Democracy in South Asia: Anti-Colonial Origins, Post-Colonial Dilemmas
Conference: November 4–5, 2026 | Colombo, Sri Lanka
The conference explores democracy in South Asia as a lived historical and political practice, examining its anti-colonial origins, post-colonial transformations, and contemporary challenges. It brings together scholars, students, and practitioners to develop new perspectives from within South Asia to deliberate on questions such as – What are the anti-colonial foundations of democracy in South Asia? How have post-colonial social movements reinterpreted these traditions? what role has religion played in shaping the democratic politics in the region?
The conference will answer these questions through the following themes. The papers presented in the conference will be published in an edited volume titled “Democracy in South Asia” with an academic press.
- Conceptualizing the Present: Institutions and Democracy in South Asia
- State, Law and Democracy: Liberal Promise and Post colonial Failings
- Social Movements, Party Politics and Neoliberal Authoritarianism: Popular Uprisings and State Responses
- Development in South Asia: From Developmentalism to Neoliberalism and Crisis
- Vernacular Intellectuals and making of democratic politics: From Archives to Popular Movements
- Democracy and Cultural Politics: Using popular culture in political mobilizations
- Women’s Question and/in Democratic Politics
- Institutionalising democracy in South Asia
Important Dates
– Abstracts: (300 Words) August 30, 2026
– Draft Papers: October 10, 2026
– Final Papers: December 10, 2026
Send abstracts to: democon@medialawforum.org
Limited travel grants available.
Call for Papers