Democrats and Dissenters

by Ramachandra Guha

A major new collection of essays by Ramachandra Guha, Democrats and Dissenters is a work of rigorous scholarship on topics of compelling contemporary interest, written with elegance and wit.
The book covers a wide range of from the varying national projects of India’s neighbours to political debates within India itself, from the responsibilities of writers to the complex relationship between democracy and violence. It has essays critically assessing the work of Amartya Sen and Eric Hobsbawm, essays on the tragic predicament of tribals in India—who are, as Guha demonstrates, far worse off than Dalits or Muslims, yet get a fraction of the attention—and on the peculiar absence of a tradition of conservative intellectuals in India.
Each essay takes up an important topic or an influential intellectual, as a window to explore major political and cultural debates in India and the world. Democrats and Dissenters is a book that is certain to be widely read, and even more widely discussed.

Genres: India, Politics, History, Nonfiction, Essays, Sociology, Indian Literature

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Ramachandra Guha was born in Dehradun in 1958, and educated in Delhi and Calcutta. He has taught at the University of Oslo, Stanford, and Yale, and at the Indian Institute of Science. He has been a Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and also served as the Indo-American Community Chair Visiting Professor at the University of California at Berkeley.

After a peripatetic academic career, with five jobs in ten years on three continents, Guha settled down to become a full-time writer based in Bangalore. His books cover a wide range of themes, including a global history of environmentalism, a biography of an anthropologist-activist, a social history of Indian cricket, and a social history of Himalayan peasants.

Guha’s books and essays have been translated into more than twenty languages. The prizes they have won include the U.K. Cricket Society’s Literary Award and the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society of Environmental History.

Reviews

[S.Ach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ram Guha is one of my favourite historians. You can call him biased, left leaning, liberal, anti-fascist, Nehruvian and all, and you won't be wrong. But, history is always biased - victor's story, isn't it? So expecting a historian to be unbiased is like expecting a lion to be a vegetarian. If one wants to understand history objectively without bias, then the onus is on self to read multiple accounts written from different, and preferably, opposing vantage points, rather than expecting a historian to present them an unbiased perspective in a platter. So, yes, Ram Guha is one of my favourite historians and social commentators. I learn a great deal from his writings and books. His biases and mine overlap.

Coming to this book, which is divided in two parts - "Politics and Society" and "Ideologies and Intellectuals", each containing disjoint essays.

In "The Long life and Lingering Death of Congress", Guha discusses about the fall and decline of Congress party after Nehru's death and the reasons for current status of hitting the zenith (and yes he largely accuses of Congress the same thing that most people do - dynastic politics). 
I believe in Freedom of Expression is the most important, but definitely not absolute. There are caveats. In "Eight Threats to Freedom of Expression in India" Guha discusses how FoE is in danger in India, but he tends to agree with, "Every man or woman has the right to hold any opinion she or he chooses and to give effect to it also, as long as , in doing so she or he does not use or advocate physical violence against anybody."

In the essay "Debating Democracy" he discusses the intellectual and visionary differences between Jayaprakash Narayan and Jawaharlal Nehru. In subsequent essays on India and her neighbours, Guha discusses the issues and triumphs of China, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and India's approach towards these three important countries. Most I learn from the essay on "Tribal Tragedies in Independent India", as I had the least knowledge on this subject beforehand.

In the second part of the book, where Guha talks about some of the eminent personalities, it becomes boring and appear as fillers. Good that I learnt a little about some of these influencers, most of who I hadn't heard about before, and probably, would refer to this book, if I want to know more about them. These personalities include - the Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm, political scientist Benedict Anderson, Gandhian Buddhist Dharmandand Kosambi, sociologist Andre Beteille, Nobel winning economist Amartya Sen, historian Dharma Kumar and the rebel novelist U R Ananthamurthy. Yes, you see the leaning --- all of them are leftist liberals:). In the last essay "Where are the conservative intellectuals in India?" he touches upon some ideologues of the right, however, that's not enough or comprehensive to have a balanced view. But, as I said before, if you know any historian/commentator who has a balanced view, please let me know.

[Arun Divakar · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was this former colleague of mine who used to insanely revere Ramachandra Guha’s book India after Gandhi. I have lost track of the number of times he has extolled the virtues of that book to me and asked me to try it out but even as I type this review out, this is yet to happen. Even after reading Guha’s occasional columns in the print media his books and I never got together until this one came along. Guha writes with precision and a strong opinion on varied topics which matter a great deal to the present day India. The book collects two sets of essays – the first is on the state of affairs in India while the second collects Guha’s remembrances and notes about various intellectuals from India. To come clean I read and assimilated quite a lot of information from the first set of essays but found the second to be slow and rather soporific with the end result being that I let it be and did not pursue it further.

