Bodo ethnic self-rule and persistent violence in Assam: A failed case of multinational federalism in India

Indian federalism has been credited in the literature on comparative federalism for having successfully resolved many of its ethnic conflicts (in a country of immense ethnic diversity) since 1956 by conceding varied forms of statehood. In most cases, the resolution of ethnic conflict has entailed self-determination for ethno-nationalist groups. There are however cases when the experiment has failed and the institutional arrangements for recognition of ethnic self-determination have given birth to more conflicts and persistent violence. In this article, we argue that the Bodoland Territorial Authority (created in 2003) in Assam is a failed case of multinational federalism in India. We argue that the case of Bodoland illustrates the limits of territorial management when groups are intermixed and highlight the need for power sharing in government and/or non-territorial representation as a better method for managing ethnic conflict in such cases.     

Migration of health professionals from India: tracking the flow

India has a vast reservoir of highly skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled labor force and is one of the major source countries in the global labor market. The current paper is the first of its kind to focus primarily on migration of health professionals from India. In the absence of national-level data on migration, the paper uses data from different sources to outline the magnitude and direction of flow of health care providers from India. The paper also assesses the existing global and national policies on migration and discusses their relevance in the context of migration of health professionals from India.     

Current challenges to multinational federalism in India

India’s multinational federation has experienced multiple challenges in the last 25 years, relating to the rise of coalition politics and the process of economic liberalization, both of which have increased the power of some of the states of the federation at the expense of others. The internal borders of India continue to be restructured, with the latest state, Telangana, created in 2014. India is often seen as a successful multinational federation, but it is important to recognize the limitations of this success, as well as the areas where the rise of an aggressive Hindu nationalism poses a powerful threat to India’s multinational federal democracy.     

Indian federalism at the crossroads: Limits of the territorial management of ethnic conflict

ABSTRACT

This article critically examines territorial strategies adopted by the Indian state to accommodate territorially concentrated minority groups in two very recent cases: the formation of Telangana (2014) and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) (2003). We situate both cases within the broader context of linguistic state reorganization in India since the 1950s. We argue that while the formation of states on the basis of linguistic principle was necessary given the long history of demand for linguistic states in India, it is, as Telangana and BTC clearly bear out, not sufficient to accommodate minorities. This is especially the case when, inter alia, language is: (1) appropriated by the dominant group within a state (or states) as a vehicle to perpetuate political majoritarianism, (2) supplemented by weak power-sharing arrangement, and (3) occasioned by longstanding popular perceptions of historical injustices and relative deprivation.     

Delirium Due to Intoxication from the Novel Synthetic Tryptamine 5‐MeO‐DALT

Synthetic tryptamines have gained popularity for their hallucinogenic properties, unscheduled status, and availability from “head shops” and through the internet. Here, we present a case of synthetic tryptamine‐induced delirium secondary to 5‐MeO‐DALT ingestion in a previously healthy young male. 5‐MeO‐DALT led to the hospitalization of our patient after ingestion of a standard dose, presenting with extreme agitation, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and combativeness leading to physical restraint and intravenous sedation. A search of PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar for keywords of “5‐MeO‐DALT,” “5‐methoxy‐N,N‐diallyltryptamine,” or “Lucy‐N‐Nate” found no case reports or clinical articles in the literature. Rapid emergence and commercialization of this novel synthetic tryptamine 5‐MeO‐DALT points to the importance of health care and forensic professionals keeping abreast of the latest drugs of abuse and their clinical features. The authors hope this report leads the way in disseminating the potential risks associated with unscheduled and unregulated substances, synthetic tryptamines such as 5‐MeO‐DALT in particular.     

Irrigation and water management by the Damodar valley corporation

The Damodar river rises in the state of Bihar in eastern India, and flows south‐east for 336 miles to join the Hooghly‐Bhagirathi 30 miles to the south of Calcutta. The Damodar serves one of the most important coalbearing regions of India in its upper reaches, while downstream its waters feed important agricultural districts near Calcutta. Consciously modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority in the USA, the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) wasset up by the government of India in 1948, principally to provide flood control and irrigation to the valley and generate hydroelectric power. The plan was to impound 5–3 million Acft of water with the help of seven dams in its upper reaches and a barrage downstream to control the flow down the river and the canals. Ultimately, only four dams were built in 1950–59 (with a barrage in Durgapur), which together can impound 1–2 million Acft. Of this, only 0–47 million Acft has been earmarked for irrigation. In the first decade of its operation (i.e. 1958–68) DVC irrigation stabilised the cultivation of aman rice, which is the main crop of the most important crop season (i.e. the kharif or monsoon) in the area. The other two crop seasons, i.e. winter (rabi) and summer (boro) have been neglected, the boro particularly. This paper seeks to measure, with reference to the first decade of its operation, how much of the Damodar flow has been controlled by the DVC system and whether sufficient water is available in the river and in the reservoirs to provide irrigation in more than one crop season in the valley.     

Capitalist development,peasant differentiation and the state: Survey findings from West Bengal

The analysis which follows examines the structure of investment and production taking place in West Bengal, the reference point being the debate between Marxism and populism about peasant differentiation. The process of socio‐economic differentiation has not stopped, but in methodological terms farm size alone fails to register its extent. The main claim advanced by populism — Chayanov's argument concerning demographic differentiation, that rising consumer/worker ratios are accompanied by higher family labour input — was found to be inapplicable. Of particular interest is the role during the last quarter century of the Left Front government in the process of agrarian transformation, and the extent to which its pro‐poor policy interventions have stabilized smallholding peasant production. Among the effects of state intervention in the agrarian sector have been declines in (a) the number of holdings above ten acres (b) in the extent of sharecropping contracts, and (c) in the incidence of absolute landlessness. Although producers under 2.5 acres have been the main beneficiaries of institutional credit provision by the state, distress sales (in the form of marketed surplus) by poorer farmers are still evident.     

Role of morphometry in the identification of teeth: I. Maxillary permanent molars from an eastern Indian population

Morphometric studies were conducted on the maxillary permanent molars of Eastern Indians. Total tooth length and trunk height (cervical margin to trifurcation) were measured. The data obtained was found to be useful in distinguishing between the three molars.     

On the Use of the Hidden Economy Estimates

The linkages between the recorded economyand the hidden economy are still largelyunknown. In this paper we establish one ofthe linkages by observing the importance ofthe `hidden economy' estimates inexplaining the variation in consumerdurable expenditures. The experiment wasconducted with the published `hiddeneconomy' estimates in Bhattacharyya (1990).It is observed that the estimated demandfunction for durable purchases is lesscomplex than the demand functions appearedin the existing literature. The estimatedequation raises a number of public policyissues, which are not apparent from otherexisting literature.