Ethnonationalism in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and India’s Security Concerns in Northeast India
| Published date | 01 June 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/09735984231161726 |
| Author | Arun Kumar Nayak |
| Date | 01 June 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Jadavpur Journal of
International Relations
27(1) 33 –65, 2023
© 2023 Jadavpur University
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DOI: 10.1177/09735984231161726
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Article
Ethnonationalism
in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts of
Bangladesh and
India’s Security
Concerns in
Northeast India
Arun Kumar Nayak1
Abstract
It is well known that ‘nation’ or nation-states are the most important
organizing principles of governance, which are adopted by many states
across the globe. Soon after the end of the Second World War, all the
post-colonial countries followed the European model of the nation-state
as a modern way of governance, which promotes cultural and political
uniformity. In this context, the article has examined the effectiveness
of the European nation-state model, which is adopted in post-colonial
South Asian states, and in this regard, it has taken the case study of
Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The study shows that, even if
Bangladesh is one of the least heterogeneous states among all South
Asian countries, it is still grappling with the crisis of ethnic conflicts and
violation of minority rights, and insurgency in the state. As a result, it
has not only brought tensions within Bangladesh but also, it is causing
1Department of Political Science, Government Degree College, Santir Bazar, Tripura,
India
Corresponding author:
Arun Kumar Nayak, Department of Political Science, Government Degree College,
Santir Bazar, Tripura 799144, India.
E-mail: nayakthearun@gmail.com
34 Jadavpur Journal of International Relations 27(1)
security concerns too in the neighboring state of India by pushing the
migration of ethnic minorities and population-made victims out of it.
Like other South Asian countries, Bangladesh is also facing the crisis of
ethnonationalism, which is undermining the ethos of multiculturalism
and the process of nation-state building.
Keywords
Ethnicity, nationalism, nation-state, security, Bangladesh, India
Introduction
‘Nation’, ‘nationalism’, and ‘nation-state’ are important organizing
principles of national and international politics today. The concept of
nationalism originated in Europe and it gradually transcended the rest of
the world, especially in the post-colonial states. During the post-Second
World War, all the newly independent states adopted the model of the
European nation-state as a modern way of governance, which acquires a
certain degree of cultural and political uniformity. Following this
principle, the nationalist leaders of these post-colonial societies attempted
to construct homogeneous nation-states out of societies that in most
cases were heterogeneous in their compositions. They assumed that
these are the necessary foundations of identity between the rulers and the
ruled, which lays the basis of internal political legitimacy. Taking into
the consideration of ethnic heterogeneity of their states, the national
leaders of South Asia opted for the French model of nationhood, which
is state-centered and follows the assimilation of different identities and
ethnicities. In this context, the political elites chose the dominant/
majority community as the model of the nation, while the minority/
weaker communities were expected to assimilate themselves with the
dominant/majority community, and consequently, this construction of
nation and state became synonymous for them. These nation-states use
national or state interests as one of the important tools for consolidating
their hegemonic position in the state.
However, such attempts to construct ‘nations’ based on the above
principles are not working well for the heterogeneous societies in South
Asia. Almost, all the nation-states in this region are facing the crisis of
ethnic nationalism and violence and such has become one of the most
important security concerns in the region. Although the states of the
region share many values and features of history, language, and culture,
Nayak 35
they still face the troubles of mutual mistrust, endemic tensions, and
hostilities. Hence, it threatens the security of a state, territorial integrity,
and political stability. Such internal strife sometimes leads to the
breakdown of the legitimacy of ruling regimes and the susceptibility of
certain states to outside military intervention. Moreover, intractable
territorial disputes, cross-border dispersion of ethnolinguistics and
religious elements, and conflicting economic interests hamper the
process of nation-building and economic development of the region, and
also these factors act as threats to the security and stability of the region.
The Objective of the Study
In this context, the study has taken Bangladesh as a case study with
special reference to Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The first and foremost
objective of the study is to examine the effectiveness of the European
nation-state model, which is adopted by Bangladesh, unlike all South
Asian States. Second, its objective is to assess the dominant/majority
model of the nation-state and how far it upholds the ethos of
multiculturalism and is assimilating different identities, ethnicities,
and minorities. The third objective is to identify the number of causes,
which make responsible for the eruption of ethnic violence and the
autonomy movement in CHT. The fourth objective is to identify the
cross-border implications of ethnic violence in CHT and how it involves
various state actors and changes the power dynamics and security
concerns in the South Asian region in general and India in particular. The
last objective is to make out some measures, by which ethnic violence,
separatist movements, autonomy movements, etc., can be minimized
and which will be a stepping stone in the process of nation-building.
First, the article has discussed ethnicity and ethnic violence in South
Asia. Second, it has explained the case of Bangladesh with special
reference to the ethnonationalism issue in CHT and the implications of
continuing insurgency in the region. Third, it has discussed how the CHT
has been a sanctuary to various Northeast insurgent groups from time to
time and it explains how these groups use the CHT not only as their base
but also as a platform for planning and execution of subversive operations
against Indian security establishment in the Northeast. Fourth, it has
explained how the emergence of military rule, the rise of Islamic
fanaticism, and the process of Islamization in Bangladesh in general and
CHT, in particular, has affected India’s national, regional and international
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