Darjeeling Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

In Sikkim, India’s model development state, the government
implements wide-ranging control over its territory through laws,
regulations, and coercion. As a border town neighboring West
Bengal, Jorethang is a zone of transgression that blurs urban and
rural space, migrant and citizen subjects, and licit and illicit
activities. In this paper, we use a walking ethnography of
Jorethang town and border crossings to make three arguments.
First, as Jorethang has grown the Government of Sikkim has
effectively abdicated enforcing the spatial order it enforces
elsewhere in Sikkim, enabling Jorethang to be ruled—in effect—
by commercial interests. Second, Jorethang’s growth has been
fueled by migrants drawn to work on infrastructure projects, in
private construction, and in illicit cross-border trade. This is an
alternative story of urban growth in a rapidly urbanizing border
state and is in contrast to the highly planned urban development
evident in other parts of Sikkim. Third, Jorethang offers a glimpse
of the bifurcated urban future of the eastern Himalayas. While
model modernity is manifest in showpiece urban areas such as
Namchi and Gangtok, border towns like Jorethang have become
zones to supply, service, and profit from model modernity without
being bound by its rules. Through these arguments we identify
the internal border between Sikkim and West Bengal as a crucial
division between different spatial orders, between the model
development state of Sikkim and the imploding tracts of adjacent
West Bengal. In Jorethang these orders merge bridging the
orderly and disorderly and providing opportunities for
development through delinquency.

- by and +1
- •
- Development Studies, Himalayan culture, Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalayas, Northeast India

Forest cover in hilly regions is essential to maintain environmental, economic and ecological balances. The production, conservation and sustainability of forest resources are constantly threatened by inappropriate anthropogenic intervention and exploitation. This study was conducted in 2019 to discover the sustainable management of forest resources and rural livelihoods in the Darjeeling Hills. The study results also indicate that little attention has been paid to the cultural, traditional and environmental value of forest resources in Darjeeling Hills. Even awareness programs on the use and conservation of forest resources by various government and non-governmental organizations are limited in the study area. Current forest management strategies suggest that forest resources are common resources, resulting in the lack of active participation of rural households in forest conservation practices.

This article examines how Ladakhi songs represent cultural self-images through associated musical, textual, and visual tropes. Many songs of the past, both from the old royal house and the rural Buddhist populations, reflect the socio-political structure of Ladakhi society. Although some songs, past and present, reflect a pan-Tibetan identity, a distinct Ladakhi identity is nevertheless consistently asserted. Situated on the caravan routes between India, Tibet, China, and Central Asia, Ladakhi culture developed distinctive hybrid characteristics, including in its musical styles. The article discusses this tradition of hybridity from the 17th Century to the present day. Ladakhi music has moved into modern media space, portrayed through scholarly works, concerts, mass media, and the internet. The article examines various contemporary representations of “tradition” and ethnic identity in both traditional and popular music. Looking at Ladakhi popular music, we see further hybridity base...

- by Noé Dinnerstein
- •
- Buddhism, History, Cultural History, Asian Studies

Tea is world's most popular beverages and is the economical backbones of various tea producing countries like India, China, Sri Lanka, Kenya etc. Indian tea is very much famous in the world, especially Darjeeling tea which is famous for its unique flavour and taste. Among the various types of tea, Orthodox tea is highly demandable among the various types of tea due to its quality. Present article focused on different types of major tea processing in India. In India, mostly three types of tea processing are practices, among them, CTC tea processing is more common followed by Green tea and Orthodox tea. In this paper, step wise details manufacturing process are presented. All the data are extracted during the extensive survey in different world famous tea gardens of Darjeeling hills, terai and duars of Northern West Bengal.

