Structural contingencies and untimely coincidences in the making of neoliberal India: The Kandla Free Trade Zone, 1965–91. (February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Neveling, Patrick
• Other Names: Neveling Patrick guest-editor.; Strümpell Christian guest-editor.; Münster Daniel guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Contributions to Indian sociology. Volume 48:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 43
• Publication Date: 2014-02
• Subjects: Capitalism -- history -- neoliberalism -- export processing zone -- development -- India-USSR relations; India -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; 301.095405
• DOI: 10.1177/0069966713502420
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0069-9667

Abstract

This article introduces the concepts of untimely coincidences of modes of production and structural contingencies in global capitalism to the study of neoliberalism in India and beyond. I argue that these concepts are crucial to revive a historical anthropology, which shows that neoliberalism is one of several possible manifestations of capitalism, past and present. The analytical gain of such a revised view on neoliberalism is then exemplified by a historical–anthropological account of the development of India's first special economic zone, the Kandla Foreign Trade Zone, from 1965 to the late 1980s. Based on these findings, I conclude my plea for conceptual changes in anthropology's approach to periodising national and global histories of neoliberalism.