Governance failure fuels muscle in politics: Milan Vaishnav

He said criminality in politics thrives where rule of law is weak and social divisions are salient

Milan Vaishnav, senior fellow, South Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, tells Aditi Phadnis that criminality in politics thrives where the rule of law is weak and social divisions are highly salient.

Your latest book is When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics. But isn’t money and muscle a crucial part of all politics anywhere? What do your findings show about India?

Let’s look at each issue separately. Without a doubt, money is profoundly shaping political outcomes in nearly every country on the planet. One of its most under-appreciated impacts is how it narrows the talent pool