'This is probably the only work that deals with the entire spectrum of South Asian ethnicity and its dynamic role in regional politics. A decade and a half later after the first edition was published, the work has become even more relevant because ethnic divisions have become sharper all across the region. This updated second edition is thus welcome' - Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Contemporary South Asia First published in 1989, this widely hailed core text of the dynamics of ethnic identities and movements in the South Asian region is perhaps even more relevant today, as the region faces a resurgence of ethno-nationalist sentiments and the outbreak of new ethnic conflict. Among the features of this thoroughly revised edition are:
- it provides a critical appraisal of various theoretical approaches to the study of ethnicity and nation-building
- delineates the ethnic composition of the South Asian Region
- examines the specific state structures of the countries studied: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives
- discusses various ethnic movements in these countries
- covers the most recent developments in the region