ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to move beyond the sociological and historical accounts of the origins and evolution of sub-national movements by formulating a political explanation which draws on theories of collective action. It argues that leaders of sub-national movements draw on both sentiments and interests, and the direction and pace of these movements are influenced by the political resources available to them. The chapter examines the process through which political entrepreneurs attempt to weave together a set of social moorings and cultural signifiers into a powerful movement for a separate homeland. It aims to develop a broadly comparative approach to the politics of sub-national movements in South Asia, seen as the consequence of a number of underlying factors such as group discrimination, conflicting cultural identities and economic exploitation of the region. The chapter focuses on the contributions of rational choice theorists and, has introduced the concepts of time, agenda-setting and two-track strategies as political resources available to both sub-nationalists and their adversaries.
