Democracy’s Heartland : Inside The Battle For Power in South Asia
Democracy’s Heartland : Inside The Battle For Power in South Asia
S.Y. Quraishi
- Language : English
- Paperback : 520 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9353455820
- ISBN-13 : 978-9353455828
South Asia is often seen as chaotic, volatile and even undemocratic. But former Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi argues in Democracy’s Heartland that no other region has embraced the democratic experiment as fully, or as fiercely, as South Asia.
From India’s electoral juggernaut to Pakistan’s power struggles, Bangladesh’s voter resilience to Nepal’s constitutional churn, Afghanistan’s downslide to Bhutan’s hesitant first steps, Quraishi offers a comparative tour of the subcontinent’s democracies, warts, wonders and all. Drawing on decades of first-hand experience, he combines sharp analysis with untold stories from the front lines of elections across the region.
What emerges is a definitive account of how democracy survives, adapts and even thrives in South Asia despite the odds. Bold, original and deeply informed, Democracy’s Heartland repositions the region as democracy’s most vital and contested terrain.
South Asia is often seen as chaotic, volatile and even undemocratic. But former Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi argues in Democracy’s Heartland that no other region has embraced the democratic experiment as fully, or as fiercely, as South Asia.
From India’s electoral juggernaut to Pakistan’s power struggles, Bangladesh’s voter resilience to Nepal’s constitutional churn, Afghanistan’s downslide to Bhutan’s hesitant first steps, Quraishi offers a comparative tour of the subcontinent’s democracies, warts, wonders and all. Drawing on decades of first-hand experience, he combines sharp analysis with untold stories from the front lines of elections across the region.
What emerges is a definitive account of how democracy survives, adapts and even thrives in South Asia despite the odds. Bold, original and deeply informed, Democracy’s Heartland repositions the region as democracy’s most vital and contested terrain.
Author Bios:
S.Y. Quraishi joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1971, serving as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India. During his tenure, he introduced major electoral reforms, including the Voter Education Division, the Expenditure Monitoring Division and the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).Under his leadership, IIIDEM trained election managers from 141 countries in 15 years, becoming a global hub for electoral training. He also launched National Voters Day to boost participation.
Dr Quraishi served nine years on the Board of the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Stockholm. He was appointed as the Global Ambassador of Democracy, along with Kofi Annan (now deceased), in October 2018 by International IDEA.He has represented India in election observation missions worldwide, including South Africa, Kenya, Russia and Myanmar.
Featured in the Indian Express list of 100 Most Powerful Indians (2011, 2012), he has delivered major lectures at Oxford, Harvard and Columbia. He is currently Chancellor Emeritus of IILM University, Gurgaon. X: @DrSYQuraishi.
S.Y. Quraishi joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1971, serving as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India. During his tenure, he introduced major electoral reforms, including the Voter Education Division, the Expenditure Monitoring Division and the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).Under his leadership, IIIDEM trained election managers from 141 countries in 15 years, becoming a global hub for electoral training. He also launched National Voters Day to boost participation.
Dr Quraishi served nine years on the Board of the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Stockholm. He was appointed as the Global Ambassador of Democracy, along with Kofi Annan (now deceased), in October 2018 by International IDEA.He has represented India in election observation missions worldwide, including South Africa, Kenya, Russia and Myanmar.
Featured in the Indian Express list of 100 Most Powerful Indians (2011, 2012), he has delivered major lectures at Oxford, Harvard and Columbia. He is currently Chancellor Emeritus of IILM University, Gurgaon. X: @DrSYQuraishi.
