The Politics of Caste
Résumé
Book abstract: India is in many ways a paradox. It is both a young state and one of the world’s oldest civilizations; it is a potential superpower, yet more than 300 million of its citizens live in abject poverty; it is the proud land of the peaceful MohandasGandhi, yet it brandishes nuclear weapons and hosts one of the world’s largest militaries; its rivers are revered for embodying deities, yet are among the world’s most polluted waterways; its infrastructure in many areas is abysmal, yet its in- formation technology workers, engineers, scientists, and academics are in de- mand the world over; it is a country led by powerful women at various ranks, yet its women are among the most marginalized in the world; and it is a mind-bog- gling polyethnic society prone to secessionist movements and periodic commu- nal violence, yet is also the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy.