Rising Asia Journal
Rising Asia Foundation
ISSN 2583-1038
PEER REVIEWED | MULTI-DISCIPLINARY | EASTERN FOCUS

Latest Issue

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 (WINTER/SPRING)
JANUARY TO APRIL 2025

Issue Information
Perspective
  • THE DREADED KNOCK OF DROUGHT ON THE DOOR OF NORTH-EAST INDIA
    Solutions lie in water resource management, sustainable land use, and climate adaptation measures
    VIMAL KHAWAS, Special Centre for the Study of North-East India, Jawaharlal Nehru University
    Abstract

    THE DREADED KNOCK OF DROUGHT ON THE DOOR OF NORTH-EAST INDIA
    Solutions lie in water resource management, sustainable land use, and climate adaptation measures


    Drought is threatening the North-Eastern states of India as climate change, deforestation, and land degradation take their toll. The author recommends a slew of measures to combat the approaching disaster, such as better water resource management, sustainable land use practices, climate adaptation measures, and community-based resilience building.

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Research Articles
  • WEANING HILL TRIBES OFF THE POPPY
    “Shifting Cultivation” in the Hill Areas of the State of Manipur
    S. HOHOI, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Indian Council of Social Science Research
    Abstract

    WEANING HILL TRIBES OFF THE POPPY
    “Shifting Cultivation” in the Hill Areas of the State of Manipur


    The Manipur government’s intense drive to destroy poppy plantations under its ‘War on Drugs’ campaign since 2018 has, to an extent, borne some good results. The proximity of the state to the Golden Triangle and the 398 km porous border that the state shares with Myanmar, accounts for the illicit cultivation of poppy. The transformation of the state from a hotspot on the drug trafficking route to a drug producing state is highly alarming. An effective measure to prevent the illicit cultivation of poppy is to enable the hill tribes to earn adequate income from the centuries old practice of “shifting cultivation” (jhum or slash and burn) by modernizing this ancient practice. The state government’s development programs in the hill areas need to be sincerely implemented. This can become a way of weaning the hill tribes off poppy cultivation.

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  • MANIPUR’S MEITEI PANGALS IN THE CROSSHAIRS
    A Muslim Minority Stereotyped, Marginalized, and Sometimes Forgotten in History, 1597-2025
    HM IZHAR ALAM, Aligarh Muslim University; ARSHI KHAN, Aligarh Muslim University; MD NAWAZ SHARIF, Dhanamanjuri University
    Abstract

    MANIPUR’S MEITEI PANGALS IN THE CROSSHAIRS
    A Muslim Minority Stereotyped, Marginalized, and Sometimes Forgotten in History, 1597-2025


    The Meitei Pangals, a Muslim ethnic and religious minority existing within the predominantly Hindu Meitei and tribal ethnic groups of the state of Manipur, has historically contributed to the state’s rich tapestry of cultural, social, and political life. This research article analyzes archival and secondary sources to unravel their unique cultural heritage, language, religious practices, and the traditional customs shaping their identity in a diverse state. It studies their political engagement, including representation, participation, and social standing. And it addresses the phenomenon of scapegoating, stereotyping, and marginalization of the Meitei Pangals within the current political landscape of Manipur. By integrating historical context with contemporary issues, the article presents an understanding of the social standing of the Meitei Pangals amid ethnic conflict.

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  • GERMAN MÄRCHEN AND KUKI THUSIM
    The Universality and Cultural Specificity of Fairy Tales and Tribal Tales
    NENGPINEM HAOKIP, Centre of German Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
    Abstract

    GERMAN MÄRCHEN AND KUKI THUSIM
    The Universality and Cultural Specificity of Fairy Tales and Tribal Tales


    This study explores the folkloric tales of two different cultures—German fairy tales (märchen) and Kuki tribal tales (thusim), on the premise that comparisons celebrate diversity and lead to the discovery of valuable insights about another culture’s values, beliefs, history, and customs. Fairy tales and tribal tales reveal the gap between truth and falsehood in society. Since these two cultural groups have no known historical connection, comparing their tales can help identify which story elements are unique to each culture—shaped by their specific values and beliefs—and which elements are universal, reflecting shared human experiences across societies. The study also highlights the aspects of indigenous folktales (of cultural minorities) that are often absent or overlooked in the folktales of mainstream cultures. The findings reveal, first, that cultural background significantly influences how individuals interpret stories, shaping their understanding of characters, events, and moral lessons. Second, they highlight the critical role of embedded schematic knowledge—culturally ingrained frameworks and expectations—in aiding story comprehension and meaning-making.

