Full Description
Taking cognisance of the lack of studies on leadership in modern India, this book explores how leadership is practiced in the Indian context, examining this across varied domains — from rural settings and urban neighbourhoods to political parties and state governments.
The importance of individual leaders in the projection of politics in South Asia is evident from how political parties, mobilisation of movements and the media all focus on carefully constructed personalities. Besides, the politically ambitious have considerable room for manoeuvre in the institutional setup of the Indian subcontinent. This book focuses on actors making their political career and/or aspiring for leadership roles, even as it also foregrounds the range of choices open to them in particular contexts. The articles in this volume explore the variety of strategies used by politically engaged actors in trying to acquire (or keep) power — symbolic action, rhetorical usage, moral conviction, building of alliances — illustrating, in the process, both the opportunities and constraints experienced by them.
In taking a qualitative approach and tracking both political styles and transactions, this book provides insights into the nature of democracy and the functioning of electoral politics in the subcontinent.
Contents
Glossary and Abbreviations 1. Introduction 2. Creating Followers, Gaining Patrons: Leadership Strategies in a Tamil Nadu Village Björn Alm 3. Leadership and Political Work Mukulika Banerjee 4. Wrestling with (Body) Politics: Understanding 'Goonda' Political Styles in North India Lucia Michelutti 5. To Create a Crowd: Student Leaders in Dhaka Arild Engelsen Ruud 6. Contradictory Youth Politics: Student Mobilisation in Uttar Pradesh Craig Jeffrey 7. The New Caste Headmen? Dalit Movement Leadership in Tamilnadu Hugo Gorringe 8. The Enduring Appeal of Populist Leadership in Contemporary Tamil Nadu Andrew Wyatt 9. Leadership and the Power of Honour in a Corrupt System Paul R. Brass 10. Beyond Clientelism: Digvijay Singh's Participatory, Pro-Poor Strategy in Madhya Pradesh James Manor 11. Development, Drought and Campaign Rhetoric in South India: Chandra Babu Naidu and the Telugu Desam Party, 2003-2004 Pamela Price
