Description
Book SynopsisWith the rise of the Hindu fundamentalist BJP as a significant electoral force nationwide, Indian politics are in the process of a major shift in character. Not only is the shaky hold of Congress on power threatened by this dynamic party with its overt appeal to religious chauvinism, but the secular nature of the Indian state and delicate balance of relations between diverse religious communities are at stake.
The eminent scholars who have collaborated in this book examine both the flash point issue of the mosque at Ayodha (demolished by militant Hindus), as well as the deeper causes - historic and contemporary - underlying rising communal tension in India today/
This book constitutes a profound but accessible re-examination of many basic features of Indian society and politics.
Trade Review'An impressive collection.'
Edward W. Desmond,
New York Review of BooksTable of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Introduction - Sarvepalli Gopal
- 2. A Historical Overview - K.N. Panikkar
- 3. How the British Saw the Issue - Sushil Srivastava
- 4. Legal Aspects to the Issue - A.G. Noorani
- 5. Competing Symbols and Shared Codes: Inter-Community Relations in Modern India - Mushirul Hasan
- 6. Myth, History and the Politics of Ramjanmabhumi - Neeladri Bhattacharya
- 7. A Historical Perspective on the Story of Rama - Romila Thapar
- 8. Colonialism and Communalism - Aditya Mukherjee
- 9. Hindu-Muslim Relations Before and After 1947 - Ashgar Ali Engineer
- 10. Predatory Commercialization and Communalism in India - Amiya Kumar Bagchi
- Notes on the Contributors
- Chronology of Events
- Appendix
- Index
