Ethnicity and Regional Politics of Eastern and North East India

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This book is mainly a collection of papers presented in a 2-day National seminar on "Ethnicity and the Regional Politics on Eastern and North East India", sponsored by UGC, New Delhi and organized in the Department of History (P.G.), ABN Seal College (Govt.), Coochbehar, West Bengal in December, 2010. A few more important papers have been included from different fields which are equally relevant. A large number of ethnic groups are living in this region; we do not have much idea about the people living there, their ethnic identity, economic and social conditions, languages etc. Though, we have heard the movements like-Gorkha Land, Kamtapur, Greater Cooch Behar, Boroland, Adibasi in Tripura, Kuki and so on. The relevant papers have highlighted all these issues critically with sources and genesis of the movements and questions of ethnic identity. The papers are historically elaborated to search the salvation process of these burning issues.

Dr. Anil Kumar Sarkar (b. 1973) is Assistant Professor of History at Acharya B.N. Seal College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal. Earlier, he had worked in University B.T. & Evening College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal. His recent publications have been Bharater Itihasa (Biswa) and British Paramountcy and the Cooch Behar State (A Study of the Anatomy of Indirect Rule in Cooch Behar). He has also published a number of papers in various academic journals-Kamata Koch Behar: A Review of Contemporary Muslim Literary Sources (1500-1650), Impact of British Policy on Judicial Administration in Princely State of Cooch Behar in the 19 Century, The British Colonial Policy and its impact on Land Settlement in Princely State of Cooch Behar, Evaluation of Rural Drinking Water in India, The Rise of Trading Class in Princely State of Cooch Behar (1773- 1940), Bangla Putite Dinajpurer Ganajagaran O Itihasa Prasanga, Bengal Namasudras: In Search of Social Identity and Health and Western Medicine in Colonial India (A Case Study in Princely State of Cooch Behar). He has also completed a UGC Minor Research Project (2011).

Dr. Sarkar graduated from Siliguri College, Darjeeling (1993-1995) and completed his Master's degree from Department of History, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling (1997-1998). He obtained both his M.Phil and Ph.D degrees from the University of North Bengal; M.Phil (2000) Bengal in the - Persian Chronicles of the 13th and 14th centuries and Ph.D (2010) - Revisiting Anglo-Koch Relations 1773-1947 (A Study of the Anatomy of Indirect Rule in Cooch Behar). At present, he is involved in a Major Research Project funded by UGC titled A Comparative Study of the Meches, Totos, Garos and Ravas of North Bengal and North East India.

It gives me pleasure that M/S. ORIGINALS (an imprint of Low Price Publications) is publishing the book, "Ethnicity and Regional Politics of Eastern and North East India", edited by Dr. Anil Kumar Sarkar of Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal.

Aggregation of people having a real or imaginary association with a specific territory, a shared cluster of belief and values connecting its distinctiveness in relation to similar groups and recognized as such by others is ethnic group and when they are united by emotional bonds and concerned with the preservation of their type is ethnicity. Regionalism represents a search for self identity, social, economic and political facet on the part of a group of people rooted in a particular geographical territory. The ethnic identity of Eastern and North East India is invariably viewed in relation to what is called the Indian "mainstream". Obviously, the idea of a 'mainstream' essentially implies that there are 'sub-stream' or 'side stream' which are not considered as part of it. In this context, appeals are made for North East treated as a side stream to join the mainstream for its survival and development of Nation.

This publication, containing 20 articles on the present scenario and crisis of the issues from different aspects, will be of immense help to the students and scholars in understanding the challenges of Ethnicity and Regional politics in effective way. The ethnicity and regional politics is ever expanding resolving many issues of our National and International relations. So, this book will cater to the need of not only the social scientists, but also scientists of other disciplines working in this field.