Political development in South Asia

Now that SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) stands on a firm footing, its constituent states will have greater interaction among themselves on several planes. This will also be reflected on the regional and global fronts. On the plane of political development, one comes across in these states the dilemma and dialectic between decentralisation and concentration of power, the politics of change and the politics of status quoism, the politics of purpose and the politics of manipulation, the secularisation and communalisation of politics. There is, of course, a difference of degree and device that distinguishes them.

The present book is devoted to an analysis of the various aspects of political development in South Asia. Unlike other publications on the subject, which are either a combination of accounts of political development in these states, or are monographs on the politics of particular states, this study focusses on both the thematic and the comparative aspect of development in the region.

Written mainly for students of South Asian politics, the book can also be read with profit by the layman. The chapters on colonialism and nationalism cater to the needs of students of Indian government and politics. Others have been so designed that even those interested only in the politics of a particular state will find the book a mine of information.