'The definitive study of one of India's most important social movements and the political party it gave rise to, Rajahmani's book is exemplary in showing how a history of discrimination can successfully produce a politics of egalitarianism and upward mobility.' * Faisal Devji, Beit Professor of Global and Imperial History, University of Oxford * 'The Dravidian Pathway offers fresh insights and incisive analysis that help us understand how and why a socio-cultural movement was able to transform itself into a successful political force and drive development in new directions. A valuable addition to the large and growing literature on the "Dravidian-Tamil" ethos and the "Dravidian Model" of governance and development.' * N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu * 'A masterful account of how ideas become institutions, and movements become governments ... a compelling exploration of the Dravidian movement's transformation into the political juggernaut that is the DMK. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Indian politics, for it shows us that majoritarianism is not the only pathway to power--social reform is not just a viable political strategy, it is rich with democratic possibilities too.' * Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor, The Wire * 'A compelling and timely account of the formation of Dravidian-Tamil identity. Meticulously researched, it brings together an altogether new and comprehensive approach to our understanding of India's democracy, combining archival research, interviews, and electoral data. Ideas and interests, coalitions and contests, personality and populism are measured in Rajahmani's stimulating book.' * Shruti Kapila, author of Violent Fraternity: Indian Political Thought in the Global Age * 'A pathbreaking and sophisticated study of South Indian politics, The Dravidian Pathway shows how a fluid definition to ethnicity and imaginative approach to political mobilisation allowed the DMK to become a regionally dominant political force. An impressive work, which anyone interested in Indian politics needs to read.' * Jon Wilson, Nanyang Technological University, author of India Conquered: Britain's Raj and the Chaos of Empire * 'In this important and original contribution to the political history of Tamil Nadu, Rajahmani shows how the DMK transformed the Dravidian Movement into a dominant political party by constructing a public sphere via its network of "reading rooms". In so doing, he casts new light on the deepening of democratic politics in the early decades of the Indian republic.' * Srinath Raghavan, author of Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India *
