'Big Loss for Academic World': Noted Political Scientist Paul Brass Passes Away

Noted American political scientist and scholar Paul R Brass passed away on Thursday, 2 June, at the age of 85.

Brass, who played a pioneering role in the study of India, received recognition for his seminal works on communalism and a three-part biography of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.

He was serving as emeritus professor of political science at Seattle's University of Washington.

He visited key themes of political identity and political science in his In Language, Religion and Politics in North India (1974), where he used case studies from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab to analyse the malleability of ethnic identities.

Condolences Pour In on Twitter 

Many intellectuals and academicians mourned the demise of Brass on social media.

Muslim activist Sharjeel Usmani tweeted on Friday, "Saddened to hear about the demise of Prof Paul Brass. His works have been instrumental in shaping many of ours understanding of politics in North India. Alvida, professor sahib."

Saddened to hear about the demise of Prof Paul Brass. His works have been instrumental in shaping many of ours understanding of politics in North India. Alvida, professor sahib.

— Sharjeel Usmani (@SharjeelUsmani) June 3, 2022

Writers and professors also took to social media to express their condolences.

RIP Paul Brass! Your “Theft of an Idol” and “Language, Religion and Politics in North India” were seminal, shaping scholarship and leaving a huge impact.

— Ashutosh Varshney (@ProfVarshney) June 2, 2022

We read Paul Brass in a research group while discussing someone's paper. A remarkable scholar who could put forth his ideas with a rare clarity. Big loss for the academic world.

— Siddhartha Mukherjee (@SidMukhrjee) June 3, 2022

In 2016, I read Paul Brass' Theft of an Idol and his debate with Francis Robinson on Instrumentalist vs. Primordialist conception of identity politics, thanks to @jaffrelotc.

I was hooked. Spent three days at King's College London's library. No words to describe the feeling.

— Sharik (@sharik19) June 3, 2022