Civil Society of India and its Democratic Dynamics from a 21st Century Asian Perspective, March 6, 2012

Asia is rapidly evolving economically, socially, and politically. During the early decades of the second half of the last century, Asia went through a painful decolonization process in which most of the region was split by newly created borders, governed by authoritarian and/or military regimes, thrown into cold war rivalry of international politics, and remained underdeveloped. However, Asia soon took off economically. This was followed by, or ran parallel with, the integration with global markets, the rise of civil society, and democratic political developments in many different quarters of Asia. Asia of the early 21st century is a new and different Asia.

This short presentation will examine the evolution of India’s civil society and its implications for democratic dynamics from this broader perspective of the Asian transformation in the early 21st century. The presentation will be an interim update from an on-going research project that attempts to capture a new Asia, which is headed by Professor Takenaka and involves about 30 scholars.

Chiharu Takenaka is a nationally recognized specialist of comparative politics with a focus on India, civil society, and decolonization politics. She has written extensively on India and South Asia, and on democracy and civil participation in politics. Her latest book, Tozoku no Indo-shi (2011 in Japanese; or India according to Phulan Devi), was written based on her exclusive interview with Phulan Devi, an Indian politician, just before her assassination in 2001. Professor Takenaka received her Ph.D. in political science from University of Tokyo.

Registration

Please register at: arc@cbs.dk. It is free of charge and everybody is most welcome