Companion to Indian Democracy : Resilience, Fragility, Ambivalence

"This book presents a comprehensive overview of the contemporary experiences of democracy in India. It explores the modes by which democracy as an idea, and as a practice, is interpreted, enforced, and lived in India's current political climate. The book employs 'case studies' as a methodological vantage point to evolve an innovative conceptual framework for the study of democracy in India. The chapters unpack a diverse range of themes such as democracy and Dalits; agriculture, new sociality and communal violence in rural areas; changing nature of political communication in India; role of anti-nuclear movements in democracies; issues of subaltern citizen's voice, impaired governance and the development paradigm; free speech and segregation in the public sphere; and, the surveillance state and Indian democracy. These thematic explorations are arranged in an engaging sequence to offer a multifaceted narrative of Indian democracy especially in relation to the recent debates on citizenship and constitutionalism. A key critical intervention on contemporary politics in South Asia, this book will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of political studies, political science, political sociology, comparative government and politics, sociology, social anthropology, public administration, public policy, and South Asia studies. It will also be of immense interest to policymakers, journalists, think-tanks, bureaucrats, and organizations working in the area"-- Provided by publisher This book presents a comprehensive overview of the contemporary experiences of democracy in India. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 List of figures 11 List of tables 12 Notes on contributors 13 Prologue: the Question is Democracy! 17 Acknowledgements 19 List of abbreviations 21 Introduction: the question indeed is democracy 26 1 Democracy, Dalits and struggle for common land in Punjab 51 2 Agrarian transformation, emergence of new sociality and communal violence in rural Western Uttar Pradesh 64 3 Electoral campaign as a performative plebiscite: mapping the changing nature of political communication in India 78 4 The role of anti-nuclear movements in deepening the meaning and practices of democracy 88 5 People, protected areas and political parties: a study of two protest movements in Odisha 96 6 Democratisation of communities through rural local governance 112 7 Regional movements in democracy: the case of Telangana 128 8 From land reform to guaranteeing title to land (secure property rights) in India: implications for democracy 140 9 From Jan Sunwai to social audit: trust, contention, and ‘workable democracy’ 157 10 Democracy (practice) in question? subaltern citizen’s-voice, impaired governance and development paradigm 170 11 Election campaign in Mizoram 179 12 Making sense of democracy: Musahars of Eastern Uttar Pradesh 188 13 Political mobilisation of Muslims in Kerala: towards a communitarian becoming of democracy 200 14 Conceiving scientific expertise democratically: a study of Western Ghats ecological controversy 212 15 Free speech, democracy and the ‘hidden persuaders’: segregation in the public sphere 229 16 Regulatory reforms in electricity sector: systemic change or sabotage? 248 17 In pursuit of personal data: a survey on state surveillance and democracy in India 259 18 The contemporary moment of Indian democracy 281 Bibliography 302 Index 324 Democracy;,Electoral,Campaign;,Political,Parties;,Regional,Movements;,Indian,Democracy Democracy,Electoral Campaign,Political Parties,Regional Movements,Indian Democracy This book presents a comprehensive overview of the contemporary experiences of democracy in India. It explores the modes by which democracy as an idea, and as a practice, is interpreted, enforced, and lived in India's current political climate.The book employs ‘case studies'as a methodological vantage point to evolve an innovative conceptual framework for the study of democracy in India. The chapters unpack a diverse range of themes such as democracy and Dalits; agriculture, new sociality and communal violence in rural areas; changing nature of political communication in India; role of anti-nuclear movements in democracies; issues of subaltern citizen's voice, impaired governance and the development paradigm; free speech and segregation in the public sphere; and, the surveillance state and Indian democracy. These thematic explorations are arranged in an engaging sequence to offer a multifaceted narrative of Indian democracy especially in relation to the recent debates on citizenship and constitutionalism.A key critical intervention on contemporary politics in South Asia, this book will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of political studies, political science, political sociology, comparative government and politics, sociology, social anthropology, public administration, public policy, and South Asia studies. It will also be of immense interest to policymakers, journalists, think tanks, bureaucrats, and organizations working in the area. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the contemporary experiences of democracy in India. It explores the modes by which democracy as an idea, and as a practice, is interpreted, enforced, and lived in Indias current political climate. The book employs case studies as a methodological vantage point to evolve an innovative conceptual framework for the study of democracy in India. The chapters unpack a diverse range of themes such as democracy and Dalits; agriculture, new sociality and communal violence in rural areas; changing nature of political communication in India; role of anti-nuclear movements in democracies; issues of subaltern citizens voice, impaired governance and the development paradigm; free speech and segregation in the public sphere; and, the surveillance state and Indian democracy. These thematic explorations are arranged in an engaging sequence to offer a multifaceted narrative of Indian democracy especially in relation to the recent debates on citizenship and constitutionalism. A key critical intervention on contemporary politics in South Asia, this book will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of political studies, political science, political sociology, comparative government and politics, sociology, social anthropology, public administration, public policy, and South Asia studies. It will also be of immense interest to policymakers, journalists, think tanks, bureaucrats, and organizations working in the area.