Abstract
India is a country of multiple histories. People of all races were creative subjects of history. In the collective effort to shape the imagined nation of Indians—India, no community or race should be privileged over another. The India depicted by elite historians and academicians in their writings often leans towards what they deem significant in portraying the concepts of ‘India’ and ‘Indian nationalism’. The occlusion of social–cultural–political narratives of the people of North-East India from the grand narratives of nationalised school textbooks has had serious consequences, particularly in shaping the identity of the North-Eastern Indians. The North-East region occupies an important position in India’s political landscape, yet its sociocultural narratives fail to find recognition within the broader conception of the Indian nation. By critiquing the singular notion of ‘India’ and Indian nationalism, this article sheds light on how identity formation based on the essence of being ‘Indian’ and the concept of ‘Indian nationalism’ can influence ethnic and racial dynamics between India’s “mainland” population and the people of North-East India. This scrutiny reveals how such dynamics can lead to instances of racism against North-Easterners within their own homeland.
Published Version
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