POLITICS OF MODERN SOUTH ASIA
GO-365
SKIDMORE COLLEGE
Fall 2014
Yelena Biberman-Ocakli
Email: ybiberma@skidmore.edu
Class Meeting: MW 4:00-5:20PM
Class Location: Ladd 107
Office Hours: 5:30-7:00pm
& by appointment at Ladd 314
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the politics and society of South Asian states, with a special focus on
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. South Asia is a region of remarkable diversity. We
will use the tools of social scientific analysis to study the most salient problems facing South
Asian societies, such as security, development, and democracy.
Goals and Objectives:
This course has two main goals. The first is to develop substantial regional knowledge. Students
will learn to apply social science reasoning to tackle the major puzzles and policy issues facing
South Asia. The second goal of the course is to use the knowledge of the region to shed light on
the big and enduring questions of political inquiry: What is the relationship between
development and democracy? What is the role of history in shaping political outcomes? Is
nonviolent resistance more effective than violence? In addressing these questions, students will
engage closely with classic and contemporary social scientific texts on South Asia.
READINGS
All readings (except the book below) will be accessible through Blackboard. As important
current events unfold throughout the term, I will post short newspaper articles and other links on
Blackboard, and notify students about them by email. Reading these articles is also a requirement
of this course. The following book is available for purchase:

Menon, Nivedita. Seeing Like a Feminist. New Delhi: Zubaan, 2012.
REQUIREMENTS
The following are the main requirements for this course*:
Assignment
Participation
& attendance
Discussion
Leader
% of final
grade
Due date
 Attendance is mandatory; see note (below) on class
participation.
20
--
 Lead class discussion based on the assigned readings.
10
TBD in class
on Sept. 10
Description
 5-7 double-spaced pages** [detailed instructions
provided in class].
Synthesis
October 13
 Covers material from September 8 through, and
Paper
15
(Hard copy
including, October 8.
(1)
due in class)
 Students have the option of revising one of the first two
synthesis papers. The revision is due December 15, no
later than 5:00pm.
 Class presentation (group of 2).
 30-minute presentation + 10-minute Q&A.
 Select topic related to the material covered during the
Group
TBD in class
week of your presentation.
15
Presentation  Topic selected by group in consultation with instructor.
on Sept. 17
 See instructor during office hours to discuss
presentation topic and plan at least 2 weeks in
advance of the presentation.
Synthesis
November 17
 6-8 double-spaced pages.
Paper
20
(Hard copy
 Covers material from October 13 through, and
(2)
due in class)
including, November 12.
Synthesis
December 15
 6-8 double-spaced pages.
Paper
20
No later than
 Covers material from November 17 through, and
(3)
5:00pm
including, December 10.
* This syllabus provides an approximate schedule for our course. The instructor reserves the
right to change assignments and due dates. Any such changes will be announced in class.
** Use Times New Roman font for all writing assignments.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Part of your course grade will be based on your participation in class. Participation is not only
talking. It is being prepared for class, doing all the assigned readings before the class meets,
arriving on time, careful listening and note-taking, and engaging meaningfully in class
discussions and activities. In order to participate, you must be present, so attendance is required.
An attendance sheet will be circulated at the beginning of every class meeting. Unexcused
absences will impact your overall letter grade. Medical and athletic excuses must be
accompanied by a written note from your doctor, nurse, or coach.
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MISSED ASSIGNMENTS
Late assignments will be penalized, with the exception of bona fide medical or other emergency
as validated by appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor or nurse’s note). For each day an
assignment is late, 10% of its total worth will be deducted.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Students are expected to comply with the honor code.1 Because this class involves writing, it is
essential that students develop good habits of citation and scholarship. Plagiarism –
appropriating another person’s ideas or words (spoken or written) without attributing those
words or ideas to their true source – and cheating will not be tolerated. If you have any questions
about how or when to cite another's work, please consult the instructor. Academic Integrity
Handbook2 is also a good resource. Remember: it is better to err on the side of overly generous
citation.
