Arguably Contentious: Thoughts On A Divided World

Drawing on the erudition and diplomatic insight of former Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari, Arguably Contentious: Thoughts on a Divided World presents a compelling exploration of India’s political, social and cultural realities in an era of rapid change. With the measured voice of a statesman and the depth of a scholar, the book reflects on the challenges confronting Indian democracy: rising social divisions, the fragility of secularism, and the contest over the idea of India itself.

Beyond domestic concerns, the book turns a discerning gaze towards global affairs, particularly West Asia—a region with which India shares enduring civilizational, cultural and strategic ties. Ansari examines the shifting sands of West Asian geopolitics, from the turbulence of the Arab Spring to the recalibration of great power relations, and offers nuanced perspectives on how India can navigate these complexities while upholding its values and interests.

Blending analysis with historical context, the book brings together the author’s writings, lectures and speeches to illuminate how diplomacy, pluralism and policy intersect in shaping India’s place in the world.

At once reflective and incisive, this volume invites readers to engage with one of India’s most thoughtful public intellectuals—a voice of reason and restraint—who urges a return to dialogue, constitutional morality and international outlook anchored in empathy and engagement rather than expediency.

• A statesman’s perspective, former Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari.
• Insight into India’s evolving realities.
• Explores India’s shifting political, social and cultural landscape in a time of deep transformation.
• Examines key national challenges: Addresses rising social divisions, the fragility of secularism, and the ongoing contest over the idea of India.
• Deep dive into West Asia: Offers sharp analysis of West Asian geopolitics—from the Arab Spring to shifting great-power alignments—and their implications for India.
• India’s global role reimagined.
• Brings together Ansari’s writings, lectures and speeches, offering context, history and lived experience.
• Illuminates how diplomacy, pluralism and governance shape India’s place on the world stage.
• A voice of balance and restraint.
• Advocates a return to dialogue, constitutional morality, empathy and engagement in public life.
• A compelling volume for anyone seeking clarity on India’s democracy, foreign policy and the challenges of a divided world.

M. Hamid Ansari was the Vice President of India and chairman of the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2017. A former diplomat, he served as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as high commissioner to Australia, and as permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. Ansari was a visiting professor in the Centre for West Asian and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and in the Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia. He was the vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, distinguished fellow at Observer Research Foundation, member of the National Security Advisory Board, and chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. He chaired one of the five Working Groups established by the Prime Minister's 2nd Round Table Conference on J&K in April 2006. His publications include his autobiography By Many a Happy Accident (2021), Challenges to a Liberal Polity (2022), Dare I Question? (2018), Citizen and Society (2016), Teasing Questions (2014) and Travelling through Conflict: Essays on the Politics of West Asia (2008).