The thesis examines the state practice of India and analyses how it has contributed to the development of international law. These areas are: history of international law, law of the sea, human... Show moreThe thesis examines the state practice of India and analyses how it has contributed to the development of international law. These areas are: history of international law, law of the sea, human rights, humanitarian law, chemical weapons convention, UN reforms, environmental law, climate change, International Court of Justice. The thesis proves that state practice of India is similar to the state practice of a hegemonic power and India will use more and more international law to promote its national interests and rightful place in the international society of states. Summary conclusions: Distinct Approach of Judiciary and Executive to International Law; Post-Independence Practice of India: A Rising Power Approach to International Law; Use and Effectiveness of the Proactive versus Reactive Approaches to Ensure Desired Outcomes; India will continue to avoid the ICJ as a means of dispute settlement; Patience and Persistence: Virtues of Statecraft in the UN Reforms; Permanent Membership of the Security Council: Success Chances are Stronger than Ever Before; Law of the Sea: Reflection of a Growing Hegemonic Power; India will continue to shape and implement the international law of human rights in its own way and pace; International Environmental Law: Tension will continue between the Executive and Judiciary; Show less
For South Asian adults lowered BMI cut-offs for overweight and obesity are recommended as these are more in agreement with their body composition (low muscle mass, high fat mass) and the... Show moreFor South Asian adults lowered BMI cut-offs for overweight and obesity are recommended as these are more in agreement with their body composition (low muscle mass, high fat mass) and the considerably higher risk of cardiovascuar and metabolic disease. For South Asian children living in a Western country lowered BMI norms have not been established, nor other ethnic specific growth standards. The aims of this thesis are 1. to gain more insight into the normal physical growth of South Asian children 2. to develop South Asian specific height-for-age (0-21 years) and BMI-for-age (2-18 years) references, including BMI cut-offs. The studies in this thesis show that South Asian children are generally lighter and shorter than other ethnic groups. The mean birth weight is at 3012 grams around 450 grams lower than of Dutch babies and has remained unchanged for the past 35 years. In children 3-15 years thinness is highly prevalent and overweight prevalence is relatively low. Application of the developed height-for-age charts and lowered BMI cut-offs will expectedly lead to a better assessment of height and nutritional status (thinness, overweight) in this group. Consequently, thinness rates will be lower while overweight will be detected earlier, leading to earlier preventive interventions. Show less
Wilde, J.A. de; Buuren, S. van; Middelkoop, B.J.C. 2013
Tamil movie fans typically manifest themselves in public space during movie releases and other special occasions. All over Tamil Nadu their fan club organizations put up billboards and posters,... Show moreTamil movie fans typically manifest themselves in public space during movie releases and other special occasions. All over Tamil Nadu their fan club organizations put up billboards and posters, paint murals, and generate a plethora of images in different media. With this ‘fandom on display’ fans pursue aspirations of power that seem to go beyond the fan clubs’ cinematic roots. This ethnography explores these diverse ambitions by looking at the images that fans produce, disseminate and consume. Images, Roos Gerritsen argues, are crucial for fans in engaging with their star, but they also assist in putting forward their own personas and hence they underpin individual needs, personal career aspirations, and desires for power. A second important focus of this dissertation is organized around fan images in Tamil Nadu’s wider mediascape and public sphere. It concentrates on the role of urban space in the dissemination of political imaginations and aspirations that are embedded in neoliberal, global imaginaries of “world class”. The dissertation shows how such imaginations are slowly changing the ways in which fans use public spaces, watch films and engage in socio-political networks. In this last part of her dissertation, Gerritsen shows how public space and the images it contains become the canvas on which these clashing and shifting discourses are played out. Show less
Long-Lived Sociality is an ethnographic account of the lives of older persons in Kerala. Through its detailed account of these highly educated, middle and upper class individuals, it challenges... Show moreLong-Lived Sociality is an ethnographic account of the lives of older persons in Kerala. Through its detailed account of these highly educated, middle and upper class individuals, it challenges many popular and academic stereotypical notions of the old. Contrary to such preconceptions for instance, their lives turn out to be interdependent, not at all stagnant, extremely mobile and as far as possible actively shaped by the older persons themselves. Cultural notions about sociality are furthermore explored to understand how meaning is given to social and care relationships with others. These relations are informed by strong expectations and a discourse that stresses the importance of duties. This discourse makes it possible for older persons to explicitly demand care when needed. The investigation of the possibilities and limitations of this discourse provides insights into the older persons__ appreciation of their social lives and their overall wellbeing. Show less
The relationship between the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and its servants fundamentally changed with its decline (1740-1796). The changing circumstances of the eighteenth century demanded too... Show moreThe relationship between the VOC (Dutch East India Company) and its servants fundamentally changed with its decline (1740-1796). The changing circumstances of the eighteenth century demanded too much of the VOC. The solution to these new demands was not sought in new capitalization from Europe, but in a combination of cutbacks on activities in Asia and augmented usage of servants’ fortunes. The domains the VOC retreated from were filled by privileges to the servants. As the VOC depended more on its servants during its decline, the balance of power between them shifted in favour of the servants. This change in balance demanded more of the servants, forcing them to organize themselves differently to meet the new challenges. In the end, this change of perspective makes the development much more comparable to the changes the English East India Company went through, and provides a new perspective on changes in the position of the EIC-servants in the period around Plassey (1757). Show less
=========ABSTRACT=========It is tempting to think of precolonial India as a harmonious society, but was it? This study brings evidence from new and unexpected sources to take position in the... Show more=========ABSTRACT=========It is tempting to think of precolonial India as a harmonious society, but was it? This study brings evidence from new and unexpected sources to take position in the sensitive debate over that question. From the investigation of six conflicts in the Deccan region it draws conclusions about group behaviour that put modern clashes in context. Some of the conflicts under investigation appear odd today but were very real to the involved, as the antagonism between Left and Right Hand castes was for about a thousand years. Other conflicts continue to the present day: the seventeenth century saw lasting changes in the relationship between Hindus and Muslims as well as the rise of patriotism and early nationalism in both India and Europe. This book carefully brings to life the famous and obscure people who made the era, from the Dutch painter Heda to queen Khadija and from maharaja Shivaji to the English rebel Keigwin=========NOTES=========First Leiden University Press edition, 2009. Entirely revised from the author’s dissertation Xenophobia and Consciousness in Seventeenth-Century India: Six Cases from the Deccan, 12-Mar-2008. Show less
A recent IIAS workshop brought together esteemed scholars to look at the production, distribution and collection of Sanskrit manuscripts in Ancient South India.