WRITING SKILLS
In line with the requirements of a liberal education, the Government Department emphasizes the
importance of good writing skills. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with The
Writing Requirement in the Department of Government and the Checklist for Grading Writing
Assignments in Government. All papers will be graded according to the grammatical and
composition standards outlined in these documents.
Guidelines are available at: www.skidmore.edu/government/writing_guide/index.php
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources available at the Skidmore Writing
Center. In addition to the individualized assistance the Center provides to students throughout the
school year, it also runs regular workshops aimed at improving writing skills. The following is
the Fall 2014 workshop schedule:
1. Discovery, Part I: Gathering ideas and claims - Saturday, September 20, 1:00-2:00 pm /
Skidmore Writing Center (Library, 4th Floor)
2. Mastering punctuation: Ten essential guidelines - Saturday, October 11, 1:00-2:00 pm /
Skidmore Writing Center (Library, 4th Floor)
3. Discovery, Part II: Assessing your writing process thus far - Saturday, October 25, 1:002:00 pm / Skidmore Writing Center (Library, 4th Floor)
4. Grammar: Why bother? Why not? An informal discussion - Saturday, November 15,
1:00-2:00 pm / Skidmore Writing Center (Library, 4th Floor)
1
2
www.skidmore.edu/student_handbook/honor-code.php
www.skidmore.edu/advising/documents/AcademicIntegrityHandbook_Web.pdf
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5. A balancing act: Maintaining your own voice in an academic essay - Saturday, December
6, 1:00-2:00 pm / Skidmore Writing Center (Library, 4th Floor)
ACCOMMODATION
If you are a student with a disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.),
please contact the instructor so that your learning needs may be appropriately met (all
discussions will remain confidential). You must formally request accommodation from Meg
Hegener, Coordinator for Student Access Services. You will also need to provide documentation
which verifies the existence of a disability and supports your request. For further information,
please call 580-8150 or stop by the office of Student Academic Services in Starbuck Center.
USE OF LAPTOPS AND TABLETS IN CLASS
Laptop, tablet, and phone use in class is not allowed.
BLACKBOARD AND EMAIL
Students should check Blackboard regularly for announcements, links to assigned and
recommended texts, and links to websites and articles related to the course. Students should also
check their Skidmore email accounts regularly for emails from the instructor regarding the
course.
ASSESSMENT AND GRADING
Assessment and grading in this course follows the general guidelines identified in the Skidmore
College Catalogue. Grades are assigned on the following basis:
A+, A
A-, B+, B
B-, C+, C
C-, D+, D
F
Distinguished work
Superior work
Satisfactory work
Passing, poor-quality work
Failure, no credit earned
A WORD OF ADVICE
Succeeding in this course is a function of your own effort. Here are some tips:



Do the reading. The lectures are not a substitute for the readings. The assignments will
demand familiarity with material not covered in lecture but found in the readings.
Come to class. Likewise, lectures may include material not in the readings and will help
you to build up critical thinking skills.
Read critically. Focus on the big picture to glean the main arguments in the texts. Think
about the logic of the arguments and draw linkages and contrasts among the texts.
Politics of Modern South Asia | 4



Ask questions. Do not hesitate to ask questions or raise issues in class. Your comments
will enrich the course.
Come to office hours. I am here to help and also invite you to share your responses and
reactions to the material.
Follow relevant issues outside of class. Reading about current (or not so current) events
in important journals and newspapers will help you to assess and apply the concepts you
encounter in the course. Among the useful sources are:
o Indian Express (India)
o Dawn (Pakistan)
o The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
o The Express Tribune (Pakistan)
o Himal Southasian (Nepal)
o The Friday Times (Pakistan)
o The Independent (Bangladesh)
o The Caravan (India)
o The Hindu (India)
o Kuensel (Bhutan)
o Herald (Pakistan)
o Foreign Policy – South Asia (US)
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: Introduction
Wednesday, September 3 – Welcome
 Review syllabus
Week 2: Why Study South Asia
Monday, September 8 – US Interests in the Region
 Dan Twining, “How the Next Administration Should Handle South Asia,”
Foreign Policy (September 4, 2012), pp. 1-3.
