Indian and Chinese ethnic minority policies: Comparing and Contrasting the Indo-Naga and the Sino-Tibetan Cases

When India and China became republics in 1947 and 1949 respectively, both adopted a very modernist conception of sovereign statehood, which conceptualised sovereignty in strictly territorial terms. Expectedly, this engendered ideological and political troubles for the newly formed units. Particularly, the Indo-Naga and the Sino-Tibetan political landscape have been marked by conflict and contention ever since.

Both New Delhi and Beijing’s approach has been to put in place a number of policy measures to contend with at least the socio-economic roots of ethnic minority discontent and sub-national identity assertions. The socio-economic dynamics, however, are embedded in the political complexity of the two problems and therefore, any meaningful engagement demands complex analysis. A comprehensive review of the two issues in a comparative framework is not only unique, but also highly relevant.

Tshering Chonzom, Associate Fellow, ICS