Chapter 12: India

1. Chapter 12:India

3. Thinking About India • The Basics • A nation of contrasts • Backward or promising • Poverty and industrial power • Masses or illiterates and masses of scientists and engineers • Home of pacifist Gandhi and nuclear weapons

4. Thinking About India • The Basics • Size and Diversity • Second most populous country • Three major language families with little in common (14 principal languages in constitution) • All states and union territories include large minority populations • Three major religious groups (third largest Muslim population in the world) • Caste and class; ancient and modern social divisions

6. Thinking About India • The Basics • Poverty • Lowest per capita GNP of countries in this book • Gap between India’s wealth and other countries is growing • Health, health care, and diet of most people reflect poverty • Urban blight and pollution reflect poverty as well

7. Thinking About India • Key Questions • What are India's political origins? • Centuries of Mughal and British imperialism • Indirect rule and political activism under British rule • How do people participate politically? • Inclusive Congress Party • Widespread legitimacy of new regime at independence • How is India governed? • Stability of Congress governments • Party system splintered • How has it coped with poverty and unemployment?

8. The Evolution of Indian Politics • The Weight of History • 3,000 years of civilization • 1,000 BCE – 1500 BCE: regional Muslim rulers controlled much of the sub-continent • Mughal consolidated rule of India in mid-16th century

10. The Evolution of Indian Politics • British Colonialism • European trading companies gained control of coastal areas • Commercial interests focused on profit not political control • By the middle of the 19th century, political control was necessary to preserve profits: Government of India Act • Large-scale bureaucratic regime relying on Indian cooperation

12. The Evolution of Indian Politics • The Struggle for Independence • Indian elites began working for self-rule in late 19th century • Indian National Congress founded in 1885 • Leadership of Mohandas K. Gandhi after WWI united most independence seekers • Political leadership of Nehru paralleled Gandhi’s charismatic leadership • Partition of Hindu-dominated India from Muslim-dominated Pakistan at independence

14. The Evolution of Indian Politics • The New Republic • Strong, positive, widespread sense of national identity (political integration) • Strong, popular, inclusive dominant party (Congress)

16. The Evolution of Indian Politics • Centralization and Fragmentation • Indira Gandhi’s authoritarian leadership of Congress and government • Congress Party split over policy and leadership • Ethnic cleavages widened and became violent • Rajiv Gandhi’s economic liberalization policies

17. The Evolution of Indian Politics • Coalition Politics • Since 1989, coalitions have been necessary to form governments • Negative coalitions have made weak governments • Hindu fundamentalist and nationalist BJP is now Congress’ largest rival, but no party is close to a majority

18. Political Culture • Challenges to culture and country • Regional interests have challenged national interests • RSS and BJP power seems intent on injecting religion into government and politics • Caste remains an inflammatory issue

19. Political Culture • Support for the regime • Democratic politics have worked except during Indira Gandhi’s government • Relatively high voting rates • Public opinion is supportive of regime

20. Political Culture • The challenge of modernization • Growth of a middle class • Growth of technical industries and outsourced jobs • Growing wealth of working and middle classes • Medical technology and growing gender imbalance of babies

21. Political Participation • The End of the Congress System • Abandonment of inclusive politics and adoption of personalized politics • Negative coalitions routed Congress Party government in late 1970s

24. Political Participation • The BJP • BJP arose from the disintegration of the Congress System • Clash over the Ayodhya mosque site earned BJP great support • Religious and nationalistic issues continue to be raised • Pragmatic policy making by BJP governments

25. Political Participation • The Other Parties • 40 parties won legislative seats in 2004 • Most are particularistic parties with local power bases • The election of 2004 • BJP expected to win • Congress appealed to rural poor • Congress largest party in new government coalition

27. Political Participation • Interest groups • Extensive labor movement fragmented by politics and economics • Large Chamber of Commerce organization representing businesses • Religious, linguistic, and ethnic groups are also powerful

28. The Indian State • The Constitution • Long, detailed constitution • Created a secular republic, guaranteed civil liberties, and prohibited discrimination • Allowed prime minister emergency powers

30. The Indian State • Parliament • Lower house made up of representatives of single-member districts elected in plurality contests holds real power • Upper house has little power • Cabinet initiates nearly all law making

31. The Indian State • The Bureaucracy • Competitive civil service on British model at the top • Lower levels are less competent and more dependent on personal connections (as are those who deal with them)

32. The Indian State • Federalism • State governments patterned on national one • Borders correspond with linguistic and ethnic boundaries • State politics based on patron-client relations, often caste based • Frequent national-state political conflicts and national intervention in state government

33. Public Policy • Confronting Communal Violence • As Indian national existence became less an issue, ethnic and religious conflicts grew • Breakup of the Congress System gave more power to regional, linguistic, and religious groups • Punjab • Sikh majority state on Pakistani border • Frequent conflicts with national government • Frequent conflicts with Hindu minorities in the state

34. Public Policy • Confronting Communal Violence • Kashmir • Conflict and warfare between Pakistan and India since independence • Muslim-Hindu warfare within the area • Gujarat • Relatively rich Indian state • Hindu-Muslim violence and ethnic cleansing

35. Public Policy • Stimulating the Economy • Import substitution, state planning and ownership original Indian policies • Global pressures have motivated some liberalization • Economic growth not even or shared widely

37. Public Policy • Poverty • Population growth makes progress difficult • Gap between poor and others continues to grow • Caste, class, and urban-rural cleavages parallel inequalities

38. Public Policy • The Nehruvrian Model and India’s Economic Woes • Import substitution and government direction of development were ruling ideas until the mid 1980s • India fairly self-sufficient by mid-‘80s • Lack of competition and prevalence of corruption restricted future growth

39. Public Policy • Liberalization • Gradual opening of economy to trade and investment • IT industry is most visible growth area

40. Feedback • Lively press published in many languages • Politics primary topic • Financial news growing most rapidly • State-dominated radio and television • Growth of cable and satellite networks

41. Conclusion: Democracy in India and the Third World • Legitimacy of regime is important • Effective government also vital for future • At most general level effectiveness supports system • Grassroots level still dominated by patronage • Poverty still a stumbling block to the system

42. Learning Objectives After mastering the concepts presented in this chapter, you will be able to: • Understand the key moments of the historical formation of India. • Discuss the role that the United Kingdom played in shaping and influencing Indian history, politics and society. Assess the impact of colonialism on the formation of Indian state. • Recognize the importance of complex ethnic society, linguistic and cast challenges in process of understanding of Indian politics and society. Define the following: Dalits, Jati, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Bharmits, Sudra • Discuss the convoluted evolution of Indian politics. • Comprehend the development of Nehru-Gandi political doctrinism and mixed ideological spectrum of the liberated India. • Understand the evolution of Indian state in 20th century and define key elements of revolutions and fights for independence in India. Briefly discuss the role of the following leaders: Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohandas Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi

43. Learning Objectives After mastering the concepts presented in this chapter, you will be able to: • Define Indian geography and current economic challenges. • Understand the process of political, economic and social developments of India. • Discuss the elements of Indian state formation and functionality. • Define the after-Gandhi progress of Indian state and society. • Understand the specifications of Indian political culture and participation. • Define the role of political parties in Indian politics. Define and understand the ideology if the following: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress • Understand the challenges of democratization in India. • Comprehend the challenging process of the development of Indian market economy.