Identity Politics, Populism, and the Rise of Illiberal Democracies Discussion evening with Dr Harsh Mander and Prof. Jan Breman

On 16 June 2022, University College Groningen, Centre for Religion, Conflict and Globalization, the Institute for Indian Studies (Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies) together with SiB-Groningen hosted a discussion evening on the topic of 'Identity Politics, Populism, and the Rise of Illiberal Democracies'.

The rise of illiberal democracies coincides with the resurgence of religious politics, violent sectarianism, and claims of exclusive religious identities around the world. In South Asia, and especially in India (which is the world's largest democracy), the persistent presence of communalism has become even more intense with the changing political trend and the rise of illiberal religiosity and democracies. During the event, renowned Indian Human Rights Activist Dr Harsh Mander talked about his work and about the complex, divisive intertwining of political and religious identity in contemporary India. While Emeritus Professor and India expert Prof. Jan Breman presented his new book Gujarat, Cradle and Harbinger of Identity Politics: India’s Injurious Frame of Communalism (co-written with Ghanshyam Shah).

The event was part of a triptych, for which the departments in the UG, the University of Amsterdam and the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (part of Erasmus University Rotterdam) are working together to host lectures, seminars and discussion evenings from between 13 and 16 of June.

Dr Harsh Mander

Dr Mander is a renowned Human Rights Defender from India, currently at-risk. His work in India with minorities, migrants, and vulnerable communities in a quest for justice is globally known. He campaigns for the rights of religious minorities in the country and opposes all forms of extremism and violence. In 2017, he started the Karwan-e-Mohabbat [The Caravan of Love] to combat growing intolerance in India by showing solidarity with the victims of identity-based violence. Dr Mander is recently shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize 2022, and is currently a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.

Prof. Jan Breman

Prof. Breman is a Dutch sociologist and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Amsterdam. He was appointed extraordinary professor of development sociology at the Institute of Social Studies. His Valedictory Address was entitled ‘A Question of Poverty’. Prof. Breman continues to be affiliated with the Amsterdam School but is also a Fellow of the International Institute of Asian Studies. Spread over a period of forty-five years Jan Breman has conducted anthropological fieldwork in India (South Gujarat) and Indonesia (West Java), mainly on rural and urban labour and employment. The outcome of his research has been published in books and journals.

Video

You can watch the video below: