Caste and Democratic Politics in India
Book Specification
| Item Code: | NAG207 |
| Author: | Ghanshyam Shah |
| Publisher: | Permanent Black |
| Language: | English |
| Edition: | 2012 |
| ISBN: | 9788178240954 |
| Pages: | 421 |
| Cover: | Paperback |
| Other Details | 8.5 inch X 5.5 inch |
| Weight | 420 gm |
Book Description
About the Book
The Indian constitution seeks to prevent the perpetuation of caste and build a casteless social system. But this has not happened. Therefore no understanding o Indian politics is possible without a through understanding of the complexities of caste.
Structured into four parts and prefaced by a long introduction by the volume editor, this book begins by examining various meanings of caste. The essays and book extracts in its first section include classic writings on caste, including those by G.S. Ghurye, Louis Dumont, Mahatma Gandhi, and B.R. Ambedkar.
The second part consists of essays on the relation between caste and power. The third comprises material on caste and Indian political practices on the ground. The fourth, on caste and social transformation, includes discussion on the heated debate relating to reservations for socially backward caste.
This volume offers state of the art essays on the subject of caste and politics in contemporary India.
About the Author
GHANSHYAM SHAH was professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has edited and authored numerous books and essays on the subject of caste, class, and politics in India.
Contents
| Acknowledgements | vii | |
| List of Contributors | viii | |
| 1 | Introduction: Caste and Democratic Politics | 1 |
| Part I. The meanings of caste | 33 | |
| Introduction | 35 | |
| 2 | Features of the Caste System | 38 |
| 3 | Hierarchy: The Theory of the Varna | 60 |
| 4 | Caste Must Go | 80 |
| 5 | Caste in India | 83 |
| 6 | Ram Manohar Lohia on Caste in Indian politics | 108 |
| 7 | Caste, Class and Property Relations | 134 |
| Part II. The diffusion of power | 163 | |
| Introduction | 165 | |
| 8 | The Transformation of Authority in Rural India | 167 |
| 9 | Caste and Class: Social Reality and political Representations | 209 |
| 10 | Federating for political Interests: The Kshatriyas of Gujarat | 234 |
| Part III. Caste and political process | 267 | |
| INTRODUCTION | 269 | |
| 11 | Pragmatic Progressives in Regional politics: The Case of Devraj Urs | 271 |
| 12 | The BJP and Backward Castes in Gujarat | 295 |
| 13 | New Phase in Backward Caste politics in Bihar, 1990-2000 | 315 |
| 14 | Dalit Assertion through Electoral Politics | 356 |
| Part IV. Caste and social transformation | 385 | |
| Introduction | 387 | |
| 15 | Social Backwardness and the politics of Reservations | 388 |
| 16 | The Anti-caste Movement and the Discourse of power | 413 |
| Appendix to Chapter 16 | 432 | |
| Bibliography | 437 |
