Madhesi Upsurge and the Contested Idea of Nepal

This book is set against the burning issue of ethnic uprisings in the Madhes region of Nepal and analyses debates on the idea of contemporary Nepal. The limited view of Nepal as a primarily hill nation with Nepali-speaking people ignores the vast ethnic and linguistic diversity of the country. It has particularly rendered stateless the Madhesi community which inhabits the plains bordering India and shares closer cultural affinity and marital ties across the border. Increasing demands for ethnic and territorial autonomy by the Madhesis suggest the need for redefining the idea of Nepal and establishing Madhesi identity as Nepali identity while at the same time addressing the deeply contested idea of regional versus social identity in the region. This book uses narratives from the Madhesi community including from prominent Madhesi analysts and activists, to define their identity as well as their aspirations in a democratic Nepal. It also provides a perspective on the internal dynamics of caste and language of this region and their possible impact on consolidating ethnic identities in Nepal.

Kalpana Jha is a Research Associate at Social Science Baha in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is former research fellow at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She was also an internal and regional security intern at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi. Her research interests include international relations in South Asia, ethnic and regional conflict as well as democratisation and political transition of weaker states. She is currently working on a book review essay on Pakistan’s political trajectory and democratisation for the Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs (JASIA) and her book review of Parties and Political Change in South Asia (ed. James Chiriyankandath) has been published in the JASIA. She has written several commentaries and op-ed pieces on the Madhesi issue as well as on Indo-Nepal relations.