Author Description

This book is a selection of lectures organized by the Nehru Centre, Mumbai. The speakers are among the most respected public personalities in India. It addresses crucial questions about the functioning of Indian democracy and the seemingly intractable problems facing it. Critical issues examined in the lectures include the persistence of elitism in contrast to the ideals of constitutional democracy, the severe decline of probity in public life, the gulf between the rulers and the ruled, the paradox between public faith in the political process of democracy and the failure of institutions, the dangers of judicial governance, the relationship between democracy and education, and the adverse consequences of unbridled economic liberalization and globalization. The contributors identify linkages between issues that have traditionally not been recognized as connected, for example the development process and the rights of indigenous peoples, caste oppression, patriarchy and gender discrimination, the centralized structure of political parties and mounting corruption, and underdevelopment, inequality, and comprehensive security.