- History of India, Urban Studies, Oral history, Citizenship, Gujarat, Social Development In India, and 16 moreAhmedabad, Hindu nationalism, Narendra Modi, Religious Intolerance, Gujarati Sub-nationalism, Social and Cultural Anthropology, India, Identity (Culture), Democracy, Asian Studies, International Politics, Modernity, India (Anthropology), Social and Cultural History, Anthropology, and Free and Unfree Labouredit
- PhD -- History
Royal Holloway University of Londonedit - Professor Francis Robinsonedit
Italian Translation of Umashankar Joshi's short novel, "Gujrini Godri", editing and introduction essay. "Ahmedabad, 1933. Impreparati ad affrontare il freddo pungente dell'inverno, tre amici decidono di comprare una trapunta al mercato... more
Italian Translation of Umashankar Joshi's short novel, "Gujrini Godri", editing and introduction essay.
"Ahmedabad, 1933. Impreparati ad affrontare il freddo pungente dell'inverno, tre amici decidono di comprare una trapunta al mercato delle pulci del venerdì. La giornata di Bhailal, Shivjibhai e Soman, attraverso una città infreddolita e immobilizzata dalla presenza invisibile ma pervasiva della polizia coloniale britannica, diventa un viaggio attraverso le sofferenze delle migliaia di persone che vivono ammassate per le strade, esposte alla rigidità dell'inverno e all'arbitrarietà del potere coloniale. In Gujrīnī Godḍī, Umashankar Joshi fotografa con sguardo delicato e allo stesso tempo disincantato le ingiustizie e le incertezze di una società in un momento di grande cambiamento."
"Ahmedabad, 1933. Impreparati ad affrontare il freddo pungente dell'inverno, tre amici decidono di comprare una trapunta al mercato delle pulci del venerdì. La giornata di Bhailal, Shivjibhai e Soman, attraverso una città infreddolita e immobilizzata dalla presenza invisibile ma pervasiva della polizia coloniale britannica, diventa un viaggio attraverso le sofferenze delle migliaia di persone che vivono ammassate per le strade, esposte alla rigidità dell'inverno e all'arbitrarietà del potere coloniale. In Gujrīnī Godḍī, Umashankar Joshi fotografa con sguardo delicato e allo stesso tempo disincantato le ingiustizie e le incertezze di una società in un momento di grande cambiamento."
Research Interests:
As urbanisation is rapidly changing the geographic and social landscape of India, issues of collective violence, urban poverty and discrimination becomes crucial factor in the redefinition of citizenship not only in legal terms, but also... more
As urbanisation is rapidly changing the geographic and social landscape of India, issues of collective violence, urban poverty and discrimination becomes crucial factor in the redefinition of citizenship not only in legal terms, but also in a cultural and socio-economic dimension. While Indian cities are becoming the centres of a culture of exclusion against vulnerable social groups, a long-term perspective is essential to understand the patterns that shaped the space, politics, economy and culture of contemporary metropolises.
Using the case study of Ahmedabad, this book investigates the history of city and of its people over the twentieth century. It analyses the contrasting relationship between urban authorities and the inhabitants of Ahmedabad and examines instances of antagonism and negotiation – amongst people, groups and between the people and the public authority – that have continuously shaped, transformed and redefined life in the city.
This book offers an important tool to understanding the bigger context of the conflicts, the social and cultural issues that accompanied the broader process of urbanisation in contemporary India. It will be of interest to scholars of Urban History, studies of collective violence and South Asian Studies.
Using the case study of Ahmedabad, this book investigates the history of city and of its people over the twentieth century. It analyses the contrasting relationship between urban authorities and the inhabitants of Ahmedabad and examines instances of antagonism and negotiation – amongst people, groups and between the people and the public authority – that have continuously shaped, transformed and redefined life in the city.
This book offers an important tool to understanding the bigger context of the conflicts, the social and cultural issues that accompanied the broader process of urbanisation in contemporary India. It will be of interest to scholars of Urban History, studies of collective violence and South Asian Studies.
Research Interests:
Suspended Citizenship and Denied Belonging after the 2002 Anti-muslim Pogroms in Gujarat. The history of the post-colonial Indian state is marked by a constant dialectic between unity and diversity. The new state was conceived in order to... more
Suspended Citizenship and Denied Belonging after the 2002 Anti-muslim Pogroms in Gujarat.
