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Friday Morning, April 27, 2007
Session 1 (Plenary): 8:00-9:30 Friday
Video Conference on South Asia Engaged
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
At LMU
Dr. William Vanderbok, ASPAC President, moderator
Dr. Stanley Wolpert, University of California Los Angeles
Mr. Gunjan Bagla, Amritt Ventures
Via video conference
Ambassador B.S. Prakash, Consul General of India, from San Francisco
Mr. Larry Schwartz, Consular for Cultural Affairs, US Embassy, New Delhi, from India
British Association for South Asian Studies, from London
9:30-10:00 Friday
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
Session 2: 10:00-12:00 Friday
Panel 2A: God, Goddess and Puja
(sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies, California State University, Northridge)
University Hall 1775
- An Embodiment of the Goddess. Deepak Shimkhada, Claremont McKenna College.
- Online Puja: God Posters on the WWW. Natalie R. Marsh, Miami University Art Museum.
- The Six Pointed Hexagram. N.S. Valluvan, Independent Scholar.
- The Role of Hindu Goddesses in the Rebirth of Goddess Worship in the West. Tim Ward. Independent Scholar.
- Moderator/Discussant: Phyllis Herman, California State University, Northridge.
Panel 2B: Metropole’s Impact on Colonial India.
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
- Liberal Toleration as the Herald of Religious Fanaticism in Colonial and Postcolonial India. Jakob De Roover, Ghent University
- Photography and the representation of famine in India, 1876-1945. James R. Ryan, University of Leicester.
- Mobility, Nobility, and the Politics of European Architecture in Late 19th Century Hyderabad. Alison Mackenzie Shah, University of Colorado at Denver.
- Caste and the Legal Code in Colonial India: 1772-1883. Dana Lightstone, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Moderator/Discussant: Alka Patel, Independent Scholar.
12:00-1:30
Hosted Lunch
University Hall 1762 A&B, 1775 (overflow, if needed)
- Remarks. Peter J. Kovach, Diplomat in Residence, University of California at Los Angeles.
Session 3: 1:30-3:00 Friday
Panel 3A: Politics of Place
University Hall 1762 A&B
- Discourses of Power and Resistance: The case of Delhi Water Reform Project. Vandana Asthana, Eastern Washington University.
- Discourses of Power and Resistance: The case of Delhi Water Reform ProjectCommunity Participation and NGOs: Water Management in Bangladesh. Kumiki Shuto, University of Bristol, UK.
- Breeding Prosperity: Politics of Fertility and Economic Development in India’s States. Siddharth Swaminathan, La Sierra University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Dean McHenry, Claremont Graduate University/
Panel 3B: Art, Authority and Ideology in India.
University Hall 1775
- Mauryan Art, Authority and Ideology: The Royal Artisans (Raja Kumbhakaras) of the Mauryan Kings. Katherine Anne Harper, Loyola Marymount University.
- Formulation of Royal Space through Representation and Ideology in Pre- colonial India. Nalini Rao, Soka University of America.
- Art and Power in the Colonial/National Interchange. Debashish Banerji, Pasadena City College.
- Moderator/Disucssant: Robert Brown, University of California Los Angeles.
Panel 3C: Globalism and Ideas in Asian Political Economy.
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
- Globalism and Ideas in Asian Political Economy. Ravi Roy, Claremont Graduate University.
- Neo-Liberals in India. Arthur Denzau, Claremont Graduate University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Surupa Gupta, Whittier College.
3:00-3:30
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
Session 4: 3:30-5:00 Friday
Panel 4A: Bollywood as a Lens on India
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
- Lucknow Ki Sar-Zameen (Lucknow from Head to Toe): Naming ‘the Muslim’ Through Citation in Bollywood’s Lucknow Muslim Social Films. Usamah Ahmad, Simon Fraser University, Canada.
- India Shining? A Reading from Bollywood. Meenu Gaur, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
- Moderator/Discussant: Ken Silverman, President, Interactive Teamworks.
Panel 4B: Philosophy of the Yogavasishta.
