Lars Tore Flåten
I am an an Associate Professor in South Asia Studies at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo. My research interests include the modern history of India, Hindu nationalism, identity politics and the uses of history.
Subjects: Asian Studies, History
Biography
I live in Oslo where I teach courses on the modern history of India and Indian politics. I completed my Ph.D. in South Asia Studies in 2013. The thesis was concerned with the publication of new history textbooks under the rule of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (1998-2004).Education
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2013: Ph.D. in South Asia Studies, University of Oslo
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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- The modern history of India.
- Indian politics.
- Nationalism and nation building.
- Hindu nationalism.
- Identity politics.
- The uses of history.
Books
Articles
Symbolic Engineering: Advani's Swarna Jayanti Rath Yatra
Published: May 10, 2016 by India's Democracies: Diversity, Co-optation, Resistance (eds. Ruud, A.E., G. Heierstad)
Authors: Lars Tore Flåten
Subjects:
Asian Studies
The article explores how the BJP politician Lal Krishna Advani sought to mediate between different regional and local identities and an overarching national, Hindu Identity. It pays particular attention to how Advani actively used local heroes and mythologies in his political speeches.
Hindu Nationalist Conceptions of History: Constructing a Hindu-Muslim Dichotomy
Published: Aug 13, 2012 by South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies
Authors: Lars Tore Flåten
Subjects:
History, Asian Studies
This article Explores the key mechanisms underlying the dichotomisation between Hindus and Muslims in Hindu nationalist history writing. Two arguments are central to this study. One is that the strict dichotomisation between Hindus and Muslims presupposes homogeneous categories. Moreover, I discuss the role of the so-called hidden ‘Others’, in the form of alternative principles of grouping.