Communications présentées à une conférence organisée par le North-East India Council for Social Science Research, les 5-6 décembre 1986.

Contributed articles presented at the Seminar on Ethnic Issues, Secularism, and Conflict Resolution in North-East India held at Shillong during 25-26 April, 2001.

Papers presented at the Seminar on "Ethnicity, Culture, and Nationalism: Problems in the Context of North-East India", held in Sept. 1995 at the North Eastern Hill University.

Dr. N.K. Das had the privilege of conducting systematic social anthrpological research in Nagaland and other regions of North-eAst during 1976-88. Based on the material thus collected, Dr. Das has critically examined the ethno-historical and socio-political processes and factors causing ethnic conflict in sensitive North-East India. Using anthropological insight and historical anlaysis of pre-state segmentary social system among the Zounuo-Keyhonuo Naga, and examines the processes of state formation among the Ahom, Kachari, Meitei, Jaintia, Koch, Karbi and Khasi tribes in time and space dimensions. Other crucial subject matters discussed in this pioneering work are 'concept of tribe' fallacy of unilineal descent theory', 'matriliny to patriliny', 'peasantization','Inequality', `slavery', `social-stratification',`sanskritzation', `Christinaity', `Naga', `Mizo', `(Udayachal) Assam', `GNLF', `TNV', `Karbi',`Bodo' movements, and cultural revivalism.

The book is a very detailed work on the relationship between movements for autonomy by indigenous peoples (the so-called ‘tribes’) and violence in Assam, in northeast India. The book addresses some of the reasons for the failure of ethnic conflict management and for the frequent emergence of violence in the region. In particular, the historical description of movements by the Dimasas, Misings and Bodos is well compiled and provides a good summary for the readers. At the same time, the work offers a good understanding of ethnic violence in contemporary India. The volume offers some new research data based on comparative analysis of different trajectories followed by three important movements among Assam’s ethnic minorities. While the pieces of the argument are based on the existing literature on ethnic violence and contentious politics, they are effectively connected to materials drawn from northeast India. Furthermore, the book raises significant concerns on the debates on crafting of decentralised institutions and executive opportunities that may facilitate ethnic accommodation thereby reducing the likelihood of such groups to pursue their goals through channels that are radical or extreme.

Northeast India is a multifaceted and dynamic region that is constantly in focus because of its fragile political landscape characterized by endemic violence and conflicts. One of the first of its kind, this reader on Northeast India examines myriad aspects of the region – its people and its linguistic and cultural diversity. The chapters here highlight the key issues confronted by the Northeast in recent times: its history, politics, economy, gender equations, migration, ethnicity, literature and traditional performative practices. The book presents interlinkages between a range of socio-cultural issues and armed political violence while covering topics such as federalism, nationality, population, migration and social change. It discusses debates on development with a view to comprehensive policies and state intervention. With its a nuanced and wide-ranging overview, this volume makes new contributions to understanding a region that is critical to the future of South Asian geopolitics. The book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of contemporary Northeast India as well as history, political science, area studies, international relations, sociology and social anthropology. It will also appeal to those interested in public administration, regional literature, cultural studies, population studies, development studies and economics. Chapter 31 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

This 5-Volume, Encyclopaedic Study Of India S North-East Is The Result Of The Author S 11 Years Of Service Extended Over Three Tenures In The Region, Followed By 6 Years Of Library Research After His Retirement. Being The First Of Its Kind, Given Its Contents And Sheer Size, Over 2,500 Pages, It Is A Unique Book.Writing On The North-East Is Not An Easy Exercise, Given Its Diversity (Ethnic, Racial, Religious And Linguistic), Size, History And Geography. If India Is Microcosmic World, The North-East Is Microcosmic India. Of The 5,653 Communities In India, 653 Are Tribal Of Which The 213 Are Indigenous To The North-East. Of The 213, 111 Are Found In Arunachal Pradesh Alone. Illumined By An Equally Amazing Linguistic Diversity, It Is Home To 325 Of The 1,652 Languages Spoken In India. Yet Again, North-East S Total Population Of 3,84,95,089 (2001) Constitutes 2.69 Per Cent Of India S 1,02,70,15,247, While Its Area Of 2,55,088 Sq Km Is 7.75 Per Cent Of India S 32,87,263 Sq Km.