Having been an academic intellectual, a scholar and a teacher Guha’s arguments are peppered with objective facts. An essay on the exploitation that the indigenous tribals of India have undergone through the years following independence cuts deep and shows a face of India that mainstream media shies away from. It is a section of people who are so far away from the public eye that they are literally the ghosts of Indian society. The series of broken promises made by successive governments and administrators are all captured in this hard hitting article.

Also, one of the most touchy subjects in the subcontinent’s history is its relationship with the neighbouring state of Pakistan. Rather than resorting to the usual gung-ho military attitude or the high handed diplomatic tirade, Guha talks about his impressions on Pakistan as he travelled across its length and breadth. It is an unusually humane essay on an unseen dimension in the twitchy relationship between the neighbours. There are more such analytical and soulfully written pieces here and I would recommend the below three as the best of the lot :

•Democracy and Violence – In India, Sri Lanka and beyond
•Tribal Tragedies in Independent India and
•Pakistan without tears

Since I had mostly skipped over the second collection of essays, it wouldn’t really be fair for me to post reviews of them. If you are someone who wants to get to know some of the intellectual stalwarts of India through the words of another intellectual then this would be your cup of tea.

If not for anything else, then do read the first 8 essays in the collection. Recommended !

[Aravindakshan Narasimhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be a big review I guess.

While reading this book I was constantly reminded of how India deeply lacks more people like Guha these days. While strongly critical of the right-wing politics and politicians, he has been very vocal about his stance on left and the Congress wherever they deserved it. This attitude of calling spade a spade, traveling a thin line of an unbiased criticism is becoming rare if not absent altogether.

The book is divided into two parts: 1. Politics and Society 2.Ideologies and Intellectuals. The first part deals with varied issues like Freedom of expression and its threats in India, discussions of Chinese policy towards minorities, Pakistan and Indian tie (not the government, but a common folk perspective), the present dismal status of Indian National Congress etc.

In the middle, we have a chapter on exchanges between Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan (called j.p by many) on the road forward for Indian polity, on non-lapping, separate roles of prime minister and president of the ruling party. Reading it, one is reminded of the current day politics, when not between politicians, but even in grave urgent matters affecting the livelihood of people, we have our leaders being mute rather than responding like our forefathers.

The one chapter which drew my interest more was on tribals' status in India. One can only feel a deep pity for those from tribes. Guha categorically puts the blame on the government for not keeping up with its word on the tribal welfare.

I see many readers have had an issue with the second part. Their reasoning is as follows: The place for discussing the topmost ( or let's say credible as well favored by Guha ) intellects and Ideologues in a book pertaining to Democrats and dissenters is uncalled for. I agree with them, but for me personally, the second part was equally if not more enriching. If not for this book I wouldn't have known about Andre Beteille (important sociologist from the country).

Take these quotes from the book on Beteille :

Thus, in an essay published in the Economic and Political Weekly in July 2011, he wrote, with detachment but also some despair, of the decline of Parliament as an institution for debate, discussion and policy formation. Noting the resort to abuse instead of argument, the frequent walkouts and boycotts, this scholar and citizen observed that ‘the long-term effect of continuous discord and disorder within Parliament is an erosion of public trust in the institution itself’. The only real beneficiaries are the media, as ‘the television channels seize their opportunity for breaking news, and lure members of Parliament into their studios where the debates reproduce the disorder of the debates in Parliament’.

In another place :

This society had ‘made a terrible mistake in the past in believing that merit was an attribute not of individuals but groups, that being born a Brahmin was in itself a mark of merit. We shall make the same kind of mistake if we act on the belief that need too is always, and not just in special cases, an attribute of groups rather than of individuals.’


He was also critical about the right-wing, there are more of it in the book, but this small sentence captures essentially the exact philosophy of Hindutva ( which I should add as a very un-Indian or dare say an un-Hindu temperament) :

A civilization that cannot accommodate a variety of traditions, seeking to maintain a jealous hold on only one single tradition, can hardly be called a civilization.

I was also surprised to find that the father of the Marxist historian (a polymath, mathematician) D.D Kosambi was himself a great intellect of a rare kind. The title itself is interesting- The life and death of a Gandhian Buddhist.

Reading about Acharya Dharmananda Damodar Kosambi (not much difference between the father and son's name), I was reaffirmed of my feeling of our generation's complicity when it comes to knowledge. We live in a world of excess data, easy accessibilty of resources brought about by technological boom. Even while we sense the bane of excess and speculative information flows, we still couldn't escape the cushion the technology provides thereby disregarding the knowledge we take for granted. For instance, read this :

Dharmanand Kosambi felt the urge to learn Sanskrit; finding this urge irresistible, he left his wife and small children in Goa to go to Puné, and study with R.G. Bhandarkar. His studies with this great Sanskritist inculcated further desires and ambitions, among them to make a deeper acquaintance with Buddhism. He travelled around the country, spending time in Bodh Gaya and in Sarnath.
In search of a living Buddhist tradition, Dharmanand Kosambi also spent several years in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and Burma, learning Pali from scholars of the Buddhist canon. By now, Kosambi was a world authority on the language and culture of early Buddhism.

