Chandigarh May 12, 2024:- Professor Badri Narayan, Ambedkar Chair Professor in the Department of Political Science in collaboration with Dr B.R. Ambedkar Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh is organizing a one-day Symposium on ‘Identity and Aspirations: Politics of the Marginalised in Neo-Liberal Time’, on May 15th, 2024 at the Golden Jubilee Auditorium. Professor Badri Narayan, a distinguished social historian and cultural anthropologist, currently serves as the Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute in Prayagraj. He is also a Member of the University Grants Commission (UGC). His scholarly pursuits encompass popular culture, social and anthropological history, the experiences of marginalized communities, and the complex interplay between power and cultural expressions. Professor Narayan is a prolific author, having published numerous articles in both English and Hindi. He has also authored numerous critically acclaimed books, the most recent being ‘Republic of Hindutva: How the Sangh Is Reshaping Indian Democracy’, (Penguin Random House, 2021).

The Symposium will focus on the politics of the marginalised, which began with various initiatives by Baba Saheb Ambedkar and has undergone significant transformations over time, notably in the era of neoliberalism. The discussion will cover how identity politics gained momentum in the 1990s including the rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party but became less aggressive in the 2010s because of the age of aspiration created in the neo-liberal time. The panelists will explore the reasons behind this shift and what new forms of marginalized politics have emerged.

Professor Renu Vig, Honorable Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, Chandigarh will inaugurate the Symposium, followed by four plenary sessions, each one enriched by the participation of panelists representing a diverse set of academic disciplines including Political Science, Philosophy, History, Hindi, English and Law. The speakers come from various universities including G.B. Pant Social Science Institute, Prayagraj, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi, Punjabi University, Patiala and Panjab University, Chandigarh. The eminent panelists for the four sessions are: Professor Badri Narayan, Professor Ashutosh Kumar, Professor Ronki Ram, Professor Lallan Singh Bhagel, Professor Gurmeet Singh, Dr. Dhiraj Kumar Nite, Dr. Rama Shankar, Professor Shruti Bedi, Dr. Deepak Kumar, Professor Milind Awad, Professor Narendra Kumar and Dr. Archana Singh. The four sessions will cover a variety of themes including Understanding Neo-Liberal Times in India, Identity Politics: Rope or Snake, Aspiration, Identity and Empowerment: Marginal Communities in India and Politics of the Poor: Multiple Roots.