South Asia In Transition

Papers presented at a seminar organized by the Indian Centre for Regional Affairs, 1985.

Combining theoretical and empirical insights, this book provides an in-depth analysis of South Asia's transition in the areas of democracy, political economy and security since the end of the Cold War. It provides a close scrutiny to the state of democracy and political economy in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

South Asia in Transition is an introductory book on the anthropology of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, suitable for students at all levels and others interested in this topic. It assumes no prior knowledge of either the region or the discipline of anthropology. The book makes extensive use of existing publications to describe how anthropologists have approached the region and what they have said about it. The first group of chapters deals mostly with India and caste, class, tribes, religion, kinship and marriage, gender, the body and personhood, politics and political economy. A second group of chapters deals successively with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

India’s relation with other South Asian countries has been impacted by recent developments in the post-Cold War period. These include India’s economic rise, the recent democratic transitions in many South Asian countries and greater US engagement in the region following 9/11. This book is an effort to address these issues and examine their role in India’s interactions with its neighbours. Indian Foreign Policy in Transition provides a comprehensive overview of India’s relations with the South Asian countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. As well as looking at India’s past and present foreign policy, the book analyses recent political changes and developments. It identifies the broad tenets of India’s policy towards the other countries of South Asia, and the domestic factors that impact India’s policy in the region. It looks at India’s historical patterns of interactions with its neighbours, and describes recent developments in these South Asian countries and their perceptions of India. By providing specific examples of the major disputes and conflicts between India and its neighbours, the book explores the challenges inherent in promoting peace and cooperation, and goes on to highlight the growing US influence in South Asia. Providing an in-depth discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing India in the South Asia region, the book is an important contribution to Indian and South Asian Politics, Foreign Policy, and International Relations.

The Indian Subcontinent has been at the centre of folklore inquiry since the 19th century, yet, while much attention was paid to India by early scholars, folkloristic interest in the region waned over time until it virtually disappeared from the research agendas of scholars working in the discipline of folklore and folklife. This fortunately changed in the 1980s when a newly energized group of younger scholars, who were interested in a variety of new approaches that went beyond the textual interface, returned to folklore as an untapped resource in South Asian Studies. This comprehensive volume further reinvigorates the field by providing fresh studies and new models both for studying the “lore” and the “life” of everyday people in the region, as well as their engagement with the world at large. By bringing Muslims, material culture, diasporic horizons, global interventions and politics to bear on South Asian folklore studies, the authors hope to stimulate more dialogue across theoretical and geographical borders to infuse the study of the Indian Subcontinent’s cultural traditions with a new sense of relevance that will be of interest not only to areal specialists but also to folklorists and anthropologists in general. This book was originally published as a special issue of South Asian History and Culture.

The last few years have been significant for South Asia, with fundamental political and economic transitions in several of the countries. Bangladesh opted for an interim government, followed by the election of a democratic government. Pakistan saw an assassination of a former Prime Minister, followed by peaceful elections and, perhaps, hope for stability. Nepal went through substantial change, with the Maoists initially in power and, subsequently, opting out of the government. In contrast, elections in Bhutan have brought a smooth transition to democracy. On the other hand, economic issues have dominated India in recent times, including aggressive responses to the global slowdown, fiscal expansion and an early return to growth from the downturn. In an attempt to capture these changes in South Asia, this publication falls into two parts. The first deals with political issues in countries that have witnessed the most change and turbulence, while the second part deals with economic issues that have been of concern to all the South Asian countries, and to India in particular. In summary, this publication is an eclectic mix that covers a spectrum of current issues in South Asia. It is a melting pot of politics and change, of reforms and stagnation, and of growth and disparity. It also brings together a varied range of experiences across the South Asian region. Most importantly, the publication reflects the dynamism of the region and the fast pace of change in politics as well as in economic policy. This book has been titled South Asia: Societies in Political and Economic Transition to reflect this dynamism. In summary, this publication is an eclectic mix that covers a spectrum of current issues in South Asia. It is a melting pot of politics and change, of reforms and stagnation, and of growth and disparity. It also brings together a varied range of experiences across the South Asian region. Most importantly, the publication reflects the dynamism of the region and the fast pace of change in politics as well as in economic policy. This book has been titled South Asia: Societies in Political and Economic Transition to reflect this dynamism.

The five central Asian States of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan stand at the crossroads of world civilization. Influenced by South Asia, Iran, China and Russia, this region which has recently burst onto the world stage once again, guards a distinct identity. This collection by established experts on the area covers the dramatic Soviet interventions of the early twentieth century, and details the role of ethnicity and the contribution made by Islamic impulses in the process of building the modern nation states.

Demographically And Also Economically South Asian Region, Comprising The Countries Of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan And Sri Lanka, Is One Of The Critical Major Regions Of The World. By Word Standards, It Is Chararacterized By High Rate Of Population Growth, High Density And High Dependency. South Asian Population Growth Makes It Virtually Certain That The Tremendous Rate At Which Population Is Increasing Will Double The Number Of People In The Region Within Next 30 Or 40 Years, However Vigorous And Efficient Family Planning Programmes May Be. Indisputably, This Region Has Been Facing A Population Explosion Of Crisis Dimensions. The Entire Battle Against Poverty Is Thwarted By The Rapid Increase In Population. Without Reduction In The Rate Of Population Increase, The Cherished Hopes Of The People For Better Life Are Doomed To Frustration.In The Present Study, An Attempt Has Been Made To Analyse The Facts And Features Of South Asian Population And The Demographic Factors Affecting The Pace And Level Of Economic And Social Development In The Region. A Population Policy For The Region Is Also Worked Out, For South Asian S Population Problem Cannot Be Solved By Pretence And Wishful Thinking. It Is Emphasized That In The Present Context Of South Asia What Needed Is The Increase In The Productive Capacity To Support A Large Population On The One Hand And To The Reduction In Fertility Rates On The Other Hand So That Growth Of Population Is Stabilized At A Lower Level.