- by Dr. Monoranjan Chowdhury and +1
- •
- Tea Processing, Darjeeling

In the second half of the nineteenth century, most Anglo-Indian, being a Kolkata based community in Bengal, started to move out of the city in search of new employment opportunities. Some of their destinations were the newly established tea gardens of Darjeeling hills and Assam. Mostly they were appointed as managers in the tea estates. The Anglo-Indian community, not being accepted by both the British or Indian society, started to reimagine their identity while settling down in the hills. However, education of their children was turned into a severe problem for them. Some of the Christian missions came forward and opened boarding schools cum 'home' for the Anglo-Indian children in the Darjeeling hills. Later these mission schools also became a shelter for the orphan Anglo-Indian children of Kolkata and played an important role in their identity formation. The paper highlights whether these initiatives could able to give a new future to the Anglo-Indian community and if the Anglo-Indian community could able to accept Darjeeling Hills as their 'new home'. Further, the paper also discusses other nuances, like how did the indigenous people of the hills and the British Raj look at this identity formation, and what kind of new developments started in the hills with the coming of the Anglo-Indians. The paper is based on the archival sources, like newspapers, education, finance and home department report, missionary documents and memoirs.

- by Amrita Mondal
- •
- History of Education, History of Colonial India, Indian Christianity, Anglo Indians
- by Vimal Khawas
- •
- Geography, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate change policy

The tourism industry of the Darjeeling hills is growing and has great potential to generate employment and generate a large amount of revenue as well as promote the general economic and socio-cultural development of the region. But there is still much to be done. Sustainable tourism needs to promote tourism in Darjeeling hill to help preserve and conserve the diversity of its natural and socio-cultural environments for lasting. Tourism in the Darjeeling hills must need to be developed in a manner or a modified sustainable model that accommodates and entertains visitors in a low or environmentally damaging manner and supports indigenous cultures, traditions in the hills. Moreover, since tourism is multidimensional, which is essentially considered as service industry, it will be necessary for all wings of governments, local administration, all tourism related stakeholders, private sector and voluntary organizations to become active partners in the effort to achieve growth of sustainable tourism in India keeping in view all environment, socio-cultural related shortcomings.

Sustainable rural development with natural forest resources contributes significantly to rural livelihoods. Issues relating to forest resources and rural livelihoods should not be ignored in policy decisions and other interventions. Therefore, different agencies should take steps to make efficient use of forest resources, which would be one effective way to improve the livelihoods of rural households. The result of the study also indicates that very little attention has been paid to the cultural, traditional and environmental value of forest resources in the Darjeeling hills. Even awareness programs on the use and conservation of forest resources by various governmental and non-governmental organizations are limited in the study area. Current forest management strategies suggest that forest resources are common resources, resulting in a lack of rural household active participation in forest conservation practices. It has been revealed that rural households use other sources of diversified livelihood strategies in addition to income from agriculture and forestry. Hence, to achieve sustainable development, it is necessary to involve certain core stakeholders namely 'community and smallholder forestry' into the forest resources management practices. It is important that active involvement of local community helps to achieve sustainable development goals. Unfortunately, consistently increasing number of population and anthropogenic pressure on forests, Poverty and illiteracy (lack of awareness) towards forest management and sustainable livelihood among large section of the local Darjeeling hilly inhabitants are major hurdles as observed during the course of study.

- by Vimal Khawas
- •
- Geography, Political Geography and Geopolitics, Border Studies, Security Studies
- by Dr Sebastien Poulain
- •
- Radio, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, Bertolt Brecht

This paper explores the problems and issues connected with the water supply in the Himalayan town of Darjeeling. While it is acknowledged that the situation regarding water supply is less than satisfactory, this paper suggests ways and means to resolve this situation. Darjeeling poses a rather unique scenario because of its temperate wet climate and mountainous terrain as is typical of towns and cities in the eastern Himalayas. The paper recommends a combination of augmentation of the water supply and reduction of wastage as the way out of this crisis of water shortage.

