Identity Politics in the Hill Tribal Communities in the North-Eastern India

Abstract

Talking about 'identity policies' in the tribal communities onr thinks in terms of politics centring on the demands of 'preservation of identity'. The tribal communities in the north-eastern region have been expressing fears of loosing their identity as a result of increasing interaction with the non-tribal communities. They have been articulating demands for further constitutional and administrative provisions to safeguard their 'tribal'identity. The dynamics of identity politics in the region and their impact on the socio-political relations among the tribal themselves and between the tribal and non tribal communities becomes meaningful if seen in the historical perspective. This article examines the issue of identity politics in the context of the historical experiences of the hill tribes in the north-eastern region of India since the colonial period