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(Photo: Paul Blank)
Anil Ramdas was born in Paramaribo in 1958 into a Hindustani family. At the age of 19, he left Surinam to study social geography in Amsterdam. His research focused on the influence of the Catholic church and business culture on gender relationships in Curaçao. In 1986 he graduated with a thesis on the role of dominant ideologies in people’s life stories. A doctoral research project for the university on how the immigration services construe and manipulate fugitives’ stories had to be interrupted because of the confidential character of the data used for the project.
In 1989 Anil Ramdas became editor of the “Groene Amsterdammer” and in 1992 he became columnist, essayist and travel reporter for the “NRC Handelsblad”. His frequent appearances on screen since 1993 include his presentation of the VPRO television show “In mijn vaders huis”, a series of interviews with, among others, Stuart Hall, Arjun Appadurai and Edward Said, on the role of science and the media in culture conflicts, and a four part documentary on Surinam entitled “Wel de snack maar niet de saus”.
Between 1995 and 1997 Anil Ramdas produced a weekly radio show for the VPRO: “Zilte Stranden”, a series of interviews with globe travelers. He presented another radio show for NPS entitled “Weldenkende mensen”, conversations with experts on current issues.
Between 2000 and 2003 Anil Ramdas was foreign correspondent for “NRC Handelsblad” in India. Between 2003 and 2005 he was director of “De Balie” (a cultural center for debate) in Amsterdam.
Anil Ramdas is the author of a large number of publications, chiefly essays and stories concerning other cultures and issues of immigration. Currently, he is a columnist for “NRC” and for “Vrij Nederland”.