About
I research and write at the intersection of critical development studies and the sociology of knowledge. I have also written on ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, natural disasters, and contested political order. I previously studied, worked, and taught at the Universities of Oxford and York.
New Monograph
The Social Life of Critique in International Development
Chapter 6
What's Critical About Critical Development Studies?
Subjects critical scholarship to its own repertoires of analytical scrutiny. Identifies three foundational 'ur-critiques': a Northern critique grounded in universalist paternalism, a Southern critique rooted in historical injustice, and an Egalitarian critique that problematises development as hierarchical and ecologically harmful.
Chapter 7
How do Critical Theories differ from Conspiracy Theories?
Argues that the difference between critical and conspiracy theories is not ontological, but sociological. Draws on a case study of Giorgio Agamben's writings during Covid-19 to examine the shared origins of both in the sceptical reasoning of uncertainty.
Earlier Book
Cambridge University Press · 2018
Selected Articles
Ethnic Domination and Liberal Democracy in Sri Lanka
Journal of Contemporary Asia, 54(1), pp. 90–109
Can the Anti-Politics Machine be Dismantled?
New Political Economy, 27(6), pp. 1002–1016
Illiberal Peacebuilding in Asia: A Comparative Overview
Conflict, Security & Development, 20(1) — Co-edited Special Issue
Parallel Governance and Political Order in Contested Territory: Evidence from the Indo-Naga Ceasefire
Asian Security, 15(3), pp. 285–303 · with Shalaka Thakur
Ineptitude, Ignorance, or Intent? The Social Construction of Failure in Development
World Development, 106, pp. 238–247
The Politics of Natural Disasters in Protracted Conflict: The 2014 Flood in Kashmir
Oxford Development Studies, 45(4), pp. 424–442 · with Sameer Yasir
⁎ Sanjaya Lall Prize for best article
Demonic Violence and Moral Panic in Post-War Sri Lanka
Journal of Asian Studies, 74(4)
Neoliberalism as Concept
Economy and Society, 44(2)
Economic Development and the Executive Presidency in Sri Lanka
Third World Quarterly, 36(4)