A Rescue Plan For The Republic

Making sense of Indian Democracy

- Rahul Verma

By Yogendra Yadav

PERMANENT BLACK

422 pages

Sometimes it is almost impossible to write a book review without commenting on the contribution of the author beyond the book. Especially when the author wears as many hats as Yogendra Yadav—that of a political scientist, psephologist, activist and politician. Making Sense of Indian Democracy presents the essence of Yadav’s lifetime pursuit wearing these hats in a concise, readable and relatable manner (full disclosure: I was trained under Yadav at Lokniti-CSDS).

This collection of essays written over three decades reflects not only the quest of an academic to understand how the practice of democracy interacts with Indian society but also that of an activist seeking to reform and transform the political arena. It has both, the elements of optimism over what democracy in India has achieved against all odds, and despair at its failures despite promising beginnings. These essays chronicle the democratic life of India’s ‘first republic’ and reflect with a deep sense of anguish on the idea of India under a ‘second republic’.