Politics in India

In this pioneering study of India as a vibrant and politically sustainable polity, Rajni Kothari covers considerable basic ground. Politics in India was first published in 1970 and marks a turning point in the evolution of the author s intellectual contributions. From the theoretical, historical, socio-cultural, and comparative matrices of Indian polity, this book ranges through strategies, concerns, and issues that strengthen and support India s tried and tested political institutions and the agencies that promote the country s national integration. Kothari s superiority as a theorist and teacher is evident in this book. Its detailed analyses and commentary cover existing and emergent paradigms of Indian political life and action. It also deals with the politics of party system and coalitions, social infrastructure and balanced growth options, including India s challenges and the greater role it envisages in subcontinental and international politics. The concluding chapter on Future Perspectives is Kothari s helpful pointer towards this prospect. In this second edition, the introduction by Prakash Sarangi highlights the significance of book as an important landmark and its relevance in contemporary times.