The atrocity of caste. A tradition of reason A song that will be sung

A documentary film, talk and discussion with the director Anand Patwardhan on Saturday 23 February 2013 in the Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS.

The schedule: 9.00 tea/coffee – Welcome 9:30 Introduction – Anand Patwardhan 10:00-13:00 Film screening 13:00-14:00 Roundtable discussion – Q&A

For details, contact: the forum for South Asian related David Mosse, Professor of Social Anthropologyresearch activities at SOAS since 1966 E:[email protected]

Hosted jointly by the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, the Centre for South Asian Studies and the Centre for Media and Film Studies at SOAS.

The film showing and talk is open to theCentre general public. of South Asian Studies ISSUEo 75:uth September 2011 - August 2012 S sia A ANNUAL REVIEW ISSUE 77: September 2012 - August 2013

SOAS, University of London The world's leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East www.soas.ac.uk Letter from SOAS UniversIty of London the chair

elcome to this 2013 annual review take up the position of Director. We of the Centre of South Asian Studies. will be advertising for an administrator W I would like to begin by thanking and a Deputy Director very shortly. Professor Lawrence Saez, my predecessor as Centre Chair, for his leadership over the past I would like to take this opportunity three years. Like him, I too have benefited to share my own thoughts on the greatly from the excellent support provided importance and value of this initiative. by the Centres and Programmes Office at SOAS since I took up this role in January There is a perception in some quarters of this year. None of our activities would that Area Studies is a field of scholarly have been possible without Jane Savory, endeavour whose time has passed. Rahima Begum and Dorinne Tin Ming Kaw. The academic regionalisation of the I am also grateful to Dr Shabnum Tejani, Dr world has been criticised for being Simona Vittorini and Prof David Arnold for driven by political and external concerns serving as members of the Centre’s Advisory emanating from the Euro-American region of study and forge and strengthen Committee this year. world; for drawing arbitrary lines on the academic connections at both individual map in an imperious neo-colonial way; and institutional levels. The societies During the academic year 2012-13 the and for creating conceptual empires that and cultures we study are not passive Centre hosted more than 30 talks and are thought of as homogenous and self recipients of our gaze. Their perspectives seminars, many of which are reported on contained, when in fact they are neither. and theoretical orientations enrich global in the following pages. They included And I agree that we should be wary of SOAS is a college of the University of conversations. Institutional structures that STUDYING AT SOAS seven presentations by our Research statements such as ‘South Asia is a region London and the only Higher Education facilitate interaction and exchange with Associate Kavita Ramdya in the ‘Themes in of great cultural diversity’. Why would it not scholars from the regions we study are institution in the UK specialising in the study The international environment and CONTENTS the Literature of the Indian Subcontinent’ be? This is only a consequence of where we essential. of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. cosmopolitan character of the School make series, the launch of four different books, a drew the lines. student life a challenging, rewarding and 3 Letter from the Chair roundtable on human rights in Nepal with Why a ‘South Asia’ Institute at a time when SOAS is a remarkable institution. Uniquely exciting experience. We welcome students 4 Centres Members a Supreme Court justice, a screening of the However, I believe there are at least two other British universities are creating units combining language scholarship, disciplinary from more than 160 countries, and 38% of controversial film ‘Jai Bhim Comrade’ and very good reasons for maintaining an Area and programmes that focus on India? expertise and regional focus, it has the them are from outside the UK. 6 Members News a Q&A session with its director, a packed Studies framework for much of what we do largest concentration in Europe of academic Area studies have been said to resemble 13 SOAS Library discussion with the famous Indian film actor at SOAS, which was after all founded as an the mandalas of old: they are powerful staff concerned with Africa, Asia and the SOAS offers a wide range of undergraduate, Shabana Azmi, a range of seminars given Area Studies institution, and for continuing and well defined at the centre but vague Middle East. postgraduate and research degrees. 14 Research Associate News by visiting speakers on various aspects of to replicate ourselves in this mould for and contested at the edges (van Schendel Students can choose from more than 16 Centre Events Listing South Asian politics and culture, a seminar generations to come. 2002). Some area studies have a strong On the one hand, this means that SOAS 350 undergraduate degree combinations and workshop on indigenous Indian theatre, central court: most South Asia scholars remains a guardian of specialised knowledge and from almosst 200 postgraduate 17 Event Reports a two-day workshop on the Bhutanese The first reason for doing so is that every work on India, and mostly on north India at in languages and periods and regions not programmes (taught and distance learning) 21 CSAS Research Awards refugee resettlement experience (funded by question has an appropriate scale. For that. But the other countries of South Asia available anywhere else in the UK. On the in the social sciences, humanities and the Open Society), and a very well-attended instance, research on globalisation may are interesting and important too, and a other hand, it means that SOAS scholars languages with a distinctive regional 22 South Asia Research (SAR) talk by Arshia Sattar on translating the often have to take place at a level beyond national frame – reducing the area down to grapple with pressing issues - democracy, focus and global relevance, taught by 24 Centre for the Study of Pakistan Ramayana. I am very grateful to the many that of regional frameworks. Of course we its central court – also constrains the scope development, human rights, identity, legal world-renowned teachers in specialist Centre members who helped to organise must not fetishize the local. But the greater of studies and research, which can very systems, poverty, religion, social change - faculties. 26 Charles Wallace Trusts such a rich and varied programme. the scale of the question the broader and confronting two-thirds of humankind. usefully trace continuities and interactions 28 Muslim South Asia Research Forum more superficial the answers will be, and if across political borders. Hence our decision SOAS is consistently ranked among the top 29 SOAS Research Studets We were also very glad to host this year’s these are not moored in the granular detail to create an Institute whose focus will be higher education institutions in the UK and Charles Wallace Trust Pakistan fellow, Dr of grounded empirical research a project’s regional rather than national. the world. In 2006 SOAS joined the top 20 31 Join the Centre Najeeba Arif, who contributed a seminar findings will be questionable. European universities in the Times Higher during the spring term on South Asian The South Asia Institute will be one of the Education Supplement rankings, and in 2007 Muslims’ narratives of travel to the West, and For instance, do we need to understand first major initiatives to reverse the drift away the Guardian listed it again among the top CONTACT US the Charles Wallace Trust India fellow, Dr the impact of global economic and cultural from regionally-focused studies at SOAS for dozen UK universities, which include other We welcome you to become part of the Milin Awad, who spoke on the topic of the flows on Indian society and the extent to many years. It is therefore an opportunity University of London colleges (UCL, LSE SOAS experience and invite you to learn structure and content of Dalit writing. We which India also serves as the origin of we should seize. We need to make our and King’s College) as well as Oxford and more about us by exploring our website. wish them the very best for the future and globalising forces? I believe so, for all existence as the premier UK institution for Cambridge. hope to see them at SOAS again one day. sorts of reasons. Can we do so without the multi-disciplinary study of South Asia conducting research in India itself? I think much more visible worldwide. We need The SOAS Library has more than 1.5 million www.soas.ac.uk I am also delighted to report that research not. Should we produce scholars with more fellowships, scholarships and posts, items and extensive electronic resources. It students working on Muslim South Asia have the linguistic and cultural fluencies and more research funding, and more effective is the national library the study of Africa, Asia Admissions www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/ created a new Research Forum, which was disciplinary expertise needed for this? Well, marketing of courses. However, we should and the Middle East and attracts scholars all launched on 9 May and will hold its first if we do not then we will simply have to not be under any illusion that the UK This makes SOAS synonymous with over the world. graduate conference in October 2013. The consume the fruits of research conducted intellectual enquiry and achievement. It SOAS Library government will provide much if any of this. www.soas.ac.uk/library/ Centre is very happy to lend its support to by others and resign ourselves to second We will have to seek and secure the support is a global academic base and a crucial SOAS offers a friendly, vibrant environment this initiative. rank status. of others who believe in and value what we resource for London. We live in a world of right in the buzzing heart of London with Research do. I trust that the Institute will be able to shrinking borders and of economic and the capital’s rich cultural and social life on its www.soas.ac.uk/research/ So much for the past year; let us now look The second reason is that it is very beneficial draw upon the same wellsprings of goodwill technological simultaneity. Yet it is also a doorstep. ahead to the future. Next year SOAS will to view ‘other places’ positively as societies world in which difference and regionalism and positive energy that have sustained the establish two new Institutes, dedicated to that have contributions to make to global present themselves acutely. It is a world that SOAS, University of London Centre of South Asian studies over the last the study of China on the one hand and society, rather than merely as locations of SOAS is distinctively positioned to analyse, Thornhaugh Street few decades. Let us look forward to the South Asia on the other. The South Asia problems and threats. Area Studies scholars understand and explain. Russell Square challenges that lie ahead. London WC1H 0XG Institute will replace the Centre of South have the capacity to engage with the Professor Michael Hutt Asian Studies in January 2014, when I will intellectual and cultural production of their

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

Anthropology and Development Studies Sociology Financial and Languages and Professor Martin W LAU Study of Religions Professor Jonathan GOODHAND MA PHD(LONDON) BA PGCE(BIRMINGHAM) MSC Management Studies Cultures of Professor of South Asian Law Dr Richard AXELBY Dr Peter FLÜGEL PHD(MANCHESTER) South Asia [email protected] MA DPHIL (MAINZ) BA MA(HULL) PHD(LONDON) Professor Pasquale SCARAMOZZINO Professor in Conflict and Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religions Senior Teaching Fellow LAUREA(ROME) MSC(ECON) PHD(LONDON) Development Studies Professor Werner F MENSKI Chair, Centre for Jaina Studies [email protected] Professor of Economics [email protected] Dr James CARON MA(KIEL) PHD(LONDON) [email protected] [email protected] BA (TEMPLE) PHD (PENNSYLVANIA) Professor of South Asian Laws Dr Stephen P HUGHES Lecturer in Islamicate South Asia Chair, Centre for Ethnic Minority Studies BA(BATES COLL., LEWISTON) MA PHD(CHICAGO) Dr Saurabh GUPTA Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG MA(JNU) PHD(LONDON) [email protected] [email protected] Lecturer in Social Anthropology PHD(ERFURT) Senior Teaching Fellow [email protected] History Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam [email protected] Professor Rachel M J DWYER Professor Chandra Lekha SRIRAM [email protected] BA(LONDON) MPHIL)OXON) PHD(LONDON) BA MA(CHICAGO), JD(BERKELEY), Dr Magnus MARSDEN Dr Michael CHARNEY BA(MICHIGAN-FLINT) MA(MICHIGAN & OHIO) PHD(PRINCETON) BA PHD(CANTAB) Dr Jens LERCHE Professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema Professor Almut HINTZE MA PHD(COPENHAGEN) Professor of Law Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology with PHD(MICHIGAN) [email protected] BA(HEIDELBERG) MPHIL(OXON) Senior Lecturer in Development Studies [email protected] reference to South and Central Asia Reader in South East Asian and DPHIL(ERLANGEN) DHABIL(BERLIN) [email protected] [email protected] Imperial History Professor Michael J HUTT Zartoshty Professor of Zoroastrianism [email protected] BA PHD(LONDON) [email protected] Ms Alessandra MEZZADRI Professor of Nepali and Library and Professor David MOSSE BA(LA SAPIENZA) MSC PHD(LONDON) BA DPHIL(OXON) Dr Roy FISCHEL Himalayan Studies Dr Ulrich PAGEL Lecturer in Development Studies Information Services Professor of Social Anthropology BA MA(JERUSALEM) MA PHD(CHICAGO) Chair, SOAS South Asia Institute BA PHD(LONDON) [email protected] [email protected] Lecturer in the History of South Asia [email protected] Reader in Language and Religion in Tibet [email protected] Mr Burzine WAGHMAR and Middle Asia Professor Peter MOLLINGA AB(COLL WM & MARY) MA(BOSTON) Dr Caroline OSELLA Mr Rakesh NAUTIYAL [email protected] MSC PHD(WAGENINGEN NL) BA MA(GARHWAL) LLB Senior Library Assistant (Acquisitions BA PHD(LONDON) Dr Eleanor NEWBIGIN PD/HABIL(BONN, GERMANY) and Bibliographic Services) Reader in Anthropology with reference BA MPHIL PHD(CANTAB) Senior Lector in Hindi Dr Theodore PROFERES Professor of Development Studies [email protected] to South Asia Lecturer in the History of South Asia in [email protected] BA(NEW YORK) MA PHD(HARVARD) [email protected] [email protected] the Modern Period Senior Lecturer in Ancient Indian Religions [email protected] Dr Francesca ORSINI Mrs Farzana WHITFIELD [email protected] BA GRAD MSC LIB(ABERYSTWYTH) Nandini NAYAK BA(VENICE) PHD(SOAS) Dr Tina OTTEN Subject Librarian for South Asia and Graduate Teaching Assistant Professor Peter G ROBB Reader in the Literatures of North India Professor Gurharpal SINGH Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Development Studies [email protected] BA(WELLINGTON) PHD(LONDON) Associate Dean (Undergraduate) BSC ECON PHD(LONDON) MA (WARWICK) [email protected] [email protected] Professor of the History of India [email protected] Professor in Inter-Religious Relations Mr Paolo NOVAK [email protected] and Development Dr Parvathi RAMAN MSC PHD(LONDON) BA PHD(LONDON) Mr Krishna PRADHAN Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities Lecturer in Development Studies BA MA(TRIBHUVAN) Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology Dr Amrita SHODHAN Music [email protected] [email protected] Senior Lector in Nepali Chair, Centre for Migration and Senior Teaching Fellow [email protected] Diaspora Studies [email protected] Professor Richard WIDDESS Dr Sarah STEWART Dr Subir SINHA MUSB MA PHD(CANTAB) MA(LONDON) [email protected] BA(ANU) PGCE MA PHD(NAPLES) BA(DELHI) MA PHD(NORTHWESTERN) Dr Shabnum TEJANI Mr Naresh SHARMA Professor of Musicology Lecturer in Zoroastrianism Senior Lecturer in Institutions BA MA(LONDON) [email protected] Dr Tommaso SBRICCOLI BA(OBERLIN COLL) MA MPHIL PHD(COLUMBIA) [email protected] and Development Senior Lecturer in the History of Senior Lector Urdu/Hindi Post-Doctoral Research Fellow [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Modern South Asia Dr Cosimo ZENE [email protected] Politics and BA MA PHD(LONDON) Dr Amina YAQIN Reader in the Study of Religions Dr Edward SIMPSON Economics BA(PUNJAB) BA(SUSSEX) PHD(LONDON) International Studies [email protected] BSOC.SCI(MANCHESTER) PHD(LONDON) Senior Lecturer in Urdu and Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology History of Art Dr Rochana BAJPAI Sandhya BALASUBRAHMANYAM Postcolonial Studies [email protected] and Archaeology [email protected] BA(BARODA) MA(JAWAHARLAL NEHRU) Teaching Fellow PHD(OXON) [email protected] Dr Crispin BRANFOOT Senior Lecturer in the Politics of Asia/Africa BA(MANCHESTER) MA PHD(LONDON) [email protected] Centre for Dr Deepita CHAKRAVARTY Law Senior Lecturer in South Asian Art International Lecturer in Economics of South Asia and Archaeology Dr Matthew J NELSON [email protected] Professor Philippe CULLET Studies & Diplomacy [email protected] BA(BOWDOIN) PHD(COLUMBIA) LLM MA(LONDON) JSD(STANDFORD) Reader in the Politics of Asia/Africa Dr Sonali DERANIYAGALA Professor of International Dr Rahul RAO Dr Heather ELGOOD [email protected] BA(CANTAB) MA(LONDON) DPHIL(OXON) Environmental Law BA LLB (INDIA) DPHIL(OXON) BA MA PHD(LONDON) Chair, Centre of Law, Environment Lecturer in International Security Lecturer in Economics Course Director, Postgraduate Diploma Professor Lawrence SAEZ and Development [email protected] [email protected] in Asian Art BA(CALIFORNIA) MALD(FLETCHER) MA [email protected] [email protected] PHD(CHICAGO) Professor Mushtaq KHAN Professor in the Political Economy of Asia BA(OXON) PHD(CANTAB) Mr Alexander FISCHER [email protected] Professor of Economics BA(LSE) MA(HEIDELBERG) [email protected] Lecturer in Law Dr Simona VITTORINI [email protected] PHD(LONDON) Mr Satoshi MIYAMURA Senior Teaching Fellow BA(TOKYO) MA(HITOTSUBASHI) MSC(LONDON) [email protected] Lecturer in Economics [email protected]

