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Armed group taxation and the processes of political ordering in northeast India

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  • Shalaka Thakur

Abstract

This paper examines how armed group taxation serves as a window into the processes of political ordering. Drawing on over a decade of ethnographic fieldwork in Manipur in Northeast India, the analysis juxtaposes two distinct phases: the relatively predictable, quasi-bureaucratic taxation practices during a long period of 'frozen conflict' (2016-2023) and the fragmented, ethnically charged extraction patterns that emerged after the escalation of Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence in May 2023.

Suggested Citation

  • Shalaka Thakur, 2025. "Armed group taxation and the processes of political ordering in northeast India," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2025-107, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-107
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rachel Sabates-Wheeler & Philip Verwimp, 2014. "Extortion with Protection: Understanding the Effect of Rebel Taxation on Civilian Welfare in Burundi," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2014-06, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Kasper Hoffmann & Koen Vlassenroot & Gauthier Marchais, 2016. "Taxation, Stateness and Armed Groups: Public Authority and Resource Extraction in Eastern Congo," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 47(6), pages 1434-1456, November.
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