Gorkha Identity in Multicultural Bengal

Multiculturalism comes across as a political rhetoric as there is an existence of a gap between its propagation and implementation. While the ongoing Gorkhaland Movement has been discussed and debated in the media as well as in academic forums, it has rarely been discussed within the purview of Multiculturalism. The distinctive feature of this book therefore lies in its attempt to study the said Movement within the framework of various perspectives on Multiculturalism. It studies the identity formation of the Gorkha ethnic community as a distinct ethnic group and their claims to the minority group rights in West Bengal. It analyses the hurdles on the way to directly applying western perspectives on Multiculturalism to accommodate cultural diversity related demands in West Bengal. The Multiculturalism perspectives that the book mainly deals with are of Will Kymlicka and to some extent that provided by Bikhu Parekh.