Man and Society: Journal of North-East Studies, 2017
The long-standing demand for separate time zone in Northeast India can be seen as a practical att... more The long-standing demand for separate time zone in Northeast India can be seen as a practical attempt to correct the biological clock that affects the productivity and efficiency of the region.
Northeast India is inhabited by numerous tribal communities with well-knitted traditions, practic... more Northeast India is inhabited by numerous tribal communities with well-knitted traditions, practices, and beliefs. The region is known for its contested social and political history and ethnic demands for autonomy, homeland, recognition, and accommodation. In contrast to the popular perception of virulent ethnic violence, conflicts, and subsequent displacement of many communities, the region is experiencing greater changes in infrastructure development and road, air, and rail connectivity.
Kerala’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a pub... more Kerala’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a public action making it an exemplar to not only the rest of the states in India but also the world as a whole. Its public action-oriented containment of the pandemic has been the outcome of multiple factors specific to the state. Despite the grave challenges confronted by the state, its experience offers new opportunities for setting a new public culture. However, the emerging opportunities and their realisation in the post-COVID-19 phase depend on an effective and visionary leadership that can translate them for the potential development of the state.
India’s North East too has not evaded the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political strategies of approp... more India’s North East too has not evaded the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political strategies of appropriation of publicfigures and construction ofcounter-narratives. While the BJP is engaged in the process of appropriating Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarma Manikya Bahadur into the Hindu fold in Tripura, in Nagaland, the party’s attempt is to glorify Naga spiritual leader and freedom fighter “Rani” Gaidinliu and construct a counter-narrative to Christianity to strengthen its base. In short, politics is the ultimate goal.
Proponents of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Second Amendme... more Proponents of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Second Amendment Bill, 2018 see it as a mechanism to protect the indigenous culture of the Khasi tribal community. However, critics from within and outside the community are describing it as a regressive legislation which will distort the matrilineal values of the Khasi society.
The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered sweeping electoral gains in the North East in the recent Lok ... more The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered sweeping electoral gains in the North East in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Its victory run, if it has to continue, will depend on keeping its ethno-regional allies together and divert resentment against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019.
The electoral and political debacle of the left in Tripura is a culmination of long-term social c... more The electoral and political debacle of the left in Tripura is a culmination of long-term social churning. Discontent among the tribal population as well as the divide between tribal and Bengali communities were effectively utilised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has led to precipitous erosion of the base of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The “new developmentalism” of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala is an attempt to c... more The “new developmentalism” of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala is an attempt to construct an alternative development model to the neo-liberal development. It is seen as a transition from the 1990s’ left confrontation with neo-liberal reforms, and as a convincible alternative in the globally acclaimed Kerala model of development. Even though the party reiterates its commitment to its basic class in pushing for new developmentalism, the real challenge is the quantum and levels of engagement with the Kerala model and neo-liberal development. Arriving at social and political consensus and bringing a social balance on the concerns of the marginalised and the aspirations of the emerging new middle class depend on the policies and strategies of the CPI(M).
In North East India, the indigenous assertion and mobilisation of various ethnic communities ofte... more In North East India, the indigenous assertion and mobilisation of various ethnic communities often lead to the dislocation and impoverishment of the settled minority communities. The relationship between tribal communities and settled minority communities is often driven by conflicts in sharing resources and accessing political power. When the Khasis, the dominant ethnic community in Meghalaya, assert their indigenous claims over the minority Dalit Sikhs, it would displace their land and resources leading to further insecurity and impoverishment.
The verdict of the Tripura assembly election 2023 gave a renewed mandate for the Bharatiya Janata... more The verdict of the Tripura assembly election 2023 gave a renewed mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party government with a thin majority. Though the resurgent Communist Party of India (Marxist)–Congress alliance put up a fierce fight against the ruling party, the emergence of the Tipra Motha Party as a third political force, championing the tribal demand for the protection of Indigenous identity dashed the electoral fortunes of the opposition.
