The South Asian Studies Council 2025 Annual Indu Bhatt Memorial Lecture presents
Kanak Mani Dixit, Nepali publisher, editor and writer. He is the founder of the magazine Himal Southasian and cofounder of Himal Media
“What’s in the Name ‘South Asia?”
To address the reality and challenges of a region containing a quarter of humanity, there must first be an agreed name for it. The historical term ‘India’ ceased to serve this purpose when it got taken in the mid-20th century by the nation-state of that name, extending from the peninsula to the Himalaya. There has always been an argument for loosening the boundaries of the region in the interests of economic growth, social justice, and cultural continuity, and the urgency of collaborative existence has only increased due to accelerating public health, climatological, geopolitical, and other challenges. Contending terms could have been ‘Indian Subcontinent,’ ‘Hindustan,’ ‘Bharat,’ ‘Gondwana,’ or ‘Jambudweep,’ but it is ‘South Asia’ that is becoming increasingly common, including in translations in various South Asian languages. It is a neutral, geographical term that serves the purpose, even though it has not historically evolved. In some parts of academia, there is stiff resistance to using ‘South Asia,’ but that seems to be a lost battle. I will argue for ‘South Asia.’