In recent years the role of wealthy entrepreneurs in Muslim political, religious, and social life has been largely neglected. The authors reverse this trend by considering the practices and... Show moreIn recent years the role of wealthy entrepreneurs in Muslim political, religious, and social life has been largely neglected. The authors reverse this trend by considering the practices and orientations of some Kerala Muslim businessmen, who unite the pursuit of particular business interests with efforts to produce a Muslim modernity. Show less
The 140 million Muslims in India receive very little media attention. The resulting lack of knowledge has assisted Hindu nationalists in cultivating stereotypical depictions, but has hindered... Show moreThe 140 million Muslims in India receive very little media attention. The resulting lack of knowledge has assisted Hindu nationalists in cultivating stereotypical depictions, but has hindered policies aimed at the incorporation of Muslims into Indian society. This article analyzes a recent government report about Muslims in India and shows that the oftcommented upon introversion of Muslims is not an innate propensity of Muslims, but a reaction to decades of exclusion from broader social life. Show less
Photography was first introduced to India in 1840, only a year after the announcements of the daguerreotype and calotype processes in France and England. The fragility of this early material, the... Show morePhotography was first introduced to India in 1840, only a year after the announcements of the daguerreotype and calotype processes in France and England. The fragility of this early material, the uniqueness of the daguerreotype and the harshness of the Indian climate mean that photographs from this time are scarce, leaving us with a fragmented picture of the development of the medium. Show less
In India, 'love' and 'arranged' marriages appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but Michiel Baas argues that this 'opposition' is being challenged by IT professionals in the South India... Show moreIn India, 'love' and 'arranged' marriages appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but Michiel Baas argues that this 'opposition' is being challenged by IT professionals in the South India city of Bangalore. Show less
On 26 October 1947 the state of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to the Indian Union, infuriating Pakistan and spawning one of the world's longest unresolved conflicts: Kashmir. India and Pakistan's half... Show moreOn 26 October 1947 the state of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to the Indian Union, infuriating Pakistan and spawning one of the world's longest unresolved conflicts: Kashmir. India and Pakistan's half-century of perpetual conflict has been punctuated by four full-scale wars waged over the Line of Control, forcing villagers to hinterland refugee camps that have fundamentally changed the structure of the families living in them. Show less
In 2004 the Dar ul-’Ulum at Deoband, India’s largest Islamic seminary, issued a fatwa declaring watching television, including Islamic channels, impermissible. Issued by Mufti Mahmud ul-Hasan... Show moreIn 2004 the Dar ul-’Ulum at Deoband, India’s largest Islamic seminary, issued a fatwa declaring watching television, including Islamic channels, impermissible. Issued by Mufti Mahmud ul-Hasan Bulandshahri, a senior scholar at the Deoband madrasa, the fatwa declares that television is forbidden to Muslims because it was principally “a means for [frivolous] entertainment.” Sikand explores the debate about television and islam that was caused by this fatwa.1 Show less
Nighttime. The shimmering air is filled with the scent of sweet perfume as the dim figures of visitors are seen in the shadows. Inside, the room is hung with draperies and chandeliers. Velvet... Show moreNighttime. The shimmering air is filled with the scent of sweet perfume as the dim figures of visitors are seen in the shadows. Inside, the room is hung with draperies and chandeliers. Velvet cushions litter the floor while customers lie back, perhaps smoking a water pipe, listening to the sweet voices of the mujarewali. Women sing, mostly seated, subtly moving their bodies as the graceful gestures of their hands and suggestive looks from beneath their veils cast a spell on the male audience. Sometimes eyes meet and wordless messages are sent. Their outcome is easy to guess.... Show less
The Farangi Mahall family of learned and holy men is remarkable in the history of India. Indeed, it would be in any society. Claiming descent from Ayyub Ansari, the host of the Prophet at Medina,... Show moreThe Farangi Mahall family of learned and holy men is remarkable in the history of India. Indeed, it would be in any society. Claiming descent from Ayyub Ansari, the host of the Prophet at Medina, through the 11th-century saint cAbd Allah Ansari of Herat, their ancestors migrated to India in the early years of the Delhi sultanate. One branch settled around Panipat, close to Delhi, and in recent times produced: Altaf Husayn Hali, the great poet of the Aligarh movement; Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the progressive writer; and Dr M.A. Ansari, the pan-Islamic leader and president both of the Indian National Congress and of the all-India Muslim League. Show less