 Kevin Sieff, “5 Harsh Truths about the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan,”
Washington Post, May 29, 2014.
 Daniel S. Markey, No Exit from Pakistan: America’s Tortured Relationship with
Islamabad (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013), pp. 1-28.
Wednesday, September 10 – Beyond US Interests
*** Discussion Leader date selected in class
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 Siddharth Kara, Bonded Labor: Tackling the System of Slavery in South Asia
(New York: Columbia University Press, 2012), pp. 1-48.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Week 3: British Colonial Legacy
Why were the British in India? How were they able to achieve and maintain control over
India and its people? How has colonial legacy shaped South Asia?
Monday, September 15 – Institutions of British Rule
 Philip J. Stern, The Company-State: Corporate Sovereignty and the Early Modern
Foundations of the British Empire in India (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2011), “Introduction: ‘A State in the Disguise of a Merchant” and “Planting &
Peopling Your Colony,” pp. 3-14 and 19-40.
 Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, “‘Punjabisation’ in the British Indian Army
1857-1947 and the Advent of Military Rule in Pakistan,” Edinburgh Papers In
South Asian Studies, No. 24 (2010), pp. 1-32.
Wednesday, September 17 – Colonizing the Mind
*** Group Presentation date selected in class
 Amartya Sen, The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and
Identity (New York: Picador, 2005), “Indian Traditions and the Western
Imagination,” pp. 139-160.
Week 4: Resistance to Colonialism
How did the freedom movement emerge? What was Gandhi’s approach, and why was it
successful? Was the outcome of nonviolent resistance unique to the India case, or could it
work in other contexts?
Monday, September 22 – Gandhi’s Challenge
 Dennis Dalton, Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action (New York:
Columbia University Press, 1993), pp. 1-11.
 Lloyd I. Rudolph and Suzanne Hoeber Rudolph, Postmodern Gandhi and Other
Essays: Gandhi in the World and at Home (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2006), pp. 177-205, 230-248.
Wednesday, September 24 – Nonviolent Resistance
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 Dennis Dalton, “Civil Disobedience: The Salt Satyagraha,” in Mahatma Gandhi:
Nonviolent Power in Action (New York: Columbia UP, 1993), pp. 91-138.
 Erica Chenoweth, “Think Again: Nonviolent Resistance,” Foreign Policy (August
24, 2011), pp. 1-5.
POLITICS OF IDENTITY
Week 5: Midnight’s Child: Pakistan
Why were two nations born instead of one when the British departed in 1947? What were the
major points of contestation between Muslim nationalists and those who sought a united
India? Were Muslims united in their quest for Pakistan? What have been the long-term
implications of Pakistan’s national origins for the future of the country?
Monday, September 29 – Nationalism and Partition
 Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, “The Partition of India and the Creation of
Pakistan,” in Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy, eds.
Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal (New York: Routledge, 2004), pp. 135-156.
 Stephen Philip Cohen, “The State of Pakistan,” in The Idea of Pakistan
(Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2004), pp. 39-51.
Wednesday, October 1 – Competing Views and Jinnah’s Legacy
 Stephen Hay, ed, Sources of Indian Tradition: Modern India and Pakistan (New
York: Columbia University Press, 1988), pp. 180-195, 205-207, 218-222, 222226, 228-231, and 236-242. [These are relevant speeches and letters of the leading
South Asian Muslim figures, 1860-1947: Sir Syed, Iqbal, Jinnah, and Azad.]
 Akbar Ahmed, “Why Jinnah Matters,” in Maleeha Lodhi, ed., Pakistan: Beyond
the ‘Crisis State’ (London: Hurst & Company, 2011), pp. 21-34.
Week 6: Midnight’s Grandchild: Bangladesh
Why was Bangladesh born? What are the major debates surrounding the birth of the
country? What are the points of contention? How do the different interpretations of
Bangladesh’s history influence politics today?
