Debating Race in Contemporary India [Hardcover]

Race debates have become more frequent at the national level, and the response to racism in the media and by politicians has shifted from denial to acknowledgment to action. Focusing on the experiences of communities from India's Northeast borderland, the author explores the dynamics of race debates in contemporary India.

'Debating Race in Contemporary India is one of those rare books that initiate a dialogue about the idea of India, seen through the prism of Northeast communities. With characteristic flourish and elegant prose, Debating Race touches on these core issues with care and sensitivity, and questions the very idea of what it means to belong in India.' - Arkotong Longkumer, University of Edinburgh, UK

'Who said race didn't matter in South Asia, that it is something of the past, something that only had to do with the British? Duncan McDuie-Ra turns such thinking on its head, showing with great force that race and racial discrimination is very much alive and kicking in India today. This is social science at its best; attention to ethnographic detail and a close reading of everyday experiences are coupled with theoretical insights, analytical sharpness and political commitment. McDuie-Ra's call for a more nuanced debate about race is timely, it is a must read for anyone concerned with the larger drama of social differentiation and racism in today's world.' Bengt Karlsson, Stockholm University, Sweden

Duncan McDuie-Ra is Associate Dean of Research at the University of New South Wales, Australia. His research focuses on borderlands with a long-standing interest in Northeast India. His previous books include Frontier City to Gateway City: Militarisation and Liberalisation in Imphal (2015), Northeast Migrants in Delhi: Race, Refuge and Retail (2012), and The Politics of Collective Advocacy in India: Tools and Traps (with N. Deo, 2011).