Paper short abstract:

I explore the identity politics of Adivasi communities, the modern state of Tamil Nadu and a recently invented pan-tribal religious discourse. Analysing postcolonial identity politics in terms of practical reason it shows the postcolonial terrain as a struggle for visions of a 'good life'.

Paper long abstract:

In the northern Nilgiris of South India the post-colonial state, indigenous Adivasi communities (here the Jenu Kurumba) and pan-cultural religious discourses are engaged in a vibrant politics of identity. Drawing on long-term fieldwork in the area I suggest to understand this kind of politics in terms of what has been called "engaged practical reason" (MacIntyre 2009, Taylor 1989, Demmer 2013) which recognizes the fact that, as in other non- and post-colonial localities across the world (Escobar 2008; Friedman 1994) this one is pervaded by multiple and different imaginations of a "good life". In particular this paper shows how all of these actors articulate a politics of practical reason in performative arenas. The latter constitute 'arenas of argumentation' and public deliberation where actors, verbally and non-verbally, create and imagine ethical visions of a good and proper life. Yet, there is a distinctive political drive to that ethical landscape as these visions relate to one another in terms of hegemonial attempts, collaborative action and resistance. This 'reaching out' implies a political process of challenging other visions of good life in the area all of which appear as ways to negotiate, respond to but also to challenge other versions of a "good life". Exploring the identity politics in terms of struggles of practical reason the paper responds to James Clifford's call to take 'identity politics seriously' (Clifford 2000).