Conflict and Reconciliation : The Politics of Ethnicity in Assam

Diverging from reductionist studies of Northeast India, this book examines Assam’s intricate conflicts empirically and theoretically. It traces the genesis and evolution of ethnic and nationalistic politics in Assam, exploring how these dynamics gave birth to nativist and militant movements.

Diverging from reductionist studies of Northeast India, this book examines Assam’s layered and intricate conflicts empirically and theoretically. It traces the genesis and evolution of ethnic and nationalistic politics in the state, exploring how these dynamics gave birth to nativist and militant movements. By analyzing structural, cultural, and historical violences in this multi-ethnic, polyphonic geography, the book connects identity politics to questions of ethnonationality, sovereignty, and armed resistance in postcolonial nation-states. The volume scrutinizes how state responses – particularly militarization and policies perpetuating ethnic fragmentation – escalated rather than mitigated conflict. Through an in-depth study of Bodoland, Assam's most violent region, and the relations between three communities (Axamiya, Bodo, and Koch), the author stresses the need to redefine 'Axamiya', a contentious issue in the state's ethnic politics. The book proposes ethnic reconciliation through resuscitating traditional community-based practices upholding transitional justice, restoration, and mutual coexistence as pathways to breaking the durability of violence and establishing positive peace. Part of the Transition in Northeastern India series, this revised edition more robustly engages with current conversations about structural violence, ethnicity, and decolonial feminist peace. It will prove essential to scholars and students of Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Political Science, and History, as well as policy-makers and those interested in Northeast India.