Contemporary India's political landscape is characterized by a great deal of social upheaval. This is the result of growing democratic consciousness which is increasingly conflicting with the forces of domination, authoritarianism and hegemony. Against this backdrop, this volume provides an understanding of these forces in both historical and analytical terms. In particular, the seminal essays gathered here explore the specificities of the crucial social categories of class, caste and gender, while simultaneously drawing attention to the arenas in which they intersect.