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

Rochana BAJPAI James CARON Philippe CULLET Rachel DWYER Jonathan Michael HUTT GOODHAND Rochana Bajpai presented Lectures/conferences Philippe Cullet organised Rachel Dwyer was on sabbatical in Terms 1 and 2. She Mike Hutt travelled to the USA in March to a two-day workshop on papers on India’s constitutional In addition to SOAS-internal seminars, James was visiting Professor at the University of St Gallen; she Publications serve first as a paper discussant at a con- 2-3 May 2012, ‘Realising settlement and minority rights at Caron participated in a conference in Baragali, spent a week at Brown University, RI, as part of their India Goodhand, J (2013) ‘Sri ference on ‘Everyday Religion and Sustain- the Right to Sanitation Bergen in November 2012, King’s Pakistan on 24 June, whose theme was “The Initiative; she gave the 2013 India-Canada Association Lanka in 2012. Securing the able Environments in the Himalaya’ at the – International and College, London in February Dynamics of Change in Conflict Societies”, and Lecture at the University of Toronto; she spoke at the State, Enforcing the ‘Peace’ China-India Institute of the New School in Comparative Perspectives’, 2013 and SOAS in July 2013. She was co-organized by the University of Peshawar Jaipur Literary Festival including an ‘in conversation’ with Asian Survey vol 53, no 1, New York (7-8 March 2013) and then to give bringing together experts also gave talks on liberalism in and the Hanns Seidel Stiftung. His paper, on the Javed Akhtar. She attended conferences at JNU and the pp 64-72. a presentation on ‘Visual and Literary Rep- India at a workshop on Liberal globalization of historical memory of ethnic from India and elsewhere University of Oslo, and spoke about elephants and cinema resentations’ at the Himalayan Connections to discuss the different Multiplicities at King’s College, conflict and mass atrocities in Afghanistan, was at the National Centre for Biological Science, Bangalore, Goodhand, J (2012) conference at Yale University, 9-10 March dimensions of the right London in November 2013 to titled “Dasht-i Layli: A Global Consensus of University of Cambridge, and Kings College London. Prof ‘Sri Lanka in 2011. 2013. to sanitation, ranging discuss the implications of Prof. Conflict..and Dreams of an Everyday Future”. Dwyer spent most of Term 2 in India where she visited Consolidation and from conceptual aspects Chris Bayly’s book Recovering many wild and captive elephants for research on her book Militarization of the Post He chaired the opening panel of the Brit- to manual scavenging, Liberties and at a conference James also presented on Pashtun Sufi networks on the Indian elephant. War Regime’ Asian Survey ain-Nepal Academic Council’s annual ‘Nepal environmental and health on Liberalism and Diversity and literary mediation at a conference on vol 52, no 1, pp. 130-137 Study Daze’ at the Royal Botanic Gardens, at the University of Notting- “Pilgrims and Politics in Pakistan: Sufism in dimensions. Edinburgh on 18 April. ham in July 2013. In May 2013, an Age of Transition” on 21 May at the Institut Rochana joined the editorial d’études avancées de Paris; and he spoke Further information An orphaned baby elephant is quite a distraction He then made two visits to Scandinavia: first when taking notes board of Oxford Development on self-told histories of Afghanistan to the available at to deliver a lecture on ‘The Political Transi- Studies. In June 2013, with Intercultural Studies program at Bocconi www.soas.ac.uk/ledc/ tion in Nepal’ to the SASNET South Asia sym- colleagues in the Comparative University, Milan, on 15 May. He presented at the events posium at Lund University on 24 April, and Political Thought Research Oxford University History Seminar in June 2013, second to deliver a keynote lecture entitled Group, Rochana organized an on the “Politics and Poetics of Anonymity, the Publications ‘Political and sociocultural developments in international workshop that Interregional Everyday, and Empire in 19th and Cullet, P. ‘Right to Water Bhutan since 1990’ at the Aalborg University brought together colleagues 20th c. Afghanistan”. in India – Plugging conference on ‘Development Challenges in from California-Riverside, Leiden, Conceptual and Practical Bhutan’ in Copenhagen on 29 May. Notre Dame, Oxford, Sussex, In addition to academic events, James Gaps’, 17/1 International Westminster, UCL, LSE and participated in a public panel discussion with Journal of Human Rights Almut HINTZE In between these two trips, he convened a SOAS to discuss methodologies Zuzanna Olszewska (LSE) on Afghan war (2013), p. 56-78. very successful two-day international work- appropriate to the definition of literature chaired by Kenan Malik, on 15 April shop on ‘The Bhutanese Refugee Resettle- this emerging field. Prof. Fred at the Alchemy Festival, Southbank Centre, Cullet, P., ‘The ment Experience’ at SOAS on 22-23 May. Dallmayr delivered the inaugural London. He also organized a conversation with Groundwater Model Bill PublicationS lecture ‘Brave New Horizons: Why acclaimed Afghan short story author Abdul – Rethinking Regulation On 24 July he delivered a keynote lecture on Hintze, Almut. Change comparative political theory now’, Wakil Sulamal Shinwari as part of a reading for the Primary Source of ‘Five Nepali novels’ at the annual interna- and Continuity in the chaired by Lord Bhikhu Parekh. In group, “The Word and the World”, hosted by Water’, 47/45 Economic tional conference on Himalayan Studies in Zoroastrian Tradition. An August 2012 and January 2013, the P21 Gallery in London on 24 April. Finally, in & Political Weekly (2012), Kathmandu, 24 July. Inaugural Lecture Delivered Rochana conducted field-work December he appeared in a Pashto-language p. 40-7. on 22 February 2012 at in Delhi for her new project on cultural program called Dranawi on Afghan Publications the School of Oriental and minority representation and National Television while conducting fieldwork Cullet, P. et al., Water Hutt, Michael. Eloquent Hills: Essays on Ne- African Studies. London: democracy in India. She was in Afghanistan. This episode was organized in Conflicts in India – pali Literature. Kathmandu: Martin Chautari, SOAS 2013, 43pp. delighted to receive a Leverhulme honor of the career of veteran scholar Abdullah Towards a New Legal and 2012. Fellowship for this project and will Bakhtani. Institutional Framework be on research leave in 2013-14. (Pune: Forum for Policy Publications Hutt, Michael. ‘Reading Nepali Maoist Mem- Travel/awards Dialogue on Water Rachel completed work on several articles and submitted oirs’ in Studies in Nepali History and Society Publications James Caron was a John F. Richards Fellow of Conflicts in India, 2012), a book for publication: Bollywood’s India: Hindi cinema as 17(1) [2012]: 107-42 ‘South Asian and Southeast the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies in 118p. a guide to modern India. London and Chicago: Reaktion CHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN THE ZOROASTRIAN TRADITION

Asian Ideologies’ (with Dr Carlo 2012. This grant allowed him to travel to Kabul, Books AN INAUGURAL LECTURE DELIVERED ON 22 FEBRUARY 2012

Bonura) in the Oxford Handbook Afghanistan in December to finalize research BY of Political Ideologies edited by on his forthcoming monograph, “A History of She continued work on two edited volumes: ALMUT HINTZE Zartoshty Professor of Zoroastrianism Michael Freeden, Lyman Tower Pashto Literature; or, Afghan Histories of the • [2014c] Routledge Major Works Collection: Bollywood. in the University of London Sargent, and Marc Stears, August World”. James was fortunate to be able to work (Four Volumes). London: Routledge 2013. in a number of archives and libraries, as well as • The Co-edited [2013a] Keywords in modern Indian

access staff in the Ministry for Information and studies. Edited volume with Gita Dharampal-Frick, Michael Hutt is Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London. He has written and edited thirteen books and over fifty chapters and articles on various aspects of the language, literature, politics and culture of Culture, Radio-Television Afghanistan, and the Monika Kirloskar-Steinbach and Jahnavi Phalkey. New SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON Nepal and the Himalayan region. These include Himalayan Voices: An 2013 Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature (1991, University of California Press); Unbecoming Citizens: Culture, Nationhood, and the Flight of Afghanistan Academy of Sciences, and interview Delhi: Oxford University Press. Refugees from Bhutan (2003, Oxford University Press); and The Life of Bhupi Sherchan: Poetry and Politics in Post-Rana Nepal (2010, Oxford a number of historical and literary personalities. University Press). Prof Dwyer wrote several articles for the Indian media, including India Today, Indian Express, Livemint, and NatGeo Price NRs. 500 India Traveller.

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

Jens LERCHE Werner MENSKI Peter MOLLINGA Eleanor NEWBIGIN Tina OTTEN Rahul RAO Lawrence SAEZ

