Decolonization in South Asia

Meanings of Freedom in Post-independence West Bengal, 1947–52

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book Decolonization in South Asia by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sekhar Bandyopadhyay ISBN: 9781134018239
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: June 3, 2009
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
ISBN: 9781134018239
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: June 3, 2009
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book explores the meanings and complexities of India’s experience of transition from colonial to the post-colonial period. It focuses on the first five years – from independence on 15th August 1947 to the first general election in January 1952 – in the politics of West Bengal, the new Indian province that was created as a result of the Partition.

 

The author, a specialist on the history of modern India, discusses what freedom actually meant to various individuals, communities and political parties, how they responded to it, how they extended its meaning and how in their anxiety to confront the realities of free India, they began to invent new enemies of their newly acquired freedom. By emphasising the representations of popular mentality rather than the institutional changes brought in by the process of decolonization, he draws attention to other concerns and anxieties that were related to the problems of coming to terms with the newly achieved freedom and the responsibility of devising independent rules of governance that would suit the historic needs of a pluralist nation.

 

Decolonization in South Asia analyses the transitional politics of West Bengal in light of recent developments in postcolonial theory on nationalism, treating the ‘nation’ as a space for contestation, rather than a natural breeding ground for homogeneity in the complex political scenario of post-independence India. It will appeal to academics interested in political science, sociology, social anthropology and cultural and Asian studies.

 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book explores the meanings and complexities of India’s experience of transition from colonial to the post-colonial period. It focuses on the first five years – from independence on 15th August 1947 to the first general election in January 1952 – in the politics of West Bengal, the new Indian province that was created as a result of the Partition.

 

The author, a specialist on the history of modern India, discusses what freedom actually meant to various individuals, communities and political parties, how they responded to it, how they extended its meaning and how in their anxiety to confront the realities of free India, they began to invent new enemies of their newly acquired freedom. By emphasising the representations of popular mentality rather than the institutional changes brought in by the process of decolonization, he draws attention to other concerns and anxieties that were related to the problems of coming to terms with the newly achieved freedom and the responsibility of devising independent rules of governance that would suit the historic needs of a pluralist nation.

 

Decolonization in South Asia analyses the transitional politics of West Bengal in light of recent developments in postcolonial theory on nationalism, treating the ‘nation’ as a space for contestation, rather than a natural breeding ground for homogeneity in the complex political scenario of post-independence India. It will appeal to academics interested in political science, sociology, social anthropology and cultural and Asian studies.

 

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Routledge Revivals: Solar Energy (1979) by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book The Rise of Anti-Americanism by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book War in the Iberian Peninsula, 700–1600 by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Purity and Contamination in Late Victorian Detective Fiction by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Emotionally Involved by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book The Morning Chronicle Survey of Labour and the Poor by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Voices of the Survivors by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Undernutrition and Public Policy in India by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Goethe and Patriarchy by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Flying Off Course by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Understanding, Managing and Implementing Quality by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book An Introduction to Iconography by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Jean-Paul Sartre by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book New Racial Landscapes by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Cover of the book Religion in America: The Basics by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy