ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 begins by introducing why communities in the particular Asian periphery under consideration are in intractable conflict among themselves and with the State. In exploring these horizontal as well as vertical conflicts, the chapter addresses one of the central concerns of this book: the consequence of violent collisions between disparate nationalities and sub-nationalities with varying levels and structures of patriarchal control. Relying on postcolonial, pro-feminist masculinity studies for its analysis, the chapter links shifting gender and ethno-nationalist dynamics as they inform and are, in turn, informed by violent intractable conflicts and militarism. By scrutinizing this link, the goal is to identify the obstacles towards building structures of equality, addressing which would help find pathways to peaceful coexistence.