During 2012-2013, Jens Lerche was Principal Werner Menski was on sabbatical but maintained a busy Eleanor Newbigin has had a Tina Otten has Rahul Rao delivered a keynote lecture Lawrence Saez was on Investigator on the research project ‘Labour schedule of conference participation, PhD supervision Publication busy but productive year on the been conducting entitled ‘Queer Questions’, exploring research leave at the Conditions and the Working Poor in China and advisory functions. He completed his advisory conference front! In December fieldwork in Bisipada, resonances and dissonances between Institute of Political and India’. The project runs from 2011 to role in the FP7 RELIGARE Programme at the University Mollinga, Peter P. 2012, with colleague Dr Kandhamal, Odisha the 19th century ‘Woman Question’ and Science at Academia end-2013. It examines labour conditions at of Leuven (www.religareproject.eu) and submitted a (2013 article in press) Shabnum Tejani, she organised during this academic ongoing controversies around queer Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. firm level in Shanghai and Delhi. The research funding application under the EU Comenius Lifelong Canal irrigation and a one-day workshop on urban year. The research sexualities, at the 2nd annual conference of There he conducted focuses on the garment and construction Learning Programme on Ethnic Diversity and Culture the hydrosocial cycle. history in late colonial South draws on data the International Feminist Journal of Politics, research on hybrid sectors, the core sectors for the working Awareness for Teacher Educators (EDICATE). He The morphogenesis of Asia. Profs. Will Glover and Nikhil and narratives Sussex, May 2013. models of capitalism and poor outside agriculture. The objective is participated as key speaker in a Doctoral Congress contested water control Rao, leading figures in the field first described the development of a to examine underlying reasons for labour at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium (8- in the Tungabhadra Left of South Asian urban history, and analyzed by Publications welfare state in Asia. conditions and labour unrest. 12 March 2013) and chaired a two day Symposium Bank Canal, South India. joined us from the U.S., speaking F.G. Bailey in the Rao, Rahul, ‘Listening to the avant-garde’, ‘Network of Transnational Doctoral Research on Geoforum alongside our own final year 1950s. Tina has review of Lea Ypi, Global Justice and He delivered lectures The project investigates how characteristics Multiculturalism and Law’ (19-20 April 2013) together history PhD students. The event been working on Avant-Garde Political Agency, in Ethics & on this topic at the of labour contracting and labour use with the Department of Law at the University of will take many of the discussion how to translate Global Politics 6:2 (2013), 101-07. Academia Sinica and affect the working poor. The focus is on Luzerne, which was held in the Doctoral School points forward as we begin to the conclusions of at the University of firm-level determinants such as orientation at SOAS. He undertook research for forthcoming form an international network Bailey’s work into Rao, Rahul, ‘Review Essay: Revisiting Nottingham’s campus in of production (towards export/domestic publications and continues to be the editor of South of scholars working on urban the present situation Cartographic Anxiety’, Osgoode Hall Law Ningbo, China. markets), the degree of subcontracting and Asia Research (SAGE, New Delhi). South Asia. in Odisha. A major Journal 49:3 (2012), 575-92. casual labour, and the type of ownership. It aspect of Bailey’s Lawrence also also seeks to identify how labour activism and Publications As well as this, Eleanor monographs was Rao, Rahul, ‘Postcolonial cosmopolitanism: conducted fieldwork public policy on labour regulations and social ‘Governance and governability in South Asian family presented papers at a workshop social and economic making place for nationalism’, in The research for a book protection affect labour conditions, and the laws and in diaspora’. In Holden, Livia (ed.) Non-state to celebrate Prof Christopher change. F.G. Bailey Democratic Predicament: Cultural Diversity manuscript at the role played by regional variations of such law and governance in South Asia and in the diasporas. Bayly’s most recent publication and Tina have in Europe and India, eds. Jyotirmaya Tripathy International Energy policies. (Special Issue) Journal of Legal Pluralism, 45(1) (April Recovering Liberties, held at been engaged in & Sudarshan Padmanabhan (New Delhi: Forum (IEF) in Riyadh, 2013): 1-16. Kings College London; at a lively discussions Routledge, 2012), 165-87. Saudi Arabia. Through one year of intensive fieldwork in conference on ‘Recovering about new 2012-13 the project has aimed to map and ‘Law as a kite: Managing legal pluralism in the context Law in Asia’, organised by research findings. Rao, Rahul, ‘Cosmopolitanism’, in In October 2012, he understand trends within the sectors, their of Islamic finance’. In Catttelan, Valentino (ed.) Islamic the Centre of History and These data will be International Relations: Perspectives for spoke at the United firms and labour forces. finance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar 2013, pp. 15-31. Economics, Cambridge; at complemented the Global South, eds. Bhupinder S. Chimni Nations Geneva to the two-day interdisciplinary by social activities & Siddharth Mallavarapu (Delhi: Pearson, comment on the UN’s The research project is funded by the ‘Author and subject index to IANL Vol 26 (2012). conference entitled ‘Border not described 2012), 195-209. universal periodic review ‘ESRC-DFID joint fund for poverty alleviation Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law, 27.1 (February Crossings: New Directions in by F.G. Bailey in of human rights in India. research’ and includes five co-researchers: Dr 2013), pp. 58-92.[ISSN 0269-5774] [with Maria Jones]. the Study of Gender at SOAS’ detail. The social Blogs Alessandra Mezzadri, Dr Dae-Oup Chand and and also took part in a plenary impact of rituals Sour Lips: A Review’, http://thedisorder- In November 2012, he Professor Terry McKinley, all SOAS, University (ed. with Rubya Mehdi and Jørgen S. Nielsen) discussion on inequalities in like annual festivals, ofthings.com/2013/02/08/sour-lips-a-re- attended the World of London; Professor Ravi Srivastava, JNU, Interpreting divorce laws in Islam. Copenhagen: DJ&F China and India’, organised at lifecycle rituals will view/ (February 2013). Economic Forum’s Delhi and Professor Pun Ngai, Hong Kong Publishing. Manchester University as part be analyzed and global agenda council Polytechnic University. of the AHRC-funded Inequality, their moral and How Many Buddhists Are There in Northern summit in Dubai. ‘Jürgen Habermas: Post-conflict reconstruction, Social Science and History economic evaluation Ireland?’, http://thedisorderofthings. Jens is also co-investigator on a ‘Programme non-hegemonic modernity, discourse about spaces and Research Network. In April 2013, against a changed com/2012/08/09/how-many-buddhists- In June 2013, of Research on Inequality and Poverty in the role of religion’. In Pradip Basu (ed.) Modern social she was invited to speak at an social, political are-there-in-northern-ireland/ (Aug 2012). he organised an India’, focussing on dalits and adivasi. It is led thinkers. Kolkata: Setu Prakashani, 2012, pp. 180-198. international conference on and ecological international workshop by Dr Alpa Shah, LSE. This year funding was ‘South Asian Histories and the environment in which Researching Sexuality in “Difficult” on the topic of the secured from the European Research Council ‘The uniform civil code debate in Indian law: New Legal Archive’ that took place the “administrative Contexts’, http://thedisorderofthings. political economy of and ESRC. The research will commence in developments and changing agenda’’. In Malcolm in the Nehru Memorial Museum frontier” with its com/2012/04/24/what-we-talked-about- energy security. He January 2014. McLaren (ed.) The many faces of India. Law and politics and Library, New Delhi and was governmental at-isa-researching-sexuality-in-difficult- also chaired a workshop of the subcontinent. New Delhi: Samskriti, 2012, pp. hosted jointly by staff of the schemes, e.g. contexts/ (April 2012). about the results of the Publications 136-82. history departments at JNU, employment general elections in Shah, Alpa, Jens Lerche and Barbara Delhi University and Princeton guarantee, On “gay conditionality”, imperial power Pakistan at SciencePo Harriss-White (eds), 2013: ‘Agrarian ‘Islamic law in British courts: Do we not know or do we University. agricultural uplifts, and queer liberation’, http://kafila. Aix. Transitions and Left Politics in India’, Special not want to know?’. Journal of Minority Studies, Center medical support, org/2012/01/01/on-gay-conditionality-im- issue, Journal of Agrarian Change 13(3), 2013. for Minority Studies, Kansai University, Osaka, Vol. 6 Publication empowerment of perial-power-and-queer-liberation-ra- In July 2013, he was (2012): 27-49 [in Japanese] [ISSN 1883-7735]. The Hindu Family and the Emer- self-help groups, and hul-rao/#more-11088 (Jan 2012). the keynote speaker Lerche, Jens, 2013: ‘The Agrarian Question gence of Modern India: Law, post-colonial political at the conference on in Neoliberal India: Agrarian Transition Citizenship and Community. structures have found rising global powers bypassed?’, Journal of Agrarian Change 13(3): Cambridge University Press. a way into the village. held at the University of 382-404 Nottingham.

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

Tommaso SBRICCOLI Pasquale SCARAMOZZINO Amrita SHODHAN Edward SIMPSON Gurharpal SINGH Alice TILCHE Simona VITTORINI

In 2012-2013 Tommaso Sbriccoli has mainly This study examines the relationship Amrita presented a paper Edward Simpson and Marloes In December Gurharpal Singh From April 2012 through to been doing fieldwork in India within the between federal transfers and fiscal entitled ‘Panchayats Janson hosted a day-long workshop was selected as a panellist for the March 2013 Alice Tilche has On May 10, Simona ESRC-funded project “Rural change and deficits in India. The system of federal and Caste in East India at SOAS: Roads, culture and history: United Nations High Commissioner been conducting fieldwork, as Vittorini and David anthropological knowledge in post-colonial transfers has been criticized on the Company Governance’ interdisciplinary crossroads. This for Refugees sponsored debate part of the ESRC project: ‘Rural Harris (University of India: A comparative ‘restudy’ of F.G. Bailey, grounds that it distorts the incentives in a panel on ‘The Law, event took place on Saturday 2nd on ‘Dialogue and Protection change and anthropological Bradford) presented Adrian C. Mayer and David Pocock”, coor- for states to promote fiscal discipline. the State, and India’s of February 2013 with generous Challenges’. The sub-panel knowledge in post-colonial a paper titled: ‘What dinated by Dr Edward Simpson (SOAS). He We analyze the relationship between Panchayats: Past and Seed Funding from the Faculty of focused on the contribution of India: A comparative ‘restudy’ does development lived for 11 months in the village in Madhya transfers, state domestic product, and Present’ at the Law and Arts and Humanities at SOAS. Those faith-based organisations to the of F.G. Bailey, Adrian C. Mayer cooperation mean? Pradesh previously studied by anthropolo- fiscal deficit for a panel of states during Society Association invited to participate in the event new protections challenges facing and David Pocock’. Alice Perceptions from India gist and SOAS Emeritus Professor Adrian C. the period 1990–2010. The paper Annual Conference, were anthropologists, geographers, refugees in the developed and worked among the Patidar and Africa’, at Oxford’s Mayer, who also visited for a few days. This finds a positive long-run relationship Boston, 2013. historians and economists. We also developing countries. This event community of central Gujarat, Annual South Asia Day. was an exciting and extremely productive and bi-directional causality between invited road-builders and engineers. was followed by participation in the same village where David www.southasia.ox.ac. experience, triggering reflections on place primary/gross fiscal deficits and non-plan The result of this unusual mix was in a conference hosted by Pocock conducted fieldwork uk/initial-chapter-pres- mem¬ory, inter-generational studies (and the transfers. Further, a negative long-run lively and interesting discussion Geneva for Human Rights (GHR) sixty years ago. Working on entations-16-may-2013 potential use of anthropological field notes relationship and one-way causality throughout the day. We hope that ‘Expert Seminar on Freedom of the footsteps of an ‘ancestor’ as historical sources), changing theoretical between state domestic product and the workshop will mark the start of Religions and Belief’ attended opened up unique dialogues On April 4 and 5, she paradigms and issues related to the place that transfers is observed, with causality going a greater programme of research on by the United Nations Special on intergenerational memory, delivered a lecture and affections and inter-subjective relationships from state product to transfers. These the global cultures of infrastructure Rapporteur on Religious Freedom. and on the changing life of acted as panellist for the in the field occupy, or might occupy, in our results are confirmed by multi-variate development in South Asia and In this conference heparticipated the village today. During her Indiafrica Shared Future discipline. cointegration analysis, which finds a Africa. in a roundtable discussion on research, Alice explored the key collaborative workshop long-run relationship between fiscal the perspectives of religious themes of marriage, identity, that was held in While living in India, Tommaso participated in transfers, state product per capita and the Throughout the academic year, organisations on religious freedom. and international migration. As Delhi at the Young India two project meetings together with the other primary deficit of the states. The evidence Edward Simpson has continued as in the 1950’s, a ‘good marriage’ Fellowship Campus and project members, and attended a workshop in the paper is consistent with the system Principal Investigator on a major This year, Gurharpal has had to continues to be a crucial India Habitat Centre convened by the Anthropological Survey of of fiscal transfers being “gap-filling.” ESRC project: ‘Rural change and cancel a number of high profile aspect of ‘being Patidar’ in www.indiafrica.in/PEIn- India in Bhopal, where issues related to village anthropological knowledge in events owing to the pressure of rural Gujarat. The criteria for diaCollaborativeWork- restudies have been discussed. Publications post-colonial India: A comparative work. He is however delighted selecting brides and grooms shop04-05April-13-In- Bhatt, Antra, and Scaramozzino, Pasquale. ‘restudy’ of F.G. Bailey, Adrian C. to report that as result of working have however changed, in diaHabitatCenter.html Publications Federal Transfers and Fiscal Discipline in Mayer and David Pocock’. The with colleagues in the CSAS, we relation to demographic shifts, Sbriccoli, Tommaso & Jacoviello, Stefano India: An Empirical Evaluation. Manila, project hosted a double panel at were able to establish the SOAS new values of education, the In March-April 2013 (eds), Shifting Borders: European Perspectives Philippines: Asian Development Bank, the European Association of South South Asia Institute. devaluing of agriculture, and Simona and Dr David on Creolisation, Newcastle upon Tyne: Economics Working Paper Series No. 343, Asian Studies in Lisbon in July the compulsion to have a Harris (University of Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. March 2013. 2012. Emeritus Professor Adrian Publications ‘job’ and to migrate abroad. Bradford) went to Mayer demonstrated that he can Singh, Gurharpal, ‘Religious Besides participating in routine India to carry out Sbriccoli, Tommaso & Jacoviello, Stefano, http://www.adb.org/publications/ still captivate an audience. The Transnationalism, Development and special events (marriages, some fieldwork for “The voice in C. The creole attitude of a federal-transfers-and-fiscal-discipline- post-doctoral researchers on the and the Construction of Religious festivals, the agrarian cycles, their collaborative Bangladeshi refugee in Italy”, in Sbriccoli, T. & india-empirical-evaluation project, Alice Tilche, Tommaso Boundaries: the Case of the Dera the elections), Alice worked research project on Jacoviello S. (eds), Shifting Borders. European Sbriccoli and Tina Otten, are coming Sachkhand Ballan and the Ravidass on updating genealogical India-Africa relations. Perspectives on Creolisation, Newcastle upon to the end of their twelve-month Dharm’, Global Networks 13:2, information dating from the The project aims to Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing: 83- research stints in villages in Gujarat, (April 2013) 183-199. 1950’s through life stories and analyse the rapidly 109, 2012. Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (India). in depth interviews. Through growing Indian interest In January of 2013, all members of Singh, Gurharpal, ‘Sikhs interviews with members and resulting trends in Sbriccoli, Tommaso, “Legal Pluralism in the research team travelled across and Partition Violence: a of the Patidar diaspora, Africa and contribute discourse: justice, politics and marginality in India to visit the three fieldsites. The Re-evaluation’, in Ian Talbot ed., and with Patidar cultural, to the scholarship rural Rajasthan”, Journal of Legal Pluralism, project is planning a packed year The Independence of India and economic, educational on India-Africa 45 (1): 143-164, 2013. ahead of events, film screenings and Pakistan: New Approaches and and religious organisation, engagements. publications. Reflections (Karachi: Oxford Alice also explored the University Press, 2013). wider connections that link Emeritus Professor Adrian Mayer the village (and the Patidar returned to his work on ‘Indo-Fijians’ Singh, Gurharpal, ‘Religion, community in particular) to some sixty years after he first Politics and Governance in India, the region and the wider started the research. He published Pakistan, Nigeria and Tanzania: world. Alice also worked on a an account of this revisit as ‘Rip An Overview’, in Surinder S. documentary film that reflects Van Winkle in Fiji’ in the Australian Jodhka ed. Interrogating India’s on the most salient themes of Humanities Review (52, 2012). Modernity: Democracy, identity, her research - the unsuccessful This piece appears more than fifty and Citizenship (New Delhi: Oxford struggles of a village boy years after his classic monograph: University Press, July 2013). to find a bride and migrate Peasants in the Pacific (1961). abroad.

