The Success of India's Democracy

Leading scholars consider how democracy has taken root in India despite poverty, illiteracy and ethnic diversity.

Atul Kohli (Edited by)

9780521805308, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 6 September 2001

316 pages, 5 tables
22.7 x 14 x 1 cm, 0.6 kg

'This is an essential read not only for the students of India but also those of democracy.' The Journal of Development Studies

How has democracy taken root in India in the face of a low-income economy, widespread poverty, illiteracy, and immense ethnic diversity? Atul Kohli brings together some of the world's leading scholars of Indian politics to consider this intriguing anomaly. They do so by focusing, not so much on socio-economic factors, but rather on the ways in which power is distributed in India. Two processes have guided the negotiation of power conflicts. First, a delicate balance has been struck between the forces of centralization and decentralization and, second, the interests of the powerful in society have been served without excluding those on the margins. These themes are addressed by the editor in his introduction, which is followed by an essay on the historical origins of Indian democracy, and two sections, one on the consolidation of democratic institutions, and the other on the forces which motivate or inhibit democratic growth.

List of contributors
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction Atul Kohli
Part I. Historical Origins: 2. Indian democracy: the historical inheritance Sumit Sarkar
Part II. Political Institutions and Democratic Consolidation: 3. India's federal design and multicultural national construction Jyotirindra Dasgupta
4. Center-state relations James Manor
5. Making local government work Subrata K. Mitra
6. Redoing the constitutional design: from an interventionist to a regulatory state Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph
7. The dialectics of Hindu nationalism Amrita Basu: Part III. Social Demands and Democratic Deepening
8. The struggle for equality: caste in Indian politics Myron Weiner
9. Sharing the spoils: group equity, development and democracy Pranab Bardhan
10. Social movement politics in India: institutions, interest, and identities Mary Katzenstein, Smitu Kothari, and Uday Mehta
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Ethnic studies [JFSL], Religion: general [HRA], History [HB], Regional studies [GTB]