For a Just Republic: The People of India and the State
May 2026 · Columbia University Press
Ebook
496
Pages
Tools
info
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
From the forging of a constitution for the postindependence republic to the reign of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party today, the idea of India as a nation-state has predominated. Yet the country encompasses a vast diversity of communities, regions, languages, and cultures, calling into question any unitary identity.
In this magisterial account of Indian politics over the past seventy-five years, the renowned scholar Partha Chatterjee challenges common notions of “state” and “nation,” arguing for a more capacious understanding of “the people.” He examines the varying trajectories of the Indian nation-state, as opposed to what he calls the “people-nation,” analyzing the complex connections between the two. Chatterjee offers a persuasive political-economic analysis of the transition from the time of developmental planning to the present era of capitalist dominance. He combines keen analysis of changing caste-class-gender formations in the country’s diverse regions with a close examination of the uneven spread of India’s capitalist economy.
By looking beyond the nation-state, this book unveils many hidden aspects of Indian politics today—and makes a powerful case for a future in which the federal system respects the equal worth of each part of the country.
In this magisterial account of Indian politics over the past seventy-five years, the renowned scholar Partha Chatterjee challenges common notions of “state” and “nation,” arguing for a more capacious understanding of “the people.” He examines the varying trajectories of the Indian nation-state, as opposed to what he calls the “people-nation,” analyzing the complex connections between the two. Chatterjee offers a persuasive political-economic analysis of the transition from the time of developmental planning to the present era of capitalist dominance. He combines keen analysis of changing caste-class-gender formations in the country’s diverse regions with a close examination of the uneven spread of India’s capitalist economy.
By looking beyond the nation-state, this book unveils many hidden aspects of Indian politics today—and makes a powerful case for a future in which the federal system respects the equal worth of each part of the country.
From the forging of a constitution for the postindependence republic to the reign of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party today, the idea of India as a nation-state has predominated. Yet the country encompasses a vast diversity of communities, regions, languages, and cultures, calling into ques...
Discover more
About the author
Partha Chatterjee is professor emeritus of anthropology and of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies at Columbia University and honorary professor of political science at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. His recent books include I Am the People: Reflections on Popular Sovereignty Today (Columbia, 2019).
Partha Chatterjee is professor emeritus of anthropology and of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies at Columbia University and honorary professor of political science at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. His recent books include I Am the People: Reflections on Popul...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
