About:

I am David, Assistant Professor in Political Science in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati since July 2016. I did my Ph.D. from the School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and M.Phil. from the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. Before joining IIITG, I worked as Senior Research Consultant at Action Aid, India from April 2016 to July 2016. I also worked as Assistant Professor in Political Science in the Department of Political Science at Dyal Singh College (M), University of Delhi, Delhi from January 2012 to September 2015. I was an Associate Fellow at Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (An ICSSR Recognized Institute-Govt. of India), Delhi from August 2009 to January 2012 and worked as a Research Assistant with Prime Minister High-Level Committee (Sachar Committee), Government of India, New Delhi from December 2005 to May 2006.

Research Interests:

My research interest lies in Identity Politics, Violence, Ethnicity and Socio-Political Histories of the marginalised communities in India. Currently working on the political history of the north-eastern states, movements and its leaders.

Research Projects:

  1. Research Project on “Makers of Modern Assam: A Case Study of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordolai, Bishnu Prasad Rabha and Chandra Prabha Saikiani”, supported by Indian Council of Social Science Research, India, 2019-20 with S. Barua (Completed).
  2. Research Project on ‘Dalit Women in Indian Politics: Making Impact through Parliament?’ a three country study (Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India) on Women and Citizenship for International Development Research Project, Canada, June, 2013 with N. Sabharwal and A. Ojha (Completed).
  3. Research Project on ‘Study of Social Inclusion at the Level of PRIs, Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha in select States with a particular Focus on Disadvantaged Groups such as Women, SCs, STs, OBCs and also Documenting Select Number of Cases Highlighting Success and Failure’, for Ministry of Panchayati Raj and United Nations Development Research Programme-Capacity Development for Local Governance Project, January, 2013 with N. Sukumar and V. Mishra (Completed).
  4. Research Project on “Mapping Caste Based Atrocities in India with special reference to Dalit Women: Annual Report 2009-10”, IIDS, submitted to Christian Aid, UK, May, 2011 with GC Pal (Completed).
  5. Research Project on “Atrocities against Dalits: Emerging Pattern” submitted to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, April, 2010 with GC Pal (Completed).
  6. Research Project on “Mapping Caste Based Atrocities in India: Annual Report 2008-09”, IIDS, submitted to Christian Aid, UK June, 2010 with GC Pal (Completed).

Project Consultant:

  1. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Germany (KAS) and Christ University Bangalore Study on Youth Perception on The Rule of Law in India (Ongoing).

Research Scholars:

  1. Mr. Tridip Bharali, Continuing (Part-Time)
  2. Mr. Derhasat Narzary, Continuing (Full-Time)

Teaching:

At IIITG, I have taught the following courses:

  1. Science, Technology and Society
  2. Introduction to Politics
  3. Understanding Democracy and Governance in India
  4. Citizenship in India: Laws, Politics and Institutional Practices
  5. Understanding Biopolitics: Body, Power and Population
  6. Research Methodology

Publications:

