ABSTRACT
The complex and multidimensional practice of politics in India can be sliced a number of ways. One division of this reality of particular interest to our concerns in this book is on the basis of the part played by reason. Reason may not have been the sole instrument used in navigating the multiple spaces in the Indian political arena, but it has had a prominent role in the practice of Indian politics. There was a time in the decades before independence, and soon after, when Gandhi, Ambedkar, Lohia, E.V. Ramaswamy Naiker, and others developed theories of Indian society that demanded very specific political interventions. The interest of practicing politicians in developing and articulating specific theories of Indian society did noticeably decline after the first three decades of independence. Even those who claimed adherence to earlier theories no longer found it necessary to theoretically evaluate actions that appeared to be inconsistent with the original theory.
