Comprehending Equity

Book excerpt: This book interrogates the idea of equity in the context of India’s Northeast region. The region comprises of diverse ethnicities heralding different socio-political and historical contexts. The present volume attempts to bring to the fore, the ever-widening socio-economic gap between dominant and marginalized groups and the challenges of traversing towards equity and social justice in this context. The book looks at the socio-economic disparity and exploitation in the region, conspicuous in the form of poor governance, ethnic violence and a sense of marginalisation and disillusionment. Based on case studies and research of different states and communities in the Northeast, the volume discusses the complex and unique socio-economic challenges of the people in the region. It analyses the issues of representation, identity and ethnic dominance, affirmative action, food security, sustainability, access to education, territorial conflicts, ineffective governance, among others. The book offers insights and perspectives into concepts such as equity, justice, fairness and discrimination by juxtaposing the booming global economic order which depicts the extreme levels of deprivation especially among those belonging to the disadvantaged communities. This volume will be of interest to scholars and researchers of sociology, social anthropology, development studies, politics, law and governance, and South Asia studies.