New Lives in Anand: Building a Muslim Hub in Western India

After widespread communal violence in Gujarat, India, Anand became a haven for Muslims seeking safety. This ethnography explores how residential segregation led to unique forms of mobility and exchange, embedding Muslim residents in social networks and reimagining society in inclusive terms.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 202 pages
Publication date: 05 August 2022
Publisher: University of Washington Press

In 2002, widespread communal violence tore apart towns and villages in rural parts of Gujarat, India. In the aftermath, many Muslims living in Hindu-majority villages sought safety in the small town of Anand. Following such dramatic displacement, the town emerged as a site of opportunity and hope. For its residents and transnational visitors, Anand's Muslim area is not just a site of marginalization; it has become an important focal point and regional center from which they can participate in the wider community of Gujarat and reimagine society in more inclusive terms.

This compelling ethnography shows how in Anand, the experience of residential segregation led not to estrangement or closure but to distinctive forms of mobility and exchange that embed Muslim residents in a variety of social networks.

New Lives in Anand moves beyond established notions of ghettoization to foreground the places, practices, and narratives that are significant to the people of Anand.

New Lives in Anand is available in an open access edition through the Sustainable History Monograph Pilot, thanks to the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Open access edition: DOI 10.6069/9780295749655

Weight: 314g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780295749648