PhD Project

Indigenous Politics and Development: Understanding Political Mobilization in North-East India with Special Reference to Indigenous Struggles in Tripura

This study makes an attempt to unravel the emergence of political mobilization with special reference to the Indigenous struggles in Tripura during the post-colonial India from 1949 to present. The focus of the study will be to understand sociologically the politico-historical process that led to the formation of tribal resistance in post-colonial Tripura; Socio-political-economic aspirations and its contribution towards social transformation in contemporary Tripura. The tribal resistance in India is as old as the emergence of British era in the Indian sub-continent. Their acts of resistance ranged from being silent, covert and open to collective mobilization and even militancy. In post-colonial India they participated in mainstream politics to realize their rights and claims in pursuit of combating the historical injustices, alienation, marginalization and subjugation by negotiating for policies and programmes for constitutional protection. Often, the tribal political mobilization has been labelled as acts of insurgency, outfit, extremist and tribal unrest; as devoid of agency in their collective consciousness. In the light of the above discussion, this study maintains that there is an agency in tribal resistance/political mobilization. This study will investigate the following related questions such as: structure of power relations; current political contradictions, contestation, claims and negotiations between state and Indigenous politics, how far has social action through Indigenous political mobilization translated into policies and programmes for empowerment and social change.

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Eva Gerharz

Research Interests

Vita

Publications

• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2018): Towards Local Self Governance and Empowerment-A Comparative Study of Issues in Tribal Areas of Manipur and Tripura. A Study Report Submitted to Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi, India (with Alex Akhup)
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2014): Educational Experiences of Indigenous Peoples, New Delhi-Mittal Publication (Single Author Book).
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2013). "International Social Work-An Indian Experience" in Indian Journal of Dalit and Tribal Social Work Vol.1, Issue 3 No.1 pp.1 to 24, October (ISSN 2320-2130).
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2013): “Tribal Question in Tripura: Dialogue between its Past and Present”, in Journal of Tribal Intellectual Collective India, Vol.1, Issue 2, No.3 pp. 41 to 65, December (ISSN 2321-5437).
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2012): Educational Experiences of Indigenous People with Special Reference to Tripura, North- East India, Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, Volume 2 (6), 217-227, June (ISSN:2249-7315).
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2015):Indigenous peoples question in Tripura: Dialogue between its past and present. In Alex Akhup 'Identities and their Struggles in North-East’. Kolkata-Adivaani Publishers, pp.151-179.
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2015): “Tribe Centric Education and Pedagogy-From the Lived Experiences of Tribes within a multicultural society” in Vulli Dhanaraju “Debating Tribal Identity: Past and Present”, pp.309-321, Dominant Publishers, New Delhi.
• The Uttarakhand Disaster-Impact Assessment Report”, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, August, 2013, (Contribution in a Report)
• Tripura, Biswaranjan (2015): Structure, Consciousness and Social Transformation-The Adivasis in Thane District, Maharashtra, by Denzil Saldanha, 2015, New Delhi: Aakar Books, pp 593, Price: 1695/- in Indian Journal of Social Work. Vol.76 (3),481-484, July, 2015