Apparently, in his years in Ceylon and Burma, those compulsively carnivorous countries, Dharmanand Kosambi was compelled to eat meat, and repeatedly fell sick. Had he a tougher stomach or a more broad-minded approach to food, he might have stayed in those lands much longer.

On his return to India, Kosambi travelled in the garb and manner of a mendicant, begging for food and railway tickets. He visited Banaras, Madras, Ujjain, Gwalior, and Calcutta, seeking scholars to debate with and learn from. He also toured through Gorakhpur district where the Buddha spent his last days. Here, as Kosambi later told his student, ‘he often passed his days and nights in open verandahs or under trees or in cemeteries and practiced meditation, sometimes he practiced the meditation of love for all beings, including animals’.
P.V. Bapat ends his tribute to his mentor in these words: ‘His life is thus a source of great inspiration to many a young man. It is a splendid example of what a young man with no more education than what can be secured in a village school and with no material resources at all to help him, can achieve, provided he has a dogged perseverance to pursue his ideal, in spite of all obstacles that may come in his way.’

Now read this :

Reading this account, sitting in my home with piped water and round-the-clock electricity in Bangalore, with my laptop, and Google a click away, thinking of my own next journey (by aircraft) to Delhi to work in the archives while staying in the comfortably air-conditioned rooms of the India International Centre, was both embarrassing and uplifting. For, here was a scholar who knew what the search for knowledge really meant.

Indeed, our times are better, one should be an idiot to complain about it. But along the way have we become complicit in appreciating the information and knowledge we are served?. I hope to be proved wrong here.

There also a chapter on the celebrated historian Hobsbawm( nothing new, if you are already acquainted with his works and ideology), there is a chapter on Amartya Sen's book "Argumentative Indian"

Here, Guha is all guns blazing on sen's appeal to the public for looking to the past for continuing the democratic character of future India. I haven't read the book, but if I have to believe Guha, The book apart from Tagore doesn't include any stalwarts like Gandhi(except featuring in letters of Tagore)Nehru and host of other colonial and post-independent times. Going as back as Yajnavalkya, Lokayata scholars, Buddha, Ashoka and till Akbar but not to have included Gandhi (imo, the most argumentative not in the pejorative sense) is indeed a mistake. Guha is of opinion, that though sympathetic to sen for not including Nehru and Gandhi, he has scored a same side goal benefitting the forces he is writing against. I wholly agree, but read this :

The choice of which Indian to pick and celebrate from the past is here directly linked to the kind of Indian who one thinks best represents India in the present. Homo Indicus, in one reading, is rational, reasonable, secular, curious about and respectful of other people and cultures—like Ashoka or Akbar, indeed much like Amartya Sen himself. Homo Indicus, in the other and perhaps no less legitimate reading, is deeply religious, but also passionate and combative, anxious to reclaim the land for the faith and the faithful—a little like Adi Sankara and Shivaji, perhaps, and much like Lal Krishna Advani and (at a pinch) Praveen Togadia as well.

I understand and share the feeling, but Adi Sankara? (wasn't he one of the most argumentative Indian as well). He before noting this, at one place said that with some points to criticize Sen could have very well included Gandhi and Nehru. Doesn't the same parameter apply to Adi Sankara too?. Wouldn't the Right Wingers use this vacuum to provide a rosy picture of Sankara if neglected?.

Guha's central criticizing point is on the hypothesis that reevaluating the ancient or medieval India is an important part for the growth of Indian republic's future. Though Indian past has to be read, discussed and looked with the critical aptitude I feel emphasizing more importance for its importance in future of Indian democracy is a far reach and exactly what Hindutvadis want.

Other chapters were on other intellectuals from India and sometimes other worlds like U.R Ananthamurthy, an Indian economist Dharma Kumar and an Irish Indonesian scholar Benedict Anderson.

Apart from Anathamurthy, I wasn't aware of others' works. So it was refreshing to know about their work as well their social commentaries of their times.

To give a taste of the rare mix of literary as well a sharp social critic of Ananthamurthy, read this :

In Modi’s enthusiasm for development, the atmosphere is further filled with factory smoke. Tribals who live close to nature have nowhere to go. In the hubris of extreme progress, man, suffering revulsion from excessive consumption, may see the need for change. If not, the Earth will speak.’

