Alternative Law Forum invites you to a talk by Dr. Swathi Shivanand, followed by a discussion with participants, this Friday at 6 PM.
In 1956, when the linguistic state of Karnataka was formed, it held out the promise that all Kannada-speaking communities would have an equal chance in participating in the politics and economy of the state, while enabling the growth of a ‘Kannada’ literary and cultural cosmos. Nearly six decades later, how have these promises of inclusion, participation and development panned out? Further, what parameters does one deploy to undertake this exercise of evaluation?
In this talk, I will argue that this evaluative exercise has to be undertaken from the perspective of the marginalised and how the marginalised are viewed by the dominant. Given that the formation of the state was predominantly a territorial (or spatial) exercise, I will talk about one of the state’s “backward” regions—Hyderabad-Karnataka—and how this region is viewed by those who are dominant actors in the state (bureaucrats, scholars, politicians). As a counter to these popular views on the “backwardness” of the region, I will also present perspectives of those from the region who ask critical questions on the nature of Karnataka’s development.
About the speaker:
Dr. Swathi Shivanand holds a PhD in Modern History from the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Her doctoral thesis examined the historical processes through which terms such as ‘backwardness’ and ‘underdevelopment’ consolidated around the region of Hyderabad-Karnataka and what implications it has had on the ‘development’ of the region and its ability to participate in the linguistic state of Karnataka.
Join us at Alternative Law Forum (122/4, Infantry Road, Bangalore – 560001; near Shivajinagar Bus Station).