The book is a modest attempt to understand the linkages between associational life and democracy from an Indian perspective. The discourse on associational living and democracy has been looked at largely in the context of western liberal values. The literature with respect to the latter aspect is numerous and also provides valuable theoretical insight and empirical evidences towards the fact that the intermediary associations help enrich democratic values, even though there may be certain instances, which may indicate that this linkage needs to be looked at critically. In this background, the book argues that understanding of associational life under Indian cond