But he(Guha) immediately adds a caveat :

These are powerful and moving words, but I must enter a caveat. For, well before Narendra Modi became prime minister, successive Congress governments (and prime ministers) had displayed a callous disregard for both environmental sustainability and the rights of tribal communities. Personifying the problem may be a case of literary licence, perhaps, but the issue goes well beyond a particular individual (or, indeed, political party).

How can one forget about Guha's Favorite politician, freedom fighter, and scholar Rajagopalachari(Rajaji)?
It was very interesting to read about the praise Guha has for Rajaji's prophesizing words on the free market and his take on Hindu Muslim unity, Kashmir issue, Jan Sangh.




My own personal appreciation for Rajaji has increased reading these.
But, I have never understood Guha's fascination for this man to the level that he has never even mentioned about the controversial Kula Kalvi Thittam ("Hereditary Education Policy").
Why doesn't he even in a single place has explained about it or criticized it. Not this book, for long I have noticed this one Glitch in Guha's otherwise unbiased writings.

His final chapter is my most favorite-"Where are the Conservative Intellectuals in India?"
This has been my thoughts for well over 2 years. Why doesn't the country possess a strong or even a mild conservative intellectual climate? He answers for that to achieve any credibility they have to remove their tainted spectacles of communal hatred and bigotry. He provides examples of the ideal conservative of this type from Roger Scruton's How to be a Conservative.
So, the question that begs is: Given that there is a conservative government at the centre and whose fortunes are still shiny considering that the opposition is beyond weak at the present, can there be host of scholars if not institutions which can come for the defense of the Goverment of the day and it's ideology or if not for the Hindu issues?

It seems very unlikely, reason being, for one to remove his hatred for the Muslims and Christians is to move away from the Rss's philosophy, which in turn is cheek by jowl associated with Bjp. To remove oneself associating with one is to gain the antipathy of the other.

But, Guha does give three example from the past of being conservative intellectuals, they are Romesh Chandra Majumdar, Radhakumud Mookerjee, and G.s.Ghurye.

Apart from Majumdar I haven't heard about the other two. Guha after putting forth each one's version of history ends with a reasoning that their times could have made them to write so. The 1940s was the bloodiest of Hindu Muslim Riots.

But, My own search has led me in the past to identify two contemporary scholars of some credibility. One is R.Nagaswamy and Prof. Michel Danino. The latter is a french who lives in Pondicherry ashram and his talks and books should be of some interest to people seeking contrarian narratives of India's past.

To read Guha's live and lucid writing was a treat unto itself. Was reminded of my own childhood days when I thought Guha was a cricket historian (which he is and more).



If u have read this much, Thank you :)

[E.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I avoid collections of essays or any sort of anthologies, but for Ramachandra Guha, I have always made an exception. His last book of essays on Indian politics - Patriots and Partisans was a decent fast read but this one was genuinely good and a recommended read even for those who are not fans.
Rama Guha is perhaps the most elegant Indian author, reading him reminds of the silken prose of Jeffrey Archer. But, he is also honest - about facts and his biases. And he is generous and has empathy for those in disagreement. In that way he also reminds me of Rahul Pandita (who is junior to him and a journalist). These qualities make the book a joy to read.
The book is a collection of essays split into 2 parts :-
"Politics and Society" 4.5/5 - This is a splendid study of Indian democracy. The best part was the essay on comparison of India with Pakistan. While like most leftists and "2004-cricket tour" enthusiasts, he describes Pakistani hospitality but as a political scientist and historian he also describes the strange combination of military and theocracy that runs it. And importantly he stays away from false moral equivalence.
Similarly, the essay on comparison of India and Sri Lanka and the Kashmiri vs Tamil struggle was balanced. While it lists the grievances he clearly shuns illiberalism and use of terror. However, he stops short of describing the Islamist (diff from Jihadi) nature of Kashmir's struggle.
There are also essays on Indian National Congress, Tribals in India, Our Worst years, Freedom of Expression, plurality in China and you guessed it Nehru :)
"Ideologies and Intellectuals" 3.5/5 - This part has been skipped by many readers and I too was bored by the essays on Kosambi, Tagore, Beteille. But thankfully some of the other names were recognisable or atleast the content was interesting. DO DO READ "Where are the conservative intellectuals of the Right-Wing ?" even if you wish to skip this. Also, the essay on historian Dharma Kumar was quite good.
Finally, a recommended read, especially for the first section.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is an asshole

[Navdeep Pundhir · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are a big fan of Mr. Guha then you would jump on to anything which comes out of him. So did I, and yes I am disappointed this time.If you have read patriots and partisans then you wouldn'd find anything new as the themes remains the same and you are left craving for some better articles! a 2 Star from my side!

[Simple · Rating 1 out of 5]

Purely biased ! No coherency in chapter and agenda based facts and logics being used . Segregated work of Scholars were written by the self proclaimed historian, the adjectives used for many scholars who adhered to his hinduphobic and apologetic British principles showed his biaseness . Scholars like RC mazumadar been JUST mentioned to proclaim himself a neutral writer .This is just a propaganda book .