University Hall 1775
- Dreams, Fictions and the Quest for Morality. Menaha Ganesathasan, University of Hawaii, Hilo.
- The Concept of Abhasa in Yogavasistha. Sthaneshwar Timalsinha, San Diego State University.
- The Philosophy of Nature in the Yogavasistha. Christopher Key ChappleLoyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
- Moderator/Discussant: Katherine Anne Harper, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
Panel 4C: Focus on Sri Lanka.
University Hall 1762 A&B
- Where Have All The Vedda (Vanniyaletto) Gone? Sri Lanka Cultural Heritage Revisited. David Blundell, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Problems and Prospects for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, The Case of Sri Lanka. S.W.S.B. Dasanayaka, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
- Pentagon to Hexagon: Recalling Cultural Capital. Chandima Daskon, University of Otago, New Zealand.
- Moderator/Discussant: Paul Hanson, California Lutheran University.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
See page 13 for the schedule of documentaries. Screening will take place all day long, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, in University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
Session 5: 8:30-10:00
Panel 5A: Politics, Identity and Party
University Hall 1218
- Do Elections Foster Separatism? The Case of Telangana. Dean E. McHenry, Jr., Claremont Graduate University.
- Escaping India: An Explanation of Pakistan's Middle East Orientation. Aparna Pande, Boston University.
- War and Conflict in South Asia: Problems and Prospects. Raj Kishore Singh, University of Agra.
- Beggars of Lahore. Sheba Saeed, Birmingham University, UK.
- Reappraisal of the Arthasastra of Kautilya. Night Queen Pankaj, Banaras Hindu University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Ram Roy, California State University Northridge.
Panel 5B: Religious Naratives
University Hall 1222
- Anthropology of Economy in the Sikh Concept of kirat karn. Zbigniew Igielski, Skarbek Graduate School of Business Economics, Warsaw.
- From Royal Palaces to Tribal Jungles (The long journey of the Dhola-Maru narrative). Aleksandra Szyszko, Warsaw University, Poland.
- Historical and Pictoral Evidence for Jain Monks at the Mughal Court. Rochelle Kessler, Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena.
- Affirmation of the Body, Affirmation of the Soul: Jainism Engaged and the Ensuing Transformations. Andrea R. Jain, Rice University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Deepak Shimkhada, Claremont McKenna College.
10:00-10:30
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
Session 6: 10:30-12:00
Panel 6A: Gender and South Asia
University Hall1218
- Gender and Development in India: Are Theory and Practice Out of Synch? Bipasha Baruah, California State University, Long Beach.
- Portuguese Periodicals from India (1821-1961): Images of Women in "Recreio de Damas". Liladhar R. Pendse, University of California, Los Angeles
- Moderator/Discussant: Karen Leonard, University of California, Irvine.
Panel 6B: Press and Empire: The British and India 1857-1947
University Hall 1222
- Indians Writing in the Metropole's Victorian Press. Julie F. Codell, Arizona State University.
- An Imperial Information Community? The Empire Press Union, Imperial Press Conferences and India. Chandrika Kaul, University of St Andrews, Scotland.
- The Literary and Socio-economic Impacts of the Calcutta School-Book Society in 19th Century Bengal. Shahla Young, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
- Russian Revolution and Its Early Impact on India. Abha Trivedi, Lucknow University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Stanley Wolpert, University of California, Los Angeles.
Saturday Afternoon, April 28, 2007
12:00-1:30
Session 7: 1:30-3:00
Panel 7A: Nationalism and Imperialism in the Writings of Damodar SarDesai.
University Hall 1222
- The Guru and the Disciple: What Damodar SarDesai Prepared Me to Learn. Oliver B. Pollak, University of Nebraska
- A. Madhaviah and Modern Tamil Humanism. Sita Anantha Raman, Santa Clara University
- Modernism in India: From Le Corbusier to Louis Kahn and Beyond. Ravi Kalia, The City College of New York
- Nehru’s Gambit: Damodar SarDesai on Indian Foreign Policy. Roger D. Long, Eastern Michigan University
- Moderator: Arnold P. Kaminsky, California State University, Long Beach.
