This book is on India’s societal and
political processes andtrends at the turn of the twenty-first century. It reflects many currentsocio-political concerns. These include continuing Dalitoppression and the related emancipation
politics, politics of caste andreservations, the
perfidies of power that punctuate the functioning of Indiandemocracy at every turn through pervasive
corruption, criminality and relatedevils. Its theme is current affairs with sensitivity to socio-political historywhere necessary. The book emphasises the need forredefining the contents and contours of Indian democracy for ushering in a moreinclusive secular and pluralistic polity and society.The book is organized into six sections:(1) Dalit Oppression (2) DalitEmancipation; (3) Caste and Reservations; (4) Scams and Stability; (5) ThePerfidies of Power; and (6) Putting Society Together Again. Included under DalitOppression are
essays on ConversionPolitics, Dalits and Durban, The Dalit Controversy, and Exploiting the Exploited. The
section on DalitEmancipation
includes the essays The Meaning of Vaikom, Ambedkar's Legacy, PoliticalRelevance of Ambedkar, and Political Appropriation of Ambedkar.The section on Caste and Reservations includes theessays Judicial Pragmatismand Political Opportunism, The Quota Conundrum, White or Grey?, SensitisingOfficials, and A Costly Digression.The section on corruption, that is, Scams and Stability includes the essays The Folkloreof Corruption, Striking at the Very Roots, Rao's Redemption, The Rise and Fallof Rao, Marriage and Morals, The Mother of all Scamsters, and A Mother's Elegy for theAIADMK. The section on The Perfidies of Power covers the essaysPolitics of Perdition, Conviction Politics,Electoral Eccentricities, Tamil Nadu's Shame, Practical or Suicidal, The Perfidies of Power, Witches' Brew or Magic Potion?, and Coalitions andPolitical Skullduggery. The last section, PuttingSociety Together Again, is the Conclusion of the book. This is followed byan exhaustive list of REFERENCES.
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