The ANU South Asia Research Institute Book Adda is a recurring seminar series that showcases the work of the SARI members within the ANU working on political, social, historical, and cultural issues in South Asia, with the goal of encouraging greater exchange, collaboration, and networking amongst the research community.
Toward a Free Economy: Swatantra and Opposition Politics in Democratic India
Abstract:
This book provides a perspective on the changing relationship between the state and markets and the evolution of democracy in India after independence by exploring economic conservatism and the rise of the Swatantra Party during the 1960s.
It explores how ideas of 'free economy' in opposition to the so-called 'socialist planned economy' of Nehruvian India emerged from communities in southern and western India as they embraced new forms of entrepreneurial activity. Although diverse, these articulations all connoted anticommunism, unfettered private economic activity, decentralized development, and the defense of private property.
Swatantra’s leaders promised 'free economy' through their project of opposition politics, which sought to create a viable conservative alternative to the dominant Indian National Congress and push India toward a two-party system. Key to their project was the communication and mobilization of Indians around economic issues.
Scrutinizing print and visual culture, the book reframes the study of economic thought around politicians and publicists and provides a new history of postcolonial India. But it also speaks to the challenges of opposition activity, state-market relations, and federal politics that remain with us today.
About the book author:
Dr Aditya Balasubramanian is Senior Lecturer in History, at the School of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. His research focuses on various aspects of the history of modern South Asia. His first book, Toward a Free Economy: Swatantra and Opposition Politics in Democratic India (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2023), is a history of economic ideas and politics. It was shortlisted for the 2023 Elder Prize in the Social Sciences of the American Institute of Indian Studies. Aditya completed his PhD at Trinity College, Cambridge as a British Marshall Scholar and a Cambridge Trust Scholar. His dissertation won the Ellen McArthur Prize in Economic History and was shortlisted for the Prince Consort and Thirlwall Prize for best dissertation in the Faculty of History.
Discussant:
Easwar Anand Thampi, PhD student in History, School of Culture, History and Language, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.
The book is available online via ANU library's website. Participants are encouraged to read and prepare their questions in advance. Registration is essential as seating is strictly limited in the Boardroom. Thank you for your cooperation.
For general enquiries, please contact SARI Research and Advisory Committee member, Ranu Kunwar at ranu.kunwar@anu.edu.au