Indias Silent Revolution Since the 1960s a new assertiveness has characterized

Since the 1960s a new assertiveness has characterized India's formerly silent majority, the lower castes that comprise more than twothirds of the countrys population.

Today, Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, is controlled by lowercaste politicians, as is Bihar and lowercaste representation in national politics is growing inexorably.

Jaffrelot argues that this trend constitutes a genuine democratization of India and that the social and economic effects of this silent revolution are bound to multiply in the years to come.

For anyone interested in Indian politics, post Independence history and the contemporary political scenario, this is an indispensable book.