India Since 1980

223 Pages·2011·1.655 MB·English

by  Sumit Ganguly & Rahul Mukherji

IndIa SInce 1980

This book considers the remarkable transformations that have
taken place in India since 1980, a period that began with the
assassination of the formidable Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Her death, and that of her son Rajiv seven years later, marked the
end of the Nehru-Gandhi era. Although the country remains
one of the few democracies in the developing world, many of the
policies instigated by these earlier regimes have been swept away
to make room for dramatic alterations in the political, economic,
and social landscape. Sumit Ganguly and Rahul Mukherji, two
leading political scientists of South Asia, chart these develop-
ments with particular reference to social and political mobiliza-
tion, the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its challenge to
Nehruvian secularism, and the changes to foreign policy that,
in combination with its meteoric economic development, have
ensured India a significant place on the world stage. The book
is intended for students and anyone interested in understanding
this diverse, energetic, and youthful democracy.
Sumit Ganguly is Professor of Political Science and the
Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations
at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is the author of
numerous books, including India’s Foreign Policy: Retrospect and
Prospect (2010); Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia (2008), with S.
Paul Kapur; and The Routledge Handbook of Asian Security Studies
(2010), coedited with Andrew Scobell and Joseph Liow. He is
currently at work on a new book, Deadly Impasse: Indo-Pakistani
Relations at the Dawn of a New Century.
Rahul Mukherji is Associate Professor of South Asian Studies at
the National University of Singapore. He is the editor of India’s
Economic Transition: The Politics of Reforms (2007) and India: The
Political Economy of Reforms (2004), coedited with Bibek Debroy.

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The WoRld SInce 1980
This new series is designed to examine politics, economics, and
social change in important countries and regions during the
past three decades. No prior background knowledge of a given
country will be required by readers. The books are written by
leading social scientists.
Volumes published
Brazil Since 1980; Francisco Vidal Luna and Herbert S. Klein
Europe Since 1980; Ivan T. Berend
Israel Since 1980; Guy Ben-Porat, Yagil Levy, Shlomo Mizrahi,
Ayre Naor, and Erez Tzfadia
Japan Since 1980; Thomas F. Cargill and Takayuki Sakamoto
Mexico Since 1980; Stephen Haber, Herbert S. Klein, Noel
Maurer, and Kevin J. Middlebrook
Russia Since 1980; Steven Rosefielde and Stefan Hedlund
The United States Since 1980; Dean Baker
Volumes in preparation
China Since 1980; Ross Garnaut
France Since 1980; Timothy Smith
Iran Since 1980; Ali Ansari
Turkey Since 1980; Sevket Pamuk and Yesim Arat
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IndIa SInce 1980

Sumit Ganguly
Indiana University, Bloomington
Rahul Mukherji
National University of Singapore

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cambridge university press
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© Sumit Ganguly and Rahul Mukherji 2011
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the written
permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2011
Printed in the United States of America
A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Ganguly, Sumit.
India Since 1980 / Sumit Ganguly, Rahul Mukherji.
p. cm. – (The world since 1980)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-521-86093-2 (hardback) – ISBN 978-0-521-67804-9 (paperback)
1. India – History – 1947– 2. India – Social conditions – 1947–
3. India – Economic conditions – 1947– 4. India – Politics and
government – 1977– I. Mukherji, Rahul, 1967– II. Title.
DS480.853.G374 2011
954.05–dc22 2010045940
ISBN 978-0-521-86093-2 Hardback
ISBN 978-0-521-67804-9 Paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of
URLs for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication
and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.

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Sumit Ganguly dedicates this book to the memory
of Professor William John Schafer of Berea College.
Rahul Mukherji dedicates this book to his father
Professor Partha Nath Mukherji.

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contents

Acknowledgments page xi
1. Four Revolutions and India’s Future 1
2. The Transformation of India’s Foreign Policy 18
3. India’s economic Transformation 60
4. Political Mobilization in India 109
5. Indian Secularism Since 1980 141
6. India’s Trajectory – Promises and challenges 167
Index 189

ix
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