Geopolitics and Statelessness in South Asia

IAS Residential Fellow Dr Rudabeh Shahid delivers a seminar on their research - 

This keynote speech addresses the issue of statelessness in South Asia, emphasizing the region's geopolitical dynamics. It begins by defining statelessness and discussing its impact on human rights. It continues by exploring historical factors that have contributed to statelessness, including the Partition of India and the legacy of colonialism. The talk additionally presents case studies from Myanmar and Sri Lanka, demonstrating how national policies and ethnic conflicts have resulted in large populations of stateless individuals, leading to severe socio-economic and political challenges. Additionally, the presentation examines the role of major global players such as China, the US, UK, and Japan in shaping the geopolitical landscape of South Asia. The presentation underscores the complex relationship between national security and human rights obligations, thereby calling for coordinated efforts by South Asian nations and international organizations to devise and execute strategies that tackle both the immediate effects and the root causes of statelessness. 

Arrivals from 11:45 am for a 12:00 noon start. For those joining in-person, lunch will be served after the seminar from 1:00pm.

This event is hybrid format, please use the required booking button at the bottom of the page to choose either in-person or online attendance.
(Please note that in-person spaces are limited and booking is required, so we can manage numbers for catering and also the space in the seminar room)

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IAS seminars are typically recorded, minus any Q&A sessions at the end, again to encourage contributions. The recordings are then uploaded to our website on a Fellows bio page and/or Programme page, along with our IAS YouTube Channel. If you are not able to attend a seminar live, please do still register as we will email everyone who registered to let them know once the recordings are made available.