Seminar Papers Presented and Participated

• Social Welfare Administration as a Method Course in Social Work Education-Reflection on Its Content and Pedagogy, in Social Work Round Table 3, Revisitng Social Work Methods, Organised by School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, 16th December, 2016.
• Politics of Accommodation and Negotiation: A Case of North-East India, in Tribal Intellectual collective India, 2nd National Congress, Organised by Gangpur College of Social Work, Orissa, Adivaani and Tribal Intellectual Collective India, 6th October-8th October 2016.
• 'Tripuras of Tripura-An Emerging Political Perspective' in Tribal Intellectual collective India, National Shillong Congress, Organised by North East Hill University, Shillong; Khasi Grand Chiefs, Adivaani and Tribal Intellectual Collective India, 18th -19th September, 2015
• 'On the Problematic of Sixth Schedule: From Current Politico Struggles in Tripura' in International Seminar on 'Indian State and Indigenous /Tribal Peoples–Revisiting Philosophical Foundations of Constitutional Guarantees', Organised by Bodoland University; and Centre for Social Justice and Governance, TISS and Supported by Tribal Intellectual Collective India, Venue: Bodoland University, Kokrajhar, 28th-29th March, 2014.
• “Indigenous/Tribal Peoples movement for Autonomy-A Critical Perspective”, in DTSA Colloquium Series III on 'Politico Philosophical Foundations of Constitutional Guarantees to Indigenous / Tribal Peoples', CSJG, TISS December 17th 2013.
• “Reflections on International Social Work and Indigenous Peoples: Perspective and Content” in National Seminar, on ‘Revisiting and Reassembling Tribal Studies with special Focus on Chottanagpur’ 12-13 July 2013.
• “Reassembling Tribal studies in Tripura: Some methodological considerations” in National conference on “Revisiting and Reassembling Tribal Studies in India-Special Focus on the North East, Organised by Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati; TISS, Mumbai and Tribal Intellectual Collective India, 25th and 26th March 2013.
• “Educational experiences of Tribes in a multicultural society-a socio-politico historical perspective” in National Seminar on “Discourse of Tribal Identities in India: Dialogue between the Past and Present, Department of History, Assam University, Diphu campus, Assam, February 12-13, 2013.

Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops

• Participated in 7th PhD Conference on International Development at Institute of Development Research and Development Policy (IEE), Ruhr University Bochum from 8/11/2018 to 9/11/2018.
• Invited for Paper Presentation at Durham University, United Kingdom for paper titled Grassroots Governance in North-East India to be held from 3rd April to 5th April, 2019

Seminar/Conference/Colloquium Organised

• DTSA National Academic Seminar on 'Social Business Innovators and the Empowerment of Dalit and Tribes' Organised by Centre for Social Justice and Governance, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai,5th March 2017
• A National Tribal Intellectual Collective India, 2nd National Congress, Organised by Gangpur College of Social Work, Orissa, Adivaani and Tribal Intellectual Collective India, 6th October-8th October 2016.
• A National Tribal Intellectual Collective India, Shillong Congress,Organised by North East Hill University, Shillong; Khasi Grand Chiefs, Adivaani and Tribal Intellectual Collective India, 18th -19th September, 2015
• International Seminar on 'Indian State and Indigenous /Tribal Peoples –Revisiting Philosophical Foundations of Constitutional Guarantees', Organised by Bodoland University; and Centre for Social Justice and Governance, TISS and Supported by Tribal Intellectual Collective India, Venue: Bodoland University, Kokrajhar, 28th-29th March, 2014.
• National Seminar titled, “From Traditional to Dalit and Tribal Social Work: Indigenous Social Work in India”, TISS, Mumbai (Venue), sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi, April 20th-22nd, 2013.
• Revisiting and Reassembling Tribal Studies in India: Special Focus on the North East India Organised by Donbosco University, Guwahati (Venue) and TISS, Mumbai (Sponsored), Mar.25-26, 2013

Teaching Activities (2012 - 2018)

• International Social Work and Indigenous Peoples
• Adivasi and Dalit Movement: Theory and Practices
• Social Welfare Administration
• Rural, Rurality, Caste and Tribe (Theory and Field work Practicum)
• Social Entrepreneurship among Dalits and Tribes

Awards

• Bread for the World Scholarship for PhD in International Development Studies, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
• Qualified UGC-NET and Awarded Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Government of India, 2011
• Top Class Scholarship Award, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, 2009-11
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Young Scholar Award, 2009 (Rejected the award)
• Loyola Alumni Scholarship, 2008 by Loyola College, University of Madras, India.

Membership and Positions

• Governing Board Member, LAYA, a Resource Center for Adivasis, Andhra Pradesh, India.
• Advisory Member, Action Research and Training Organization (ARTO), Tripura, North-East India.
• Academic convener, International Social Work, Tribal Intellectual Collective India (TICI).