Journal of Political Sciences & Public Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

Transformation and Consolidation of Ethnic Identity in Arunachal Pradesh: Exploring the Role of the Educated Elite

Susmita Sen Gupta

The paper proposes to focus on transformation and consolidation of ethnic identity in Arunachal Pradesh, a state located in northeast India, with special emphasis on the role of the educated elite as a catalyst in this process. The key concepts of this paper are- ethnicity, ethnic identity, community, nationality and ethnic mobilization. The paper has been divided into four sections. The first section deals with the conceptual framework. The second section seeks to examine the assertion of ethnic identity in Arunachal Pradesh within this framework. Section III focuses on the role of the educated elite in the transformation and consolidation of multiple ethnic identities into a national identity. Section IV summarizes the main observations of the paper.