The history of the post-colonial Indian state is marked by a constant dialectic between unity
and diversity. The new state was conceived in order to protect and guarantee equality for
disadvantaged groups (either by caste, tribe or religion).
By reflecting on the dynamics of segregation, marginalisation or total exclusion of specific
strata in the metropolis of Ahmedabad, this article analyses spaces of criticality created by
politics that made identity and belonging an issue to diversify people’s access to citizenship
rights and practices. Ahmedabad has been constantly on the forefront of dynamics of transformation
on a regional and national scale, and it also was the headquarters of Mohandas
Karemchand Gandhii from 1915 to 1930. Here, the Mahatma Gandhi left an important heritage
in creating a fertile ground for a harmonic management of tensions and conflicts in the
city. Half a century later, however, the same city took centre stage as the vanguard of Hindu
fundamentalist movements that promoted a culture of intolerance against religious minorities.
The articles analyses the path that leads from Gandhi to Hindu fundamentalism and in
order to explore the criticalities of the post-colonial Indian state.
Keywords: India – citizenship – anti-muslim pogrom.
The history of the post-colonial Indian state is marked by a constant dialectic between unity
and diversity. The new state was conceived in order to protect and guarantee equality for
disadvantaged groups (either by caste, tribe or religion).
By reflecting on the dynamics of segregation, marginalisation or total exclusion of specific
strata in the metropolis of Ahmedabad, this article analyses spaces of criticality created by
politics that made identity and belonging an issue to diversify people’s access to citizenship
rights and practices. Ahmedabad has been constantly on the forefront of dynamics of transformation
on a regional and national scale, and it also was the headquarters of Mohandas
Karemchand Gandhii from 1915 to 1930. Here, the Mahatma Gandhi left an important heritage
in creating a fertile ground for a harmonic management of tensions and conflicts in the
city. Half a century later, however, the same city took centre stage as the vanguard of Hindu
fundamentalist movements that promoted a culture of intolerance against religious minorities.
The articles analyses the path that leads from Gandhi to Hindu fundamentalism and in
order to explore the criticalities of the post-colonial Indian state.
Keywords: India – citizenship – anti-muslim pogrom.
Research Interests:
This article explores Gandhi's engagement with the industrial workers of Ahmedabad city and his effort to integrate them into urban society. As the emergence of a large textile industrial sector shaped Ahmedabad as one of the first... more
This article explores Gandhi's engagement with the industrial workers of Ahmedabad city and his effort to integrate them into urban society. As the emergence of a large textile industrial sector shaped Ahmedabad as one of the first industrial cities in India, migrants flowed into the city in search of work, and settled in makeshift slums surrounding the textile mills. Concepts such as citizen and citizenship were progressively redefined so as to place the whole city in counterpoint to the countryside. For the migrants, becoming a citizen meant conforming to a lifestyle which reflected the ideal model of urbanity. In 1918, one year before launching the first national satyagraha, Gandhi led the mill workers of Ahmedabad in a ‘righteous struggle’ in opposition to the city's industrialists. While he led the workers in their quest for higher wages, Gandhi also acted on a broader level to help workers integrate in the city as ‘citizens’.
Research Interests:
This article proposes a non conventional analysis of the most significant phenomenon that has marked Indian political life in the past decade. The electoral competition for the 2014 general election is played around two main elements,... more
This article proposes a non conventional analysis of the most significant phenomenon that has marked Indian political life in the past decade. The electoral competition for the 2014 general election is played around two main elements, namely, the selection of convincing prime ministerial candidates and the definition of electoral coalitions. In this perspective, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main party of the right-wing coalition (National Democratic Alliance, NDA), has taken a decisive step by selecting Narendra Modi as its front man for the electoral campaign, and thus the “natural” candidate for the post of prime minister in case of success. A highly controversial figure, Modi polarized the public debate for over a decade: he is either considered a fascist politician or he is praised for the high economic growth rates achieved by the state under his government. This article proposes to move beyond such a dichotomy to highlight Modi's complexity and success in promoting a political culture that merged religious traditionalism and neoliberal economic arguments. Whether his coalition will win the election or not, and whether he will become the next prime minister or not, is greatly significant to the future of India and to the possibility of the many contradictions and diversities that underpin the Indian democracy being conciliated.
