Resisting Development, Promoting Dignity: Challenging the Postcolonial Informal Empires of China and India: Commentary by Kateryna Onyiliogwu

I went to this wonderful and inspiring talk by Dr. Dibyesh Anand today. I was interested in this subject as China and India have become more powerful in the world today and the eyes of international community are closely on current affairs of these states. Dr. Anand talked about China and India as postcolonial informal empires in their treatment of their own population, especially in Tibet and Kashmir. As negative effects of colonisation are widely discussed by scholars, I was struck by the term, new for me, ‘Postcolonial informal empires’ as I couldn’t grasp the idea that ex-colonies like India and China can behave in a similar way as colonisers towards their own people, in particular, minorities. By adapting political ideas and technologies of ex empires such as nationalism and uniting these with narratives of historical greatness, India and China are building their multinational states. In order to control these states China and India are accepting multi-ethnic cultural rights but denying political agency, bringing further marginalisation of rights for their minorities in Tibet and Kashmir respectively. Having in mind the famous quote by John Acton that ‘The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities’, I kept wondering whether following the path of ex-empires like Britain and France can bring greater development to China and India as whole nations?

Resisting Development, Promoting Dignity: Challenging the Postcolonial Informal Empires of China and India

A talk by Dr  Dibyesh Anand   

 22/02/2012, 5pm, Room 250, Regent Street. 

Is development a mechanism of control deployed by powerful states to discipline their people? Can development resolve conflicts between the state and ethonational groups who don't see themselves represented within the state and have their own aspirations for a separate identity? Or does it exacerbate the conflict? Taking the example of Chinese-controlled Tibet where protests, including in the form of self-immolations, are ongoing  and Indian-controlled Kashmir - where security apparatus of the state subverts most democratic processes, this lecture will argue that China and India are Postcolonial Informal Empires that promote development but deny dignity. The focus will be mainly on Tibet that is witnessing a repressive policy of the Chinese government that mixes total political control with rapid development and protests against China resulting from this policy

IDS: Simon Maxwell speaking on TUESDAY 7th FEBRUARY 6pm at Regents Campus

Reminder:

Simon Maxwell is a leading authority on international development. He has been a researcher, field worker and adviser, and for twelve years to 2009 was Director of the Overseas Development Institute, the UK’s principal think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues. He has lived long-term in Kenya, India and Bolivia; and has worked for the UNDP, the British aid programme, and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, as well as ODI. He has been an adviser to successive UK Ministers of development and a Forum Fellow of the World Economic Forum. Current positions include Executive Chair of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, project leader of the European Development Cooperation Strengthening Programme, and Specialist Adviser to the UK House of Commons Select Committee on International Development. Simon is a Member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, as well as a trustee of various organisations, including the Fair Trade Foundation and the Spanish think-tank, FRIDE. Recent contributions can be found on his website, www.simonmaxwell.eu, including on aid effectiveness, the results agenda, the food crisis, and climate change. In 2007, Simon was awarded a CBE for contributions to international development.

Please join us on TUESDAY 7th FEBRUARY 6pm at Regents Campus, room to be confirmed. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

We hope to see you there!

IDS