Social and Political Change in Uttar Pradesh : European Perspectives
By- Roger Jeffery and Jens Lerche (eds)
The state of Uttar Pradesh—India’s most populous, but
also one of its poorest—is in crisis, lagging behind the rest of the country in
terms of social development, economic growth, and women’s empowerment, with
inefficient and ineffective democratic institutions. In this timely book,
established scholars and new voices from Europe reflect on aspects of the
perilous condition of UP, addressing a range of issues, all drawing on
intensive and extended fieldwork.
What used to be UP’s strength has turned into its
weakness. Its position in India—as the quintessential Indian state – is unique,
but no specific UP-identity has been developed. In papers discussing people’s
own perceptions of core social and political issues, local ideas of what is
needed for development are discussed. Gender relations are a central concern of
two papers, one on customary marriage and divorce practices at village level
and the other on changing notions of education for girls and the images of the
UP plains held by those in the hills. Other papers deal with the social bases
and ideology of the separatist movement in the UP hills; with Dalits and
farmers, and the political organizations aiming to represent their interests;
with farmers, and how far the BKU is articulating their demands in western UP;
and with how Jats in western UP are changing the way they maintain their
dominance. The two final papers discuss how modern mass media—TV and
newspapers—are shaping developments in UP.
The book—a major advance in our understanding of
contemporary patterns of social change in UP—will be essential reading for
concerned citizens, students and academics alike.
Roger Jeffery
holds a personal chair in the Sociology of South Asia in the University of
Edinburgh. His research interests are in social demography, rural social
change, social aspects of forestry and education and social inequality. Since
1982 he has carried out three extended periods of research in Bijnor district,
each concerned with gender relationships.
Jens Lerche
has taught Development Studies at London University’s School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS) since 1994. His main research interests are rural labour
relations and the role of government institutions in India and Nepal. He has
researched Uttar Pradesh since 1992, investigating socio-economic and political
processes influenceing the livelihoods of the rural poor, the feminization of
agricultural labour; emergence of new types of labour relations within modern
agriculture; and violent dominance of rural workers.
ISBN
81-7304-500-3 2003
318p. Rs.625/Pounds 50
MANOHAR PUBLISHERS & DISTRIBUTORS
4753/23 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002
Phones: 23284848, 23289100
Fax: 23265162
E-mail: manbooks@vsnl.com
sales@manoharbooks.com
To order your copy at www.manoharbooks.com
No comments:
Post a Comment