Six inches from above : violence and resistance among Gangotas of Bhagalpur (India)

Abstract

The present thesis is an attempt to study the social practice of Gangotas of Bhagalpur (North India). Like that of many other subordinate agrarian communities (Dorns, Dharhis, Binds, etc.) of Gangetic Bihar, there has not been anything positive in the representation of Gangotas in the contemporary discourses. Both national media and administrative sources depict members of this community as criminals. Although the post-colonial state in India, unlike its predecessor, does not acknowledge the occurrence of crime on a communal basis, the administrative practice indicates otherwise. With its official identity as ‘diara criminals’, the community of Gangotas is considered a menace to public peace and order Despite the enforcement of strict measures to contain the activities of this community, the district administration of Bhagalpur has been criticised by the local law-abiding citizenry for doing too little to eliminate the criminal threat to public life and property. The criminal image of Gangotas is periodically reinforced by the news of Gangota violence the form and content of which defies the imagination of even those who have become somewhat accustomed to the insecurity of life and property in rural Bihar The reports of Gangota violence cannot be questioned for their authenticity, nor can the violation of law contained in such incidents of violence be doubted. Yet, the representation of this violence as mere acts of crime can, at best, be called partial, especially analysed against the specific structure of the agrarian society of Bhagalpur. Show more