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<div>{{short description|Indian political scientist and writer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}<br />
'''Rajni Kothari''' (16 August 1928 – 19 January 2015) was an Indian [[political scientist]], [[political theorist]], academic and writer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epw.in/authors/rajni-kothari|title=Articles by Rajni Kothari|publisher= [[Economic and Political Weekly]] portal}}</ref> He was the founder of [[Centre for the Study of Developing Societies]] (CSDS) in 1963, a social sciences and humanities research institute, based in Delhi<ref name=csds>{{cite web|url=http://www.csds.in/people-page/6#|title=Honorary Fellows: Rajni Kothari|publisher= Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) portal}}</ref> and ''Lokayan'' (Dialogue of the People), started in 1980 as a forum for interaction between activists and intellectuals.<ref name=right/> He was also associated with [[Indian Council of Social Science Research]], International Foundation for Development Alternatives, and [[People's Union for Civil Liberties]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pucl.org/history.htm|title=A Short history of PUCL|accessdate=30 January 2018|website=PUCL}}</ref><br />
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One of the great political thinkers of the 20th-century,<ref>{{cite web| title = Print Pick|newspaper= The Hindu <br />
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/print-pick/article404948.ece <br />
|date= 16 November 2009 |accessdate= 2014-01-13}}</ref><ref name=tri>{{cite web | title = Journey of a political thinker|author=G.V. Gupta|newspaper=The Tribune| url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020714/spectrum/book2.htm | accessdate = 2014-01-13}}</ref> amongst his noted works include ''Politics in India'' (1970), ''Caste in Indian Politics'' (1973), and ''Rethinking Democracy'' (2005). In 1985, Lokayan was awarded the [[Right Livelihood Award]] for "linking and strengthening local groups working to protect civil liberties, women's rights and the environment."<ref name=right>{{cite web |title=Right Livelihood Award Laureates: 1985 - Lokayan |url = http://www.rightlivelihood.org/lokayan.html |publisher=Right Livelihood Award Foundation|accessdate = 2014-01-13 }}</ref><br />
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==Early life and background==<br />
Kothari was the only son of his father, a Jain trader. His mother died early in life.<ref name=tri/><br />
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==Career==<br />
Kothari started his career as a lecturer at Baroda University (now [[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]]). While working here he first received recognition in 1961, when his essays series, "Form and Substance in Indian Politics" were published in the ''[[Economic and Political Weekly]]'' (then ''Economic Weekly'') over six issues. He had also started writing for ''Seminar'', the journal published by [[Romesh Thapar]]. Thereafter he was invited by Professor [[Shyama Charan Dube]] to become the Assistant Director of the National Institute of Community Development, [[Mussoorie]]. <br />
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In 1963, he moved to Delhi, where using a personal grant of Rs. 70,000 given by Professor Richard L. Park, head of [[Asia Foundation]]’s India chapter, he started the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), in the premises of the Indian Adult Education Association at Indraprastha Estate, Delhi, before moving to its present location in [[Civil Lines, Delhi]]. Here working along with [[Ashis Nandy]], D.L. Sheth, Ramashray Roy, Bashiruddin Ahmed and others, pioneering works in social sciences were published over next two decades. In 1970 he published ''Politics in India'', which first theorized [[Indian National Congress]] as a [[system]] rather than a party. Thereafter he published noted works like ''Caste in Indian Politics'' (1973) and ''Footsteps into the Future'' (1975).<ref name=today>{{cite web| title = Book review: 'Memoirs' by Rajni Kothari : Books|publisher=India Today|first=Harsh | last=Sethi| url = http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/book-review-memoirs-by-rajni-kothari/1/219538.html| date=3 June 2002|accessdate = 2014-01-13 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Interview Rajni Kothari, The Centre and Indian reality | url = http://www.india-seminar.com/2012/639/639_interview_kothari.htm |publisher=India-seminar|year=2012|accessdate=13 January 2014}}</ref><ref name=Rajni/><br />
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During the early 1970s, he was associated with Congress-leader [[Indira Gandhi]], and negotiated with the Congress-led central government for [[Navnirman movement]], a socio-political movement of 1974 against corruption in Gujarat, which ultimately led to the dissolution of the state government. However, with the entry of [[Sanjay Gandhi]], he distanced himself from Congress, and came close to [[Jaya Prakash Narayan]] and the [[Janata Party]] instead. After the [[Emergency (India)|Emergency of 1975]], he moved away from political parties, and started his career as an activist. This phase culminated with the foundation of ''Lokayan'' - Dialogue of the People in 1980, a forum for interaction between activists, thinkers and intellectuals to talked about positive changes in the fields of religion, agriculture, health, politics, and education.<ref name=today/><br />
