Title: Politics of Ethnicity: A Theoretical Perspective
Abstract: AbstractEthnicity and Ethnic Politics is an important Phenomenon of Plural Societies. In developing world, ethnic politics is one of the main reasons of internal instability. Ethnic conflict leads towards ethnic politics which is often conceived as a conflict among ethnic groups. This study has focused on the theoretical frame work of ethnic politics, and the main argument is that state has a central role in developing, escalating and diffusing ethnic conflict that is why ethnic conflict does not only mean conflict among ethnic groups but group's conflict with state is also the part of ethnic politics. The study highlights various steps towards the development of politics of ethnicity. A life cycle model of ethnic conflict is also drawn to analyze various stages of conflict, and how the intensity of ethnic conflict with state gradually gains momentum. The debate also focuses that ethnic conflict with state should be handled on priority basis. If state fails to resolve conflict, the reformation of nationality of a particular ethnic group creates serious unrest and threat to the process of nation building.Keywords: ethnic politics, ethnic conflict, ethnic disagreements, identity movement, Assimilation Policies, internal colonialism, ethnic narrativeIntroductionEthnicity is an important feature of human identity that manifests differently in different societies. It reflects diversity in the Society whose internal harmony and stability defends on how ethnic diversity is accommodated in a pluralistic frame work of the state and society. Pluralistic frame work includes those constitutional designs which guarantee the protection ethnic identity. The state's failure in creating such institutions, leads towards a conflictual situations in which one ethnic group feels insecure against the dominance of other. The feelings of antagonism ultimately force ethnic groups to pursue their demands. This study has its focus on the Political dimension of ethnicity. Following questions will be evaluated to understand the politics of ethnicity.I. How ethnic groups are politicised?II. When these groups develop their ethnic organization?III. What are their main objectives?IV. Which factors are involved in the Politicization of ethnicity?V. How ethnic movements start and some get success others do not?Literature ReviewPolitical dimension of ethnicity makes it powerful and potentially so destructive that ethnic passion has become the main reason of countless wars, revolts, and conflicts. As James G. Kellas has estimated that due to ethnic violence ten million lives were lost during 1945 to 1975. In 1990 to 94, approximately 800,000 people lost their lives in ethnic warfare between Hutus and Tutsi tribes in Rwanda and Burundi. From 1991 to 1995, Croatian government officially reported 13,583 deaths and approximately 40,000 injured in the homeland war. During the same period, after the fall of Soviet Union, Bosnia Herzegvina experienced the worst kind of ethnic violence, where 200,000 deaths were observed. Apart from Eastern Europe and Central Asian states, the states of South Asia like Sri Lanka, Burma, India Kashmir and Pakistan are also the potential areas for ethnic Conflict (Kellas, 1998, p.1). Smith (1995)claims that in United Nations more than ninety percent states are ethnically heterogeneous (p.10) and Cohen (1993) also analyzed in his study that there is no ethnic group in a country having fifty percent of the whole population (p. 235). Due to the fact, in all the regions ethnic conflict has been a major concern for governments and ethnicity does matter for politics.In the context of politics of ethnicity most of the theorists of nationalism like Kohn (1939), Hechter (1975), Breuilly (1993) and Ernest Gellner (2006) are agreed that nationalism is a political principle in which state performs a central role in its evolution. While arguing the political principle, they explain that politics is about power. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 6
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