Contested Coastlines: Fisherfolk, Nations And Borders In South Asia

This book is a compelling account of the ways in which state restrictions on cross-border movements of coastal fisherfolk identity and cartographic anxieties in South Asia, and how they come into direct contradiction with the daily lives, livelihoods and desires of the majority of coastal fisherfolk. It focuses on issues of ocean governance from a broader perspective with a thrust on the sociological concepts of community and identities being intercepted by the geopolitcs of power and ownership. It brings environmental conflict into the heart of the contemporary discussion of global security, suggesting new ways of understanding and resolving the increasing ecological conflicts and depleting fish resources in the South Asian region, while simultaneously adopting a more fluid approach towards national boundaries in maritime and coastal spaces. The bok thus opens up new arenas for a more peaceful South Asia.
About Author :
Charu Gupta, a historian, is currently Post-doctoral Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi and teaches history at a college of the University of Delhi. She did her Ph.d. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Her publications include Sexuality, Obscenity, Community: women, Muslims and the Hindu Public in Colonial India (2001),and several articles on gender, sexuality, fundamenalism and nationalism in national and international journals. Mukul Sharma is Director of Amnesty International, India. A journalist, writer, development professional and human rights activist he writers extensively on environment,development and labour. He is the author of various books including No Borders: Journeys of an Indian Journalist (2006) and Landscapes and Lives: Environmental Dispatches on Rural India (2001). He has received several national and international awards for his writings.
Contents :
Acknowledgements Introduction beyond Borders: The Indain Ocean Region in South Asia Fisherfolk as 'Prisoners of War': India and Pakistan The Killing Waters: India and Sri Lanka Ironies of Identities: India and Bangladesh 'Unruly' Fisherfolk in the Eyes of Law Conclusion Notes and References Index