As a political system of a developing democratic pluralistic society, Indian political system offers a rich, interesting and fascinating study of an ancient civilization going through a transitional stage and aiming at socio-economic-cultural development through a democratic process.
After emerging as an independent sovereign state in 1947 through a mighty and successful non-violent national liberation movement, India has been trying to secure modernisation and socio-economic-cultural develop-ment through an open democratic system which seeks to reconcile, accommodate and integrate her traditions with modernity. It is still a developing political system trying to secure a fusion of traditionalism and modernism. The study of Indian political system has to take into account several socio-economic factors, socio-political movements, political processes and institutions. The nature and dynamics of politics in India can be explained with the help of its several features.
Dynamics of Indian political System
Under this head we can explain,
A Developing Liberal Democratic System
Indian political system can be legitimately described as a developing liberal democratic system. It satisfies the standards essential for such a system. It accepts the ideology of liberalism in so far as its constitution grants and guarantees civil and political liberties to its people, provides for a constitutional system and a government which is constituted by and works in accordance with written and enacted constitutional law. The government exercises defined powers in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. An independent and impartial judiciary acts as the watch dog of the constitution and the fundamental rights and liberties of the people. It is characterised by a free and open struggle for power among political parties. People have the right and freedom to form their associations for expressing their opinions and securing their interests. Equality before law, equality of opportunities, freedom of expression and assembly, equal political rights and freedom for all the people, universal adult franchise, free and regular elections etc., are the salient features of the struggle for power in India. Over the years it has demonstrated its ability to work as a stable political system characterised by orderly and peaceful political changes including change of power holders.
However, it is a developing liberal democratic political system. It is yet to develop fully its democratic institutions. Level of political participation is increasing but it is still characterised by traditions of caste politics, regionalism, communalism, linguism, terrorism, violence, politics of agitations, combined with the ability to maintain political stability, national unity, territorial integrity and march towards modernisation and socio-economic development reflect the development reflect the developing nature of Indian political system.
Democratic Foundations
Indian political system has its ideological foundations in the principles of Democratic Socialism, Secularism and Liberalism. The Preamble to the Constitution declares India to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic. Democratic socialism stands for the use of democratic process for securing socialism. Democratic includes faith in open struggle for power, decision-making by majority or consensus, and responsibility and accountability of the decision-makers towards the people and the later stands for rapid modernisation and socio-economic development through organised planning at the national level. Mixed economy, involving a state controlled strong public sector combined with a private sector, state regulated pricing and distribution system combined with market economy, development through state formulated Five Year Plans, nationalisation of key industries and services like banking and insurance, demonstrate faith in socialism. Adoption and use of parliamentary democracy based on the British model reflect faith in democratic means. Thus democratic socialism is a valuable ideological basis of the Indian political system. Alongwith it, the ideologies of liberalism and secularism stand adopted. The former is reflected in the constitutional provisions regarding guaranteed fundamental rights of the people, equal political rights and freedoms of the people, and successful organisation and operationalisation of the parliamentary democracy. The secularism is writ large in the provisions of the constitution which provides for absence of a state religion, equality of all religions, freedom of religion for the people, rule of law, right to equality, special protections to scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and other weaker sections of society etc. Unity in diversity is the national motto and it fully reflects faith in secularism.
However, here again, several restraints like casteism, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, linguism, regionalism, regional imbalances, communalism, low and slow process of socio-economic modernisation and development, politics of agitations, protest etc., continue to impose practical limitations on the accepted principles of democratic socialism, secularism and liberalism.
Tradition and modernity
Indian political system is characterised by both tradition and modernity. On the one hand modern democratic political institutions—Parliament, state legislatures, independent and impartial judiciary, cabinet system, uncommitted bureaucracy, decentralisation, organized planning and fast expanding transport, communications and industrial infrastructure, reflect the modernity of the system. Alongwith it, in actual behaviour, the leaders and the people working these institutions depend upon traditions—caste system, religious rituals, saintism and family traditions for carrying out their work. India’s approach to development reflects both traditions and modernity.
The march of modernity is being accompanied by a continued faith in traditional values and traditions of Indianness. A student of Indian political system has to analyse the mixture of tradition and modernity in its political structures and functions. A fusion of modernity and tradition is taking place, which is the natural outcome of the process by which an ancient society, like India, is trying to come to terms with the demands of the new age. But this ‘mix’ is unique and a two-way process. Traditionalisation of modernity and modernisation of tradition is taking place simultaneously and new features are emerging. Through a developing process of socialisation bridging of gaps between tradition and modernity has been taking place in India since 1947.
Written constitution as the legal framework
The legal foundation of the political system and the organisation and working of its government rest upon a self-made, and enacted written constitution. The representatives of the people of India framed the constitution of India through open, free and fair debates in the Constituent Assembly. Every decision regarding the organisation, powers, and functions of the government and its relationship with the people was taken either through majority or through consensus. A Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, drafted the constitutional provisions which were incorporated into the constitution after due debates and enactments.
