Citizenship debate over NRC & CAA: Assam and the politics of history

than structural changes in the economy through which sustainable livelihood sources may be ascertained’ (p.205). However, the author has made commendable reflections on the political voices from the state that include politicians, officials, young scholars, intellectuals, activists, and student leaders. A particular chapter on encroachment, displacement, and people’s entitlements at the Kaziranga National Park opens up a bold and complex conversation on conservation and national security (p.221). The concluding chapter ties the thread back to chapter 1 in summarizing many schemes introduced by the BJP for almost all the sections of the society, particularly the minorities and the backward classes. Dealing with the new political formations in the wake of the anti-CAA protests in Assam, it elaborates on how the pandemic has changed the entire narrative of people’s resistance where the incumbent government turned into a saviour, culminating in its success in the 2021 elections. The chapter not only reflects the populism of BJP as strategic politics but also the embarrassing failure of the opposition in strategizing electoral campaigns. Yet, it confirms as to how politics in Assam has been reduced to propaganda politics and desperate attempts to win elections with no respect for altruism. Undoubtedly, the book offers a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing politics in Assam and will certainly be helpful for anyone following the NRC and the CAA debate in the state. However, there are four areas, which could have further been elaborated. These involve the proliferation of local media houses and online portals in Assam and its ownership and capitalist motives in shaping political narratives; the impunity of the security forces in carrying out extra-judicial killings during the CAA protests, which would also offer insights on the increasing cases of custodial deaths and fake encounters in the region; women’s thoughts on the Hindutva regime or their political inclusion in the saffron party; and that of the detention centres, which draws attention to humanitarian concerns. Nevertheless, the book can be considered as not only an academic endeavour but also a major contribution for general readers and scholars across disciplinary boundaries in understanding the rise of the saffron party in India.