This volume studies the various forms of ethnic autonomy envisioned within and outside the purview of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It explores the role of the British Indian administration and the Constituent Assembly of India in the introduction and inclusion of the schedule and the special provisions granted under it. Drawing on case studies from the states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Sikkim in Northeast India and Darjeeling in West Bengal, it examines whether the practice of granting autonomy has been able to fulfil the political aspirations of the ethnic communities and how far autonomy settles or eases conflict. It also discusses sub-state nationalism and if it can be accommodated within autonomy, and studies the views of the central government and state governments towards such autonomy. An important contribution towards understanding India’s federal structure, the volume will be indispensable to students and researchers of politics, democracy, Indian Constitution, law, self-governance, political theory and South Asian studies.

This book explores experiences, issues and challenges which have emerged since Constitutional status was granted to the local bodies at grassroots level in India in the early 1990s. Among other issues, it focuses on: the contrasting political ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar on Panchayati Raj Institutions the legal and constitutional provisions which were introduced through the 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts the devolution process, status and challenges of democracy for local governmental bodies empowerment of the women and lower castes through reservations in the local bodies governance in Schedule V and VI tribal areas Based on extensive fieldwork across India, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of political science, sociology, public administration as well as policymakers and civil society activists.

Leading scholars consider how democracy has taken root in India despite poverty, illiteracy and ethnic diversity.

Routledge Readings on Security and Governance in Northeastern India: Resource Conflicts, Militarisation and Development Challenges presents some of the finest essays on a region that stretches across the Northeastern Himalaya, eight Indian States and many tribal and non-tribal peoples. With a lucid Introduction, this and its companion volume, Routledge Readings on Colonial to Contemporary Northeastern India offer a compelling look into the society, polity, contemporary security and developmental issues in northeast India. It covers several critical themes and unravels complexities fraught by the unique biogeography and socio-political history of the region. The fifteen chapters in this multidisciplinary volume, divided into three sections, examine land laws, conflict and resource management and local governance. It discusses the political interplay of ethnicities and resource appropriation in a modernizing, globalizing economy as well as instances of conflicts and violence in highly militarized spaces in the region. It offers an engaged and insightful look into the rural and urban human development contexts in the region from authors who have contributed significantly to the academic and/or policy discourse on the subject. This book will serve as essential reading for students, scholars, policymakers, practitioners of South Asian studies, Northeast India studies, history, development studies, labour studies, sociology, public administration, environmental studies, law and human rights, regional literature, cultural studies, geography, and economics.

The Northeast of India is a place with many different groups of people, each with their own special way of life. It's beautiful, but also a place where people have faced hard times. Many folks there feel left out and not fully part of India. As someone who cares deeply about this area, I wanted to learn more and share what I found. This book is my humble attempt to amplify these voices, to bridge the chasm of misunderstanding that has long separated the Northeast from the rest of India. It's a labor of love, born from countless conversations with tribal elders, young activists, and everyday people who shared their hopes, fears, and dreams with a stranger who came to listen. Through these pages, I invite you to walk alongside the people of the Northeast, to feel the weight of their history, and to envision a future where their unique identities are celebrated as integral threads in the grand fabric of our nation. My decision to write this book stemmed from numerous conversations and interactions with individuals from the Northeast. Their stories—often filled with pain, resilience, and hope—prompted me to confront my own understanding of what it means to be part of a nation that frequently overlooks its most marginalized communities. The narratives of these individuals are a testament to the harsh realities they endure: from armed conflicts and insurgencies to the struggle for basic rights and recognition. The Northeast's conflicts are not merely regional issues; they reflect broader questions about national identity, unity, and the very nature of democracy in India.