Epistomological inquiry of ACT, Niyamgiri movements and discourses on Governmentality.

Abstract

In postcolonial country like India proliferation of ethnic and culture based assertions have been quite rampant since 1990. The paradigm of culture with its idiosyncratic features comes to the forefront of political discourse. Culture and identity based narrative resists neoliberal developmental narrative manifested into economic forms. The notion of developmental governmentality or development as governmentality which emerged after decolonization fails to represent essence of culture and identity. Episteme and epistemological orientation of culture put them outside the domain of developmental governmentality. It heralds an emergence of new governmentality which can be referred to as postmodern governmentality.  This paper tries to explain development as ‘governmentality’ and its updated version neoliberal governmentality. It also unravels genesis of postmodern governmentality and equation between liberal and postmodern governmentality. Through ACT and Niyamgiri Movement it also tries to define postmodern governmentality and explore episteme of it.

Key words: Development, Neoliberal governmentality, Postmodern Governmentality, Episteme.