[Senthilprabhu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't find the connect between the title and content of the book. It's more of a collection of essays written by him rather than anything about "democrats and dissenters".

The first part of the book is informative and throws some good light about issues like Pakistan, China, srilanka. Here also some are random collection of thoughts rather than well researched one.

Second part is like repayment of debt to the Favour bank by writing about them. Though some essays give insight about thinkers or their work or life like Andre Beteillie, Kosambi. And other essay on Dharma kumar, Ananthamurthy is to written to show his respect to them. And I couldn't find the necessity to discuss about Amartya Sen. Guha compares Sen with Beteillie to find the wisest man, but in the end he like discussing only about Beteillie and declaring him to be wisest.

[Rohita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have given four stars, but lost one for the last section. Maybe its just me but essays about various historians and thinkers did not seem to fit well with the theme of the rest of the book.

[Sairam Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous, learned essays on Indian democracy, some of its people, and a few of its ideas. As always, with beautiful prose and a kind eye, the professor tells us a lot.

And as always, I'll have to read it again, even if just to make sure I don't miss anything.

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the first part of the book treads familiar ground for those who follow Guha religiously (His views on Congress, Nehru, tribals, democracy and free speech) , the second part which profiles some great intellectuals is an absolute delight. The long essays on Andre Beteille and Benedict Anderson are especially recommended. I hope that Guha's next book is the magnum opus-to-be on Gandhi and not another collection of essays.

[Sandeep Bhasin · Rating 3 out of 5]

first half is the greatest part of the book. however, I lost interest in the second half; I guess the publishers wanted the author to have more content.

if you don't have anything else to read, go ahead and read it... first half is just amazing.

[Naveen Durgaraju · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone like me who hasn't read Ramachandra Guha before or anything specifically on Indian politics, this book is a revelation.

No matter what your political beliefs are and how you view our country and its current state, this book will make you take a hard look at what you believe and how your perceive India and its neighbors. I found Guha's writing to be more or less balanced, irrespective of his own political leanings of an independent liberal. Though the book can sometimes ignore the view point and psychology of the majority of masses that prefer the hard right, it manages to steer clear of propaganda and ideological myopia.

This is a book that ironically is a must read for people who most likely don't read much. It is a collection of Guha's essays and is divided into two parts. The first section called 'Politics and society' deals with India and its neighbors whereas the second section called 'Ideologies and intellectuals' takes some of India's and world's finest intellectuals and explores their work, life and ideologies.

The first section is an absolute delight as it chronicles India's journey through the global political and intellectual landscape. It raises important questions and offers useful insights on how and why we are the way we are. The second section has introduced me to brilliant individuals whom I have never heard about before and also different schools of thought that they subscribe to . All of this is interspersed with historical tidbits that paint a fuller and far more nuanced picture of India. I can certainly say, I came away from this book a lot less ignorant than the self that went in.

Recommended for any one interested in India and (as the two sections are aptly titled) politics, society, ideologies and intellectuals.

[Malcolm Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first work of Ramachandra Guha I have read. His lucid narrative style made this a smooth read, even though the issues he talks about are anything but trivial.

The book is divided into two parts. The first explores Indian democracy, freedom of expression and the the threats to it in the present day. Guha also talks about his experiences in Pakistan and China in a couple of chapters. The winner for me though was the chapter on the plight of tribals in independent India. Guha points out how the tribals have been at the margins of Indian democracy, even more so than other disadvantaged groups like the Dalits or Muslims. Absolutely an eye opener for me.

The second section discusses several intellectuals and their ideologies, including Amartya Sen, Andre Beteille, and Rabindranath Tagore. The section on Tagore has such detail about his travels and global outlook, I am inspired to read more of his work. Overall though, the second half seemed a little draggy, due in no little part to my unfamiliarity with the people talked about. Guha also probes the dearth of conservative intellectuals in modern India towards the end of the book.

Highly recommended if you're interested in reading about Indian democracy.

[Harshil Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could’ve given 4 stars but I’m giving it 3.

Ramchandra Guha is one the finest contemporary historians in India, if we put his politics aside. This book is collection of his essays. Book is divided into two parts and in each part several essays are given.

First part—politics and society—is objective, page turner and brings fresh perspective. His essays on China and Pakistan are objective; he has written because he has visited both places. He also wrote essay comparing Sri Lankan and Indian democracies and common problem. Along with it, tribal tragedies in India have been also finely described by him. These 4 essays, though politically opinionated, but completely refreshing.

But this isn’t true for second part—Ideologies and intellectuals. That’s quite boring and I have to left reading after completion of two chapters. I didn’t feel enough to read second part because it lacked context and has been written by considering perspective of person who has mastery in literature.

