The Dravidian Model
Interpreting the Political Economy of Tamil Nadu

Maps the politics and processes contributing to the distinct developmental trajectory of Tamil Nadu, southern India.

Kalaiyarasan A. (Author), Vijayabaskar M. (Author)

9781009413268, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 August 2023

288 pages
27 x 18 x 1.9 cm, 0.486 kg

'The Dravidian Movement has been studied extensively for its ideology and political mobilization. But its impact on social development and economic growth has rarely been subjected to such meticulous scrutiny. Of special importance here is the analysis of how the Dravidian Movement brought lower castes into the entrepreneurial sphere, lifting Tamil Nadu not only socially but also economically. A compelling and much needed analysis.' Ashutosh Varshney, Brown University

This book adds to the growing literature on dynamics of regional development in the global South by mapping the politics and processes contributing to the distinct developmental trajectory of Tamil Nadu, southern India. Using a novel interpretive framework and drawing upon fresh data and literature, it seeks to explain the social and economic development of the state in terms of populist mobilization against caste-based inequalities. Dominant policy narratives on inclusive growth assume a sequential logic whereby returns to growth are used to invest in socially inclusive policies. By focusing more on redistribution of access to opportunities in the modern economy, Tamil Nadu has sustained a relatively more inclusive and dynamic growth process. Democratization of economic opportunities has made such broad-based growth possible even as interventions in social sectors reinforce the former. The book thus also speaks to the nascent literature on the relationship between the logic of modernisation and status based inequalities in the global South.

Abbreviations, List of tables, List of figures, 1. The Dravidian model: an introduction
2. Conceptions of power and mobilisation: a framework for analysis
3. Democratising education
4. Democratising care 5. Broadening growth and democratising capital
6. Identity-based mobilisation and outcomes in rural Tamil Nadu
7. Institutions, interventions and urban labour
8. Fissures, limits and possible futures
Appendices
References.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Development economics & emerging economies [KCM], Regional government [JPR], Political structure & processes [JPH], Political science & theory [JPA], Politics & government [JP]