Resilience and Identity in Urban India : Anthropology of Barmer and Tehri
Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. Barmer: life amidst a desert: 1. Introduction. 2. Society and ethnic groups. 3. Demographic profile. 4. Land use pattern of Barmer town. 5. Economic life of Barmer. 6. Aspect of education, religious and cultural activities. 7. Concluding observations. II. Tehri: a submerged town in Himalayas: 1. Introduction. 2. Municipality: wards and Mahallas. 3. Social and demographic profile. 4. Land use pattern of old Tehri. 5. The context of economic activities. 6. The context of socio-cultural activities. 7. New Tehri and rehabilitation. 8. Peoples reactions about the DAM and rehabilitation scheme of the ousters. 9. References. Appendix.
The work is based on fieldwork on two small urban centres namely Tehri of Uttaranchal and Barmer of Rajasthan under a research project Urban anthropology, initiated by the Anthropological Survey of India, during the period between 1998-2002. The study of Tehri town was undertaken just immediately before its submersion in to the Bhagirathi following the construction of huge dam implemented by Tehri Hydro-Electric Development Corporation, and release of water for the reservoir that was likely to effect this small town and its neighboring villages. On one hand, people on the brink of loosing home, struggling silently to continue their life and culture till that inevitable incident occurs and on the other struggle was on for arranging their future rehabilitation and sustenance.
Though a small township called new Tehri was constructed 20 km. away from the present one, to rehabilitate the affected people, in reality the expectation of the affected people remained unfulfilled to a great extent. It is a story of the peoples sacrifice for greater cause and fighting for proper rightful rehabilitation, along with their continuation of day to day life and culture, Barmer, town is located amidst desert and close to international border sharing with Pakistan. The town with its historical legacy has been showing tremendous courage and spirit of sustenance against all ecological and political adversaries.
Secondly the town has been largely affected by the migration of people following the partition of the country and successive wars. The present story shows how people on one hand exhibiting its unique cultural feature by observing community festivals etc. and on the socio-political front, strategically consolidating their caste identity without confronting with the functioning of the town thus maintaining a balance between the progress and the continuation of traditional institution of caste. (jacket)
