LAHORE: (Tuesday, February 26, 2013): Punjab University Department of History & Pakistan Studies organized a seminar on “The Modern State: Citizenship, Multiculturalism and Globalization” at Seminar Hall of the department on Monday. The keynote speaker was Dr. Francis Robinson Professor of South Asian Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London UK while a large number of students and faculty members were also there.

Addressing the seminar, Prof. Robinson said that the pre-modern cosmopolitan empires of the world were accommodating of cultural and ethnic diversities and religious dissents. He gave the example of Islamic World system where Ulemas & Sufis moved around without any hindrance for the sake of religious & spiritual knowledge. However, from early 20th century nation-state system became predominant, with the result that territorial integrity, economic competition and national culture and language became symbols of nationalism. The speaker mentioned that focus on nation-state naturally resulted in the concept of citizenship, which meant that regions and ethnic minorities were denied their full rights, leading to ethnic cleaning and bloody conflicts. Now globalization has emerged as challenge to nation-state and with wide spread migration and immigration demographic profile of even developed nation has gradually changed. According to the speaker the panacea probably lay in multiculturalism with the acceptance of the nations of shared citizenship.