Munda and Political Transformation from Below: Local Politics and Power Relations in Barind, Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper argues that equality in the right to vote in electoral politics alone cannot ensure the actual empowerment of the minority, although this is a necessary step in the process. Legal and institutional frameworks for empowerment are also necessary for minority groups, like the Munda, to gain ground in the assertion of their rights and equitable access to government resources. The democratisation that began in 1991 after the long year of military rule provided universal suffrage. However, this benefi ted only a fraction of ‘elites’ among the Munda, while others remained marginal to the political process and were exploited as a mere ‘vote bank’ by the powerful Muslim leaders and Munda ‘elites.’ Since 2007, there have been several initiatives by the government to establish institutional frameworks for minority and poor people to demand their share of state benefi ts based on the principle of equity. This paper describes how these institutions have shaped local politics and the everyday lives of Munda in the villages. There is emerging a new ‘public culture’ focused on creating a desirable political community, based on the concepts of ‘right, ’ ‘equality’ and ‘fairness’ at the local level.