South Asian Literatures and Cultures

South Asia, consisting of eight nations – namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – has emerged as a major area of study among scholars from humanities, social sciences, international relations and religious thought during the last few decades. Though South Asia accounts for only 3 per cent of the world’s land area, the region is home to 24 per cent of the world population, making it one of the most populated areas in the world. Its linguistic, social, cultural and geographical diversity compounded by multiple religious faiths, pluralistic cultural traditions and diverse socio- political systems defy description or analysis along theoretical categories rooted in Western modernity. In the wake of post-structuralist and post- colonial interventions, the need to theorize the experiences and self- images of such pluralistic cultures with their separate histories and traditions have assumed greater significance.

The ICLA Standing Research Committee on South Asian Literatures and Cultures, which continues the work of the former, time-limited Research Committee on Literary and Cultural Interrelationships Between India, Its Neighboring Countries and the World, and which was formed under the aegis of the Comparative Literature Association of India (CLAI), hopes to contribute to the ongoing debates on the various aspects of South Asian studies by providing an international forum to scholars from within and outside South Asia to exchange their ideas, share research findings and engage in debates. The Research Group will focus on the in-depth study of the linguistic, social and cultural diversity of the region as manifested in its literary, philosophical and artistic traditions from antiquity to modern period. It will facilitate greater dialogue and exchange of ideas between scholars of the region and the international scholars working on subjects related to South Asia. One of the major objectives of the Committee is to identify emerging areas of research in South Asian studies and organize seminars, workshops and conferences devoted to them. The proceedings of such seminars and conferences will be published to create a corpus of knowledge that reflects, and reflects on, contemporary perspectives from the region. The research group will foster greater collaboration between academic institutions of South Asia and major international institutions across the world where the studies on South Asia are being conducted.

ICLA members can become members of the Committee and engage with its work. 

Research Students and Early career members have been actively associated with the events of the Committee. They are encouraged to present papers in national and international seminars and conferences organized by the research group.