India is the largest democracy of the world. The diversity here is quite bewildering in every respect. The success of Indian democracy always puzzled the western thinkers. When the whole of south Asia is burning, how India succeed in maintaining its democracy. Notwithstanding all these euphoria about the success of Indian democracy, there is acute failure when we see the level of inclusion in Indian society. The inequality prevalent is not hidden but what complicates the matter is diversity even in terms of inequality.
Zoya Hasan, an eminent intellectual of India, writes in this book about the way to extinguish this exclusion. She praises the affirmative Action taken by the Government, however, Zoya laments by the fact that government does not seem to address the issues of inequality wholeheartedly. The result will be always the same as we are seeing today. Despite 60 years of independence we are unable to even think of India as an egalitarian society.
Zoya also criticizes the government for its utter lack of understanding of the problems of minorities, particularly the Muslim. Despite the fact, that the Muslims in India are living in worst condition than the SCs and STs, as said by Rajendra Sachar Committee, the government is unable to do anything substantial for them.
Hasan deserves appreciation for presenting a balanced set of arguments that contribute immensely to the ongoing debate about the affirmative measures in India by asking as to why differentiated approaches have been adopted while framing and implementing affirmative policies for the disadvantaged groups. Why can the ongoing politics of inclusion not move beyond dalit and OBC discourse? What about the Muslims who are doubly disadvantaged for being both a minority as also poor?