Tribe Caste and Peasant World: Legacy of Professor Surajit Chandra Sinha

Book Details:

• Editor: K.M. Sinha Roy

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2022

• ISBN: 9788131611968

• Pages: 196

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches

About the Book:

This commemorative volume is a tribute to one of India’s most celebrated anthropologists, Professor Surajit Chandra Sinha, whose pioneering work continues to influence the field of Indian anthropology. Known for his deep engagement with tribal traditions, caste dynamics, and peasant communities, Professor Sinha redefined cultural anthropology in India. His unique approach, grounded in meticulous fieldwork and enriched by genealogies, myths, oral traditions, and performance narratives, positioned him as a visionary scholar in decolonizing anthropology.

The book is a compilation of insightful essays presented during the Birth Centenary Celebration Seminar organized by the Anthropological Survey of India in 2018. Each contribution, penned by eminent scholars and former associates, reflects upon Sinha’s academic journey, his influence as a teacher, and the relevance of his theories in understanding contemporary tribal and caste identities.

Essays explore themes like identity emergence in North-West and East India, urban anthropology, and the social organization of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as the Abhuj Maria of Chhattisgarh. They also reflect on Sinha’s vision of a postcolonial anthropology and his profound legacy in conceptualizing and documenting Indian society.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Journey Through Tribes, Caste and the Peasant World / K.M. Sinha Roy

2. Legacy of Professor Surajit Chandra Sinha / R.K. Bhattacharya

3. Surajit Chandra Sinha and His Journey in Anthropology / Nabakumar Duary

4. The Challenge and Success of an Ethnohistorian Indian Anthropologist / Arnab Das

5. Requiem to an Anthropological Continuum / Gopalkrishna Chakrabarti

6. From a ‘Western Apprentice’ to a ‘Decolonizer’ / Subrata Sankar Bagchi

7. A Teacher of Field Work Anthropology / R.K. Saha

8. A Brief Note on His Anthropological Contribution / S.B. Chakrabarti

9. Strengths and Limitations in Indian Anthropology / Abhijit Guha

10. Hor-Diku and Bhadrolok-Chotolok Dichotomy / Tilak Bagchi

11. My Professional Journey in Anthropology / Sekh Rahim Mondal

12. Emergence of Identity: North-West and East India / Indranil Biswas

13. Profile of City/Town: Urban Anthropology / Jayanta Sarkar

14. Abhuj Maria and Their Social Organization / K.M. Sinha Roy & Rajesh Roshan

About the Editor:

Dr. K.M. Sinha Roy is a distinguished anthropologist who served as Superintending Anthropologist (Cultural) at the Anthropological Survey of India. With a doctorate from Ranchi University, he has conducted extensive research across Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, Odisha, and West Bengal. His fieldwork includes ethnographic studies of indigenous communities such as the Jarwas, Nicobarese, and Sentinelese. He has published widely in national and international journals and edited numerous academic volumes. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping modern Indian anthropology.