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He soon became associated with ''Citizens for Democracy'', and [[People's Union for Civil Liberties]], a human rights body established in 1976, where he remained General Secretary from 1982 to 1984, and subsequently its President.<ref>{{cite web | title = PUCL National Council office bearers: Former Presidents| url = http://www.pucl.org/admin/national_council.html|publisher=People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) | accessdate = 2014-01-13}}</ref> He served as the chairman of Indian Council of Social Science Research and remained a member of the [[Planning Commission (India)|Planning Commission]].<ref name=today/><br />
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Besides scholarly articles he also wrote newspaper columns, and in 2002 published his memoirs titled, ''Memoirs: Uneasy is the Life of the Mind''.<ref name=today/><br />
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CSDS where he was an honorary fellow,<ref name=csds/> in 2004 established ''The Rajni Kothari Chair in Democracy'' in his honour, funded by [[Ford Foundation]] and the [[Sir Ratan Tata Trust]].<ref>{{cite web | title = The Rajni Kothari Chair in Democracy at CSDS |publisher= CSDS| url = http://www.csds.in/rajni-kothari-chair | accessdate = 2014-01-13 }}</ref> On 27 November 2012, CSDS celebrated its 50th anniversary, presided over by Kothari.<ref>{{cite web | title = After the party: In celebration of mavericks, visionaries, loners and outliers|author=Ananya Vajpeyi|newspaper=The Telegraph| url =http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121204/jsp/opinion/story_16268972.jsp#.UtPKzdIW2Ao |date= 4 December 2012|accessdate = 2014-01-13 }}</ref><br />
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==Personal life==<br />
He married in 1947, and his wife Hansa died in 1999.<ref name=Rajni>{{cite web | title = Rajni Kothari, Personally speaking <br />
|publisher=Seminar| url = http://www.india-seminar.com/1999/481/481%20kothari.htm |year=1999| accessdate = 2014-01-13 }}</ref><br />
In his final years, his eldest son Smitu died in 2009.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/rajni-kothari-a-prophet-abandoned-by-his-own-community/article6805730.ece?homepage=true | title=A prophet abandoned by his own community | first=Shiv | last=Visvanathan | newspaper=The Hindu | date=21 January 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://infochangeindia.org/environment/news/smitu-kothari-india-loses-a-leading-activist-and-ecologist.html Smitu Kothari: India loses a leading activist and ecologist]</ref> Smitu, trained in physics, communications and sociology, was involved in ecological, cultural and human rights issues. He had been a visiting professor at Cornell and Princeton Universities.Rajni Kothari had two other sons, [[Miloon Kothari|Miloon]] and [[Ashish Kothari|Ashish]], and two grandchildren, Emma and Gyan.<br />
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==Death==<br />
He died on 19 January 2015 at his residence at Patparganj in East Delhi following urinary tract infection and other age related ailments.<ref name="NDTV 2015">{{cite web | title=Eminent Scholar, Political Scientist Rajni Kothari Dies at 86 | website=NDTV | date=20 January 2015 | url=http://m.ndtv.com/article/india/eminent-scholar-political-scientist-rajni-kothari-dies-at-86-651020?update=1422091156 | accessdate=24 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/ex-plan-panel-member-rajni-kothari-dies-at-86/|title=Ex-Plan panel member Rajni Kothari dies at 86|date=20 January 2015|website=Indian Express}}</ref><br />
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==Works==<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Rajni Kothari|author2=Centre for the Study of Developing Societies|title=Context of electoral change in India: general elections, 1967|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HyM0AAAAIAAJ|year=1969|publisher=Academic Books}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Rajni Kothari|title=Politics in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=apfpc77XndUC|year= 1970|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-0072-3}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Political economy of development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uiZYAAAAMAAJ|year=1971|publisher=Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Footsteps Into the Future: Diagnosis of the Present World and a Design for an Alternative|url=https://archive.org/details/footstepsintofut00rajn|url-access=registration|year=1975|publisher=Free Press|isbn=978-0-02-917580-4}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Rajni Kothari|author2=Centre for the Study of Developing Societies|title=State and nation building|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0vmEAAAAMAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Allied Publishers}}<br />
