Since 1947, India has forged and consolidated the world’s largest democracy—an endeavor that is far from complete. India continues to wrestle with such diverse challenges as ethnic conflict, governance deficits, and stunning economic disparities among regions and peoples. On the eve of India’s much anticipated 2014 general election, Ashutosh Varshney, author of Battles Half Won: India’s Improbable Democracy, examined the successes and failures of Indian democracy while placing it in comparative perspective. Carnegie’s Ashley J. Tellis moderated.

Ashutosh Varshney

Ashutosh Varshney is Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences at Brown University, where he also directs the India Initiative. Previously, he taught at Harvard University and the University of Michigan. He is a contributing editor for the Indian Express and author of Battles Half Won: India’s Improbable Democracy (Penguin, 2014).

Ashley J. Tellis

Ashley J. Tellis is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace specializing in international security, defense, and Asian strategic issues.

Varshney’s book, Battles Half Won: India’s Improbable Democracy, will be available for purchase. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is grateful for the support of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in making this event possible.