Decentring the Indian Nation

First published in 2003, Decentring the Indian Nation examines the various centrifugal forces apparent in recent Indian politics. After achieving independence in 1947 India's elite opted to build a modern nation-state. This idea was carefully nurtured during the fight for freedom from British rule by the dominant Congress movement. In recent years, the idea of a centralised state has been challenged from a number of directions. Strong regional political movements have questioned the assumption that India's federal system requires a dominant centre. The related trend of identity-based mobilisation has challenged settled notions of Indian national identity. The authors discuss the idea that as a nation, India is becoming 'decentred', and consider the implications of this idea for the development of the Indian polity. This book will be of interest to students of politics, geography and development.

List of contents

1. Decentring the Indian Nation 2. Constitutional Centring: Nation Formation and Consociational Federalism in India and Pakistan 3. Redrawing the Body Politic: Federalism, Regionalism and the Creation of New States in India 4. The Continuing Struggle for India's Jharkhand: Democracy, Decentralisation and the Politics of Names and Numbers 5. Liberal, Secular Democracy and Explanations of Hindu Nationalism 6. Whatever Happened in Cultural Nationalism in Tamil Nadu? A Reading of Current Events and the Recent Literature on Tamil Politics 7. A Response to John Harriss 8. Identity Politics and Social Pluralism: Political Sociology and Political Change in Tamil Nadu Abstracts Index

Product details

• Authors: Andrew Zavos Wyatt
• Assisted by: Wyatt Andrew (Editor), Zavos John (Editor)
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2025
• EAN: 9781032452005
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3245200-5
• No. of pages: 148
• Series: Routledge Revivals
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Political Parties, POLITICAL SCIENCE / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Parties, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Constitutions, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Essays, Political leaders & leadership, Elections & referenda, Indian sub-continent, Political leaders and leadership, Political parties and party platforms, Elections and referenda / suffrage