- Discussant: Brenda Joseph Ness, Santa Monica College.
Panel 7B: Evolution in Theology (Because of travel uncertainties this panel may be cancelled and participants redistributed to other panels)
University Hall 1401
- Cultural and Religious Exchange between Asia and Europe before Christianity. .Wolfgang Keim, Independent Scholar, Germany
- Among the Buddhists: Intra-School Debate in Tibetan and Indian Buddhist Traditions Ritual or No-Ritual: Mimamsakas and the Buddhists in Classical India. Kasinath Nyaupane, Mahendra University, Kathmandu.
- One or Many: Dialogue between Advaitins and Dvaitins with Regard to the Nature of Reality in Classical India. Jeffrey Ruff, Marshall University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Phyllis Herman, California State University Northridge.
Panel 7C: Rethinking Religion in India
University Hall 1226
- Presenter: Jakob De Roover, Ghent University. A discussion of the Research Centre Vergelijkende Cultuurwetenschap, Ghent University, Belgium and the Centre for the Study of Local Cultures, Kuvempu University, India, five-year conference cluster on "Rethinking Religion in India."
3:00-3:30
University Hall 1000 (Ahmanson Auditorium)
Session 8: 3:30-5:00
Panel 8A: The South Asian Diaspora.
University Hall 1218
- Is There a Second Diasporic Generation? India's Hyderabadis Abroad. Karen Leonard, University of California Irvine.
- Brahman and Hindu Communities in Bangkok: A Comparative Study of Indian Settlements in Thai History. Dulyapak Preecharushh, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
- On Redefining 'Culture' in the Context of Transnational Hinduism: A Case Study of the Changes and Continuities in the Indian Culture at the Malibu Hindu Temple at Los Angeles, USA. Mugdha Yeolekar, Arizona State University.
- Moderator/Discussant: Bidyut Mohanty, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Panel 8B: Contemporary Violence
University Hall 1222
- Regional Terrorism: The Relationship between Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) and Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and the Implication for Regional Security. Mohd Mizan Aslam and Jim Veitch, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
- The Spirit of Terrorism. Geoffrey Cook, Editor, Pakistan Weekly (Berkeley, CA).
- Appropriation and Creation: Maoism in India and Nepal. Rose Sayre, City University of New York, City College.
- Networking Through Religion: The Case of Malerkotla. Karenjot Bhangoo, George Mason University
- Moderator/Discussant: William Vanderbok, ASPAC President.
Affiliate Group Meeting: East-West Center Association, Southern California
University Hall 1226
5:30-6:30
Reception
University Hall 1859
- Hosted by the Southern California Chapter of the East-West Center Association
- Musical performance by Pandit Radheya Prasad
6:30-8:30
Conference Banquet (separate ticket purchase required)
University Hall 1772 A&B
- Engaging South Asia: Reminiscences and Reflections.
Pratapaditya Pratapaditya Pal, keynote speaker
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Session 9: 8:30-10:00
Panel 9A: The Limits of Indo-American Cooperation.
University Hall, 1222
- US-India Cooperation: Limits and Constraints. Ram Roy, California State University Northridge.
- Domestic Political Constraints in India. Parks Riley, California Polytechnic State University Pomona.
Panel 9B: Round Table Discussion: Making Documentaries in South Asia
Discussants
- Michael Arlen, Arising Light
- Benjamin Kalia, Arising Light
- Sheba Saeed, Beggars of Lahore
- Debra Kaufman, A School of Their Own
- Moderator/Facilitator: Aneetha Ranjan, Independent film and documentary producer
Documentaries
Saturday, April 27, 2007
Ahmanson Auditorium: Each documentary will be followed by approximately 20 minutes of Q&A, normally with the producer of the film.
