DOC Dreams of Africa in Alabama: The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Story of the Last Africans Brought to America by Sylviane A. Diouf in History

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Wendy Doniger and Martha Nussbaum bring together leading scholars from a wide array of disciplines to address a crucial question: How does the world's most populous democracy survive repeated assaults on its pluralistic values? India's stunning linguistic; cultural; and religious diversity has been supported since Independence by a political structure that emphasizes equal rights for all; and protects liberties of religion and speech. But a decent Constitution does not implement itself; and challenges to these core values repeatedly arise-most recently in the form of the Hindu Right movements of the twenty-first century that threatened to destabilize the nation and upend its core values; in the wake of a notorious pogrom in the state of Gujarat in which approximately 2000 Muslim civilians were killed. Focusing on this time of tension and threat; the essays in this volume consider how a pluralistic democracy managed to survive. They examine the role of political parties and movements; including the women's movement; as well as the role of the arts; the press; the media; and a historical legacy of pluralistic thought and critical argument. Featuring essays from eminent scholars in history; religious studies; political science; economics; women's studies; and media studies; Pluralism and Democracy in India offers an urgently needed case study in democratic survival. As Nehru said of India on the eve of Independence: ''These dreams are for India; but they are also for the world.'' The analysis this volume offers illuminates not only the past and future of one nation; but the prospects of democracy for all.