The 45th Annual Conference on South Asia October 20-23, 2016 This photography exhibit explores the Ramlila tradition in north-central India, but especially October 20, 2016 Dear Conference Participants! Welcome to Madison, Wisconsin for the 45th Annual Conference on South Asia! This year we are delighted to host over 750 registered participants, 12 preconferences, 156 panels, 6 association meetings, 10 exhibitors, and a variety of special events. This year’s conference theme, decay, is a common thread connecting many panels, the Joseph W. Elder Keynote Lecture, Thursday night’s Jadoo Magic Show, Friday night’s Kathakali performance, Saturday’s Plenary session, and other special events happening throughout the next four days. We are pleased to introduce a number of new features and events in 2016. Early on Friday morning, conference chair Mitra Sharafi will host a New Attendee Welcome. This informal gathering will give conference newcomers a chance to meet and to orient themselves over coffee and scones. Our poster session, scheduled for Saturday evening, will showcase new research in a fresh format. It will give scholars the chance to present their findings in visual form and through one-on-one conversations. And on Sunday, the OpEd Project will host a workshop (for selected applicants) on writing and pitching opinion pieces. We remind you that the safety and well-being of all visitors to the UW-Madison campus and the Annual Conference on South Asia are important to us. In accordance with UW-Madison policy, the Annual Conference aims to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment to everyone, and does not condone discrimination on the grounds of race and ethnicity; sex; gender, and gender identity or expression; marital status; age; sexual orientation; country of origin; language; disability; socio-economic status; and affiliations that are based on cultural, political, religious, or other identities. In this spirit, we encourage you to attend the “Roundtable on Sexual Harassment in the field of South Asian Studies: A community discussion” on Friday morning (10.30am-12.15, Capitol Ballroom A). If you have general questions or concerns, feel free to drop by the registration desk or e-mail [email protected] . If there is an urgent matter that requires immediate and personal attention, please call Lalita du Perron: (608) 287-9918. We hope that you enjoy the conference! Sincerely, Mitra Sharafi Christine Garlough Chair, Annual Conference Director, Center for South Asia bi 45th Annual Conference on South Asia, 2016 Conference Information Conference Conference Registration Table of Contents All participants and attendees must register .The on-site registration rates are $220 for regular registration and Welcome Note . .i $110 for students . Conference Information . 1 Staff is available at the registration desk, on the 2nd How the Annual Conference on South Asia Began . 2 Wednesday 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Book Exhibitors . 4 Thursday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm Association Meetings . 5 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Film Screenings . 6 Saturday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm Thursday, October 20 Sunday: 8:00 am - 11:00 am Preconference Schedule . 7 Programs Thursday Events . 8 A hard copy of the program book is provided with each Jadoo: An Indian Magic Show . 9 paid registration . Replacements are $15 . Preconferences . 10 Abstracts Friday, October 21 Abstracts of all papers presented at the 44th Annual Friday Schedule . 26 Conference on South Asia will be available online New Attendee Welcome: 7:30 am - 8:15 am . 28 following the conference . Session 1: 8:30 am - 10:15 am . 28 Session 2: 10:30 am - 12:15 pm . 32 Taxi Companies Special Friday Lunch Session - Cultures of Protest . 36 Badger Cab Company, Inc ., (608) 256-5566 Session 3: 1:45 pm - 3:30 pm . 37 Green Cab, (608) 255-1234 Session 4: 3:45 pm - 5:30 pm . 42 Madison Taxi, (608) 255-8294 Friday Evening Events . 47 Union Cab Cooperative of Madison, (608) 242-2000 Reception: 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm . 47 Keynote Address: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm . 48 All-Conference Dinner: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm . 47 Conference Committee Performance: Kathakali: 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm . 49 Teri Allendorf, University of Wisconsin-Madison Rikhil Bhavnani, University of Wisconsin-Madison Saturday, October 22 Gudrun Buhnemann, University of Wisconsin-Madison Saturday Schedule . 50 Lalita du Perron, University of Wisconsin-Madison Session 5: 8:30 am - 10:15pm . 52 Mitra Sharafi, University of Wisconsin-Madison Session 6: 10:30 am - 12:15 pm . 57 Christine Garlough, University of Wisconsin-Madison Session 7: 1:45 pm - 3:30 pm . 61 Saturday Evening Events . 65 B .Venkat Mani, University of Wisconsin-Madison Plenary Address: 3:45 pm - 5:30 pm . 66 J . Mark Kenoyer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial for J . Bernard Bate: 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm . 