Forthcoming Events

With the emergence of modern state, citizenship also emerged as the central category of political mobilisation. The notion of citizenship is an embodiment of rights as against the notion of subjects which carried out only the orders and assignments imposed by the rulers. As a rights bearing entity, citizens, however, had to wage struggles against the structures of domination and subjugation that denies the rights to the citizens in different pretexts. On the other hand, with the growth of consciousness and also mobility of the people the notion of citizenship itself is expanding inviting new rights. It is evident from the enactment of new rights through different declarations by the UN and endorsed by most of the states in the world. This signifies the fact that the notion of citizenship acquires new meanings in different contexts and time. People’s movements also questions the state in a very critical and comprehensive manner. For example, the discourses on gay rights, environmental rights, right to sustainable development, right to reject candidates in an election, rights over resources, right against state atrocities and interrogation etc. have added new meanings and substances not only to the notion of citizenship but also to the very meaning and purposes of the state itself.

In the discourse both on state and citizenship and bringing qualitative change in their meanings the People’s movements have played a very crucial role. It is indeed the People’s movements which have given a new meaning to the notion of citizenship. The anti-colonial movements in the third world countries in twentieth century, the movements of the black Americans for equal rights, the anti apartheid movements in South Africa, the environmental movements across the globe, right to self-determination movements in a country like India, the gay rights movements, feminist movements, movements by the landless peasantry, right to house movements etc. have contributed towards reexamining both the meaning and purposes both of the state and citizenship.

In a region like Northeast India too the People’s movements have been playing important roles towards giving a new meaning to the notion of citizenship and critically interrogating the state. The movements led by Krishak Mukti Sangam Samiti is asking for tights of the forest dwellers and the landless peasantry. Such demands have questioned the state imposed notion of encroachment on the forest dwellers. National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) a conglomerate of various People’s movements in India are now questioning different schemes and acts of the government that empowers the citizens at the bottom like the slum dwellers etc.

Based on this understanding the proposed Conference will attempt to bring about a comprehensive discourse and cross-examination over the convergence and contradictions among the state, People’s movements and citizenship.

The tentative sub-themes are:

1. State, People’s movements and citizenship: the interface
2. State and Citizenship: the People’s movements perspectives
3. People’s movements and citizenship: bringing the state into question
4. State and citizenship in Northeast India
5. People’s movements and the discourse on citizenship in northeast India