Reform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging: The Heraka Movement in Northeast IndiaReform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging focuses on the Heraka, a religious reform movement, and its impact on the Zeme, a Naga tribe, in the North Cachar Hills of Assam, India. Drawing upon critical studies of 'religion', cultural/ethnic identity, and nationalism, archival research in both India and Britain, and fieldwork in Assam, the book initiates new grounds for understanding the evolving notions of 'reform' and 'identity' in the emergence of a Heraka 'religion'. Arkotong Longkumer argues that 'reform' and 'identity' are dynamically inter-related and linked to the revitalisation and negotiation of both 'tradition' legitimising indigeneity, and 'change' legitimising reform. The results have deepened, yet challenged, not only prevailing views of the Western construction of the category 'religion' but also understandings of how marginalised communities use collective historical imagination to inspire self-identification through the discourse of religion. In conclusion, this book argues for a re-evaluation of the way in which multi-religious traditions interact to reshape identities and belongings. |
Contents
Millenarianism and Refashioning the Social Fabric | |
Changing Cosmology and the Process of Reform | |
A Cosmology in the Making | |
Summary | |
Purity and Danger | |
Negotiating Boundaries | |
Community Imaginings and the Ideal | |
Conclusion | |
Glossary | |
Other editions - View all
Reform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging: The Heraka Movement in ... Arkotong Longkumer No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
according altar Angami animal sacrifices Assam Banglawang Baptist Barak River Bharat Bhuban cave Bhuban Hill Bishnu boundaries Bower British centre Chapter Christian Chuprai church colonial construction context conversion cosmology culture divine Durga economic ethnic example fieldwork Gaidinliu movement Goddess gods groups Haflong Hangrum heguang heguangram Heraka and Christian Heraka Hingde Heraka movement Heraka reform Herakandingpeu hezoa Hindi Hindu Hinduism Hingde Book Hsongle important India Jadonang Jadonang and Gaidinliu Kabui Kamei kedeipeu Kelumki king Kuki land leaders Liangmai maiba Manipur Meitei millenarian mirase mission Naga Hills Nagaland narrative Nchubonglo neube North Cachar Hills notion organization Paipeu past Paupaise pilgrimage political Poupei Chapriak practice pray Presbyterians priest prophet python question Rani Gaidinliu Ranima religion religious traditions represents ritual role Rongmei sacred Sallnow says social song story symbols Tahulung Tamenglong district temple Tingwang told tribal word worship Zeliangrong Zeme Heraka Zeme villages