Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Can Horizontal Inequalities Explain Ethnic Conflicts? A Case Study of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts of Assam

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Inequality, Poverty and Development in India

Part of the book series: India Studies in Business and Economics ((ISBE))

  • 658 Accesses

Abstract

Inequalities play a major role in political and ethnic conflicts in different regions of the world. However economic literature has largely focused on vertical inequalities, i.e. inequalities among individuals as opposed to groups of people. In the recent times the focus has shifted to the role of horizontal inequalities, which refer to inequalities between groups of people sharing common identity such as race, ethnicity, language, religion or region (Stewart 2000). Therefore, they are multifaceted and include various dimensions (for, e.g. socio-economic, political and cultural status). This chapter refers to the recent Bodo-Muslim conflict in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts of Assam (BTAD) in 2012. We measure economic horizontal inequalities (EHIs) classifying population of BTAD into STs, SCs, OBC, other/general and Muslims using population weighted group Gini index (GGini). NSSO unit level data of 61st and 66th Consumer-Expenditure rounds have been used for calculations. We find that there are significant spatial and horizontal economic inequalities in the BTAD districts compared to the other districts of Assam. Among the social groups, Muslims are found to be the poorest while SCs are better off followed by the STs (mostly Bodos). In Assam as a whole, the extent of land owned by the ST households is found to be the highest while it is lowest among the Muslims. In sharp contrast, land ownership among Muslims is comparatively higher than the other groups (including the dominant Bodo group) in BTAD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The effects of this conflict are even worse than the widely discussed case of Gujarat in 2002 (ibid). People from northeastern origin were targeted in Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai and other parts of the countries as retaliation of this conflict. It left 65 dead, hundreds of wounded and loss of properties by affecting 5780 villages (Chirang and Kokrajhar District Administrations 2015). Besides, the Bodoland secessionist movement claimed 1607 lives in Assam out of which more than 80% were inhabitant of original districts of BTAD over a period of 16 years from 1987 to 2003 (BTC 2013).

References

  • Bardhan, P. (1997). Method in the madness? A political-economy analysis of the ethnic conflicts in less developed countries. World Development, 25(9), 1381–1398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basumatary, K. (2012). Political economy of bodoland movement. New Delhi: Akash Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. K., & Langer, A. (2010). Cultural status inequalities: An important dimension of group mobilization. In Frances Stewart (Ed.), Horizontal inequalities and conflict: understanding group violence in multiethnic society. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhuri, S., & Gupta, N. (2009). Levels of living and poverty patterns: A district-wise analysis for India. Economic and Political Weekly, XLIV, 9, 99–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, P., & Hoeffler, A. (2004). Greed versus grievance in civil war. Oxford Economic Paper, 56, 563–595.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das, N. (1982). The Naga movement. In K. S. Singh (Ed.), The tribal movement in India (Vol. 1). Pathna: Manohar Book Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, J. (2009). What causes civil war? Integrating quantitative research findings. International Study Review, 11(4), 707–735.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (2003). Ethnicity, insurgency, and civil war. American Political Science Review, 57(1), 75–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, J. S. (1994). The Bodo movement in Assam: Unrest to accord. Asian Survey, 34(10), 878–892.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gohain, H. (1989). Bodo Stir in perspective. Economic and Political Weekly, 24(25), 377–1379.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goswami, B. B., & Mukharjee, D. B. (1982). The Mizo political movement. In K. S. Singh (Ed.), The tribal movement in India (Vol. 1). Pathna: Manohar Book Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of Bodoland Territorial Council. (2013). Kokrajhar: The Bodoland Guardian.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurr, T. (1968). A causal model of civil strife: A comparative analysis using new indices. The American Political Science Review, 62(4), 1104–1124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langer, A. (2005). Horizontal inequalities and violent conflicts: Cote d’Ivoire. Human Development Report Office, Occasional Paper 2005/32. New York: UNDP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langer, A. (2010). When do horizontal inequalities lead to conflicts? Lessons from a comparative study of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. In Frances Stewart (Ed.), Horizontal inequalities and conflict: Understanding group violence in multiethnic Society. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langer, A., & Ukiwo, U. (2010). Ethnicity, religious and state in Ghana and Nigeria: Perceptions from the street. In Frances Stewart (Ed.), Horizontal inequalities and conflict: Understanding group violence in multiethnic society. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindquist, M. K. (2012). Horizontal education inequalities and civil conflict: The nexus of ethnicity, inequality, and violent conflict. Undergraduate Economic Review, 8(1), 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahanta, N. G. (2013). Politics of space and violence in Bodoland. Economic and Political Weekly, 48(23), 49–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mancini, L. (2010). Horizontal inequalities and communal violence: Evidence from Indonesia districts. In F. Stewart (Ed.), Horizontal inequalities and conflict: understanding group violence in multiethnic societies. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mancini, L., Stewart, F., & Brown, G. K. (2010). Approaches to the measurement of horizontal inequalities. In F. Stewart (Ed.), Horizontal Inequalities and Conflict: Understanding Group Violence in Multi ethnic Societies (pp. 85-105). UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, U. (1989). Bodo stir: Complex issues. Unattainable Demands. Economy and Political Weekly, 24(21), 1146–1149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Motiram, S., & Sarma, N. (2014). The tragedy of identity: Reflection on violent social conflict in Western Assam. Economic and Political Weekly, 49(11), 45–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murshed, S. M., & Gates, S. (2005). Spatial-horizontal inequalities and the maoist insurgency in Nepal. Review of Development Economics, 9(1), 121–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nepal, M. A., Bohara, K., & Gawande, K. (2011). More inequality, more killings: The maoist insurgency in Nepal. American Journal of Political Science, 55(4), 886–906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostby, G. (2007). Horizontal inequalities, political environment and civil conflict evidence from 55 developing countries 1986–2003. World Bank Policy Research Paper 4193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pathak, S. (2013). Ethnic violence in Bodoland. Economic and Political Weekly, 47(34), 19–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray, D. (2010). Development economics. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, F. (2000). Crisis prevention: Tackling horizontal inequalities. Oxford Development Studies, 28, 245–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, F. (2010). Horizontal inequalities and conflict: Understanding group violence in multiethnic society. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiwari, B. N. (2008). Horizontal inequalities and violent conflict in Nepal. Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, 28(1), 33–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xaxa, V. (2008). State, society, and tribes: Issues in post Colonial India. India: Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, India

