’s response towards HIV/AIDS; Remembering the Revolt of 1857 Urdu—and writing in English by Pakistani and the Indian Telecom Sector Place and role of Narottama Dasa Thakura Institutional complexity and the Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI writers has recently captured the attention Supervisor: Professor Mushtaq KHAN Leon GOLDMAN in the development of Bengali Vaishnavism politics of policy of international publishers and readers. The Avestan hymn to Justice (draft title) Supervisor: Dr Caroline OSELLA Priyadarshini SINGH Pakistan is the sixth most populous country Nagasena BHIKKHU Supervisor: Professor Almut HINTZE Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Title TBC in the world—bigger than Russia or Japan. The Significance of the Sima Muhammad Mahbubur RAHMAN Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON Its largest province, Punjab, contains more (Monastic Boundary) in Burmese Timothy GREEN David LUNN Sentencing policy and practice in and Dr Rochana BAJPAI people than Egypt, Iran, and France. and Bangladeshi Buddhism The Challenge of ‘Anomie’: Issues of Identity Looking for Common Ground: Literature Bangladesh: A study on the sentencing Supervisor: Dr Kate CROSBY for Christian Converts from Islam in Pakistan and Journalism in Hindi/Urdu, 1900-47 decisions of the Supreme Court in Federica SONA Described as one of the most dangerous Supervisor: Dr Kate ZEBIRI and Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI murder cases In the shadow of uniformity: places in the world, it has been in the Upal CHAKRABARTI Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI Muslim marriages in Europe news continuously for more than a Land and ‘improvement’ during early Zaad MAHMOOD Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI decade, what with its nuclear testing, its British rule: Cuttack Division, 1803-66 Syed Asif HAIDER Determinants of labour reform in India Rashi ROHATGI involvement in Afghanistan (and active Supervisor: Professor Peter ROBB Muslim modernities on the Hindi Screen Supervisor: Professor Lawrence SAEZ Abhimanyu Unnuth and the World of Alice TILCHE Taliban presence internally), its pattern of Supervisor: Professor Rachel DWYER Mauritian Hindi Poetry Struggling with culture in an Adivasi military rule and “restricted” elections under Rupa CHAKRABORTY Anushay MALIK Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI Museum of western India General Musharraf, its record of political Sylheti: A comparison between Eleanor HALSELL Worker activism in Lahore, 1950s-1980s and Dr Kai EASTON Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE assassinations, and its vigorous power Standard Bangla and one of its German Orientalism, Indian Occidentalism: (draft title) struggle involving the military, political major regional forms cinematic collaboration up to 1939 Supervisor: Professor Peter ROBB Lucas ROBINSON Krishna Prasad UPADHYAYA parties, violent extremists, and the members Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Supervisor: Professor Rachel DWYER New Cities, New Phones, New Politics: International Humanitarian Law and of a tenacious civil society. Public interest in Rastin MEHRI Accounting for Political Leadership among Vulnerability: the Tharu experience Pakistan is perhaps at an all-time high, but Mayurika CHAKRAVORTY Wei-Lun HUANG The Zoroastrians of British Columbia Transnational Afghans and Somalis of Nepal’s internal conflict this interest is too often limited to a narrow Enchantment and the politics of A Network Analysis of India’s Foreign Policy Supervisor: Professor Almut HINTZE Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON Supervisor: Professor Michael HUTT account of politics and religious terrorism. subversion: a study of fantasy fiction in the WTO and SAARC, 1991-2011 in Bengali Supervisor: Professor Lawrence SAEZ Farah MIHLAR Pallavi ROY Manpreet VIRDI This pioneering MA aims to understand Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Islamic Fundamentalism amongst Competitive Clientelism and its effects Contesting and constructing Contemporary Pakistan in its complexities Dhivya JANARTHANAN the Muslims of Sri Lanka on Learning-A Case Study of Tamil Nadu legal consciousness in multicultural of culture, nation, politics, religion, law Biswajit CHANDA Anthropology of Space and Supervisor: Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG and Gujarat in India contexts: immigrant sikh women and economics. Students who enrol for Family law reform in Bangladesh: the Dominance in Southern India Supervisor: Mushtaq KHAN in Canada this MA will be able to engage in a deep need for a culture-specific legal system Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE Leena MITFORD Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI interdisciplinary analysis of the diversity Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI 19th century Urdu literature Jaspreet SANGHERA and richness of Pakistan. Students will also Hannah Katie JENKIN Supervisor: Professor Christopher SHACKLE Hindu, Urdu and Punjabi literature written Bryony WHITMARSHi be members of the vibrant Centre for the Mona CHETTRI Organizing Transnational Yoga: by women on Post – Partition Delhi, UP, Title TBC Study of Pakistan that runs a fortnightly Identity Politics in the Eastern Himalayas Institutionalization, Globalization Aparajita MUKHOPADHYAY Punjab and Lahore, 1949-1959 Supervisor: Professor Michael Hutt seminar series including occasional Supervisor: Professor Michael HUTT and Complexity Railways, journeys and the idea of space Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI roundtables and panel discussions with Supervisor: Dr Peter FLUGEL in late ninteenth-century North India Sahil WARSI leading academics, policy makers and Debojyoti DAS (draft title) Shamaila SARWAR Cultivating Hambastagi and Hamdardi: NGO representatives. The Centre also Contested Development: Problems and Akhil KATYAL Supervisor: Professor Peter ROBB The life and works of the twentieth Personhood and Relatedness among offers internship opportunities to students Dilemmas in Sustainable Jhum Same-Sex Desire and Ideas of century Pakistani Islamic mystic, Afghans in India registered on the MA Programme. Redevelopment in Nagaland the Self in Modern India Najia MUKHTAR Sufi Abu Anees Barkat Ali (d. 1997), Supervisor: Dr Magnus MARSDEN Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE Supervisor: Dr Amina YAQIN Discourses of Resistance? Examining Spaces and the origins and development of Graduates of the MA will possess a nuanced of Religious Tolerance in Contemporary the khānaqah of Dār Ul Ehsān Arash ZEINI and specialised understanding of one of Jean-Philippe DEQUEN Masum KHAN Pakistani Society Supervisor: Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG The Pahlavi version of the the most important countries in the world. Pluralism or plurality: An assessment of D. H. Lawrence and the post-Tagore Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON Yasna Haptanghaiti They will use this understanding in business, the legal strategies regarding Muslim writers of Bengali literature Supervisor: Professor Almut HINTZE politics, development, media, foreign affairs, succession law in contemporary India Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Mridhula PILLAY academia, and the arts. Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI Managing law and religion: A comparative study of India and Malaysia Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI www.soas.ac.uk/southasia/pro- grammes/ma-in-the-study-of-contem- porary-pakistan/and degree structure

