Introduction

Theorizing India in the 21st century is extremely complex. Though there is no dearth of literature on structure of Indian society and processes of change in it, there is need for examining social change in India in a holistic perspective identifying major risks and challenges. Among all social sciences, sociology would qualify the most to do the job but there are difficulties. First of all, sociology in India follows the American and European traditions. This means that sociologists in India have used conventional American and European approaches to study the contemporary social problems of India, or they are simply echoing the changes taking place in the present day Western sociology, as though the trends of Western countries are also the immediate future of India. Sociologists who follow the former approach are further divided among those who use old (19th century) and those who use new (postmodern) concepts of Western sociology to study both old and new structural problems of India. Those who follow the later approach focus on issues of global interest (which are also impacting different segments of India to varying degree). The first approach seems to be the dominant approach in India. The second approach focuses on new issues such as identity, leisure, sports, entertainment, media, youths, sexuality, love, environment and voluntary sector (the Third sector). Drawing from both groups of sociologists, this lecture attempts to draw attention to two major risks of 21st century which have great implications for the future of India as a nation: rise of a neo-social-group consciousness and revival of the amoral, irrational, mythical and magical thought.