Between 1997 and 2001, LISD held three colloquia on decentralization and security in South Asia. "Democratization and Decentralization in India," was the first of two conferences held during the fiftieth anniversary year of Indian independence. Conference participants from ten countries assessed the nature of democratization and decentralization in that state, analyzed the country’s political structure and debated various aspects of its history and institutions, and examined how these factors contributed to the success of India’s democracy.