26 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 27 SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH RESEARCH & ENTERPRISE

South Asia Research is an interdisciplinary area journal for the South Asia region, now Research Office Enterprise Office published by Sage Publications in London and edited by Werner MENSKI. The topics External Grant Applications Tata Chemicals - 1 day briefing covered include modern and pre-modern history, politics, economics, anthropology, literary 1 Sept 2011 - 31 July 2012 and visual culture, language and literature. Its primary aim is to give rapid access to current research work and to provide opportunities for publication to research students as well as In February the Enterprise Office was asked to put together an intensive 1 day briefing for a group of seventeen senior leaders from Tata Chemicals. This to established scholars. In addition to reports of research in progress and book reviews, SAR is available online at Whitney COX briefing was part of a longer week long leadership retreat where the top team review articles are also welcome. South Asia Research also publishes ‘thought pieces’ and Department of the Languages & Cultures of South Asia spends time interacting and learning from specialists in various areas. interpretative essays that address issues and problems arising from new research. Title of Research Project: Moonset on Sunrise Mountain: Poetry, Politics and the Making of a South Indian King http://sar.sagepub.com/ The aim of the briefing was to broaden the groups horizons based on the SAR now appears three times a year and is available electronically through SAGE, which has Funding body: AHRC current realities in Africa, give insights on the latest thinking and develop- led to a much larger readership for the journal, as access figures demonstrate. Date Submitted:September 2011 ments in key regions of Africa as well as provide thoughts on how the future Free access to table of Amount awarded:£80,499 might look. contents and abstracts.

A significant player in the African economy, Tata Chemicals Magadi (TCM) VOL 32 No 1 FEBRUARY 2012 VOL 32 No 2 JULY 2012 Site-wide access to the full texts for Peter FLUGEL has been producing natural soda ash at Lake Magadi, Kenya, for a hundred is published is in preparation members of subscribing institutions Department of the Study of Religions years. It is Africa's largest soda ash manufacturer and one of Kenya's leading Title of Research Project: Religious individualization exporters. Just as significant, the company is an important part of the socio- in historical perspective economic fabric of the Lake Magadi region in Kenya. Over the decades, TCM CONTENTS CONTENTS Funding body: University of Erfurt has built deep connections with the local community through a number of Amount awarded: £43,200 Articles Articles health, education and employment initiatives.

