Previously published in newspapers and periodicals during 1990-1996.

This volume examines the trajectory of Pakistan’s democratic transition and the implications of this change for its security. In May 2013, for the first time in its 66-year history, Pakistan saw an elected government complete a full term in office and transfer power through the ballot box to another civilian government. At this important moment in Pakistan’s history, this collection brings together twelve leading academics and writers with an aim to provide a far-reaching analysis of the current situation in Pakistan and emergent trends. Drawing on history, diverse theoretical perspectives, and empirical evidence, three themed sections deal respectively with democratic transition (including Islam and democracy, civil-military relations, and economics), contested borders and contested spaces (the Pashtun belt, Kashmir, and intra-Islamic conflict), and regionalism (bilateral relations from both Pakistani and Indian perspectives, US-Pakistan relations, and nuclear weapons dynamics). Together the contributors explore the status of Pakistan’s democratic transition, contemporary security dynamics, and wider regional security and political dynamics, and the complex interplay of the three, to provide a wide-ranging analysis of Pakistan’s contemporary national and regional challenges, its impact on the region, and evidence of some positive trends for Pakistan’s future. The book will be of much interest to students of South Asian politics, Asian security, governance, and IR in general as well as policy-makers, diplomats, and military professionals.

The question of why some countries have democratic regimes and others do not is a significant issue in comparative politics. This book looks at India and Pakistan, two countries with clearly contrasting political regime histories, and presents an argument on why India is a democracy and Pakistan is not. Focusing on the specificities and the nuances of each state system, the author examines in detail the balance of authority and power between popular or elected politicians and the state apparatus through substantial historical analysis. India and Pakistan are both large, multi-religious and multi-lingual countries sharing a geographic and historical space that in 1947, when they became independent from British rule, gave them a virtually indistinguishable level of both extreme poverty and inequality. All of those factors militate against democracy, according to most theories, and in Pakistan democracy did indeed fail very quickly after Independence. It has only been restored as a façade for military-bureaucratic rule for brief periods since then. In comparison, after almost thirty years of democracy, India had a brush with authoritarian rule, in the 1975-76 Emergency, and some analysts were perversely reassured that the India exception had been erased. But instead, after a momentous election in 1977, democracy has become stronger over the last thirty years. Providing a comparative analysis of the political systems of India and Pakistan as well as a historical overview of the two countries, this textbook constitutes essential reading for students of South Asian History and Politics. It is a useful and balanced introduction to the politics of India and Pakistan.

Politics in Pakistan has traditionally been understood in the context of civil-military relationship. In May 2013, for the first time in history, Pakistan saw an elected government complete a full term in office and transfer power through the ballot box to another civilian government. In view of such an important development, this book offers critical perspectives on Pakistan’s current democratic transition and its implications for national politics, security and foreign policy. It critically analyses the emerging political trends in the country, including their underlying sources, attributes, constraints, and prospects of sustainability. Drawing on history, diverse theoretical perspectives, and empirical evidence, it explains the dynamics of the democratic process, contested borders and spaces, and regionalism. Contributions are from 13 prominent scholars in the field, who provide a wide-ranging analysis of Pakistan’s contemporary national and regional challenges, as well as the opportunities they entail for its viability as a democratic state. Taking the debate on Pakistan beyond the outmoded notions of praetorian politics and security, the book explores the future prospects of civilian supremacy in the country. It will be of interest to students and scholars of South Asian Politics, Political Sociology and Security Studies, as well as policy-makers, diplomats, security experts and military professionals.

Strictly according to the latest syllabus prescribed by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Delhi and State Boards of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, H.P. etc. & Navodaya, Kasturba, Kendriya Vidyalayas etc. following CBSE curriculum based on NCERT guidelines. राजनीति विज्ञान (Poilitical Science) Paper I - Indian Constitution at Work 1. Constitution-Making, 2. Fundamental Rights and Duties, 3. System of Representational Democracy, 4. Executive in a Parliamentary System, 5. Union and State Legislatures, 6. Judiciary, 7. Federal System, 8. Local Self-Government, 9. Constitution as a Living Document, 10. Political Philosophy Underlying the Constitution Paper II - Political Theory 11. Political Theory, 12. Liberty, 13. Equality, 14. Social Justice, 15. Rights, 16. Citizenship, 17. Nationalism, 18. Secularism, 19. Peace, 20. Development Examination Papers (JAC)

Papers presented at the Seminar: Alternative Global Futures, held at Kolkata during 5-6 March 2003 and the Seminar: State, Nation and Democracy : Global Politics in the 21st Century, held at Kolkata during 9-10 March 2004

This book starts with the prevailing idea of a conflicting relationship between Islam and the Western concept of democracy, both in theory and in practice. With this backdrop, the author addresses the crucial question—Is Islam compatible with democracy? The book offers very useful discussions in framing the contemporary debates surrounding Islam and democracy, treads through diverse theoretical Islamic texts like the ‘Quran’ and ‘Sunnah’, discusses the historical evolution of the concept of Shura—the primary source of democratic ethics in Islam, provides an assessment of the views and visions of some selected Muslim scholars (from 19th to 21st centuries) on Islam–democracy compatibility, and examines the elements of compatibility between Islam and democracy without ignoring the basic differences that exist between the Western approach to democracy and Islamic political thought.

The essays in this volume address the central theme of Pakistan’s enduring, yet elusive, quest for democracy. The book charts Pakistan’s struggle from its very inception, at least in the political rhetoric provided by both civilian and military leaders, for democracy, liberalism, freedom of expression, inclusiveness of minorities and even secularism. At the same time, it demonstrates how in practice, the country has continued to drift towards increasingly brittle authoritarianism, religious extremism and intolerance of minorities — both Muslim and non-Muslim. This chasm between animated political rhetoric and grim political reality has baffled the world as much as Pakistanis themselves. In this volume, scholars and practitioners of statecraft from around the world have sought to explain the dichotomy that exists between the rhetoric and the reality. Crucial areas such as Pakistan’s troubled status as a theocracy; its relationship with the US; the position of women and their quest for empowerment; the Mujahir Qaumi movement; the sharp class divide that has led to an elitist political culture; and finally, an erudite discussion of the popular topic — Jinnah’s vision of Pakistan — are the focus of this book. This volume will be of interest to scholars of history, political science, international relations, sociology, anthropology and urban planning, policy-makers and think-tanks, as well as the wider reading public curious about South Asia.

Forging an anti-imperialist Marxism through dialectical and historical approaches, this volume of Political Power and Social Theory demonstrates how the South Asian facet of this revolutionary tradition can contribute to and even reenergize global Marxist theory.

"Drawing on the newest and most sophisticated historical research and scholarship in the field, Modern South Asia is written in an accessible style for all those with an intellectual curiosity about the region. After sketching the pre-modern history of the subcontinent, the book concentrates on the last three centuries from c.1700 to the present. Jointly written by two leading Indian and Pakistani historians, it offers a rare depth of historical understanding of the politics, cultures and economies that shape the lives of more than a fifth of humanity." "In this comprehensive study, the authors debate and challenge the striking developments in contemporary South Asian history and historical writing, and cover the entire spectrum of modern South Asian history - social, economic, and political. The book provides new insights into the structure and ideology of the British raj, the meaning of subaltern resistance, the refashioning of social relations along the lines of caste, class, community and gender, the different strands of anti-colonial nationalism and the dynamics of decolonization." "This new second edition has been updated throughout to take account of recent historical research. It brings the story up to date and offers new insights on the last millennium in subcontinental history. There is a new chronology of key events."--Jacket.