Description
Shipra Pubs. State Politics by SUDHA PAI
A significant feature of the 1990s has been the emergence of the Indian states as important players on the political scene. At independence although the constitution established a federal structure, the absence of strong regional forces in the constituent assembly a single written constitution, the overarcing position occupied by the dominant Congress party etc. led to the States playing a peripheral role. Today the States enjoy much greater autonomy from the Centre, regional parties are partners in national governance they have greater financial freedom and following liberalisation they can independently enter into negotiations with foreign countries for technological collaboration and aid. This volume analyses these developments and their impact upon politics in the Indian states. An underlying argument is that two long term processes democratisation and regionalisation of politics have been responsible leading to power gravitating from a single centre to many poles in the states. Part one discusses the transformation of the national party system from a one party dominant to a regionalised multi-party system. Part two and three focus upon the democratic upsurge and rise of new social identities in four states that have contributed to this shift. This has taken different forms, such as dalit assertion and emergence of the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, re-examination of dravidian identity by dalits in Tamil Nadu demands for a looser federation and recognition of Sikh identity in Punjab, assertion by OBCs and MBCs against upper/ middle caste domination, resurgence of upper caste Hindus due to Hindutva etc. In the economic arena, attempts by national Governments to introduce liberalisation, have created contradictions between the Centre and the State, affecting electoral politics at both levels, as well as agricultural patterns in the States as seen in the suicides by farmers. The concluding section provides an overview of the growth of the sub field of State Politics and discusses the importance of developing suitable frameworks for its study. (First published in 2000)