Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction: the 'nation- state' and its citizens; 2 Nationalism, minority rights and the public sphere: the terms of an emerging discourse; 3 Qaum, millat and ummah: liminality in the Muslim identity discourse; 4 Beyond hybridity: evolution of a Sikh exclusive identity; from panth to qaum; 5 Muslim perceptions: nation, identity and rights; 6 Sikh narratives: nationhood and its discontents; 7 Concluding remarks: comparative perspectives on Muslim and Sikh identities; Glossary
Summary
The blood-laden birth-pangs of the Indian ""nation-state"" undoubtedly had a bearing on the contentious issue of group rights for cultural minorities. Indeed, the trajectory of the concept 'minority rights' evolved amidst multiple conceptualizations, political posturing and violent mobilizations and outbursts. Accommodating minority groups posed a predicament for the fledgling ""nation-state"" of post-colonial India. This book compares and contrasts Muslim and Sikh communities in pre- and post-Partition India. Mapping the evolving discourse on minority rights, the author looks at the