A Thousand Tiny Cuts: Mobility and Security across the Bangladesh-India Borderlands

A Thousand Tiny Cuts explores how bordering reorders relations of value, leading to devaluation of agrarian land, crops, borderland youth, regional infrastructures, and social and physical geographies. It challenges anthropological understandings of violence, migration, and citizenship based on Euro-American borders and security regimes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 07 November 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

A Thousand Tiny Cuts is a captivating book that delves into the gradual transformation of a connected region into national borderlands. Through a decade of extensive fieldwork in northern Bangladesh and eastern India, Sahana Ghosh unveils the fundamental role of gender and sexuality in shaping and managing threats related to mobility. Rather than solely concentrating on border fences and border crossings, Ghosh demonstrates that bordering reorders the valuation of various aspects of society. The consequences of militarization along this ostensibly friendly border are profound, encompassing the devaluation of agricultural land and crops, the marginalization of borderland youth as undesirable brides and grooms in their respective national hinterlands, the disconnection of regional infrastructures, and the disruption of social and physical geographies orchestrated by surveillance.

Through a rich and detailed ethnography of the gendered political economy of mobility across postcolonial borderlands in South Asia, this ambitious book offers a challenging perspective on anthropological understandings of violence, migration, and citizenship, as well as transnational inequalities rooted in Euro-American borders and security regimes.

The book explores the complex interplay between gender, sexuality, and power dynamics in the context of borderlands. Ghosh highlights how border crossings and border enforcement practices often exacerbate existing inequalities and marginalize certain groups, particularly women and LGBTQ+ individuals. She sheds light on the ways in which borderlands become sites of surveillance, control, and violence, perpetuating cycles of marginalization and oppression.

One of the key themes of the book is the impact of militarization on the social and physical landscapes of borderlands. Ghosh argues that the construction of border fences, checkpoints, and surveillance systems disrupts the natural flow of people and goods, leading to the disintegration of communities and the erosion of social networks. She also points out the environmental consequences of militarization, such as the destruction of habitats, the pollution of water sources, and the displacement of indigenous populations.

Ghosh's book offers a nuanced and empathetic understanding of the experiences of borderlanders, particularly those who are marginalized and vulnerable. She draws on a wide range of sources, including interviews, surveys, and archival research, to provide a comprehensive account of the complexities of borderlands politics and governance. The book is well-organized and accessible, making it an invaluable resource for scholars, activists, and policymakers interested in understanding the dynamics of borderlands and the challenges faced by those who live in them.

In conclusion, A Thousand Tiny Cuts is a groundbreaking book that offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the politics of bordering, migration, and citizenship in South Asia. Through its detailed ethnography and critical analysis, Ghosh challenges anthropological understandings of violence, migration, and citizenship, and highlights the urgent need for a more inclusive and equitable approach to border management. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of borderlands and the challenges faced by those who live in them.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520395732