*{{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Democracy and the Representative System in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=paclAAAAMAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Citizens for Democracy}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Democratic Polity and Social Change in India: Crisis and Opportunities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bVYLAQAAIAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Allied Pub}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Towards a Just World|url=https://archive.org/details/towardsjustworld0000koth|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=Institute for World Order}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Rajni Kothari|author2=Gobinda Mukhoty|title=Who are the guilty?|url=http://www.unipune.ac.in/snc/cssh/HumanRights/04%20COMMUNAL%20RIOTS/B%20-%20ANTI%20-%20SIKH%20RIOTS/01%20-%20DELHI/a.pdf|year=1984|publisher=People's Union for Democratic Rights;People's Union for Civil Liberties}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=State against democracy: in search of humane governance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5e5HAAAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=New Horizons Press|isbn=978-0-945257-16-5}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Towards a liberating peace|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qomPAAAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=United Nations University|isbn=978-81-85296-00-5}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Rethinking development: in search of humane alternatives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CuzsAAAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=New Horizons Press|isbn=978-0-945257-18-9}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Transformation & Survival: In Search of Humane World Order|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KD0wAAAAYAAJ|year=1989|publisher=New Horizon Press|isbn=978-0-945257-17-2}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Politics and the people: in search of a humane India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QDFuAAAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=New Horizons Press|isbn=978-0-945257-20-2}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Poverty: Human Consciousness and the Amnesia of Development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gt3sAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Zed Books|isbn=978-1-85649-361-1}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Rajni Kothari|author2=D. L. Sheth|author3=Ashis Nandy|title=The Multiverse of Democracy: Essays in Honour of Rajni Kothari|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dsjAQAAIAAJ|year=1996|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=978-81-7036-523-5}}<br />
* {{cite book|author1=Deepak Nayyar|author2=Rajni Kothari|author3=Arjun Sengupta|title=Economic development and political democracy: the interaction of economics and politics in independent India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SqTsAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=National Council of Applied Economic Research|isbn=978-81-85877-53-2}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Communalism in Indian Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ruNtAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Rainbow Publishers|isbn=978-81-86962-00-8}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Rethinking Democracy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIJskzV2tsgC|year= 2005|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-2894-9}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=Memoirs: Uneasy is the Life of the Mind|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDBuAAAAMAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Rupa & Company|isbn=978-81-7167-813-6}}<br />
* {{cite book|author=Rajni Kothari|title=The Writings Of Rajni Kothari|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PpxTQwAACAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Orient BlackSwan|isbn=978-81-250-3755-2}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*[http://www.csds.in/index.php Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Official Website]<br />
* [http://lokayan.wordpress.com/ Lokayan - Dialogue of the people, website]<br />
* {{cite web | title = Interview Rajni Kothari, The Centre and Indian reality (2012)| url = http://www.india-seminar.com/2012/639/639_interview_kothari.htm |publisher=Seminar }}<br />
* {{cite web | title = Rajni Kothari articles|publisher= Economic and Political Weekly | url = http://www.epw.in/authors/rajni-kothari }}<br />
* {{cite web| title = Rajni Kothari reflects on India's past and future|publisher=Rediff| url = http://www.rediff.com/freedom/0209ind1.htm |date = September 2002}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kothari, Rajni}}<br />
[[Category:1928 births]]<br />
[[Category:2015 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Indian political scientists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian founders]]<br />
[[Category:Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda faculty]]<br />
[[Category:Indian political philosophers]]<br />
[[Category:Members of the Planning Commission of India]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]<br />
[[Category:Indian political writers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian male writers]]</div>2409:4072:383:7D13:FCD7:E7FC:95DA:AE9F