Description
Book SynopsisFocusing on politics and society in India, this book explores new areas enmeshed in the complex social, economic and political processes in the country. Linking the structural characteristics with the broader sociological context, the book emphasizes the strong influence of sociological issues on politics, such as social milieu shaping and the articulation of the political in day-to-day events. Political events are connected with the ever-changing social, economic and political processes in order to provide an analytical framework to explain âpeculiaritiesâ of Indian politics. Bidyut Chakrabarty argues that three major ideological influences of colonialism, nationalism and democracy have provided the foundational values of Indian politics.
Structured thematically and chronologically, this work is a useful resource for students of political science, sociology and South Asian studies.
Trade Review"…in the last ten years or so I have not read a book which is comparable to Bidyut Chakrabarty’s in it richness of material, quality, rigour, scope, sweep, lucidity, and readability. I would even consider this script as a kind of trend-setter." - P. Radhakrishnan, Professor, Sociology, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, India, and prominent social critic
"[T]he volume remains an appropriate and timely intervention that, with its thematically organised bibliography, will be an asset for all interested in the politics of modern India." - Soumen Mukherjee, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Contemporary South Asia, Vol. 18, No. 4, December 2010
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Setting the Scene 2. Shaping Indian Politics: The Language of Identity 3. Indian Democracy: Liberalism in its Reinvented Form 4. Parliamentary Federalism in India: Redefining the Westminster Model 5. The Chaotic 1960s: A Decade of Experiments and Turmoil 6. The Left Front and the 2006 Assembly Elections in West Bengal: Marxism Reinvented 7. Coalition Politics in India: Cultural Synergy or Political Expediency. Conclusion
