Introduction to the British Association for South Asian Studies annual special issue: identity and politics in contemporary South Asia

Abstract

This paper introduces the British Association for South Asian Studies special issue of Contemporary South Asia. Contributions to this volume have been made based on papers presented by participants at the 21st British Association for South Asian Studies Annual Conference held in Cambridge in March 2007. The papers in the collection reflect on different aspects of identity in the contemporary South Asian context, focusing on caste, religion, gender and tribe, and explore the relevance of these signifiers in the lived everyday experiences of these different communities, as well as their broader implications for the contemporary politics of the region.