By: Mr. Aadil Brar, Anthropology
Aadil Brar is an Anthropology student who spent 3 months in Sikkim (India), conducting ethnographic research funded by MITACS Globalinks Research Award. This project explored the history of Buddhist thangka art in Sikkim from a visual anthropological perspective, but the broader aim was to visualize the Sikimese identity, cultural history, and political economy.
In May of 1975, Sikkim was annexed by India under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This historical moment began the transition of Sikkim from a Kingdom to a state within Indian republic. Through my research I have attempted to establish a longer chronology of public culture in Sikkim, beginning with the intervention of the British East India Company and the rise of territorial skirmishes in the Eastern Himalayas. Sikkim’s unique position in postcolonial context requires to be situated in colonial histories and needs contextualizing of Namgyal dynasty within complex geopolitics of the region. This talk would trace the history of Sikkimese public culture through its visuality, and delve into its ethno-cultural politics in contemporary times. I would also discuss the networks of social capital that emerged in post-annexation context. This talk will critically engage with visual culture as a methodology for reexamining the cultural histories in South Asia.
