View source for Akshay Ramanlal Desai

{{Short description|Indian sociologist (1915–1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_date={{birth date|df=y|1915|4|26}}
| birth_place= [[Nadiad]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date={{death date and age|df=y|1994|11|12|1915|4|26}}
| death_place= [[Vadodara]], [[Gujarat]], India
| nationality=[[India]]n
| education= MA, LLB, PhD
| spouse={{marriage|[[Neera Desai]]|1947}}
| alma_mater= [[University of Mumbai]]
| employer ={{plainlist|
* University of Mumbai
* Indian Sociological Society
}}
| awards = {{plainlist|
* Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Social Sciences (1987)
* Best Sociologist of the Year (1987) by UGC
}}
| children = [[Mihir Desai]]
| signature =
| parents = [[Ramanlal Desai]] (father)
}}
'''Akshay Ramanlal Desai''' (26 April 1915 – 12 November 1994) was an Indian sociologist, Marxist<ref name="Mukta1995">{{cite journal |last1=Mukta |first1=Parita |last2=Hardiman |first2=David |title=A. R. Desai, 1915–1994 |journal=History Workshop Journal |volume=40 |date=1995 |issue=40 |pages=274–276 |publisher=Oxford University Press |jstor=4289420|doi=10.1093/hwj/40.1.274 }} {{closed access}}</ref> and a social activist.<ref name="Biography">{{cite journal|last1=Chattopadhyaya|first1=Kaushik|date=2015|title=A Tribute To A Sociologist:Akshay Ramanlal Desai(1915–1994)|url=https://www.edulightjournal.in/journal/EDULIGHT%20Volume%20-%204,%20Issue%20-%207,%20MAY%202015.pdf|journal=Edulight|volume=4|issue=7|pages=59–70}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology in University of Bombay in 1967.<ref name="Brochure">{{cite web |title=ARDesai |url=http://archive.mu.ac.in/arts/social_science/Sociology/profile.html |website=University of Mumbai- Department of Sociology}}</ref> He is particularly known for his work ''Social Background of Indian Nationalism'' in which he offered a Marxist analysis of the genesis of [[Indian nationalism]] making use of history, which set a path to build [[socialism]] in India.<ref name="Kar2015">{{cite journal |last=Kar |first=Samit |title=Remembering A R Desai: Marxist Approach to Sociology |journal=Economic & Political Weekly |volume=50 |issue=17 |location=Mumbai |date=25 April 2015 |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2015/17/web-exclusives/remembering-r-desai.html |issn=0012-9976 |eissn=2349-8846}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahir |first=Rajiv |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HBziwQEACAAJ&q=history+of+modern+india+rajiv+ahir |title=A Brief History of Modern India |date=2018 |publisher=Spectrum Books (P) Limited |isbn=978-81-7930-688-8 |pages=15 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Thorner |first=Daniel |date=1949 |title=Review of Social Background of Indian Nationalism. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2086656 |journal=American Sociological Review |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=690–691 |doi=10.2307/2086656 |issn=0003-1224}}</ref>
==Biography==
Desai was born in [[Nadiad]] (now in Gujarat). His father [[Ramanlal Desai]] was a Gujarati writer, novelist and civil servant of the [[Baroda State]] who inspired him to study and explore facts of human society. While still a teenager, Desai took part in the student movements in [[Surat]], [[Baroda]] and [[Bombay]].<ref name="Kar2015"/> He was active in farmers' and labor movements and became the editor of bulletins and newspapers of the [[All India Kisan Sabha]] (1932–1937). As a political activist, he joined the [[Communist Party of India]] (1934) and Trotskyist [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|Revolutionary Socialist Party]] (1953–1981). He graduated in Political Science and Economics from the [[University of Bombay]] in 1935 and obtained a law degree and PhD under the guidance of [[G. S. Ghurye]] in 1946. In the same year, he joined as a college lecturer in sociology after briefly practicing as a lawyer to help those in movements. In 1951 he joined as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology, University of Bombay, where he taught sociology and guided researchers till his retirement in 1976. He was Senior Fellow (1973–74) and National Fellow (1981–85) of the Indian Council of Social Science Research ([[ICSSR]]).<ref name="Biography" /> He authored several books in English and Gujarati which are translated into other languages. He wrote pamphlets and booklets in regional languages for common people in addition to books and pamphlets for those in academia.<ref>(Patel 2007b)</ref><ref name="Biography" /> He was president, Gujarat Sociological Society (1988–1990) and was President of the 15th All India Sociological Conference held at Meerut in 1980.<ref name="Biography" /><ref name="Report">{{cite journal|date=March 1981|title=A Report of the XV All India Sociological Conference Held at Meerut (U.P.)|journal=Sociological Bulletin|publisher=Indian Sociological Society|volume=30|issue=1|pages=89–94|jstor=23619213|doi=10.1177/0038022919810107|s2cid=220051429}} {{closed access}}</ref> From 1980 to 1981, he was President of the [[Indian Sociological Society]].<ref name="About Indian Sociological Society">{{cite web|url=http://www.insoso.org/about/about|title=Office bearers over the years|website=Indian Sociological Society|access-date=12 January 2019|archive-date=10 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310220327/http://www.insoso.org/about/about|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He married [[Neera Desai]] in 1947, and they had a son, [[Mihir Desai]], presently a human rights lawyer and an advocate in the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name="Kar2015"/>