- by Piyush Kumar and +1
- •
- Sustainable Water Resources Management, Darjeeling

Darjeeling in popular discourses has a unique place for its tea. All in a Cup of Tea is an insider’s account on Darjeeling’s Tea Plantations. The author belongs to a family involved in tea management for generations. J.P. Gurung has attempted to throw some insights on the details of the tea gardens in Darjeeling as they stand today. He has shared his personal experiences as a tea planter. In the words of Harsh Vardhan Shringla “…perhaps for the very first time a planter has attempted to piece together history along with his long years of firsthand experience …” The author has tried to take a peep into the life of a tea planter - his club, his life style and habits with ample anecdotes and hilarious incidents.

- by Samip Sinchuri
- •
- Sociology, Darjeeling, Darjeeling Tea

The Indian tea economy is undergoing acute
transformations, with the divestment of tea companies
from plantations leaving thousands of plantation
workers jobless, and small tea growers struggling with a
general lack of knowledge and their dependency on
bought leaf factories and intermediaries. A review of the
current trends in the Indian tea market and two
alternative sites in Darjeeling indicates the potential of
solidary enterprises and also exposes the difficulties
these groups face to emancipate themselves from the
colonial-style tea companies.

- by Miriam Wenner
- •
- Alternative Economies, Cooperatives, India, Darjeeling

Contrary to assumptions about the dualist relationship between region and nation, I propose to understand both as simultaneously emerging. An analysis of the rhetoric of the “Gorkhaland” movement that demands a separate union state in India to be carved out of West Bengal demonstrates that although the movement challenges the distribution of power over territory, it does so by using a “pan-Indian grammar,” to borrow Baruah’s terminology. This is reflected in imaginative geographies that endow the demanded territory with meaning and render it an ethno-scape, while at the same time presenting it as a viable part of an imagined Indian nation. The Gorkhas attempt to bridge the gap between the “national” and the “regional” and challenge dominant identity ascriptions. In doing so, they stress their multiple belongings and affiliations. In this process the Indian nation is produced at various levels of society.
http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/4300

- by Miriam Wenner
- •
- Nationalism, India, Imaginative Geographies, Darjeeling
- by Vimal Khawas
- •
- Geography, Darjeeling, Gorkhaland Movement
- by Vimal Khawas
- •
- History, Human Geography, Development Studies, Politics

A review of books by S. Sarkar and R. Bagchi on the Gorkhaland movement

- by Miriam Wenner
- •
- Indian Politics, Darjeeling, Ethnoregionalism, Gorkhaland Movement

This case study examines the relationship between everyday religion and resource management by studying water resources in Darjeeling, India. It uses the notion and practice of chokho pani (pure and/or sacred water) as an interface between popular religious practices and the attempt to conserve water in Darjeeling township. Although the link between religion and environmental resource management is widely recognized, it remains a critical area of inquiry in the Himalaya. The complexity of water’s social importance is vividly evident in Darjeeling. The town presents a rapidly urbanizing landscape with a diversity of peoples dependent upon a variety of water resources, making it an important Himalayan site for the study of religion and environment.
Keywords: everyday religion, Darjeeling, water, samaj (community institution)

- by roshan P rai
- •
- Religion, Water, Equity, Mountains

Ethnographic research on psychiatric illness in the Tibetan contextboth in exile and in Chinese-controlled Tibethas to date mainly focused on rlung ('wind') illnesses (i.e. those related to 'rlung' -one of three bodily 'humours' of both Tibetan and Ayurvedic medical theory); 2 and those which would be classified in biomedicine as depressive or anxiety conditions or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 3

The growing concept of ethnic consciousness in Northeast India is not a new phenomenon. In the northern part of West Bengal, an ethnic movement has erupted revolving around the issue of the assertion of identity on a certain set of social problems, historical–cultural legacies, and political exigencies by way of organising the Gorkha population into an ethnic body to concretize their identity. Subsequently, they raised a demand for a separate administrative unit comprising the area where distinct ethno-cultural groups form a majority and later demanded a separate statehood with the union of India. This essay traces the struggle for political autonomy and the administrative arrangement in Darjeeling from the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and its failure to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the region. The essay also attempts to analyze the trajectory of the identity crisis that has resulted in the autonomy movement, with special reference to the transition period from DGHC to GTA.