Monday, October 6 – Nationalism and Partition
 Sarmila Bose, “Anatomy of Violence: Analysis of Civil War in East Pakistan in
1971,” Economic and Political Weekly 40, no. 41 (Oct, 8-14, 2005), pp. 4463-71.
 Akhtaruzzaman Mandal and Nayanika Mookherjee. “‘Research’ on Bangladesh
War,” Economic & Political Weekly 42, no. 50 (Dec. 15-21, 2007), pp. 118-121.
Politics of Modern South Asia | 7
 Rafiqul Islam, A Tale of Millions: Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971 (Dhaka,
Bangladesh: Ananya, 2011), pp. 30-42.
 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Directorate of Intelligence, “East Pakistan:
An Independent Nation?” Intelligence Memorandum (Secret), March 1, 1971;
National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
Wednesday, October 8 – Politics of Memory
 “The Trial of the Birth of a Nation,” The Economist (December 15, 2012), pp. 4143.
 Gardiner Harris, “Opposition Leader’s Execution Spurs Protests in Bangladesh,”
New York Times, December 12, 2013.
 Bina D’Costa, “War Crimes, Justice and the Politics of Memory,” Economic &
Political Weekly XLVII, no. 12 (March 23, 2013), pp. 39-43.
Week 7: Inter-Ethnic Relations
What are the underlying and proximate causes of the Hindu-Muslim conflict? What are the
drivers of inter-ethnic peace?
Monday, October 13 – Hindu-Muslim Divide
***Synthesis Paper 1 Due
 “Parents in Western UP Turn to ‘Monk’ to Free Daughters from Muslim Lovers’
Spell,” Times of India, August 2, 2014.
 Steven I. Wilkinson, Votes and Violence: Electoral Competition and Ethnic Riots
in India (Cambridge University Press, 2004), pp. 1-9; 12-16; 19-26; 137-146;
169-171.
 Ashutosh Varshney, “Ethnic Conflict and Civil Society: India and Beyond,”
World Politics 53, No. 3 (April 2001), pp. 362-398.
Wednesday, October 15 – Annual Conference on South Asia (no class)
Week 8: Religion and Caste
What are the foundations of social order in South Asia? What are the sources of continuity
and change within the existing social hierarchies?
Monday, October 20 – Construction and Contestation
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 M.N. Srinivas, “The Social System of a Mysore Village,” in McKim Marriot, ed,
Village India (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1955), pp. 1-35. (A classic
ethnographic account of the caste system.)
 Ramchandra Guha, “Minding the Minorities,” in India After Gandhi: The History
of the World’s Largest Democracy (NY: Harper Perennial, 2008), pp. 365-388.
 Christophe Jaffrelot, “The Impact of Affirmative Action in India: More Political
than Socioeconomic,” India Review 5, no. 2 (2006), pp. 173-189.
Wednesday, October 22 – Rise of Hindu Nationalism
 Ashutosh Varshney, “Contested Meanings: India’s National Identity, Hindu
Nationalism, and the Politics of Anxiety in the 1980s and 1990s,” in Battles Half
Won: India’s Improbable Democracy (New Delhi: Penguin, 2013), pp. 99-131.
 Annie Gowen and Rama Lakshmi, “Modi Promises a ‘Shining India’ in Victory
Speech,” Washington Post, May 16, 2014.
Week 9: Gender
What is gender, why does it exist, and when does it matter? What role does gender play in
the politics and the everyday lives of people in South Asia?
Monday, October 27 – Feminist Perspective
 Nivedita Menon, Seeing Like a Feminist (New Delhi: Zubaan, 2012),
“Introduction” and “Family,” pp. vii-xii and 3-49.
 Humira Nooristani, “The Bollywood Effect: Women and Film in South Asia,”
Foreign Policy (April 11, 2013), p. 1-4.
Wednesday, October 29 – Gender and Policy
 Anna Badkhen, “A Shameful Neglect,” Foreign Policy (May 31, 2013), pp. 1-2.
