Asian Democracy through an Indian Prism

Abstract

The essays in this symposium are longing for completion. A heavy Indian shadow hangs over them. Asian democracy is the overall theme of the symposium, but India, Asia's biggest “democratic behemoth,” to use Edward Aspinall's phrase, is more or less missing. Why is a discussion of Indian democracy necessary for this symposium? What would it add to the arguments made here and the themes discussed?

Disrobed and dissenting bodies of the Meira Paibi: Postcolonial counterpublic activism

“…Inclusivity in visualizing the public sphere is lacking, despite the emphasis on preservation of secular values spelled out in the Constitution (Ali, 2001; Varshney, 2015). While the “upper realm of the public sphere” benefit from the connections and networks they form within the elite sphere comprising of business people, the government in New Delhi, and international bodies, the rest have to rely on the demands they can make on the state (Varshney, 2015).…”

“…Inclusivity in visualizing the public sphere is lacking, despite the emphasis on preservation of secular values spelled out in the Constitution (Ali, 2001; Varshney, 2015). While the “upper realm of the public sphere” benefit from the connections and networks they form within the elite sphere comprising of business people, the government in New Delhi, and international bodies, the rest have to rely on the demands they can make on the state (Varshney, 2015). Indian democracy, as Varshney (2015) explains, is composed of low- to middle-income groups and theoretically with the core resources that the Indian democracy makes available, lower classes and marginalized groups stand to gain.…”

“…While the “upper realm of the public sphere” benefit from the connections and networks they form within the elite sphere comprising of business people, the government in New Delhi, and international bodies, the rest have to rely on the demands they can make on the state (Varshney, 2015). Indian democracy, as Varshney (2015) explains, is composed of low- to middle-income groups and theoretically with the core resources that the Indian democracy makes available, lower classes and marginalized groups stand to gain. The non-dominant publics of the Indian democracy, as can be implied from Varshney’s assessment, come into contact with forces of democracy primarily through “voting, demonstration, and riots” (p. 101).…”

Does Citizenship Abate Class? Evidence and Reflections from Bangalore, India

“…For the performance of India’s democracy on two different dimension of democracy – electoral and liberal – see Varshney 2013, Ch. 1; and 2015).…”