'In our time of globalization, people in the West are increasingly looking beyond the limits of the West for insights and teachings. It is very important and fascinating to find out what is happening today in India in terms of political philosophy. This Reader is timely and very much needed as there is simply no comparable text available. The group of texts presented bring together simply the most outstanding and most well known Indian political thinkers today. It is in fact a "who's who" in contemporary Indian political thought.'

Fred Dallmayr,  Notre Dame University, USA 
​

'A significant attempt to construct a foundational text for contemporary Indian political thought, this volume meets a deeply felt need. Singh and Mohapatra have put together a first rate Reader that will challenge, educate and provoke. It will serve as an indispensable source of reference to students and teachers alike.'

Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, Government of India and former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations

Indian Political Thought​ 
A Reader ​​

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of contemporary Indian political theory. Tracing the development of the discipline and offering a clear presentation of the most influential literature in the field, it brings together contributions by outstanding and well-known academics
on contemporary Indian political thought. The Reader weaves together relevant works from the social sciences — sociology, anthropology, law, history, philosophy, feminist and postcolonial theory — which shape the nature of
political thought in India today.

Themes both unique to the Indian political milieu as well as of universal significance are reflected upon, including tradition, secularism, communalism, modernity, feminism, justice and human rights. Presenting a canon of names and offering a framework for further research within the broad thematic categories, this is a timely and invaluable reference tool, indispensable to both students and scholars.
​

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Contents

Foreword

Introduction: What is Indian Political Thought? Aakash Singh and Silika Mohapatra 

Part 1: Provocation  
1. The Poverty of Indian Political Theory 
Bhikhu Parekh 

Part 2: Evocation 
2. Gandhi's Ambedkar Ramchandra Guha  
3. The Quest for Justice: Evoking Gandhi 
Neera Chandhoke 
4. Tagore and His India Amartya Sen 

Part 3: Secularization 
5. Is Secularism Alien to Indian Civilization? 
Romila Thapar 
6. Secularism Revisited: Doctrine of Destiny or Political Ideology? T.N. Madan  
7. The Distinctiveness of Indian Secularism 
Rajeev Bharghava 

Part 4: Communalization  
8. The Blindness of Insight: Why Communalism in India is about Caste Dilip M. Menon 
9. In Search of Integration and Identity: Indian Muslims since Independence Mushirul Hasan 
10. Sikh Fundamentalism: Translating History into Theory Harjot Oberoi 

Part 5: Modernization  
11. Gandhi, Newton and the Enlightenment 
​Akeel Bilgrami  
12. Scientific Temper: Arguments for an Indian Enlightenment Meera Nanda  
13. Outline of a Revisionist Theory of Modernity Sudipta Kaviraj  

Part 6: Reconstruction  
14. Reconstructing Childhood: A Critique of the Ideology of Adulthood Ashis Nandy 
15. Subaltern Studies as Postcolonial Criticism 
​Gyan Prakash 
16. The Commitment to Theory Homi Bhabha 

Part 7: Emancipation  
17. Justice of Human Rights in Indian Constitutionalism Upendra Baxi 
18. Emancipatory Feminist Theory in Postcolonial India Ratna Kapur  
19. Righting Wrongs Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak  

Part 8: Conclusion  
20. The Poverty of Western Political Theory: Concluding Remarks on Concepts like ‘Community’ East and West Partha Chatterjee

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