Table Of ContentINDIA
BRIEFING
Asia Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public education organization
dedicated to increasing American understanding of Asia and broaden-
ing the dialogue between Americans and Asians. Through its programs
in policy and business, the fine and performing arts, and elementary and
secondary education, the Society reaches audiences across the United
States and works closely with colleagues in Asia.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual
contributors.
INDIA
BRIEFING
Quickening the Pace
of Change
Alyssa Ayres and Philip Oldenburg
Editors
Published in Cooperation with the Asia Society
AN EAST GATE BOOK
}
An East Gate Book
First published 2002 by M.E. Sharpe
Published 2015 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa busin ess
Copyright © 2002 Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised 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 publisher s.
Notices
No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to
persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwi se,
or from any use of operation of any methods, products, instructions or ide as
contained in the material herein .
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience a nd
knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or
experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they shou ld
be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for
whom they have a professional responsibilit y.
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, an d
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Library of Congress ISSN: 0894-5136
ISBN 0-7656-0812-X (hardcover)
ISBN 0-7656-0813-8 (paperback)
ISBN 13:9780765615930 (pbk)
ISBN 13:9780765615923 (hbk)
Contents
Preface vii
Editors’ Note ix
Map of South Asia xi
Map of India xii
Introduction
Alyssa Ayres 3
Politics in India’s Decentered Polity
John Echeverri-Gent 19
The Indian Economy: Pushing Ahead and
Pulling Apart
Joydeep Mukherji 55
From Bangalore to Silicon Valley and Back:
How the Indian Diaspora in the United States
Is Changing India
Sadanand Dhume 91
The Subordinate Caste Revolution
Christophe Jaffrelot 121
The Challenges of India’s Health and
Health Care Transitions
Mark Nichter and David Van Sickle 159
v
vi AUTHOR
Representing India: Indian Literature on
the World Stage
Alok Rai 197
1998–2000: A Chronology
Bandita Sijapati 229
Abbreviations and Glossary 269
About the Contributors 279
Index 283
Preface
This edition marks the ninth in our ongoing India Briefing series, one of
the several Country Briefing series published by our Policy and Busi-
ness Programs area. We are very pleased with this volume’s range of
issues, and especially with the fine essays written with care by our con-
tributing authors.
Producing briefing volumes like this one requires a mysterious blend
of regional knowledge, administrative tenacity, business sense, and ability
to work well under pressure. Asia Society has been fortunate to find
such a blend in the editorial partnership of Philip Oldenburg and Alyssa
Ayres. Their efforts over the course of the last fourteen months—work-
ing late nights and during vacations, and on top of a whole host of other
projects—brought this volume out in a timely fashion. But they could
not have done anything without the commitment and good spirit of the
chapter authors—John Echeverri-Gent, Joydeep Mukherji, Sadanand
Dhume, Christophe Jaffrelot, Mark Nichter, David Van Sickle, Alok Rai,
and Bandita Sijapati—who cheerfully tolerated Asia Society’s rather
involved editorial style and produced such high-caliber chapters under
tight deadlines.
Asia Society would also like to thank Lisa J. Hacken, whose watchful
eyes and steady hands steered the volume from manuscript through
production, and Patricia Farr and Chris Reeves, who carefully copyedited
the entire volume. Thanks go also to Sanjeev M. Sherchan of Asia
Society, who provided support throughout the year of this volume’s
production.
This is Asia Society’s fourth India Briefing published in collabora-
tion with M.E. Sharpe’s East Gate Books imprint, and we are again
pleased with our partnership with Douglas Merwin, Patricia Loo, and
Angela Piliouras.
No part of this volume would have been possible without the GE
Fund’s generous contribution. This is the second India Briefing that has
benefited from the GE Fund’s support, and we are most grateful to
R. Michael Gadbaw and Scott Bayman of the General Electric Company
vii
viii Preface
for encouraging us to continue with this edition of India Briefing and to
Evelyn Taylor of the GE Fund for providing the means for us to educate
Americans about the important and fundamental changes taking place
in India—changes that affect the United States as well. Educating Ameri-
cans about Asia is, after all, the core mission of Asia Society, and we
hope that this volume does its small part toward fulfilling that goal.
Finally, this edition of India Briefing coincides with the departure of
Marshall M. Bouton, former executive vice president of Asia Society
and the founding editor of the India Briefing series as well as Asia
Society’s resident South Asia expert for over twenty years. Dr. Bouton
assumed the presidency of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations in
August 2001. We are sure he will do much to enrich that institution, as
he has done at Asia Society.
We welcome reader comments and suggestions via e-mail:
[email protected].
Nicholas Platt Robert W. Radtke
President Vice President, Policy and
Asia Society Business Programs
Asia Society
Editors’ Note
This edition of India Briefing was already into production prior to the
events of September 11, 2001. We are acutely aware that some of its
contents may appear dated in light of the tragedy and its aftermath, but
we believe that no major argument in any chapter requires revision.
The latter section of the Introduction to this volume focuses on the
development of closer U.S.-India relations over the course of 1998–
2001. At the time of this writing, Indian public opinion was beginning
to turn against the United States’ partnership with Pakistan in the mili-
tary campaign in Afghanistan. From the Indian perspective, the global
goals motivating U.S. policy, this time a “war on terrorism,” threatened
to overshadow a nascent U.S. sensitivity to Indian concerns.
It will not be easy for the United States to resume a quasi-alliance
with Pakistan while simultaneously improving relations with India. If
the “war on terrorism” can, through quiet diplomacy, bring about a de-
cline in cross-border violence in Kashmir, then the United States. stands
a better chance of being seen by India as holding a principled stance
against terrorism wherever it occurs. There is no reason to believe that
trade concessions for Pakistan will take place at India’s expense; the
opportunities for broadening the U.S.-India economic relationship are
still plentiful. Yet the specter of “tilts” haunts this moment. The eco-
nomic support package negotiated for Pakistan is being viewed in India
as a “reward” rather than necessary assistance from the United States to
help Pakistan achieve goals impossible without further economic aid.
Should Indian policymakers continue to view these actions as reward-
ing Pakistan and by extension, punishing India, the U.S.-India relation-
ship will suffer—regardless of U.S. intentions to forge relationships with
India and Pakistan on their own merits, and outside a zero-sum game
framework.
Even if there is another downturn in U.S.-India relations because of
ix