== Work and views ==
In his attempt to understand Indian society from a Marxian perspective, he consistently applied Marxist methods in his treatment of Indian social structure and processes and adopted a [[dialectical]] historical approach for his sociological studies on nationalism, examination of [[Community Development]] programmes, urban slums and their demographic problems, peasant movements and interface between state and society. He edited, compiled and authored many volumes on rural sociology, urbanization, labour movements, peasant struggles, modernization, religion, democratic rights and [[Political Sociology|political sociology]]. His study of the [[bourgeois]] class character and inherent contradiction of the [[Indian National Movement]] is noteworthy<ref name="Essay">{{cite web |last1=Mondal |first1=Puja |title=Akshy Ramanlal Desai – biography and contribution to indian sociology|url=https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/akshay-ramanlal-desai-biography-and-contribution-to-indian-sociology/35054|website=your article library|date=11 April 2014 }}</ref> and his edited volume on [[Rural Sociology]] showed how change and development was taking place in Indian rural society.<ref name="R59">{{cite journal |title=Rural Sociology in India |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |date=7 March 1959 |url=https://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/1959_11/10/rural_sociology_in_india.pdf}}</ref> {{Unreliable source?|date=June 2019}} While focusing on the relevance of the Marxist approach for Indian society in his presidential address of AISC, he gave notice to the mainstream that Marxism indeed had a place in Sociology and accordingly created a forum for scholars in University of Bombay to broaden their horizons of research.<ref name="Gupta1994">{{cite journal |last1=Gupta |first1=Dipankar |last2=Talib |first2=Mohammad |title=Obituaries |journal=Sociological Bulletin |date=September 1994 |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=265–267 |publisher=Indian Sociological Society |jstor=23620395}} {{closed access}}</ref> He was one of the concerned members of the Human Rights Commission which selected a tribunal to investigate cases of human rights violations by the state<ref name="Day076">{{cite journal |first=Bernard |last=D'Mello|title=Democratic Rights Indian Peoples' Human Rights Commission |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |date=24 January 1987 |volume=22 |issue=4 |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/1987/4/roots-specials/democratic-rights-indian-people-s-human-rights-commission.html |location=Mumbai |page=121 }} {{closed access}}</ref> and also extended support to groups seeking justice through demonstrations, meetings and workshops.<ref name="tribute">{{cite journal |last1=Saldanha |first1=Denzil |last2=Munshi |first2=Indra |title=Remembering A R Desai |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |date=3 December 1994 |volume=29 |issue=49 |location=Mumbai |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/1994/49/companies-uncategorised/remembering-r-desai.html |pages=3069–3070 |issn=0012-9976 |eissn=2349-8846}} {{closed access}}</ref>
==Selected publications ==
===Books===
*Desai A.R. (2019) Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Popular Prakashan, Bombay (first published 1948) {{ISBN|9386042258}}
*Desai A.R. (2005) Rural India in Transition, Popular Prakshan, Bombay {{ISBN|9788171540167}}
*Desai A.R. (1984) India's Path of Development – A Marxist approach. Popular Prakashan, Bombay {{isbn|9780861320646}}
*Desai A.R. Wilfred De'costa (1994) State and Repressive Culture-a case study of Gujrath, South Asia Books {{isbn|8171547028}}
*Desai A.R. (1990) A Profile of an Indian Slum. {{ISBN|978-1125131183}} {{oclc|810925}}
*Desai A.R. (1986) Agrarian Struggles in India after Independence, Oxford University Press {{isbn|978-0195616811}}
*Desai A.R., Uday Mehta (1993) Modern God men in India- A Sociological Appraisal, Bombay Popular Prakashan {{ISBN|8171547087}} {{ISBN|9788171547081}}
*Desai A.R. (1960) Recent Trends in Indian Nationalism:supplement to social background of Indian Nationalism. Popular Prakashan {{isbn|8171540422}}
*Desai A.R. (1990) Changing profile of rural India and human rights of the agrarian poor – an assessment of strategy of rural development since independence {{oclc|831288893}}
*Desai A.R. (2008) State and Society in India -Essays in Dissent {{ASIN|B073WYLW4F}} (First published 1975)
*Desai A.R. (1980) Urban Family and Family Planning in India. {{isbn|0940500701}} {{isbn|978-0940500709}}
*Desai A. R. Sunil Dighe (1988) – Labor Movement in India – (1928–1930) vol.9, 10, 11 {{ISBN|8173070881}}
*Desai A. R., Punekar, Vericayill, Savur, Dighe, Ganesh Labor Movement in India vol 5 (1923–27) – Indian Council of Historical Research {{isbn|8173070954}}
