Negotiated Spaces, Shared Place Identities: Roadside Settlements and Culture of Belonging in a Himalayan Town.

Succeeding waves of mobilisation for the separate state of Gorkhaland has left an indelible imprint on the cultural, political and urban landscape of the Darjeeling Hills. Based on empirical research, this paper tries to explore the intricate relationship between ethnicity, place and politics of belonging in the Himalayan town of Kalimpong. It specifically tries to locate the interface between political events and the transformation of the urban landscape by taking into consideration the growth of roadside settlements. While noting the specific contours of these settlements, their culture and their liminal condition, the paper tries to address the issues pertaining to place-making and identity formation in the Himalayan region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]