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Since the emergence of post-Soviet states in the Eurasian space
there has been considerable reflection on the role that the state
has played in the local and global arenas. Transformation from
being part of the 'Soviet' to independent existence has meant state
involvement in the forging of new nations out of disparate
identities based on the criteria of national languages, the
reinterpretation of historical events, depiction of
personality-centric themes, the portrayal of illustrative careers
and the rhetoric of development. This volume focuses on some of the
aspects of this involvement through studies of the performative
role of the Central Asian states in the arena of politics,
diplomacy, culture, historical memory, and their interaction within
the Eurasian space. It reflects on ways in which the state reacts
to society and how discourses in the field of economy, society and
culture dovetail with or diverge from the political discourse about
state-building. Relations between formal institutions and informal
structures; emerging conceptions of democracy in the context of the
Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan and the disruptive events in western
Kazakhstan during the twentieth anniversary of the republic's
independence; the nature of bilateral and multilateral alignments
among regional and interregional actors are some of the aspects
through which the role of the state has been examined by the
authors. The volume seeks to address the question of how the state
acts as an agent of influence and control not just on performative
traditions but also in the creation of a single community as the
basis for a nation.
While strategic issues continue to be the critical element for
foreign policy formulation there are significant dimensions outside
the hard core of policy framework that remain by and large
unappreciated in policy-related literature. These dimensions
envelop a rather wide range of actions/activities that essentially
comprise what could be broadly referred to as constituting cultural
dynamics. These entail looking beyond the radar of strategic
relationships, at socio-cultural engagements encompassing both
institutions and communities. These in turn involve a large number
of citizens cutting across boundaries and reiterating and
reemphasising a sense of belonging or (un)belonging. This volume is
an attempt at looking beyond the realms of strategy in the Asian
geopolitical space. This compilation of essays, commentaries,
research notes and film review is an attempt at presenting a
nuanced understanding, analysis and appreciation of the cultural
linkages in the Asian milieu.
The study revolves round the relationship between space and
transitional identity in Kazakhstan in the post-Soviet period.
Emergent discourses about cosmopolitanism suggest multiple
interactions in a transitional space. The cosmopolitanism of our
times implies the dynamic responses of communities in transition.
The diversities and heterogeneities instead of the specifics, the
encounters, the networks, the challenges, the ways of living, the
multitude of fates need to be considered. The picture is far bigger
as there are infinite ways of being and belonging. The images are
of the many, and as suggested here, relate to the Kazakh
conscience. The Kazakh conscience represents a repertoire of
diverse opinions regarding Eurasianism, intellectuals' reformist
agenda, zhuz legacy, people's histories. What stands out is the
wider milieu of a cosmopolitan Almaty which is the home of a
cultural elite or a citified Astana that has been showcased as the
"appropriate site" of the Kazakhs' steppe identity. The variety is
also seen in the case of Uyghur neighbourhoods of Almaty, in the
frontiers of Akmolinsk oblast reminiscent of Tsarist Russia's
Cossack military fortresses, in gulag memorials near Astana and in
the Caspian hub Atyrau that is iconised as the oil fountain of the
present century. Kazakh borderlands have a completely different
profile-that of shared spaces. The Kazakhs' attachment to their
homeland is a constant-but the question is whether that territorial
reality fits into other paradigms of identity and belonging. Such
questions arise in the case of Mongolian Kazakhs and Uyghurs of
Semirechie-in both cases the sentiment of place is strong compared
to the overwhelming global experiences of the mainland Kazakhs.
Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the
Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka
The ambit of Buddhist studies reflects not only the spiritual and
philosophical domain of Buddhism but also a symbiotic relationship
between the monastic establishment and protectors of cultural
tradition-a trend that one sees in the context of Buddhist
revivalist projects in Mongolia and Buryatia. The presence of a
Buddhist order in the political realm has revived intellectual
debates about the relationship between spiritual and temporal
authority. The interface between South Asian and South East
Buddhism on the one hand and Central Asian Buddhism on the other is
also delicately balanced in Buddhist cultural discourse. The
relevance of Buddhism in a globalized world has also given a new
direction to the realm of Buddhist studies. This book takes into
account the competing discourses of preservation and revival of
Buddhism in the trans-Himalayan sector. It not only deals with the
cultural ethos that Buddhism represents in this region but also the
diverse Buddhist traditions that are strongly entrenched despite
colonial intervention. Juxtaposed to the aesthetic variant is the
extremely sensitive response of the Buddhist communities in India
and Asiatic Russia centred round the issue of displacement. It is
this issue of duality of common traditions and fractured identities
that has been dealt with in the present volume. Please note: Taylor
& Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India,
Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
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