30 January - 3 February 2025 | Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur
SY Quraishi joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1971 and rose to become the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India. He introduced a number of electoral reforms such as the creation of a voter education division, expenditure monitoring division, the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, and launched National Voters Day.
Presenting a compelling and detailed account of the Muslim community in India, SY Quraishi and Ghazala Wahab unravel the politicisation of their faith from two different frontiers. Quraishi's latest book, The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India,critically analyses the attempts at stoking majoritarian fear around the supposed exponential growth of the Muslim population. Based on impeccable research of the Quran and the Hadith, the book highlights that Islam is one of the first religions in the world to advocate smaller families. Wahab's latest book, Born A Muslim: Some Truths About Islam in India, follows the evolution of Islam through the region while delving into the reasons behind the staggered socio-economic and intellectual growth of Indian-Muslims. Weaving together personal memoir, history, reportage and scholarship the book unravels the stigma around the community and the roots of their vulnerability and insecurity. In conversation with writer and columnist Pragya Tiwari, they present an eye opening account of one of the most diverse communities in India.