Ethnicity and democracy in the eastern himalayan borderland: constructing democracy /
Mona Chettri
- Amsterdam: Amsterdam university press, 2017.
- 182 p. illustrations, 1 map 24 cm
"Amsterdam University Press English-language titles are distributed in the US and Canada by the University of Chicago Press"--Title page verso.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 165-177) and index.
Why Study the Eastern Himalayan Borderland?; Studying the Eastern Himalayan Borderland: Same Same but Different; Facilitating Ethnic Politics in the Eastern Himalaya; Organisation of this Book; 1. Locating the 'Nepali' in the Eastern Himalayan Borderland; Becoming Nepali: Colonial History and Ethnic Group Formation; Going to Muglan: Emigration from the Kingdom of Gorkha to India; Language and Ethnic Group Formation; Homogenisation of the Nepalis and its Impact on Identity Formation. Gorkhaland: A Homeland for the Indian-NepalisDe-Constructing the Nepali in Sikkim; Re-claiming Limbuwan; Conclusion; 2. The Ethnic Worldview: Framing Existential Grievances; Limbus of Eastern Nepal and the Politics of 'jati and nose'; Discriminating against the Sons of the Soil -- the Gorkhas of Darjeeling; Fostering the Culture of Dependency in Sikkim; Conclusion; 3. Ethnic Identity as Political Identity; The Political Resilience of the Brave Gorkha; Neither Mongol nor Kirat: Asserting the Limbu Identity; Claiming exclusive identities in Sikkim; Conclusion. 4. Manifestations of Ethnic PoliticsThe Dress Code: Looking like a Gorkha; Becoming a Tribe in Sikkim; Limbus as the Embodiment of the Indigenous Discourse; Conclusion; 5. Constructing Democracy; Emergence of a New Patronage Structure; The New Elites; Political Elites; Expressing Agency through Ethnic Politics; Regional Interpretation of Democracy; Conclusion; Conclusion; Being Nepali Across Borders; Of Ethnic Politics and Democratic Cultures; Ethnic Politics as People's Politics; Bibliography; Index; List of Illustrations; Figure 1 Map of Sikkim, Darjeeling and east Nepal. Figure 2 The only solution -- GorkhalandFigure 3 Madhesh ko chacha's shop in Soreng, West Sikkim; Figure 4 Khukuri for sale in a local market in Darjeeling; Figure 5 Writing on the wall:Bhutia, Lepcha or Nepali we are all Gorkhali; Figure 6 Limboo artifacts on display at the Namchi Mahotsav, Sikkim; Figure 7 Raakay-Julus: fire-torch procession in Ilam, organised by NEFIN; Figure 8 Offices of 'Limbuwan Parties', Ilam.