About the Book

India’s democracy evokes strong opinions and reactions, yet the truth rarely fits the extremes. While international observers frequently sound alarms about the direction India is heading, many within India view these judgements as overstated or inattentive to the country’s unique political landscape. Between these contrasting perspectives lies a more measured story— one of a vast, plural society negotiating modern democratic life with all its tensions, traditions, and upheavals through the prisms of religion, caste, ancient dharmic values and its rapid surge ahead on the road to technological advancements and modernity.

About the Author

In this thoughtful and meticulously researched book, Salvatore Babones brings clarity to a debate on Indian democracy and the reasons it has survived for more than seven decades. Using comparative data and original historical analysis, he situates India within both global democratic standards and its own long institutional journey. Rather than offering simple praise or criticism, Babones reveals a system that is imperfect yet robust, pressured yet adaptive and deeply rooted in dharma. Salvatore Babones is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Sydney.