- by Kabindra Sharma and +1
- •
- Gorkha History, Gorkhas, Darjeeling, Gorkhaland Movement

In September 2017, Leiden University will open the Asian Library to house its extensive and world-renowned Asian collections. This includes the largest collection on Indonesia worldwide and some of the foremost collections on South and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Korea. Voyage of Discovery contains more than twenty essays by academics, curators, and authors on their experiences with the Leiden collections. Richly illustrated and showcasing twenty-five treasures from the Asian Library, such as unique manuscripts and rare maps, this book offers a beautiful look inside the Asian Library.
Alexander Reeuwijk, ed. Leiden: Leiden University Press

- by Berthe Jansen
- •
- Asian Studies, Tibetan Studies, Tibetan Buddhism, Darjeeling
- by Vimal Khawas
- •
- socioeconomic study of Darjeeling tea workers, Darjeeling

In 1881 the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) commenced service between Siliguri, on the Bengal plains, and the hill-station of Darjeeling, 40 miles north and nearly 7000 feet above. Its open, 'Lilliputian' carriages climbed narrow, hill-side rails, hoisting passengers from lowland heat into bracing mountain air. While the train is typically considered a mode of transport, it also constitutes a technology of perception and social space. This paper examines how one railway mediated experiences of travel and landscape. It shows how the DHR formed a rolling enclave in and through which Western travelers encountered a colonial frontier, reinforcing passengers' identities and generating touristic modes of observation. It explores how the train's structure and motion neutralised perceived and actual hazards of the Indian environment, while rendering the track-side surroundings a series of sights for aesthetic contemplation. Finally, it examines how the DHR integrated with perceiving bodies and choreographed the passing terrain, thus demonstrating the value of attending to material technology in the phenomenological study of landscape.

- by Julian Baker
- •
- Human Geography, Social Geography, Landscape, Mobility

A number of small wetlands are scattered in the three hill subdivisions of the Darjeeling district. West Bengal. Among these, the ones located at Chhaymile, Jorpokhari, Margarates Hope, Nakhapani, Selphu and Upper Pacheng Bazar have been studied. Located in a Precambrian metamorphic terrain, these are mostly spring-fed, open-ended, and occupy shallow depressions of various topographic and structural conditions with subsequent artificial modifications. These wetlands, with their water-level fluctuating as per seasonal rhythm, are capable of supplying irrigation and drinking water to nearby tea gardens and labour lines. To achieve this, proper geotechnical training, and construction measures in a holistic manner, need to be undertaken. A few of the wetlands may also be used for pisciculture.

- by Sunando Bandyopadhyay
- •
- Wetlands, Himalayan geology, Darjeeling

Background: Eastern Himalayas have rich biodiversity but are threatened by anthropogenic activities and periodic natural calamities. The present investigation focused on the cryptogamic group of macrofungi in the Darjeeling Himalayas which are extremely diverse and ecologically significant, but have received very little attention from a conservation perspective. Material and Methods: Investigations were conducted during June-September of 2013-2014 in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, wherein, local macrofungi were sampled in mixed to monoculture forests using 50 random transects 100×2 m. Fruit bodies were studied, collected, identified in the laboratory and deposited at Calcutta University Herbarium. Sampling units were georeferenced and physico-climatic factors were derived from the WORLDCLIM database. Results: The macrofungi belonged to 98 species representing 72 genera and 47 families; 58.16% were saprotrophs, 17.34% were ectomycorrhizal and 10.2% were parasitic. The most species-rich families were Russulaceae with 9 Russula species followed by Marasmiaceae with 4 Marasmius species and Coprinaceae with 3 Coprinus species. Most of the ectomycorrhizal macrofungi were hosted by natural stands of Quercus, Lithocarpus and Betula. The only species with zooparasitic capability were Cordyceps nutans and C. militaris. The relative abundance of only 6 saprotrophs communicatively accounted for 52.84% of the total abundance. Conclusions: The findings showed that this region is rich in macrofungal diversity intricately linked to the functioning of the local ecosystem. However, a high proportion of saprotrophs compared to ectomycorrhizal species suggests disturbance and degradation of regional forests. Mycofloristically important localities like Lolaygaon, Sonada, and Lameydhura in the Darjeeling district should be prioritized for further studies and future conservation action.

