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Intimacy, Loyalty and State Formation: The Spectre of the "Anti-National"

Whitecross, Richard

Authors



Contributors

Sharika Thiranagama
Editor

Tobias Kelly
Editor

Abstract

On 19 April 1998, the Tiger’s Nest temple, in Taktshang, near Paro in western Bhutan, caught fire and was substantially destroyed. The destruction of this major Buddhist pilgrimage site was attributed, though never publicly established, to be the work of “anti-nationals” or “traitors.” Commencing fieldwork the following summer, I found the so-called anti-national was an ever-present entity. Each evening, I would watch as Senge made offerings to placate those spirits that cause illness, and for a long time, the anti-national felt equally intangible. Conversations would touch on their presence in the community, and I was advised on several occasions about...

Citation

Whitecross, R. (2010). Intimacy, Loyalty and State Formation: The Spectre of the "Anti-National". In T. Kelly, & S. Thiranagama (Eds.), Traitors: Suspicion, Intimacy, and the Ethics of State Building (68-88). Penn State University Press

Acceptance Date Apr 7, 2008
Publication Date May 7, 2010
Deposit Date May 12, 2017
Publisher Penn State University Press
Pages 68-88
Book Title Traitors: Suspicion, Intimacy, and the Ethics of State Building
Chapter Number 3
ISBN 978-0-8122-4213-3
Keywords Anti-nationalism, democracy, traitors,
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/836761