The Institute for South Asia Studies invites you to a talk by political economist of modern South Asia and faculty at the National Security Affairs Dept., Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Dr. Anshu N. Chatterjee .
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DATE: Thursday, October 29, 2020
TIME: 9am Berkeley | 5pm London | 9pm Lahore | 9:30pm New Delhi | Calculate Your Local Time
This event will also be live streamed on the Institute's FB page: ISASatUCBerkeley
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Abstract: What role does Indias military play in its politics? Indias military is one of the largest in the world. It is a busy force, having fought five wars since 1947and managed persistent insurgencies in Indias northeast and the one in Kashmir since the 1990s. Prevailing studies on its role in Indias institutional structures often characterize it as a body external to the governance of a diverse democracy that only intervenes when called on. Its exclusion from strategic planning and a persistent underfunding in comparison to its external threats draws a significant amount of interest that seeks to explain the professional stance of Indias armed sentinels. The focus of such studies on the regulating mechanisms and the lack of resources available for the forces contextualized by Indias external challenges blur an understanding of the militarys influence on politics in India.
Instead, the question of what role the military plays in Indias politics requires an inquiry into the collaborative linkages that were initiated at the end of colonial rule, when the civilian authorities and the military elite acknowledged each others importance in the consolidation of a modern nation-state. The relationship that emerged soon after reflected extensive collaboration, which is often ignored in Indias civilmilitary studies. A closer inquiry into the mutuality of the decision making during selected conflicts brings to fore an understanding of the institutional insight that has allowed the military to influence resource management, participate in governance, and shape political competition in a democratic context.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Anshu N. Chatterjee teaches political economy and developments in South Asia. She received her Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley in 2003. Her current research examines the development of protest groups in relation to identity politics and state-society relations in disturbed regions in South Asia. Her past research includes globalization and civil society, specifically political parties, and the media. She has also worked as a journalist in India.
More about Dr. Chatterjee on her faculty page HERE.
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The event is FREE and OPEN to the public.