In April Tata Chemicals (TCL) announced an investment of $290 million to YASUMASA SEKINE FARHANA ZAMAN Peter FLUGEL acquire a 25.1-per-cent stake as a strategic investor in the stream 1 of a Transnationality, Hope and Bangladeshi Women’s Political Empowerment in Urban Local Governance Department of the Study of Religions greenfield, port-based, ammonia-urea fertiliser manufacturing complex in ‘Recombinant Locality’: Title of Research Project: the Republic of Gabon. As they are likely to expand into other parts of Africa, -Knowledge as Capital and Resource MANJEET BHATIA Johannes Klatt’s Jaina-Onomasticon they wanted to learn more Domestic Violence in India: Cases under the Protection of Women from Funding body: The Leverhulme Trust about the country. FABRIZIO FERRARI Domestic Violence Act, 2005 Amount awarded: £245,160 Mystic Rites for Permanent Class Conflict: The Enterprise Office brought together leading Africa experts from SOAS The Bauls of Bengal, Revolutionary JONATHAN MATUSITZ AND PAM PAYANO as well and Kings College to deliver a series of lectures followed by a panel Ideology and Post-Capitalism Globalisation of Popular Culture: From Hollywood to Bollywood Leon GOLDMAN discussion which continued over lunch. Department of the Study of Religions Dr Michael Jennings and Dr Jonathan di John were key DUNCAN MCDUIE-RA ALEFIYA TUNDAWALA Title of Research Project: A Study of the Sanskrit Yasna contributors to the briefing. Cosmopolitan Tribals: Multiple Representations of Muslimhood in West Bengal: Funding body: British Academy Frontier Migrants in Delhi Identity Construction Through Literature Date Submitted: October 2011 Focusing on East, West and Southern Africa, each session highlighted key Amount awarded: £234,519 economic, political and social issues whilst also examining the position of Af- KALYANI RAMNATH rica globally. Key risks and business opportunities were also discussed as well ‘We the People’: Seamless Webs and Book Reviews as the role of natural resources and the issues surrounding skilled manpower. Social Revolution in India’s Mara MALAGODI The group were keen to see how the emerging issues could impact on Tata’s Constituent Assembly Debates FABRIZIO M. FERRARI School of Law strategy. David Gordon White, Sinister Yogis Title of Research Project: Mapping Legal Exclusion: Supreme Court's Interpretations of the Right to The feedback from Tata was excellent and it is hoped to run a more extensive Book Reviews ALBERTO NEIDHARDT Equality in Nepal (1990-2011) programme next year. Domenico Francavilla, Il Diritto nell’India Contemporanea, Sistemi Tradizionali, Funding body: British Academy ARKOTONG LONGKUMER Modelli Occidental e Globalizzazione Date Submitted: October 2011 For further information on tailored briefings please contact: James C. Scott, The Art of Not Being Amount awarded: £190,066 Governed: An Anarchist History of AMIT JULKA The Enterprise Office [email protected] Upland Southeast Asia Jaswant Singh, Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence

SHOBNA NIJHAWAN TAYMOUR HARDING Ulrike Stark, An Empire of Books: Ritu Birla, Stages of Capital: Law, Culture, and Market Governance in Late Colonial India The Naval Kishore Press and the Diffusion Research & Research and Enterprise activities are central to SOAS’ The Research and Enterprise of the Printed Word in Colonial India NIZAR MANEK Enterprise Directorate mission. Not only do they enhance teaching and Directorate at SOAS works Rustom Bharucha, Another Asia: Rabindranath Tagore & Okakura Tenshin learning, they are also a crucial part of the services that across the School to secure SHUBHODEEP SHOME we provide to the world around us. Research establishes external funding and income, Wendy Doniger, The Hindus: DAVIDE TORRI new knowledge which extends the frontiers of human to support research excellence An Alternative History Kim A. Wagner, Stranglers and Bandits: A Historical Anthology of Thuggee understanding and informs and sharpens scholarly debate. and to facilitate knowledge When this knowledge is transferred externally it shapes transfer. JILNA SHAH ABDULLAH AL FARUQUE the policy and practice of governments, businesses, NGOs Judith M. Brown, Global South Asians: Ridwanul Hoque, Judicial Activism in Bangladesh: A Golden Mean Approach and informs the wider community. www.soas.ac.uk/reo Introducing the Modern Diaspora RIDWANUL HOQUE Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin, Muslim Family Law, Secular Courts and Muslim Women of South Asia

