Paper short abstract:

This paper engages in a discussion of the relation between ethnic identity and democracy in Sikkim against the background of increasing instances of ethnic revivalism.

Paper long abstract:

Sikkim is one of the smallest states in the world's largest democracy. It made the political transition from monarchy to democracy in 1975 and is now well entrenched in the democratic practices of the country which also means that its citizens engage in the electoral process as a means to partake in the re-distribution of public goods.

Ethnicity has long remained a primary agenda of political parties competing for electoral victory and recent political trends in Sikkim highlight a strong tendency towards the ethnic articulation of socio-economic grievances. This development has been facilitated and legitimized by the state. In turn, this has led to an expansion in the number of ethnic groups seeking to negotiate with the state for greater access to its resources. Placating ethnic groups and their grievances has emerged as crucial for political parties seeking to establish a reliable support base. Thus, identity based politics has become a norm in Sikkim.

The paper seeks to address the nexus between democracy and ethnicity and questions what ethnic politics could actually mean in the Sikkimese context- does it represent a more inclusive politics that enables the agency of those who have been side-lined by traditional political structures or is it just another elaborate scheme to further institutionalize patronage politics. The paper will use the Sikkimese case study to discuss democratic practices on the periphery of the nation-state and understand its local interpretations which are interspersed with different meanings and expectations for different groups and individuals.