With the exception of cricket, India – a country of nearly 1.5 billion people – is spectacularly ... more With the exception of cricket, India – a country of nearly 1.5 billion people – is spectacularly below average when it comes to international competitive sports. The world’s second most populous nation has the worst Olympic record in terms of medals per head of population. So its saving grace – so far as proving its sporting prowess is concerned – has been cricket, in which it is a dominant force
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
October is proving to be a bad month for the non-Muslim minorities and non-natives of Indian-admi... more October is proving to be a bad month for the non-Muslim minorities and non-natives of Indian-administered Kashmir. Just this month, some eleven civilians have been killed at point-blank range by unknown assailants
Ever since Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, plenty of ink and pixels hav... more Ever since Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, plenty of ink and pixels have been spent trying to explain the ascendancy of Hindu nationalism in India. But while the BJP's concept of "Hindutva" has sparked angry protests across the country, most recently at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), there are plenty of other Indian nationalisms out there, and none has ever had a monopoly on national identity
As western powers frantically scramble to evacuate their citizens and the Afghan nationals who wo... more As western powers frantically scramble to evacuate their citizens and the Afghan nationals who worked for them, the nature of the Taliban leadership’s intentions for how it intends to govern remains obscure. But if various messages fed in recent days to the international media are to be believed, the Islamic fundamentalist regime intends to completely revamp the structure of government when it formally embarks upon its administration from September 1
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 2015
This article focusses on the Christian minority in Pakistan, and postulates that their “crisis co... more This article focusses on the Christian minority in Pakistan, and postulates that their “crisis condition” can be explained within a set pattern of rules. Within that framework, it examines three separate, but interrelated theoretical positions: The rising level of Islamic radicalism and consequent attack on minority Christians needs to be placed within the framework of a “thick” and “thin” view of religion; 2. the select “targeting” of a minority and stirring up of sectarian conflict is the outcome of a clearly thought out framework of hegemonic violence; and 3. the conscious process of “scapegoating” that establishes the majority-led in-group and out-group narrative leading to the castigation and persecution of the marginal group. The last two sections examines the scope of external intervention on behalf of this beleaguered community. It goes on to assess the coping strategies of the Christians in the face of mounting Sunni Muslim extremist violence.
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 2000
After half a century of experiment with secular politics, India has finally gone fundamentalist, ... more After half a century of experiment with secular politics, India has finally gone fundamentalist, preferring to be ruled by religious nationalists. This mind set among Indian voters is induced intriguing. The mandate for the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the recent parliamentary elections is an indication that India's majority Hindus are uncomfortable with their minority Muslim counterparts. Simultaneously, the support of a section of Muslims for the BJP also questions the true nature of secularism in India. Is this behaviour an indication of erosion of faith in secular politics? In this article I explore the roots of majority-minority divide in India. I argue that the rise of Hindu nationalism is a direct response to the politically motivated pseudo-secular ideas of the Congress party that ruled 45 out of 50 years of independent India. Analysing three of the most controversial issues viz. Article 370, Uniform Civil Code and Ram temple, the article evaluates the mi...
To date, there is no systematic, general study of small and micro states in South Asia. This intr... more To date, there is no systematic, general study of small and micro states in South Asia. This introductory article to a special themed issue of Contemporary South Asia explores the definitional issues relating to small and micro states. In particular, it seeks to identify the key characteristics of these states and enquire about their attributes. Although the classification and categorisation of states undermines the sovereign equality principles of the United Nations, such labelling is crucial in order to identify small and micro states' standing in relation to their medium and big counterparts, and focus on areas of deficiencies affecting these polities. The present article proposes that small states are hostage to some of the same uncertainties that affect medium‐sized and large‐sized states, including nation‐building. This article also brings under scrutiny the inter‐state relationship and the role of regional forums such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. In this context, it posits that not only big powers but also regional organisations need to redefine their relationship with small states and pay extra attention to the needs of these actors.
