1. the unhappy citizen

   The Unhappy Citizen extends the urban and working-class questions of The Bombay Radicals into the postcolonial period. It traces the crisis of the Nehruvian development state from the mid-1960s through the economic reforms of the early 1990s, examining how the transformation from a planned economy to a liberalized one reshaped urban life, planning culture, public institutions, and working-class aspirations. In particular, the project examines how “development” lost some of its earlier authority as a public promise as the Indian economy became increasingly shaped by international development institutions and global finance.

   The project provides insights into the challenges faced by urban colonial “subjects” to transform into new “urban citizens.” Central to this transformation was their reconciliation with anti-colonial politics. The masses of India were introduced to politics through the anti-colonial movement, and this shaped their relationship to the state. What could become of mass politcs after colonialism's demise?

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