Panel Discussion with SOAS academics: ‘Assessing Modi’s Track Record Eighteen Months On’
On 19 November 2015, following Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, the SOAS South Asia Institute hosted a panel discussion featuring SOAS academics whose own social science research engages with the changes of the new Modi era. The panel was an opportunity to assess Modi’s policies to date and the impacts they have had upon a range of different sectors and aspects of society in contemporary India. Please click on the titles below to view the text of the presentation.
- Dr. Jens Lerche, ‘Making India? The Labour Law Reforms of Narendra Modi’s Government‘
- Dr. Navtej Purewal, ‘Neoliberal Patrimony in Modi’s India‘
- Dr. Simona Vittorini, ‘A Nehru-lite Third India-Africa Forum Summit‘
- Professor Gurharpal Singh
- Professor Lawrence Saez, ‘Killing Nehru: an evaluation of Modi’s foreign policy and economic diplomacy‘
Event Synopsis: The election of Narendra Modi’s BJP party to power in India in May 2014 marked the beginning of a distinctive new era in India. While the 2014 election showed a major shift towards a government of Hindutva-shaped ideology, Modi’s popularity has surpassed that of previous BJP governments. This is partly because he has appealed to corporates which favour neo-liberal economic policies by highlighting India as a global ‘superpower’ which is open to investment and business. Meanwhile, he has pushed forward a social agenda that is underpinned by overt Hindutva communal assertions, caste-based marginalisation, a proactive foreign policy, and a contentiously conservative gender ideology. This convergence of economic neo-liberalism and social conservatism makes Modi’s first year and a half in office distinctive and worthy of exploration.