In the past decade and a half there has been a steady rise in left‐wing violence in South Asia, c... more In the past decade and a half there has been a steady rise in left‐wing violence in South Asia, confined mostly to India and Nepal. The key characteristics of this type of uprising are: (a) it is rural/agrarian in nature; (b) there is a strong element of ideological presence; (c) it targets a certain class, the state and its institutions; and (d) victims of this uprising are both civilians and officials (now estimated to be over 20,000). While both countries acknowledge the presence of these factors in their political process, their official definition of this conflict is ambiguous. Do these violent encounters satisfy the definition of civil war? Is it an insurgency? If indeed it is a civil war and the groups fighting the war against the state are insurgents, what constitutes their key objectives? This article seeks to place the nature and character of this conflict within a theoretical framework. It makes an ethno‐political analysis of this uprising. It audits the human cost associated with this violence. And, finally, it explores the group motivational factors behind this uprising and the consequent responses of the concerned state
... In State and Civil Society in Pakistan, Iftikhar Malik pushes this reasoning further by argui... more ... In State and Civil Society in Pakistan, Iftikhar Malik pushes this reasoning further by arguing that `ethnic heterogeneity and cultural pluralism ... The message conveyed in the essays grouped under `Mobilizing Hin-dutva', written by Amrita Basu, Zoya Hasan, Richard H Davis and ...
This article analyses evangelical identity politics and more generally religious competition in c... more This article analyses evangelical identity politics and more generally religious competition in contemporary Mexico through a specific focus on the construction, dissemination and imagination of space. The imagination and occupation of a particular space determines the specific identity of its followers. Since the identity-space construct is primarily anchored in the political, religious, economic and funerary contexts in most societies, these four rubrics are woven together to assess of the evangelical Christian space-identity construct. The paper furthers research on religious space creation, dissemination and demarcation amongst evangelical Christians in Mexico, and it emphasises the extent to which the strategies of spatial expansion can lead to rigorous intra-faith competition and conflict.
With the exception of cricket, India – a country of nearly 1.5 billion people – is spectacularly ... more With the exception of cricket, India – a country of nearly 1.5 billion people – is spectacularly below average when it comes to international competitive sports. The world’s second most populous nation has the worst Olympic record in terms of medals per head of population. So its saving grace – so far as proving its sporting prowess is concerned – has been cricket, in which it is a dominant force
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
October is proving to be a bad month for the non-Muslim minorities and non-natives of Indian-admi... more October is proving to be a bad month for the non-Muslim minorities and non-natives of Indian-administered Kashmir. Just this month, some eleven civilians have been killed at point-blank range by unknown assailants
Ever since Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, plenty of ink and pixels hav... more Ever since Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, plenty of ink and pixels have been spent trying to explain the ascendancy of Hindu nationalism in India. But while the BJP's concept of "Hindutva" has sparked angry protests across the country, most recently at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), there are plenty of other Indian nationalisms out there, and none has ever had a monopoly on national identity
As western powers frantically scramble to evacuate their citizens and the Afghan nationals who wo... more As western powers frantically scramble to evacuate their citizens and the Afghan nationals who worked for them, the nature of the Taliban leadership’s intentions for how it intends to govern remains obscure. But if various messages fed in recent days to the international media are to be believed, the Islamic fundamentalist regime intends to completely revamp the structure of government when it formally embarks upon its administration from September 1
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 2015
This article focusses on the Christian minority in Pakistan, and postulates that their “crisis co... more This article focusses on the Christian minority in Pakistan, and postulates that their “crisis condition” can be explained within a set pattern of rules. Within that framework, it examines three separate, but interrelated theoretical positions: The rising level of Islamic radicalism and consequent attack on minority Christians needs to be placed within the framework of a “thick” and “thin” view of religion; 2. the select “targeting” of a minority and stirring up of sectarian conflict is the outcome of a clearly thought out framework of hegemonic violence; and 3. the conscious process of “scapegoating” that establishes the majority-led in-group and out-group narrative leading to the castigation and persecution of the marginal group. The last two sections examines the scope of external intervention on behalf of this beleaguered community. It goes on to assess the coping strategies of the Christians in the face of mounting Sunni Muslim extremist violence.