[Amartya Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An elegantly written work of Ramachandra Guha. To me it seemed a more scholarly work. The first part's collection of essays talks about various topics on Indian society like the decline of Indian National Congress, threats to free speech in India and the denigrating life of Indian tribals. He has also written about India's neighborhooqd particularly China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He ends the first part of his book with the essay on the worst year for India.

The second part of the book is filled with essays on individuals that Guha thinks are critical to independent thinking in India. He dedicates entire essays on thinkers like Amartya Sen, Eric Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson, Andre Beteille, Dharma Kumar, Dharmanand Kosambhi, UR Ananthamurthy and Rabindranath Tagore. He also investigates the lack of scholarly conservative intellectuals except a handful few. In my opinion, he casts a very small net in selecting who is a conservative intellectuals but nonetheless his analysis is interesting.

It's always a pleasure to read Mr Guha's with book his prose is rooted in intent to see our nation live up to the ideals of its founding fathers. Also his works are always rigorously researched and presented in an easy to digest manner for the reader. His criticism of hindutva politics is well balanced with his criticism for the Congress's current brand of politics.
For its cons, some readers might find his personality essays a little dry because of lack of context, unless you are a student of anthropology and economics and history.

But overall, a good book to read. I throughly enjoyed it.

[Ashish Taneja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book groups together highly insightful essays divided into two parts - first one being the commentary on India as a whole and the other following the professional journeys & ideologies of some selected great thinkers of Indian modern history.

The first part is absolutely amazing where author talks about political irrelevance of INC, secularism, international relations, democracy forms, tribal issues etc. It is pretty evident that author doesn't favor right wing Hindutva chauvinism, but still manages to retain his objectivity as he criticizes all the players involved (just like a good and responsible political commentator must do!).

The second part was a hit and a miss for me - I loved portions about Amartya Sen and Tagore because I have read their works, but other thinkers didn't excite me as much as these two. But that should not stop anyone from reading this book!

[Mansi Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me the longest time to read this 350 something pages book not only because my reading speed goes down when it comes to non-fictional books but mainly since this book covers so many aspects about India which I wasn’t familiar with. The author’s unbiased style of putting forward details and his candid analysis of the political parties is very different from the usual rants we see these days. With his concluding essay, ‘Where Are the Conservative Intellectuals in India’, I had never thought that I could see the ‘conservatives’ in a different light. This book deserves to be read in no rush and the details to be further explored since it has too much to offer. It has the power to question the perceptions one has about India and the propagandas and ideologies that are prevalent here.

[Samanvay Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very typical of Ramchandra Guha the book is a collection of informative essays enriched by years of his scholarly research. While some of them were absolutely thought provoking like Debating Democracy where discusses the exchanges between Nehru and JP but the ones on the different thinkers and their work for me were pure information. Also the writer's bias also comes through strongly in some parts.

[Rick Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating writing by Guha.

Through his writing, one is introduced into many Indian writers, his meetings with people of all walks of life.

I liked, how Guha mentioned Rajaji, who is not often talked about in Tamil Nadu, India.

Definitely, would recommend this work.

Let's see, for someone wanting to know sociology, political, academic writers of India.

Deus Vult,
Gottfried

[Anaghaa (theladyliterati) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Guha teaches me so many new things.

[Aiswarya Haridas · Rating 5 out of 5]

,

[Raunak Ritesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of the book is written on a few important topics and the struggles faced by India since independence, on those topics. The essays are to broaden one's perspective by objectively considering all the sides of any topic. He's provided numbers, snippets from personal history and gives considerable fundamental points crucial to the understanding of any topic be it the tribal trouble, or the Kashmir problem or how democracy is in everyday danger.

The second part is a take on the perspectives shared by intellectuals of that time which I skipped over. Moreover, the second part felt alienated since I haven't read any of the writings by the people described in that part.

