The meaning and function of community has been debated within the traditions of social and political theory since antiquity, the discussion of which, however, has been stimulated in contemporary societies by globalisation, especially in relation to the rights and responsibilities of citizens, migrants, the rise in importance of diasporic and indigenous identities; and consequently of the politics of identity and recognition more generally. In this context, the present paper purports to explore and evaluate the fractured multicultural policies of the state of Sikkim via the symbolic recognition and/or (mis)/(non) recognition of indigenous languages. Exploring the context and contours of the development of linguistic multicultural politics in the Indian state of Sikkim, the paper will also attempt an understanding of the nature of democratic experience by linguistic communities in the state.
