Introduction

This chapter does three things: first, it briefly introduces Majuli river island and my research sites to the reader. In doing so, it highlights the centrality of the twin processes of flooding and riverbank erosion in the history of the island. Second, the chapter presents the theoretical frameworks of the book, with a special focus on the concept of slow disaster. I argue that the disasters facing Majuli are slow disasters in that they unfold in a slow, incremental manner without any onetime cataclysmic impact. Such disasters affect the land in distinct ways, and they often go unnoticed by the policymakers. Third, the chapter presents a detailed discussion on the research methods and some important methodological issues. Being a native of Majuli, I found myself uniquely located as a researcher on the island: an insider, outsider, both and neither. I discuss some of these dilemmas while also paying attention to questions of reflexivity and positionality in ethnographic research. The chapter ends with a brief outline of the book.