Class - 12 Politics chapter - 9

Recent Development in India Politics 

Contexts of the 1990s 

1  . First the most crucial development of this period was the defeat of the congress party in the                     elections held in 1989.

• The congress improved its performance and came back to power soon after the mid term election held in 1991 .
• The election of 1989 marked the end of what political scientists have called the 'congress system '. 
• The congress remained an important party and ruled the country more than any other party even in this period since 1989.

2  . Second development was the rise of the 'Mandal issue in national politics .

• This followed the decision by the new National Front government in 1990, to implement the recommendation of the Mandal Commission that jobs in central government should be reserved for the other Backward Classes .
• This led to violent 'anti - Mandal protests in different parts of the country .

3  . Third , the economic policy followed by the various governments took a radically different turn .

• This is known as the initiation of the structural adjustment programme or the new economic reforms .
• Started by Rajiv Gandhi , these changes first became very visible in 1991 and radically changed the direction that the Indian economy had pursued since Independence .

4  . Fourth , a number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya in            December 1992.

• This event symbolised and triggered various changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about the nature of India nationalism and secularism .
• These developments are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of 'Hindutva'.

5  . Finally . the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 led to a change in leadership of the                   congress party .

• The party chose Narasimha Rao as the Prime Minister .

Era of Coalitions 

• Elections in 1989 led to the defeat of the congress party but did not result in a majority for any other party .
• The National front received support from two diametrically opposite political groups . the BJP and the Left Front .

Decline of congress 

• The nineties saw yet another challenge to the predominant position of the congress. 
• After 1989 the emergence of several parties in such a way that one or two parties did not get most of the votes or seats .
• This also meant that no single party secured a clear majority of seats in any Lok Sabha election held since 1989 .
• This Development initiated an era of coalition governments at the centre , in which regional parties played a crucial role in forming ruling alliances 

Alliance politics

• The nineties also saw the energenve of powerful parties and movements that represented the Dalit and backward castes .
• These parties played an important role in the United Front government that came to power in 1996 .
• The United Front was similar to the National Front of 1989 for it included Janata Dal and several regional parties .
• The United Front government was supported by the congress .
• In 1989, both left and BJP supported the National Front government because they wanted to keep the congress out of power .
• In 1996, the Left continued to support the non - congress government but this time the congress .

       BJP

• The BJP continued to consolidate its position in the elections of 1991 and 1996 .
• It emerged as the largest party in the 1996 election and was invited to from the government .
• Other parties were opposed to its policies and therefore , the BJP government could not secure a majority in the Lok Sabha .
• Atal bihari Vajpayee was the prime Minister during both these NDA governments and his government formed in 1999 completed ts full term .
• The era of coalition governments may be seen as a long - term trend resulting from relatively silent changes that were taking place over the last few decades .

Political Rise of other Backward classes 

• one long - term development of this period was the rise of other Backward Classes as a political force .
• These are communities other than SC and ST who suffer from educational and social backwardness .
• Many of the constitutituents of the Janata Party , like the Bharatiya Kranti DAl and the Samyukta socialist Party , had a powerful rural base among some sections of the OBC.

'Mandal ' implemented 

• In the 1980s , the Janata Dal brought together a similar combination of political groups with strong support among the OBCs .
• The decision of the NAtional front government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal commission further helped in shaping the politics of ' Other Backward classes .
• The intense national debate for and against reservation in Jobs made people from the OBC communities more aware of this identity . Thus, it helped those who wanted to mobilise these groups in politics .
• These parties claimed that since OBCs constituted a large segment of India society .

Political fallouts 

• The 1980s also saw the rise of political organisation of the Dalits .
• In 1978 the Backward and minority communities Employees Federation was formed .
• Theis organisation was not an ordinary trade union of government employees .
• The BSP began as a small party supported largely by Dalit voters in Punjab , Haryana and Uttar Pradesh .But in 1989 and the 1991 elections it achieved a breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh .
• In fact , the BSP , under Kanshi Ram's leadership was envisaged as an organisation based on pragmatic politics .
• The BSP has emerged as a major political player in the state and has been in government on more than one occasion . its strongest support still comes from Dalit voters , but it has expanded its support now to various other social groups .