===Edited volumes===
*(1994) Rural Sociology in India (first published 1959), Popular Prakashan {{isbn|8171541542}} {{isbn|978-8171541546}}
*(1986) Violation of Democratic Rights in India vol. 1, Popular Prakashan Bombay {{isbn|0861321308}} {{isbn|978-0861321308}}
*(1990) Repression and Resistance in India-violation of democratic rights of the working class, rural poor, adivasis and dalits, Popular Prakashan {{isbn|0861322258}}
*(1991) Expanding Governmental Lawlessness and Organized Struggles, Popular Prakashan. {{isbn|8171545297}} {{isbn|978-8171545292}}
*(1976) Essays in Modernization of Underdeveloped Societies, Humanities Press {{oclc|6247475}}
===Selected journal articles===
* {{cite journal |last=Desai |first=A.R. |title=Community Development Projects—A Sociological Analysis |date=September 1958 |journal=Sociological Bulletin |publisher=Indian Sociological Society |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=152–166 |jstor=42864541|doi=10.1177/0038022919580208 |s2cid=151893931 }} {{closed access}}
* {{cite journal |last=Desai |first=A.R. |title=Rural Sociology : Its Need in India |journal=Sociological Bulletin |date=March 1956 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=9–28 |doi=10.1177/0038022919560102|s2cid=157222175 }} {{closed access}}
* {{cite journal |last=Desai |first=A.R. |title=Relevance of the Marxist Approach to the study of Indian Society
|journal=Sociological Bulletin |date=March 1981 |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=1–20 |doi=10.1177/0038022919810101|s2cid=152086186 }} {{closed access}}
* {{cite journal |last=Desai |first=A.R. |title=Urbanization and Social Stratification |date=September 1960 |journal=Sociological Bulletin |publisher=Indian Sociological Society |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=7–14 |jstor=42864567|doi=10.1177/0038022919600202 |s2cid=157378463 }} {{closed access}}
* {{cite journal |last=Desai |first=A.R. |title=National Integration and Religion |date=March 1963 |journal=Sociological Bulletin |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=53–65 |doi=10.1177/0038022919630106|s2cid=152166119 }} {{closed access}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last1=Shah|first1=Ghanshyam|last2=Desai|first2=Akshayakumar Ramanlal|title=Capitalist Development : Critical Essays : Felicitation Volume in Honour of Prof. A.R. Desai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdzsAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Popular Prakashan|location=Bombay|isbn=978-0-86132-270-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Desai|first=Akshayakumar Ramanlal |title=Contradictions in Indian Society : Essays in Honor of A.R. Desai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OufZAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Rawat Publications|location=Jaipur|oclc=604975028}}
* {{cite book|last=Mukherji|first=Arpita|title=The Marxist Sociology in India: A Study of the Contribution of A.R. Desai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZZ_vgAACAAJ|year=2014|publisher=K.P. Bagchi & Company|location=Kolkata|isbn=978-81-7074-345-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Patel|first=Sujata|author-link=Sujata Patel|title=Doing Sociology in India: Genealogies, Locations, and Practices|editor-last=Patel|editor-first=Sujata|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GnxJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT91|year=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-0-19-908965-9|chapter=''Social Anthropology or Marxist Sociology : Assessing the Contesting Visions of M.N. Srinivas and A.R. Desai''}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Uberoi|editor1-first=Patricia|editor2-last=Sundar|editor2-first=Nandini|editor3-last=Deshpande|editor3-first=Satish|last=Patel|first=Sujata|author-link=Sujata Patel|title=Anthropology in the East: founders of Indian sociology and anthropology|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tboWAQAAMAAJ|year=2008|publisher=Seagull Books|location=Calcutta|isbn=978-1-905422-77-7|chapter=''Towards a Praxiological Understanding of Indian Society: The Sociology of A.R. Desai''}}
==External links==
* [https://www.epw.in/author/r-desai Akshay Desai's journal articles] published in [[Economic and Political Weekly]]
*[http://www.unipune.ac.in/snc/cssh/HistorySociology/A%20DOCUMENTS%20ON%20HISTORY%20OF%20SOCIOLOGY%20IN%20INDIA/A%206%20Primary%20sources/B)%20A.R.Desai/A%206%20B%2001.pdf Desai's Curriculum Vitae]
* {{Gujarati Vishwakosh}}
* {{Gbooks-author|A.R. Desai}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desai, Akshay Ramanlal}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian sociologists]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian Marxist historians]]
[[Category:People from Nadiad]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India politicians from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Revolutionary Socialist Party (India) politicians]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Activists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Workers' rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Indian Marxist writers]]