How the Partition Reshaped Indian Politics

The early republic chose liberty over equality, and Heartland Rising argues that it was the wrong choice. 

In this session Javed Gaya presents his book, a searing examination of the forces driving India’s contemporary majoritarian turn, followed by a discussion with Aakar Patel and an audience Q&A.

From the upheavals of the 1940s, including Partition and the framing of the Constitution, to the present, Gaya revisits a foundational debate: should India be anchored in liberty, defined as “one man, one vote,” or equality, understood as meaningful political representation for minorities in a federal structure? He argues that the early republic’s choice of liberty over equality is why contemporary India now finds itself with neither. Gaya maps how Partition and the elevation of the Hindi heartland reshaped India’s social and economic trajectory, amplifying caste and communal divisions, weakening the judiciary and federalism, and narrowing the space for pluralism.

Venue: Library