- by Prakash Pradhan
- •
- Community Ecology, Forest Ecology, India, Mushrooms

Globalisation has introduced new sources of mobility for India’s youth, yet not all youth
experience mobility in the same way. The unevenness of mobility trajectories is especially
visible in regional towns, where poor rural migrants and more globally connected middleclass
youth occupy the same social space. To illustrate these mobility trends, this paper
presents the stories of youths from various backgrounds in the town of Darjeeling, exploring
different sources of mobility for rural and urban youth. While rural youth experience some
forms of upward mobility as they migrate into the town, urban youth are confronted with
downward mobility and are frustrated in their aspirations for professional careers and
‘modern’ lifestyles. For aspiring urban youth, upwardly-mobile rural people are seen as a
threat to their privilege, blocking their mobility aspirations. This is contributing towards
emerging tensions between rural and urban populations within the town.

- by Trent Brown
- •
- Youth Studies, Mobility/Mobilities, South Asian Studies, Cosmopolitanism

Darjeeling, once a summer hill resort for the British Raj, is a destination regarded for its cool climate throughout the year, antique toy train service surrounded by a picturesque view of the Himalayan mountain ranges, Kanchenjunga peak (when the sky is clear blue), the famous tea gardens, delicacies ranging from homemade iskush ko tarkaari (chayote squash), sel roti, aloo dum and mimi combo, shaphale (veg & non veg), 'authentic' momo (veg & non-veg) and various palate fulfilling dishes. These are some of the never ending attractions Darjeeling is renowned for amongst the locals and the travelling soul. As we indulge ourselves in imagining and soaking the beauty of Darjeeling, the peaceful calm of this place has been broken by protests called by the Gorkha Janmukhti Morcha (GJM) party against the ruling Trinamool Congress government of West Bengal, laying siege to the town with the six decades old demand for a separate 'Gorkhaland'. This movement has revived questions of regional autonomy, the creation of separate states and its roots lies in the ethno-linguistic-cultural sentiments ascribed by the Nepali-speaking Gorkha people in the Darjeeling hills. It has once again pitched the people of distinct socio-cultural origins trying to promote, preserve and protect their identity at loggerheads with an existing state system. We are now going to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the birth of our nation. Since the time of Independence, this country has been shaped by its history, unique geography, diverse demography, languages, religions, customs which differ from place to place, i.e., the country stitched together with different threads to form a concept of India. The state boundary lines of our nation are largely drawn based on linguistic groups, as such, we have always considered India as a land of multiculturalism. However, a liberal democracy such as in our country has many a time failed to ensure equal citizenship, for all its members. People from the minority community remain disadvantaged and feel discriminated as certain states prefer to enforce law and order, policies endorsing the hegemonic culture of the majority community in the society leading to homogenisation. We see this trend not only in the state but the national level as well and many at times within the microcosm of communities at large in a vast country such as India. Ethnic resurgence movements such as the Gorkhaland, claiming measures of autonomy within the state needs to be approached with much caution and sensitivity. Gorkhaland demand has brought to fore how a simple trigger such as language can inflame the subdued passion and aspirations of the people, mobilising them into taking action on their own. In 2014, we witnessed one of the longest known movements for Telangana finally being carved out of Andhra Pradesh largely from the Telugu speaking parts of what was known before as the princely state of Hyderabad. This aspiration was transformed into reality after years of protests (violent and non-violent) and continued agitations even involving lakhs of government employees, lawyers, private MNC employees, public transporters, daily wage labourers, students and even MPs/MLAs from the region. Such a massive movement finally could not be quelled by piecemeal deals, false assurances and repressive police actions.

