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Articles by Chiranjib Haldar
Politics, Ethnonationalism, Language
Walking on Shifting Terrains Despite hate speech branding them as “intruders,” Bengali Muslims in Assam face severely restricted social mobility and have very little opportunity for economic advancement. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s thumpingvictory in the state assembly polls extends far beyond the number of seats or the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) vote percentage in the recent hustings. In the not-so-distant past, Assamese identity served as the primary political driving force.
Daughters inherit, but men decide: Meghalaya’s unique matrilineal paradox
Khasi historian Amena Nora Passah emphasises that 'Meghalaya is a matrilineal society with patriarchal nuances'. Ironically, according to oral folklore, Khasis have patriarchal roots. Image used for representational purpose. (AI generated) Make Us Your Preferred Source on Google Synopsis: Meghalaya’s matrilineal structure is enduring socio-economic, legal and cultural challenges, even as women remain at the centre of inheritance and family.
Grey fields: Pastoralists protect India’s rangelands but remain marginalised - Telegraph India
Fifth Column | Mobile pastoralism has been dismissed as archaic by policymakers. Climate plans recognise forestry and agriculture but overlook rotational grazing and rangeland transhumance Chiranjib Haldar Published 31.08.26, 07:09 AM Representational image File picture The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists to boost policy support for pastoralism and rangeland management.
Delimitation not just of India, but of BJP’s ambitions: Behind the saffron party’s frenetic push for MPs
Currently, the Lok Sabha presents a tougher challenge for the BJP when it comes to securing a two-thirds majority. Make Us Your Preferred Source on Google Synopsis: P Chidambaram is worried that the women’s reservation bill could be brought back and serve as a trojan horse for the introduction of the delimitation bill. The former Home Minister also believes that other Opposition parties could be wooed and targeted.
Strong ties - decoding the Chin refugee challenge in Mizoram - Telegraph India
The Chin-Mizo scenario demonstrates how heightened cross-border interaction has affected economic conditions on both sides of the border and highlights potential opportunities and challenges Chiranjib Haldar Published 16.06.26, 09:18 AM Representational image. Sourced by the Telegraph Mizoram, bordering Myanmar, has long been a place of refuge for ethnic Chin people, even before the 2021 military coup in Myanmar.
Uneasy trade-offs: The Northeast’s tussle between ethnicity and economy
Uneasy trade-offs: The Northeast’s tussle between ethnicity and economy Tribal communitarianism best reflects the lived experiences of ethnicities, whether in the Northeast or across the Eastern and Western Ghats.
Denied rights: Tea tribes’ socio-economic, educational and political conditions have remained stagnant for years - Telegraph India
The metamorphosis of the multi-ethnic tea tribes into a single social group in Assam has given them an identity different from their counterparts elsewhere in India Chiranjib Haldar Published 30.01.26, 07:20 AM Representational image File picture Before the 1920s, tea was a brew enjoyed only by Anglicised Indians, even though some indigenous communities from the Northeast had been infusing tea long before the British inhabited the subcontinent.
Words as social mirrors
By Chiranjib Haldar The year gone by was a year of climate quandaries and content fatigue. Sociologists warn that whenever there is content abundance, the icing gets slushier with the cake tasting mushy. If we notice the trending words picked up by Oxford University Press and the dictionary troika of Cambridge-Collins-Merriam Webster; rage bait, slop, parasocial, vibecoding, a thought process fawns. The words unveil societal consciousness and cultural shifts that encapsulate our angsts and values.
The schism of memory: Is history being polarised?
By Chiranjib Haldar At a recent literature festival, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar lauded that many positive changes have been introduced in history textbooks and the epithet ‘the great’ is no longer used to describe Mughal emperor Akbar or Mysore patriarch Tipu Sultan.
Inheritance disparity: A case for tribal daughters
By Chiranjib Haldar When custom is effusive, the constitution remains silent and when tradition is silent, the constitution dons the arbiter’s mantle. In a momentous reiteration of statutory principles, the Supreme Court of India has elucidated that the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 does not apply to Scheduled Tribes unless expressly extended to them by a Central Government notification.
Climate Treks In India: Still Under a Veil
By Chiranjib Haldar According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, the world will see a staggering 25 million to 1 billion ‘Environmental Displaced Persons’ in the coming future. This will not only influence transnational relations and geopolitical relations between countries but will also foment fresh problems and conflicts while dealing with this incipient trend.
