Politics and Religion in India

This volume examines how religion is intrinsically related to politics in India. Based on studies from states across the length and breadth of India, it looks at political formations that inform political discourse on the national level and maps the trajectory of religion in politics.

The chapters in this volume:

• discuss contemporary trends in Indian politics, including Hindutva, citizenship bills and mob violence;
• draw on fieldwork conducted across states and regions in India on critical themes, including the role of religion in electoral process, political campaigns and voting behaviour, political and ideological mobilization, and state politics vis-à-vis religion, among minorities;
• focus on the emerging politics of the 21st century.

The book will be a key reference text for scholars and researchers of politics, religion, sociology, media and culture studies, and South Asian studies.

Introduction Narender Kumar 1. Religion, Minorities and Indian State Himanshu Roy 2. Politics of Religious Polarization in India: Insights from Riots in Gujarat (2002), Kandhamal (2008) and Muzaffarnagar (2013) Mujibur Rehman 3. Sikh Politics in Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal Ashutosh Kumar and Hardeep Kaur 4. Religion, Ethnicity and Politics: Understanding BJP’s Rise in Assam Dhruba Pratim Sharma, Tarun Gogoi and Vikas Tripathi 5. Church and Political Action in Mizoram V. Bijukumar 6. Identity, Religion and Development: The Changing Nature of Political Mobilization of Muslims In Post-Sachar West Bengal Abdul Matin 7. Hindutva as a ‘Sacred Form’: A Case Study of Karnataka Malini Bhattacharjee 8. Nature and Dynamics of Religion-Oriented Politics in Kerala Josukutty C. A. 9. Politics of Hindutva In Maharashtra: Actors, Causes and Political Effects Parimal Maya Sudhakar 10. Religion–Polity Interface in Jammu & Kashmir: An Analysis Muhammad Tajuddin 11. Religion as a Tool for Political Mobilization in Bihar Umakant12. Beyond Othering: A Study of Hindu Political in Gujarat Dhananjay Rai 13. Indian Political Space and Religion: Perspectives and Exploring Alternatives Y. S. Alone

Narender Kumar is Professor at the Centre for Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He has previously taught at three central universities: University of Delhi; Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He has six authored and edited books to his credit apart from contributing to various journals. His latest volume is Dr. Ambedkar and Democracy (edited with Christophe Jaffrelot, 2018). His area of research interest is political institutions and public policy with special reference to group rights. He has been a member of the Indo-European Network, where collaborating institutions included the London School of Economics, King’s College London, CERI, Paris, and the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.