8:30 The Miseducation of Pakistan. Farooq Hamid, Whittier College, discussant
A nation’s future hangs in the balance when it cannot educate its youth. Using a journalistic approach, The Miseducation of Pakistan explores the country’s appalling public education system. Schools with no teachers, schools overflowing with garbage, schools under the open sky, without drinking water or electricity; this is what most students of public schools in Pakistan can look forward to. Little wonder that a vast majority of primary school graduates can’t even be considered literate by international standards.
All the while, a corrupt hierarchy of officials and school staff line their pockets with funds meant for educating the nation’s children and powerful feudals deny the children of their peasants the right to even a basic education, while sending their own offspring to the best schools in the country and abroad. And no one is held accountable. The film also brings attention to the rise of madrassas or faith-based schooling. Using in-depth interviews and shocking footage, the filmmakers reveal a country where quality education is reserved only for a chosen few, while millions of children are denied the chance of a future.
9:30 A School of Their Own. Directed by Debra Kaufman
In remote Nepal, the Riverside School is a unique educational environment that educates low-caste and tribal children, half of whom are girls. There, children flourish in an environment free of the caste system, gender prejudice, and violence found in government schools - and in their society at large.
Follow the school’s struggle to stay afloat during the bloody ten-year civil war in which children are caught in the middle. The police accuse them of being Maoist rebels while the rebels themselves forcibly draft children over twelve years old into their army. Though Nepal is currently enjoying a tenuous peace, the future is uncertain. Through in-depth interviews and stunning footage, A School of Their Own shows how children, even in the most extreme circumstances, can lead a nation to a better future.
10:55 Arising Light. Produced by David Blundell. University of Cal., Los Angeles
This presentation introduces a documentary historical feature film project on Dr B. R. Ambedkar commemorating the 50th anniversary of his embracing Buddhism in Nagpur, India. This ushered in a new path for social welfare in India. On December 6th 1956 he passed away in New Delhi. Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) rose from the dalit “undercaste” community (untouchables) in India. He educated himself in India and the West and became a national leader in India’s struggle for equality and justice. Dr Ambedkar framed the Indian constitution making it a secular state and helped provide national emblems of state, in particular the Asoka lions, and the dharma wheel on the flag. The film traces Ambedkar's life and his struggle for constitutional civil rights.
11:45 Celestial Music of Pandit Lalmani Misra Rags: Sindura, Tilang, and Bhupali. Laxmi G. Tewari, Sonoma State Univeristy
DVD has been released by Laxmi G. Tewari and the Music Department of Sonoma State University. To the best of my knowledge, it is the only visual media available on the playing of Vichitra Vina. The late Dr. Misra is accompanied on Tabla by Pandit Chote Lal Mishra, a disciple of the late Pandit Anokhe Lal Mishra of Varanasi. Tambura is played by Mrs. Carolyn Tewari
1:30 Awakening.
Awakening documents the social and economic empowerment of women in Afghanistan and India whose roles have traditionally been restricted by their cultures. Awakened to new possibilities through education and access to micro-loans these women are redefining their roles in society. In Bihar, India’s poorest state, Sister Mary Lobo organizes village women into groups where they learn to save small sums and invest their capital as a group. In Afghanistan, the nation’s first woman-led micro-finance institution believes the nation’s long-term success is dependent on women’s economic freedom.
2:50 In The Shadow of the Towers: Tourism and Modernity in Western Sichuan. Produced by Jay Hubert. Beijing Film Academy.
Towers of an unknown origin dot a remote region of Tibet, making it become a tourist destination in recent years. In response, a new hospitality industry is springing up and altering the lives of those living in the area as they attempt to provide “authentic” Tibetan experiences in line with the expectations of tourists. Local government is directing this change by subsidizing family enterprises most likely to meet tourist expectations, thereby raising tensions in a region undergoing rapid social and economic change.
3:50 Beggars of Lahore. Produced by Sheba Saeed. Birmingham University.
This audio-visual dissertation investigates why there are so many beggars in Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan. The begging phenomena is a complex problem. The documentary provides a balance of images with a traditional documentary format of talking heads which is required to conduct an examination of what could be done to provide a solution to the begging problem.
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