This week is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Fittingly, Columbia University and Barnard College recently hosted (from Nov. 27th through Dec. 8th, 2023) the Ambedkar Digital Bookmobile project designed by Smita Rajmane and Somnath Waghmare. This project documents and collects material relating to singers of anti-caste songs from rural regions in […]
Category: South Asian Studies
Open Access Week 2023–South Asia Resources
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Babri Masjid Afterlives on Human Rights Day
Coinciding with Human Rights Day 2022, a two day virtual conference took place December 9-10, 2022 on the topic “Afterlives of Babri Masjid: Thirty Years Later. For contextual background on the Babri Masjid, see in the library catalog subjects: “Babari Masjid (Faizabad, India)“ and “Communalism India Faizabad.” For representative publications of the conference speakers, see: -Ahmad, Irfan, […]
Bhim Jayanti Celebration at Columbia University: A Tribute to a Champion Who Fought for Social Justice
This blog post is guest authored by: Vikas Tatad, graduate student, pursuing a Masters degree in International and Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, for the occasion of Dr. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, April 14th, 2022 On April 14th, 2022, a number of students and alumni gathered in Lehman library to commemorate the 131st birth anniversary […]
Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC)
On Human Rights Day, we might devote attention to the many groups that have been protesting against recent shifts in the understanding of “citizenship” in India. The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, was designed to amend the Citizenship Act 1955 to recognize specific types of illegal immigrants, segregated by religion and country of origin. It was […]
On World Refugee Day 2020 — Rohingyas
One of many current global refugee crises is that of the Rohingyas. A Muslim group long resident in Myanmar, many Rohingyas have been displaced as refugees to South Asia (and other regions), most especially Bangladesh and India. Rohingyas have also experienced lack of welcome in South Asian countries. While often viewed in news reports as a […]
Celebrating Dr. Ambedkar’s Birthday and Legacy
Ambedkar Jayanti (Bimbhao Ambedkar’s birthday), which takes place on April 14th, comes upon us this year in most unusual and harsh circumstances, when an enormous percentage of people across the planet is sheltered at home and the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the lives of tens of thousands. Under these unprecedented realities which expose the deeply […]
South Asia Open Archives (SAOA) Launched
The South Asia Open Archives (SAOA) was launched on Friday, October 18th, in conjunction with the Annual Conference on South Asia in Madison, Wisconsin. A collaborative initiative of (currently 22) US libraries and (currently 4) partners from South Asia, SAOA is administratively hosted by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) and available globally open access […]
Medicine, Religion and Alchemy in South India (Siddha conference)
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a conference on Medicine, Religion and Alchemy in South India: Resources and Permutations of Siddha Traditions and Siddha Medicine that convened at Tübingen University, Germany, 25-27 July 2019. The conference brought together scholars from Austria, France, Germany, India, Poland, Switzerland, and the United States who met […]
Dr. Ambedkar and Columbia University: A Legacy to Celebrate
Dr. Ambedkar and Columbia University: A Legacy to Celebrate Every morning, I look forward to glancing at Dr. Ambedkar’s bust, in the far East corner of the Lehman Social Sciences Library, on my way to work. My eyes first rest on the bright garlands (offerings of admirers) that often adorn the bust, hanging around the […]