Understanding Indian Democracy: Ambedkar, Secularism, and the State - An Interview with J Sai Deepak

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Co-moderated by doctoral candidates Indu Viswanathan of Teacher's College, Columbia University, and Parth Parihar of Princeton University's Dept of Economics, this interview leverages the incisive lens of Indian constitutional lawyer J Sai Deepak to delve into the most fundamental and yet thorniest issues of India's modern political landscape.  Recorded shortly before Ambedkar Jayanti, this interview also discusses how Dr. Ambedkar's views on Indian democracy can help inform perspectives on current affairs.

Topics covered in the interview include:

1.  Why is the idea of secularism so contested in India?  What is the idea of secularism as enshrined in the Indian constitution?

2.  What is the difference between a "civilization state" and a "nation state"?  In what ways is India a civilization state?

3.  Current discourse on India holds that the polity is slipping into oppressive majoritarianism.  What safeguards does the constitution hold against this happening?  Would this be possible?

4.  One of Ambedkar's ideals in a perfect society was "equality;" yet, this is a very abstract concept.  How does the Indian legal framework understand equality?  On what grounds can the state differentiate between different groups of people?

5.  Caste in India and race in the U.S. are often seen to be analogous and intersectional.  In what ways is this comparison an oversimplification?  What were Ambedkar's views on such a comparison?

6.  In what ways have Ambedkar's ideas been misunderstood in today's context?

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Resources and Links:

1.  Ambedkar, B.R.  The Annihilation of Caste.  Center for Teaching and Learning, Columbia University, 2004.  http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/ambedkar/web/readings/aoc_print_2004.pdf

2.  Orgad, Liav.  Cultural Defense of Nations: A Liberal Theory of Majority Rights.  Oxford Constitutional Theory, 2015.
https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199668687.001.0001/acprof-9780199668687
https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Defense-Nations-Majority-Constitutional/dp/0198806914

3.  J Sai Deepak's Articles on Open Magazine:
https://openthemagazine.com/author/j-sai-deepak/

4.  J Sai Deepak's Videos on Upword:

Partition, Citizenship, and NRC - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH-Tay6Ej9M

Citizenship Amendment Act Explained - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04eLoIyKAhE&t=2s

YouTube url:	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH3R2giZcgQ
Created:	30. 7. 2020 19:16:56

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Understanding Indian Democracy: Ambedkar, Secularism, and the State - An Interview with J Sai Deepak