Presented in the form of a debate to which each contributor brings his own particular expertise and point of view―and offers possible solutions―this very readable book constitutes the first full-length discussion of a major issue in contemporary India. Editor Pran Chopra argues that a great deal is at stake in this situation, including the dynamics of federalism, which makes India possible; the role of the Constitution in holding the polity together; and the future of parliamentary democracy in India. Written against this background, the essays in this volume―contributed by some of India′s best-known parliamentarians, jurists, constitutional experts, scholars, administrators, and journalists―present a many-sided discussion of this crucial issue.