Postcolonial India: History, Politics and Culture

This book surveys and analyses the economic, political and cultural changes which have taken place in India since its Independence. It explores some of the defining moments in the history of postcolonial India, and brings together recent works of scholars of different disciplines to provide dynamic new insights into the half-century since Independence. The effects of decolonization, modernization, and industrialization are given special attention, particularly in relation to the impacts felt by women and minorities both in the country and the city. The colossal effects of state projects on the environment are also considered. An important focus of the papers is examining the discourses of modernity and the state and the effects they have had on shifting notions of identity. India is today faced with a crisis in the attempts made by the government to accommodate global capitalism in a highly traditional society. Papers in this volume underline two aspects of the current crisis; the deeply worrying failure of liberalization to stem poverty, and the equally dangerous climate of hostility to secularism. However, the work presented here tries to suggest some possible paths away from the predicaments of communalism and mass poverty.