This book looks at the wasting away of the economic and political democracy that was the hope and promise of the independence movement. The authors examine the hierarchical rule that had undermined the Indian democratic system and at the culture that has engendered this hierarchy of caste. Topics include ethical conflicts and human rights violations as well as the growth of the radical right; also social issues such as the soaring population, illiteracy, poverty, and the role of women in India. The authors note that attacks on Muslims are exacerbating tensions with Pakistan, thereby increasing the possibility of nuclear conflict on the subcontinent.