Power, Protest and Participation: Local Elites and the Politics of Development in India (Routledge Library Editions: Political Protest) - Softcover

Mitra, Subrata K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1032041641 ISBN 13: 9781032041643

Publisher: Routledge, 2023

Synopsis

This book, first published in 1992, examines the attitudes of local elites – the hinge between Indian state and rural society – towards protest and participation in development, illuminating arguments about the nature of the state as well as the development process. It looks at the role of local elites in India both as the representatives of the state and of the rest of rural society, and explains their importance in the country’s development. The book deals with the elites’ contribution to the credibility of the state and examines the strategies through which they manipulate the allocation of resources and influence the pace and direction of social change. It contrasts the rural elites in two areas, one more economically advanced than the other. The elites in the first area were shown to be capable of combining institutional participation with radical protest, whilst in the other they tended to rely on state channels to achieve reform. The author concludes that despite the different settings, both groups were informed, active and responsive to political conditions. This contrasts with the conventional view that local elites of the dominant castes oppress the lower ones by obstructing reforms, for reasons of self-interest.

About this title

About the Author

Subrata K. Mitra

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1032041641
• ISBN 13: 9781032041643
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336