10 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 11 MEMBERS SOUTH ASIA NEWS SOAS LIBRARY

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which NEWS from attracts scholars from all over the world to THE LIBRARY conduct research. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes at the SOAS campus at Russell Square in central London, together SOAS Library has actively built up Burzine WAGHMAR Amina YAQIN with significant archival holdings, special research collections relating to South collections and a growing network of Asia (covering present-day India, electronic resources. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan Burzine Waghmar Amina Yaqin received Faculty strategic funding Conferences and Sri Lanka) and, to a lesser extent, on co-organised a seminar in 2012 for a seed corn project on ‘Multicultural Amina particpated in the ‘The Worlding of a Lyric the South Asian diaspora. These include on Indo-Hellenic Cultural Textualities’. MT consists of a research group Poet: Contemporary Urdu Poetry and the English publications on and from South Asia, Transactions which was of inter-collegiate UK literary scholars. The Novel’, World Literature, Networks of Circulation in the languages and cultures, arts and convened at Bombay’s K. R. project is a new development in the study of conference, CCLPS, SOAS in December and humanities, and law and social sciences. Cama Oriental Institute, contemporary literature since it brings to bear gave a position paper on ‘Memoir Writing and 19-20 Jan., 2013. This the hermeneutic and theoretical methodologies Multicultural Representation of Muslim Women’s The Library has especially strong gathering brought both of literary studies - materialism, psychoanalysis, Sexualities’ in Multicultural Textualities Panel at collections of films from India, while foreign and Indian academics, semiotics etc. - but also seeks to include insights the Crafts of World Literature conference, Faculty a strong part of the collection is Classicists and Orientalists, and approaches from sociology, social psychol- of English, University of Oxford in September. Indian documentary film-making and to examine and assess a field ogy, and media and communication studies. Our She was a key organiser of the ‘Multicultural If you would like more information, either Bollywood cinema. which has hitherto attracted major presentation this year was a panel entitled Memoirs: Cosmopolitan and translocal Muslim on the collections or this guide please limited attention. Therein he ‘Multicultural Textualities: A Panel of Position narratives of Social trust’, Muslims, Multicultural- contact the Subject Librarian for South Asia: Substantial research collections have read a paper on ‘Between Papers on the Textual Politics of Multiculturalism, ism and Trust: New Directions conference, SOAS Mrs Farzana Whitfield been developed in a range of South Hind and Hellas: the Bactrian Secularism and World Literature’ at the ‘Crafts of in June. Asian languages, ancient and modern. Bridgehead’ (in press). He World Literature’ conference at the University of www.soas.ac.uk/library/subjects/southasia/ These include Sanskrit and Pali, Bengali, was also invited on Feb. 24, Oxford in September 2012. In the Spring term, Publications Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, 2013, by The Hague-based a round table discussion was held with Professor Yaqin, A. (ed) Special issue: Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu Unrepresented Nations and Paul Gilroy at SOAS on the 24th of April 2013 to Pakistaniaat: a journal of Pakistan Studies, Volume and Urdu. Peoples Organization (UNPO) discuss in particular his ideas of convivial cultures, 5, No. 1, 2013.Includes Essay - ‘Cosmopolitan to deliver an assessment planetarity and cosmopolitics. We are working ventures in times of crisis: a postcolonial reading Significant among a number of about the on-going toward a major grant proposal. of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s “Dasht-e tanhai” and subscriptions, SOAS Library subscribes insurgency in Balochistan Nadeem Aslam’s Maps for Lost Lovers’ to the Bibliography of Asian Studies, (published). He has been Amina is a major collaborator for the Muslims, a specialised bibliographic database interviewed regularly through Trust and Cultural Dialogue project funded by Yaqin, A. ‘Autobiography and Muslim Women’s that is a valuable tool for teaching the year for BBC Breakfast the RCUK. The Principal investigator is Professor Lives’, Journal of Women’s History, Volume 25, and research. We also subscribe (Nawaz Sharif’s electoral Peter Morey at the University of East London No. 2, 2013. to the Times of India, this includes victory); Voice of America and the award is £341,000. The new project The Bombay Times and Journal of (Rimsha Masih blasphemy builds on the success of the Framing Muslims Ahmed R, Morey P, Yaqin A (eds) Culture, Commerce (1839-1859), The Bombay case); and BBC World Service AHRC Research Network. Muslims, Trust and Diaspora and Modernity in Muslim Writing, New Times and Standard (1860- 1861) and (Bangladesh war crimes’ Cultural Dialogue (2012-2015) and will analyse York: Routledge, 2012. Includes Essay - ‘Muslims Times of India (1839- 2003) tribunal). the conditions of trust and mistrust in three as Multicultural Misfits in Nadeem Aslam’s Maps overlapping areas of modern life: politics and for Lost Lovers’ The Library‘s Archives and Special Publications society; business and finance; and art and culture. Collections carries some important oral Waghmar, Burzine. ‘Yet Our first major conference was held in June this Review Essay ‘The Poetics and Politics of Memoir material relating to British India and another Stan? Talibanisation year on ‘Muslims, Multiculturalism and Trust: Writing’ Fawzia Afzal-Khan’s Lahore with Love: the Raj. This consists of a collection and Islamic Radicalism in New Directions’ at SOAS which included keynote Growing up with girlfriends, Pakistani style, of cassette copies and transcripts of Balochistan and Southwest lectures by Professor Tariq Modood and Lord Wasafiri, 69, Spring 2012. 82 interviews on which the BBC series Asia.’ What Future for Bhikhu Parekh. Plain Tales from the Raj was based. The Balochistan? Global and interviews were conducted in both Regional Challenges. The Britain and India between 1972 and Hague, The Netherlands: 1974. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), The photographic archive of Christoph 2013, pp. 25-27. See http:// von Fürer-Haimendorf (1909-1995), eprints.soas.ac.uk/16749/ held in the Library’s Archives and Special Collections, includes photographs, cine-film and written materials. Reflecting his fifty years of scholarship, the collection is widely recognised as the world’s most comprehensive study and visual documentation of tribal cultures in South Asia and the Himalayas in the mid 20th century.

Farzana Whitfield (Subject Librarian for South Asia and Development Studies)

12 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 13 RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

MSc Comparative Political Thought

Research AssociatES Starting September 2013 Maha HOSAIN AZIZ Kavita RAMDYA Francesca RECCHIA Sumit ROY Sunil SHARMA Yuthika SHARMA Duration: One calendar year (full- Ms Maha HOSAIN AZIZ time); Two or three years (part-time, Democratization, Development, Maha Hosain Aziz worked daytime only) Militancy; Moral Economy, Kavita Ramdya’s Francesca Recchia has spent Sumit Roy Sunil Sharma was a Yuthika Sharma presented on projects across varied Expectation, Legitimacy experience teaching most of the period comprised presented the Research Associate in a paper entitled, industries and disciplines [email protected] a monthly lecture between September 2012 followings talks: the Centre of South “Pageantry, Performance, Who is this programme for?: in 2012-13. As a part-time series “Literature of the and August 2013 conducting • ‘India, a Asian Studies from 6 or Place-making? The professor at NYU, she taught Dr Mara MALAGODI Indian Subcontinent” research in Kabul for her ‘Rising Power’ March until 12 April Processional panoramas The programme is designed for self-designed, interdisciplinary South Asian laws and politics, has been an inspiring forthcoming book on daily and Africa: 2013. During this time, of Akbar II in British Delhi graduate students who wish to courses on political risk & especially Nepal, India and Pakistan; one - all due to her life of contemporary cultural challenges,’ he mainly conducted 1806–37 “ in a panel on learn about the diverse strands of prediction and political opinion comparative constitutional law; law “students”, a diverse practitioners in the capital of Seminar, CSAS, research at the SOAS “Ceremonial and the City” political thinking in Asia, Africa and writing in the MA Politics and conflict; human rights group of alumni, current Afghanistan. The book, titled The SOAS, 16th library and The British at the 39th Annual Con- the Middle East, and the different Program; she also advised [email protected] students, members of the Little Book of Kabul, is expected January 2013; Library. ference of Association of approaches to comparison in students on MA theses and community and lovers of to be published by the end of • ’India, a ‘Rising Art Historians, Reading, UK political thought. It is highly relevant independent studies focused Dr Alix PHILIPPON India and its culture. 2013 by Foxhead Publishers Power,’:myth On 14 March 2013, held April 11-13, 2013. to students who wish to embark on the Middle East and Asia, Sufism and politics in Pakistan (USA). and reality,’ he presented a talk on doctoral studies in the area of while conducting her own [email protected] The series was not a Seminar, QEH, entitled “’The Errant non-Western political thought. It research. required course and She has been invited as a Visiting University of Eye’ and Mughal is also relevant for practitioners Dr Avril POWELL is ungraded, yet every Lecturer (MA) in Intercultural Oxford, 28th Pastoral Poetry” on working in or intending to work As a global politics columnist Islam in South Asia; Mughal history; month the same familiar Studies, Department of Policy February 2013; his current area of in governments, international for Businessweek.com, she Muslim-Christian relations faces and a few new Analysis and Public Management, • ‘Why we need research. As a result organizations, think tanks and offered opinions on protests [email protected] ones join the discussion, Università Bocconi, Milan (April- China-India of this, Sunil met with advocacy groups who wish to in Afghanistan and the Middle all motivated to meet June 2013). Her course looked comparative several individuals acquire deeper knowledge of ideas East as well as violence in Mali Dr Kavita RAMDYA like-minded individuals at multiple geographies of studies,’ at SOAS, including and values that inform political and Myanmar. South Asian-American Literature, and discuss the country conflict and war, and examined Keynote students, to discuss practices in Asia, Africa and the Literature of the Indian and literature they love. the role that cultural practices Lecture in various subjects of Middle East. As a senior analyst at Subcontinent, Post-Colonial Needless to say, teaching play in terms of reinforcement international academic interest. geopolitical consultancy Literature, Hinduism, Indian at SOAS has been one and resistance, oppression and workshop ‘ He also attended a The MSc in Comparative Political Wikistrat, she helped map Immigration of the most rewarding counter-narrative. Juxtapose: couple of seminars. He Thought builds on SOAS’s wealth out the political futures of [email protected] experiences she had in an Challenges of used the SOAS library of regional expertise to offer a countries and regions for academic setting. In May 2013 Francesca gave a comparative extensively, where he new approach to cross-regional corporate and government Dr Francesca RECCHIA public lecture at the Università research in found several books comparison of political thinking. clients; she also began Creative practices, Urban Bocconi, Milan on the contemporary and journals that were It reframes the study of political developing a new analytical Transformation, Militarisation, musealisation of trauma and China and not available elsewhere. thought in Africa, Asia and the product focused on political Conflict Studies, Afghanistan, the use of museum displays for India,’ Wolfson Middle East as a study of political risk. Kashmir identity formation in countries in College, 27 th Along with Dr ideas and political practices. The [email protected] conflict. In early June, she was April, 2013 Francesca Orsini programme introduces students As a cartoonist, she started invited to the University of Turin and Dr Roy Fischel, to the key approaches, debates, work on The Global Kid, a Dr Sumit ROY where she gave a lecture on the Publications Sunil organized a and questions in the emerging comic book trilogy on global Political economy of the capacity rhetoric of tourism in countries in Roy, Sumit, ‘Global two workshop-like sub-discipline of comparative politics for young readers; of India to become a major power conflict. A paper on art practices governance, the sessions where they political thought. Covering a range over $10,000 was raised on set in a comparative and global in countries in conflict has been EU and India: read and discussed an of thinkers, traditions and texts, in crowdfunding site Indiegogo frame. This rests on its (a) structural selected for the forthcoming RGS challenges,’ special eighteenth-century Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, to cover production costs; economic transformation to boost conference. issue on India-EU Indo-Persian text. All in it provides learning opportunities 50% of comic book sales growth and development and (b) relationship, all, Sunil’s time at SOAS for students to compare ideas will go to education projects strategic alliances with nations/ She is currently coordinating the Foreign Policy was very fruitful and and values across regions and in Sudan, Pakistan, and regions within and beyond Asia to 4th Afghan Contemporary Art Research Centre allowed him to make historical periods. The MSc in Afghanistan via non-profit enhance influence through studies Prize, an educational programme Journal, January considerable progress Comparative Political Thought OneCoin Foundation (OCF). of (i) India-Africa and (ii) India-EU for young Afghan artists 2013, Delhi,India on his new project. will enable graduate students to exchange promoted by Turquoise Mountain, undertake further advanced study She was an active board [email protected] a British Charity engaged in Roy, Sumit. and research in political thought, as member at the OCF and the revitalisation of Afghan craft and ‘Facets of global well as enhance skills suitable for New Silk Road Generation, the Ms Yuthika SHARMA urban regeneration. governance in a employment in multicultural and first e-mentoring program for History of art, South Asian Studies changing world,’ international professional contexts. Afghan universities. [email protected] In the last year she has continued West Bengal her collaboration with Domus, a Political Science For more information and Dr Sunil SHARMA design and architecture journal, Review, Winter application procedures visit: Indo-Persian literature writing several articles including 2013, Kolkata, India www.soas.ac.uk/politics/pro- a long feature on the impact of grammes/msc-comparative-politi- militarisation on urban planning cal-thought/ in Kashmir.

14 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 15 seminar conference film screening workshop book reading ACADEMIC EVENTS lecture EVENT SEP 2012 - AUG 2013 discussion REPORTS

Seminar Series Event Listing FILM SCREENING presentation Dr Audrey Truschke (Cambridge) Play Like a Lion The Continent of Asia: Areas of Interest Charting Frontiers: Sanskrit Literary 15 October 2012 18 October 2012 Joshua Mellars (Director) Royal Society for Asian Affairs/ SOAS and Intellectual Cultures at the Frances Harrison (Author) Film Screening Mughal Court 18 October 2012 21 November 2012 The Untold War Play Like a Lion 17 April 2013 Joshua Mellars (Director) Sanskrit Textual Production for the 16 November 2012 Mughal Elite Dr Alix Philippon (Post-doctoral 22 November 2012 The annual day of presentations about Asia for sixth form students organized by the Royal 26 April 2013 researcher, Institute of Political Studies Cohosted with Britain-Nepal Academic Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA) and SOAS, London University was held on 21 November 2012 Imperial Indo-Persian Treatments CHERPA/IREMAM) Council (BNAC) in the Logan Lecture Theatre, The Institute of Education, London University. The venue had of Sanskrit Stories and Knowledge The Sufi factor in Pakistani Islamism Round Table had to be changed at very short notice due to political agitation over current events in Gaza Systems Human rights and human wrongs during and the SOAS staff are to be congratulated on this achievement. There were present 216 16 January 2013 Nepal’s political transition people of whom 204 were school students, the majority studying for A2 or AS exams but Dr Sumit Roy (School of International Chair: Professor Michael Hutt (SOAS) also some GCSE and mature students and some teachers. The others present were members Relations and Strategic Studies, 8 May 2013 Speakers included: Honourable Mr Justice of the RSAA. A notable delight was the attendance of girls from the Nanyang Girls High Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India) Dr Devendra Sharma (California State Kalyan Shrestha (Supreme Court of Nepal), School Singapore who were on a tour of England and came for the day. The day was chaired India, a 'Rising Power' and Africa: University) Dr Mara Malagodi (London School of by Mr Adrian Steger, member of Council of the RSAA who welcomed those attending on Challenges Claiming back indigenous theater: the Economics), Ingrid Massage (Amnesty behalf of the RSAA and SOAS and described the functions and activities of both and the Saangit, Bhagat and Nautanki traditions of International), Professor Surya Subedi advantages of studying at SOAS. 21 January 2013 North India (University of Leeds) Dr Shihan Desilva (Institute of The first speaker was Mark Tokola, Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the American Commonwealth Studies) 24 May 2013 31 January 2013 Embassy who talked to the title of: “America and Asia.” Mr Tokola was recently Deputy Chief Encounters, Cultural Flows and Hybridity Arshia Sattar (Independent Scholar) Book Launch of mission in Seoul and has had postings in Mongolia, the E.U and London, Iraq and Bosnia. in the Indian Ocean Translating Ramayana Prajwal Parajuly’s debut book, The Gurkha's On the evening of 18 October the Centre In his presentation he discussed the connections between America and various Asian States Daughter: Stories hosted a film screening of the acclaimed with particular reference to the development of democracy and abolition of or reduction 27 June 2013 film, Play Like a Lion. The audience were in poverty. Mr Tokola then discussed very frankly various questions and points from the Milind Awad (Charles Wallace India Trust 22 February 2013 fortunate to have the Director, Joshua Mel- audience. Film Screening and Discussion Visiting Fellow 2012-2013) lars answer questions at the end. The discus- Laetitia Zecchini (Research Fellow at “We’re Indian and African”: Sidis of India Structure and Content of Dalit Writing sion was chaired by Richard Widdess (SOAS). The next section was the every popular “language taster”. Because of the change of venue it CNRS in Paris) Dr Shihan Desilva (Senior Fellow, Institute 4 February 2013 was only possible to have one language tutorial, Mandarin, taken by Lik Suen of SOAS. of Commonwealth Studies, University Arun Kolatkar and modernism in India I: Play Like a Lion is the sarodist Maestro Ali She managed to keep the whole audience happily occupied for an hour learning Mandarin of London and Member of the Scientific The ‘Bombay scene’ in the 60s Akbar Khan seen through his son Alam’s by getting them to play various language games. She placed a girl from the Singapore school Committee of the UNESCO Slave Route 5 February 2013 eyes. As Alam assumes the mantle of his (all therefore having a good knowledge of Mandarin) with each group of four or five English Book Talk Series Project) Arun Kolatkar and modernism in India II: father’s musical legacy, he is learning that his students to act as tutors thus ensuring good mixing. ends are in his beginnings and that he must The ‘many cycles of give-and-take’ set With Kavita Ramdya 23 February 2013 come to terms with playing an enduring old in motion between language (SOAS, Research Associate) Cohosted with the SOAS Department of After this Professor Jon Sidel spoke about: “Indonesia and Islam”. Jon is Professor of music in a disposable new age. International Studies at the London School of Economics and has written extensively about Anthropology and Sociology and the Centre 8 October 2012 for Media and Film Studies at SOAS the Philippines, Indonesia and South East Asia. He introduced the audience to the history and Play Like a Lion illuminates the Khan legacy Rohinton Mistry's "Tales from Film Screening geography of Indonesia, the fourth largest country and the largest Islamic democracy, 87% 21 February 2013 featuring interviews with Carlos Santana, Firozsha Baag" Jai Bhim Comrad of the population being Muslim. His discourse brilliantly drew many themes together with Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay (Goldsmiths The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, blues Anand Patwardhan (Director) pertinent illustrations and provided the basis for thoughtful questions and discussion. College) slide guitarist Derek Trucks, sarodist Ustad 12 November 2012 That Obscure Object of Desire': Aashish Khan, tabla masters Pandit Swapan Desi Porn in the Age of World Wide Web Amitav Ghosh's "The Shadow Lines" 6 March 2013 The first speaker after lunch was Natalia Lechmanova. She is a Country risk analyzer for (1988) Discussion Chaudhuri and Ustad Zakir Hussain. The Standard Chartered Bank having previously worked for the OECD and as financial economist documentary was shot in Kolkata, Mumbai, 5 March 2013 Can Film be used as an instrument for Social in New York. She started by surprising everyone by saying that despite the current economic Rajasthan and the San Francisco Bay Area to Somnath Batabyal 10 December 2012 Change? crisis the long term trend for Asian trade and business was strong. Her comprehensive a soundtrack of Ali Akbar Khan’s music. Creating a middle class audience and Vikram Seth's "A Suitable Boy" Javed Akhtar (Actress) delivery and clear, understandable graphs and charts meant the audience followed her bourgeoise environmentalism (Part I) (1993) theme closely and questioned her accordingly. 11 May 2013 12 March 2013 14 January 2013 Workshop Lou Connelly then spoke about “Serving in Afghanistan.” He is an Officer with the Gurkhas Rashmi Varma Hanif Kureishi's "The Black Album" Nautanki and studying at King’s College London and has served twice in Afghanistan. To explain the Beyond the Politics of Representation: (1995) Dr Devendra Sharma (California State history of Afghanistan, recent political events, the nature of the Country before Russian the Adivasi in Literature University) involvement, then the Taliban and through post 9/11 to now, why there is military mission 11 February 2013 there and what it does is a tall order. He succeeded in doing this and put in perspective 14 March 2013 Arundhati Roy's "The God of Small 22-23 May 2013 what British soldiers were trying and indeed achieving at a local level. His youth, sincerity, Sunil Sharma Things" (1997) Workshop enthusiasm and clarity were clearly communicated to the audience and questions and The Errant Eye' and Mughal Pastoral Poetry The Bhutanese Refugee Re-settlement discussion were aimed at further understanding rather than being combative. 11 March 2013 Experience Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of 21 March 2013 Speakers included: Susan Banki, Ajay The last speaker of the day was Phutsog Wangyal who talked about “Tibet Today.” Maladies" (1999) Pratyoush Onta (Martin Chautari, Thapa, Ellie Ott, Gopal Guragain, Heather He started by asking the audience if anyone present had met a Tibetan; answer no one! This From left: Richard Widdess with Joshua Mellars Kathmandu) Hindman, Ilse Griek, Joseph Stadler, Liana immediately caught the audience’s attention. He discussed in a very level way the political 8 April 2013 The Political Economy of Research and Chase, Loknath Sharma, Mani Thapa, Nicole problems concerning Tibet, the Chinese view and the Dalai Lama’s approach, emphasizing Anita Desai's "Fasting, Feasting" Research Institutions in Nepali History Hoellerer, Sreeja Chokkath Theyanda, that with time both were changing. (2000) Danielle Grigsby Each of the days’ talks was followed by lively, informal and well informed discussionbetweenaudience and speaker. The day finished with Mr. Steger thanking the speakers, those who had participated in discussion and the staff of SOAS for their help, in particular Jane Savory and Rahima Begum. Standard Chartered Bank provided sponsorship for the day.

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

Roundtable BOOK LAUNCH BOOK LAUNCH FILM SCREENING & LECTURE FILM SCREENING with directors Q&A DISCUSSION Human rights and human The Gurkha’s Daughter: Return of a King - The “We’re Indian and African”: Jai Bhim Comrade Can Film be used as an in- wrongs during Nepal’s Stories Battle for Afghanistan Sidis of India Anand Patwardhan (Director) strument for Social Change? political transition Prajwal Parajuly (Author) William Dalrymple (Princeton) Shihan de Silva (Institute of 23 February 2013 Shabana Azmi Commonwealth Studies) 22 November 2012 31 January 2013 5 February 2013 6 March 2013 22 February 2013 Hosted jointly by the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, the Centre On 22 November Professor Michael Hutt This collection of short stories by a new On the afternoon of 5 February guests had On the afternoon of 6 March the Centre for South Asian Studies and the Centre hosted the roundtable discussion on author from Sikkim has been widely and the opportunity to meet the author and A lecture by Dr Shihan de Silva (Institute of hosted a lively discussion with distinguished for Media and Film Studies at SOAS, Human rights and human wrongs during positively reviewed in the Guardian, Times of buy signed copies of his book. William Commonwealth Studies) on the historical guest Shabana Azmi and hosted by Rachel University of London the event comprised Nepal’s political transition. Organised by India etc., and the Centre was delighted to Dalrymple is the bestselling author of In presence of African migrants, the pushes Dwyer. an introduction by the Director, Anand the Britain-Nepal Academic Council the host its launch in the UK. Xanadu, City of Djinns, From the Holy and pulls of migration, their geographical Patwardhan, followed by the screening of roundtable discussion included Justice Mr. Mountain, The Age of Kali, White Mughals, distribution throughout India in the past and In a career spanning 35 years Shabana Azmi the film and Director’s Q&A. Kalyan Shrestha, who has been continuously The Last Mughal and, most recently, Nine today, their diversity, their achievements, has acted in more than 140 films and in the serving as a Justice of the Supreme Court in Lives. He has won the Thomas Cook Travel their cultural continuities and their varied words of world renowned film maker Satyajit For thousands of years India’s Dalits Nepal since 2005. Book Award, the Sunday Times Young British status were among the issues addressed. Ray “is India’s finest dramatic actress” were abhorred as “untouchables” denied Writer of the Year Award, the French Prix education and treated as bonded labour. By d’Astrolabe, the Wolfson Prize for History, 1923 Bhimrao Ambedkar broke the taboo, the Scottish Book of the Year Award, the won doctorates abroad and fought for the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize, the Asia House emancipation of his people. He drafted Award for Asian Literature, the Vodafone India’s Constitution, led his followers to Crossword Award and has three times been discard Hinduism for Buddhism. His legend longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize. In still spreads through poetry and song. In 2012 he was appointed Whitney J. Oates 1997 a statue of Dr Ambedkar in a Dalit Visiting Fellow in Humanities at Princeton colony in Mumbai was desecrated with foot- University. wear. As angry residents gathered, police opened fire killing 10. Vilas Ghogre, a leftist Still from the film 'Voices of the Sidis: An- poet, hung himself in protest. cestral Links' produced by Beheroze Shroff (University of California, Irvine, USA). ‘Jai Bhim Comrade’ shot over 14 years, follows the poetry and music of people The lecture was followed by two like Vilas and marks a subaltern tradition of documentary film produced by Beheroze reason that from the days of the Buddha, Shroff (University of California, Irvine, USA). has fought superstition and religious bigotry. Shabana is the recipient of the Gandhi International Peace Prize 2006, the first Dr Mara Malagodi (London School of Eco- The first film, “We’re Indian and African”: Anand Patwardhan has been making political Indian to receive this prestigious award at nomics), Ingrid Massage (Amnesty Interna- Voices of the Sidis - explores the lives of documentaries for nearly three decades the House of Commons in London. She tional), Professor Surya Subedi (University of the Afro-Indian Sidis of Bava Gor village in pursuing diverse and controversial issues received the prestigious Crystal Award at the Leeds) Michael Hutt, who chaired the event, said Gujarat. Sidi men and women relate the that he had read most of the stories in challenges of their work as caretakers of that are at the crux of social and political World Economic Forum – Davos 2006 for life in India. Many of his films were at one achieving outstanding excellence in the field Chair: Professor Michael Hutt (SOAS) the collection and had very much enjoyed the shrine of their ancestral saint Bava Gor. time or another banned by state television of culture and having used art to reach out meeting their central characters, especially Return of a King is a history which resonates The Sidis also discuss their sacred Goma- channels in India and became the subject of to other cultures. She is the recipient of the Kaali the servant girl with her Bollywood with contemporary politics and reads like Dhammal dance as it is performed for litigation by Patwardhan who successfully International Human Rights award presented dreams, Munnu the Muslim Kalimpong a richly drawn novel. Using previously devotees and for spectators. The film also challenged the censorship rulings in court. by President Mitterand in Paris in 1989 along shopkeeper and his lightfingered young undiscovered Afghan sources, here for gives a glimpse into the spiritual legacy of with Mother Theresa. customer, Supriya and her father Prabin as the first time is the full picture of Britain’s the Sidis through the Parsi devotees of Bava they negotiate their relationship in Gang- disastrous adventure in Afghanistan, which Gor in Bombay. tok, Rajiv and his ungrateful Dasain guests asks: have we learnt anything from history? in Darjeeling, Anamika as she looks to a With a driving narrative and a complex cast The second film Voices of the Sidis: life beyond a Bhutanese refugee camp, of characters- shahs, amirs, sepoys, British Ancestral Links is an engaging portrait of an the Gurkhas’ daughters and their differing generals, Russian ambassadors- Return of a urban Sidi family in Bombay (Maharashtra). fortunes in Kathmandu, and Rakesh’s mother King is the must-read history of 2013. Babubhai traces his ancestry to Zanzibar and The atrocity of caste. A tradition of reason and her dalliance with Mr Bhattarai next reminisces about his work as a stuntman in A song that will be sung

door. Bollywood films. Babubhai’s wife, Fatimaben, A documentary film, talk and discussion with the The book launch attracted a crowd of over director Anand Patwardhan on Saturday 23 February 150 guests and was hosted by Dr James narrates her grandmother’s work in a Hindu 2013 in the Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS. Prajwal Parajuly read two extracts from royal court. Their daughter, Heena, speaks The schedule: Caron (SOAS). 9.00 tea/coffee – Welcome his book, and Mona Chettri, a SOAS about issues of identity in contemporary 9:30 Introduction – Anand Patwardhan research student from Sikkim who studied India. 10:00-13:00 Film screening 13:00-14:00 Roundtable discussion – Q&A at the same college as the author, led off For details, contact: on the Q&A session. After this the floor David Mosse, Professor of Social Anthropology The event, chaired by Dr David Taylor E:[email protected] was opened for a lively and interesting (Institute of Commonwealth Studies and Due to a busy schedule the discussion lasted Hosted jointly by the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, the Centre for South Asian Studies discussion. SOAS), concluded with a lively discussion and the Centre for Media and Film Studies at SOAS. only 1 hour, and by the time the famous

following a Question and Answer session. The film showing and talk is open to the general public. actress arrived the lecture theatre was full. The event attracted an audience of Many guests had travelled across London to approximately 90 people, and ended with a Shihan de Silva (Institute of catch a glimpse of Shabana. drinks reception provided by Quercus, the Commonwealth Studies) book’s publisher. SOAS, University of London The world's leading institution for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East www.soas.ac.uk

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

SEMINAR SERIES WORKSHOP The CSAS is sometimes in a position to RECIPIENTS Charting Frontiers: Sanskrit The Bhutanese Refugee Resettlement Experience support staff and doctoral students with their research through a small grants Literary and Intellectual 22-23 May 2013 scheme. The first round of this scheme Richard Axelby Cultures at the Mughal Court was introduced in 2013 to support a Senior Teaching Fellow, Department of Dr Audrey Truschke research project or part thereof; or to Sociology and Anthropology In the early 1990s, approximately Hindman) and Manchester (Mani Thapa, disseminate research at a conference; Mobility and the Road to Modernity in the 16, 17 & 26 April 2013 100,000 ethnic Nepalis left their homes Loknath Bajgai, Ramesh Ghimire, Ajay to finish and publish research; or for Himalayan region of Lahoul in southern Bhutan and migrated to Thapa, Til Sharma, Roz Evans), while others seed funding to test out the viability of 24 July to 21 August 2013 UNHCR-administered refugee camps cast a critical gaze on resettlement policy in a larger project. Awarded: £400 Sanskrit intellectuals and texts were an in Nepal. 20 years later, none had been the USA (Dani Grigsby) and the UK (Nicole integral part of Mughal court culture and repatriated to Bhutan but more than Hoellerer). Gopal Guragain described www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/ Morgan Davies informed imperial ambitions from roughly half had accepted offers of resettlement relations between local Nepalis and those research/csasawards/ PhD Student - Music 1560 through 1650. Over the course of in third countries. The process of Bhutanese refugees who remain in the Musical Knowledge Of The Langas And nearly 100 years, the Mughals actively third country resettlement is now well camps in Nepal, Liana Chase discussed Manganiyars supported Sanskrit textual production, advanced, The proposed project involves two participated in Sanskrit cultural life, and with 63,000 distinct and fully documented field trips to produced Persian translations of Sanskrit resettled in a Rajasthan: literature. For their part, both Jain and large number 1). 5 October - 10 December 2013 Brahmanical intellectuals composed Sanskrit of scattered 2) 8 February - 21 March 2014. literary works for Mughal consumption locations Awarded: £400 and wrote extensively about their imperial across the experiences. Yet the social, political, and USA and Francesca Fuoli literary dynamics of Sanskrit at the Mughal smaller PhD Student - History court remain a largely untold story in numbers in Changing State-Society Relations in Late modern scholarship. Australia, Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan: State New Zealand, Building and Group Identities Reconsidered Audrey used a variety of Sanskrit and Persian Canada, the Through the Categories of British Colonial texts to reconstruct these largely forgotten Netherlands, Knowledge, 1879-1900. Research costs: cross-cultural interactions. She argued that Denmark, 24 June - 28 June/2013 imperial engagements with the Sanskrit Norway and Awarded: £400 tradition are critical to understanding the the UK. construction of power in the Mughal Empire Najia Mukhtar and the cultural and literary dynamics Research PhD Student of early modern India. More broadly, among Conference Paper Presentation – 7th Global she aimed to contribute to the active resettled Conference Multiculturalism, Conflict and rethinking in many fields concerning how Bhutanese Workshop participants gather on the steps Belonging, 1-3 September 2013 to analyze cross-cultural phenomena, the refugees is in its infancy and most of the Brunei Gallery, SOAS Awarded: £400 internal dynamics of literary traditions, and researchers are working in isolation. The multicultural empires. purpose of this workshop was to provide Narash Sharma them with an opportunity to share their resilience among refugees in the USA Senior Lector in Hindi and Urdu understandings and perspectives, and against the backdrop of an alarmingly high Attendance at the 13th International for the convenors to identify themes and incidence of suicides, Susan Banki raised Pragmatics Conference (New Delhi, 8-13 topics that would lend themselves to an questions about the likely persistence of September 2013) international research project. homeland activism among resettled refugees Awarded: £400 in Australia and elsewhere, and Ilse Griek A seedcorn grant from the Faculty described the impact of resettlement upon Amrita Shodhan of Languages and Cultures and the social practices such as marriage. Questions Senior Teaching Fellow North India, Kashmir, early 19th century. Ink and gouache generous financial support received from of cultural and political identity and on paper with cloth binding. Donated by R.S. Reid. Esq. Panchayats and Caste in East India Company (D.D. Dickson Bequest). the Foundation Open Society Institute generational change loomed large in many Governance, 30 May - 2 June 2013 enabled us to invite contributors to this of our discussions, and we hope that these Awarded: £400 From the Objects of Instruction: Treasures of SOAS in the workshop from Nepal, Canada, Australia, and other topics will become the focus for new Foyle Special Collections Gallery of the Brunei Gallery, SOAS the USA and the Netherlands, and also to further research among resettled Bhutanese Simona Vittorini invite representatives of the UK resettled refugees in the years to come. Senior Teaching Fellow community in Manchester to share their Research project titled: ‘Small but Steady like perspectives with us. I would like to thank my research the Elephant: India’s Exceptionalism and its student Mona Chettri for shouldering the Involvement in Africa’, 16 March 2013 to 7 Many of the papers focused on administrative burden of this workshop so April 2013. various aspects of the phenomenon cheerfully, and Jane, Rahima and Dorinne in Awarded: £400 of Bhutanese refugee resettlement in the Centres and Programmes office for their different locations, including Richmond kind and efficient support. (Sreeja Balarajan), Erie (Joe Stadler), Audrey is currently a postdoctoral research Pittsburgh (Eleanor Ott), Austin (Heather Mike Hutt fellow in History and Asian & Middle Eastern Studies at Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge. She received my Ph.D. from Columbia University in the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS) department in May 2012.

20 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 21 SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH

OBITUARY FOR PROFESSOR J.D.M. DERRETT South Asia Research is an interdisciplinary SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH RIZWAN LATIF WERNER MENSKI (By Professor Werner Menski, SOAS, University of London) area journal for the South Asia region, now Ligaya Lindio-McGovern and Isidor Walliman Shahnaz Huda, Combating Gender published by Sage Publications in London VOL 32 No 3 November 2012 (eds.) Globalization and Third World Women: Injustice. Hindu Law in Bangladesh and edited by Werner MENSKI. The topics Exploitation, Coping and Resistance rofessor John Duncan Martin Studies and related topics. covered include modern and pre-modern IAN GIBSON CONTENTS Derrett, DCL, PhD, LLD (30.8.1922- history, politics, economics, anthropology, BADAR SHAH Yogesh Rai, History as Mindscapes: P 21.10.2012), a barrister and for a The Preface in Derrett’s Festschrift literary and visual culture, language and Amit S. Rai, Untimely Bollwood: A Memory of the Peasants’ Movement Articles long time the major global expert in the highlights that he ‘never follows any of literature. Its primary aim is to give rapid Globalization and India’s New of Nepal Western world on Hindu law and the laws those “schools of thought” or short-lived access to current research work and to Media Assemblage MD MAHMUDUL HASAN of India, passed away at the age of 90 in the academic fashions which sometimes provide opportunities for publication to Marginalisation of Muslims Writers in idyllic village reflect more on the state of these research students as well as to established SHILPI RAJPAL South Asian Literature: Rokeya Sakhawat of Blockley in the Cotswolds. disciplines in the country of their origin scholars. In addition to reports of research Satadru Sen, Savagery and Colonialism Hossain’s English Works SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH than on the true India’ (italics in the original, in progress and book reviews, review articles in the Indian Ocean: Power, Pleasure and As a textual analyst and a student both of p. v). He laid to rest Sir Henry Maine’s rather are also welcome. South Asia Research also the Andaman Islanders YOKO TAGUCHI VOL 33 No 2 July 2013 early Christian and Hebrew literature, and superficial remarks about the development publishes ‘thought pieces’ and interpretative Cosmopolitanism and the Morality of also of the Buddhist and ancient Hindu of traditional Indian legal culture. Above essays that address issues and problems Business Among Navi Mumbai Merchants CONTENTS religious texts, he was working in a field all, he deeply engaged with Indian judicial arising from new research. known only to theologians and scholars of decisions and produced several major R.V. PALANIVEL AND M. SINJUTHA SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH Articles comparative religion. He published some books on Indian family law, prominently SAR now appears three times a year and is Women’s Work and Family Balance: forty-four books. He had a mastery not only An Introduction to Modern Hindu Law available electronically through SAGE, which The Scope for Equal Opportunity VOL 33 No 1 February 2013 ASHUTOSH KUMAR of classical Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and (Oxford: OUP 1963), A Critique of Modern has led to a much larger readership for the Programmes in India Development Focus and Electoral hence a knowledge of Aramaic. He also had Hindu Law (Bombay: Tripathi 1970), and journal, as access figures demonstrate. CONTENTS Success at State Level in India: Nitish a fluent understanding of Sanskrit, and thus The Death of a Marriage Law (New Delhi: SUJATA S. MODY Kumar as Bihar’s Leader of early Hindi, Pali and no doubt of Tamil. Vikas 1978). These may be outdated today, Literary Self-Determination and Articles but inform researchers reliably about earlier Disciplinary Boundaries of Hindi Literature PRAVAKAR SAHOO Duncan Derrett, as he was known locally, stages of development and the difficulties in the Early Twentieth Century SALAH PUNATHIL Economic Relations with Bangladesh: was an active President of the Antiquarian in finding the ‘right law’ in one of the Kerala Muslims and Shifting Notions of China’s Ascent and India’s Decline Society and even published several world’s most important jurisdictions. V.M. RAVI KUMAR Religion in the Public Sphere collections of local historical manuscripts, Community Forest Management in JOHNY STEPHEN, AJIT MENON, JOERI which can be found on the internet. After His collected works in four volumes, Essays SAR is available online at Colonial and Postcolonial South India: NEHGINPAO KIPGEN SCHOLTENS his retirement from SOAS, University of in Classical and Modern Hindu Law (Leiden: Policy and Practice Politics of Ethnic Conflict in Manipur AND MAARTEN BAVINCK London, where he was Professor of Oriental Brill 1976-78), are further testimony of Transboundary Dialogues and the Laws from 1965-1982, he became engaged towering achievements. Religion, Law and ALEXANDRA DE HEERING ‘Politics of Scale’ in Palk Bay Fisheries: in intensive research on complex, often the State in India (London: Faber & Faber http://sar.sagepub.com/ Book Reviews Oral History and Dalit Testimonies: From the Brothers at Sea? controversial questions of theology and 1968) has probably most lasting relevance Ordeal to Speak to the Necessity to Testify comparative religion. His critical scholarly as a historical study and was reprinted in ABDULLAH AL FARUQUE Free access to table of ARPITA BOSE analysis upset quite a few scholars through India in 1998. Ridwanul Hoque, Judicial Activism in contents and abstracts. MICHAEL ROBERTS Kolkata’s Early Chinese Community and his significant findings that Christian Bangladesh: A Golden Mean Approach Towards Citizenship in Thamiliam: Sri Their Economic Contributions religious traditions were to some extent Indian judges, in particular, appreciated Site-wide access to the full texts for Lanka’s Tamil People of the North, influenced by Buddhist and early Hindu his enthusiasm for understanding legal RIDWANUL HOQUE members of subscribing institutions 1983-2010 concepts. decision making processes in the intensely Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin, Muslim Book Reviews plural and messy context of a massive Family Law, Secular Courts and Muslim THONGKHOLAL HAOKIP What is described by those around him as hybrid legal system. Women of The Kuki-Naga Conflict in the Light of VALENTINA GAMBERI ‘the other side of Duncan’s scholarship’ South Asia Recent Publications Isabella Nardi, The Theory of Citrasūtras will particularly interest people at SOAS, Having ended the long wait at the doors in Indian Painting. A Critical Re- for Professor Derrett had a long-standing of the crematorium, as he once wrote to HANNS KENDEL Evaluation of their Uses connection with the Kerala Law Times, a me, Professor Derrett will be remembered Daniel P. Marston and Chandar S. Sundaram Book Reviews and Interpretations leading Indian law journal, until I took over forever, specifically in India, as the major (eds.) A Military History of India and South from him. In 1982, we were both on the British scholar of Hindu law in the world. Asia: From the East India Company to the AKLIMA BEGUM FLAVIO MENGHINI Editorial Committee. That year he published His legacy lives on in his innumerable Nuclear Era Janusz Balicki and Ann Wells, The Pendulum Rubya Mehdi, Werner Menski and the last of his articles at pp. 31-33 of the publications, in my work, and in the many Culture? Integration of Young Muslim Im- Jørgen S. Nielsen (Eds), Interpreting KLT Journal Section on ‘Nullity of mar- young people who are not too blinded by HANNE-RUTH THOMPSON migrants in East London Divorce Laws in Islam riage and change of religion’. This is item modernity to discover today that in bygone Kalpana Bardhan (ed.)The Oxford Indian 397 in a list of books and articles prepared times there was a great scholar of Indian Anthology of Bengali Literature, MAXIMILIAN WITTORF MARIA JONES as part of Indology and Law. Studies in laws in London, a true rishi on the banks of Volume II, 1941 – 1991 Sangita Shreshtova, Is it All about Hips? Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Honour of Professor J. Duncan M. Derrett, the Thames, as it was once put. Around the World with Bollywood Dance Kuehn (Eds), Poetry of the Taliban edited by Gűnther-Dietz Sontheimer and PREETHA MANI Parameswara Kota Aithal (Wiesbaden: Franz In January 2009, a special panel of the Vasudha Dalmia (ed.) Hindi Modernism: JULIA STEINHARDT Steiner Verlag 1982), which speaks volumes first LASSNET Conference in New Delhi Rethinking Agyeya and His Times. Laurent Gayer and Christophe Jaffrelot about this great scholar’s life work. He celebrated the contributions of this (eds.), Muslims in Indian Cities: Trajectories continued to publish some further articles great scholar to the study of South Asian of Marginalisation also on Hindu law, even in the early years Comparative Laws and Social Change. of the new Millennium. However, after his An internet search under ‘Duncan retirement from SOAS, where he had started Derrett’ yields enormous evidence of the working in the late 1940s after some difficult continuing impact of this true polymath army engagements in India until 1945, his and his wide-ranging scholarship. His attention clearly shifted to New Testament

22 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 23 CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF PAKISTAN

012-2013 saw the Centre for the theme of the Indus drawn from her novel The SEMINARS EVENT LISTING Study of Pakistan continue to build and William Dalrymple delivered a lecture conference 2 its profile as a Research Centre on “The Battle for Afghanistan” based on his included

with an Annual lecture, seminar series, film recent book. We also hosted a Roundtable keynote 4 October 2012 31 October 2012 screenings, and graduate student activity. Discussion with Professor Akbar S Ahmad addresses Dr Umbreen Javaid (Punjab University, Launch of Critical Muslim 04: Pakistan? We also raised some funds for our Annual of American University, Washington D.C. by Professor Lahore) lecture by collaborations with the Pakistan on the documentary film “Journey into Tariq Rising Religious Militancy in Pakistan: 15 November 2012 High Commission and the Rangoonwala America” directed by Craig Coinsidine Modood and Genesis and Consequences Critical forum with SOAS research and Foundation. The Centre was also part of a and themed around Professor Ahmad’s Lord Bhikhu taught postgraduates successful collaborative funding bid to the book. Sabiya Sumar’s award winning film Parekh. It 11 October 2012 Professor Ayesha Jalal (TUFTS) RCUK. The Centre’s first Annual Lecture was Khamosh Pani and Sharmeen Obaid- brought Dr Humeira Iqtidar (King's College London) delivered by Professor Ayesha Jalal, of Tufts Chinoy’s oscar winning documentary Saving together in conversation with Dr Asad Ali (Harvard 15 November 2012 University, who spoke on the renowned Face were screened as part of the Centre’s leading University) Sponsored by Pakistan High Commission collaboration with experts from Secularising Islamists? Centre of the Study of Pakistan the Asian Women across the social science/humanities divide Annual Lecture Tongues on Fire to examine the intersections and tensions 6 December 2012 Professor Ayesha Jalal (TUFTS) PROFESSORIAL Film Festival in between different approaches to questions of Alice Albinia (Writer) in conversation with The Pity of Partition, Manto's Life, Times Research AssociatES London. The latter multiculturalism and trust, and to explore the Victoria Schofield (MA. Senior member, and Work across the India-Pakistan Divide included a public possibility of developing mutually informative Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Associate, conversation with interdisciplinary approaches to shed new light Pakistan Security Research Unit, University 23 November 2012 Professor Imran ALI the plastic surgeon on this topic. We will be hosting a second of Bradford) Sponsored by Hurst Publishers History, political economy, agricultural Dr Mohammad Ali conference in 2014 on the theme of Trust and Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River Round Table development and business strategy Jawad. The journal Islamophobia, a series of occasional seminars, Pakistan: Past Perspectives, Future [email protected] Critical Muslim public lectures, and a photography exhibition. 17 January 2013 Challenges launched its Special There are also plans for a documentary film. Ammara Maqsood (University of Oxford) Professor Ian Talbot (Southampton Professor Aamer HUSSEIN issue on Pakistan at Consuming Modernity: Religious University), Professor Anatol Lieven (Kings Karachi School for Business & the Centre. Ziauddin CSP is also a proud supporter of a new Consumption, the West and Emerging College London), Dr Sarah Ansari and Dr Leadership Sardar, along with graduate student initiative MUSA (Muslim Middle-Class Culture in Lahore, Pakistan James Caron (SOAS). Development of narrative traditions in Samia Rahman and South Asia) by three well deserving SOAS PhD Chair: Professor Gurharpal Singh (SOAS) modern Urdu, with a particular focus 24 January 2013 Avaes Mohammad, students working on South Asia including on mid-20th century Pakistani fiction From left: Anees Razzak, Amina Yaqin, Ian Talbot, Ayesha Jalal, James Caron, Paaras Abbas Dr Matthew Nelson (SOAS, University of poet, playwright and Pakistan: Johann Chacko, Francesca Fuoli 9 March 2013 and women's writings from South Asia Urdu writer, Saadat Hasan Manto drawing on performer, read excerpts from the magazine, and Najia Mukhtar. We look forward to their London) Cohosted with Tongues on Fire Does 'Democracy' Mean Different Things in Film Screening & Q&A a biographical focus to develop her central including Taymiya Zaman’s account of her first graduate conference in October 2013. Professor Ayesha JALAL Pakistan, India, and the UK? Saving Face argument of “The Pity of Partition”. This was fear of talking about Pakistan and Taimur TUFTS University Mohammad Ali Jawad (Consultant Plastic a timely intervention in a centennial year Khan’s musings of Karachi. Professor Ian The Centre welcomes new Research [email protected] 5 February 2013 Surgeon) for Manto and was drawn from Professor Talbot’s book Pakistan: a new history was Associates, Professor Aamer Hussein and William Dalrymple (Author / Princeton Jalal’s biography of Manto subsequently launched at Professor Imran Ali. We are also delighted University) 13 March 2013 published by Princeton University Press in the Centre with to have signed an MoU with LUMS and Return of a King - The Battle for Afghanistan Cohosted with Tongues on Fire Research AssociatE 2013. Professor Jalal also engaged in an a lively panel look forward to working closely with our Film Screening & Q&A open conversation with graduate students discussion colleagues in Pakistan. 7 February 2013 Khamosh Pani Dr Matthew MCCARTNEY and faculty at SOAS working in the field of featuring the Dr James Caron (SOAS, University of Sabia Samar (Director) Oxford University South Asian Studies. Manto continues to author, Dr I am very grateful to members of the Centre’s London) Economics, development economics, inspire a new generation of SOAS students Sarah Ansari steering committee for their support and Informality, Islam, and Public Opinion on 21 March 2013 political economy of India and and a theatrical production of “Tales of and members contribution throughout the year and to the Inter-Peripheries of South Asia Cohosted with the Muslims, Trust and Pakistan since 1947; the state and late 1947”, directed by one of our undergraduate of the Centre. our administrative team in the Centres and Cultural Dialogue industrialisation, the fundamental and students Marta Schmidt with moving The session Programmes office without whom none of 7 March 2013 Panel Discussion proximate determinants of economic live music brought a creative and artistic highlighted our activities would be possible. I wish to Dr Abu-Bakar Ali Muslims, Trust and Cultural Dialogue - a growth dimension to the Centre’s fold. key elements extend my appreciation to Nick Butler for his ‘Without him life loomed like a void’- collaboration with the Dialogue Society, [email protected] from the book timely support this year. A special mention Romance, Agency and the Play of SOAS and UEL Our seminar series included talks by including goes to Evan Hancock and his team in the Imagination in Qaisra Shahraz’s The Holy Speakers included: Abbey (Semitic Dr Humeira Iqtidar (King’s College) on governance, Careers office for working tirelessly on the Woman Art London), Anwar Akhtar (Director, ‘Secularising Islamists’, Dr Ammara Maqsood education, internships programme for students on the Samosa), Kristiane Backer (Writer and (University of Oxford) on ‘Religious minorities and future challenges for Pakistan. MA in the Study of Contemporary Pakistan. 14 March 2013 Television Presenter) andMakhdum Chishty consumption and emerging middle class Robert Ivermee (Commander, London Metropolitan Police) culture in Lahore’, Dr Matthew Nelson Dr Yaqin on behalf of CSP was successful The Centre is unique in the UK and at State and community revisited:Islamic debating whether democracy means in a collaborative funding bid made to the SOAS we have a depth of scholars working education in later nineteenth century Punjab 1-2 June 2013 different things in India, Pakistan and the RCUK with Principal Investigator, Professor on the region across disciplines. We are Cohosted with the Muslims, Trust and UK, ‘nineteenth-century Muslim travel Peter Morey on the theme of Muslims, Trust developing a resource pool in the Centre that Cultural Dialogue narratives’ by Dr Najeeba Arif (Charles and Cultural Dialogue. This project will run is of significance to colleagues, the wider Conference Wallace Trust Pakistan Visiting Fellow), Dr for 3 years and has been awarded a sum of academic world and local communities. I Muslims, Multiculturalism and Trust: New Robert Ivermee on ‘Islamic education in £ 341,000. In the first year of the project we have learned a lot from colleagues, both Directions late nineteenth century Punjab’, Dr James have held 2 Roundtable discussions and an internal to SOAS and external and I am Participants include: Rehana Ahmed, Valerie Caron on ‘Informality, Islam and public open seminar with the Dialogue society on encouraged by their support for the Centre. Amiraux, Claire Chambers, Sohail Daulatzai, opinion on the interperipheries of South the themes of Trust in politics, business and Our challenge for the immediate future is Rumy Hasan, Salah Hassan, Tony Laden, Asia’ and Dr Abu Bakar Ali on ‘Romance, finance and the arts and community. Our to continue building our collaborations, Alana Lentin, Nasar Meer, Tariq Modood, Agency and the Play of Imagination” in first major conference took place in June partnerships and bids for new projects that Anshuman Mondal, Peter Morey, Stephen Qaisra Shahraz’s writings. The writer Alice this year and was on the theme of “Muslims, will sustain the Centre in future years and take Morton, Jorgen Nielsen, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Albinia spoke with Victoria Schofield on the Multiculturalism and Trust: New Directions”. us toward new directions. Amina Yaqin Amina Yaqin

24 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 25 CHARLES WALLACE TRUST FELLOWSHIPS