Communalism, Secularism, Democracy 

• After 1986 , the party began to emphasise the Hindu nationalist element in its ideology .
• The BJP pursued the politics of 'Hindutva and adopted the strategy of mobilising the Hindus .
• Hindutva literally means 'Hinduness ' and was defined by its originator , V.D. Savarkar , as the basis of India nationhood .
• Believers of 'Hindutva' argue that a strong nation can be built only on the basis of a strong and united national culture .
• Two developments around 1986 became central to the politics of BJP as a 'Hindutva' party .
• The first was the shah Bano case in 1985 .
• In this case a 62 - year old divorced Muslim woman , had filed a case for maintenance from her former husband .
• The supreme court ruled in her favour .
• The orthodox Muslims saw the supreme court 's order as an interference in muslim personal law .
• The BJP criticised this action of the congress government as an unnecessary concession and 'appeasement ' of the minority community .

Ayodhya dispute 

• The second development was the order by the Faizabad district court in February 1986 .
• The court ordered that the Babri Masjid premises considered as a temple .
• A dispute had been going on for many decades over the mosque known as Babri Masjid at Ayodhya 
• The dispute took the form of a court case and has continued for many decades .
• In the late 1940s the mosque was locked up as the matter wa with the court .
• The BJP made this issue its major electoral and political plank .
• The BJP , in order to generate public support , took out a massive march called the Rathyatra from Somnath in Gujrat to Ayodhya in Up .

Demolition and after 

• In December 1992, the organisation supporting the construction of the temple had organised a Karseva .
• The situation had become tense all over the country and especially at Ayodhya .
• The supreme court had ordered the state government to take care that the disputed site will not be endangered .
• Ayodhya on 6 December 1992 and demolished the mosque .This news led to clashes between the Hindus and Muslims in many parts of the country .
• The state government, with the BJP as the ruling party , was dismissed by the centre .
• Acase against the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was registered in the supreme court for contempt of court since he had given an undertaking that the disputed structure will be protected .
• The central government appointed a commission to investigate into the the circumstances leading to the demolition of the mosque .
• During this time , there has also been a debate about using religious sentiments for electoral purposes .

Anti - Muslim riots in Gujarat 

• In February - March 2002 , large -scale violemce against Muslims took place in Gujarat .
• The immediate provocation for this violence was an incident that took place at a station called Godhra .
• A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of Karsevaks was set on fire .
• Fifty - seven people died in that fire .
• This violence continued for almost a whole month. Nearly 1100 persons , mostly Muslims , were killed in this violence .

Emergence of a new consensus 

• The period after 1989 is seen sometimes as the period of decline of congress and rise of BJP .

Lok Sabha Elections 2004 

• In the elections of 2004 , the congress party too entered into coalitions in a big way . 
• The NDA was defeated and a new coalition government led by the congress , known as the United Progressive Alliance came to power 
• The elections of 2004 also witnessed the partial revival of congress party 

Growing consensus 

However, on many crucial issues , a broad agreement has emerged among most parties .

This consensus consists of four elements .

1.  First , agreement on new economic policies - while many groups are opposed to the new economic     policies , most political parties are in support of the new economic policies .

• These policies would lead the country to prosperity and a status  of economic power in the world .

2.  Second , acceptance of the political and social claims of the backward castes - political parties have  recognised that the social and political claims of the backward castes need to be accepted .

• Parties are also willing to ensure that the OBCs get adequate share of power.

3.  Third , acceptance of the role of state level parties in governance of the country - the distinction        between state level parties is fast becoming less important .

• State level parties are sharing power at the national level and have played a central role in the country 's politics of last twenty years or so .

4.  Fourth, emphasis on pragmatic considerations rather than ideological positions and political                 alliances without ideological agreement - coalition politics has shifted the focus of political parties       from ideological differences to power sharing arrangements .