Table Of ContentAakash Singh Rathore wrests the subject of political theory from the hands of
self- centred and increasingly irrelevant Western thinkers and he democratizes it
by anchoring it in the experience of the downtrodden masses of India: the Dalits.
By re- reading Gandhi and Ambedkar, Professor Rathore rescues the concept of
svaraj from Hindu nationalists and revives it to make it relevant to political
theory – and to politics – today and in the future, in India and outside. This is a
book of stunning ambition and great learning written in a style that is playful,
confrontational, and intellectually demanding. It should be read by all serious
students of political theory, East and West.
Torkel Brekke, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and
the University of Oslo, Norway
In this fascinating work Aakash Singh Rathore explores the many dimensions of
the concept of Swaraj within the broader context of Political Theory, Indian
Political Theory specifically. Rigorous revaluation of the concept enables him to
reassess the long- standing debate between universalism and particularism while
negotiating creatively between western- centric theory and the indigeneity he
champions. It is a priceless read.
Neera Chandhoke, Visiting Professorial Fellow, Centre for Law and
Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Indian Political Theory
At present, a nativist turn in Indian political theory can be observed. There is a
general assumption that the indigenous thought to which researchers are supposed to
be (re)turning may somehow be immediately visible by ignoring the colonization of
the mind and polity. In such a conception of svaraj (which can be translated as
‘authentic autonomy’), the tradition to return to would be that of the indigenous
elites.
In this book, this concept of svaraj is defined as a thick conception, which links it
with exclusivist notions of spirituality, profound anti-m odernity, exceptionalistic
moralism, essentialistic nationalism, and purism. However, post- independence India
has borne witness to an alternative trajectory: a thin svaraj. The author puts forward
a workable contemporary ideal of thin svaraj, i.e. political, and free of metaphysical
commitment. The model proposed is inspired by B.R. Ambedkar’s thoughts, as
opposed to the thick conception found in the works of M.K. Gandhi, K.C. Bhattach-
arya, and Ramchandra Gandhi. The author argues that political theorists of Indian
politics continue to work with categories and concepts alien to the lived social and
political experiences of India’s common man, or everyday people. Consequently, he
emphasizes the need to decolonize Indian political theory, and rescue it from the grip
of Western theories, and fascination with Western modes of historical analysis. The
necessity to avoid both universalism and relativism, and more importantly address
the political predicaments of ‘the people’, is the key objective of the book, and a
push for a reorientation of Indian political theory.
An interesting new interpretation of a contemporary ideal of svaraj, this analysis
takes into account influences from other cultures and sources and eschews thick con-
ceptions that stifle imaginations and imaginaries. This book will be of interest to aca-
demics in the fields of philosophy, political science, sociology, literature, and cultural
studies in general, and contemporary political theory, South Asian and Indian pol-
itics, and political theory in particular.
Aakash Singh Rathore is Visiting Professor at the Centre for Philosophy, Jawahar-
lal Nehru University, India and Director of the International Research Network for
Religion and Democracy (www.irnrd.org). He is also an International Fellow of the
Center for Ethics and Global Politics in Rome, Italy. His previous work includes
Indian Political Thought: A Reader (co- edited with Silika Mohapatra, 2010), also
published by Routledge.
Indian Political Theory
Laying the Groundwork for Svaraj
Aakash Singh Rathore
First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2017 Aakash Singh Rathore
The right of Aakash Singh Rathore to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Rathore, Aakash Singh, author.
Title: Indian political theory : laying the groundwork for svaraj / Aakash
Singh Rathore.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2017. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016043140| ISBN 9781138240223 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781315284217 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Political science–India–Philosophy. | Politics and
culture–India. | Political culture–India. | Nationalism–India.
Classification: LCC JA89.I4 R37 2017 | DDC 320.0954–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016043140
ISBN: 978-1-138-24022-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-28421-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Dedicated to the memory of Péter Losonczi
Megépül a majommalom,
lesz sok majommajonéz,
győzve győz a győzhetetlen
győzedelmes majomész.
Acknowledgments
There are so many people to whom I owe some form of acknowledgment with
respect to bringing this book into the world. I don’t know where to begin. Let
me start with a few of the people who read the manuscript and carefully com-
mented upon it, because lots of their ideas appear herein: Daniel Sherwin, whose
brain I picked relentlessly; Alexandru Cistelecan, who thinks this is the second
worst book he’s ever read; Manohar Kumar, who refused to put his critiques in
writing, lest I use it against him in the future, but shared all his views on the
phone; Sebastiano Maffettone, one of my great gurus. And speaking of gurus,
Gopal Guru, from whom I have learned so much. Y.S. Alone, also, taught me
something I will never forget about authenticity.
Kanchana Mahadevan must be acknowledged for her role in forcing me to
clarify some of these thoughts, though she will argue otherwise. Neera Chand-
hoke is also constantly encouraging, and I want to thank her for her kind
endorsement. Slavoj Zizek, Partha Chatterjee, and Talal Asad have also been
immensely generous in their endorsements. That they took the time to read and
comment on the book is really moving. I am also touched that Torkel Brekke,
who cannot tolerate writing like mine, obliged an old friend and gave this book
the most charitable reading one could hope for!
I must also thank Akeel Bilgrami, but in fairness point out that he could not
disagree more with what I have written in Chapter 9 – and Juergen Habermas,
who took Chapter 4 as graciously as Zizek took Chapter 5. Gayatri Spivak was
also very enthusiastic when I had just begun working on the book, back in 2011
or so. Fred Dallmayr and Shashi Tharoor were as kind and helpful as they
always are. And they always are.
Since there is a photo of him reading the paperback edition of this book all
over the internet, let me thank Ashis Nandy for being so photogenic. And that
reminds me to thank Silika Mohapatra for designing the book cover, by trans-
forming a small Bendre picture that I have hanging on the wall.
I opened by stating that I don’t know were to begin. I also don’t know where
to end. Obviously it is necessary to acknowledge the support of my family, but I
cannot, thanks to a spell that was placed upon me while reading Mary Daly’s
Gyn/Ecology. If you don’t know what I mean, then there is probably a book you
need to read before this one.
Acknowledgments ix
Finally, if I have neglected to mention your name, despite you having helped
me directly or indirectly in the making of this book, then don’t be upset; I actu-
ally think you got the advantage – after all, just look at the mess I have made of
these acknowledgments.
