In celebrating the reissue of Himal’s first print quarterly, we offer a series of articles on the state of archiving in Southasia.
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Illustration: Paul Aitchison |
The year 2013 was significant for Himal Southasian. Launching our quarterly ‘bookazine’ format in January – a radical departure from previous incarnations as well as standard magazine formats throughout the region – it gives us immense pleasure to ring in 2014 with the print reissue of our pioneering quarterly ‘Are We Sure About India?’ Examining the structures of Indian governance, the 1950 Constitution, the quality of democracy, and India’s relationship with authoritarianism, Himal asked (and continues to ask) whether India the nation-state can ever hope to represent the civilisational values of historical ‘India’ and embrace a regionalism marked by open borders rather than concertina wire. In celebration of this milestone – and in anticipation of an equally fruitful 2014 – we are excited to publish online the ‘Archives of Southasia’, a project pursued jointly with our sister organization the Hri Institute for Southasian Research and Exchange that featured in the initial print-run of the issue. At the time, Hri Director Laxmi Murthy explained:
“In Southasia today, the immense importance of both social and historical archives for the overall advancement of society is yet to be recognised. The ‘Archives of Southasia’ series … is aimed at creating a better understanding of regional history and the state of the archives that sustain it, and at highlighting the importance of preserving and linking the Subcontinent’s existing archives and collections. Indeed, such work is vital if we are to continue exploring critical sociopolitical questions and challenging complacent historical platitudes, as we have tried to do in this issue with India.
The pieces here, which combine original research with the extensive experience of professional researchers and archivists, came out of Hri’s conference entitled ‘Archives Southasia: Creating, Curating, Connecting’. This meeting of archivists from across the region – the first of its kind – provided a unique showcase of efforts toward ensuring that archives do not become morgues. Archivists, scholars and collectors from Bangalore, Chennai, Dhaka, Ernakulam, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Lahore, Mumbai, New Delhi and Yangon shared experiences and valuable insights on the possibilities of making archives dynamic spaces where we can not only reconsider history, but also redefine it.”
The online publication of this material will, we hope, go some way to achieving these ends.
As always, share widely and enjoy!
The Editors
Caring for history by Dinyar Patel
Featured Articles
Cinema as politics, politics as cinema 14 February 2014
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By N Manohar Reddy |
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A new book on Telugu film shows that the cultural industry was tied up with caste and regional politics.
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The art of statelessness 10 February 2014
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By Rudra Rakshit and Lora Tomas |
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Fragments of the lives of the Rohingya refugees in Jammu
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Reconstructing the North and democratising Sri Lanka 7 February 2014
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By Ahilan Kadirgamar |
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A recent talk on the need for democratic mobilisation of resources and a politics of self-reflexivity in rebuilding Sri Lanka’s...
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A room of his own 4 February 2014
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By Lora Tomas |
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In conversation with Goa-based poet Manohar Shetty
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Musharraf’s last stand 30 January 2014
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By Sher Ali Khan |
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A look at the difficulties and implications of trying a military ruler in Pakistan as Musharraf prepares to leave the country....
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There are many ways to destroy a city 23 January 2014
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By Taran N Khan |
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Reflections on the recent attack targetting a Kabul institution, the Taverna du Liban restaurant.
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Inside and Out 17 January 2014
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By Annie McCarthy |
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New queer writing from Southasia suggests shifts in attitudes since 2009.
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Archives of Southasia 14 January 2014
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By The Editors |
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In celebrating the reissue of Himal’s first print quarterly, we offer a series of articles on the state of archiving in...
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The life and letters of Elizabeth Draper 13 January 2014
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By N P Chekkutty |
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The world celebrated the tercentenary of writer Laurence Sterne (1713- 1768) in 2013. A tribute to the woman who inflamed...
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Courting prospects 9 January 2014
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By Sreedeep |
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Despite state overtures, localised identities provide a powerful argument against Baltistan’s coarsely wrought borders....
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Autonomy under siege 7 January 2014
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By Freny Manecksha |
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Three women in the militarised spaces of Kashmir describe traumatic accounts of sexual violence and their struggles to gain...
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Seeding the future 31 December 2013
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By Smriti Mallapaty |
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The use of modern seeds stands to erode the genetic diversity of local seed varieties in Nepal
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Announcement
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Himal Southasian is relaunched in print! |
The archive: 25 years of Southasia
Image: Penguin India
Penguin India withdraws The Hindus
On 11 February 2014, Penguin India decided to recall and destroy all remaining copies of Wendy Doniger’s book The Hindus: An Alternative History. The decision was part of an agreement between them and Shiksha Bachao Andolan, a Hindu campaign group that filed a case against the publishers in 2010, arguing that the book was insulting to Hindus and contained “heresies”.
From our archive:
Diwas Kc reviews The Hindus: An Alternative History. (March 2010)
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