What makes a nation a nation? A Biography of the Indian Nation contextualises this question in a uniquely new paradigm by concentrating on the post-colonial phase rather than the colonial period of Indian history in charting the evolution of Indian nationalism. It gives primacy to politics rather than concentrating merely on historicism and cultural analysis. As Professor Samaddar argues, it is only with the assumption of state power that the nationalist journey in India can be said to have begun in earnest. He focuses on the encounters between the Indian nation and its myriad `constituents`—rebels, communities, citizens and aliens—as well as with democracy, both conceptually and practically. The volume offers an elegant and lucid analysis of a complex and dynamic process, delineating a theory of Indian nationalism that is not only unique in its approach but exhaustive in its scope.

What makes a nation a nation? A Biography of the Indian Nation contextualises this question in a uniquely new paradigm by concentrating on the post-colonial phase rather than the colonial period of Indian history in charting the evolution of Indian nationalism. It gives primacy to politics rather than concentrating merely on historicism and cultural analysis. As Professor Samaddar argues, it is only with the assumption of state power that the nationalist journey in India can be said to have begun in earnest. He focuses on the encounters between the Indian nation and its myriad `constituents`—rebels, communities, citizens and aliens—as well as with democracy, both conceptually and practically. The volume offers an elegant and lucid analysis of a complex and dynamic process, delineating a theory of Indian nationalism that is not only unique in its approach but exhaustive in its scope.

Focusing on politics and society in India, this book explores new areas enmeshed in the complex social, economic and political processes in the country. Linking the structural characteristics with the broader sociological context, the book emphasizes the strong influence of sociological issues on politics, such as social milieu shaping and the articulation of the political in day-to-day events. Political events are connected with the ever-changing social, economic and political processes in order to provide an analytical framework to explain ‘peculiarities’ of Indian politics. Bidyut Chakrabarty argues that three major ideological influences of colonialism, nationalism and democracy have provided the foundational values of Indian politics. Structured thematically and chronologically, this work is a useful resource for students of political science, sociology and South Asian studies.

Offering a detailed analysis of post-colonial South Asia, The Politics of Dialogue discusses the creation and impact of borders and the pervasive tension between the new nations. Neither all-out war nor complete peace, this fragile condition makes political leaders and strategists feel claustrophobic - a war produces an end result but peace allows the rulers to carry out their policies for governing along their preferred path of development. The book shows how cartographic, communal and political lines are not only dividing countries, but that they are being replicated within countries, creating new visible and invisible internal frontiers. It argues that, in a situation where geopolitics constrains democracy, the political class becomes incapable of coping with the tension between the inside/outside, eg democracy appears as an internal problem and geopolitics appears as a problem related to the 'outside'.