On March 15-16, 2026, the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) was proud to support the Dr. Ambedkar Symposium on Emancipation (ASE 2026), hosted by the Chetna Association of Canada at the Simon Fraser University (SFU) and University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. The symposium brought together scholars, activists, and community members for critical dialogue on “Overcoming Caste Barriers for Social and Economic Equality,” focusing on the ongoing pursuit of social justice and the enduring legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
On the opening day, Dr. Satwinder Bains, SASI Research Associate and Advisor to the Chetna Association of Canada, moderated the “Books & Authors” panel featuring two significant works: Fighting the Blemish of Caste by Om Parkash VK Gahatraj and The Past is Never Dead by Ujjal Dosanjh (former Premier of BC). Alongside the authors, Dr. Bains guided a conversation on how narrative and activism can dismantle systemic barriers.
SASI’s Micro-Exhibit: Documenting Chetna’s Organizational History Through the Bodalia Lens
To complement the symposium’s themes, SASI presented a micro-exhibit showcasing a curated selection of photographs, textual documents, and ephemera from the Chandra Bodalia Fonds that document Chetna’s community initiatives and activism over the years. Thamilini Jothilingam (Digital Asset Archivist) introduced the exhibit during opening remarks and thanked Jai Birdi (Executive Director) and the Chetna Association of Canada for their collaboration with SASI.
The Bodalia collection remains the largest known private collection of South Asian Canadian community life in British Columbia. With the support from Council on Library and Information Resources’ Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices Program, SASI is actively digitizing these records to ensure they are openly and freely available through the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive (SACDA). As we continue to digitally preserve this expansive collection, we invite community organizations that have been an active part of the South Asian community in BC to help us identify events, people, and stories within the collection.
Contact us at sacda@ufv.ca to explore potential collaborations.