SRIKUMAR JENA

Q 4. Discuss the Politics of Representation in India

• Political representation available to people….

Two changes are noteworthy –

• ‘New politics’ of social movements, voluntary associations, NGOs, etc., rather than only political parties, and
local rather than national concerns.

• The process of representation marked by greater emphasis on descriptive representation (when a person is
deemed representative because of personal/social characteristics or both of these)

TRENDS….

Electoral politics in the 1990s described as the second democratic upsurge (the first having succeeded India’s
independence from colonial rule).

A deepening of democracy

• Considerable emphasis on electoral politics in providing space for the expression of rights and claims by
disadvantaged groups.

• Has brought political leaders from historically lower and back-ward castes to centre stage

• Significantly higher voter participation amongst the poorer classes, less well educated and socially
underprivileged castes and classes (unlike in industrialized democracies where participation is biased in the
direction of the better educated, more wealthy and advantaged citizen).

• Trends indicate ….

• Increased participation in electoral politics through political parties

• Underline the strength and legitimacy of the political system.

However –

• Political participation simply does not tell us enough about the status of political equality unless we accept the
standard formulation that everyone’s vote should count as one vote, which means that all are equal.

Political equality implies …

• A proportionate distribution of political activity (political participation in voting, attending public meetings,
participating in rallies/demonstration)

• Rarely extends to the sphere of representation in crucial decision-making institutions (no tendency towards
equality when it comes to the distribution of power or representative bodies).

Accessing Representation…

Two ways:

(a) Process of representation

(b) Quality of representation and responsiveness.

(a) The crisis of legitimate representation: philanthropic representation: personality representation based on
charisma.
 (b) the need to bring elected representatives closer to those who elect them rather than only at the
time of elections : particularly in the absence of a recall mechanism India.
(c) Dynasty (family) politics: constituencies have become like fiefdoms (An organization that is
controlled by a dominant person or group).
(d) Criminalization of politics and politicization of crime as political parties’ cosy (affording comfort) upto
people with long criminal records. Shibu soren, pappu yadav. Criminals contesting from even inside
jails.
(e) Particular sections are underrepresented. Women, tribals and minorities. Women reservation bill
not being passed. Tribals unable to form a consolidated nationwide political movement thus possess
less leverage (advantage gained) in national arena. Caste politics.
(f) Judicial activism has had to fill the vacuum as a result of the erosion of representative democracy
(g) Post globalization and the states transformation from developmental state to entrepreneurial state
the influence of representative democracy has been eroded by actors like civil society, Ngo’s and
corporate who have become powerful interest groups who hijack public interests by influencing
representatives.

Q5. Discuss the changing politics of representation in India.

 Shift from ‘politics of idea’ to ‘politics of presence’

 The Constitution and the dominant political discourse in the 1950s – representation derived from the notion
that representatives to act on behalf of the society as a whole or the constituency they represented.

• Belief that politicians WOULD work in favor of larger social interests that were not their own, dominated the
first phase of democratic politics.

• No space for descriptive representation.

Politics of dispute regarding representation-

• Nationalist leaders personified this view of representation (Gandhi said – ‘I claim myself in my own person to
represent the vast mass of the untouchables’)

1. Ambedkar posed the problem of representation faced by Dalits (‘The right of representation and the right to hold
office under the state are two most important rights that make up citizenship’)

2. Nehru refused the logic of Jinnah’s demand that the Congress treat the Muslim League as the authoritative and
representative organization of India’s Muslims

• Phases of Representation…

 The dominant discourse during the 1950s (extended to the

end of the 1960s, over four general elections) –

• Political parties’ crucial aggregative medium for the articulation of collective interests.

• Consensus that the state was the most important means for the promotion of public good and well-being.

• Social classes like the industrialists, managerial elites and middle classes were central to political life and
representation.

• Contd…
  From the late 1970s

• New form of representation, distinct from the models associated with Gandhi and Nehru.

• Trend point to a shift towards ‘politics of presence’(the political actor claim to act on behalf of his or her
own kind – caste, religion or linguistic group)

• Descriptive representation by one’s own group/category gained strength

• Consequently, political discourse dominated by ethnic inequalities, which dictate the pattern of mobilization
(example : The demand for Gorkha-Land)

• Contd…

 The late 1980s and 1990s

• Increased political competition

• Political and administrative importance of caste, the OBCs in particular, which took shape around the demand
for reserved quotas in government, set the context for these changes.

• Range of social movements – including women’s, Dalit, and minority movements – signaled assertions and
demands for recognition and power.