For a reliable marker
If a community’s tribal features were to be judged using a gamut of factors, it would be feasible for tribal research bodies to prepare ethnographic reports to aid policy-making decisions Chiranjib Haldar Published 31.05.25, 07:36 AM When we traverse far-flung interiors or border hamlets in South Asia, one thought crops up intermittently. What constitutes a tribe? How does the process of inclusion and exclusion from the scheduled tribes list operate at a policy level?
Grave threat: Sacred groves get legal protection as Supreme Court pushes for preservation - Telegraph India
Sacred groves are the secret wizards of conservation. Cultural values are fundamental to their conservation. In India, these wilderness areas hold deep religious meaning to indigenous communities Chiranjib Haldar Published 28.03.25, 05:57 AM Representational image File image Sacred groves are tracts of verdant land rich in biodiversity that have been protected by local communities on account of their cultural and religious beliefs. Every sacred grove carries its own folklore and myths.
How Habitat Rights help conservation
These rights are imperative from the perspective of climate change as they foster indigenous communities to preserve their local biodiversity.
Mahakumbh : Purgotary and Salvation
By Chiranjib Haldar When Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shrugged off alarming bacterial contamination claims of the Mahakumbh waters at the confluence, he may have only reiterated a broad statement by the central BJP regime. Adopting a decolonisation agenda in governance, policy and global diplomacy is not enough. It is time to salvage our ancient civilisational ethos and design homespun cultural narratives that articulate India’s contemporary vision.
The Language Scalpel
By Chiranjib Haldar Delhi’s prominent Khan Market bookstore and hangout Bahrisons, tweeting the reappearance of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses on its shelves claimed, ‘This groundbreaking & provocative novel has captivated readers for decades with its imaginative storytelling and bold themes.’ The history of banned books in India is contentious, spanning decades of socio-political upheaval.
Forgotten tribes
Forgotten tribes In December 2022, the Parliamentary Panel on Social Justice and Empowerment criticised the Union government for its sluggish efforts to categorise over 260 denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes under the SC, ST, or OBC lists.
A withering and sloppy India Alliance: Windfall for the Congress?
By Chiranjib Haldar In the prelude to the 1989 general elections, Congress-sponsored billboards startled pedestrians with a query: How many prime ministers will a country have? The nation went berserk with the Bofors controversy, with V P Singh’s Janata Dal spearheading the anti-Congress front and an ebullient Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cobbling in tandem to defeat the Rajiv Gandhi regime. More than three decades later, the wheel has come full circle. Only the crusaders have changed.
Sarna to secure tribal ethos?
In Jharkhand, the proposed religion rooted in nature worship promises to protect the Adivasi identity
Women power: The decisive factor in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand
The results project one embedded truth from both the states. Women were not just the deciding factor but the dictating factor in these assembly polls. BJP's tally in Maharashtra has a clear lesson for political parties run as elite family fiefdoms; bungling dynasts may not emerge as seasoned performers at the hustings. Set aside money power, the Congress was outmaneuvered by the BJP's political chicanery, candid outreach and the gamut of social welfare dollops on the electorate.
Renaming: A relentless saga
By Chiranjib Haldar In our emotional braggadocio, we often tend to look at historical narratives through a glass prism. While rechristening Port Blair, capital of Andaman & Nicobar Islands as Sri Vijaya Puram, Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the Prime Minister’s resolve to ‘free the nation from colonial imprints’. If India’s colonial baggage is to be bogged down with a sledgehammer blow, to what extent can we traverse to shed off those trappings?
From colonial cousin to classical tag: How the Assamese language gained its due
The Union Cabinet’s decision to confer classical language status on both Bengali and Assamese simultaneously puts to rest certain socio-historical and linguistic compulsions inevitable in the early 19th century. The push for a classical tag to Assamese, regarded by many as an offshoot of Bengali, was first made in 2021.
Relishing susegad with sorpotel: Vignettes of a Goan monsoon
‘Avois aizui sogle tourist mure’ (Oh God, today also tourists!) is a common refrain when you gaze at the average Goan during peak monsoon. Having just traversed a rainy sojourn in Goa, I realised the unfettered freedom each one embraces, not bound by conventions. Even the valet or attired driver, roadside eatery cooks or chef or any sundry worker goes about his job in a carefree manner.
op-ed | Isle in trouble: Ecological concerns have, once again, been overridden in the name of development - Telegraph India
Great Nicobar Island lies on a seismic fault line. There have been over 400 minor earthquakes in the last decade & seismologists are worried about the island being close to Banda Aceh Chiranjib Haldar Published 02.09.24, 07:16 AM Ecological concerns have, once again, been overridden in the name of development.
