GS Notes

1.4 - Society Notes 10

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Elaborate Notes

Regionalism

Regionalism is a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, often based on a shared identity. It can manifest as a positive force for development and cultural assertion, or as a negative force leading to parochialism and secessionism.

  • Conceptual Roots: Regionalism in India stems from the country’s immense diversity in language, culture, ethnicity, religion, and geography. The concentration of these distinct characteristics in specific geographical areas, often coupled with a perception of neglect or ‘relative deprivation’ by the central authority, creates fertile ground for regional consciousness.

    • Positive Manifestation: When regional identity is asserted to demand focused development, administrative efficiency, and preservation of culture, it acts as a positive force. For instance, the demand for linguistic states, as recommended by the States Reorganisation Commission (headed by Fazl Ali) in 1955, was a positive accommodation of regional linguistic aspirations within the national framework. This was seen as strengthening, not weakening, the Indian union.
    • Negative Manifestation: It turns negative when it fosters excessive attachment to one’s region over the nation, leading to inter-regional conflicts, demands for secession, or promotion of ideologies like the ‘Son of the Soil’ theory that are exclusionary. Scholar Selig S. Harrison in his work “India: The Most Dangerous Decades” (1960) warned that linguistic and regional loyalties could threaten national unity.

  • Politics of Regionalism:

    • Positive Dimensions:
      • Cultural Identity: Movements to concretise cultural identity, such as the initial phases of the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu led by figures like E. V. Ramasamy (Periyar), sought to challenge perceived cultural hegemony and assert a distinct cultural and linguistic identity.
      • Socio-Economic Development: The creation of states like Jharkhand (2000), Chhattisgarh (2000), and Telangana (2014) were primarily driven by decades of movements arguing that these regions were neglected and their resources exploited by the larger states they were part of (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh, respectively). The Srikrishna Committee Report (2010) on Telangana detailed these economic and developmental grievances.
      • Administrative Convenience: The creation of Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh in 2000 was justified on grounds of administrative efficiency, as the unique geography and needs of the hill region were difficult to manage from the plains-centric capital of Lucknow.
    • Negative Dimensions:
      • Violence and Secessionism: Regionalism takes a violent turn when groups resort to armed struggle. The demand for ‘Khalistan’ in Punjab during the 1980s, led by figures like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, resulted in a decade of terrorism and violence, posing a direct threat to India’s sovereignty. Similarly, insurgency in Nagaland, which began even before India’s independence, is an extreme form of regionalism demanding secession.
      • Communal Demands: When regional demands are intertwined with religious identity, they can threaten the secular fabric. The Kashmir issue is a complex blend of regional, ethnic, and religious aspirations, making it a persistent challenge.
      • ‘Son of the Soil’ Theory: This theory is a significant negative manifestation of regionalism.

  • ‘Son of the Soil’ Theory:

    • Concept: This doctrine posits that the inhabitants of a state or region have a preferential claim over its resources, jobs, and educational opportunities, often to the exclusion of migrants or ‘outsiders’. Political scientist Myron Weiner, in his seminal work “Sons of the Soil: Migration and Ethnic Conflict in India” (1978), extensively analyzed this phenomenon. He argued that it emerges from the competition for scarce resources, particularly middle-class jobs in urban areas.
    • Examples: Movements by the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra against South Indians in the 1960s and later against North Indians; the Assam Movement (1979-1985) against perceived illegal immigrants from Bangladesh; and recent policies in states like Haryana and Karnataka proposing job reservations for locals in the private sector.
    • Causes:
      1. Economic Anxiety: Failure of state-led development to create sufficient employment opportunities for the educated native youth leads them to view migrants as competitors.
      2. Political Mobilization: Regional political parties often use ‘nativist’ rhetoric to consolidate their vote bank by portraying migrants as a threat to the local population’s economic and cultural security.
      3. Rising Aspirations & Relative Deprivation: Increased access to education has raised aspirations, but the job market has not expanded proportionately, leading to frustration which is then directed towards migrants.
      4. Cultural Insecurity: Natives sometimes fear that large-scale in-migration will dilute their language, culture, and traditions, leading to a cultural backlash.

