Week's read

Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in South Asia  

Edited by David N Gellner

Rs 1,200



To discuss the state of civil society, the 10 articles in Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in South Asia present case studies of different kinds of ethnic (‘communal’) activism in South Asia covering countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India-with Darjeeling, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, in particular.



The articles examine Hindu nationalism, Dalit activism in India and Nepal, and the Janajati movement in Nepal, and show how they are animated by common ideals and themes, such as emphasis on the involvement of youth, the assertion of pride and masculinity, the desire to resist injustice and reassess previously stigmatized symbols, the importance of land and belonging, and so on.



South Asian civil society is a site of constant struggle. This volume shows how ethnic activists wrestle with official classifications and the categories of daily, traditional practices and attempt to turn them to their advantage, often bringing about radical social, political, and intellectual change as a result. It also argues that ethnic movements need to be investigated by social scientists as a part of civil society, and it shows how this can be done.



The Practical Progressive: How to build a twenty-first century political movement

By Erica Payne

 Rs 632



Underneath today’s elections is a fierce battle for power driven not by the country’s elected officials, but by organizations and people you have never heard of.



Since the 1964 Goldwater defeat, conservative philanthropists have built a set of ideologically-aligned institutions—think tanks, legal advocacy organizations, watchdog groups, and media vehicles—to change the country’s intellectual and political climate and to assure conservative political dominance.



Progressives finally woke up to this structural disparity and have embarked on one of the most invigorating periods of renewal and growth in political history. This book tells the story of the brightest and best institutions leading this revival.



The essential guide to what’s happening, who’s who, and how to get involved in the growing network of progressive political organizations – by a leading political strategist, with input from many well-known activists.



A Journey

By Tony Blair

Rs 1,598



The longest-serving Labour prime minister of Britain, and still a figure on the international political stage, Blair recalls in detail the events of his premiership. He covers lots of actions and activities and shares with forthrightness his thinking on world and domestic issues he had to confront; on the other hand, on occasion he does play his cards close to the vest, avoiding a complete “spilling” of his thoughts about a certain situation he had then and now.



Blair’s view of the late Princess Diana is discerning; of his successor, Gordon Brown, hardly affectionate; of George Bush (the younger), certainly controversial. Behind the scenes in the halls of power is always an interesting place to go, and Blair takes us there with delight on his part and on our part.

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