Pluralism and Democracy in India: Debating the Hindu Right
Wendy Doniger and Martha C. Nussbaum
Abstract
How does the world’s most populous democracy survive repeated assaults on its pluralistic values? India’s stunning linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity has been supported since Independence by a political structure that emphasizes equal rights for all, and protects liberties of religion and speech. But a decent constitution does not implement itself, and challenges to these core values repeatedly arise—not least in the first decade of the twenty-first century, when the rise of Hindu Right movements threatened to destabilize the nation and upend its core values, in the wake of a notori ... More
How does the world’s most populous democracy survive repeated assaults on its pluralistic values? India’s stunning linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity has been supported since Independence by a political structure that emphasizes equal rights for all, and protects liberties of religion and speech. But a decent constitution does not implement itself, and challenges to these core values repeatedly arise—not least in the first decade of the twenty-first century, when the rise of Hindu Right movements threatened to destabilize the nation and upend its core values, in the wake of a notorious pogrom in the state of Gujarat in which approximately 2,000 Muslim civilians were killed. Focusing on this time of tension and threat, this book asks how a pluralistic democracy managed to survive. It looks at the role of political parties and movements, including the women’s movement, but also examines the role of the arts, the press, the media, and a historical legacy of pluralistic thought and critical argument. Bringing together eminent scholars from fields including history, religious studies, political science, economics, women’s studies, and media studies, the book offers a case study in democratic survival. As Nehru said of India, on the eve of Independence: “These dreams are for India, but they are also for the world.” The analysis this book offers illuminates not only the past and future of one nation, but also the prospects of democracy in all.
Keywords:
India,
Hindu Right,
Gujarat,
Muslims,
women’s movement,
pluralistic thought,
Nehru,
Independence
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2015 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780195394825 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: May 2015 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195394825.001.0001 |
