Anticolonialism, Constitutionalism, and

How does anticolonialism shape the political present and future(s) of South Asia? This syllabus explores this question by reflecting on how political and social concepts formulated by anticolonial thought have impacted public life in South Asia in the last century. In particular, it explores how anticolonial concepts gain thicker meanings and implications through the experiences and challenges of constitutionalism and democracy in postcolonial societies.
This course explores themes such as Anticolonial Worldmaking, Anti-Caste Assertion, Founding Moments for Post-Colonial Democracies, Representation and Citizenship in Uneasily Secular Societies, the Everyday Life of the Law, Religious Nationalism, and recent debates on Environmental Rights and Data Privacy and Security. Each of these themes are designed to understand how anticolonialism, constitutionalism and democracy address the dilemmas of deep diversity in South Asia.