India Studies expert to visit IU during speaker series

Racial, religious and ethnic conflicts occur all over the world, said India Studies Department Director Sumit Ganguly. \n“But it is only when we understand them that we can develop strategies for ameliorating, forestalling and preventing conflict,” he added.\nIn order to bring this equation for peace to IU, Ganguly invited friend and colleague Ashutosh Varshney, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan, to speak about the tensions and conflicts surfacing in India. Varshney will give his presentation at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the India Studies House.\nVarshney’s research interests include the politics of economic development in India, Ganguly said. As a central authority of ethnic conflicts in India between Hindus and Muslims, Varshney looks at what triggers riots in India, Ganguly said.\n“He looks at cities where there have been historical social ties and civic links between various communities, and finds that the likelihood of religious and ethnic conflict is small,” Ganguly said. “In cities without that kind of history, he found that they will have much higher levels of violence.” \nVarshney’s discussion tonight will be centralized around his latest book, “Ethnic Conflict and Civil Life: Hindus and Muslims in India.” He will also be speaking on the applicability of his research to other parts of the world, like Africa and Southeast Asia, Ganguly said. \n“He is a major figure of ethnic conflict, and I greatly respect his work,” Ganguly said. “Ethnic conflict is something that plagues much of this world, and I believe that students and academics have the ability to contribute to preventing conflict.” \nVarshney has been a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, Human Rights Watch, the U.S. Department of State and the United Kingdom Department for International Development. \nFor more information, please contact the India Studies Department at 855-5798.