[INDOLOGY] BBC year-ender on the PL-480 programme

[Herman Tull]

It was through the provisions of PL-480's "cultural exchange" that I was
able to study (with funding) in India in 1976-77. However, for a number of
reasons, the program was under considerable stress in those years, with a
limited number of American students permitted into India.

*Herman Tull, PhD*
*Princeton, NJ*


On Sun, Dec 29, 2024 at 10:47 PM Ananya Vajpeyi via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> A nice story by BBC India's Soutik Biswas on the PL-480 program that built
> many of the best South Asia studies collections, including at the
> University of Chicago and about 30 other American institutions:
>
> https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevj80gld7do
>
> Jim Nye is quoted, as also Maya Dodd, Todd Michelson-Ambelang, and yours
> truly. A snippet:
>
> "The 132-year-old University of Chicago houses more than 800,000 volumes
> related to South Asia, making it one of the world's premier collections for
> studies on the region. But how did such a treasure trove of South Asian
> literature end up there?
>
> The answer lies in a programme called PL-480, a US initiative launched in
> 1954 under Public Law 480, also known as the Food for Peace, a hallmark of
> Cold War diplomacy.
>
> Signed into law by President Dwight D Eisenhower, PL-480 allowed countries
> like India to buy US grain with local currency, easing their foreign
> exchange burden and reducing US surpluses. India was one of the largest
> recipients of this food aid, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s when
> it faced severe food shortages.
>
> The local currency funds were provided at minimal cost to participating US
> universities. These funds were used to purchase local books, periodicals,
> phonograph records, and "other media" in multiple Indian languages,
> enriching collections at over two dozen universities. Institutions like the
> University of Chicago became hubs for South Asian studies as a result.
> (Manuscripts were excluded due to Indian antiquity laws.)"
>
> All best,
>
> AV.
>
>
> --
>
> *Ananya Vajpeyi, Ph.D.*
> *Fellow, **Centre for the Study of Developing Societies*
> *29 Rajpur Rd., Civil Lines*
> *New Delhi 110054, INDIA*
> *EMAIL: vajpeyi at csds.in <vajpeyi at csds.in>*
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> *RESEARCH PROJECT: https://www.nilgiri.ugent.be/team/
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