[Reader-list] Seeking Original Papers for Volume on Democratization in the Himalayas

[Dr. Vibha Arora]

Seeking original unpublished submissions for ‘Democratization and
Cultural Politics in the Himalayas’ (tentative title)  edited by Vibha
Arora (IIT Delhi) and N. Jayaram (TISS Mumbai)


Conceptual Outline:

Democratization is a thematic thread that, in the contemporary period,
stitches the independent Himalayan nations and Indian Himalayan states
into a distinctive regional political mosaic. In the last fifty years,
this area has fast become an ‘active political laboratory’ of
experiments in democratic structures and institutions at different
levels. It has witnessed the evolution of myriad political ideologies
and administrative strategies to accommodate and pacify heterogeneous
ethnic-national identities. The aim of this volume is to understand
how the process of democratization and western liberal democratic
values have interacted with an ethnic-nationally diverse population
who are governed by a variety of political structures in a region that
has witnessed historically fluctuating state and national boundaries
due to the ebb and flow of numerous dynasties and empires in the past,
and recently seen the birth of new ethnic-national states and nations.
We endeavour to review how formal democracy, regular elections and
adult suffrage, local self-governing structures, protection of the
rights of the minorities and the indigenous people, protective
discrimination and reservation, freedom of expression, the development
of mass media, the formation of ethnic homelands, etc. have furthered
participatory democracy, empowered the historically marginalized
groups, and ensured sustainable development in these countries. The
papers highlight the contested nature of liberal democracy and its
indigenization, document the resurgence of oppositional politics in a
cultural idiom, the continuing difficulties in reconciling majority
with minority interests in the Himalayas.

We are seeking original unpublished submissions for our Volume 2
(Soliciting papers either on Afghanistan, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal
Pradesh, Chittagong Hills of Bangladesh). Six original papers have
been confirmed.

Potential Contributors should email vibhaaurora at yahoo.com or
aurora at hss.iitd.ac.in with a 300 word abstract outlining the paper,
and give their name and affiliation. First draft of papers submissions
will be due by endJuly 2011 or midAugust 2011 and we will like to
encourage advanced PhD students or those with ABD status to join us in
this Himalayan journey!


Our Volume One entitled ‘Routeing Democracy in the Himalayas:
Experiences and Experiments’ edited by Vibha Arora (IIT Delhi) and N.
Jayaram (TISS Mumbai) is under publication with Routledge and contains
11 articles from eminent contributors (Gerard Toffin, Martin Gaenszle,
Fiona McConnell, Bal Gopa Shreshta, Renske Doorenspleet, Nel
Vanderkeschove, Mona Bhan, Vibha Arora, Duncan McDuie-Ra, N. Jayaram,
Saloni Gupta, and Poshendra S. Pravat)


Thanks and Sincerely

Vibha

--
Ms Vibha Arora (DPhil Oxon)

Assistant Professor in Sociology and Social Anthropology
Dept of Humanities and Social Sciences
The Indian Institute of Technology,
Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016
INDIA
aurora at hss.iitd.ac.in; vibhaaurora at yahoo.com