Indian Political Theory: Asian Politics

The conception of svaraj is difficult to translate into the English language. The closest interpretation of the term is ‘positive freedom’ or ‘authentic autonomy’.

This book puts forward a workable contemporary ideal of svaraj that is "thin", i.e. political, and free of metaphysical commitment. The model the author proposes is inspired by B.R. Ambedkar's thoughts on svaraj, as opposed to the "thick" conception found in M.K. Gandhi's "Hind Svaraj", in KC Bhattacharya's "Svaraj in Ideas" and later in Ramachandra Gandhi's work. The author demonstrates that svaraj has not yet been achieved in Indian political theory. He 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 emphasises 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 – one that is "thin" – this analysis takes into account influences from other cultures and sources as well as eschews "thick" conceptions that stifle imaginations and imaginaries. This book will be of interest to academics in the fields of philosophy, political science, sociology, literature and cultural studies in general and contemporary political theory, South Asian and Indian politics and political theory in particular.

Aakash Singh Rathore? is currently a Visiting Professor in the Centre for Philosophy at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India and International Fellow at the Centre for Ethics and Global Politics, Luiss University, Italy.