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 2000
After half a century of experiment with secular politics, India has finally gone fundamentalist, ... more After half a century of experiment with secular politics, India has finally gone fundamentalist, preferring to be ruled by religious nationalists. This mind set among Indian voters is induced intriguing. The mandate for the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the recent parliamentary elections is an indication that India's majority Hindus are uncomfortable with their minority Muslim counterparts. Simultaneously, the support of a section of Muslims for the BJP also questions the true nature of secularism in India. Is this behaviour an indication of erosion of faith in secular politics? In this article I explore the roots of majority-minority divide in India. I argue that the rise of Hindu nationalism is a direct response to the politically motivated pseudo-secular ideas of the Congress party that ruled 45 out of 50 years of independent India. Analysing three of the most controversial issues viz. Article 370, Uniform Civil Code and Ram temple, the article evaluates the mi...
To date, there is no systematic, general study of small and micro states in South Asia. This intr... more To date, there is no systematic, general study of small and micro states in South Asia. This introductory article to a special themed issue of Contemporary South Asia explores the definitional issues relating to small and micro states. In particular, it seeks to identify the key characteristics of these states and enquire about their attributes. Although the classification and categorisation of states undermines the sovereign equality principles of the United Nations, such labelling is crucial in order to identify small and micro states' standing in relation to their medium and big counterparts, and focus on areas of deficiencies affecting these polities. The present article proposes that small states are hostage to some of the same uncertainties that affect medium‐sized and large‐sized states, including nation‐building. This article also brings under scrutiny the inter‐state relationship and the role of regional forums such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. In this context, it posits that not only big powers but also regional organisations need to redefine their relationship with small states and pay extra attention to the needs of these actors.
In the past decade and a half there has been a steady rise in left‐wing violence in South Asia, c... more In the past decade and a half there has been a steady rise in left‐wing violence in South Asia, confined mostly to India and Nepal. The key characteristics of this type of uprising are: (a) it is rural/agrarian in nature; (b) there is a strong element of ideological presence; (c) it targets a certain class, the state and its institutions; and (d) victims of this uprising are both civilians and officials (now estimated to be over 20,000). While both countries acknowledge the presence of these factors in their political process, their official definition of this conflict is ambiguous. Do these violent encounters satisfy the definition of civil war? Is it an insurgency? If indeed it is a civil war and the groups fighting the war against the state are insurgents, what constitutes their key objectives? This article seeks to place the nature and character of this conflict within a theoretical framework. It makes an ethno‐political analysis of this uprising. It audits the human cost associated with this violence. And, finally, it explores the group motivational factors behind this uprising and the consequent responses of the concerned state
... In State and Civil Society in Pakistan, Iftikhar Malik pushes this reasoning further by argui... more ... In State and Civil Society in Pakistan, Iftikhar Malik pushes this reasoning further by arguing that `ethnic heterogeneity and cultural pluralism ... The message conveyed in the essays grouped under `Mobilizing Hin-dutva', written by Amrita Basu, Zoya Hasan, Richard H Davis and ...
This article analyses evangelical identity politics and more generally religious competition in c... more This article analyses evangelical identity politics and more generally religious competition in contemporary Mexico through a specific focus on the construction, dissemination and imagination of space. The imagination and occupation of a particular space determines the specific identity of its followers. Since the identity-space construct is primarily anchored in the political, religious, economic and funerary contexts in most societies, these four rubrics are woven together to assess of the evangelical Christian space-identity construct. The paper furthers research on religious space creation, dissemination and demarcation amongst evangelical Christians in Mexico, and it emphasises the extent to which the strategies of spatial expansion can lead to rigorous intra-faith competition and conflict.
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