SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Lecture by Staffan at the Asiatic Society,
21 November 2005

Asiatic Society web page: http://www.asiaticsocietycal.com/

Invited to speak by this old institution, started in 1782, located at 1, Park Street, right in the city centre of Kolkata, Staffan had chosen to speak about an ongoing panel study of 240 agricultural households in six villages along the Kaveri in Trichy and Karur districts, a study he is currently working with. These households were interviewed 25 years ago about economic, technical and social conditions and they are asked the same questions again. The study, which is undertaken by Lindberg and four colleagues, covers agricultural economy, household economy, migration, social and political organisation. In the lecture social transformation of local politics and gender relations were dealt with.
There were about 30 people in the audience and after the lecture there were a good deal of questions and comments. The meeting was presided over by Professor Biswanath Banerjee, President of the Asiatic Society, and the lecture was concluded by a nice tea party in the office of the Asiatic Society’s General Secretary, Dr. Ramakanta Chakrabarty (photo to the left).

Meeting with the Governor, Mr. Gopal Krishna Gandhi

Dr. Arild Ruud at Oslo University, former Director of the Nordic Centre in India, had introduced us to the Governor of West Bengal Mr. Gopal Krishna Gandhi who till recently was the Indian Ambassador to Norway (here seen on the photo along with Prof. Lindberg).

We entered the massive and imposing Raj Bhavan (that used to be the Government House in the colonial days), with a certain respect, not being used to such a visit, and with thoughts about the marriage of the British Colonial system and the modern democratic India. Feelings that quickly melted in the air when we were informally and cordially received by the governor in his office. ‘The marriage,’ he said, ‘was not a happy one, but the relationship had changed a great deal in the political process after Independence.’

We had an interesting discussion about the current problematic situation facing agriculture and the need for research networks to work on the many problems facing contemporary India. He was already well informed about SASNET and appreciated our work and the plan for our contact tour.