Sectarianism, Politics, and Development
Description:... This collection of essays by academics, social workers, and human rights activists examines the impact of sectarianism on India's politics and development, with a focus on Gujarat, a state in western India. Politics in the name of religion has been a major phenomenon in general and in Gujarat in particular, with sectarian politics having had great impact on various aspects of civic and political life in the state. The book presents a backdrop of political developments in Gujarat during the last five decades. The dynamics of social classes have seen a major transition during these decades and the emerging upper caste/affluent sections have dominated the lower caste/deprived sections of society through various social-economic mechanisms. These new dominant castes have assumed the role of subjugating the weaker sections of society by resorting to politics in the name of religion. This has affected the lives of Dalits, Adivasis, and other marginalized sections by further marginalizing them in the process of development. The book also looks at: the ecology of Gujarat, which has been adversely affected * the impact of violence on the lives of women, particularly minority women * the human rights of large sections of society, which have been pushed back * the process of marginalization and resultant intensified insecurity of minorities * land acquisition * agrarian struggles. In this scenario, the process of rehabilitation and reconciliation is discussed.
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