The Politics of languages, religion and identity: Articulation of social difference of tribes in North East India

Abstract

Languages and regions are essential indicators of distinction, each on its own, but in the Indian sense, they appear to align with each other. Indeed, together, in the post-independence period, they were the guiding force behind the reorganisation of culture and politics in India. However, while significant, languages and regions do not tell us much about the inner workings of the culture and politics they represent. What is perhaps more surprising is that cultures are enormously identical in their social features despite variations dependent on languages and locations, with faith and caste prevailing among them. Religion and caste, in reality, cut through regions and languages, and to that extent constitute the popular threads across the diversity of languages and regions.