  • Basis of Regionalism:

    • Historical: Regional identity is often built upon a shared history, folklore, and collective memory. The ‘Dravida Nadu’ demand was based on a historical narrative, propounded by the Justice Party and later the DMK, of a distinct, pre-Aryan, egalitarian Dravidian civilization that was disrupted by the imposition of a caste-based, Sanskritic ‘Aryan’ culture.
    • Geographical: Distinct geographical features can isolate a region and foster a unique identity. The entire North-Eastern region of India, connected to the mainland by the narrow Siliguri Corridor, has a distinct geography that has contributed to its unique socio-political challenges and regional consciousness.
    • Socio-Cultural:
      • Language: Language has been the most potent basis for regionalism in India. The anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s and the successful movement for the reorganization of states on a linguistic basis in 1956 are prime examples.
      • Caste and Religion: While the Indian Constitution does not permit the creation of states solely on religious or caste lines, these factors often operate beneath the surface. The demand for a Punjabi Suba was projected as a linguistic demand for a Punjabi-speaking state, but it was deeply intertwined with the Sikh religious identity and the Akali Dal’s political aspirations, culminating in the formation of Punjab in 1966.
    • Politico-Administrative: Political factors do not create regionalism but can exacerbate it. The central government’s perceived insensitivity to regional demands, imbalanced political representation, or the dominance of national parties can fuel regional sentiments, which are then capitalized upon by regional political outfits.
    • Economic: Economic inequality is often the core driver. The feeling that a region’s natural resources are being used to benefit other regions while it remains underdeveloped is a powerful catalyst. The Telangana movement’s main slogan was ‘Neellu, Nidhulu, Niyamakalu’ (Water, Funds, Jobs), highlighting the perceived economic colonization by the coastal Andhra region.

  • Types of Regionalism:

    • Inter-State: Conflicts between two or more states. Examples include the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over the Belagavi (Belgaum) district.
    • Intra-State: Demand for statehood or autonomy within an existing state. Examples include the ongoing demands for Bodoland in Assam, Gorkhaland in West Bengal, and Vidharbha in Maharashtra.
    • Supra-State: Manifestation of regionalism where a group of states identify as a single bloc against another. The ‘North vs. South’ debate, particularly concerning language policy and distribution of financial resources by the Finance Commission, is a classic example.
    • Demand for Secession: The most extreme form, where a region demands complete independence from the country. Historical examples include the Khalistan movement in Punjab and ongoing insurgency by certain factions in Nagaland and Kashmir.

  • Impact of Regionalism:

    • Positive:
      1. Nation-Building: Accommodating moderate regional aspirations (e.g., creating linguistic states) has strengthened India’s federal structure and prevented fragmentation. It allows diverse groups to feel represented and have a stake in the nation.
      2. Competitive Federalism: A positive regional consciousness can foster competition among states for investment, better governance, and development, ultimately benefiting the nation as a whole.
      3. Salad Bowl Theory: It helps realize the ‘Salad Bowl’ model of multiculturalism, where different regional cultures coexist and enrich the national identity without losing their individual character, as opposed to a ‘Melting Pot’ where they are assimilated into a single culture.
    • Negative:
      1. Threat to National Integrity: Secessionist movements pose a direct threat to the country’s unity and sovereignty.
      2. Vote Bank Politics: Regional sentiments are often manipulated by politicians for narrow electoral gains, leading to social divisions.
      3. Hindrance to Diplomacy: Inter-state disputes fueled by regionalism, such as the Teesta water-sharing issue involving West Bengal, can complicate India’s international relations (in this case, with Bangladesh).
      4. Economic Imbalance: Powerful regional leaders may lobby for disproportionate allocation of central funds and projects to their states, potentially exacerbating regional disparities.

Racial Intolerance

Racial intolerance refers to prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group.

  • Concept of Race: In a biological sense, race refers to phenotypical characteristics (physical traits). The anthropologist B.S. Guha, as Director of the Anthropological Survey of India in the 1930s and 1940s, provided a widely cited (though now academically debated) classification of the Indian population into six main racial groups:

    1. The Negrito
    2. The Proto-Australoid
    3. The Mongoloid
    4. The Mediterranean
    5. The Western Brachycephals
    6. The Nordic

  • Concept of Racial Intolerance: It is the social and behavioural manifestation of racism, involving discrimination based on prejudiced attitudes. In India, it is often directed towards people from the North-Eastern states (often stereotyped with ‘Mongoloid’ features) and individuals of African descent.