[Gopal Vijayaraghavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The articles published in “Democrats and Dissenters” show that Ramachandra Guah is undoubtedly an outstanding liberal intellectual who can take on the might of the rightist goons in as well that of the leftist bigots. Many of the articles in this book bear ample testimony to his scholarship and deep understanding of the contemporary Indian social and political issues. Some of the articles seem to be in reaction to the rise of the rightist politicians in the India and as such are slightly emotional. The articles touch a variety of subjects like China, Pakistan, biographical sketches of Western intellectuals and Indian intellectuals. The first article is a lament on the status of the Congress, a party at the vanguard of independence movement, which had declined to such a level that it has become a family property. In my view, this article contains nothing new and seems to be a recap of what many people are writing about present day Congress. Any journalist of average intelligence could have written this article.
The articles on Eric Hobsbawbm, Benedict Anderson, Dharmanand Kosambi, Andre Beteille and Dharma Kumar are extremely informative and interesting. The article about “Democracy and Violence” briefly touches upon the plight of Kashmir and Tamils in Sri Lanka and hopes that non violent solutions can be found to resolve the issues. Two notable omission in this article are about the role of some Tamil Nadu politicians who flamed the fires in Sri Lanka for partisan political ends and the fact that it was Pakistan which started the war in Kashmir in 1947. For a contemporary historian to have omitted these crucial facts is strange.
There are two articles which are polemical namely the review of Amartya Sen’s book “The Argumentative Indian” and the last article titled “ Where are the conservative intellectuals in India?” In the article on Sen’s book, Guha demolished the basic argument of Sen that legacy of the democratic institutions of present day India are traceable to historical figures like Ashoka and Akbar. He argues as to how none of the prominent leaders at the time of independence acknowledged their debts to historical figures for the present day of constitution. He also argues that such an approach will be like double edged swords as the proponents of Hindutva may also rely on history to buttress their arguments. He also touches on parochialism of Sen in omitting many of the contemporary stalwarts from other than Bengal who played a stellar role in the intellectual history of the country.
It is the last article about absence of conservative intellectuals in India which raises many questions. It starts with a definition of a conservative intellectual. Applying this definition, Guha argues that there are no conservative intellectuals in India today. Guha also mentions three conservative intellectuals, notable among them R.C. Majumdar, of early twentieth century. Reading this article one will get an impression that Muslims and Christians in India are not treated as citizens of the country. Some of the observations made in this article are worth mentioning :
“ After independence , however, these debates were foreclosed by the political, and in time institutional, victory of the liberal and socialist viewpoints whose most charismatic and influential advocate was India’s first and longest-serving Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru” p. 291
“The more general mood also favoured liberals and socialists, for a new nation wished to look forward , to leave behind the detritus of tradition and colonialism in constructing a just and fair society.” P 292
“While disagreeing among themselves, liberals, Marxists and socialists between them dominated intellectual life in India. They controlled the most influential university departments and research centers, as well as state-funded bodies such as the Indian Council of Social Science Research and Indian Council of Historical Research.” p. 281.
The sentences quoted above have correctly answered the question raised by Guha. It is the third quote which is of relevance and is an affirmation of an opt repeated and valid argument raised by the rightists. Let us also take some of the statements of Guha. He mentions that during his lifetime, Mahatma Gandhi’s fiercest critics were on the Hindu Right. How Guha omits the communists, Muslim leaders, Dr. Ambedkar and caste leaders from many states who were/are also severely critical of Gandhi not only during his life time but even now. Or consider his mention about the appeal of Marxism amongst the Indian intellectuals. These are the leftists who have, in spite of the evidence of the atrocities in Marxist countries, clung to an utopian ideal and worshiped a God. One may agree with Guha’s argument that there was no single united, national political consciousness of India in existence prior to the advent of British. But Guha, when correctly stressing the diversity of the country, fails to point out the that leftist stranglehold of Indian institutions have denied Hinduism any positives by harping only on the evils of caste while celebrating the fundamentalism of all other religions in India. It is the same historians who have whitewashed the influence of Ramayana and Mahabharata through the length and breadth of the country in literature and many art forms. True, conservative intellectuals are absent in India but to call ideologically driven leftist and casteist historians as intellectuals may also not be correct.

[Sudhir Bharadhwaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of essays and each essay is well written. Rather than viewing his ideological inclination , book must be read in the spirit of open mindedness to both convergent and divergent view points. Highly recommended for reading.

[Madhulika Pathak · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Democrats and Dissenters' by renowned scholar of political history , Ramchandra Guha.
Ironically, I loved the "Democrat" part of this book way better then the "Dissenter" part. And would recommend everyone to just read this well spoken and eloquently articulated book atleast once.
The book will take you to the tour of India from post-independence era till 2014, throughout reflecting the core of its societal issues and political obligations. The highlighted subtext is the comparision of our country with neighbouring asian countries. A comparative outlook on their vs. our post independence acheivements or forfeits. The book dealt with varied topics some enlisted
1) The brutal death of congress party in politics , the death which was lingering over this party since long. A party rich in history and important contributor in maintaing the integrity of nation at the time of utter incoherence of infantile independence that we achieved. What happened? How things spiralled down for this party? Guha din miss or budge through a single point!
2)The curbed freedom of expression of democratic india. Is it only our country? Why constitution provide norms to government to regulate the expression and channelize it in their own way? Is it healthy for society to thrive? What cost are we paying for harmonious run of this country
3) China and emphasize on cultural homogeneity (dominance of one over the another) vs. our heterogeneous embracement. Their empowered women vs. our gender hypocrisy.
4) Pakistan - a nation with religious foundation and at severe fanatic loss.
6) Our Kashmir issue vs srilankan LTTE issue. How violence find its place in democracy?
7) Caste system and tribal tragedies of India. A billion dollar question, would we be able to get over it ?
As Guha puts it , india is an unnatural nation and an unlike democracy, it's never destined for a smooth ride. We should perhaps count ourself fortunate that in all but few years of us, as independent nation, the Indian chaos has been manageable, the Indian anarchy humane, and the Indian disorder tolerable

[Masoom Sanyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In a contest of lesser and greater evils, there is no need to take sides.”