Journals
  1. Barua, S. and Lal, L.D. (2021). ‘History, Memory and Legend: Contextualizing Joymoti Utsav in Assam’, Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities (SCOPUS), Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 1-16 (DOI: https://rupkatha.com/V13/n3/v13n322.pdf)
  2. Barua, S. and Lal, L.D. (2021). ‘Feminist Consciousness, Empowerment and Identity: Contextualizing Chandraprabha Saikiani in Contemporary Assam’, Proceedings of the 7th World Conference on Women’s Studies, Vol. 6, Issue 1, 2021, pp. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.17501/24246743.2021.6101 (ISSN 2424-6743 online)
  3. Lal, L.D. and Barua, S. (2021). ‘Gandhi's Role in India's North-East: Issues of Reform and Integration’, in Ed. S Singh & R Marwah, Revisiting Gandhi: Legacies for World Peace and National Integration (World Scientific: Singapore Publishers) (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/12365) (ISBN: 978-981-124-008-9)
  4. Lal, L.D. (2021). ‘Mapping the Changing Contours of Tribal Politics’, The Book Review (SAGE), Vol. 45, No. 5, pp. 21-23 (https://www.thebookreviewindia.org/mapping-the-changing-contours-of-tribal-politics/) (ISSN NO. 0970-4175 (Print).
  5. Barua, S. and Lal, L.D. (2020). ‘Identity, Indigeneity and Excluded Region: In the Quest for an Intellectual History of Modern Assam’, Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities (SCOPUS), Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 1-11 (DOI: https://doi: 10.21659/rupkatha.v12n5.rioc1s17n3)
  6. Lal, L.D. (2020). ‘Anatomy of Caste Violence: The Question of Dignity, Honour and Justice in India’. Cambridge Open Engage: Cambridge University Press (DOI:https://10.33774/coe-2020-p9nbb)
  7. Sukumar,N., Lal, L.D., Mishra, Vinod. K. (2019). “Inclusiveness in the Panchayati Raj Institutions”, in Journal of Social Inclusion Studies (SAGE), Vol. 5, Issue 1, July 2019, pp. 1-18. (ISSN: 2394-4811) (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2394481119859675).
  8. Lal, L.D. (2017). “Hindu Social Order”, in BR Ambedkar: Society and Culture, IGNOU Reader, 2017.
  9. Lal, L.D. (2016). “Criminalization of Politics: Caste, Land and the State” in Seminar Issue No. 678- The Bihar Ballot, February, 2016, pp.76-77.
  10. Lal, L.D., Ojha, A., Sabharwal, NS. (2014). “Issues of Under-Representation: Mapping Women in Indian Politics” Journal of South Asian Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1 (2015), pp.93-102. ISSN: 2307-4000 (Online), ISSN: 2308-7846 (Print).
  11. Lal, L.D. , (2011). “Pattern of Atrocities against Dalits in Haryana: Issues of Promoting Social Security and Social Justice”, The Human Rights and Global Focus, Vol.5, No, 3-4, pp.31-58, 2011. (ISSN No. 0972-8945)
  12. Lal, L.D., (2010).‘From Hindu Untouchables to Dalit Christians: Conversion and Social Exclusion’ in Yagati Chinna Rao and Sudhakar Karakoti edited book titled, Social Exclusion and Discrimination: Concepts Perspectives and Challenges, pp.167-177, Kanishka Publication: New Delhi, 2010. (ISBN No. 8184572247) (BOOK CHAPTER)
Popular Articles
  1. Wani. J. and Lal, L.D. (2021). ‘Lessons in Popular Resistance’, Indian Express dated 26th January, 2021 (https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/lessons-in-popular-resistance-7162659/)
  2. Wani. J. and Lal, L.D. (2020). UP’s anti-conversion laws are a political weapon to further communalism, Indian Express dated 7th December, 2020 (https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/uttar-pradesh-anti-conversion-laws-are-a-political-weapon-to-further-communalism-7095578/)
  3. Wani. J. and Lal, L.D. (2020). The Precarity of Dalit Lives in India, Indian Express dated 27th October, 2020 (https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/dalit-atrocity-casteism-hathras-thakur-brahmin-rape-6903255/)
  4. Wani. J. and Lal, L.D. (2020). A Pandemic of Failures, Indian Express dated 25th September, 2020. (https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coronavirus-pandemic-failures-covid-19-healthcare-system-6610859/)
  5. Wani. J. and Lal, L.D. (2020). Will Jammu and Kashmir Remain Hostage to the Narrative of Regional Conflict?. 9Dashline.com dated 21st September, 2020. (https://www.9dashline.com/article/will-jammu-and-kashmir-remain-hostage-to-the-narrative-of-regional-conflict)
  6. Wani. J. and Lal, L.D. (2020). A Secularism More Inclusive, Indian Express dated 4th September, 2020. (https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-secularism-constitution-ram-temple-6583322/).
  7. Lal, L.D., Ojha, A., Sabharwal, N. (2016). “Gender Gap in Politics: Why the numbers, reflecting under representation of women in Parliament matter”, DNA India, 15th January, 2016, (Weblink: http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=86281&boxid=20707&ed_date=2016-01-15&ed_code=820009&ed_page=8
  8. Lal, L.D. (2014). “Boys will be Boys…Hang the Women? An Insensitive Uttar Pradesh”, countercurrents, 17th June, 2014, (Weblink: http://www.countercurrents.org/lal170614.htm)
  9. Lal, L.D. (2014). Contestation And Conflict of Ideas, countercurrents, 3rd October, 2014, (Weblink: https://www.countercurrents.org/danilal031014.htm).
Conferences
  1. Barua, S. and Lal, L.D. (2021). Presented a research paper on ‘History, Memory and Legend: Contextualizing Joymoti Utsav in Assam’, at 2nd Rupkatha International Open Conference on “Recent Advances in Interdisciplinary Humanities”, held on 28-30 August, 2021.
  2. Barua, S. and Lal, L.D. (2021). Presented a research paper on ‘Feminist Consciousness, Empowerment and Identity: Contextualizing Chandraprabha Saikiani in Contemporary Assam’ at an International Conference on “Transnational Feminisms–Contexts, Collaborations, Contestations: Toward a Liveable Planet”, organized by International Institute of Knowledge Management: Sri Lanka, May, 20-22, 2021.
