State of Injustice: the Indian State and Poverty - SASP Seminar

As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, the Public Policy Center will sponsor a South Asian Studies Program seminar with John Harriss, Professor of International Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.  

The anthropologist Akhil Gupta, in his widely acclaimed book Red Tape, argues that the Indian state has been responsible for about two million avoidable deaths each year. His argument is that this is the outcome of structural violence and most immediately because programs intended to help the poor are subverted by the procedures of Indian bureaucracy. Gupta highlights a big question, but his own answer to it is at best partial. The argument of this talk is that the problem of poverty should rather be viewed in terms of injustice, and the case put is substantiated through an analysis of recent innovations in social policy, including the Food Security Act.

Chai and snacks will be served.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events.  If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Sarolta Graves in advance at 319-335-3862.

This event is co-sponsored by the South Asian Studies Program in International Programs, the Public Policy Center, and the UI College of Law Center for International Finance and Development.