A Design for Change is a manifesto to build public opinion for a basic
transformation of the polity in the world's largest participatory democracy, which is also
one of the most ancient traditional societies.
The book aims at stimulating wider debate and discussion throughout the Republic, with a
view to building a people's movement for the reconstruction of an equipoised, cooperative,
contemporary federation in place of the centralised dysfunctional, anachronistic
union-system.
The study begins by putting the problem of federalism in the global context, and then it
focusses attention on the perspective and problems of federal polity in India. It has 12
chapters, covering themes like socio-cultural dimensions of India's federal polity,
political federalism, and pattern of federal-nation building in India; and tensions,
conflicts and violence vitiating the design of federal existence. This is a
policy-oriented study. The main policy thrust is the proposal for constructing a new
federal balance in India by simultaneously pursuing four major structural changes --
namely territorial reorganisation of states, recasting of centre-state relations on a more
rational and cooperative basis, activisation of the panchayati-raj and nagarpalika system
at the grass-roots levels, and the urgent need for building a consensus among the people
and the political parties on the four critical values of our Republic -- i.e. democracy,
secular polity, social justice and federal-nation building.
The study includes eight appendices containing among other items, notes on Janapads of
Bharatvarsa; Subahs of the Mughal Empire, and socio-cultural sub-regions of modern India.
Six maps relevant to the study are also included.
Vikas Publishing House, New Delhi: 1992
ISBN No. 0,7069-5972-8 Rs.150/-
Contents :
- 1. Prologue
- 2. Global Context of Federalism
- 3. The Indian Perspective:Socio-Cultural Dimension
- 4. Political Federalism in India
- 5. Tensions, Conflicts and Violence
- 6. Pattern of Federal-Nation-building
- 7. Measures Necessary for Constructing a New Federal Balance in India
- 8. Territorial Reorganisation
- 9. Recasting Centre-State Relations
- 10. Activisation of the Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalika System
- 11. Consensus for Democracy, Secular Polity, Social Justice and Federal Nation-building
- 12. Epilogue
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