Participating Junior Fellows, Projects, and Institutional Affiliations:

Emilia Bachrach (University of Texas, Austin, Asian Studies), “The Living Tradition of Hagiography in the Vallabh Sect of Contemporary Gujarat,” Gujarat University, Ahmedabad

Debjani Bhattacharyya (Emory, History), “Marginal Itineraries: Spatial History of Mid-Twentieth Century Calcutta,” Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

Uday Chandra (Yale, Political Science), “Negotiating Leviathan: Rulers, Civilizers, and Subjects in Chotanagpur, 1854-2010,” Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

Divya Cherian (Columbia University, History), “Caste and the Politics of Locality: Statecraft, Ideology, and Hierarchy in Early Modern Marwar, ca. 1500-1818,” Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Shefali Jha (University of Chicago, Anthropology), “Minority Politics and the Question of Identity: The Majlis-e-Ittehad ul Muslimeen of Hyderabad,” English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad

Andrew Liu (Columbia, History), “The Curious Institution of the Tea Garden: A Comparative Study of the Mobilization of Agrarian Labor in Northeast India and South China in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries,” Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

Andrew McDowell (Harvard, Social Anthropology), “Propagating Prevention: Rural Rajasthani Perspectives on TB and TB Care,” University of Rajasthan, Jaipur

Atreyee Majumder (Yale, Anthropology), “Peri-Urban Citizenship: Political Aspiration and Conduct in Howrah, West Bengal,” Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

Benjamin Siegel (Harvard, History), “Building Indian Agriculture: 1947-1971,” Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

Vikramaditya Thakur (Yale, Anthropology), “Unintended Mobility: Life Reconfigured after Forced Relocation in Western India,” University of Pune

Sundara Vadlamudi (University of Texas, Austin, History), “Mercantile Activities of Marakkayar Muslims in South India, Ca. 1800-1947,” Roja Muthiah Research Library, Chennai

Hollian Wint (New York University, History), “Indian Ocean Credit Networks and East African Society, ca. 1840-1914,” Gujarat University, Ahmedabad

Quotes from participants:

“A big round of thanks to everyone at AIIS for organising the JFC. I found it extremely helpful, because an event like this made me get out of the details I was embroiled in the archives and take a step back and organise my material, read and think through my material and go back and read my proposal and see how I might use the material to make the arguments I am making. It also revealed to me the gaps in the material I have collected. Finally, it was great to meet the other fellows and find out about their work and get their feedback. This event made me feel there is a community out there, since archive work can be very lonely, so the after conference discussions with other fellows were great and something I am looking forward to.” Debjani Bhattacharyya

“First of all, thank you so much for that really warm reception in Delhi. Although it was too early in my research to contribute productively to the meeting, I’m really glad I attended and had the opportunity to meet all the others and hear about their research. I think the best part of it for me was the collegiality and

the enormously productive exchange of ideas, questions and suggestions that you facilitated. The arrangements were fantastic, and I have to confess I fell in love with the building. Most impressive of all, perhaps because it was something I didn’t know AIIS was involved in at this scale, was the ethnomusicology archive and the facilities available there- made me wish I were doing research connected with it in some way. Well, perhaps I will some day! Anyway, I hope you have a great year ahead- thanks once again for arranging the conference and being such great hosts. I look forward to meeting you again soon!” Shefali Jha

“It is of course a pleasure to be able to pass on heartfelt words about a very enjoyable two days. It is too often the case that working on one’s dissertation research feels like a solitary, lonely journey. There are few nicer feelings than when that journey is punctuated by the opportunity to step back, think about and then explain one’s work. And there are fewer opportunities, still, that rival ones like the AIIS Junior Fellows conference earlier this week, when one can also hear what one’s peers own journeys look like, the challenges they are facing, and the discoveries they have made. I look forward to continuing conversations with other Junior Fellows as our work progresses and we find ourselves (fingers crossed) younger academics who are challenging each other and pushing our respective fields forward. Looking forward to seeing you again soon; thank you for all your efforts this week and at all other times!” Ben Siegel

“I would like to thank AIIS for organizing the two day conference for the Junior fellows. It couldn’t have come at a better moment since I have finished a third of my research period in India. The questions and suggestions from the other junior fellows and the senior fellows had given me new ideas, both in seeking new sources and in interpreting the information that I have already collected. Listening to other junior fellows about their research experiences and interacting with them on the sidelines certainly created lots of positive energy that we all could take back to our research venues! In addition, Dr. Vandana indicated that she can introduce me to Archaeological Survey of India staff who might help me to access the temple records in Tamil Nadu. All in all a very useful trip and experience.” Sundar Vadlamudi

New Building at D-31 Defence Colony

At the end of December 2011, AIIS inaugurated its brand new building on its property at D-31 Defence Colony. The new building is conveniently located right by a new Delhi Metro stop!

Click here to see more photos of the inauguration of the new center at D-31 Defence Colony

AIIS Urdu students visit the women's NGO SEWA

On Friday December 2, 2011, the American Institute of Indian Studies, in partnership with the American Institute of Pakistan Studies, the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies, and the University of Chicago South Asia Language and Area Center, held a faculty enrichment workshop intended to provide tools and resources for promoting the study of women in Islamic Society in South Asia.

