Paper short abstract

The paper explores the making of state policy on Tourism and its implications for new identity construction in Nagaland.

Paper long abstract

Located on the international border of China, Myanmar and India, the history of tourism in Nagaland is marked with shifting state policies in response to cultural, economic and political dynamics of community participation. Commodification of culture for attracting tourists both domestic and international creating a ambivalent subjectivity regarding its sustainability. Existing hierarchies are being reshaped in the light of demand for the "traditional" and "authentic" culture objects and performances leading to identity politics. The paper explores the continuous process of self discovery that engages community attention in the newly created touristic spaces having contested symbolic and political representations of various tribes.