Democratisation in the Himalayas : interests, conflicts, and negotiations PDF
Preview Democratisation in the Himalayas : interests, conflicts, and negotiations
Democratisation in the Himalayas Democratisation is a formidable task in the Himalayan region owing to its immense cultural heterogeneity. The process of democratisation has accen- tuated ethnic competition, assertion of identity, and demand for ethnic homelands to protect, safeguard, and promote political and development interests of various groups. This volume discusses competing interests, identity politics that per- meates political formations, the transformations in the traditional forms of governance and their adaption to democratic institutions, the genesis and periodic eruptions of ethnic assertions, and attempts to resolve ethnic confl ict. It shows how recent efforts at deepening democratic values and implementing social justice have been resisted and contested. The book argues that the play of ethnicity, the creation of political parties and interest groups, the emergence of social movements, and the voice of protest and opposition do not indicate a crisis in democracy but comprise the instru- ments by which the state is pushed towards reform, welfare, and inclusive politics, and is obliged to listen to the people. Rich in ethnographic research, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of social and political anthropology, political studies, South Asian studies, Nepal and Himalayan studies, sociology, and development studies. Vibha Arora is Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Anthropology at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. N. Jayaram is Visiting Professor at National Law School of India Univer- sity, Bengaluru, India. Nepal and Himalayan Studies This series will bring the larger Nepal and the Himalayan region to the centre stage of academic analysis and explore critical questions that con- front the region, ranging from society, culture and politics to economy and ecology. The books in the series will examine key themes concerning religion, ethnicity, language, identity, history, tradition, community, polity, democracy, as well as emerging issues regarding environment and develop- ment of this unique region. For a full list of titles in this series, please visit www.routledge.com/Nepal- and-Himalayan-Studies/book-series/NHS Nepali Diaspora in a Globalised Era Edited by Tanka B. Subba and A. C. Sinha Goddesses of Kathmandu Valley Grace, rage, knowledge Arun Gupto The Himalayas and India–China Relations Devendra Nath Panigrahi Democratisation in the Himalayas Interests, Conflicts, and Negotiations Edited by Vibha Arora and N. Jayaram Democratisation in the Himalayas Interests, Conflicts, and Negotiations Edited by Vibha Arora and N. Jayaram First published 2017 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2017 selection and editorial matter, Vibha Arora and N. Jayaram; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Vibha Arora and N. Jayaram to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice : Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-1-138-24428-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-27698-4 (ebk) Typeset in Galliard by Apex CoVantage, LLC To Our respective families. Contents List of illustrations ix Notes on contributors x Preface xi Introduction: steering democratisation and negotiating identity in the Himalayas 1 VIBHA ARORA AND N. JAYARAM PART I Shifting selves and competing identities 25 1 Seeking identities on the margins of democracy: Jad Bhotiyas of Uttarkashi 27 SUBHADRA MITRA CHANNA 2 The politics of census: fear of numbers and competing claims for representation in Naga society 54 DEBOJYOTI DAS 3 The making of the subaltern Lepcha and the Kalimpong stimulus 79 VIBHA ARORA PART II Negotiating democracy 115 4 Monks, elections, and foreign travels: democracy and the monastic order in western Arunachal Pradesh, North-East India 117 SWARGAJYOTI GOHAIN viii Contents 5 ‘Pure democracy’ in ‘new Nepal’: conceptions, practices, and anxieties 135 AMANDA SNELLINGER PART III Territorial conflict and after 159 6 Demand for Kukiland and Kuki ethnic nationalism 161 VIBHA ARORA AND NGAMJAHAO KIPGEN 7 Displacement from Kashmir: gendered responses 186 CHARU SAWHNEY AND NILIKA MEHROTRA Index 203 Illustrations Figures 3.1 Sonam Tshering Lepcha offering prayers at Mt Tendong, 2002 93 3.2 P. T. Lepcha, 2002 93 3.3 Group that went to Mt Tendong to offer prayers and construct a shrine, 2002 96 3.4 River Teesta flowing through Sikkim 102 4.1 Late Tsona Gontse Rinpoche giving blessings in his chamber at Dirang, 2008 121 4.2 Monastery under construction in Dirang, 2013 125 6.1 Kuki National Front (KNF) armed cadres 173 6.2 Map of Kukiland 180 Tables 2.1 Population of Nagaland, 1901–2001 67 2.2 Projected population of Nagaland 68 6.1 Landholding pattern of Nagas and Kukis in Manipur’s hill districts 175 6.2 List of major Naga and Kuki massacres reported in Manipur 176
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