Theorizing the Present Essays for Partha Chatterjee

Description

A political scientist, historian, cultural analyst, social anthropologist, and philosopher, Partha Chatterjee has consistently provided academia with novel conceptual tools for analysing the present. This collection brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines to honour his life and work. Dealing with different ways of theorizing the present, the essays focus on some critical themes underlining twentieth century India–work of history in Indian context; framing the nation in the pre- and post-independence era; forms of community and the role of violence; and the limits of civil and political society formulation. The book includes contributions from prominent scholars all of whom, at one point of time or other, were associated with the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta–an institution Chatterjee served and nurtured over several decades. Together they discuss themes that were shaped by, as much as they shaped Chatterjee's own broad interests. The volume reflects the myriad ways in which scholars worked with, through or against his many important formulations. Contributors Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya - Dipesh Chakrabarty - Pradip Kumar Datta - Anjan Ghosh - Ramachandra Guha - Tapati Guha-Thakurta Janaki Nair - Gyanendra Pandey - M.S.S. Pandian - M. Madhava Prasad - Ranabir Samaddar - Asok Sen