Identity Politics, Solidarities and Development in Jaunsar Bawar: A ‘Scheduled Tribe Area’

Identities make solidarities of one variety while they disrupt larger solidarities. Identities also are socially constructed by political leaders and the state. Jaunsar-Bawar is declared as a ‘Scheduled Tribe Area’ by the government of India. Hence, those living in the region even when they identify themselves as belonging to privileged castes enjoy the benefits of being categorised as ‘Scheduled Tribes’or STs. These privileged castes have come to dominate politics in the region and are depriving the really deprived Scheduled Castes of the benefits of development. The latter is becoming politically restive and are resisting upper-caste dominance. This article endeavours to study how the politics of identities affect the course of development along with the dynamics of conflict based on fieldwork data collected from the region.