Postcolonial democracies like India have made special provisions for the rights of indigenous communities, while maintaining that all Indians are indigenous. In such a context, political groups from the right to the left of the spectrum tend to represent indigenous groups as minorities within a majority rather than as first inhabitants with rights to land and sovereignty. Despite this, ‘indigeneity’ has not lost its political purchase, with more social groups trying to position themselves as ‘indigenous’ for different political ends. Taking Ipshita Basu’s recently published book Reclaiming Indigeneity and Democracy in India’s Jharkhand as a starting point, the panel will discuss the meaning and significance of ‘indigeneity’ as a politically mobilised identity in India. The panel will discuss the following open-ended questions:
- What role does tribe (and caste) identity play in organising political claims-making in India?
- Is the adherence to these identity categories advancing or diminishing substantive democracy?
- How is the state of politics in an indigenous state like Jharkhand a litmus test for the state of democracy and minoritisation in India?
- Why should/should not a state recognise indigenous community rights?
- How is recognition of indigenous rights important to ongoing global challenges like just transition, climate change and minoritisation?
Keynote speakers
- Crispin Bates, Professor of Modern and Contemporary South Asian History, University of Edinburgh
- Ruby Hembrom, Founder of Adivaani publishers and Doctoral Researcher, London School of Economics
- Radha D’Souza, Professor of Law, Westminster Law School
- Ipshita Basu, Reader in Global Development and Politics, University of Westminster
Location
Fyvie Hall, 309 Regent Street London W1B 2HT
For enquiries email [email protected].
