Democracy and identity politics: Examining the narratives of regionalism in Assam
- Indian Journal of Political Science
- 85(1), Jan-Mar, 2024: p.393-400
Democracy in India is particularly crafted to reflect the representation of identities. Among the many contenders, ethno-regionalism provided fodder for identity politics. The complexity has been continuously reconstructed due to the power dynamics. The regional politics in Assam that held linguistic identity as their mainstay in its attempt towards gaining a level-playing foothold with the national politics seems to be guided by a decisive shift of loyalties. This paper, while reflecting on the broader debate of homogenisation and diversity, will discuss if the inclination towards right-wing politics has suppressed regionalism or if ethnic aspirations found outlet in newer narratives of mobilisation. -Reproduced
Democracy, Ethno-regionalism, Assam, Homogenisation and diversity