Politics, Ethics and Emotions in ‘New India’

‘Analysing cultural hegemony independently from material domination, Gudavarthy’s intellectual achievement in this book is remarkable. Drawing on new theorising about meaning and emotion, he develops a subtle new take on India’s rightward turn, even as he provides critical commentary on contemporary events.’ Jeffrey Alexander, Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology and Co-Director, Center for Cultural Sociology, Yale University, USA ‘Instead of moralising against Modi’s assault on liberal ideals and institutions, Professor Gudavarthy argues that the Left in India needs to learn from how Modi mobilises everyday ethics and emotions. Modi’s critics have dismissed gestures such as Modi’s calling for Indians to light candles in the face of the pandemic as theatrical. For Gudavarthy, such performances are the stuff of politics and not an irrational betrayal of it. In this insightful and passionate book, he invites us to reimagine the constructive role of emotions in building political community, within and beyond India.’ Trevor Stack, Director, CISRUL, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK ‘The follow up to his important India After Modi: Populism and the Right, Ajay Gudavarthy's Politics, Emotions and Ethics in ‘New India’, is necessary reading for anyone interested in the future of Indian democracy. It shows the way in which fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, anger and hatred play a key role in the entrenchment of what he calls the “emotive majority” presided over by Narendra Modi’s BJP Government. It is the hold of such emotions that surprisingly shield it from well-earned criticisms of, for example, its botched handling of demonetisation in 2016 or, more recently, the Covid catastrophe five years later. The book also poses the following challenge to the forces of opposition: how can the positive emotions of care, compassion and, ultimately, love be incorporated into a new political project that is not merely passive but active and empowered.’ Samir Gandesha, Director, Institute for Humanities, Simon Fraser University, Canada