An excellent collection of essays by one of India's foremost intellectual figures. Informative and entertaining at the same time. It's rare to come across a non-fiction book that reads so engagingly. Guha writes non-fiction with a storyteller's flair – which is what makes it so engaging, enjoyable and unputdownable.

Now, coming to the content: the book is divided into two parts – (I) Politics and Society (containing 8 essays), (II) Ideologies and Intellectuals (containing 9 essays) – a total of 17 essays.

Here's a list and a very short summary of my favourite essays:

1. The Long Life and Lingering Death of the Indian National Congress – eulogises the history of INC and laments its impending death, again largely blaming the Dynastic Rule for the death of the party.

2. Eight Threats to Freedom of Expression in India – an interesting examination of freedom of speech and expression in India and 8 different threats posed to it by various factors.

3. Democracy and Violence in India, Sri Lanka and Beyond – compares India's Kashmir situation with Sri Lanka's ongoing civil war and suggests a very sensible solution to at least the Kashmir problem (all accompanied by an engaging and convincing analysis).

4. The Life and Death of a Gandhian Buddhist – introduces the reader to Kosambi Sr, an intellectual worth exploring more.

5. Arguments with Sen, Arguments about India – an excellent critique of Sen's "The Argumentative Indian" and his method of arguing for a heterodox, pluralistic India.

6. Where are the Conservative Intellectuals in India?

7. Travelling with Tagore – a brilliant account of Tagore's travels across the world, his reception there, and an equally impressive summary of what the Poet stood for and the role he played in shaping the modern India. (Again, encourages the reader to discover and explore Tagore in greater detail).

[Anvesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a friend when I visited his place, no special reason other than looking at name of author. Guha was again brilliant in giving a most probable narrative of events that transpired in history. He details out how Congress was established and the prominent figures who led the party through ages and how it became synonymous with a single family from 1966 after being a true representative of vast majority of Indians and democratic processes of India. If INC really want to aspire to greatness again, they need to set aside the Nehru/Gandhi family aside and bring in new leadership to forefront and elect leadership through democratic processes. It might set back the party for 5-10 years but that is the only alternative for this country to have an alternative to right wing politics of BJP.

I haven't enjoyed the second half of the book, it was about dissenters/intellectuals but I wasn't interested in any of them except Amartya Sen and Tagore. While it doesn't give a complete picture of Tagore's politics, it shows the kind of interactions Nehru/Gandhi had with Tagore. Amartya Sen's arguments on shaping of democratic India by Indian History were debunked by Guha in this book and it further conforms my belief that theories connecting random points in history were propagated more for selling books rather than with true belief in theory.

A great read if you want to understand how processes of democratic India were laid out and the key figures who shaped it.

[Rishvanth Reddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A significant contribution to the comparative studies, especially among the nations in South Asia- India, China, Pakistan, and Srilanka. The protagonist of this book is 'Nehruvian India' and the villain is chauvinisms and impositions of homogeneity of all kinds- linguistic, religions, culture or intellectual. The essay on China and Pakistan are unique because they are written in such a way that evokes nostalgia and shared common diversities with India, away from all the political ups and downs, they are personal and polemical. The second part of the work contains marvellous biographical essays of some of the significant intellectuals- Andre Beteille, Benedict Anderson, Eric Hobsbawm, Dharma Kumar, U R Ananthamurthy (also Amartya Sen and E P Thomspon). The most significant of the essays in this collection are one on the tribal tragedies in Independent India and finally, an essay on why there are no conservative intellectuals in India. Overall, a much delightful read in times of trouble on all sides.

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I don't even feel qualified to review this book considering the depth of research that must have gone into it's making and my level of ignorance about a lot of things. Even then, I must make an attempt to review what I think was an absolutely stellar piece of socio-political-economic commentary on India.
Briefly put, Mr. Guha has managed to bring to the table a lot of issues that require discussion without sounding preachy or having us put on any tinted glasses and with a lot of background. The book is divided into two sections. I, for one, found the first half easier to read as compared to the second considering the subject matter. I would give this book a 4/5 and would recommend it to anyone wanting to read a book written on India from an objective point of view (something that's hard to come by these days!)

For a longer review, do visit my blog : https://booksncoffeeplease.wordpress.com