Transversal Communication and Boundaries of Identification

Abstract

Ananta Kumar Giri’s poser to this volume engages with one of our most profound human problems: how do we negotiate the tendencies for geographically grounded ethnic, patriotic and other identifications to become part of the machinations of an all too destructive‘domination–marginalization’ paradigm, resulting in homogenizing state violence on onehand, and violent uprisings by marginalized ethnic/identity groups on the other? This chapter situates Giri’s work in relation to the anthropological works of Frederik Barth and Andreas Wimmer, then summarizes Giri’s solution to the above problem. In dialogue with Giri’s poser, this chapter considers some of the ideas of Shri P.R. Sarkar and of Jeremy Rifkin.