Docu screening with talk by Dr George Kunnath (LSE) & discussion
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Civil Society and Armed Movements: Negotiating boundaries and limitations
In contemporary times, the shrinking of civil society spaces and violent suppression of social movements are becoming more prevalent across many countries. The traditional ideals of liberal democracy, which allowed for democratic expression against injustices, are eroding. State apparatuses and dominant groups often normalize unjust and unequal relations, employing both direct and structural violence to maintain the status quo. Amidst this volatility, numerous social movements struggle to survive, adopting varied strategies from legal activism to armed resistance, as seen in the Maoist movement in eastern India and the rise of FARC in Colombia.
The dynamics between civil society and armed movements reveal a complex re-negotiation and blurring of boundaries. The state often criminalizes civil society, accusing it of being co-opted by armed movements. However, civil society plays a significant role in drawing armed individuals into non-violent activism, as seen with former FARC members in Colombia and Maoists in India. This raises questions about the impact of shrinking civil space on armed movements, the legitimacy of former guerrillas in civil spaces, and the effects on state-society relations.
To further understand these issues, the event will start with a documentary screening, ‘The Hunt’, which highlights the plight of indigenous communities in the eastern part of India, who face gross human rights violations at the hands of security forces in the name of counter insurgency. The documentary also highlights the violence from armed insurgents. Following this documentary, Prof. George Kunnath from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) will provide insights into the complex dynamics between civil society and armed movements.
Prof. Kunnath has worked extensively in the Maoist areas of Bihar and Jharkhand in India, and with FARC members in Colombia. Trained as a social anthropologist, George’s research examines the relationality of inequality, conflict and peacebuilding in the Global South, particularly focusing on the intersectionality of race, caste, class, gender and ethnicity. George’s interests also include research ethics, social theory and non-extractive research methods. He has conducted extensive ethnographic research among Dalit and Adivasi communities living amidst Maoist insurgency and counterinsurgency in India and communities and organisations committed to peacebuilding in Colombia since the peace agreement between the Colombia state and the FARC guerrillas in 2016.
Programme
5.00 - 6.00 pm: Documentary screening of 'The Hunt' by Biju Toppo
6.10 - 6.50 pm: Talk by Dr George Kunnath
6.50 - 8.00 pm: Discussion (Q&A)
Biography of Dr George Kunnath
Dr George Kunnath is an Associate Professor (Education) and Lifelong Engagement Lead for the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He previously worked as Lecturer in Modern Indian Studies as the University of Oxford where he also served as Director of Graduate Studies for Contemporary South Asian Studies Programme.
Trained as a social anthropologist, George’s research examines the relationality of inequality, conflict and peacebuilding in the Global South, particularly focusing on the intersectionality of race, caste, class, gender and ethnicity. George’s interests also include research ethics, social theory and non-extractive research methods. He has conducted extensive ethnographic research among Dalit and Adivasi communities living amidst Maoist insurgency and counterinsurgency in India and communities and organisations committed to peacebuilding in Colombia since the peace agreement between the Colombia state and the FARC guerrillas in 2016.
George has published his research in Current Anthropology, Journal of Peasant Studies, Dialectical Anthropology, Anthropology Now, Revista CS, and Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, among others. His book Rebels from the Mud Houses: Dalits and the Making of the Maoist Revolution in Bihar (Social Science Press, 2012; Routledge, 2017) discusses Dalit agency and the Maoist movement in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.