Caste and Democratic Politics in India

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

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