Local Colors in High Color!!

Book Name;

Patchwork States: the Historical roots of Subnational Conflict and Competition in South Asia.

Author;

Adnan Naseemullah

The British rule in India and then its independence and division into the two successor states of India and Pakistan in August 1947 on the assumed religious ideologies of Islam and Hinduism served as a gluing force for them.

The understood belief was that the binding force of religion will act as bulwark against the subversive elements to their territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The prime concern of the two newly born states was the many sub nationalities dwelling in these territories for hundreds of thousands of years.

Also Read: Tagore; poet, philosopher, nationalist

The pre-partition India was a patchwork of different governing and administrative set-ups having their own relations and case to case adjustments with the British government. The British government of India have their own terms and conditions for these 565 principalities.

In post-independence arrangement India, Pakistan and then Bangladesh restructured and rearranged these political and administrative set-ups for their ease and interest.

This though successful for them yet resulted in ethnic, political and economic issues arising for them time to time. The sub-national political violence in Pakistani history are the Baloch insurgents and the state military operation against them in 1960s, Bengalis uneasiness over West Pakistan policies, 1971 war and cession, Sindhi and Pushtoon nationalists and their activities. They used violence for their demands.

The Northern Indian states of Assam, Manipura, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalya and Mizoram and the insurgency in West Bengal are fighting for their sub national claims.

Even Bhutan have a subnational insurgency in its boundaries since 1954. While the Sri Lankan government and forces were successful to root out LTTE fighters after three decade of bloodbath on both sides.

Best for general readers, scholars, researchers and students to have a comprehensive look of sub national politics in South Asia.

Four parts and ten chapters of this book provide a deep understanding of the colonial rule and the violent sub national politics of South Asia.