A Political Introduction to India
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RESEARCH PAPER 07/41 A political introduction 2 MAY 2007 to India 2007 marks the 60th anniversary of Indian independence. India's rise and what it means for the world is now a central preoccupation of analysts and policy-makers, who have realised that China is not the only 'Asian giant' now awakening. This Research Paper is intended to act as a resource that Members of Parliament and their staff can draw upon when engaging with India's ongoing transformation. Part I provides key facts and figures about India. Part II offers a broad analytical overview of key issues affecting India's past, present and future trajectory. Part III looks at domestic developments and some of the major challenges facing India at home. Part IV discusses India's evolving foreign and security policy. Part V surveys political and military relations between India, the UK and the European Union. The Paper ends with a select bibliography of key sources. There is also an Appendix in which past UK parliamentary proceedings on India before independence are briefly reviewed. This Research Paper is a platform for a series of Library Standard Notes that will address in more depth specific issues about India. The Paper is a companion paper to RP 07/40, An economic introduction to India. Tom Harrison, Sam Jones, Jon Lunn, Ben Smith, Claire Taylor, Tim Youngs INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE SECTION HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY Recent Library Research Papers include: List of 15 most recent RPs 07/26 Unemployment by Constituency, February 2007 14.03.07 07/27 EU Enlargement: the Western Balkans 14.03.07 07/28 Financial Mutuals Arrangements Bill [Bill 23 of 2006-07] 21.03.07 07/29 The Falkland Islands: Twenty Five Years On 21.03.07 07/30 The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill 22.03.07 Committee Stage Report 07/31 Election timetables 22.03.07 07/32 The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) (No 2) Bill 27.03.07 [Bill 84 of 2006-07] 07/33 The Mental Health Bill [HL] [Bill 76 of 2006-07] 30.03.07 07/34 The Funding of Political Parties 10.04.07 07/35 The Further Education and Training Bill [HL] 16.04.07 [Bill 75 of 2006-07] 07/36 Unemployment by Constituency, March 2007 18.04.07 07/37 Direct taxes: rates and allowances 2007-08 18.04.07 07/38 Social Indicators [includes articles: Smoking in public 25.04.07 places; the 2007 Census Test] 07/39 Economic Indicators, May 2007 01.05.07 07/40 An Economic Introduction to India 02.05.07 Research Papers are available as PDF files: • to members of the general public on the Parliamentary web site, URL: http://www.parliament.uk • within Parliament to users of the Parliamentary Intranet, URL: http://hcl1.hclibrary.parliament.uk Library Research Papers are compiled for the benefit of Members of Parliament and their personal staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public. We welcome comments on our papers; these should be sent to the Research Publications Officer, Room 407, 1 Derby Gate, London, SW1A 2DG or e-mailed to [email protected] ISSN 1368-8456 Summary of main points 2007 marks the 60th anniversary of Indian independence. India's rise and what it means for the world is now a central preoccupation of analysts and policy-makers, who have realised that China is not the only 'Asian giant' currently awakening. Part I provides key facts and figures about India, drawing together information regarding its history, society, political system, political leaders, treaty obligations and the diaspora. Part II offers a broad analytical overview of key issues affecting India's past, present and future trajectory. It focuses in particular on the co-existence in India of formal democratic equality with deep-rooted social inequalities, exploring why the increased democratic participation of the poor has not (so far) led to substantial progress in reducing the most extreme forms of poverty. It also discusses how India is seeking to reposition itself within the wider world by establishing itself as a major power, and how energy security is rising up the list of foreign policy priorities as economic growth continues. Part III looks at domestic developments and some of the major challenges facing India at home. It combines a description of the activities and achievements of the present government, which has been in power since 2004, with brief discussions of four issues that are important for understanding the contemporary political context in India: the changing dynamics of caste politics; the rise of Hindu nationalism and its role in promoting religious violence; the Maoist challenge along what is known as India’s 'Red Corridor'; and the insurgencies in Kashmir and Northeast India, including Assam. Part IV discusses India's evolving foreign and security policy, which entered a new era with India’s economic reforms of the 1990s and the series of five underground nuclear tests in May 1998. It looks at India's role within