This lively collection of essays by Ashutosh Varshney analyses the deepening of Indian democracy since 1947 and the challenges this has created. It examines concerns ranging from federalism and Hindu nationalism to caste conflict and civil society, the north–south economic divide, and politics of economic reforms. Accompanied by a substantial overview tracing the forging and consolidation of India’s improbable democracy, the book, full of original insights, portrays the successes and failures of our experience in a new comparative perspective, enriching our understanding of the idea of democracy.

India is heralded as the world's largest democracy. Yet, there is now growing alarm about its democratic health. To Kill a Democracy gets to the heart of the matter. Combining poignant life stories with sharp scholarly insight, it rejects the belief that India was once a beacon of democracy but is now being ruined by the destructive forces of Modi-style populism. The book details the much deeper historical roots of the present-day assaults on civil liberties and democratic institutions. Democracy, the authors also argue, is much more than elections and the separation of powers. It is a whole way of life lived in dignity, and that is why they pay special attention to the decaying social foundations of Indian democracy. In compelling fashion, the book describes daily struggles for survival and explains how lived social injustices and unfreedoms rob Indian elections of their meaning, while at the same time feeding the decadence and iron-fisted rule of its governing institutions. Much more than a book about India, To Kill A Democracy argues that what is happening in the country is globally important, and not just because every third person living in a democracy is an Indian. It shows that when democracies rack and ruin their social foundations, they don't just kill off the spirit and substance of democracy. They lay the foundations for despotism.

"...combines a study of the rise and fall of Bose with a study of the roots of Indian democracy. The treatment of Bose focuses on his ideology, foreign policy, relations with Nazi Germany and Japan, and the myths surrounding his death.... the book will interest biographers and students of Indian history and politics."--Choice "Expertly translated into English, [Democracy Indian Style] knowledgeably explores the workings of the modern East Indian political system by focusing upon the life of one man, Subhas Chandra Bose, and his profound impact upon India's governmental system."--The Bookwatch As a nation India is very old. It had deep roots in its pre-colonial history, but it is also a product of Western-style democracy, which has shaped and even created the nation. Democracy Indian Style focuses on the Indian factors underlying its successful democracy by describing and analyzing the life of Subhas Chandra Bose, who competed with Nehru for the role of Gandhi's heir, and his impact on India before and after Independence. The book is balanced between chapters that explain Bose's life and career and those that describe and analyze the Indian political system. It explains India's stable democracy as a mixture of British and American patterns--Westminster parliamentary rule plus federalism--and a specific set of power-sharing arrangements among religions, linguistic groups, and castes. India fulfills all the criteria the traditional understanding of pluralistic democracy implies. Basic freedoms are guaranteed, despite the temptation during Indira Gandhi's "emergency" rule to follow the path of authoritarian development. Precisely because India, after Pakistan's separation, did not become "Hindustan" but stayed on track as a secular, pluralistic democracy, it became the most prominent challenge to the traditional wisdom of comparative politics. Democracy Indian Style gives one answer to the Indian enigma of how democracy succeeds by describing the working of the Indian constitution, the weaknesses of the party system, and the specifics of Indian elections. The focus on Bose provides the second explanation. The author describes Bose's rise to the leadership of the Indian National Congress in the 1930s, his attempt to combine an economic leftist outlook with an extremely pragmatic foreign policy, his failure to get serious help from Nazi Germany, his success with the Japanese war lords--and his tragic end in August 1945. Democracy Indian Style is a timely exploration of the roots of Indian democracy, and will be of interest to political scientists, historians, and students of India. Anton Pelinka is professor of political science at the University of Innsbruck and director of the Institute of Conflict Research in Vienna. Among his recent publications are Austria, Out of the Shadow of the Past, Politics of the Lesser Evil: Leadership, Democracy and Jaruzelski's Poland (Transaction), and The Haider Phenomenon in Austria, edited with Ruth Wodak (Transaction).

Freedom From Alien Subjugation On 15Th August 1947, Was The Monumental And Immemorable Triumph Of The Consolidated, Consistent, Heroic And Patriotic Endeavours Of The Teeming Millions Of Indians Without Any Ethnic Discrimination. It Is, Neither The Monopoly Nor The Prerogative, Of Any Particular Political Party Or Any Individual To Sustain And Cherish It, Because We Have Pledged It To Be A Collective National Duty. It S Dereliction Is Treachery. In The Constitution Of India Adopted By The People On 26Th January 1950, This Pledge Is Ordained Under Article 51 A, Which Inter Alia Mandates Cherish And Follow The Noble Ideals Which Inspired National Struggle For Freedom; To Uphold And Protect Its Integrity; To Promote Harmony And Spirit Of Common Brotherhood Amongst All Indians; Transcend¬Ing Religious, Linguistic, Regional, Sectional Diversities, To Value And Preserve Rich Heritage Of The Composite Culture And To Strive Towards Excellence In All Spheres Of Individual And Collective Activity So That The Nation, Con¬Stantly, Rises To Higher Levels Of Endeavour And Achievement . And This Pledge Has Been Grossly Betrayed.After 50 Years Of Independence When We Are Busy In Celebrating Its Golden Jubilee, Simultaneously, It Is Time For Honest, Sincere And Conscious Introspection Whether The Country And Its Citizens Acquired And Sustained All-Round Progress; Whether There Is Economic Stability; Deprivation From Unemployment, Poverty, Hunger, Ill-Literacy, Insurgency And Terrorism. Whether There Is Throughout Peace And Tranquillity, Control On Crimes And Criminals And Justice Through The Rule Of Law . Contrarily, People Witness Pervading Anarchy And Chaos. In Phases, Joy Turned Into Gloom, Sorrow, Grief, Despair And Finally Distress Leaving The Ill-Fated Countrymen To Scour Out The Positive Answer Whether They Betrayed The Mother Land, Or The Political Parties And Their Leaders, Who Administered For Five Decades, Betrayed Them And The Country. In This Book, Betrayal Of Indian Democracy, The Saga Of Perfidy Has Been High-Lighted In Truthful, Forthright And Incisive Manner Along With The Molecular Analysis Of The Factors, Contributing To The Prevalent Socio-Economic And Political Debacle; Which Cumulatively Threaten National Catastrophe .

A riveting account of how a popularly elected leader has steered the world's largest democracy toward authoritarianism and intolerance Over the past two decades, thanks to Narendra Modi, Hindu nationalism has been coupled with a form of national-populism that has ensured its success at the polls, first in Gujarat and then in India at large. Modi managed to seduce a substantial number of citizens by promising them development and polarizing the electorate along ethno-religious lines. Both facets of this national-populism found expression in a highly personalized political style as Modi related directly to the voters through all kinds of channels of communication in order to saturate the public space. Drawing on original interviews conducted across India, Christophe Jaffrelot shows how Modi's government has moved India toward a new form of democracy, an ethnic democracy that equates the majoritarian community with the nation and relegates Muslims and Christians to second-class citizens who are harassed by vigilante groups. He discusses how the promotion of Hindu nationalism has resulted in attacks against secularists, intellectuals, universities, and NGOs. Jaffrelot explains how the political system of India has acquired authoritarian features for other reasons, too. Eager to govern not only in New Delhi, but also in the states, the government has centralized power at the expense of federalism and undermined institutions that were part of the checks and balances, including India's Supreme Court. Modi's India is a sobering account of how a once-vibrant democracy can go wrong when a government backed by popular consent suppresses dissent while growing increasingly intolerant of ethnic and religious minorities.