• By giving the lower castes large numbers of tickets and the possibility of a share in power, non-Congress
parties addressed the critical issue of the representation in political institutions.

• Contd…

 Politics of identity

• India has become much more proportional in its approach

• Seen from the major increase in the number of lower caste legislators

• Political representation has a new downward thrust (emergence of BSP, RJD & SP)

• The backward castes with no legislative reservations constitute more than a quarter of the Lok Sabah today

For Parliament, 64 percent of the north Indian MPs in the first Lok Sabha came from the upper
castes and only 4.5 per-cents from the OBCs; the share of OBC MPs now increased to over 25 percent.

Conclusion :

weakening of the congress power in the national arena following its losing power in states from the late 70s : Kerala
and West-Bengal falling to communism: Dravidian movements in Tamilnadu whose legitimacy came from the fact
that they were low caste movements: regionalism and the anti-hindi movement: v p singhs bringing out the old
mandal commission report forever changing the political landscape in 1989.

 Reservations in educational institutions central and state government services. Fuelling the rise of backward
caste and regional parties. Since then only coalitions.
 Narasimha raos coalition that brought India out of economic crisis in 1991.
 NDA success as it lasted full term.
 UPA success as it lasted full term. Scope for another coalition in the next general elections.
Advantages of changing politics of representation in India :

Considered a Good development by many:

 Democratic upsurge: better representation in centre for regional parties representing previously much
underrepresented and marginalized people, states and regions.
 Greater diversity in decision making on national and international issues concerning development as well as
foreign policy and finance. Strengthening of federalism and states has become more assertive in matters of
revenue sharing. Lot of deliberation and discussion goes into making policy and taking decisions.

Unstable governments. Delay in decision making which becomes a problem particularly when decisions need to be
made fast in times of emergency. Lack of consensus on economical, foreign policy and strategic issues that leaves
these decisions unmade erosion of planning commission and centralized planning system. democratic institutions be
they regulatory or substantive have needed to be and thus are more proactive in their role as today they need to
regulate competing and conflicting interest rather than adhering to the whims of a single political party in the centre.

Q 8 (c) women representation in Indian politics.

• (II) Representation for women … (1)

• Increase in the representation of backward castes resulted in an escalation of demands for political
representation from other excluded groups, notably women.

• Changing the social composition of the legislature may have a minimal effect on the structure of party
politics, policies and outcomes for the disadvantaged groups.

• The space available to women within the political system has not been significant (though we had a
woman PM for many years)

• Contd…

• From 1952 to 1999 over 1400 women have contested elections and over 365 have been elected to Parliament.

• Proportion of women in Parliament – less than 10 %

• Parties give low preference to women candidates, even though voters are not disinclined to support their
candidacy.

• Political parties often give tickets only to attract ‘women’s votes’ or appeal to ‘women’s constituency’.

• Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB) pending despite strong pressure from women groups

• Interestingly, one-third reservation for women in Local Bodies

• Challenges for political representation in India’s diverse democracy… (1)

• To ensure a link between representatives and those represented (pave the way for substantive
democracy)

• Backward caste mobilization has successfully challenged upper caste/class domination, the experience
of the north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

• However, over-emphasis on descriptive representation could weaken the basis for political
accountability.
With this also mention about the beginning of women liberalization in pre independence India. Women in politics idea
were first initiated by liberal Indian men who received the western education and compared Indian scenario in its
light. This led to help these learned few Indians raise a voice against the age old suffering women and was perhaps the
first positive seed in the representation of women in India.. inspire of stances from the medieval period of rani
laxmibai (bravely lead her people against the British removing political instability in Jhansi), jodha bai (with her
marriage helped to bring settlement between the rajputs and mougals) the real step towards women representation
began by the socio religious reform movements that began in the early 19 century.

 Raja ram mohan roy – helped bring law against sati, child marriage and widow remarriage
 Vidyasagar- education for women, widow remarriage

Then later in 20th century reformist like Anne Besant, bal ganga dhar tilak, Gandhi made way for women to
reach a representative platform.
Post independence with likes of indira Gandhi, sarojini naidu, vijaylaxmi the stigma and stain of no women
representation finally faded away.
At present women in the parliament have positively made their space and this has been possible due to the
liberal policy and a national univocal attempt for women to be at shoulders with men.

With likes of sonia Gandhi, priyanka gandi, jayalaitha, vijayraje sindhia, mamata banerjee, etc the women
have definitely created a ever increasing activity centre for them in walks of social life especially in indian
politics and have proved their merit.