Table of Contents

Introduction: Histories and Historians of Borders
PART ONE: BORDERS AND THEIR PASTS
Aliens in the Colonial World
Borders as Unsettled Markers: The Sino-Indian Border
The Line of Control: Kashmir
PART TWO: LIFE ON THE BORDER: CIRCLES OF INSECURITY
The Border People
Negotiating Differences: The Indian State and its Women in the Borderlands
Mobile Diseases and the Border
PART THREE: LAW AND THE BORDER
Border Laws and Conflicts in North-east India
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Paula Banerjee specializes in issues of border and borderlands in South Asia. She has published extensively on issues of gender, forced migration and peace politics. Her recent publications include a volume entitled Borders, Histories, Existences: Gender and Beyond (2010). S he has edited a volume entitled Women in Peace Politics (2008) and co-edited books on Internal Displacement in South Asia (2005), Autonomy beyond Kant and Hermeneutics (2007) and Marginalities and Justice (2009). S he has been working on themes related to women, borders and democracy in South Asia, and has published extensively in journals such as International Studies and Canadian Women’s Studies on issues such as histories of borders and women in conflict situations. S he was the former Head of the Department in the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Calcutta, and is currently Associate Professor in the same Department. She is also the Vice President of International Association for Study of Forced Migration.

Reviews

Borders, Histories, Existences by Paula Banerjee is a gripping enquiry into the nature of South Asian borders… Banerjee’s brilliant analysis delves deep into the recent developments in border studies while at the same time going back to different histories only to give them a new rendering with the help of the contemporary concept of borders… Borders, Histories, Existences is a distinctive and broadening contribution to Asian studies. Students of politics, history and gender will find it very beneficial to their respective fields… The most attractive feature of Borders, Histories, Existences is its emphasis on borderlands as a unique form of existence instead of going for the notorious defense and strategic studies. Despite the large academic scope of the work it is quite accessible and can be used as an introduction by those who are interested in border studies.
*Dawn*

Backed by data, historical fact and popular narrative, this timely book helps the reader to understand that human rights and security are complementary paradigms – one cannot be sustained without the other. 
*Himal SouthAsian*