Nationality Question in Assam the EPW 1980-81 Debate

Contents: Introduction. 1. Cudgel of Chauvinism/Hiren Gohain. 2. Ganging-up against the left/Anonymous. 3. Assam Cudgel of Chauvinism or tangled nationality question/Sanjib Baruah. 4. Fall-out of underdevelopment/Hiren Gohain. 5. Assam: a colonial Hinterland/Tilottama Misra. 6. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist Assam\'s anti-foreigner upsurge, 1979-80/Amalendu Guha. 7. The Assam question: a historical perspective: a comment/Lily Bara. 8. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist: a comment/Udayon Misra. 9. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist: a comment/Hiren Gohain. 10. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist: a comment/Gail Omvedt. 11. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist: a comment/Sanjib Baruah. 12. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist: a reply/Amalendu Guha. 13. Little nationalism turned Chauvinist: a summing up/Amalendu Guha. Appendix: Assam Accord. Index.

"The book contains the scholarly debate on the Assam Movement (1979-1985). A number of thought provoking articles on the movement appeared in Economic and Political Weekly in its early phase. The EPW debate essentially centred around the content of a seminal article by Amalendu Guha entitled "Little Nationalism Turned Chauvinist: Assam\'s Anti-Foreigner Upsurge, 1979-80" a few articles preceding its publication had also addressed some crucial issues associated with the nationality question in Assam. Although the movement came to an end with the signing of the Assam Accord in August 1985, some of these issues, more particularly, the migration of foreign nationalism into Assam, have remained central to the state politics of Assam and are likely to play a significant role in the near future. This book brings together all the relevant articles and a few letters to the editor on the Assam Movement and the nationality question which appeared in different pages of the prestigious weekly with an introductory note essentially for the benefit of the new generation which did not witness the historic movement and also for the scholars who have academic interests in the state politics of Assam." (jacket)