The Constitution of India is a lengthy constitution with 395 Articles, ten Schedules and more than 90 amendments. It has been instrumental in securing the organisation and functioning of the Government of India and State Governments. It has stood the test of time. It came into operation on 26 January, 1950 and is still working. It has placed before the people, the objectives which are to be secured, the nature of policies which are to be adopted and the process through which the government is to be organised and worked.
As such, a written, lengthy, self-made, enacted and developing constitution provides sound legal foundations to the Indian political system.
Parliamentary Democracy
Partly due to the experience of working a neo-parliamentary system of government during the last three decades of the British rule in India and partly due to her faith in parliamentary democracy as a system of popular, democratic and responsible government. Independent India decided unanimously in favour of constituting her Government on the British model of parliamentary system. Alongwith it the democratic features—universal adult franchise, equal political rights for all, freedom to form political parties and organisations, open and free struggle for power; free, regular and fair elections, popular sovereignty, limited, responsive and responsible government rule of law, independent judiciary, decentralisation of political power, and equal fundamental rights for all, were adopted. For the last 55 years, parliamentary democracy has been at work.
Alongwith Parliamentary Democracry, India has adopted Republicanism. The head of state in India is an indirectly elected President who holds office for a fixed term of 5 years, but with no bar upon his seeking re-election to the office. Republicanism is an integral part of India’s democratic system.
Multi-party System
The people of India have the freedom to form their organisations and to freely participate in the struggle for power. Infact several national and regional political parties and behind them several interest/pressure groups have been active partners/competitors in Indian politics. The pluralist nature of Indian society has been responsible for the emergence of several national and regional political parties. Congress (I), Janata Dal, Janata Dal (S), BJP, CPI, CPM, etc. are the national political parties because they are active in almost all parts of India. Alongwith these, several regional parties, which are active only in their respective regions are also in existence. Some of the regional parties are : Akali Dal with all its factions in Punjab, Assam Gana Parishan (AGP) in Assam, DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh, National Conference in J & K, Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, Sikkim Sangram Parishad in Sikkim and others. In fact the growing presence and salience of regional parties in one of the most outstanding aspects of political development in Independent India.
Regionalism in Indian politics
Regionalism in the form of support for regional goals over and above the national goals has been present in the Indian political system since 1947. The pity is that despite meaningful efforts towards nation-building and national integration, it has been gaining more ground. Its presence is evidenced in demands for secessionism, sub-national loyalties, provincialism, demands for separate statehood, demands for more autonomy for the states, demand for regional autonomy within a state and above all by the presence of centre-state and inter-states disputes. The presence of regional political parties and the support which national political parties have to give to regional groups and parties for gaining electoral support, also reflect the presence of regionalism and regional identities in India. Regionalism is a serious hindrance in the way of nation-building and national-integration.
Caste politics
Caste and Casteism are the predominant features of politics in India. Caste as a strongly entrenched feature of Indian society continues to be a determinant of politics, Political participation and voting behaviour studies reveal the presence of caste as a determinant of these two vital processes of politics. So much so some political parties stand organised on caste basis. Conflicts are the realities of Indian politics and these become aggressively active during elections. These are the factors behind booth capturing, rigging and violence during elections. The issue of reservation of seats and jobs for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes has given strength to caste conflict in Indian politics.
Politics of public protests
Another feature of politics in India is the politics of Public protests. Resort to strikes, general strikes, bandhs, gheraos, hunger strikes, violent demonstrations, and picketing is a continuous phenomenon of Indian politics.
Undoubtedly public protests movements are recognised means of democratic process, yet their frequency and intensity in India constitute a big strain on the Indian political system. At time ‘protestors’ try to hold the nation to ransom for getting their demands fulfilled. Such developments create law and order problems for the government. The government has to spend lot of its time and resources for maintaining law and order. These direct action measures inflict a big loss upon production of goods, services and state revenues. Destruction of public property as part of direct action by the striking groups always results in a heavy national loss of time, wealth and resources.
Communalism
Forces of communalism are active in the Indian politics. Several communalist political parties and other communal organisations are actively present in the Indian political system. The periodic outbreaks of communal riots, and their frequency has been rapidly increasing, amply demonstrate the presence of communalism in India. Some of its forms of manifestation are religious communalism, factionalism, linguistic communalism, regional communalism, minority communalism, majority communalism and caste communalism.
In all its forms, communalism has been acting as a big restraint on India’s march towards nation-building and national-integration. It has been the chief destroyer of the desired environment of secular living. While many scholars hold mass poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, regional imbalances, existence of communal groups and parties, religious fundamentalism, bigotism, provincialism and casteism as the chief reasons behind the growth of communalism, some other scholars hold the weaknesses and decay of the political institutions as the main reasons behind the spread of communalism.
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