Introduction of Regional Politics in India

During and post Independence some other stuff got highlighted in India, creation of state based on the linguistic values Gujarat was created because of struggle between gujratis and marathis. Some states are still getting created based on the caste, vernacular language, and in the name of development. If we look at the basic structure of these states hardly anything has changed since there creation e.g. Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. Some states are still squabbling among each other like Maharashtra and Karnataka for Belgaum. In West Bengal, Gorkhas Nepali speaking people are asking for creation of new state Gorkhaland.

So let us understand the creation of the States in India before we go forward to Indian politics.

1.     Jammu and Kashmir was created by the acceptance king of Kashmir as being part of India.

2.     Himanchal Pradesh was part of India

3.     Punjab was created by dividing the Punjab between India and Pakistan with Muslim dominated in Pakistan and Punjabi dominated in India

4.     Haryana is was created for Jats

5.     Delhi was created as Union Territory initially but later on converted to state for better management.

6.     Rajasthan for Marwari or Rajasthani speaking people.

7.     Uttar Pradesh for Hindi dominant Northern Province

8.     Madhya Pradesh from Gwalior estates and other Princely states of Central Province

9.     Gujarat for Gujratis from Maharastra

10. Bihar for Maithli and Magahi speaking people.

11. Jharkhand from Bihar for mainly Tribal of Bihar in the development.

12. Uttarakhand for Garhwali speaking community of Uttar Pradesh in the name of development.

13. Assam was created for Assamese now struggling with demand of Bodoland for Bodo tribe

14. Manipur for Manipuri people

15. Meghalaya was created for Khasi, Pnar

16. Nagaland for Naga peoples of Eastern India

17. Tripura for Bengali speaking peoples of Eastern India

18. Sikkim became part of India in 1975 after King of Sikkim agreed to be part of India

19. Arunachal Pradesh for people of Tibetan – Burmese origin

20. Maharashtra was created for Marathis

21. Orissa now Odisha was created for Oriya speaking people

22. Chattishgarh was created for Chattisgarhi speaking people from Madhya Pradesh

23. Karnataka for Kannada speaking majority

24. Mizoram for Mizo people

25. Goa became part of India in 1965 after India invaded and claimed it as its territory

26. Andhra Pradesh for Telgu speaking people

27. Tamil Nadu for tamils

28. Kerala for Malayalam speaking people

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_and_territories_of_India#Pre-1956

Now if we look carefully we will observe most of the states were created as people failed to recognise one language as a common language. This federal structure of country had it sets of own advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages for creation of states based on language

1.     People can communicate with the administration in their own language

2.     Local representatives of the state to manage and share their point of view with Central Government.

3.     Growth of Local culture

Disadvantage of creation based on language.

1.     People get isolated as not able to speak the vernacular language

2.     Growth of culture gets hindered due to non adaptation of new methods and techniques

3.     Hindrances in the national level decisions due to lack of trust.

Gradually states are demanding greater autonomy and becoming less tolerant towards the growth and becoming dependent on the Central Leadership for money.

If we look presently to what’s happening in Europe we will be able to understand the condition and impact of regional politics on grand scale. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union

Regional players playing greater role in States management leads to fragmentation at the top. Regional leaders start demanding greater power which leads to misuse of power. They are becoming the locus of society, in present scenario regional players are arm twisting the state to work in their favour. People also start voting not in name of the development but in the name of Caste, language, religion, and freebies post poll. Some parties in regional area are such that they have one man show party revolves around them and so does the policies they make.

India Pre Independence - 1966

Please refer my previous two posts before continuing.

 These social elites were the sons of Maharajas, Divans, Brahmins, and Jamindars (Landlords), who unlike their ancestors were not taught in Gurukuls but the European Schools. Thus the whole elite and non-elite divide of became much more prominent leading to widespread division of society based on caste and creed. So English became the primary language of Indians who thought that knowing English will cool.

Then the Indian struggle of Independence happened which was very much results of British sharing their knowledge with the society, as the British thought that they are going to rule India for a longer period. So they introduced telegraph, Railways, telephones and others, thus making India communicate with other part of the country not in months but days and hours. This revolution was largely responsible for the establishment of various parties across India by elites of liberal thoughts and Indian National Congress (INC) was formed. This was the turning point for India which British did not anticipated hoping that it was just another group of the individuals who were having just another tea party. As the INC grows so the various sections of society joined it to get rid of British Rule. Division of the country based on caste and creed was still there but people like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi tried to remove the division by bringing them to the mainstay.