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  • INSIDE THE WORLD’S LARGEST REFUGEE CAMP
    Partial Success in Educating Rohingya Children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
    MUSTAKIM KHAN, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
    Abstract

    INSIDE THE WORLD’S LARGEST REFUGEE CAMP
    Partial Success in Educating Rohingya Children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh


    This research article investigates the role of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) in providing education to Rohingya children in refugee camp of Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh—the largest refugee camp in the world. Through on-the-ground interviews and observation, the author recommends establishing additional Learning Centers, securing funding and human resources, prohibiting child labor through guardian education, ensuring pedagogical duties, addressing begging, and prioritizing health. The study finds examples of both success and partial success in the provision of education to the refugee children, and points to the work remaining to be done.

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  • AN ARMED “TRAINING ALLIANCE” OF MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN EXTREMISTS
    Fueling Terrorism in South Asia
    MD. NASIR UDDIN, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
    Abstract

    AN ARMED “TRAINING ALLIANCE” OF MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN EXTREMISTS
    Fueling Terrorism in South Asia


    This study investigates the mutual armed training between the Islamist Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS) and the Christian Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Bangladesh. It uses a mixed-methods approach with content analysis and applies political and network theories of terrorism to understand the extent and reasons behind their collaboration. The findings show a cycle where mutual armed training boosts both groups’ ability for violence. This research study brings to light the factors fueling their collaboration, providing important insights to tackle a growing threat.

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Film Studies
  • Shaping Metamodernism
    THE ASIAN AMERICAN FILM EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, NORM MACDONALD’S COMEDY, AND THE METAMODERN MOMENT
    JACKSON MATTOCKS, University of Calgary
    Abstract

    Shaping Metamodernism
    THE ASIAN AMERICAN FILM EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, NORM MACDONALD’S COMEDY, AND THE METAMODERN MOMENT


    Metamodernism, as described by Vermeulen and van den Akker, is a “structure of feeling” that describes the contemporary cultural moment. They view metamodernism as a neo-Romantic “structure of feeling” that oscillates between modernity and postmodernity. This is exemplified in contemporary works like the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once, and in the stand-up comedy of Norm Macdonald. Both works share a commitment to an ethics of care, invoking acts of necessity through messages urging kindness and love, and contribute to our understanding of the metamodern “structure of feeling” by advocating and embodying these sentiments.

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  • THE ANONYMOUS MYANMAR DIARIES AND FILMIC ACTIVISM
    Cultural Trauma and Protest in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Chile, and Vietnam
    YUFEI ZHU, Goldsmiths, University of London
    Abstract

    THE ANONYMOUS MYANMAR DIARIES AND FILMIC ACTIVISM
    Cultural Trauma and Protest in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Chile, and Vietnam


    This article investigates the role of documentary film in social activism, particularly in countering official ideological control and advancing human rights causes, using Myanmar Diaries (2022) as a case study. First, the article uses Myanmar Diaries and transnational protest art as a case study to understand the historical context of the junta’s dictatorship in Myanmar. Second, the article examines trauma cinema and its audiovisual techniques by comparing three films from developing countries in Asia and Latin America: Dheepan (2015) from Sri Lanka, Chile, Obstinate Memory (1997) from Chile, and Surname Viet Given Name Nam (1989) from Vietnam. Third, the article concludes that trauma cinema, when integrated with activism, can effectively provide additional support for instigating social transformation.

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  • LINGERING IN-BETWEEN
    The Hesitant, Affect, and Borderline Moments in Chinese Cinema
    JIAYING CHEN, University of Montreal
    Abstract

    LINGERING IN-BETWEEN
    The Hesitant, Affect, and Borderline Moments in Chinese Cinema


    Drawing on Chinese literature and philosophy from the West, this article seeks to redefine and complicate the notion of hesitation, aiming to foreground our understanding of hesitation beyond the mere concept of indecision, broadening it to an interval filled with consciousness and affective forces. This article elaborates on the manifestations of hesitation in Chinese cinema by delving into films such as Chungking Express (1994), In the Mood for Love (2000), Still Life (2006), Peacock (2005), and Spring Fever (2009). These films artfully illustrate hesitant gestures where protagonists—immersed in indeterminacy and affect—find themselves trapped in a realm of suspension and ambiguity. In conclusion, this paper contends that hesitation should not be seen as just a simple suspension, but an intense affectivity that may be amorphous, and can be felt through cinema.

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  • REALMS OF REALITY
    Social Realism and Female Representation in the Cinematic Worlds of Kim Ki-young and Satyajit Ray
    AMAN TRIPATHI, Jawaharlal Nehru University
    Abstract

    REALMS OF REALITY
    Social Realism and Female Representation in the Cinematic Worlds of Kim Ki-young and Satyajit Ray


    The onset of the twentieth century witnessed a notable surge in cinematic realism, spurred by the contributions of André Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer in the 1930s. This movement profoundly influenced filmmakers worldwide, as seen in Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid (1960) and Satyajit Ray’s Charulata (1964). These filmmakers share commonalities in their approaches, reflected in elements such as mise-en-scène and character portrayal. However, a gap persists in scholarly discourse regarding social realism and women’s depiction in their oeuvres. This research study employs qualitative methodology to explore these factors, focusing on female character portrayal through Freudian psychoanalysis. A comparison of The Housemaid and Charulata reveals how social dynamics shape narratives, highlighting class disparities and gender roles, and offering insights into human relationships within diverse cultural contexts.

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The Rising Asia Review of Books
  • THE END OF THE “LONG PEACE” MAY BE COMING
    A Foreboding Book for These Times
    REVIEW BY ASAD LATIF, Senior Singapore Journalist
    Abstract

    THE END OF THE “LONG PEACE” MAY BE COMING
    A Foreboding Book for These Times


    Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time (London: Penguin, 2024), 358 pages, GBP 10.99.

    Full Text PDF
  • SOUTHEAST ASIANS TRYING TO SPEAK UP
    In Multiple Voices, They Seek Change
    REVIEW BY VINOD KUMAR PILLAI, Independent Scholar
    Abstract

    SOUTHEAST ASIANS TRYING TO SPEAK UP
    In Multiple Voices, They Seek Change


    Lina Knorr, Andrea Fleschenberg, Sumrin Kalia, and Claudia Derichs, editors, Local Responses to Global Challenges in Southeast Asia (Singapore: World Scientific, 2023), 452 pages, USD 148.

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  • THE MYSTERY OF LANGUAGE AND THOUGHTS
    Signifying the Person in Southeast Asia
    REVIEW BY SALIKYU SANGTAM, Tetso College
    Abstract

    THE MYSTERY OF LANGUAGE AND THOUGHTS
    Signifying the Person in Southeast Asia


    Dwi Noverini Djenar and Jack Sidnell (eds.), Signs of Deference, Signs of Demeanour: Interlocutor Reference and Self-Other Relations across Southeast Asia Speech Communities (Singapore: National University of Singapore Press, 2023), 260 pages, SGD 52 / US$48.

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About the Journal

Rising Asia is a scholarly publication and journal of record with a multidisciplinary orientation. It serves as a resource for the study, investigation, and teaching of Asian societies. Each volume of the journal contains interpretive essays on all aspects of Asian history, economy, diplomacy, literature, health, science, military affairs (war, peace and society or WPS) and culture.

Its coverage spans the humanities and social sciences, incorporating various thematic approaches—historical, economic, foreign policy, military, literary and theoretical that explore issues of grand strategy, ideology, ethnicity, race and gender, diasporic and indigenous communities, and colonialism and postcolonialism. The journal also publishes research articles in the field of Film Studies, as well as commentaries on museum exhibits and resource guides, provided all of them are scholarly in nature.

Journal Information

Title: Rising Asia Journal
Frequency: Three times a year
ISSN: ISSN 2583-1038
Publisher: Rising Asia Foundation
Chief Editor: Harish C. Mehta
Copyright: Rising Asia Foundation
Starting year: January 2021
Subject: Multidisciplinary subjects
Language: English
Publication Format: Online
Phone No: 91-9830721954
Email id: harishcmehta1968@gmail.com
Website: www.rajraf.org
Address: 32 T, New Road, Alipore, Kolkata 700 027, West Bengal, India

Editorial Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HARISH C. MEHTA
PhD, McMaster University, Canada;
former Lecturer at University of Toronto, McMaster,
and Trent University;
and former Senior Indochina Correspondent,
The Business Times of Singapore.
harishcmehta1968@gmail.com
harish.mehta@utoronto.ca
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PRESIDENT

ANIRUDDHA LAHIRI
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras;
Wharton (Senior Leadership Program);
former positions: Senior Vice-President, Unilever;
Director, Hindustan Lever;
Managing Director ABP Ltd (publisher of The Telegraph),
President, The Chatterjee Group.
lahiriani@googlemail.com
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CONSULTING EDITOR

