What does the future hold for the Congress? We spoke to Christophe Jaffrelot, Research Director at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Professor at the King’s India Institute (London), Non Resident Fellow at the...

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Freedom fighter and unionist, Jafri belonged to the tradition of progressive politics in Gujarat.

Almost immediately after assuming office, in 2014, the Narendra Modi government blocked the elevation of Gopal Subramanium as a judge of the apex court.

The first challenge that a non-violent protest faces, always, is to remain non-violent in the face of repression and activities of agents provocateurs.

The BJP's rise to power may, therefore, result in the promotion of some upper-caste orthopraxy and ethos via state vigilantism.

These ideas — of “revenge” and “lesson” — take us back to the killings of 1984 and 2002. The magnitude of Delhi riots may be different, but its impact in terms of ghettoisation will probably be...

A record 30% of the new Lok Sabha MPs belong to political families. Among states, Punjab and Bihar have the highest proportions of dynastic MPs. Among parties, Congress remains the most dynastic but...

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Freedom fighter and unionist, Jafri belonged to the tradition of progressive politics in Gujarat.

‘My life, my writings and my work are my only response,’ Mander said on Friday.

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Will political change, as signalled by the Karnataka election results, translate into change at the grass roots — or has the Sangh Parivar taken over society?

With the media and judiciary already under attack, the Prime Minister’s main opponent was just banned from Parliament.

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Will political change, as signalled by the Karnataka election results, translate into change at the grass roots — or has the Sangh Parivar taken over society?

For the moment, Parliament is not heeded to, though it has not been replaced by experts at the expense of democracy. The decline of Parliament is for everyone to see. But does anyone care?

A new sequence in Indian politics has just started. When institutions of the Republic are captured by the ruling party the way they are in India today, the opposition is forced to find alternative...

The Right to Information activists and whistle-blowers in India constantly face risk of harassment, assault, and even murder. The attacks on them are explored, with a special focus on Gujarat, by...

Abstract. Over the last few decades, politics in India has moved steadily in a probusiness direction. The probusiness shift in India has important implicat

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Centralising tendencies have increased under the current government

OP-ED. As the general elections begin on April 19, India expert Christophe Jaffrelot writes that incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi is turning democracy into electoral authoritarianism.

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Bharat Ratna is a deserved honour for Thakur. But will the Modi government replicate his policy and introduce a specific quota for the MBCs, a reform that would make a caste census even more necess...

Rise of Hindutva politics and contradictions within OBC spectrum have exhausted the silent political revolution. Unfulfilled promise of job quotas may lead to a revival.

It was formed as a reaction against those who were in favour of social reforms

Hosted by The Federal The consecration and inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya marks the fruition of the four-decade long movement. The event also unde...

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Over six decades, the American scholar wrote on a range of topics -- from farmers' movements in Western UP and a three-volume biography of Charan Singh to theorising...

Election results decoded: The last decade has seen the return of the upper castes and the erosion of OBC representation.

Six books explain the dangerous ideology of India’s ruling party

Hindutva, not Hinduism is being pushed as the official ideology of India today.

Bharat Jodo Yatra has helped Rahul Gandhi's image. But electoral success for his party is another matter

Among the obvious factors are hyper nationalism, concentration of power in the hands of a few and reliance on pseudo-scientific remedies.

The Congress has gradually realised that its old understanding of caste politics, which was devoid of caste-class interaction, would not take it far in a post-liberalisation environment.

The new contrast between the support Pakistan has received on Kashmir from Turkey, Malaysia and even Iran and the very cautious attitude of Saudi Arabia and the UAE represents two coalitions of...

The foundation of this emerging alliance rests on hostility to Islam, but there are other affinities between Zionism and Hindutva. Both are characterised by ethno-nationalist ideologies that priori...

Bharat Jodo Yatra has helped Rahul Gandhi's image. But electoral success for his party is another matter

Sheds light on one of the darkest moments in India’s recent history, drawing upon a trove of new sources. Winner of the 2022 Karwaan Book Award

In part two of The Wire's interview with the political scientist, he discusses the perceptions that changed in order to make the Sangh Parivar as powerful as it is today.

This process is bound to transform India officially into an ethnic democracy, like Israel — where mixed marriages are practically impossible.

Excerpted with permission from Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today’s India by Christophe Jaffrelot (Hurst Publishers, February 2024). The text has been edit

Prannv Dhawan and Christophe Jaffrelot write: Upper castes dominate not just the state assembly, but also the government, while religious minorities find little representation

Without some support from the state, the smallest of Indian peasants would be even more vulnerable.

One of the obvious reasons why public healthcare has not been a priority for successive governments of India lies in the fact that India’s middle class did not need it.

In the 2009 and 2014 elections, the poorer the voters were, the less BJP-oriented they were too. The situation changed in 2019, when the prime minister appeared...

Christophe Jaffrelot on the transformation of India in an illiberal democracy, the rise of Hindu nationalism, and Modi’s national-populism as India’s upper class counter-revolution.

The Muslim community is less differentiated within, along class and caste lines. But they experience clear collective deprivation

To describe these kinds of speeches, George Orwell had coined a useful word: Newspeak. The most famous instances of Newspeak in 1984 is, “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” But...

The judiciary has contributed to the erosion of the reservation system in different ways during the last two years.

AbstractSince 2014, India’s illiberalism has found expression in the authoritarian politics of the Modi government. Since then, checks and balances have de

Dive into the significance of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideas for contemporary times with Dr. Christophe Jaffrelot at the final session of the Online Ambedkar...

Transparency is not only necessary for maintaining a democratic polity, it is also necessary for making the economy work

“Like many populists, Modi is a chameleon — this is his brand. Everyone can find in him what he or she is looking for.”

We are delighted to announce that the British Association for South Asian Studies Annual Conference 2024 will take place at

Discussion hosted and organised by IGPP. Heena Goswami, Editorial Consultant, Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics, discusses with Prof. Christop...

The current usage of the expression "urban Naxal" owes much to Bollywood film director Vivek Agnihotri, who defines an “urban Naxal as an intellectual, influencer or activist who is an invisible...

The scion of that most famous political dynasty wants to bring India ‘together’ after years of dangerous division, says professor and author Mukulika Banerjee

Podcast hosted and produced by The Philosophy Junkie.

Under-representation of Muslims in police and army hurts the constitutional project of multi-cultural India

Modi's India : Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: It’s not just charisma, but also his image of ‘saintliness’ that protects him.

Open access // by Christophe Jaffrelot (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, April 2024)

From historian Serhii Plokhy on the war in Ukraine to a fresh take on the Cultural Revolution and the latest by Paul Auster and Salman Rushdie, a preview of this year’s titles

Christophe Jaffrelot writes: Beyond this, it also illustrates the decline of reformist attitudes and resilience of caste.

Investigating tensions between Indian PM Narendra Modi and the country’s Muslim minority.

How are those territories, that share similarities and differences, finding their place in the Global South while coping with climate change?

Bhagat Singh believed neither in religion nor violence.

Christophe Jafferlot and Hemal Thakker write: There is a need to set restrictions on the reserves that the private sector can hold. This will help prevent the opaqueness of private sector reserves,...