Research Interests:
A significant aspect of India's postcolonial history has been the rise of subnationalism—popularly addressed as the challenge of regionalism—which has often pitted the Indian state against the regional centres of power. In fact, the... more
A significant aspect of India's postcolonial history has been the rise of subnationalism—popularly addressed as the challenge of regionalism—which has often pitted the Indian state against the regional centres of power. In fact, the organisation of Indian territory along linguistic lines favoured the emergence of regional movements challenging the authority of the central government in arguments typical of nationalist rhetoric, such as the specificity of language, territory and traditions. This notion of subnation, however, has taken a new turn during the past two decades of neoliberal reforms as regional states compete with each other to attract greater foreign and domestic investment and to secure higher growth rates. Taking as a point of departure the case of ‘Vibrant Gujarat’, this article proposes rethinking the emergence of subnational cultures in the past two decades in the light of the effects of the neoliberal economic reforms and the rise of Hindu extremist movements in the political arena.
Research Interests:
Le elezioni del maggio scorso hanno consegnato all’India un Primo Ministro nuovo, dall’aria dura e determinata, dalle intenzioni chiare di riformare il paese rilanciandone l’economia e modernizzandone le strutture e la società. Narendra... more
Le elezioni del maggio scorso hanno consegnato all’India un Primo Ministro nuovo, dall’aria dura e determinata, dalle intenzioni chiare di riformare il paese rilanciandone l’economia e modernizzandone le strutture e la società. Narendra Modi, da anni una delle personalità più forti e carismatiche del partito della destra estremista indù Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ha condotto una campagna elettorale incentrata intorno alla sua figura di leader incorruttibile, efficiente e carismatico, sulla sua esperienza decennale alla guida dello stato del Gujarat condotto con – apparente – successo alla ribalta dell’economia nazionale e proiettato velocemente su uno scenario di sviluppo globalizzato e tecnologicamente avanzato....
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: History, Modern History, Latin American Studies, Sociology of Work, Early Modern History, and 28 moreHistory of India, Labour history, Slavery, Labour Law, History of Slavery, Mediterranean Studies, Work and Labour, Social History, History of the Mediterranean, Anthropology of Work, Liberty, Social Inequality, Indian Indenture, GULAG, Storia medievale, Precariat, Francoism, Storia, Hyderabad, Liberty Freedom Coercion Religion Law, Convict Transportation, Concentration Camps, Storia moderna, Storia Contemporanea, Concepts of Liberty, Flessibilità Lavoro Intermittente, Sociology of Work & Labour, and Free and Unfree Labour
Dynamics of urbanisation became a privileged container for the significant economic and political changes which involved the Asian continent in the last decade of the twentieth century. These dynamics fostered increasing flows of people... more
Dynamics of urbanisation became a privileged container for the significant economic and political changes which involved the Asian continent in the last decade of the twentieth century. These dynamics fostered increasing flows of people and capital to and from urban centres. Within this frame, certain cities expanded to become metropolises, others were transformed by projects of territorial redefinition and economic reorganisation, and others were abandoned due to processes of de-industrialisation and outward migration.
The increasing centrality of urban centres in many Asian countries had not only economic consequences, but contributed to redefining the political, social and cultural life of those countries. Migrant movements and political-economic transformations informed the definition of urban spaces by stimulating dynamics of spatial reorganisation, within a complex relationship of negotiation and contestation between administrations, governments and citizens. All this has led to re-consider theories and practices of citizenship by taking into account both the formal and the informal dimensions, and both spaces of inclusion and marginalisation.
This special issue proposes a critical and analytical perspective on the relationship between urbanisation and citizenship in contemporary Asia. It adopts a case-study approach that will allow to develop a comparative perspective of analysis among different cases and different "stories" within each case-study. In particular, the comparative frame seeks to highlight analogies and differences among three macro-areas of the Asian continent, which are too often considered separately: Central Asia, China and India. Hence, the large-scale effects of the fall of the Soviet Union, as well as the cultural, socio-political and economic transformations that had taken place during the decade preceding its dissolution (and are still ongoing) will be considered in a wide regional dimension and from an urban perspective.