Green gold: bamboo shoot has been part of the Indian diet, especially in the northeastern states - Telegraph India
Bamboo may dominate India’s economic landscape soon. The Niti Aayog has spearheaded a robust policy to harness its potential — from being a fabric to biofuel. The bamboo shoot has been part of the Indian diet, especially in the northeastern states. Most tribes in the region consume bamboo in various forms. The Manipuri usoi ooti and soibam, made with bamboo, maize, cucumber, coriander and milk, are served with chapatti or paratha.
BJP's minority overtures: A calibrated strategy to woo all and sundry
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s minority symbolism ahead of the BJP’s sledgehammer Hindutva pitch is akin to mollification prior to turbulence. The party's Christian and Sikh outreach in the run-up to the impending national blitzkrieg at Ayodhya may be a well calibrated strategy. Outfits of the wider Sangh fraternity appear to have been tasked with tapping the inauguration of the Ram temple to spark a strong religious fervour across the country.
BJP’S Minority Overtures - A Calibrated Strategy to Chug All And Sundry
By Chiranjib Haldar Thinking reflects the mental silos of a politician on the cusp of his third stint as a country’s supreme leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s minority symbolism ahead of the BJP’s sledgehammer Hindutva pitch is akin to mollification prior to turbulence. The party’s veering on with its Christian and Sikh outreach in the run-up to the impending national blitzkrieg at Ayodhya, may have been a well calibrated strategy.
The Nation’s echo chambers
By Chiranjib Haldar In the prelude to the 1989 general elections, Congress-sponsored billboards startled pedestrians with a query: How many prime ministers will a country have? The nation went berserk with the Bofors controversy. VP Singh’s Janata Dal spearheaded the anti-Congress front and an ebullient Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cobbled in tandem to defeat the Rajiv Gandhi regime. Three and a half decades later, the wheel has come full circle. Only the crusaders have changed.
Joyous spirit: Mizo society is sprinting ahead of the rest of India in extending humanitarian help - Telegraph India
A study by the Management Development Institute in Gurugram declared Mizoram as India’s happiest state. Mizoram’s strong performance can be attributed to its achievements in familial relationships, work ethics, social compatibility, philanthropy, religion, and in the way it dealt with the pandemic’s effects on mental health.
'Not given yuddha but Buddha': India makes decisive moves to reclaim Buddhist legacy
Faith and diplomacy are two propositions, always spread far apart. One is rooted in culture and belief, the other is about logic and hard calculations but their paths traverse. India has been trying to mix this into a powerful cocktail by using its ancient ties with Buddhism. Recently, New Delhi hosted the Global Buddhist Summit and the attendance was exemplary. The conclave not just showcased the values of Buddhism, common knowledge to most of us, but married those values with present challenges.
Wetlands are nature's shock absorbers, but India is losing them at an alarming rate
Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted, "Our future is safe when nature is safe. It is the responsibility of our entire nation. Biodiversity conservation is not the job of one country, but a universal issue." The United Nations asserts that wetlands are ecosystems where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and associated plant and animal life.
Not all is hunky-dory on the road to Mandalay: Why India is walking diplomatic tightrope on Myanmar
The disbanding of Myanmar’s imprisoned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is another recipe for the nation drifting into a quagmire two years after the universally decried coup of February 2021. The polls planned in August this year amidst a prolonged internecine conflict may certainly keep the junta in power for years and leave in its aftermath, a scrappy, balkanised polity.
India’s green power
In the next decade or so, India hopes to gradually replace hydrogen produced from fossil fuels with purer green hydrogen in two major sectors: petroleum refining and fertiliser production India is aiming for a big push. File Photo | Published 06.03.23, 04:21 AM The Union cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission with the aim of making India a global hub in the production of green hydrogen. Many industry experts argue that the timing of the cabinet approval indicates two things.
Arms and Man: The real winners in Russia's invasion of Ukraine
US President Joe Biden during his "surprise" visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv on February 20 announced a new package of additional US weapons supplies worth $500m (£415m). UK, Germany and other western countries are also supplying weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the buzz lately is that China is likely to supply weapons to Russia.
Arms and the moolah
The adage, the proof of the pie lies in the pudding, has a correlation to war. War means big business opportunities and a wheelbarrow for many to rake in the moolah. Squalid tales of refugees trickling in, skyrocketing inflation, and food and energy scarcity are all intertwined. The images and coverage on television that are frequently broadcast into our living rooms focus on the human interest angle while masking another stark truth.
