Re-building Democracy: Parekh on Indian nationalism and the common good

Even though Bhikhu Parekh has written extensively on the theory and practice of multi-ethnic societies, he is yet to articulate the clear critical typography of contemporary forms of national unity that some think necessary to complete his position. The paper will explore his claim that “the nation” is dangerous myth. To achieve this goal, Parekh’s writings on Indian nationalism will be analysed against the background of the social and political thought of Rabindranath Tagore and others. Parekh’s position will be shown to invoke a conception of political order that is founded upon a surprisingly pluralistic conception of the common good. The paper will assess the extent to which Parekh’s conception of political order could address key structural problems that he identifies within Indian democracy.