Indians appear to love the practice of democracy so much that they are in danger of overdoing it. In February and March of 1998, the world’s largest democracy held its twelfth general election since gaining its independence a half-century ago. The voting was largely fair and peaceful. New, right-of-center rulers led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced the old, left-of-center ones. The handover of power went smoothly.
About the Author
Atul Kohli, professor of politics at Princeton University, is the author of Democracy and Discontent: India’s Growing Crisis of Governability (1991). The research that led to the present essay has been supported by the Liechtenstein Research Program on Self-Determination at the Center for International Studies at Princeton University.
A review of Democracy and Discontent: India’s Growing Crisis of Governability, by Atul Kohli and The Politics of India Since Independence, by Paul Brass.
Read the full essay here. This article reviews the state of India’s two major national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress party),…
