Homogenising Discourses of Governance

Identity and Autonomy in Jharkhand

Abstract

There is a great degree of discursive coherence about norms and principles of democratic governance, framed as they are in a global context of an ideational framework of a liberal state, premised on the rights of the individual.The local reality on the other hand is often premised on ‘dissonant’ construct of group identities.This article engages with the central challenge of liberal theory of reconciling rights of the individual with those asserted by highly articulate group identities. In the case of India, a large degree of political contestation is premised on the politics of identity leading to demands for autonomy.Thus, the local reality appears to have very little correspondence with the principles of democracy framed globally. In addition, most demands for recognition of identity and autonomy have to interact and internalise another global discourse – that of development. The article argues, with reference to Adivasi identity in Jharkhand, that politically articulate groups interact with both of these ‘homogenising’ discourses which are a derivative national identity of the state and that of development. In this process, the sub-national identities are able to articulate an Adivasi identity that is located in the global discourse, but at the same time is peculiarly local.