Food security problem has become an important concern for the entire world. The problem of chronic hunger which has increased over the decades in the world clearly indicates that the world does not have sufficient amount of food to feed the people. The problem is further exacerbated by factors like effects of climate change, unstable global economy, low agriculture production, rising poverty and unstable food prices. Therefore, these factors have brought new challenges to the world for producing and supplying continuous staple food to the people. However, the food security problem in Japan is different from the world. Food security for Japan is increasing the self-sufficiency ratio by increasing the domestic production so as to meet the demand for both types of food belonging to the traditional Japanese meal and the western meal. Thus, this paper, besides understanding the problem of food security in Japan also makes a suggestion of increasing self-sufficiency of food that are part of the traditional Japanese meal.

- by Pravhat Lama
- •
- Japanese Studies, India's Look East Policy, Darjeeling, Indo Japan Relations

A growth in population implies a change between two given points in time. The net change in population between two points in time is expressed in percentage and is described as the growth rate of population. Population growth takes place due to migration and natural increase, which if unchecked accounts for multifarious problems. These problems manifest themselves in development of slums, shortages of water supply, traffic congestion, problems of waste disposal, etc. This paper studies the growth of population in Darjeeling town and highlights the problems associated with it. It further attempts to evaluate the policies adopted by Darjeeling Municipality to solve such problems and suggest some remedial measures for it.

- by bishal chhetri
- •
- Geography, Urban Studies, Population Studies, Darjeeling

The author retraces the steps of his wayward grandfather on his mysterious trek into the Himalaya.

- by Scott Wallace
- •
- Tibetan Studies, Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalayas, India, Sikkim

The labourers are the pillars of every industry. In fact, tea plantation is a labour-intensive
industry in which, most of the work is done manually by the labourers. At the same time,
it largely depends on cheap labour procured from the migrant population, however, such
process entails structural transformations in the economy and society enabling the
evolution of waged labour culture guided by the capitalist industrial model. Such
arrangements facilitate the creation of a class who works in the plantation in lieu of wage
i.e., the coolies. The coolies in a general sense, are a well-researched topic in academia.
However, tea plantation workers of Darjeeling with different anecdotal experiences cannot
be homogenised with those of other plantation industries and the concerned topic requires
separate analysis. Thus, this paper intends to trace the historical processes in the making
of coolies in tea plantations and their consequences of Darjeeling using different
methodological tools.

- by bishal chhetri
- •
- Urban Studies, Darjeeling

Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri regions have witnessed agitations and movements for a variety of claims that range from separate statehood, non-territorial autonomy, and sub-federal territorial institutional arrangements to Sixth Schedule. Such developments have given rise to claims and counter-claims by various political groups where massive political mobilizations of various groups are observed, which in some cases have also turned violent. Real or imagined notions of community, identity, inclusion-exclusion and development have played an important part through which these movements/mobilizations are sustained, revived or even created. These developments have raised new questions on issues of territoriality, citizenship, autonomy, the need for a second internal reorganization of India, the manner of accommodation and the management of various diversities. It is with such a background in mind that the present essay seeks to examine these areas and the issues within them.

- by Samir Sharma
- •
- Federalism, Darjeeling, Gorkhaland Movement, North Bengal

In the valley lay a white lake of transparent mist, and rising out of it, the snows, shrouded in unearthly vapour, looked mysterious and ghost-like." [1] Traveling near the Singalila mountain range in the Darjeeling area in the early 1870s, the explorer, writer, and part-time Darjeeling resident Elizabeth Mazuchelli (1832-1914) encountered a quintessential Himalayan phenomenon that never failed to fascinate European residents and travelers: a thick veil of mist whose myriad formations and densities created unique visual and tactile experiences as it swirled across mountain slopes and valleys. Notoriously unpredictable, this vaporous cover could thicken, obliterate, and melt away without any forewarning. It could also generate, as Mazuchelli swiftly discovered, "a spectral and unearthly scene," destabilizing the boundaries between fantasy and material realities, and between intuitive and empirical knowledge.

