| ID | 116054 |
| Title Proper | Activist can't become a politician |
| Other Title Information | social activism, leadership and the (un)making of a political career in an Indian state |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Nielsen, Kenneth Bo |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article explores the ambiguity inherent in the relationship between social activism and politics in West Bengal. I use a detailed account of the career of singer-activist turned politician Kabir Suman to examine the activist's view of himself and of politics, as well of how the porous boundary between activism and politics is both blurred and crossable. The fact that activists possess a kind of political capital useful within the framework of a political party may facilitate their entry into electoral politics. Yet as this article demonstrates, the activist may sometimes only be able to retain his activist credentials by sacrificing his political career. In addition, this article seeks to conceptualise the social activist as a particular type of political figure. I do so by locating the study of Kabir Suman within an emerging body of literature on political leadership in India. I argue that while the case of Kabir Suman may not be paradigmatic, his 'activist' style of leadership challenges certain contemporary classifications of political leadership in India. |
| `In' analytical Note | Contemporary South Asia Vol. 20, No.4; Dec 2012: p.435-453 |
| Journal Source | Contemporary South Asia Vol. 20, No.4; Dec 2012: p.435-453 |
| Key Words | Activism ; West Bengal ; Leadership ; Corruption ; Political Morality |