 Lila Abu-Lughod, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological
Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others,” American Anthropologist 104,
no. 3 (September 2002), pp. 783-790.
 Nick Paton Walsh, “Pakistan's Transgender Tribe of Tax Collectors,” CNN (April
14, 2011), p. 1.
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DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT
Week 10: Democracy and Authoritarianism
How has India been able to maintain its status as the world’s largest democracy? What
explains the recurrence of authoritarianism across South Asia?
Monday, November 3 – India’s Democratic Miracle
 Ashutosh Varshney, “India Defies the Odds: Why Democracy Survives,” Journal
of Democracy 9, No. 3 (July 1998), pp. 36-50.
 Atul Kohli, “Introduction,” in Atul Kohli, ed, The Success of India’s Democracy
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 1-19.
Wednesday, November 5 – Authoritarianism
 Maya Tudor, “Explaining Democracy’s Origins: Lessons from South Asia,”
Comparative Politics, Volume 45, Number 3 (April 2013), pp. 253-272.
 Steven I. Wilkinson, “Democratic Consolidation and Failure: Lessons from
Bangladesh and Pakistan,” Democratization 7, No. 3 (2000), pp. 203-226.
Week 11: Economic Development
What accounts for the cross- and sub-national differences in development outcomes? What
successes have been achieved, and what challenges remain?
Monday, November 10 – Explaining Developmental Trajectories
[Guest Speaker: Professor Feryaz Ocakli]
 Atul Kohli, State-Directed Development (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2004), pp. 257-289.
 Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw, “After the Permit Raj: India’s Awakening,”
in The Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy (New York:
Touchstone, 2002), pp. 212-230.
Wednesday, November 12 – Looking Ahead: Prospects and Challenges
 Sumit Ganguly, “Subcontinental Drift,” Foreign Policy (August 22, 2013), pp. 13.
 Sadiq Ahmed, Saman Kelegama, and Ejaz Ghani (World Bank), Promoting
Economic Cooperation in South Asia (New Delhi: Sage, 2010), pp. 3-27.
Politics of Modern South Asia | 10
REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SECURITY
Why has South Asia been called “the most dangerous place in the world”? What are the
underlying causes of the major security challenges facing, and emanating from, South Asia?
Week 12: Insurgency and Terrorism
Monday, November 17 – Violent Resistance
***Synthesis Paper 2 Due
 Seth G. Jones, In the Graveyard of Empires: America’s War in Afghanistan (New
York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010), pp. xix-xxxiv; 152-153 (focus on the
definition of insurgency); and 321-324.
 C. Christine Fair, Neil Malhotra, and Jacob N. Shapiro, “Democratic Values and
Support for Militant Politics: Evidence from a National Survey of Pakistan,”
Journal of Conflict Resolution (March 21, 2013), pp. 1-28.
 Zubair Ahmed, “‘Hindu terrorism’ debate grips India,” BBC (November 21,
2008), pp. 1-3.
Wednesday, November 19 – The Drone Debate
 Daniel Byman, “Why Drones Work,” Foreign Affairs 92, Issue 4 (July/August
2013), pp. 32-43.
 Audrey Kurth Cronin, “Why Drones Fail,” Foreign Affairs 92, Issue 4
(July/August 2013), pp. 44-54.
Week 13: Conventional and Unconventional Warfare
Monday, November 24 – Armies, Self-Defense Militias, and Death Squads
 Yelena Biberman, “When States Outsource Violence: Domestic Nonstate Actors
in Pakistan and India’s Wars” (2014), Working Paper.
Wednesday, November 26 – Thanksgiving Vacation (no classes)
Week 14: Kashmir
How did Kashmir become the most militarized zone in the world? What have been the local,
regional, and international consequences of the Kashmir conflict?
Monday, December 1 – Origins of Intractability
Politics of Modern South Asia | 11
 Ashutosh Varshney, “Three Compromised Nationalisms: Why Kashmir Has Been
a Problem,” in Raju Thomas, ed, Perspectives on Kashmir (Boulder: Westview
Press, 1992), pp. 191-234.
