Suchergebnisse

AbstractLanguage is often taken as a primary differentiating factor between people as it functions as a vehicle of cultural expression, thus becoming one of the primary markers of identity. In the history of nationalism, language has always enjoyed a privileged position. Not only had the German Romantics such as Herder and Fichte held language as the fundamental characteristic of a nation, but modernist scholars such as Anderson, too, have given language a central place in their respective assessments of nationalism. In Anderson's analysis, 'languages of power' enable an imagined community to become real. However, are all nationalisms glotto‐centric? If not, why not? This article takes the case of Kashmiri nationalism, or the Tehreek, to demonstrate that language and nationalism are not necessarily codependent. The paper will first explain why Kashmiri never came to become a language of power in the region and how the disadvantaged position of the Kashmiri language precludes/d it from having any significant role in Kashmiri nationalism. Second, the paper argues that the multilingualism of Kashmiris has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Tehreek and allowed Kashmiri nationalism to assert its civic character.

AbstractIn today's seemingly ever‐globalizing societies, nationalism remains a potent force, most recently illustrated by national governments' responses to the COVID‐19 crisis. Even though nationalism and its manifestations are deeply entrenched within societies, the term 'nationalism' itself continues to carry negative connotations, and the dichotomy between 'good patriots' vs 'bad nationalists' appears to be widely accepted in everyday life and the scholarly literature. Likewise, the association of 'good' (meaning 'civic' nationalism) with Western and 'bad' (for which read 'ethnic') nationalism with Eastern forms of nationalism remains prevalent. In this special issue, we critique these Eurocentric approaches to nationalism, highlighting two aspects of nationalism that are often overlooked: 1) nationalism takes many forms, and rather than viewing it as 'good' or 'bad, it should be understood as a spectrum spreading across the Global North and South; 2) there is an emancipatory and creative potential within nationalism for marginalized and colonized peoples that has been illustrated through cases from the Global South. This potential – represented by the 'nationalisms of nations without states' – forms the central concern of this special issue. Our selection of cases from both the Global North and South reflects our own approach to nationalism.

"This volume explores new perspectives on contemporary forms of violence in South Asia. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and case studies, it examines the infiltration of violence at the societal level and affords a comparative regional analysis of its historical, cultural and geopolitical origins in South Asia. Featuring essays from Sri Lanka to Nepal, and from Afghanistan to Burma, it sheds light on issues as wide-ranging as lynching and mob justice, hate speech, caste violence, gender-based violence, and the plight of the Rohingyas, among others. Lucid and engaging, this book will be an invaluable source of reference as well as scholarship to students and researchers of postcolonial studies, anthropology, sociology, cultural geography, minority studies, politics and gender studies"--