Modi's India: Thinking About the Future
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAsia Society Northern California and World Affairs Council are pleased to present a panel on India's future in the wake of that country's momentous recent elections.
In May, India completed the largest democratic election the world has ever seen. Over the course of five weeks, more than 800 million people turned out to cast their votes. The election of Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came as a surprise to many, especially since the incumbent Congress Party has held power for the majority of India’s democratic history.
The overwhelming support for the BJP may be a sign of changing priorities among voters. Rather than voting along religious, caste, or other identity lines as has historically been the case, Indians voted for Modi’s promise of economic reform and growth. At the same time, religion remains a powerful influence in Indian politics. Only 9% of Muslims voted for the BJP, which may reflect ongoing concerns over the 2002 religious-ethnic riots that took place in Gujarat while Modi was chief minister of the state.
What does India’s new leadership mean for the country’s economy and foreign policy in the months and years ahead? What are the implications for religious and ethnic tensions in this vast democracy?
Speakers:
Pradeep Chhibber, Professor and Indo-American Community Chair in India Studies, University of California, Berkeley
Thomas Blom Hansen, Reliance-Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of South Asian Studies, Professor of Anthropology and Director, Center for South Asia, Stanford University
Sunder Ramaswamy, President and Frederick C. Dirks Professor of International Economics, Monterey Institute of International Studies
In partnership with the World Affairs Council
Program Agenda:
6:30 - 7:00 pm: Registration
7:00 - 8:00 pm: Panel discussion