Participants were fourteen faculty members, mainly from small institutions of higher education in the northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area. The workshop was targeted towards faculty members who do not have area studies resources at their institutions, and who do not have a background in South Asia or the study of Muslim societies.

The goals of the workshop included: 1) providing participants with the tools and resources they need to incorporate the study of women in Islamic societies into existing courses or to create new courses; 2) providing information about how the AIIS, AIPS, AIBS and the Title VI South Asia Center can facilitate the development and enhancement of educational and scholarly programs at the participants’ home institutions through opportunities for student and faculty travel and exchanges, fellowships, language study, internship and volunteer opportunities with NGOs located in South Asia; 3) generating a discussion among participants to create a process and mechanism for creating and maintaining ongoing projects and collaborations between student and faculty at the participants’ institutions and partners located in South Asia; 4) encouraging and providing resources to participants to apply for Title VI A and Title B grants and Fulbright Group Projects Abroad grants that will enhance area studies, language study and global education at their home institutions.

One key outcome of the workshop is the creation of a web site http://southasia.uchicago.edu/caorc-workshop/ which has resources for professional development, curriculum, language training, internship and study abroad opportunities. This web site will soon be interactive and will provide an opportunity for people to share ideas and plan collaborative projects; we envision that the site will also be a creative educational tool for students as well.

The American Institute of Indian Studies is grateful for the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York as well as the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. AIIS also thanks the facilitators Rafia Zakaria, Laura Hammond, Laura Ring, Fatima Imam and Sylvia Vatuk for the time and energy they devoted to their presentations. Finally, AIIS would like to especially thank colleagues from the University of Chicago South Asia Language and Area Center, Tarini Bedi, Michael Burt and Arjumand Thompson for the enormous amount of work they put into the workshop preparation and implementation, as well as the creation of the web site.

A Unique Opportunity to Endow a Named Fellowship.

AIIS has recently begun a significant effort to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Institute in 2012 by creating the Scholars Challenge, an opportunity for scholars of South Asia to endow a named fellowship for just $ 25,000. For a gift of $ 25,000 a scholar of South Asia may endow a fellowship which will be named for the scholar or for anyone the scholar chooses to honor. So as to coincide with our milestone anniversary, the amount may be pledged anytime before, but not later than June 2012, and a payment of $ 5000 must be received by that date. Pledges are payable over the course of five years, and donors are encouraged to fulfill their commitments within that timeframe. Our hope is that this call for support of named fellowships, limited to the first 20 scholars who respond by June 30, 2012, will be matched by philanthropists outside our scholarly community. Outright gifts or pledges can be made by check, credit card or online, by clicking “Make A Gift” on the homepage of AIIS’ website.

Ameya Pawar, who participated in the AIIS Hindi Summer Language Program in Jaipur in 2009, will become Chicago’s very first Indian-American alderman. Mr. Pawar will assume his position as alderman of the 47^thWard on the north side of Chicago on May 16, 2011.

Mr. Pawar received a Critical Languages Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State, administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, to participate in the AIIS Hindi Program. He is currently pursuing a masters degree in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago and works at Northwestern University as a program assistant in the Office of Emergency Management.

Mr. Pawar, who ran his campaign on a shoestring budget, won an upset victory in the city election on February 22, 2011, defeating the candidate anointed by the outgoing alderman—a candidate who was endorsed by a number of powerful Chicago politicians.

On his web site he notes, “As a State Department Scholar, I learned from some of this country’s brightest minds.  In India, I had many interesting conversations about politics.  One question continually arose: “Wouldn’t it be great if we could just set politics aside for once and focus on what is needed?” It reminded me of many late-night discussions in college, and it renewed the promise of my youthful idealism.  So today I am running for alderman without a political agenda and with a focus on improving the city.”

Stan made important scholarly contributions to the study of politics in India and South Asia more generally. His books The Congress Party of India: the Dynamics of One-party Democracy and Business and Politics in India were particularly significant works. With Robert Hardgrave, he authored the influential text on Indian politics, India: Government and Politics in a Developing Nation which is now in its eighth edition. He later extended his research to publish books on the state and business groups in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Since 2002 there have been seven Priscilla M. Boughton-Stanley A. Kochanek fellows: Sunila Kale, Dept. of Government, University of Texas for the project, “Power Steering: State Electricity Boards, Local Politics, and the Trajectory of Reform”; Gayatri Menon, Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University, for the project, “State, Citizens, and Urban Squatters”; Arpita Chakrabarti, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, for the project, “Reinventing Umma: Transnationality among Muslims in Delhi and New York”; Neera Singh, Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, Michigan State University, for the project, “Democratizing Forest Governance: Emergent Community Forestry Federations in Orissa”; Prerna Singh, Department of Politics, Princeton University, for the project, “Worlds Apart: A Comparative Analysis of Social Development Outcomes in Indian States”; Shanna Dietz, Department of Political Science, Indiana University, for the project, “Globalization and Traditional Identity in Hyderabad”; Akshay Mangla, Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for the project, “Welfare of the Voiceless: Explaining the Persistence and Decline of Child Labor in India.”

Stan attended the AIIS reception in Philadelphia on March 25. Nancy Hensel, his fiancée, who accompanied him at that time, has requested that memorial donations in his memory be made to the Boughton-Kochanek Fellowship fund at the AIIS. She has also said that there will be a memorial service for Stan in Fort Myer, Virginia on May 27. We will have further information in the AIIS office.