This exploratory workshop will bring together those with practical or academic experience of particular earthquakes in South Asia. The aim is to initiate a comparative conversation on aftermath and reconstruction stories in different times and regions. We have particular interest in longitudinal perspectives about reconstruction and resilience for a useful engagement with theory of social change and, policies of preparedness, response and reconstruction.
Earthquakes have punctuated the modern history of South Asia. In postcolonial times, tragedy has struck in Assam (1950), Maharashtra (1993), Gujarat (2001), Kashmir (2005) and Nepal (2015). In the late-colonial period, earthquakes in Baluchistan (1935) and Bihar (1934) have become embedded in national historiography. Both old and new earthquakes play a major role in the formation of regional and developmental imaginations. The aftermath of such natural disasters evoke emotional responses and lofty visions accompanied by political rhetoric of collective resurgence. It is commonly a time of opportunity and rapid social change, often associated with political or governmental revolution, and in the longer term a collective amnesia. Various organisational, planning and moral paradigms have been drawn on in reconstruction efforts, often to very different and differentiating effect. Reconstruction stories signal changing relationships between: the people and the state, the state and international organisations and public and private sectors. Each earthquake narrative has something to reveal about the role and efficacy of civil society, as well as notions of responsibility and culpability. More usefully, comparing earthquake reconstruction experiences may also reveal insights for effective policy formulation for reconstruction and enabling earthquake resilience. What is there to learn from comparing earthquake stories? We are hoping, by the end of the workshop, to come up with ideas for, and ways of consolidating our collective experiences in understanding earthquake reconstruction.
For any queries, write to srinivas@cprindia.org.
