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Swaraj Jain from Jaipur is heading to New York University in August, brimming with excitement and a clear understanding of the challenges ahead.

Named after the British general who helped stamp out India’s first nationalist rebellion in 1857, the island was officially renamed Swaraj Dweep a few years ago, though few people, even officials, use that name.

"We have had a foretaste of swaraj," he declared with irony.

A community that practices swaraj may not dam a stream, for example, if that threatens the water supply of downstream villages; its well-being cannot compromise that of others.

The ancient Indian notion of swaraj, literally translated as “self-rule,” is particularly relevant here.