South Asia Research current issue

Political Economy of the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006: Conflict between Environment and Tribal Development

Saravanan, V. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:49:42 PDT

Politics has played havoc with tribals and the environment during the post-Independence period in India. Even after fi fty years of Indian planning, deprived groups, and tribals in particular, continue to remain underdeveloped, with their living conditions deteriorating further. Taking a historical perspective, this article seeks to capture the political undercurrents of economic policy-making towards tribals and tribal development planning and specifi cally analyses the consequences of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 on the environment as well as tribal development. Examining whether this new, politically motivated law will provide an impetus for economic progress of the tribals and environmental sustainability, it is argued that this Act will neither benefit the tribal communities nor enhance conservation. Rather, it serves as a cloak to justify non-tribal intervention, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Gurudom: The Political Dimension of Religious Sects in the Punjab

Lal, M. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:49:42 PDT

This article critiques the close relationship between religion and politics by focusing on the nexus of politician–bureaucrats and deras (religious sects) particularly in Punjab. It is observed how heads of deras decorate themselves with various titles, cleverly generate unconditional devotion among followers and present themselves as worldly gods. In addition, books, music and other equipment associated with spirituality are now an industry worth millions of rupees every year. The article notes that the nexus of the deraswith politics takes various forms and may cause social conflicts. It criticises in particular the bargaining capacity of the deras, which causes politicians to seek their patronage. The article discusses worrying trends about the misuse of religion that are now identifi able.

Socio-Economic Vulnerability and Neo-Liberalism: Lessons from Bangladesh

Rahman, S. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:49:42 PDT

Based on a case study of an export-oriented Bangladeshi garment company, this article shows how hierarchies of vulnerability have developed in the process of global integration of Bangladesh’s garment industry. Situating the problem of economic dependency in a globalised context within a broader political economy discussion of local Bangladeshi scenarios, the study illustrates how such patterns of development are shaped by internal as well as external social and political forces that create conditions of vulnerability.

Warrior, Untouchable, Courtesan: Fringe Women in Tagore's Dance Dramas

Purkayastha, P. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:49:42 PDT

This article analyses the intimate links between dance and the processes of national and postcolonial identity formation in India, particularly in Bengal, in the twentieth century. It examines alternative, non-classical artistic experiments in the realm of theatre dance spawned by twentieth century cultural nationalism in India, focusing on dancing bodies that actively engaged with, and wrote different meanings for, the socio-political space they inhabited. Dance-dramas written by Rabindranath Tagore in the 1930s are used as points of entry into a discourse on South Asian modernism and feminism, opening up a space in which the twentieth century representation of Indian women through bodily performance troubles notions of cultural purity and origin and offers instead ‘impure’ but nevertheless powerful cultural texts.

The Medical and Social Costs of Consanguineous Marriages among British Mirpuris

Hasan, K. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:49:42 PDT

Consanguineous marriage has been widespread within the Pakistani Mirpuri community in Britain today. Such marriage arrangements are now increasingly perceived to create various problems and harms, including a high degree of insularity with barriers to integration and lack of contact with the wider community. Many instances of forced marriage give rise to human rights concerns. Since such marriages are often arranged with partners from Pakistan to aid the extended family financially, large-scale immigration from Pakistan into Britain continues. Many of these new spouses cannot speak English and are unfamiliar with English culture, which continues to slow down the pace of integration of Mirpuris. The article highlights particularly that the rates of consanguineous marriage are increasing within this particular community despite awareness of the medical risks involved, including an increase in congenital defects and infant mortality. Serious and culturally sensitive thought needs to be given on all sides, therefore, to addressing such issues rather than infl ating controversies and damaging community relations.

Book Reviews

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:49:42 PDT