By Political Parties in South Asia

Political parties are recognized as a highly important instrument for the functioning of democratic politics. They are essential for state formation and the intermediation between the state and society. This book is a pioneering attempt to discuss and analyze the complex variations of the party landscape in South Asia. It pays special attention to the evaluation of the role of political parties in the creation of multicultural, pluralist, and democratic societies. The contributions to this volume come from indigenous authors who bear the necessary contextual knowledge needed to analyze the political parties in South Asia. This work helps explain why analytical concepts can provide explanations in some areas of this subject but fail in others. It also argues that the political parties in South Asia should not be assessed only through criteria taken from western experience. The material in this volume is sure to inform academic debate. Review .,."I am convinced that this volume will be an important contribution to research and nevertheless will serve as a good textbook for teaching."-Klaus von Beyme, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Heidelberg About the Author SUBRATA K. MITRA is Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science at the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Dehli. He currently holds the posts of Executive Director of the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg, and President of the Research Committee of the International Sociological Association. MIKE ENSKAT is Policy Consultant with the GTZ, Eschborn, Germany, and former Lecturer in Political Science at the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University. CLEMENS SPIESS is Lecturer in Political Science at the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University.