South Asia Conclave: Policymakers, bureaucrats, academicians exchange ideas on modern South Asia

The third edition of the South Asia Conclave by Oxford University Press (OUP) witnessed researchers, policymakers, bureaucrats, academicians, and journalists from different spheres attending and debating contemporary ideas that define modern South Asia.

The conclave examined key issues impacting the region, such as political challenges related to ethnic and religious diversity, identity politics, ethnic violence, terrorism, separatism, governance, economic growth, gender consciousness, national security, changes in culture and social structure as well as the significance of diaspora.

South Asia has been one of the fastest growing regions in the world. However, rapid economic growth has been accompanied by income inequalities, education and health inequities, environmental degradation, macroeconomic imbalances — even macroeconomic crises in some cases — and, in general, uneven public service delivery to its citizens.

The conclave was curated & chaired by Ashutosh Varshney (Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Brown University), while the welcome note was delivered by Niko Pfund (Global Publisher, Academic Division, Oxford University Press).

The first session was based on the book The Diary of Manu Gandhi by Tridip Suhrud, Professor and Director of CEPT Archives, CEPT University, Ahmedabad. The panel was moderated by Ashis Nandy (Indian Political Psychologist, Social Theorist, and Critic),

The second session involved a discussion on the book, Line on Fire: Ceasefire Violations and India-Pakistan Escalation Dynamics by Happymon Jacob, Associate Professor of Diplomacy & Disarmament Studies at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

The session was moderated by Eswaran Sridharan (Academic Director and Chief Executive, University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India).

The third session led a discussion on Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. The fourth session witnessed a discussion based on the book Capable Citizens: How India Outsources Justice for Gendered Violence by Poulami Roychowdhury. The moderator for session was the respected  Harsh Mander (Director, Centre for Equity Studies, Delhi). The session noted how capacity and capability constructs any kind of narrative around victims and survivors of gendered violence.

The fifth session witnessed a discussion based on the book, Clients and Constituents: Political Responsiveness in Patronage Democracies by Jennifer Bussell, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley. The session focused on ‘patronage democracies’. Legislators in ‘patronage democracies’ provide substantial constituency service: non-contingent, direct assistance to individual citizens.

The conference ended with a concluding note by Ashutosh Varshney.