Bücher der Reihe Routledge Advances in South Asian Studies

Most studies on nations and nationalism argue that history, or more precisely a 'common past', is crucial for the process of national identity building. This book focuses on the construction, elaboration and negotiation of the narratives that have become official history in India.

In 1991, India officially embraced the policy of neo-liberal reforms by signing the GATT agreement, which exposed the country, its society, culture and institutions to the various forces of globalisation. Globalisation as such may not be new to India, for the country has been exposed to the external cultures and civilisations for millennia, but the post-1991 reforms policy marked a significant shift, from a predominantly social welfare state and a command economy to a predominantly market driven one. This book examines some important aspects of the complex interface between Indiäs globalisation and Indian society, culture and public institutions.

This book examines the history and impact of suicide protest, which has been increasingly used as a protest tactic since World War II. It offers a combination of historical and contemporary cases analysis from South Asia, where different iterations of this tactic have been used extensively throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Focussing on the success or failure or a particular action relevant to the movement¿s broader mobilization strategy, the author examines the internal impact this has on the movement and the mechanisms by which suicide as a form of protest evolves.

Parliaments or legislatures are the keystone of democratic governance and they are critical in securing government accountability. This book presents a comparative analysis of the role of parliamentary committees in securing government accountability in the three largest and most important functioning democracies in South Asia: Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. The author compares the nascent democracy of Bangladesh with the stable and vibrant democratic system of India since its independence from the British in 1947 and Sri Lanka's longstanding and established democracy. He argues that in each country, parliament has been able to survive and perform the key parliamentary tasks of representation, legislation, oversight of the executive, conflict resolution and regime maintenance; concluding that parliamentary committees in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka do not perform as successfully as their counterparts in the Western world in controlling the government and holding it to account; however, their role in securing government accountability is not irrelevant. Parliamentary Control and Government Accountability in South Asia will be a useful reference for studying third world parliaments in particular.

Provides a comprehensive study of Bengali Islam. Focusing on the Maijbhandari movement, which claims the status of the only Sufi order originated in Bengal and which has gained immense popularity, this book presents a comprehensive picture of contemporary Bengali Islam in the South Asian context.

Deals with the controversies on developmental aspects of large dams with a particular focus on the Narmada case in India. This book shows how local demands for resettlement and rehabilitation were transformed into a radical anti-dam campaign linked to national and transnational movement networks.

This book analyses problems of governance, development and environment affecting contemporary Pakistan; issues that lie at the centre of federal and provincial policy deliberations, formulation and implementation.

Social exclusion and inclusion are issues of fundamental importance to democracy. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this book examines at the multidimensional problems of social exclusion and inclusion, and the long-term issues facing contemporary Indian democracy.

Provides a systematic exploration of party system change. By applying the concept of political entrepreneurship and using a detailed case study of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, this book demonstrates how party leaders can exercise their agency and drive party system change.

Presents and analyses the sub-national war of postcolonial South Asia, between the Indian state and the Nagas of Northeast India. This book offers a political history on the Naga region over three periods, pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial. It is suitable for students and scholars of politics, history, anthropology and South Asian studies.

This book provides a detailed examination of the compound crisis between India and Pakistan that brought the region to the brink of a nuclear war in 1990 and places the crisis in the context of concurrent international events.

Examines how India has been able to sustain democratic governance while undergoing substantial social, economic and political changes through a neo-institutional rational choice model of governance, bounded by local culture and context.

This book examines the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ways in which its Hindu nationalist agenda was affected by the constraints of being a dominant member of a coalition government.

This book offers a critical analysis of radicalization in Pakistan by deconstructing the global and the official state narratives designed to restrain Pakistani radicalization.

Examines the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). Based on empirical studies in India and Nepal, this book discusses the political strategies of the CTA to gain national loyalty and international support to secure its own organizational survival and to reach its ultimate goal: returning to Tibet.