An Anthropology of 'Sovereignty'. New Land Markets, an Entrepreneurial State and the Aspirations of a ‘Criminal Caste’ in Gurgaon, Haryana
Over the past three decades, the largely rural district of Gurgaon in Haryana has witnessed intense urbanisation and land monetisation. The local Gujjar community is the most recent beneficiary of the new market in land. Gujjars are a ‘Denotified Tribe’. That is, their names have been taken off the list of ‘Criminal Castes and Tribes’ promulgated during the colonial era. Seeking integration into Gurgaon’s urban modernity, the ‘stigma’ of being an ex-criminal tribe and how to overcome it is a frequent point of discussion.