The cities under consideration share several similarities: a colonial past; the new forms of access to property (following privatisation and the opening of internal property markets); a strong industrial base that was weakened by processes of 'modernisation'; increasing migration flows, to and from the city, and the establishment of transnational relationships; and a highly heterogeneous human distribution following the emergence of a social geography (characterised by mixed areas, regional-specific neighbourhoods, areas dominated by few family groups, cultural, religious or linguistic enclaves, modern and backward areas and industrial peripheries, neighbourhoods which remained linked to rural-related economic activities etc.). Other common elements are the presence of political and administrative systems influenced by patrimonial distribution and of local forms of nepotism. The complexity of this urban social geography brings about / stimulates the emergence of new and varied perceptions of ‘belonging’ and new patterns of mutual recognition.
Citizenship takes different forms if considered at different levels of the geographical scale: that of the neighbourhood, the city, the country, the continent or the global community. Hence daily practices of mutual recognition within the family and the neighbouring or regional groups confer a sense of citizenship that may affect, for instance, everyday relationships, work activities and the participation in rituals. This differs considerably from the formal recognition of rights provided by local administrations, which define the right of people to settle in certain areas of the city and participate in public life, and differs also from the regulation of citizenship rights granted by the State.
A focus on the city highlights therefore the processes through which complex solidarities are formed which are only partially formal and legal and which, often, involve a relationship of mutual exchange between the official level (state, administration) and the unofficial (individuals, groups). Hence, whilst the institutional level certainly has a significant impact upon the lives of urban dwellers, it can be argued that the opposite is also true. Through their more or less organised and generalised actions people also influence and orient the public authority’ choices in the administration of the urban territory.
The increasing centrality of urban centres in many Asian countries had not only economic consequences, but contributed to redefining the political, social and cultural life of those countries. Migrant movements and political-economic transformations informed the definition of urban spaces by stimulating dynamics of spatial reorganisation, within a complex relationship of negotiation and contestation between administrations, governments and citizens. All this has led to re-consider theories and practices of citizenship by taking into account both the formal and the informal dimensions, and both spaces of inclusion and marginalisation.
This special issue proposes a critical and analytical perspective on the relationship between urbanisation and citizenship in contemporary Asia. It adopts a case-study approach that will allow to develop a comparative perspective of analysis among different cases and different "stories" within each case-study. In particular, the comparative frame seeks to highlight analogies and differences among three macro-areas of the Asian continent, which are too often considered separately: Central Asia, China and India. Hence, the large-scale effects of the fall of the Soviet Union, as well as the cultural, socio-political and economic transformations that had taken place during the decade preceding its dissolution (and are still ongoing) will be considered in a wide regional dimension and from an urban perspective.
The cities under consideration share several similarities: a colonial past; the new forms of access to property (following privatisation and the opening of internal property markets); a strong industrial base that was weakened by processes of 'modernisation'; increasing migration flows, to and from the city, and the establishment of transnational relationships; and a highly heterogeneous human distribution following the emergence of a social geography (characterised by mixed areas, regional-specific neighbourhoods, areas dominated by few family groups, cultural, religious or linguistic enclaves, modern and backward areas and industrial peripheries, neighbourhoods which remained linked to rural-related economic activities etc.). Other common elements are the presence of political and administrative systems influenced by patrimonial distribution and of local forms of nepotism. The complexity of this urban social geography brings about / stimulates the emergence of new and varied perceptions of ‘belonging’ and new patterns of mutual recognition.
Citizenship takes different forms if considered at different levels of the geographical scale: that of the neighbourhood, the city, the country, the continent or the global community. Hence daily practices of mutual recognition within the family and the neighbouring or regional groups confer a sense of citizenship that may affect, for instance, everyday relationships, work activities and the participation in rituals. This differs considerably from the formal recognition of rights provided by local administrations, which define the right of people to settle in certain areas of the city and participate in public life, and differs also from the regulation of citizenship rights granted by the State.
A focus on the city highlights therefore the processes through which complex solidarities are formed which are only partially formal and legal and which, often, involve a relationship of mutual exchange between the official level (state, administration) and the unofficial (individuals, groups). Hence, whilst the institutional level certainly has a significant impact upon the lives of urban dwellers, it can be argued that the opposite is also true. Through their more or less organised and generalised actions people also influence and orient the public authority’ choices in the administration of the urban territory.