The paper aims to present two ethnographic case studies that focus in the idea of ‘everyday state’. The first study focuses on the North Bengal Hills of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts where the Lepchas in their ethnopolitical articulations have been constantly staking claims on the state through the West Bengal Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board (WBMLLDB). In the last decade, the Lepcha organizations have been extremely effective in claiming the state through the establishment of the WBMLLDB enabling for the different infrastructural and socio-economic amenities for the betterment of the Lepcha community. Simultaneously, through this citizen- state engagement, the state too has gained legitimacy in laying its claims in these contested territories through the welfare projects of the WBMLLDB.
The second study explores the Adivasis involvement with the Karra Block Development Office (BDO) in Khunti district, Jharkhand. Despite the prevailing belief that Adivasis maintain a distance from the state, this research examines their intricate dynamics of interaction with the BDO. By analysing their constant negotiation with the state, the study aims to debunk the notion that Adivasis 'keep the state away'. Employing an ethnographic lens, this study sheds light on the multifaceted nature of the Adivasi-state relationship, revealing the complexities and nuances inherent in this socio-political dynamic.
In this context, the ‘everyday state’ in its margins represents the constant negotiations and contestations between the state's authority and the aspirations of different communities for self-determination, development, autonomy and cultural preservation. The state apparatus, which includes administrative bodies, law enforcement agencies and development initiatives, intersects with the daily lives of these communities in various ways, both empowering and disempowering them.