Kerala is scripting a new story—it will be the first Indian state to have
its internet service. ... more Kerala is scripting a new story—it will be the first Indian state to have its internet service. Aimed at “connecting the unconnected,” the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) provides free internet access to around 20,00,000 below-poverty-line families and about 30,000 government institutions and schools in the state.
The current spurt of protests by tribal organisations for recognising the Roman script in Tripura... more The current spurt of protests by tribal organisations for recognising the Roman script in Tripura is motivated by political churning. While the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state is pushing Devanagari script for the Kokborok with political motives, the Tipra Motha Party’s opposition emerged out of its compulsions.
The existential crisis of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the prominent ethno-regional party in Nor... more The existential crisis of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the prominent ethno-regional party in Northeast India, demonstrates that ethno-regionalism may tender only short-term political dividends to the party unless it transforms into a party to carry out a vision of development that would address the material well-being of people. In other words, the ideology and mobilisation of an ethno-regional party may not be sustainable if it deviates from its strategy from the everyday life process of development. Moreover, the BJP's glowing strategy of championing ethno-regionalism along with its Hindu nationalist ideology and its alliance with the AGP cost more adverse impact on the latter's mass base and thereby dwindling its electoral space in the Assam politics.
K erala is known for its unique development experience. It often describes a 'Kerala model of dev... more K erala is known for its unique development experience. It often describes a 'Kerala model of development', with high indices in social development, especially in education and health, which are on par with those of developed countries despite its precarious economic development. Kerala has high public funding social security schemes and pensions for approximately one lakh people. Kerala's development experience is often seen as a model for aspiring low-income countries and the rest of the states in India. Since the 1980s, however, the state has witnessed stagnation in economic development despite its globally acclaimed social development. Kerala is known in India and the world as an infrastructure deficit state, as it was starving for investment in large infrastructure projects after spending salaries, pensions, interest
Man and Society: Journal of North-East Studies, 2017
The long-standing demand for separate time zone in Northeast India can be seen as a practical att... more The long-standing demand for separate time zone in Northeast India can be seen as a practical attempt to correct the biological clock that affects the productivity and efficiency of the region.
Northeast India is inhabited by numerous tribal communities with well-knitted traditions, practic... more Northeast India is inhabited by numerous tribal communities with well-knitted traditions, practices, and beliefs. The region is known for its contested social and political history and ethnic demands for autonomy, homeland, recognition, and accommodation. In contrast to the popular perception of virulent ethnic violence, conflicts, and subsequent displacement of many communities, the region is experiencing greater changes in infrastructure development and road, air, and rail connectivity.
Kerala’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a pub... more Kerala’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a public action making it an exemplar to not only the rest of the states in India but also the world as a whole. Its public action-oriented containment of the pandemic has been the outcome of multiple factors specific to the state. Despite the grave challenges confronted by the state, its experience offers new opportunities for setting a new public culture. However, the emerging opportunities and their realisation in the post-COVID-19 phase depend on an effective and visionary leadership that can translate them for the potential development of the state.
India’s North East too has not evaded the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political strategies of approp... more India’s North East too has not evaded the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political strategies of appropriation of publicfigures and construction ofcounter-narratives. While the BJP is engaged in the process of appropriating Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarma Manikya Bahadur into the Hindu fold in Tripura, in Nagaland, the party’s attempt is to glorify Naga spiritual leader and freedom fighter “Rani” Gaidinliu and construct a counter-narrative to Christianity to strengthen its base. In short, politics is the ultimate goal.
Proponents of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Second Amendme... more Proponents of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Second Amendment Bill, 2018 see it as a mechanism to protect the indigenous culture of the Khasi tribal community. However, critics from within and outside the community are describing it as a regressive legislation which will distort the matrilineal values of the Khasi society.