Wednesday, December 3 – Consequences of Conflict
Guest Speaker (Live from Kashmir via Skype): Dr. Samir Ahmad
 Basharat Peer, “What Lies Beneath,” Foreign Policy (September 29, 2011), pp. 15.
 Samir Ahmad, “Impact of Militarization on Education in Kashmir,” Working
Group on Peace, Conflict and Education, November 12, 2013, pp. 1-3.
 Kaz de Jong, et al, “Conflict in the Indian Kashmir Valley I: Exposure to
Violence,” Conflict and Health 2, no. 10 (2008), pp. 1-4.
Week 15: Nuclear Weapons
Monday, December 8 – The Nuclear Stability Debate
 Sumit Ganguly, “Nuclear Stability in South Asia,” International Security 33, No.
2 (Fall 2008), pp. 45-70.
 S. Paul Kapur, “Ten Years of Instability in a Nuclear South Asia,” International
Security 33, No. 2 (Fall 2008), pp. 71-94.
Wednesday, December 10 – Wrap Up
Politics of Modern South Asia | 12
Government Department
Policy on Civility and Comportment in the Classroom
The classroom experience is the heart of liberal education, and as such is the most important aspect of
your Skidmore College education. Presumably, if you did not agree you would not be attending
Skidmore. The faculty of the Government Department takes this understanding as the basis of our
educational efforts. It is in an attempt to honor the centrality of the classroom experience that we offer
this department policy on civility and comportment.
As is stated in the Student Handbook, your presence at Skidmore College is contingent upon your
acceptance of, and full adherence to, the Skidmore College Honor Code. This honor code is distinct from
the oath you take when writing a paper or taking an exam – it is in fact much more all-encompassing, and
much more demanding.
The Code includes the following statement: “I hereby accept membership in the Skidmore College
community and, with full realization of the responsibilities inherent in membership, do agree to adhere to
honesty and integrity in all relationships, to be considerate of the rights of others, and to abide by the
College regulations.” Elsewhere, the Code also calls all Skidmore students to “conform to high standards
of fair play, integrity, and honor.”
What does it mean to do act honestly, with integrity, and according to high standards of fair play,
particularly in the classroom? In our view, it includes, minimally, the following.
1. No student shall lessen the learning experience of others in the classroom by arriving late to class.
2. No student shall lessen the learning experience of others in the classroom by leaving the classroom
while class is in session, except for true medical emergencies.
3. Cell phones must be turned off during class.
4. No student shall disrupt the learning experience of others in the classroom by talking to a neighbor,
writing notes to other students, reviewing one’s mail, reading the newspaper, completing homework for
other classes, or playing with the laptop computer, while class is in session.
5. No student shall disrespect other Skidmore students, professors or the housekeeping staff by putting
feet on the desks or other furniture in the classroom, or by leaving trash, food, or recyclables in the room
at the end of the class session.
While we will hold all students to these minimal expectations, we also have some suggestions for those
who seek to go beyond the bare minimum of civil classroom comportment to become the type of mature,
responsible, active learners who are an asset to any classroom and society at large. These include the
following.
6. Every student should take copious and meaningful notes both on assigned readings and during
classroom sessions. Note taking is an important skill—if you do not already possess it, you should acquire
it.
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7. Every student should take some time to review the notes that he or she has taken on the day’s assigned
reading before each class meeting. You will be amazed how much more invested and engaged in the class
you will feel if you go into the classroom well-prepared.
8. Disruptions in class can be a significant impediment to learning, and no member of the Skidmore
community—including faculty and students—should tolerate them. Thus every student should take
responsibility for holding his or her peers and classmates to both high academic standards and high
standards of civility. If people around you are chatting, passing notes or otherwise detracting from the
overall quality of YOUR classroom experience, don’t let them get away with it.
9. Individual faculty members in the Government Department will determine the level of sanctions for
disruptive behavior.
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