In 1947 it was decided that the country will be divided into two parts India and Pakistan. This was a result of failure on the INC of not being able to integrate the Muslims in the party, who formed the All India Muslim League which was another party with the elites at the helm of politics. So on 14^th August 1947 Pakistan declared itself as independent and India chose 15^th August 1947 as date of Independence. This was turning point for the country which was still not prepared for the freedom and responsibility as the country was still being ruled by elites, economy being controlled by the major industrial houses in Bombay, in few words highly fragmented society. No major Industry in the country hardly any readily available resource which can serve the country in a large way. India was largely dependent on Imports of goods, food grains as long years of being ruled by British made it almost bankrupt.

After Independence Indian policy was being a neutral country during Cold War, but leaning on Russia (then USSR) for support. Indian Govt maintained a 5 year plan scheme in which policies of development were decided at the beginning of 5 yr and to be implemented in 5 yrs. First plan was mainly to develop Indian Agri sector which was highly impacted by the partition. Second 5 yr plan concentrated on the development of Heavy Industries which can employ large no of people. Third plan focussed on the development of Agri sector which was still struggling to stand on its feet. During this period on China attacked India which exposed its border. This period also exposed India to high inflation as the country was controlled by the merchants who were hoarding food grains and selling at higher price. Due to this price instability, lower class and middle class where highly impacted. The money was available only the elites as the opened banks and accepted money from public and invested in their own companies. People were not able to open bank accounts as the banks were in metro and mostly in urban areas. Education was still not much of a priority 

Politics and India - Widening gap in the Society

Before continuing please refer my previous post.

As the time progressed the individuals from different castes became restrictive and wary of sharing the knowledge beyond there own castes, siblings, and sons. This restrictive sharing of knowledge resulted in fragmentation of the society. Thus the caste system was born in which some where oppressors and some oppressed.

During that time another change was taking place that is curbs on the freedom of Indian women who before that period were free to participate in the debates, rule the state, and marry the person of her choice regardless of caste and creed. Women evolved from being an active participant to being only housewife with less or no say in daily duties.

One thing which cannot be missed is that unlike all the other countries of the world Indian civilization was most open to all school of thoughts and chooses what it want and absorbs it and leaving the unwanted out. All major religions are followed in India Buddhism, Christianity, Muslim, Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrian, and Jewish. For all those who don’t know Hinduism is not a religion its school of thought which is opens to all, except that some individuals think that it’s exclusive and chose to close their mind.

Then the Europeans came who brought with them the new ideas, spreading the European renaissances effect to Indian culture. The European influence impacted India in a way unlike others as the European mindset was that its knowledge base is superior and they are only traders, they isolated themselves in their class and among there peoples only. The British started exploiting people in order to support the Industrial revolution going on in England. British system led to unequal division of labour and money in the society, thus creating elites who were controlling more than their share of already debilitating Indian economy. 

India is a country with lots of diversity, with a population of more than a billion people, more than 1652 languages. Culture so diverse that at one end we feel proud of ourselves with being one of the oldest civilizations in the world going back 30000 yrs. On other hand discrimination within the society based on religion, linguistic values, caste and etc makes us feel not so good.

If you look at the very fabric of our culture you will observe that the changes which took place since Independence is remarkable for good and not so good factors.

Today we will go from the politics of ancient India to the modern India.

During the time of Vedas the Indian society was divided in various sections based on the division of work assigned to that particular community. Like the people who where good hunters where expected to hunt and feed the community along with that the where also supposed to feed and protect, so they became “Khatriyas”. Some people where intelligent and well verse with the various aspects of life so they chose to do research and develop new things, teach, so they become “Brahmans”. So people where good traders and the used to breed cattle’s, farming etc. so they became Vaishyas. Now some people where good in doing hard labour, so they became “Shudras”. Why I am saying this as it is the premise of the development of community system in India. Which unless understood will not clarify certain points.

During the ancient times people from any community could choose to do any anything a son of Brahmins where not said Brahmins if they were not learned intellectuals, they would not be khatriyas if they are cowards, and likewise. People where identified based on the level and quality of work they do. History of Indian civilisation is full of such examples where people choose what they want to do and did that.