From the forging of a constitution for the postindependence republic to the reign of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party today, the idea of India as a nation-state has predominated. Yet the country encompasses a vast diversity of communities, regions, languages, and cultures, calling into question any unitary identity.
In this magisterial account of Indian politics over the past seventy-five years, the renowned scholar Partha Chatterjee challenges common notions of "state" and "nation," arguing for a more capacious understanding of "the people." He examines the varying trajectories of the Indian nation-state, as opposed to what he calls the "people-nation," analyzing the complex connections between the two. Chatterjee offers a persuasive political-economic analysis of the transition from the time of developmental planning to the present era of capitalist dominance. He combines keen analysis of changing caste-class-gender formations in the country's diverse regions with a close examination of the uneven spread of India's capitalist economy.
By looking beyond the nation-state, this book unveils many hidden aspects of Indian politics today-and makes a powerful case for a future in which the federal system respects the equal worth of each part of the country.
| ISBN: | 9780231224284 |
| Publication date: | 5th May 2026 |
| Author: | Partha Chatterjee |
| Publisher: | Columbia University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 496 pages |
| Genres: |
Asian history Politics and government |
From the forging of a constitution for the postindependence republic to the reign of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party today, the idea of India as a nation-state has predominated. Yet the country encompasses a vast diversity of communities, regions, languages, and cultures, calling into question any unitary identity.
In this magisterial account of Indian politics over the past seventy-five years, the renowned scholar Partha Chatterjee challenges common notions of "state" and "nation," arguing for a more capacious understanding of "the people." He examines the varying trajectories of the Indian nation-state, as opposed to what he calls the "people-nation," analyzing the complex connections between the two. Chatterjee offers a persuasive political-economic analysis of the transition from the time of developmental planning to the present era of capitalist dominance. He combines keen analysis of changing caste-class-gender formations in the country's diverse regions with a close examination of the uneven spread of India's capitalist economy.
By looking beyond the nation-state, this book unveils many hidden aspects of Indian politics today-and makes a powerful case for a future in which the federal system respects the equal worth of each part of the country.
For a Just Republic features in the following genres: Asian history, Politics and government
For a Just Republic is available in Hardback, Paperback
For a Just Republic was written by Partha Chatterjee and published by Columbia University Press
For a Just Republic has 496 pages