- by Romita Ray
- •
- Photography, Ghosts, Haunting and Spectrality, Mountains
- by Vimal Khawas
- •
- Geography, Peace and Conflict Studies, Politics, Urban And Regional Planning

In: Nicolas Schlitz et al. (Eds.): Aktuelle Forschungsbeiträge zu Südasien: 6. Jahrestagung des AK Südasien, 22./23. Januar 2016, Osnabrück, Heidelberg ; Berlin: CrossAsia-eBooks, 2016 (Geographien Südasiens, Band 5). DOI:... more

- by Miriam Wenner
- •
- Sovereignty, Indian Politics, Party Politics, Darjeeling

Water crises are spreading across the length of South Asia at an
alarming rate, and some of the pockets of stress include unexpected
locations such as Darjeeling, West Bengal, where rainfall is plentiful.
This article explores the problems of post-colonial water management
in the former British hill station to illuminate the prospects for
integrated resource provision. We argue that to improve the scope
of water distribution and provision, post-colonial townships such
as Darjeeling need to acknowledge and address the multiple ways
in which people get water from the centralised supply as well as
the decentralised solutions that have arisen through community
organisation in collectives known as samaj. Notably, the samaj have a
distinct character based on histories of colonial neglect that prompted
villages throughout the Darjeeling region to solve socioeconomic
problems independently of centralised systems. The discussion
overlaps the numerous resource pathways with the plethora of
social and political organisations operating in Darjeeling to argue
that municipalities would do well to harness the varied ways in which
water flows through the township. Integrated within larger questions
of sustainable development in India’s urbanising townships, the text
offers a glimpse into the possibilities for more holistic and equitable
water management.

- by Georgina Drew and +1
- •
- Community Organizing, Community Ecology, Post-Colonialism, Decentralization

This case study examines the relationship between everyday religion and resource management by studying water resources in Darjeeling, India. It uses the notion and practice of chokho pani (pure and/or sacred water) as an interface between popular religious practices and the attempt to conserve water in Darjeeling township. Although the link between religion and environmental resource management is widely recognized, it remains a critical area of inquiry in the Himalaya. The complexity of water's social importance is vividly evident in Darjeeling. The town presents a rapidly urbanizing landscape with a diversity of peoples dependent upon a variety of water resources, making it an important Himalayan site for the study of religion and environment.

- by Mahendra P Lama
- •
- Religion, Sociology, Water, Equity
- by Sandipan Gupta
- •
- Conservation, Fish diversity, Darjeeling, FISH FAUNA

The traditional understanding of state sovereignty as the indivisible and unified locus of state power that legitimises the rule of law over a state’s territory is an unattainable ideal (Agnew, 2005; Butler, 2004; Erlenbusch, 2012). State sovereignty is not only challenged from the outside, i.e. from other states. Actors like guerrillas, mafias, criminals, or strongmen pose challenges to the state’s domestic sovereignty, too (Axtmann, 2004; Krasner, 1999; Stepputat, 2013). These “informal sovereignties” (Hansen & Stepputat, 2006, p. 295) exercise control over spaces and their populations while seemingly acting outside the legal domains of state law. Also, movements for subnational autonomy challenge the state’s authority over its territories by claiming an “own” space or “homeland”. They not only propose alternative visions of which areas and populations belong together (Werlen, 2005); their mass protests (violent or peaceful) also signify a lack of compliance with governmental rule...

- by Miriam Wenner
- •
- Sovereignty, Indian Politics, Party Politics, Darjeeling
- by Romita Ray
- •
- National Identity, Garden Design, Picturesque, British India

- by Noe Dinnerstein
- •
- Buddhism, History, Cultural History, Asian Studies