Author Archives: Thebookreviewindia

This volume brings together two decades of Rajeev Bhargava’s scholarship, reflection and writing on varied themes that are at once familiar to those who have known Bhargava’s work and also certain other themes that are novel in the sense that Bhargava brings his theoretical insights to bear on hard-headed political questions of the day.

A ccepting a negative verdict from the voters with humility is a sign of a deep-rooted democratic political culture. The 2009 General Election in India once again confirmed its status as an established democracy.

This fascinating ethnographic analysis of political action through the lens of political theatre breathes and brings new meaning into our conceptualizations of ‘development’.

Andre Beteille is one of India’s foremost sociologists, well known for his work on social inequality and institutions, and for his qualities as a teacher, always meticulous and eloquent, enthusiastic, supportive and generous with students, and ever ready for a good discussion and argument.

About 10 years ago Pavan K. Varma wrote The Great Indian Middle Class, in which he lamented the fact that this class had forgotten the virtues of nationalism and social concern which inspired it during the freedom struggle and in the years after Independence,

Pranay GuptPranay Gupte provides us a highly gripping multidimensional account of Indira Gandhi’s life, times and politics.e provides us a highly gripping multidimensional account of Indira Gandhi’s life, times and politics.

The political memoir is a much underdeveloped literary genre in India. Our politicians and policy-makers are seldom tempted to pen detailed and analytical accounts of their role in crafting and executing policies.

The multifaceted encounter between tradition and modernity in colonial Indian society continues to intrigue today’s historians, who discover new dimensions in the recorded experiences of that period.

As with earlier works by the author, Writing The Self is a book that I read with avid interest. And having read the work it would be quite uncharitable of me not to admit that there is much on offer here. First, there is the sheer excitement of encountering the unusual: in this case, an autobiographical fragment written by a Baul.