28 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 29 CSAS SOUTH ASIA IN THE SOAS LIBRARY Connect with Us! Centre of South Asian studies SOAS Library is one of the world’s most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which attracts scholars from all over the world to Announcing a new MA conduct research. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes at the SOAS campus at Russell Square in central London, together with significant archival holdings, special Traditions of Yoga and Meditation About Us Find us on Facebook collections and a growing network of electronic resources. at SOAS The Centre of South Asian Studies (CSAS) is the forum for South Asian-related research activities at SOAS, University of London. www.facebook.com/SouthAsia.SOAS This MA offers an in-depth introduction The principal role of the Centre is to promote, coordinate and to the yogic and meditational The CSAS is on Facebook! disseminate information relating to, the academic study of techniques and doctrines of India, Tibet, Its a great way for you to hear about our activities. South Asia across the disciplines and to act as a resource for China and Japan within the historical academic, governmental, non-governmental and business and cultural context of their formation. Add/Follow us, and stay connected to the Centre. constituencies with an interest in South Asia. Furthermore, it explores the nature of spiritual experience that arises from yoga and meditation through a cross- cultural, inter-regional perspective. Our Events

Classes will be held on three evenings The CSAS hosts a comprehensive programme of high quality and per week with Full-time and Part-time well respected interdisciplinary activities including the weekly public Study Available. seminars, international conferences, performances, film screenings, closed working groups, workshops and receptions. The thematic, but inter-regional, focus of this MA programme promotes Details of the events are available at: the academic study of the different www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/events traditions through the deployment of a wide range of regional perspectives. Its core unit explores the methodological • The South Asia collection includes publications on the individual countries of Keep Updated foundations at the heart of yoga/ South Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan as well meditation practice. The specialist as South Asia as a whole, and on the Indian Ocean (including publications on If you would like to recieve information about the Centre’s components integrated within this MA the Maldives, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Classmarks J- JX activities and research news, send an email with your name to are organised to serve as platform for • Non-European language material includes works in Sanskrit and Pali, Bengali, [email protected] further (MPhil/PhD) graduate research; Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu and the more general components of the Urdu. Classmarks K-KZ Please put ‘CSAS email distribution’ list in the subject header. programme provides those students • Certain countries that are elsewhere classified as being part of South Asia who do not intend to pursue doctoral are held in other regional collections in SOAS Library research with an advanced introduction - Burma is in the South East Asia section; to the physiological dynamics, doctrinal CSAS Annual Review - Tibet in the China and East Asia section foundations, history, regional context - Afghanistan in the Islamic Middle East section. and theoretical presuppositions that You can download the current, and past, editions of the CSAS Annual shaped the traditions of yoga and For a full listing of classmarks and their location, please consult: Review from: www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/newsletters meditation. The programme will www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/finding/location/g-l/ thus offer students (a) advanced knowledge of the background to, and The English language collections include publications on: understanding of, yoga and meditation, from their origin in ancient India to their • Religion, the sociology of religion and translations of religious texts, including on apex in mediaeval Japan; (b) advanced Hinduism; Jainism; Sikhism; and on Zoroastrianism, Islam and Christianity in South skills in research and writing on topics Regional Centres on Social Media Asia. Buddhism in India, especially on the history of Buddhism and the Buddha. www.facebook.com/Centres.SOAS that pertain to yoga/meditation, The Centres & Programmes, the hub for 7 regional • Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and on Mahayana Buddhism in the Himalayan drawing on both primary sources (in Centres at SOAS, is on Facebook and Twitter. kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan. translation) and secondary sources; Add/follow us and stay up-to-date with our activites. • South Asian history and culture. (c) advanced skills in presentation and twitter.com/soascentres • English language South Asian literature (including South Asia diasporic literature) communication of their knowledge of and literature in translation. the topics covered in the lectures. • South Asian politics, gender, caste and human rights. • South Asian economics, development, business, finance, banking and statistics. This MA is taught through evening ADD US / LIKE US / SHARE OUR PAGE / STAY UP TO DATE • South Asian agriculture, forestry, industry and resources. classes, typically running between • South Asian film, cinema and media studies. 18.00h and 20.00h on weekdays, at the • South Asian art, archaeology and architecture which forms part of the Library’s SOAS Russell Square Campus in JOIN THE REGIONAL CENTRES COMMUNITY ONLINE Art and Archaeology section. Central London. • South Asian law, including religious and customary law, which forms part of the Library’s Law section. Further information Editorial/Design: Jane Savory The Centres & Programmes Office is part of the Research and Connect with Us/back page design: Rahima Begum Enterprise Office (REO). This directorate at SOAS works across the If you would like more information, either on the collections or this guide please www.soas.ac.uk/religions/programmes/ Listings: Dorinne Tin Ming Kaw School to secure external funding and income, to support research contact the Subject Librarian for South Asia: Mrs Farzana Whitfield ma-traditions-of-yoga-and-meditation/ Produced by: Centres and Programmes Office, SOAS excellence and to facilitate knowledge transfer. Printed by: SOAS Print Room www.soas.ac.uk/library/subjects/southasia/

30 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 31 Thornhaugh Street Russell Square London WC1H 0XG Tel: +44 (0)20 7637 2388 www.soas.ac.uk