Dancing in Cambodia at Large in Burma

DANCING IN CAMBODIA AT

LARGE IN BURMA

GROUP 1ASIMSR-Batch 09-11

PG-B

OTHER BOOKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR• Born: January1, 1956 Kolkata , India• Education: The Doon School; St.

Stephen's College, Delhi; Delhi University; and St Edmund Hall, Oxford

• Doctorate at Oxford, a D.Phil in social anthropology

• First job at Indian Express• Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction• Notable works: The Glass Palace, Sea

of poppies

AWARDS

• Prix Medicis Etranger• Sahitya Akademi Award• The Ananda Puraskar• Arthur C. Clarke Award• Hutch Crossword Book Prize in 2006• Grinzane Cavour Prize in Turin, Italy.• Padma Shri 2007• 2010 Dan David Prize

Story Line Book Comprises of 3 PiecesCAMBODIA:1. Dancing in Cambodia• First ever visit of Cambodian Dance Troupe to France in 1906• The Pol Pot Years

2. Stories in Stones• Angkor Wat

BURMA:3. At Large in Burma• Civil war• Contemporary political process

History

19th Century•French Become the protectorate

1906•King Sisowath’s visit to France with his dance Troupe

1953 •Cambodia gains Independence•King Sihanouk becomes head of the state

1975•Khmer Rouge led By Pol Pot

1979 •Fall of Pol Pot Regime•Establishment of Vietnamese Regime

1993 • UN sponsored elections kingdom of Cambodia

Economy

• Main Domestic Activity : Agriculture and related Sub Sector

• Population lacks education and Productive Skills

• Low foreign Aid and and foreign Investment due to High Political Instability

Social Development

• Systematic destruction of human capital and rural society

• Socially Fragmented Country• One of the lowest standard of living in south-

East Asia

Culture • Religion- Buddhism• Literature- Reamker

Cambodian adaption of Indian Epic Ramayan

• Dress– Sampong is the national dress

• Dance and Music

‘These Cambodians have shown us everything

that antiquity could have contained.’

‘It is Impossible to think of anyone wearing a human nature to such perfection; except them and the greeks.’

National Symbol- Angkor Wat

• Largest religious building on Earth• Symbol of ancient glory and modernity

‘It was a golden land,’ ‘The richest Country in

Asia except for Japan. There are no people on earth to Compare with Burmese- So generous, So hospitable, So kind to Strangers. No one goes Hungry in Burma: you just have to ask and someone will feed you.’

History

1940 •Freedom Bloc Coalition by Aung San

1942-1945•Scorched earth policy adopted by the britishers

1945-1948 •Series of war of independence•July 19, 1947Aung San the national hero was assasinated•1948 Burma gains Independence

1962-1988•General Ne Win takes control of the government•SLORC•Union Of Burma•Suu Kyi – House Arrest

Economic and social Environment

• One of the least developed countries • Economy suffering from decades of

stagnation, mismanagement, and isolation.• Economy has a significant impact on

demographics• Complex system of social control

Culture

• Religious Beliefs- Buddhism• 4 Sizeable Minorities– Karen– Rakhine– Shan– Mon

• Arts and Architecture• Festivals

Unique Things

CAMBODIA• Day of Hatred• Birthdays• Vehicles

Critical Review

• Ghosh sees a link which connects stories and lives in incredible ways.

• Contradictory choice of dance as metaphor• Ghosh interprets southeast Asian reality with

a different eye