Democracy, Pluralism and Conflict

Book Details

• Author: M.N. Karna

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2006

• ISBN: 813160019X

• Pages: 216

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches

About the Book

Democracy has emerged as a comprehensive philosophy in the contemporary world. Values and structures that revolutions once sought to establish are now considered essential elements of democracy. Human rights, gender equity, protection of minorities, the fulfillment of people’s needs, and the rule of law—all these aspects of democracy can only be achieved through a democratic process. The real challenge today is to elevate the revolutionary character of democracy.

The fundamental concerns of democracy—equality, social justice, and pluralism—are closely linked with the idea of secularism. Democracy and secularism not only complement each other but must also be paired to gain sufficient space in a democratic system. Indian democracy is rooted in its republican constitution, which marked the beginning of a struggle to sustain India as an independent state based on the democratic ideals of secularism, economic equality, political freedom, and social justice.

This volume brings together original essays by eminent sociologists, focusing on key issues such as cultural diversity and democracy, democracy and cultural identity, secularism and communalism, and multiculturalism and conflict. The book offers a solid combination of theory and facts, serving as a valuable foundation for furthering debates on crucial societal issues. It will be of immense interest to students and researchers in the social sciences, administrators, political practitioners, and anyone engaged in the fields of cultural nationalism, communalism, and identity politics.

About the Author

M.N. Karna is a former Professor of Sociology at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. He has also served as the Director of the A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, and as Honorary Director at the North-Eastern Regional Centre of the ICSSR, Shillong. He has taught at Patna University and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

Professor Karna has authored numerous publications and edited volumes, including Agrarian Structure and Land Reforms in Assam, Social Change in India, Social Movements in North East India, Power to People in Meghalaya, Peasant and Peasant Protests, Land Relations in North East India, and Studies in Bihar’s Economy and Society.