GURJIT SINGH
Former Ambassador of India to Germany, Indonesia, ASEAN, Ethiopia and the African Union; currently honorary Professor of Humanities, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore (Japan, Indonesia, ASEAN, Africa and Europe),
ambassadorgurjitsingh@gmail.com
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ASSOCIATE EDITORS

ANG CHENG GUAN
Professor, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore. (International History and Politics of Southeast Asia),
iscgang@ntu.edu.sg
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JANGKHONGAM DOUNGEL
Professor, Department of Political Science, Mizoram University, Aizawl (Local/Regional Politics & Socio-Economic Development of Mizoram, and Autonomy Movements in the North East),
jdoungel@gmail.com
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BOARD OF EDITORS

Julie Banerjee Mehta
Former Lecturer, University of Toronto and York University, currently Guest Faculty Professor, Loreto College, Calcutta (Postcolonial and Gender Theory, World Literatures, Diaspora Studies and Southeast Asian Culture),
juliemehta57@gmail.com
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Suchorita Chattopadhyay
Professor, Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University (Comparative Literature, Japan, and Asian Diasporas),
suchoritachattopadhyay@yahoo.com
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Craig Etcheson
PhD (International Relations), University of Southern California; former Visiting Scientist at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health from 2017 through June 2022 (Transitional Justice, Genocide Studies, and Cambodia),
etcheson@ix.netcom.com
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Lalnundika Hnamte
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Pachhunga University College, A Constituent College of Mizoram University (Peace and Conflict Resolution; Northeast Indian politics; Sixth Schedule and Tribal Autonomy; Migration and Citizenship;
Look East/Act East Policy),
lalnundika@jbc.edu.in
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Tuan Hoang
Associate Professor of Great Books, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California (Modern Vietnamese Intellectual and Religious History, Vietnamese American History,
and Vietnamese Catholicism),
tuan.hoang@pepperdine.edu
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Sanjay Kathuria
PhD (Economics), University of Oxford; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, and Ashoka University, Sonipat, India; Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research and former Lead Economist, World Bank (South Asian Trade and Investment, India's North East, Global Economy, Economic Growth, and Competitiveness),
sanjay@cprindia.org
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Veronica Khangchian
Assistant Professor, Gandhian School of Democracy and Socialism, ITM University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh; and former faculty in the Department of Sociology at Delhi School of Economics and Maitreyi College, University of Delhi (Ethnicity & Conflict, Migration, and Peace Processes in Northeast India),
verokarujiliu@gmail.com
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Vimal Khawas
Professor, the Special Centre for the Study of North East India, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (the Himalayan region, Sikkim, Nepal, Environmental Studies/Security, Development Studies, Urban and Regional Planning),
vimalkhawas@mail.jnu.ac.in
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Siddharth Mallavarapu
Professor, Department of International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University (Disciplinary histories of International Relations, Theories of IR in the Global South, Asia in World Affairs, Comparative Political Thought, and Critical Security Studies),
siddharth.m@snu.edu.in
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Medha
Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University (South Asian Historical International Relations, Postcolonial and Decolonial approaches, Identities, Ideologies and Religion, and Discourse Theory),
medha@snu.edu.in
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Biswajit Mohapatra
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong (Politics, International Relations and Foreign Policy; and India's North East),
biswajitm1@gmail.com
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Nguyet Nguyen
Assistant Professor of History, Department of Social Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Alaska, Southeast, Juneau, Alaska (Vietnam War, U.S. Foreign Relations, Imperialism and Decolonization, and Gender Politics),
ntnguyen2@alaska.edu
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Por Heong Hong
Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang (Malaysia's healthcare policy, biopolitics, politics of memory, politics of heritage),
porheonghong@usm.my
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Vu Duong Luan
Senior Lecturer, Department of Heritage Studies, and Head of Office of Research Affairs and International Cooperation, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Transnational History of Sino-Vietnamese Early Modern Borderlands, Comparative Studies of Social and Economic Institutions of Imperial China and Vietnam, and the Politics of Heritage in Chinese and Vietnamese societies).
luanvuduong@gmail.com
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ASSISTANT EDITORS

BOOKS
Mohini Maureen Pradhan
mohinipcal53@gmail.com

FILM STUDIES
Raka Mukherjee
rakamukherjeeofficial@gmail.com.

RESEARCH
Hemalatha Sridhar
tatsugarde@gmail.com

Hussena Calcuttawala
hussenacal@gmail.com

COLUMNS
Valentina Notts
valentinanotts@gmail.com

PUBLISHING EXECUTIVE
Roshni Subramani
sales.risingasia@gmail.com

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