The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered sweeping electoral gains in the North East in the recent Lok ... more The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered sweeping electoral gains in the North East in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Its victory run, if it has to continue, will depend on keeping its ethno-regional allies together and divert resentment against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019.
The electoral and political debacle of the left in Tripura is a culmination of long-term social c... more The electoral and political debacle of the left in Tripura is a culmination of long-term social churning. Discontent among the tribal population as well as the divide between tribal and Bengali communities were effectively utilised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has led to precipitous erosion of the base of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The “new developmentalism” of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala is an attempt to c... more The “new developmentalism” of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala is an attempt to construct an alternative development model to the neo-liberal development. It is seen as a transition from the 1990s’ left confrontation with neo-liberal reforms, and as a convincible alternative in the globally acclaimed Kerala model of development. Even though the party reiterates its commitment to its basic class in pushing for new developmentalism, the real challenge is the quantum and levels of engagement with the Kerala model and neo-liberal development. Arriving at social and political consensus and bringing a social balance on the concerns of the marginalised and the aspirations of the emerging new middle class depend on the policies and strategies of the CPI(M).
In North East India, the indigenous assertion and mobilisation of various ethnic communities ofte... more In North East India, the indigenous assertion and mobilisation of various ethnic communities often lead to the dislocation and impoverishment of the settled minority communities. The relationship between tribal communities and settled minority communities is often driven by conflicts in sharing resources and accessing political power. When the Khasis, the dominant ethnic community in Meghalaya, assert their indigenous claims over the minority Dalit Sikhs, it would displace their land and resources leading to further insecurity and impoverishment.
The verdict of the Tripura assembly election 2023 gave a renewed mandate for the Bharatiya Janata... more The verdict of the Tripura assembly election 2023 gave a renewed mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party government with a thin majority. Though the resurgent Communist Party of India (Marxist)–Congress alliance put up a fierce fight against the ruling party, the emergence of the Tipra Motha Party as a third political force, championing the tribal demand for the protection of Indigenous identity dashed the electoral fortunes of the opposition.
Kerala is scripting a new story—it will be the first Indian state to have
its internet service. ... more Kerala is scripting a new story—it will be the first Indian state to have its internet service. Aimed at “connecting the unconnected,” the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) provides free internet access to around 20,00,000 below-poverty-line families and about 30,000 government institutions and schools in the state.
The current spurt of protests by tribal organisations for recognising the Roman script in Tripura... more The current spurt of protests by tribal organisations for recognising the Roman script in Tripura is motivated by political churning. While the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state is pushing Devanagari script for the Kokborok with political motives, the Tipra Motha Party’s opposition emerged out of its compulsions.
The existential crisis of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the prominent ethno-regional party in Nor... more The existential crisis of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the prominent ethno-regional party in Northeast India, demonstrates that ethno-regionalism may tender only short-term political dividends to the party unless it transforms into a party to carry out a vision of development that would address the material well-being of people. In other words, the ideology and mobilisation of an ethno-regional party may not be sustainable if it deviates from its strategy from the everyday life process of development. Moreover, the BJP's glowing strategy of championing ethno-regionalism along with its Hindu nationalist ideology and its alliance with the AGP cost more adverse impact on the latter's mass base and thereby dwindling its electoral space in the Assam politics.
