Being Mizo: Identity and Belonging in Northeast India

Description

This monograph examines Mizo identity formation in India’s Northeast, contributing to a broader understanding of how identities are constructed. It explores how “difference,” as perceived by mainland India, is crucial to this process, linking it to politics of domination and hegemonization.

The book also investigates internal social organization patterns that shape Mizo identity, particularly self-ascribed notions of the “ethnic self.” These notions are presented as acts of agency, both defying external views and structuring the community’s own identity. In this context, the localized practice of Christianity and customs surrounding death are highlighted as primary organizers and boundary markers of Mizo identity, defining belonging and exclusion.

The study historicizes these issues, showing how pre- and post-colonial contexts, historical reflection, religion, and social practice all intricately contribute to Mizo identity construction.