Embassy of India and BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation organized a Talk on 'Evolution of Federalism in India' on November 16, 2009 at Durbar Hall, Hotel Yak and Yeti by Padma Shree Awardee Prof Mushirul Hasan, former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia. Prof. Hasan addressed a gathering of over 150 eminent personalities including CA Members, leaders of various political parties, academics, lawyers, journalists, civil society activists and emphasized that constitution drafting was in essence a process of social engineering and in context of Nepal a process of national reconciliation. He traced the evolution of federalism in India from colonial times. Prof. Hasan highlighted the contrast between the constitution drafting process between India and Pakistan presenting that while India was able to successfully accommodate the regional/linguistic aspirations, Pakistan failed to do so and has not yet been able to establish a stable polity. The session was moderated by Mr. Kanak Mani Dixit.
2. Prof. Mushirul Hasan also addressed the gathering of around 60 people comprising of CA members, university students and lawyers at the Centre for Constitutional Dialogue (CCD), UNDP. Prof Hasan spoke on the importance of constitution in a country and briefly discussed the evolution of federalism in India. He also compared the constitution making process in India and Pakistan. The interactive session was very lively with questions on distribution of financial resources between centre and state; reservation and affirmative action especially for women; problems faced by India despite having such a rich constitution; the problems of accommodating the regional and linguistic diversity of Nepal; direct negotiations between the State and international organizations like UN; basis of federalism in India and the amount of flexibility that is required in any constitution.
3. Prof. Hasan was the keynote speaker in a one-day seminar on ‘Constitution writing in Nepal and its challenges’ organized by Nepal Council of World Affairs (NCWA) in collaboration with the Embassy of India on 17 November. The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. Minendra Rizal, Minister for Culture, Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs (Nepali Congress). Prof. Hasan in his key note address highlighted the democratic values that are enshrined in the Indian constitution. He added that the constitution in Nepal must progress on the basis of popular will and consensus. He said that Indian constitution is a living and dynamic document and has been amended to reflect the emergent realities of the Indian society.
4. Padma Shri Awardee Prof Mushirul Hasan is currently the Director of the Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia. He has been former Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia (10 June 2004-August 2009); Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1992 – 1996); Vice-Chairman, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla; Chairperson of the Indian Congress of Asian and Pacific Studies (ICAPS) and President, Indo-Iran Society. He has been and continues as member of many prestigious professional and learning organizations, such as the UGC nominee, Advisory Committee on Gulf Studies Programme, Centre for West Asian & African Studies, JNU; Member, Delhi Vision Group; Advisory Committee, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Governing Body, Zakir Husain College, University of Delhi; and University Court, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Prof Hasan has also been visiting professor at the Central European University, Budapest, International Institute of Languages and Civilizations, (INALCO) Paris, University of Virginia, Charlottesville and fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study, Berlin, and held professorial fellowships at the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library in New Delhi, Centre of Oriental Studies in Rome and the Centre of Indian Studies at the Maison des Sciences de L’Homme in Paris, to name a few. He has been awarded the ‘Officer of the Order of Academic Palms’ (Officier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Academiques) by the Prime Minister of the French Republic, 2008; D.Lit (Honoris Causa) by Calcutta University, Kolkata, 2008; Padma Shri by the Hon’ble President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, 2007; D.Lit (Honoris Causa) by UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University Allahabad, 2006; Professor Sukumar Sen Memorial Gold Medal by The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, 2006; Ford Foundation (SARC) Fellowship by the Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Oxford, 2002-03; D.P. Singhal Scholarship, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 2003; and Ramkrishna Jaidayal Harmony Award for English writing in 1999. He has published several books and Papers on Islam, post-Independence India and colonial India.
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Last Updated : 2009-11-24 |