End of Fellowship Report from Calcutta with all of them, embarking End of Fellowship Report During my stay I did not confine myself to Charles Wallace Pakistan Fellowship upon Morse, Europa, Isabella and what not. Charles Wallace India Fellowship the surrounding environment, I visited the Suffering the sea-sickness, watching the universities of great repute of the UK such as 2012-2013 2012-2013 flying fish, wandering through St. Helena Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and Essex. These Dr Najeeba Arif Dr Milind Eknath Awad and the Cape of Good Hope, reaching the visits helped me to understand not only the (International Islamic University, Islamabad) (Jawaharlal Nehru University) shores of England and finally getting lost university life, but also the cultural life to in the curiosities and wonders of Vilayat…… which these cities exposed me. pplying for the Charles Wallace would like to pay my gratitude My problem was two-fold. I had to identify Along with this, I would also like to write Fellowship? Why? What for? The to the Charles Wallace India myself with the view and the viewer both. I a few words about my interactions with A other set of questions: Going to Fellowships (CWIT) at SOAS, was looking at London with the eyes of our I academics of SOAS, particularly with Prof. London? In this busiest period of the year? London for awarding me the prestigious upper and middle class South Asian Muslims David Mosse. I had heard a lot about Prof. Who will take your classes? Have you fellowship for the year 2012-13. For me as a of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Mosse before I saw him in London, but thought about your research students? Do Charles Wallace fellow for 2012-13 at SOAS, But also was observing these ‘exotic Indians’ seeing him in person and interacting with you have enough leave balance? You will London, has been both intellectually and as viewed by the nationals of the greatest formalities of a Professor and a Scholar. him was a very enriching and rewarding have to suffer a few set-backs! Beware! culturally most empowering experience. political and economic power of the age. I Daniela Bredi is more than a professional experience. Prof. Mosse’ contribution The last blow: Mama…? Going alone? Not The stay, which filled me immensely with had to go through an immense shock and contact now. Tim Buchard, Secretary to the Anthropology in India is not only fair..!!! intellectually rewarding experience, sadly an amused awe. I was dissecting myself…. Charles Wallace Trust took time to attend widely recognized but also seminal which lasted only for two months (May to July). The two months stay which I believe is My collective, national, religious and the seminar at SOAS and encouraged me clearly reflected from his interactions with Against all these odds, I reached London on The intellectually exciting stay showered me very short to explore the truly vibrant historical self! with his kind and comforting remarks. us. Dialogue with Prof. Michael Hutt was 29th December 2012, when it was all closed with a warm and lovely weather that made and cosmopolitan city of London which During my stay at SOAS, I attended capacity also intellectually encouraging. I am really for the Christmas! (I got a better airfare London one of the most exciting cities in is intellectually as well as academically The formal requirement for the fellowship building workshops, lectures and seminars thankful of the Center and the Programmes deal). the United Kingdom. During my short-lived stimulating city. During my stay I used the was a seminar at SOAS but informally, the in different departments, talked to students Office at SOAS. Ms Jane Savory has been stay I visited various places of immense British Library and SOAS library regularly. CW Fellow is expected to get exposure to and faculty members and particularly met of immense help; ever ready to answer my London was and remained wet, cold, windy, repute such as the British Museum, Science One of the most notable things that I found the western scholarship through meeting Prof. Christopher Shackle and Prof. Javed snowy and unpredictable but never hostile Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, the in the British Library was its preservation people, interacting with the scholars, Majeed. It all added to my information, and disappointing. SOAS, my host institution London film Museum, National Gallery, of old manuscripts, historically significant academics and researchers and becoming knowledge and insight. had the warmest faces of Jane Savory and the Saatchi Gallery, the British Parliament, documents, Shakespeare’s own first folio a part of a plural academic and social Rahima Begum… always there to help, guide and immense collection of books. life in Britain. I tried my best to avail the This visit also gave me a wonderful and facilitate. Michael Hutt, the new Chair, I also went through the rich opportunity to the maximum by giving five opportunity to observe closely the South center of South Asian Studies and James collection of various books and formal talks at multiple universities and Asian Diaspora in Europe and to get familiar Caron, Lecturer in Islamicate South Asia, reports maintained and preserved organizations including SOAS, the University with the literary themes and devices being further alleviated my stay and research. painstakingly by the section ‘India of Edinburgh, the University of Heidelberg, adopted by the Urdu writers and poets living References to the books, addresses of the Office records’ which introduced the University of Rome and the Yorkshire in the western societies. Interaction with senior scholars, registration of the libraries, me to the vast collection Literary forum, addressing and reciting the renowned literary figures in London, coffee, lunch and chit-chat, everything was on contemporary colonial poetry at an auspicious gathering of Bazm i Bradford, Dewsbury and Edinburgh was a delicious, tasteful and enlightening. administration and its conception of Urdu (Urdu Society) in Edinburgh, presiding treat and I cherish all these events. Francesca Orsini proved to be such a rules and regulation in the context the Women’s Day Mushaira at Leeds and blessing, she introduced me to Richard of contemporary India. I got access meeting the renowned Urdu posts and All of this and much more is a part of a Harris and gave a successful clue to one to various manuscripts and policy writers of London. whole collective experience, a collage of the rare manuscripts, I was looking for made up of the glimpses of the city, documents as well as private papers since long. Amina Yaqin and Naresh Sharma which helped me to understand the During these seminars far-fetched voices of dhol and tabla were a relief to my exhausted tongue….I recognition of various social groups and talks, I felt from the music room, a sudden soft loved speaking Urdu and Punjabi with them through administrative categories myself privileged of and cool touch of snowflakes at respectively. And of course, sharing their in India. addressing learned and the forehead, the quietness in the experiences, knowledge and insight added cognizant audience, reading rooms, the exotic odor of the The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, in the British Museum, meaning to our conversation. is the largest covered public square in Europe During this period I participated eager for giving centuries-old manuscripts and books, in many interesting seminars thought-provoking the sweet bitterness of hot coffee, the But the best part of my visit, for which I owe and conferences in SOAS, feedback, raising hustle and bustle at the underground a lot of gratitude to the Charles Wallace and the London Eye. I truly believe this University College of London (UCL), and intricate questions and stations and the grey stone-floors Trust and the British Council Pakistan, is experience has enriched my academic London School of Economics (LSE) which encouraging generously. of the narrow streets, letting us walk clarifications and queries. Thank you Ms my access to thousands of rare books, growth as well as cultural life. helped me to extend my academic and Heidelberg was through the corridors of history. It Jane Savory! Thanks are also due to the staff manuscripts, records, documents, maps and While walking on the London Roads intellectual interest in larger contexts. One glowing in the warm was a tremendous encounter of the members of Ms. Jane’s office for facilitating photos. It was such a unique experience that particularly in central London seeing of such examples could be the seminar hospitality of Christina yesterday and today, the margin and CWIT process. enabled me to re-live the past, while sitting ‘London plaques’ and revisiting cultural titled ‘Negotiating Gender & Caste in Oesterheld and Amtul the center and the East and the west. in the Special collections and Archives heritage of London city, I could see higher education’ in University College of Manan Tahir. In the It has enriched my soul, enlightened Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Richard Reading Rooms of the Bodleian Library, spontaneous street artist, exploring glorious London on 27 June and my presentation University of Edinburgh, I was welcomed my mind and delighted my heart. Aflord, Secretary, Charles Wallace India Trust, SOAS, British library, National Library of markets and various boutique shops and in the Annual General Meeting of the Dalit and facilitated by Prof. Crispin Bates, Prof. who has been of a very great support during Scotland and the Library of the University of restaurants. This enriching experience Solidarity Network at a Methodist church, Patricia Jeffery and Prof. Marilyn Booth, with I am leaving London when it is enjoying my stay. I was amazed at the amount of the Edinburgh. made me realize that London is truly an London on 2 July 2013. Events like these whom I discussed my research interests, the Easter holidays. The weather is still the information, interest, engagement, that Mr. international city that nestles with rich and presented me with many opportunities that future plans and prospects of any possible same, windy, snowy and unpredictable but Richard Aflord invests in fellows. I had the The topic of my research was: The West in diversified cultures representing various facilitated my interactions with members academic collaboration. At the seminar in London has its own warmth and passion. pleasure of many warm interactions with Mr. South Asian Muslim Discourse: A Study of parts of the world. of London-based-civil-society groups, the University of Rome, the ambassador of I have packed a part of it in my luggage. Alford during my visits and he always looked Urdu Travelogues, Notes and Letters (1757- parliamentarians and academicians. These Pakistan in Italy, Her Excellency Tehmani Thanks to Arif, my husband, who has joined out for me with care. 1857). engagements have immensely enriched my Janjua took the initiative and graced the me in the last two weeks of my stay and academic and intellectual pursuits. occasion along with the Defense attaché managed to celebrate our 21st wedding It was like diving the Desert Rivers of and other staff. But the most memorable anniversary together. Excess luggage is not a Oblivion and Memory simultaneously, part of the trip was discovering the problem anymore. I have bags full of books, forgetting where I was and being where tender heart of a friend behind the official manuscripts, notes and memories, sufficient I never have been. I travelled to London enough to keep me engaged for years.

26 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 27 MUSLIM SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH Students RESEARCH FORUM SEP 2012- AUG 2013

he Muslim South Asia Research MUSA held its Launch Event and first Sanaa ALIMIA Pragya DHITAL Hannah Katie JENKIN Forum (MUSA) is a PhD-led initiative networking event at SOAS on 9 May Afghans in Pakistan: Reworking Paper Chains: An Investigation of Organizing Transnational Yoga: T founded in March 2013 and 2013. The evening reported an excellent Citizenship and Sources of Translingual Commerce in Institutionalization, Globalization currently run by three SOAS PhD students: turnout, with around 50-60 PhD students Political Power, 1978-2009 North Indian Print Media and Complexity Najia Mukhtar (Politics), Francesca Fuoli and academics coming from SOAS, Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON Supervisor: Dr Rochana BAJPAI Supervisor: Dr Peter FLUGEL (History) and Johann Chacko (Politics). LSE, King’s College and other major London universities. Professor Werner Sandhya BALASUBRAHMANYAM Ahmet Riza EMIROGLU Akhil KATYAL The aim of the MUSA is to provide an Menski introduced the event by giving an Rent Creation, Political Clientelism The Exploration of the Idea of Emanation Same-Sex Desire and Ideas of international networking and research- inspiring address about the importance of and the Indian Telecom Sector through the Comparison between the the Self in Modern India exchange platform for research students and researching Muslim law in South Asia. The Supervisor: Professor Mushtaq KHAN Islamic and Indian Philosophies with Special Supervisor: Dr Amina YAQIN MUSA Launch Event was funded by the Reference to Ibn Sīnā and Abhinavagupta SOAS Doctoral School and the CSAS. Priyanka BASU Supervisor: Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG Adeeba KHAN Title TBC and Dr Whitney COX Democracy in the context of clientelism: Supervisor: Professor Francesa Orsini, Dr the impact of electoral laws in Bangladesh Nick GRAY and Professor Rachel DWYER Anaïs da FONSECA Supervisor: Dr A Fischer The Exploration of the Idea of Emana- Adam BENKATO tion through the Comparison between the Masum KHAN The Manichaen - Sogdian Parable book. Text Islamic and Indian Philosophies with Special D. H. Lawrence and the post-Tagore edition and literary analysis Reference to Ibn Sīnā and Abhinavagupta writers of Bengali literature Supervisor: Professor Almut HINTZE Supervisor: Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG and Dr Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Whitney COX Nagasena BHIKKHU Mehrbod KHANIZADEH The Significance of the Sima Aruna Gauri PANDEY The Avesta and Pahlavi versions (Monastic Boundary) in Burmese The Challenge of ‘Anomie’: Issues of Identity of the Hom Yasht Werner Menski second from left and Bangladeshi Buddhism for Christian Converts from Islam in Pakistan Supervisor: Professor Almut HINTZE Supervisor: Dr Kate CROSBY Supervisor: Dr Subir Sinha Currently, the MUSA committee is Preeti KHOSLA organizing the ‘First Muslim South Asia Rupa CHAKRABORTY Timothy GREEN A Study of the Visual Language of the Annual Graduate Conference’, to be Sylheti: A comparison between Institutional Models to Resolve Conflicts Indigenous Styles of Book Painting in North hosted at SOAS on 28 October 2013. The Standard Bangla and one of its over Natural resource governance in India: India during the Sultanate period From left: Francesca Fuoli, conference aims to bring together at SOAS major regional forms The Role of Solidarity Economy (1414-1525 AD) Johann Chacko and Najia Mukhtar young scholars and academics to showcase Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Supervisor: Dr Kate ZEBIRI and Supervisors: Professor Doris Behrens fresh research and thinking in this field and Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG ABOUSEIF early career researchers working on Muslim contributing towards making SOAS a centre Mayurika CHAKRAVORTY societies in South Asia. The focus of the for vibrant and innovative research. Enchantment and the politics of subversion: Syed Asif HAIDER Sujith KOONAN forum is interdisciplinary and encompasses a study of fantasy fiction in Bengali Muslim modernities on the Hindi Screen Realising the Right to Sanitation in India: work that transcends communal and Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Supervisor: Professor Rachel DWYER A Study of Conceptual Framework and national boundaries (e.g. culture, language, Implementation Challenges external changes and interventions), or Mona CHETTRI Eleanor HALSELL Supervisors: Professor P. CULLET focuses on their intersections (e.g. on Identity Politics in the Eastern Himalayas German Orientalism, Indian Occidentalism: both Muslim and non-Muslim minorities Supervisor: Professor Michael HUTT cinematic collaboration up to 1939 Priya KUMAR and the relationship with the majority). CONTACT DETAILS Supervisor: Professor Rachel DWYER Wireless Platforms and Borderless Geographically it comprisesAfghanistan, Debojyoti DAS Grievances: An Analysis of Transnational Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Email: [email protected] Contested Development: Problems and Kendel HANNS BJOERN Diaspora Linkages Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, including their Web: www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/musa/ Dilemmas in Sustainable Jhum The role of Anti-Terrorism legislation- The Supervisors: Fiona ADAMSON and diasporic communities around the world. Redevelopment in Nagaland case study of recent Indian experience Rahul RAO Facebook: www.facebook.com/MusaResarchForum Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE Supervisor: Dr A FISCHER Lidia Jolanta LEWANDOWSKA-NAYAR Tara Desjardins Wei-Lun HUANG Place and role of Narottama Dasa Thakura Studies on Mughal Glass The two-level games of policy network and in the development of Bengali Vaishnavism Supervisor: Professor Anna CONTADINI regional institutions: a network analysis of (draft title) India’s foreign economic policy, 1991-2011 Supervisor: Dr William RADICE Jean-Philippe DEQUEN Supervisor: Professor Lawrence SAEZ Pluralism or plurality: An assessment of Zaad MAHMOOD the legal strategies regarding Muslim Dhivya JANARTHANAN Determinants of labour reform in India succession law in contemporary India Anthropology of Space and Supervisor: Professor Lawrence SAEZ Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI Dominance in Southern India Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE Emma Martin Charles Bell: A Collector in Tibet Supervisor: Dr Crispin Branfoot

28 SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SOAS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 29 CSAS RESEARCH Students SEP 2012- AUG 2013 Connect with Us!

Rastin MEHRI Centre of South Asian studies The Zoroastrians of British Columbia Lucas ROBINSON Priyadarshini SINGH Supervisor: Professor Almut HINTZE New Cities, New Phones, New Politics: Title TBC Accounting for Political Leadership among Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON Farah MIHLAR Transnational Afghans and Somalis and Dr Rochana BAJPAI About Us Find us on Facebook Islamic Fundamentalism amongst Supervisor: Professor Matthew NELSON the Muslims of Sri Lanka Chinmay SHARMA The Centre of South Asian Studies (CSAS) is the forum for South Supervisor: Dr Jan-Peter HARTUNG Rashi ROHATGI The Mahabharata re-constructions from Asian-related research activities at SOAS, University of London. www.facebook.com/SouthAsia.SOAS Abhimanyu Unnuth and the World of South Asia: Mapping the field of cultural The principal role of the Centre is to promote, coordinate and Leena MITFORD Mauritian Hindi Poetry reproduction of an epic The CSAS is on Facebook! disseminate information relating to, the academic study of 19th century Urdu literature Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI Professor Francesa Orsini, Dr Nick GRAY Its a great way for you to hear about our activities. 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Examining Spaces Jaspreet SANGHERA Struggling with culture in an Adivasi well respected interdisciplinary activities including the weekly public of Religious Tolerance in Contemporary Hindu, Urdu and Punjabi literature written by Museum of western India seminars, international conferences, performances, film screenings, Pakistani Society women on Post – Partition Delhi, UP, Punjab Supervisor: Professor David MOSSE closed working groups, workshops and receptions. Supervisor: Dr Matthew NELSON and Lahore, 1949-1959 Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI Krishna Prasad UPADHYAYA Details of the events are available at: Sruthi MURALEEDHARAN International Humanitarian Law and www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/events Symbolic Encounters: Identity, performance Patricia SAUTHOFF Vulnerability: the Tharu experience and democratic subjectivity in India Open secrets and the retention of power in of Nepal’s internal conflict Supervisors: Dr Rochana BAJPAI and Dr 10th to 13th century Kashmir Śaivism Supervisor: Professor Michael HUTT Keep Updated Rahul RAO Supervisor: Dr Francesca ORSINI Manpreet VIRDI Samani Pratibha Pragya Shamaila SARWAR Contesting and constructing If you would like to recieve information about the Centre’s Prekṣā Dhyāna: History and Practice The life and works of the twentieth legal consciousness in multicultural activities and research news, send an email with your name to Supervisor: Dr Peter FLÜGEL century Pakistani Islamic mystic, contexts: immigrant sikh women [email protected] Sufi Abu Anees Barkat Ali (d. 1997), in Canada Usman QADIR and the origins and development of Supervisor: Professor Werner F MENSKI Please put ‘CSAS email distribution’ list in the subject header. 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