Academicians, researchers and cultural psychoanalysts gathered to examine contemporary ideas that define modern South Asia at Oxford University Press's (OUP) Open Quote today.
Themed around 'Religion and Society in Contemporary South Asia', the conference took place at OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat with various panel discussions and lectures on forms and levels of engagement between religion and society that have developed in South Asia.
Religious diversity and pluralism is increasing all over the world, and globalization is creating a widespread awareness of that. The growing influence of religions in public politics and culture around the world is contradicting conventional narratives of secularization, and South Asia, which has the most astounding cultural and religious diversity, is no exception to this fact.
With an aim to address, introspect and redefine phrases like religion, secularism, and modernity and other socio-cultural matters, the conference reflected upon key issues including different cultural nuances and changing definition of religion in the modern-day context; economical dimensions of religion; issues of religion, law and legality; representation of religion in popular culture amongst others.
"Religion has acted as a major binding force in society by imbibing certain moral values, especially in South Asia where religion is a predominant force across all nations. Over the decades, religion has blended with politics in society and religious influence which has led to changing meanings and definitions of the concept," said Sudhir Kakar, noted psychoanalyst with key focus on cultural psychology and the psychology of religion, while commenting on the theme and sessions.
"I would like to congratulate Oxford University Press for bringing critical topics on the table and hope to get meaningful discussions out of it and look forward to associations in the future as well," added Kakar.
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The sessions saw notable speakers and panelists including Brahma Prakash - Assistant Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics Jawaharlal Nehru University; Ali Khan Mahmudabad - Assistant Professor, History and Political Science Ashoka University; Aijaz Ashraf Wani - Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science University of Kashmir; and Soumyabrata Choudhury - Associate Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics Jawaharlal Nehru University.
"At OUP, we are committed to meet the growing and varying learning needs of students, teachers, scholars and general readers. We are delighted to announce Open Quote and see the conference evolve as a platform that opens doors to address key issues concerning South Asia," said Naveen Choudhary - Associate Director, Marketing, Oxford University Press (India).
"Future of any country rests on the educated and informed youth. Hence it is important to provide them deeper understanding of fundamentals, socio-economic and cultural aspects that govern any country. Through this conference, we seek to introspect and stimulate informed dialogue between the participants, thereby making fresh ideas available to the larger public, especially the young generation," added Naveen, while highlighting the significance of the sessions.
Oxford University Press plans to host similar conferences across leading universities in the country on subject matters relevant to the South Asian market.
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