Religion and Nationalism in India : The Case of the Punjab

ISBN-13: 9780415201087 / Angielski / Twarda / 2000 / 216 str.

Harnik Deol

Opis

Examining the growth of a nationalist sentiment among the Sikh community in the Punjab, this study explores the reasons behind the rise in Sikh militancy over the 1970s and 1980s. It also evaluates the violent response of the Indian state in fuelling and suppressing the Sikh separatist movement, resulting in a tragic sequence of events which has included the raiding of the Golden Templeat Amritsar and the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The book reveals the role in this movement of a section of young, semi-literate Sikh peasantry who were disaffected by the Green Revolution and the commercialization of agriculture in Punjab. Drawing on a range of sources, Deol examines the role of popular mass media in the revitalization of religion during this period, and the subsequent emergence of sharper religious boundaries. Deol controversially challenges the relevance of classical, Eurocentric theories of nationalism in analyzing its powerful influence in South Asia.

Spis treści

Introduction; Chapter 1 The Trouble with Classic Theories of Nationalism; Chapter 2 The Contradictory Unity of the Indian State; Chapter 3 The Historical Roots of Sikh Communal Consciousness (1469–1947); Chapter 4 The Rise of Sikh National Consciousness (1947–95); Chapter 5 The Agrarian Crisis and the Rise of Armed Resistance; Chapter 6 Transformation in Social Communication and Religious Controversy; con Conclusion;

O autorze

Harnik Deol