The Arya Samaj in Punjab Politics

The essays collected in this book portray the Arya Samaj and its relation with politics in Punjab from the vantage point of a field study conducted by the author in a scheduled caste neighbourhood in the city of Jullundur. It offers intensive descriptions and analysis of the functioning of the Arya Samaj centres, the scheduled caste of Meghs, and the electoral behaviour of the local communities. In a bottom up approach the author throws light on the larger structures of inter-caste, inter-class and inter religion relations in the region. The book should be of interest to sociologists, social anthropologists, political scientists, students of religion, and all those interested in understanding Punjab as a crucial region in South Asia.