Fieldwork in South Asia: Memories, Moments, and Experiences

398 Pages·2019·6.229 MB·English

by  Sarit K Chaudhuri (editor), Sucheta Sen Chaudhuri (editor)

Fieldwork in South Asia

Fieldwork in South Asia
M E M O R I E S , M O M E N T S , A N D
E X P E R I E N C E S

Edited by
Sarit K. Chaudhuri
Sucheta Sen Chaudhuri
Copyright © Sarit K. Chaudhuri and Sucheta Sen Chaudhuri, 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or
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the publisher.
First published in 2014 by
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Fieldwork in South Asia : memories, moments, and experiences / edited by Sarit K.
Chaudhuri and Sucheta Sen Chaudhuri.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Ethnology—Fieldwork—South Asia. 2. Ethnologists—South Asia—Anecdotes.
3. Anthropologists—South Asia—Anecdotes. 4. Historians—South Asia—Anecdotes.
5. South Asia—Social life and customs. I. Chaudhuri, S. K. (Sarit Kumar) II.
Chaudhuri, Sucheta Sen, 1963–
GN635.S57F48 306.0954—dc23 2014 2014022713
ISBN: 978-81-321-1742-1 (HB)
The SAGE Team: Supriya Das, Vandana Gupta, Nand Kumar Jha, and
Dally Verghese
This book is dedicated to
Prof. A.C. Bhagabati,
Prof. T. Mibang, and
Prof. T.B. Subba
whose works and interactions have always inspired us.
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SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi
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(cid:90)(cid:89)
Contents
List of Abbreviations xi
Foreword by Felix Padel xiii
Preface xvii
Introduction: Evolving Concerns of Fieldwork 1
Sarit K. Chaudhuri and Sucheta Sen Chaudhuri
SECTION I
Experience of South Asian Nations
CHAPTER 1
A Historian/Anthropologist amongst the Garos of Bangladesh 19
Ellen Bal
CHAPTER 2
Power and Authority in the Field 31
Ali Khan
CHAPTER 3
Story of My Research in Bhutan 70
A.C. Sinha
CHAPTER 4
Remembering Fieldwork Histories 88
Mandy Sadan
viii Fieldwork in South Asia
CHAPTER 5
Fields of Working Knowledge 106
Ben Campbell
CHAPTER 6
Reflections on Fieldwork in Three Cultures 122
Arjun Guneratne
CHAPTER 7
Return to Rengsanggri 145
Robbins Burling
SECTION II
The Indian Experience
CHAPTER 8
Researching Garo Death Rites 167
Erik de Maaker
CHAPTER 9
Memories and Reflections on Ethnographic Fieldwork in
‘Conflict’ Setting 186
Debojyoti Das
CHAPTER 10
In Search of Storytellers among the Khiamniungan Nagas 220
Anungla Aier
CHAPTER 11
Experiencing Mortuary Practices in an Anthropological Journey 233
Gautam Kumar Bera
CHAPTER 12
Making Senses of the Organizations and the Experiences of
Anthropological Practices in a University of India 241
Arnab Das
CHAPTER 13
Tales of Everyday Politics in West Bengal 262
Suman Nath and Bhaskar Chakrabarti
Contents ix
CHAPTER 14
Doing Fieldwork and Discovering Harijan Art in Madhubani 276
Neel Rekha
CHAPTER 15
Memories of My Third Visit to the Nicobar Archipelago 295
Vijoy S. Sahay
CHAPTER 16
Discovering the Self and Others in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh 321
Abeer Gupta
CHAPTER 17
Dialogue on Indigenous Studies and Fieldwork in India 339
Daniel J. Rycroft and Ganesh Devy
Glossary 361
About the Editors and Contributors 365
Index 371