Contested Nationhoods: Ethnicity, Insurgency and Subnationalism in North-East India

Over the years, north-east India has become synonymous with secession­ism, insurgency, ethnic conflict, violence and ceaseless turbulence in the post-independence era. The region is a Gateway for the migratory waves from South-East and East Asia, and is inhabited by a number of tribal communities, some relatively advanced while others proto-historic. The years under the British caused upheaval in their socio-cultural life. They experienced momentous changes in every aspect of their lives, from food to faith, dress to discourses, but the ‘abrupt’ withdrawal of the British com­pelled these ‘apolitical’ people to be drawn into a bourgeois political system. Neither sure of their true identity, nor the nation state they would like to belong to, confused by the prevalent nationalist discourses and frightened by the prospect of being submerged by a numerical majority, they faced a massive existential crisis. Devastated by the successive partitions of India with Pakistan and Burma, and alienated by the post-colonial Indian State’s military measures as well as developmental neglect, coupled with racist ‘othering’ by the mainstream people, the region resembled more a trouble torn post-colonial African country rather than a part of India. The present study is about this crisis and how such a crisis led these communities to organize and equip themselves, debate and decide their future course of action and confront the colonial and post-colonial Indian States through a nationalist discourse and the process through which this confrontation led to the growth of secessionism and insurgency. This book details the entire process from the pre-British period to date, during which the movement itself underwent several crises and metamorphoses and, as a result, some struggles crumbled while others still carry on the revolt. Although a number of journalistic works are available on the subject, this is the first serious academic work written by a professional historian.

• Publication date: 1 August 2026
• Page count: 510
• Dimensions: Height 230 mm; Width 150 mm
• Publisher: Manohar Publishers and Distributors
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9789374515938