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Democracy against equality : caste, institutions and power in postcolonial Punjab / Nicolas Martin
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Martin, Nicolas, 1977- author.
- Series:
- South Asia in the social sciences
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Caste--India--Punjab.
- Caste.
- Democracy--India--Punjab.
- Democracy.
- Equality--India--Punjab.
- Equality.
- India.
- India--Punjab.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource
- Place of Publication:
- Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026
- Summary:
- "This book traces the shifting contours of caste and agrarian inequality, revealing how older hierarchies are being reconfigured in new forms and how they impact democracy. It offers a compelling ethnographic account of how democratic mechanisms—including political participation, elections, and protest movements—actually function in rural India. Focusing on Indian Punjab, it reveals the often stark disconnect between formal democratic ideals and ground-level realities. Engaging with major debates on clientelism, identity politics, and the criminalization of politics, the book sheds light on the complexities of political representation and accountability. The book also fills a critical gap in the political anthropology of Indian Punjab, offering valuable insights into the region’s current political discontent"-- Provided by publisher
- Contents:
- Introduction : Unpacking Punjab’s discontent
- Farmers and the political economy of rent-seeking
- Caste dominance or elite factionalism?
- Panchayati Raj or party Raj?
- Electoral politics in Panchayati Raj institutions
- Informality and dispossession
- The boundaries of Dalit assertion
- Conclusion : A crisis of governance
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed August 17, 2026)
- Other Format:
- Print version: Martin, Nicolas, 1977- Democracy against equality
- ISBN:
- 9781009679053
- 1009679058
- OCLC:
- 1566935629
- Publisher Number:
- CIPO000418410
- Access Restriction:
- Some versions: Open access versions available from some providers open access
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