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3 titles

Why I Am Not a Hindu The Nation, The State and Indian Identity Texts of Power
Why I Am Not a Hindu
a Sudra critique of Hindutva philosophy, culture and political economy
Title index
'[In our childhood] all of us, the Dalitbahujans of India never heard the word 'Hindu'—not as a word, nor as the name of a culture, nor as the name of the religion.' This is one of the provocative statements from the author who identifies himself as a dalitbahujan, a member of the 'exploited and suppressed majority' of Indians. Writing with passionate anger laced with sarcasm on the situation in India today, the author looks at the socioeconomic and cultural differences between the Dalitbahujans and the other Hindus. He studies childhood, family life, market relations and power relations, Gods and Goddesses and the premises of Hindutva. Collecting many of the ideas of Bahujans, he presents their vision of a more just society.
demy octavo paperback 132pp Feb 1996  cover illustrations: Partha Chanda; cover design: Habib
ISBN 81-85604-18-5    Rs 140
'It is the first comprehensive political statement on and of the newly consolidated dalit-bahujan politics.'
~~~ The Book Review

 'The book is a challenge to all of us who are attempting to explore our secular roots.'
~~~ The Hindu



By Kancha Ilaiah
Reader in Political Science, Osmania University.
Also an activist in the Dalitbahujan and civil liberties movements.

The Nation, the State and Indian Identity
Title index
Reflecting on the pressuing moral crisis of secularism, this book suggests that the focus should be on identity, which will help us to tackle the violent, divisive strands of our society. The contributors analyse Partition, medieval history textbooks and the nineteenth century debate on the nation and identity to search for answers. The Uniform Civil Code controversy, the impact of communalism on gender issues, trade unions and communalism, the politics of violent confrontation in the Northeast and in Kashmir are discussed cogently. An unusual aspect of the book is its orality; these essays were first presented in discussions, and the comments of many participants have been included to give us further insight.
demy octavo hardback 207pp   1996  cover design: Jyoti Talwar
ISBN 81-85604-09-6    Rs 250
'. . . provides glimpses into the thinking of our secular activist community that is not available elsewhere.'
~~~ Biblio

 'This book demands notice . . . it exemplifies the coming together of different minds that underlie . . . our present political predicaments.'
~~~ The Telegraph



Edited by Madhusree Dutta, Flavia Agnes and Neera Adarkar
The editors are members of Majlis, a legal and cultural resource centre, Mumbai 

Chairpersons and contributors:
Flavia Agnes, Jasodhara Bagchi, Pushpa Bhave, Ratnabali Chatterjee, Gouri Choudhury, Kamala Ganesan, Nandita Haksar, Kalpana Kannabiran, Meena Menon, Vivek Monteiro, Gautam Naulakha, Gyanendra Pandey, Shakun, Bagaram Tulpule
 

Texts of Power
emerging disciplines in colonial Bengal
Title index
A fascinating interdisciplinary effort, this collection probes questions of pedagogy, nationalism and gender. Among the subjects explored are colonialist and nationalist surveillance of Bengali literature; the disposition of the nation's art; the politics of child rearing; the mapping of Calcutta; and the disciplining of historical memory. By applying the theoretical insights of recent historical and cultural studies to the specific circumstances of Bengal, the authors develop a new approach to Indian intellectual and cultural history.
   Of special interest to scholars is the detailed findings they represent on the development of printing and its effect on Bengali culture in the nineteenth and twentieth century.
demy octavo hardbound 220pp   1996 cover design: Jyoti Talwar
ISBN 81-85604-16-9    Rs 250    For sale in South Asia only
'Each of these essays focuses on a selected text to reveal the signs of contest when the new knowledge was translated into Indian culture.'
~~~ The Telegraph



Edited by Partha Chatterjee
Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. 

Contributors:
Pradip Kumar Bose, Keya Dasgupta, Tapati Guha Thakurta, Tapti Roy, Ranabir Samaddar

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