Margins of Citizenship : Muslim Experiences in Urban India

"Part of the 'Religion and Citizenship' series, this book is an ethnographic study of marginality of Muslims in urban India. It explores the realities and consequences of socio-spatial segregation faced by Muslim communities and the various ways in which they negotiate it in the course of their everyday lives. By narrating lived experiences of ordinary Muslims, the author attempts to construct their identities as citizens and subjects. What emerges is a highly variegated picture of a group (otherwise viewed as monolithic) that resides in very close quarters, more as a result of compulsion than choice, despite wide differences across language, ethnicity, sect and social class. The book also looks into the potential outcomes that socio-spatial segregation spelt on communal lines hold for the future of the urban landscape in South Asia. Rich in ethnographic data and accessible in its approach, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of sociology, social anthropology, human geography, political sociology, urban studies and political science."--Page i. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 9 Introduction 12 1 Construction of communal geographies: Kolkata’s Muslim neighbourhoods 28 2 Park Circus: a profile of a Muslim neighbourhood 47 3 Diversities, differences and social relations 68 4 Local politics and the everyday state 99 5 Economic life, aspirations and social mobility 125 6 Exclusion, insecurity and confinement: negotiating identity in a Muslim neighbourhood 153 Conclusion 175 Maps and Sketches 184 Bibliography 188 Index 200 Muslim Experiences in Urban India