Political Imaginaries in Twentieth-Century India (Critical Perspectives in South Asian History)

"This volume reconsiders India's 20th century though a specific focus on the concepts, conjunctures and currency of its distinct political imaginaries. Spanning the divide between independence and partition, it highlights recent historical debates that have sought to move away from a nation-centred mode of political history to a broader history of politics that considers the complex contexts within which different political imaginaries emerged in 20th century India. Representing the first attempt to grasp the shifting modes and meanings of the 'political' in India, this book explores forms of mass protest, radical women's politics, civil rights, democracy, national wealth and mobilization against the indentured-labor system, amongst other themes. In linking 'the political' to shifts in historical temporality, Political Imaginaries in 20th century India extends beyond the interdisciplinary arena of South Asian studies to cognate late colonial and post-colonial formations in the twentieth century and contribute to the 'political turn' in scholarship."-- Provided by publisher Preface (to be drafted) -- 1. Political Imaginaries: A programme for Twentieth Century Political History, Manu Goswami and Mrinalini Sinha (New York University, USA and University of Michigan, USA) Genealogies of the Political -- 2. The Political in Question: Anatomy of a People's Politics, Mrinalini Sinha (University of Michigan, USA) -- 3. Mass Satyagraha and the Problem of Collective Power, Karuna Mantena (Columbia University, USA) -- 4. Conspicuous Communism: Rethinking Early Communism in Late Imperial India, Manu Goswami (New York University, USA) -- 5. National Wealth or National Poverty? The Politics of Measurement in Late Colonial India, Eleanor Newbigin (SOAS University of London, UK) -- 6. Law and the Political Imaginary in Mid-Twentieth Century Southern India, Kalyani Ramnath (Princeton University, USA) -- 7. Remembering the Emergency and the Question of Politics, Mary John (Centre for Women's Development Studies, Delhi, India) Recalling Democracy -- 8. Radicalizing Democracies in India: Three Political Imaginaries, Partha Chatterjee (Columbia University, USA) -- 9. Institutionalizing Democratic Uncertainties: 'Election Time' in the Life of Indian Democracy, Anupama Roy & Ujjwal Kumar Singh (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India) -- 10. Voting and the Visual: Electoral Symbols, Legal Discourse, & the Sovereign People, David Gilmartin (North Carolina State University, USA) -- 11. Representations of Electoral Politics: Notes on the Conceptual Power of the 'Vote Bank', Satish Deshpande (Delhi University, India) -- 12. Dispossession and Democracy: The Land Acquisition Act and the Future of India's Land Wars, Michael Levien (John Hopkins University, USA) -- 13. Democracy and the Moment of the Political, Aditya Nigam (Centre for Women's Development Studies, Delhi, India) Afterword (to be drafted) Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 Notes on Contributors 11 1 Political Imaginaries: A Program for Twentieth-Century Political History Manu Goswami and Mrinalini Sinha 12 Part 1 Genealogies of the Political 40 2 Anatomy of a Politics of the People Mrinalini Sinha 42 3 Mass Satyagraha and the Problem of Collective Power Karuna Mantena 62 4 Conspicuous Communism Manu Goswami 84 5 National Wealth or National Poverty? The Politics of Economic Measurement in Late Colonial India Eleanor Newbigin 110 6 Law and the Political Imaginary in Mid-Twentieth-Century Southern India Kalyani Ramnath 132 Part 2 Democratic Imaginaries 150 7 Institutionalizing Democratic Uncertainties: “Election Time(s)” in the Life of Indian Democracy Anupama Roy and Ujjwal Kumar Singh 152 8 Voting and the Visual: Electoral Symbols, Legal Discourse, and the Sovereign People David Gilmartin 170 9 Representations of Electoral Politics: Notes on the Conceptual Career of the “Vote Bank” Satish Deshpande 192 10 Dispossession and Democracy: The Land Acquisition Act and the Future of India’s Land Wars Michael Levien 210 Part 3 Political Commentaries 232 11 Remembering the Emergency and the Question of Politics Mary E. John 234 12 Radicalizing Democracy in India: Three Political Imaginaries Partha Chatterjee 252 13 Democracy and the Moment of Politics Aditya Nigam 270 14 The New Conjuncture Nivedita Menon 288 Index 310 Political imaginaries : a programme for twentieth century political history / Manu Goswami and Mrinalini Sinha -- The political in question : anatomy of a people's politics / Mrinalini Sinha -- Mass satyagraha and the problem of collective power / Karuna Mantena -- Conspicuous communism : rethinking early communism in late imperial India / Manu Goswami -- National wealth or national poverty? The politics of measurement in late colonial India / Eleanor Newbigin -- Law and the political imaginary in mid-twentieth century southern India / Kalyani Ramnath -- Institutionalizing democratic uncertainties : 'election time' in the life of Indian democracy / Anupama Roy & Ujjwal Kumar Singh -- Voting and the visual : electoral symbols, legal discourse, & the sovereign people / David Gilmartin -- Representations of electoral politics : notes on the conceptual power of the 'vote bank' / Satish Deshpande -- Dispossession and democracy : the Land Acquisition Act and the future of India's land wars / Michael Levien -- Remembering the emergency and the question of politics / Mary John -- Radicalizing democracies in India : three political imaginarie / Partha Chatterjee -- Democracy and the moment of the political / Aditya Nigam -- The new conjuncture / Nivedita Menon