Encountering Modernity: Situating the Tangkhul Nagas in Perspective

R. Vashum is from Marem village, Ukhrul District (Manipur). He did his schooling in a few schools in Ukhrul district ad Imphal (in Manipur). His Pre-University and University (B.Sc.) were done in D.M. College of Science, Imphal. He obtained postgraduate degree in Anthropology (Social) from the university of Delhi. He was awarded Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Delhi (Department of Anthropology) for the research work, ‘Nagas and the Question of Self-Many academic seminars and conferences even as he had coordinated them. He has to his credit several books published and a couple of dozen articles and book reviews in leading journals. Some of his published works include, “Indo-Naga Conflict: Problem and Resolution” (2001), “Extraordinary Laws in India …” (co-edited, 2002) and “State, Development and Identity in South Asia” (co-edited, 2002). Right from his school days, he has been a very active social worker at the regional and national levels holding key executive positions. He is currently in the Faculty of Sociology, SOSS, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. He has a wide range of academic interests some of which include areas related to social change, tribal transformation, ethnicity and identification, social movements, ethnicity and identity, nationalism, self-determination, self-identification, human rights, collective rights, social democracy, social justice, social/cultural ecology, marginalized society, methodology, philosophy of social science, and synthesis of interdisciplinary ideas and approaches.