So, what has Rahul Gandhi's long walk really achieved?
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, with all the hoopla it is generating in its final leg, is actually competing with three dominant, identifiable narratives in Indian polity. The troika of secularism, socialism and inclusion are available resources for the Congress to evolve a futuristic, pragmatic, political resolve. And the ideal finale to this long march for the Congress party and for Rahul Gandhi may be to reclaim a fair slice of the nationalism pie.
Uniform Civil Code neither promotes unity nor acts as buffer against gender injustice - Telegraph India
We must remember that the Uniform Civil Code neither promotes unity nor does it act as a buffer against gender injustice While India does have uniformity in most criminal and civil matters, the laws of anticipatory bail differ from one state to another File Photo. | Published 02.01.23, 04:23 AM Two points need to be reflected upon in the context of the Uniform Civil Code. First, is uniformity desirable for a diverse nation like India?
Trinamool's Meghalaya challenge
Trinamool's Meghalaya challenge While its leader, former CM Mukul Sangma, is popular, TMC has a weak organisation in the state Chiranjib Haldar, Dec 26 2022, 15:03 ist updated: Dec 26 2022, 15:03 ist Trinamool Congress's earlier attempts to expand beyond Bengal didn't yield the desired results in Manipur, Assam, Tripura and Goa despite the party committing enough resources in assembly polls. But the party is upbeat about its prospects in Meghalaya.
Commemorating Lachit Barphukan: Distortion and rectification
The inseparability of historiography from current ideology and politics opens the way to the misuse of history as a discipline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the 400th birth centenary of the 17th century Ahom warrior Lachit Borphukan lamented, "For centuries, it was attempted to tell us we're people who always get looted, beaten and lost. India's history is not just about colonialism; it's a history of warriors.
Welfare and religion: Hindutva needs jobs too
When a nation showcases its religious symbolism to reiterate its commitment to the perceived ethos of a country, a celebratory mood takes precedence. The holographic projection mapping kaleidoscope at Ayodhya, braced with aplomb by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Deepawali, was projected as a jab at India's psyche. The grand spectacle of 18 lakh earthenware lamps displayed with pomp earmarked a nation's tryst with its history, an aura of recaptured imagination.
Vizhinjam Port Stir: Development, Displacement and Social Crusade
Vizhinjam Port Destroys Lives of Local Residents The phrase ‘caught between the devil and the deep blue sea’ has become literal for Kerala’s fishing community. Locals lament that time balances everything and this holds true for the seas. If the seabed is dredged, it will take sand from the shores. If one drops rocks into the sea to create a shore at one end, a shore from the other end will disappear. Humans are helpless in front of this oceanic justice.
Would the new regulations endanger the rights of forest dwellers and tribals? - Telegraph India
Would the new regulations endanger the rights of forest dwellers and tribals? The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has formed an expert committee to study the rules. Sourced by The Telegraph | Published 03.10.22, 03:09 AM Rahul Gandhi has accused the National Democratic Alliance government of disempowering adivasis and forested communities by bringing in the new forest conservation rules.
Bharat Jodo Yatra: Donning the challenger's mantle
When the grand old dame of Indian polity goes into a slugfest extraordinaire with its own image, sparks are bound to fly. The Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra cavalcade, now in full swing and with gusto, has two distinct, parallel, superimposing agendas. First, to unify a nation that deeply values peace, coexistence and tranquillity and rediscover its ethos overriding sordid tales of chicanery.
Down with sledgehammer: India's colonial baggage
Soothsayers say politics makes strange bedfellows but so do regimes often reproached for deconstructing narratives. It is a strange quirk of national fate that the demise of Queen Elizabeth and the second Elizabethan age coincided with the reaming of the Rajpath to Kartavya Path. Can history be obliterated so easily with the erasing of colonial legacies? Even if an administration may be determined to wipe out remnants of India's undeniable colonial past, will history permit the same?
A shrinking NDA: A boon for the BJP
In the prelude to the 1989 general elections, Congress-sponsored billboards startled pedestrians with a query: how many prime ministers will a country have? The nation went berserk with the Bofors controversy, with V P Singh's Janata Dal spearheading the anti-Congress front and an ebullient Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cobbling in tandem to defeat the Rajiv Gandhi regime. More than three decades later, the wheel has come full circle. Only the crusaders have changed.
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