the UN, including its current campaign for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and within regional inter-governmental organisations. It also surveys India's bilateral relationships, including with China, Pakistan and the US – with which India has signed a controversial civil nuclear co-operation deal. Finally, it describes and assesses India's military and nuclear capabilities. Part V surveys political and military relations between India and the UK, the overarching framework for which is provided by the 2002 New Delhi Declaration. It also looks at defence co-operation between the two countries, which has remained strong since Indian independence. This part of the Paper also briefly reviews India's relations with the European Union, which could advance to a new level if proposals for a Comprehensive Economic Co- operation Agreement bear fruit. There is uncertainty about whether the agreement will include clauses on human rights and weapons of mass destruction, as has become customary in such agreements. Acronyms AAGSP All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad AASU All Assam Students Union ABSU All Bodo Students Union ADB Asian Development Bank AGP Asom Gana Parishad APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations BAC Bodoland Autonomous Council BJP Bharatiya Janata Party BLT Bodo Liberation Tigers BSP Bahujan Samaj Party BPAC Bodo People’s Action Committee BVF Bodo Volunteer Force CERD Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination CMP Common Minimum Programme CPI Communist Party of India CPI (M) Communist Party of India (Marxist) DCG India-UK Defence Consultative Group DFID Department for International Development DMK Dravidra Munnetra Kazhagam EU European Union IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency IAF Indian Air Force IBSA India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam MCC Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) NDA National Democratic Alliance NDFB National Democratic Front of Bodoland NPT Non-Proliferation Treaty NREGA National Rural Employment Guarantee Act NRI Non-Resident Indians NSG Nuclear Suppliers Group OBCs Other Backward Classes OCI Overseas Citizens of India PDS Public Distribution System PIO Persons/People of Indian Origin RJD Rashtriya Janata Dal RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation SEZ Special Economic Zone ULFA United Liberation Front of Assam UPA United Progressive Alliance VHP Vishwa Hindu Parishad WTO World Trade Organisation Glossary Adivasi – Indigenous or tribal groups, also known as Scheduled Tribes Brahmin – The highest caste group whose traditional occupations are as priests and scholars. Caste – Caste is an inherited birth identity that positions people within the hierarchical caste system of mainstream Hinduism. Dalit – Literally, ‘The Oppressed’. This term is used to refer to ‘Untouchables’. It is the term most widely used by groups campaigning against ‘Untouchability’. The term is also sometimes used to refer to other historically deprived groups including Adivasis. Harijan – Literally, ‘Children of God’. The term was used by Mahatma Gandhi to refer to India’s ‘Untouchables’. However, many consider the term patronising and it is used less than ‘Dalit’. Hindutva - A Hindu nationalist ideology, which views India as a Hindu nation that should be run according to Hindu precepts. Lok Sabha – The ‘House of the People’ is the lower house of the Indian Parliament. Naxalite – The Naxalites are Maoist insurgents. Other Backward Classes (OBCs) – Castes that have not been subject to the discrimination of Untouchability, but that are still considered socially and economically deprived, are classified as OBCs. The category also includes some non-Hindu groups. Gram Panchayat – Elected village councils. Rajya Sabha – The ‘House of the States’ is the upper house of the Indian Parliament Reservations – A range of policies of positive discrimination that set aside a proportion of places in government employment, government-funded educational institutions and electoral constituencies for historically deprived groups. Scheduled Castes (SC) – The constitutional term for Dalits. The term refers to their special status under the Constitution as a group entitled to special protection and positive discrimination though reservations. Scheduled Tribes (ST) – The constitutional term for Adivasis. The term refers to their special status under the Constitution as a group entitled to special protection and positive discrimination though reservations. Untouchables – India’s ‘Untouchables’ are traditionally confined to work that is considered ritually polluting, and have been subject to systematic discrimination. They are also referred to as Dalits, Harijans and Scheduled Castes. Upper Caste – The upper castes, also known as forward or general castes, are the historically most privileged groups in the Indian caste system. They therefore do not qualify for the benefits of reservation policies. CONTENTS Acronyms 4 Glossary 5 I Key Facts and Figures 9 A.