Public library services for Canadians with print disabilities
  • Mobile accessibility tips
    • Change contrast
      • AYellow on black selected
      • ABlack on yellow selected
      • AWhite on black selected
      • ABlack on white selected
      • ADefault colours selected
    • Change text size
      • Text size Small selected
      • Text size Medium selected
      • Text size Large selected
      • Text size Maximum selected
    • Change font
      • Arial selected
      • Verdana selected
      • Comic Sans MS selected
    • Change text spacing
      • Narrow selected
      • Medium selected
      • Wide selected
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Français
  • Home
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Recommended
  • For libraries
  • Help
  • Skip to content
      • Change contrast
        • AYellow on black selected
        • ABlack on yellow selected
        • AWhite on black selected
        • ABlack on white selected
        • ADefault colours selected
      • Change text size
        • Text size Small selected
        • Text size Medium selected
        • Text size Large selected
        • Text size Maximum selected
      • Change font
        • Arial selected
        • Verdana selected
        • Comic Sans MS selected
      • Change text spacing
        • Narrow selected
        • Medium selected
        • Wide selected
  • Accessibility tips
CELAPublic library services for Canadians with print disabilities

Centre for Equitable Library Access
Public library service for Canadians with print disabilities

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Français
  • Home
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Recommended
  • For libraries
  • Help
  • Advanced search
  • Browse by category
  • Search tips
Breadcrumb
  1. Home

The Indian Civil Sphere

By Jeffrey C. Alexander, Suryakant Waghmore

Politics and government, General non-fiction

Synthetic audio, Automated braille

Summary

Indian democracy is in trouble. A still widely popular, democratically elected leader stands athwart it, dangerously authoritarian and disrespectful of civil liberties, the independence of the courts and the press, and disputatious vis-à-vis organized counter-powers. Leading intellectuals, Indian and Western,… write about the death of Indian democracy and the passage to despotism. Despite these clear and present dangers, this volume suggests that the death of Indian democracy has been greatly exaggerated. To understand why, we must move beyond democracy narrowly understood as a governmental form to a broader theory of the cultural, associational, and institutional life necessary to sustain it. Building on the insights of civil sphere theory, this volume presents a complex understanding of the progress, reaction, and upheaval that has buffeted independent India. The vitality of India’s civil sphere nourished vast waves of anti-caste movements that energized Indian politics, creating civil repairs that brought it closer to its founding promise to become a less hierarchical society. Yet, the very success of these progressive movements triggered tsunamis of backlash reaction – Hindu revivalism, Muslim exclusion, horrific outbreaks of communal violence.  Narendra Modi and the BJP rode these reactionary waves to power, but, as the 2024 election demonstrated, it is a power still hedged in by the continued vitality of India’s civil sphere. Despite pressures from big business and big government, print and digital media continue to broadcast powerful critical interpretations, speaking truth to power at critical junctures. The Indian legal order, despite enormous problems, continues to protect speech, association, the right to vote and the right to have those votes counted accurately. A powerful demonstration of both the richness of civil sphere theory and the vitality of Indian democracy, The Indian Civil Sphere will be of interest to students and scholars in sociology, politics and Asian studies and to anyone interested in the politics of the world’s largest democracy.

Title Details

ISBN 9781509563838
Publisher Polity Press
Copyright Date 2025
Book number 6660933
Report a problem with this book

The Indian Civil Sphere

FAQ

Which devices can I use to read books and magazines from CELA?

Answer: CELA books and magazines work with many popular accessible reading devices and apps. Find out more on ourCompatible devices and formats page.

Go to Frequently Asked Questions page

About us

The Centre for Equitable Library Access, CELA, is an accessible library service, providing books and other materials to Canadians with print disabilities.

  • Learn more about CELA
  • Privacy
  • Terms of acceptable use
  • Member libraries

Follow us

Keep up with news from CELA!

  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Bluesky
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Suggestion Box

CELA welcomes all feedback and suggestions:

  • Join our Educator Advisory Group
  • Apply for our User Advisory Group
  • Suggest a title for the collection
  • Report a problem with a book

Contact Us

Email us at help@celalibrary.ca or call us at 1-855-655-2273 for support.

Go to contact page for full details

Copyright 2025 CELA. All rights reserved.