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ABOUT THE BOOK
Multiculturalism comes across as a political rhetoric as there is an existence of a gap between its propagation and implementation. While the ongoing Gorkhaland Movement has been discussed and debated in the media as well as in academic forums, it has rarely been discussed within the purview of Multiculturalism. The distinctive feature of this book therefore lies in its attempt to study the said Movement within the framework of various perspectives on Multiculturalism. It studies the identity formation of the Gorkha ethnic community as a distinct ethnic group and their claims to the minority group rights in West Bengal. It analyses the hurdles on the way to directly applying western perspectives on Multiculturalism to accommodate cultural diversity related demands in West Bengal. The Multiculturalism perspectives that the book mainly deals with are of Will Kymlicka and to some extent that provided by Bikhu Parekh.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Rana Sonia Tez Bahadur is from Cachar district of Assam. She had her schooling in Nagpur district of Maharashtra. She is a Gold Medalist in MA Political Science and recipient of Santibala Devi Memorial Endowment Award, Assam University, 2007. She completed her PhD from Assam University in the year 2017. She is also UGC NET qualified. She taught political science in Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Agra from 2012-2017. She has published articles in leading journals of the country.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgement . 13
Preface . 15
1. Multiculturalism and Identity Politics . 17
• The Idea and Principle of Multiculturalism • Distinction between
Multiculturalism and Pluralism • Multicultural Model of the State:
An Antithesis to the Homogeneous Nation State • Multicultural
Panorama of Cultural Diversity • Nation State as a Source of Cultural
Discrimination • Differentiated Citizenship: Path to Heterogeneous
Public Culture • Special Rights for Minorities: Antidote to Cultural
Discrimination • Identity: Meaning and Components • Distinction
between Person and Identity • Individual and Group Identity • Identity
Politics • Multiculturalism and Identity Politics • Contemporary
Challenges to Multiculturalism • Notes.
2. Identity Formation of the Gorkhas. 49
• Phase I-Birth of Gorkha Identity during British Colonial Period
• Nepali Settlement in Darjeeling • Nepali Settlement in Assam
• Nepali Settlement in Manipur • Nepali Settlement in Meghalaya
• Nepali Settlement in Mizoram • Emergence of Nepali Lingua-franca
in India • Assertion of Gorkha Identity and Formation of Gorkha
Associations • Phase II – Emergence of Gorkha identity during the
post- independence era • Language Demand and the Growth of Gorkha
Identity • Contribution of Various Organisations in the Emergence of
a Unified Nepali Identity • Anti- Foreigners Agitation and Resurgence
of Gorkha Identity • Indo Nepal Treaty (1950) and the Issue of Gorkha
Identity Crisis • Notes.
3. Gorkhaland Movement: Growth and Development . 77
• Hillmen Association • All India Gorkha League • Gorkha National
Liberation Front • Three Fold Demand of GNLF • Activities of the
GNLF • GNLF Response to the Proposal for Darjeeling Hill Council • Signing of Gorkha Hill Accord • Post-Accord Developments in
Darjeeling • Proposal for Sixth Schedule Status for Darjeeling
• Gorkha Janmukti Morcha • Aims and Objectives of the Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha • Organisational Structure of Gorkha Janmukti
Morcha • Activities of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha • Gorkha Territorial
Administration • Notes.
4. State versus Ethnic Minorities: Union and State Governments response to Gorkhaland Movement . 111
• Darjeeling under the British Colonial Administration • Stance of
Communist Party of India on Darjeeling During Early Post
Independence Era • Governments Response to Gorkhaland Movement
Led by GNLF • Gorkha Hill Accord • Governments Response to
Gorkhaland Movement Led by GJMM • Powers of GTA • Stance of
Trinamool Congress and BJP on Gorkhaland Movement • BJP: A
new hope for GJMM and KPP • State and Multiculturalism
• Autonomous Council • Symbolic recognition to Minority history
• Conclusion • Notes.
5. Quest for Identity: A Multicultural Perspective of Gorkhaland Movement . 135
• Cultural Diversity in West Bengal • Instrumentalist Dimension of
Multiculturalism in West Bengal • Immigrant Multiculturalism in West
Bengal and Identity Politics • Vernacular Communitarianism and
Ethnic Minorities in West Bengal • Identity Politics and Politics
of Majoritarionism in West Bengal • Majority versus Minority
• Multiculturalism and Issue of Internal Minorities • Akhil Bhartiya
Adivasi Vikas Parishad and Gorkhaland Movement • Lepchas and
Gorkhaland Movement • Marwari Ethnic Community and Gorkhaland
Movement • GJMM view on Internal Minorities • Kamtapur and
Gorkhaland Movement • Multiculturalism in West Bengal: Prospects
and Challenges • Notes.
6. Conclusion . 163
Select Bibliography . 169
Annexure
I. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Memorandum of Agreement . 175
• List of Subjects to be transferred to the GTA • List of Projects to be
undertaken by the GTA to Develop the Physical and Social
Infrastructure in the GTA area in order to Accelerate the Development
of the Region.
II. Draft of the Letter Circulated to the Schools within Proposed Gorkhaland Area . 189
III. Letter from Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Bachao Committee to the Divisional Commissioner Jalpaiguri Division Requesting the Identification of Foreign Nepalese and Deletion of their Names from the Electoral Roll . 191
IV. An Appeal from Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Bachao Committee . 195
Index . 197
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