| ID | 134745 |
| Title Proper | Gangsters or Gandhians |
| Other Title Information | the political sociology of the Maoist insurgency in India |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Kennedy, Jonathan |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article combines concepts from political sociology with evidence from newspaper reports, insurgent and state documents, and ethnographic studies in order to understand the nature of the Maoist insurgency in India. The first section argues that the insurgency should be conceptualized as a state building enterprise rather than organized crime. It demonstrates that both insurgent violence and fundraising serve, on the whole, the collective interests of the state building enterprise – i.e., to consolidate insurgent control in their base areas – rather than the private interests of individual insurgents. The second section seeks to understand how Maoist state builders undermine and fragment the Indian state’s monopoly of the means of violence and administration in areas where they operate. In some areas the state is totally absent, while in others the state forms alliances with the insurgents at the local level in order to maintain the semblance of a sovereign and democratic ruler. |
| `In' analytical Note | India Review Vol.13, No.3; Jul-Sep.2014: p.212-234 |
| Journal Source | India Review Vol: 13 No 3 |
| Standard Number | Insurgency |