Ethnonationalism and Politics in Contemporary India: Telugu/Andhra Struggle for Autonomy (Issues in Historiography)

Abstract

The paper discusses issues in the contemporary historiography of Telugu (Andhra) ethnonationalism as part of research on national movements and development of political consciousness of the peoples of independent India. The growth of religious and ethnic nationalisms, separatism and autonomous movements in the contemporary world has put forward the necessity of rethinking the above processes within the framework of ethnonational policies pursued by states. In the Republic of India whose 1.5 billion people speak 19.5 thousand languages and dialects and represent more than ten religions (including three world religions) as well as many religious beliefs, the problems of ethno-linguistic and ethno-confessional belonging get increasingly politicized as a powerful resource for regional and all-India political, economic, cultural and other elites. Authors of this paper discuss aspects of foreign and Soviet/Russian scholarly studies along the following lines: 1) nationalism and federalism within the all-India context (with a particular focus on South India); 2) the setting up of Vishalandhra and building it into India’s administrative territorial framework of the 1950s; 3) the Telangana movement, or the ‘Greater Andhra’ restructuring process.

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