K erala is known for its unique development experience. It often describes a 'Kerala model of dev... more K erala is known for its unique development experience. It often describes a 'Kerala model of development', with high indices in social development, especially in education and health, which are on par with those of developed countries despite its precarious economic development. Kerala has high public funding social security schemes and pensions for approximately one lakh people. Kerala's development experience is often seen as a model for aspiring low-income countries and the rest of the states in India. Since the 1980s, however, the state has witnessed stagnation in economic development despite its globally acclaimed social development. Kerala is known in India and the world as an infrastructure deficit state, as it was starving for investment in large infrastructure projects after spending salaries, pensions, interest
In the 1990s, an academic interest aroused from certain quarters to locate the Congress Party in ... more In the 1990s, an academic interest aroused from certain quarters to locate the Congress Party in the context of the three trends in Indian politics like Mandal, Mandir and Market. This study focuses on the policies and strategies of the Congress in relation to its emphasis on the role of the developmental state and its transition towards market-oriented development in the 1990s. The Congress Party, which developed an intrinsic relationship between the developmental state and market for its mobilization, strength and domination in Indian politics over a period of time, was at the receiving end of the crisis. Since the market-oriented economic reforms attacked the developmental state, it contributed to the de-institutionalization of the party. By shifting the developmental strategy from the state-oriented to a market-oriented one, great harm has been done to the Congress Party and its legitimacy over Indian politics. During the second generation reforms under the BJP-led NDA government, the Congress Party underwent a process of introspection and reiteration. Then, it realized that the policies of socialism and social justice, which were anathema to it during the economic reforms under the Rao regime, have the potential to mobilize the alienated social groups and thereby reinvent its space in Indian politics
In the third decade of the twenty-first century, the forces of disorder
are challenging the worl... more In the third decade of the twenty-first century, the forces of disorder are challenging the world order in multiple domains. World politics in the present era is marked by shifting global dynamics and the rise of new power centres. As the world witnesses the emergence of new powers seeking to assert their influence on the global stage, the stage is set for a paradigm shift in terms of conflict in world politics. The spectre of conflict looms large over different parts of the international landscape. The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza serve as stark reminders of the potential for conflict escalation and the complex interplay of interests among nations. The threat of a regional conflict expanding to become a great power conflict is very real.
In liberal democracy, media plays a critical role in democratic transition and consolidation. It ... more In liberal democracy, media plays a critical role in democratic transition and consolidation. It is also known as the 'mind industry' precisely because of its power to influence people, where it plays a critical role in articulating and mobilizing public opinion in favour of and against the governments of the day. The message, which in the case of the media is the reporting of an event, is often messy, partisan, and far more sensational and prone to agenda creation than when public broadcasters and newspapers separate news from views. Over time, news and views merge in India and abroad, becoming indistinguishable to the extent that falsehoods or half-truths are peddled as truth in peacetime. The globalization of media and the control and ownership of media further demoted its constructive role in society. Though the media is the fourth estate supposed to strengthen democracy like other institutions such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, it became increasingly socially exclusionary, diluting social justice principles.
The book discusses the contention of Ethno-regionalism and Hindu nationalism in the electoral pol... more The book discusses the contention of Ethno-regionalism and Hindu nationalism in the electoral politics of Northeast India
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Papers by V Bijukumar
Though the resurgent Communist Party of India (Marxist)–Congress
alliance put up a fierce fight against the ruling party, the emergence of the Tipra Motha Party as a third political force, championing the tribal demand for the protection of Indigenous identity dashed the electoral fortunes of the opposition.
its internet service. Aimed at “connecting the unconnected,” the Kerala
Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) provides free
internet access to around 20,00,000 below-poverty-line families and about
30,000 government institutions and schools in the state.
Though the resurgent Communist Party of India (Marxist)–Congress
alliance put up a fierce fight against the ruling party, the emergence of the Tipra Motha Party as a third political force, championing the tribal demand for the protection of Indigenous identity dashed the electoral fortunes of the opposition.
its internet service. Aimed at “connecting the unconnected,” the Kerala
Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) provides free
internet access to around 20,00,000 below-poverty-line families and about
30,000 government institutions and schools in the state.
are challenging the world order in multiple domains. World politics
in the present era is marked by shifting global dynamics and the rise of
new power centres. As the world witnesses the emergence of new powers
seeking to assert their influence on the global stage, the stage is set for
a paradigm shift in terms of conflict in world politics. The spectre of
conflict looms large over different parts of the international landscape.
The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza serve as stark reminders of
the potential for conflict escalation and the complex interplay of interests
among nations. The threat of a regional conflict expanding to become a
great power conflict is very real.