    Rupan Boro & Rajshree Bedamatta

Authors
  1. Rupan Boro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rajshree Bedamatta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rupan Boro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Megalaya, India

    Utpal Kumar De

  2. Economic Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Manoranjan Pal

  3. Biological Anthropology Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Premananda Bharati

Appendices

Appendix 5.1

See Tables 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8 and 5.9.

Table 5.6 Compound annual growth rate of the population by social groups in Assam
Full size table
Table 5.7 Average monthly per capita consumption expenditure (in Rs.) among the social groups in Assam
Full size table
Table 5.8 Average extent of land ownership in hectare among the social groups in Assam
Full size table
Table 5.9 Classification of the households by principal occupations among the social groups in Assam
Full size table

Appendix 5.2

List of ANOVA tables.

See Tables 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.19, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22, 5.23 and 5.24.

Table 5.10 One-way anova in consumption expenditure by social groups in Assam during 2004–2005
Full size table
Table 5.11 One-way ANOVA in consumption expenditure by social groups in W. Assam during 2004–2005
Full size table
Table 5.12 One-way ANOVA in consumption expenditure by social groups in Assam during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.13 One-way ANOVA in consumption expenditure by social groups in W. Assam during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.14 One-way ANOVA in consumption expenditure by social groups in BTAD during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.15 One-way ANOVA of land owned (Hect.) by social groups in Assam during 2004–2005
Full size table
Table 5.16 One-way ANOVA of land owned (Hect.) by social groups in W. Assam during 2004–2005
Full size table
Table 5.17 One-way ANOVA of land owned (Hect.) by social groups in Assam during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.18 One-way ANOVA of land owned (Hect.) by social groups in W. Assam during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.19 One-way ANOVA of land owned (in hectares) by social groups in BTAD during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.20 One-way ANOVA of land possessed (in hectares) by social groups in Assam during 2004–2005
Full size table
Table 5.21 One-way ANOVA of land possessed (in hectares) by social groups in W. Assam during 2004–2005
Full size table
Table 5.22 One-way ANOVA of land possessed (in hectares) by social groups in Assam during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.23 One-way ANOVA of land possessed (in hectares) by social groups in W. Assam during 2009–2010
Full size table
Table 5.24 One-way ANOVA of land possessed (in hectares) by social groups in BTAD during 2009–2010
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Boro, R., Bedamatta, R. (2017). Can Horizontal Inequalities Explain Ethnic Conflicts? A Case Study of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts of Assam. In: De, U., Pal, M., Bharati, P. (eds) Inequality, Poverty and Development in India. India Studies in Business and Economics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6274-2_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6274-2_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6273-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6274-2

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation