Arts and Sciences student wins national award for work on vigilante political violence in India

A competitive academic award in the political sciences arena has been captured by the University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences student, Yash Sharma.

The prestigious Henry Frank Guggenheim Emerging Scholar award is open to students from across the world and every discipline within the scope of political violence. Sharma's dissertation is on the study of anti-minority vigilante violence, specifically religious nationalism and political violence in his home country of India.

"I was in my room and it was the best feeling in the world," said Sharma about receiving word about the award. "I was like I need to call my parents and friends and family. It was just fantastic."

Sharma said he chose to focus on the democratic erosion in India because his own collegiate experience coincided with a major political shift in his country. A religious nationalist party came to power during his first year in college in India.

"There were multiple instances where I was on campus and there were instances of political violence between student groups over certain topics," said Sharma. "That's when I first saw people I went to class with throwing chairs at professors"

He said he wanted to take a closer look at the issue of political violence after feeling like the broad view most academics took weren't relatable to everyone. Sharma said he wanted to look at the issue on a micro level — even down to the food you eat and what friends you make. 

He said chose to focus on young men and the motivations they have to perform acts of vigilante violence. Sharma said in his research he found it's typically a network of anxieties that fuel the outbursts that stem from socioeconomic relations, religious anxiety and gendered insecurity.

"How do you imagine your place in India? Do you think the idea of India is something you want to salvage? Do you want to go back to how things were, or do you think this allows you to imagine a different future?" Sharma asked men he interviewed for his dissertation.

Sharma is now in the final year of his doctoral studies. He said he's working to secure an academic position, but in the meantime, he wants to explore more into hate speech on social media and the aesthetics of violence online. He credits the support of those leading his program to his success.

"I wouldn't be here without them, without their support and guidance I don't think this would have been possible for me," said Sharma. "Right from day one, I was in an environment where I was feeling at home both in the department and in the discipline, and the kind of mentorship, training and feedback I've had throughout I tell my friends I'm really lucky."

Associate Dean Rina Williams said the recognition is prestigious at any level of one’s career. But she said it is even more remarkable for an emerging scholar. 

“To win this award, Yash went up against an international pool of emerging scholars — literally the best in the world,” said Williams. “Guggenheim is the premier foundation recognizing and funding only the best and most promising work, with the greatest potential to enhance our understanding of how and why violence happens, including political violence in particular, and thus how it can be prevented.”

Read more about Sharma's award and the other recipients here.

Featured image at top: View of Bearcats Commons as seen from University Pavilion. Photo/Jay Yocis/UC