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Paper abstract:

This paper would map this transition of Minority Nationality question into an antagonistic contradiction in the context of Uyghurs of Xinjiang (East Turkestan) by focussing on the role played by Chinese state and the Communist Party of China. This study engages with a particular example of the coupling of majoritarian culture and state, which have also emerged as a global phenomenon. The question of ‘culture’ has become a central point of contention between Uyghurs and Chinese establishment. This paper primarily focuses on the effect of Chinese policies on three aspects of Uyghur culture: language, religion, and national identity, and their role in transforming the minority nationality question into an antagonistic contradiction. Language, religion and Meshrep thus have assumed new centrality in consolidation and assertion of Uyghur National Identity. Chinese policies towards ethnic minorities have created a sense of ‘other’ in the Chinese society. The notorious internment camps parcelling “re-education” and mass detention is but one extreme manifestation of the new development in Xinjiang. The sense of alienation also gave rise to separatist and secessionist tendencies in some instances. The wide scale repression of the Uyghurs is not new. Significantly, Chinese domestic policies emphasized upon ‘national unity’ undermining the autonomy of minority nationalities. This paper makes an effort to understand the formation of Uyghur ‘National Identity’ by comparing Mao’s and Xi’s policies. As the Chinese Communist Party celebrated its centenary anniversary on July 01, 2021, President Xi Jinping’s speech was dominated by nationalist fervour and call for “national rejuvenation”. One could not resist the temptation to compare Xi’s speech with another speech, delivered by Chairman Mao on February 27, 1957. Mao’s speech was called “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions among People”. Mao talked about contradictions that marred the Chinese society and the Chinese people. Mao suggested that the contradictions among Chinese people were of friendly kind but can potentially turn into antagonistic contradictions, if not handled correctly. This paper picks up one such contradiction, “the question of minority nationalities”, which found its pride of place in Mao’s list. Interestingly, Jinping’s speech neither reflected upon the idea of “Chinese People” nor talked about its contradictions. This transformation of the minority nationality question into an antagonistic contradiction is partly a product of the policies adopted by the CCP. The paper utilizes the available reference materials and scholarly materials. This paper will add new perspective to the exiting body of work.