Akshay Ramanlal Desai

Akshay Ramanlal Desai (26 April 1915 – 12 November 1994) was an Indian sociologist, Marxist and a social activist. He was Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology in University of Bombay in 1967. 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.

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. From 1980 to 1981, he was President of the Indian Sociological Society.

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. and his edited volume on Rural Sociology showed how change and development was taking place in Indian rural society. 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. 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 and also extended support to groups seeking justice through demonstrations, meetings and workshops.

Selected publications Books Desai A.R. (2019) Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Popular Prakashan, Bombay (first published 1948) Desai A.R. (2005) Rural India in Transition, Popular Prakshan, Bombay Desai A.R. (1984) India's Path of Development – A Marxist approach. Popular Prakashan, Bombay Desai A.R. Wilfred De'costa (1994) State and Repressive Culture-a case study of Gujrath, South Asia Books Desai A.R. (1990) A Profile of an Indian Slum. Desai A.R. (1986) Agrarian Struggles in India after Independence, Oxford University Press Desai A.R., Uday Mehta (1993) Modern God men in India- A Sociological Appraisal, Bombay Popular Prakashan Desai A.R. (1960) Recent Trends in Indian Nationalism:supplement to social background of Indian Nationalism. Popular Prakashan 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 Desai A.R. (2008) State and Society in India -Essays in Dissent (First published 1975) Desai A.R. (1980) Urban Family and Family Planning in India. Desai A. R. Sunil Dighe (1988) – Labor Movement in India – (1928–1930) vol.9, 10, 11 Desai A. R., Punekar, Vericayill, Savur, Dighe, Ganesh Labor Movement in India vol 5 (1923–27) – Indian Council of Historical Research

Edited volumes (1994) Rural Sociology in India (first published 1959), Popular Prakashan (1986) Violation of Democratic Rights in India vol. 1, Popular Prakashan Bombay (1990) Repression and Resistance in India-violation of democratic rights of the working class, rural poor, adivasis and dalits, Popular Prakashan (1991) Expanding Governmental Lawlessness and Organized Struggles, Popular Prakashan. (1976) Essays in Modernization of Underdeveloped Societies, Humanities Press

Selected journal articles