The Politics of Belonging in the Himalayas
Local Attachments and Boundary Dynamics
Edited by:
- Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka - Bielefeld University, Germany
- Gerard Toffin - Director of Research, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Villejuif, France
Volume:
4
May 2011 | 384 pages | SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd
The Politics of Belonging in the Himalayas is an exploration of the various forms of bonds and attachments by which individuals are bounded to their collectivities and localities in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal. To grasp these phenomena adequately, the book proposes a new analytical approach through the concept of belonging.
The book is based on several case studies carried out by anthropologists, political science scholars, historians, and geographers who help bring together rich ethnographical data from different regions of the Himalayas. Organized in three parts, it describes the interactions between local forms of belonging and new forms of classification and governance imposed through national integration and transnational modes of politics.
The book analyses different types of societal formations in various historical periods and captures the ongoing change in them. Fundamentally, this collaborative publication is an attempt to go beyond (and beneath) identity constructions and to call into question the idea of permanence implied by the term.
The book is based on several case studies carried out by anthropologists, political science scholars, historians, and geographers who help bring together rich ethnographical data from different regions of the Himalayas. Organized in three parts, it describes the interactions between local forms of belonging and new forms of classification and governance imposed through national integration and transnational modes of politics.
The book analyses different types of societal formations in various historical periods and captures the ongoing change in them. Fundamentally, this collaborative publication is an attempt to go beyond (and beneath) identity constructions and to call into question the idea of permanence implied by the term.
Preface
Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka and Gérard Toffin
Introduction: Belonging and Multiple Attachments in Contemporary Himalayan Societies
I: TERRITORIALITY AND INDIGENEITY
| Hamro Gaon: Practices of Belonging in Rural Nepal | Anne de Sales |
| Fluid Belonging | Gisèle Krauskopff |
| Belonging, Indigeneity, Rites, and Rights: The Newar Case | David N Gellner |
| Belonging to the Borders: Uncertain Identities in Northeast India | Philippe Ramirez |
| Politics of Belonging: Identity and State-Formation in Nagaland | Sanjay Kumar Pandey |
II: SOCIO-RELIGIOUS BONDING
| To Whom does the Pashupatinath Temple of Nepal Belong? | Axel Michaels |
| Brotherhood and Divine Bonding in the Krishna Pranami Sect | Gérard Toffin |
| Religion, Rituals, and Symbols of Belonging: The Case of Uttarakhand | William Sax |
| The Politics of Encounter: Hindu Belonging in a Multi-faith Pilgrimage Site in Nepal | Jessamine Dana |
III: COMMITMENTS AND CONFLICTS
| Emergent Nationalism, Citizenship, and Belonging among Nepalis in Banaras: The Case of Kashi Bahadur Shrestha | Martin Gaenszle |
| Pathways of Place Relation: Moving Contours of Belonging in Central Nepal | Ben Campbell |
| Belonging, Protected Areas, and Participatory Management: The Case of Kaziranga National Park (Assam) and of the Misings' Shifting Territory | Joëlle Smadja |
| Geocultural Identities and Belonging in the Ethnohistory of Central Himalaya and Uttarakhand, India | Maheshwar P Joshi |
| Trials, Witnesses, and Local Stakes in a District Court of Himachal Pradesh | Daniela Berti |
Index
Packed with interesting case stories from across the Himalayas, the rich discourse offers interesting insights on addressing emerging conflicts by applying the idea of ‘belongingness’. The Politics of Belonging in the Himalayas is an academic treatise.
The book explores various forms of bonds and attachments by which individuals in Himalayan region of India and Nepal are bound to their groups…The book, which is a part of series on Governance, Conflict, and Civil Action, explores various societal formations throughout history and captures the ongoing changes within them. This collaborative publication goes beyond and beneath, identity constructions and calls into question the idea of permanence implied by the term.
