Chapter 1 Old legacies, new protests: Welfare and left rule in democratic India -- chapter 2 The social bases of rule and rebellion: Colonial Kerala and Bengal, 1792-1930 -- chapter 3 State formation and social movements: Colonial Kerala and Bengal compared, 1865-1930 -- chapter 4 Political practices and left ascendancy in Kerala, 1920-47 -- chapter 5 Structure, practices and weak left hegemony in Bengal, 1925-47 -- chapter 6 Insurgent and electoral logics in policy regimes: Kerala and Bengal compared, 1947 to the present.

This book closely analyzes the shift in the nature of political processes as well as the current political dynamics in West Bengal.

The Curious Trajectory of Caste in West Bengal Politics: Chronicling Continuity and Change critically engages with the political dynamics of caste in West Bengal and explores the reasons for the relative insignificance of caste as a political category in the state.

Left radicalism in India was rooted in the nationalist movement and was set in motion in the 1920s with the formation of the communist party. The communist movement manifested itself differently in each phase of India’s political history and Communism continues to remain a meaningful alternative ideological discourse in India. This book examines left politics in India focusing on its rise, consolidation and relative decline in the present century. Left radicalism in India is a distinct ideological phenomenon which is articulated in two complementary ways: while the parliamentary left remains social democratic in character, its bête noire, the left wing extremists, continue to uphold the classical Marxist, Leninist and Maoist notion of violent revolution. By concentrating on the nature and also activities of these two versions of left radicalism, this book is a thorough study of the phenomenon. The author analyses the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura and presents a variety of case studies of communist movements. He argues that the political power of the left parties depends on the degree to which they have built organizational strength, political hegemony and a broad social base through legal and extra-parliamentary struggles. An in-depth study of socio-economic circumstances that remain critical in conceptualizing radical extremism, Left Radicalism in India will be of interest to those studying Indian Politics, South Asian History, Development Studies and Global Politics.

This book analyses the political transition in West Bengal, India, which witnessed longest democratically elected Left regime of the world. The volume further delves into what sets apart politics in West Bengal from other Indian states.

This book centres on the impact of the colonial state's institutions and policies towards radical politics in the Punjab pre-Partition. Focusing on the political history of the organised left, a considerable and growing force in South Asia, the book discusses the formation and activities of radical groups in colonial Punjab.