67 Shanti Kumar, University of Texas at Austin Poster Session: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm . 67 Davesh Soneji, University of Pennsylvania Sunday, October 23 Conference Chair Sunday Schedule . 69 Mitra Sharafi, University of Wisconsin-Madison The OpEd Project . 70 Conference Coordinators Session 8: 8:30 am - 10:15 am . 71 Session 9: 10:30 am - 12:15 pm . 75 Bradley Grochocinski, Alicia Wright, Rachel Weiss, Christine Dutkiewicz, Dhriti Tiwari Advertisements . 79 Index . 86 Note . 91 Sponsored by: Restaurants . 93 Center for South Asia A map of the meeting spaces in the Concourse Hotel can be University of Wisconsin-Madison Tel: 608 .262 .4884 found inside the back cover .** 203 Ingraham Hall Fax: 608 .265 .3062 The All-Gender Bathroom is outside Parlor Room 629 . 1155 Observatory Drive Christine Garlough, Madison, WI 53706 Interim Director Emergency Phone: 608 .287 .9918 (Lalita) Madison College Security: 608 .246 .6932 (after hours: 608 .245 .2222) 45th Annual Conference on South Asia, 2016 1 An Historical Sketch How the Annual Conference on South Asia Began By Robert Eric Frykenberg Emeritus Professor of History and South Asian Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison October 2011 among many memories of the early years of Johnson Foundation. Describing what we wished to do, South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, perhaps we asked for their help in hosting a path-breaking event. none are more vivid than recollections of how the Annual They replied in the affirmative, indicating that while Conference on South Asia first began. During the 1970-71 they could not provide over-night accommodations academic year, when I was chair the Department of South for conference participants, they would gladly provide Asian Studies and director of the South Asia Center, we such meeting rooms as we needed, together with some were told by Washington, in quite explicit terms, that our food and refreshments. With this generous invitation in three-year Center grant would not be renewed unless we hand, we set about organizing panels and sending out could give evidence showing how South Asian Studies at invitations – to any and all South Asian scholars wherever UW was reaching out to other institutions and providing they might be located, but especially in the Midwest. We services to the general public. But how, with our then were astounded at the response. Scholars came from near very meagre resources, were we going to demonstrate and far. Most South Asianists from Chicago came. So did that we were, in deed and in fact, reaching out to wider scholars from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri, constituencies? That was our challenge. as well as from Pennsylvania and UC-Berkeley. It was at that time that we devised a shell-in-shell, or The very first Wisconsin Conference of South Asian box-in-box, paradigm of seven concentric “spheres Studies took place at Wingspread on the first weekend of outreach” whereby the benefits of understandings of November, 1971. At that time, we decided that it would of South Asia could be disseminated more widely. be good for all prospective future participants to easily Circles, or constituencies, of possible influence were remember that the event would always be held on the demarcated as: (1) the department; (2) the college; (3) first weekend of November. But such was the constant the UW campus; (4) campuses of the state; (5) campuses and coincident advent of snow and bitter weather on of the Mid-West; (6) campuses of North America; and that very weekend that, eventually, the date was moved (7) campuses of the whole world, especially in South up to mid-October. The event was truly memorable. Asia itself, as well as in Europe, Australia, Africa and Among those who participated, revealing his scholarly the Far East. To this end, we decided to hold a major prowess for the first time, was Velcheru Narayana Rao. conference in Wisconsin. We contacted executives His remarkable performance made a considerable impact of Wingspread, the Frank Lloyd-Wright-designed upon the minds of all who heard him. Among others who conference center near Racine, Wisconsin, run by the were there was the late and noted Sanskritist J. A. B. Mathura Ghats 2 45th Annual Conference on South Asia, 2016 (“Hans”) Van Buitenen who gave his film production on Fires that flare up among South Asianists who come to Vedic Sacrifice in Pune. So also were Susanne and Lloyd Wisconsin each year have continued to attract more and Rudolph, as well as A.K. Ramanujan. Lest there be any more onlookers and participants. While there are now invidious omissions, no further attempt is made here at many other South Asia Conferences, in different regions listing names of those who were present at that event. of North America and different regions of the world, the Suffice it to say, there were some eighty to one hundred Annual Conference on South Asia remains the most well- esteemed colleagues and scholars at that first conference.