  3. Lal, L.D. (2021). Presented a research paper on “Caste, No-Caste, Caste: Reading the Madness of Caste Violence in India” in the panel on ‘Recovering Caste in International Relations: Challenging Colonial/Brahminical Hegemony’ in the International Conference on the ‘New Nationalisms in an Open World: 26th World Congress of Political Science’ organised by International Political Science Association, Greece on 10-15 July, 2021.
  4. Bhattacharya, R., Agrawal, S. and Lal, L.D. (2021). ‘Disruptive factors influencing Women’s Education during Covid-19’ at International Conference on Women Empowerment in Science and Technology organised by National Institute of Technology Warangal on 8-10th March, 2021.
  5. Barua, Suranjana. and Lal, L. David. (2020). ‘Identity, Indigeneity and Excluded Region: In the Quest for an Intellectual History of Modern Assam’ at 1st Rupkatha International Open Conference on “Recent Advances in Interdisciplinary Humanities”, held on 20-22 August, 2020.
  6. Lal, L.D. and Barua, Suranjana. (2020). ‘Revisiting Gandhi’s Role in India’s North-East: Issues of Reform and Integration’ at International Conference on “Revisiting Gandhi: Peace, Justice and Development”, organized by Association of Asia Scholars, October, 30-31, 2020.
  7. Lal, L.D. (2018), “Identity, Autonomy and Constructing the New ‘Self’ and New ‘Social’: Re-visiting Ayyavazhi movement of Travancore kingdom” Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain, 25-27 July 2018.
  8. Lal, L.D. (2017),‘Language, Identity, Cultural Protest and Political Meanings: Evidence from Jhallikattu Protest in Tamil Nadu’, presented a research paper in International Conference on Language, Culture and Identity’, organised by GLA University, Mathura in collaboration with Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore on 10-11, November, 2017.
  9. Lal, L.D. (2017),‘Dalits Quest for Citizenship in Quotidian Violence’, International Conference on ‘Reclaiming Social Justice, Re-visiting Ambedkar’, organized by Government of Karnataka and National Law School Bangalore on 21-23rd July, 2017.
  10. Lal, L.D. (2017),‘Understanding Citizenship through Caste Lens in India’ International Conference on ‘Violence and Citizenship’ organised by Centre for Citizenship Studies, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA, on 30th March-1st April, 2017.
  11. Lal, L.D. (2017).‘Shanars Search for Socio-Religious Space in 19th Century Travancore: An investigation on the popularity of Vaikunda Swami’, organised by Department of History, Calcutta University, 2nd March, 2017.
  12. Lal, L.D. (2014).‘Caste Atrocities’ against Dalits in India: A Different Understanding of the Concept of Atrocities’, presented a research paper in the International Conference on Understanding Atrocities: Remembering, Representing and Teaching Genocide organised by Mount Royal University, Canada, 19-21st February, 2014.
Invited Talk (Recent)
  1. Lal, L.D. invited as an expert consultative meeting of the Nodal Officers of the States and Union Territories for a research study on ‘Sustainable Development Goals 4.7: Policies and Practices in School Education’ organised by Planning and Monitoring Division, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Delhi on 6-7 January, 2022 and 7-8 March 2022.
  2. Lal, L.D. delivered a talk on “Covid19 Pandemic, State and its Responses in India”, at Department of Political Science, Rajdhani College, University of Delhi for a Webinar Series on ‘Indian Politics and the Covid19' scheduled on 22nd June, 2021.
  3. Lal, L.D. delivered a lecture on “Aam Aadmi Party and Emergence of Alternative Politics in India” at MSW-Community Organisation and Development Practice, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati on 16th November, 2021.
  4. Lal, L.D. invited as a resource person and keynote speaker in AICTE-ATAL Faculty Development Program on the theme “ROAD: -Response Effectiveness, Organizing Self, Attitudinal Shift, Decision Making” organised by Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (Guwahati, Assam) and AICTE ATAL- FDP, AICTE on 6th December, 2021.
  5. Lal, L.D. delivered a talk on “Rupture of the Normal: Understanding Caste Violence through Legal Lens”, at the School of Law, Governance, and Citizenship, Ambedkar University Delhi on 28th August, 2020.
  6. Lal, L.D. delivered a talk as Resource Person on ‘Writing Research Reports’ in the Academic Writing Workshop for the Integrated M.Phil-PhD Programme organized by Unit for Research and Development, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati from 19-23 March, 2019.
  7. Lal, L.D.‘Selection and Preparation of Research Tools’ in Orientation Course on Research Methodology for the faculty of Social Sciences of North Eastern Region organised by National Institute of Public Cooperation & Child Development (NIPCCD), (Ministry of Women & Child Development) Government of India on 25th October, 2017.
  8. Lal, L.D.‘Management of Conflict and Conflict Management Styles’, in Training of Trainers Programme on Youth and Peace Building, organised by Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, North Eastern Regional Centre, Guwahati, Assam on 19-23 September 2017.
  9. Lal, L.D. 'Methods of Data Analysis in Qualitative Research’, in Modular Workshop on Academic Writing, Data Analysis and Report Writing Skills organised by Unit for Research and Development, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati Campus on 20-25 March, 2017.

Dr. L. David Lal

Assistant Professor (HSS)

PhD (Jawaharlal Nehru University)

Email:

david@iiitg.ac.in

Contact:

+91 9899426855