  • Causes of Racial Intolerance:

    1. Colonial Legacy: The British colonial administration’s racial ideology and obsession with fair skin created a hierarchy that continues to influence societal perceptions of beauty and status.
    2. Lack of Integration: Insufficient cultural exchange and understanding lead to stereotyping and ‘ghettoization,’ where migrants from a particular region or race live in isolated clusters, hindering integration.
    3. Economic Competition: Similar to the ‘Son of the Soil’ theory, competition for resources and jobs can fuel animosity towards those perceived as racially different.
    4. Cultural Chauvinism: The erroneous belief in the superiority of one’s own race or culture leads to the dehumanization and discrimination of others.
    5. Media and Cinema: The portrayal of stereotypes in cinema and the commodification of fairness in advertisements reinforce prejudices and normalize racist attitudes.
    6. Insensitive Governance: A lack of swift and stringent action by law enforcement against racial attacks can create a climate of impunity. The mob attack on a Tanzanian student in Bengaluru in 2016 and the death of a Congolese student in police custody in 2021 highlight these administrative failures.
    7. Role of Social Media: Online platforms can be used to rapidly spread hateful content and organize targeted harassment against racial minorities.

  • Implications of Racial Intolerance:

    • Individual Level: Victims suffer from psychological trauma, including anxiety, stress, and loss of self-esteem. It violates their fundamental rights and curtails opportunities for social and economic mobility.
    • Societal Level: It erodes social capital (trust and cooperation), creates social conflict, and prevents society from benefiting from the full potential of its demographic dividend. It creates a vicious cycle of prejudice passed down through corrupt socialization.
    • National Level:
      • Threat to Unity: It undermines the constitutional promise of equality and fraternity and threatens the idea of ‘Unity in Diversity’.
      • Damages Soft Power: India’s global image as a pluralistic and tolerant democracy is tarnished. Incidents against African nationals strain diplomatic ties with African countries.
      • Economic Impact: It can deter foreign students, tourists, and investors, affecting the education, tourism, and business sectors.
      • Threat to Diaspora: Racist incidents in India can trigger retaliatory actions against the Indian diaspora living abroad, as seen in the reaction in Congo in 2021.

  • Way Forward: Recommendations of the Bezbaruah Committee: The M.P. Bezbaruah Committee, constituted in 2014 after a series of attacks on people from the North-East, gave several recommendations:

    1. Legal Reforms: Proposing new provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to specifically and stringently deal with racially motivated crimes.
    2. Specialized Law Enforcement: Creation of special police squads with representation from North-Eastern communities in metropolitan cities.
    3. Fast-Track Courts: Setting up fast-track courts to ensure speedy justice in cases of racial violence.
    4. Awareness and Sensitization: Using social media and other platforms to create awareness about the culture of the North-East and promoting cultural integration. Providing legal awareness to racial minorities about their rights and grievance redressal mechanisms.
    5. Utilizing Sports: Exploring the power of sports, where many athletes from these regions have excelled, to foster a sense of national unity and bonding.

Prelims Pointers

  • Regionalism: An ideology focusing on the interests of a specific region, often arising from a combination of geographical concentration of identity markers and a sense of relative deprivation.
  • ‘Son of the Soil’ Theory: Doctrine that natives of a region have preferential rights over its resources and jobs to the exclusion of outsiders (migrants).
  • Myron Weiner: Scholar who extensively studied the ‘Sons of the Soil’ phenomenon in his 1978 book.
  • Examples of Statehood Demands (Intra-State Regionalism):
    • Bodoland (Assam)
    • Gorkhaland (West Bengal)
    • Vidharbha (Maharashtra)
    • Telangana (formerly in Andhra Pradesh, now a state)
  • Examples of Secessionist Demands: Khalistan (Punjab), some insurgent factions in Nagaland.
  • Committees on Regionalism:
    • States Reorganisation Commission (1955): Headed by Fazl Ali, recommended the creation of states on a linguistic basis.
    • Srikrishna Committee (2010): Examined the demand for a separate Telangana state.
  • B.S. Guha’s Racial Classification: Provided a six-fold racial classification of the Indian population: Negrito, Proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, Western Brachycephals, and Nordic.
  • Bezbaruah Committee (2014): Formed to suggest remedial measures to address concerns of people from the North-Eastern states. Recommended legal reforms (changes in IPC), fast-track courts, and awareness campaigns.
  • Supra-State Regionalism: Regionalism involving a group of states, e.g., the North-South debate on language or finance.
  • Inter-State Regionalism: Disputes between two or more states, e.g., Cauvery water dispute.

Mains Insights

Regionalism: A Threat to National Unity or an Expression of Pluralism?

Regionalism is a dual-edged sword and its impact on the nation is a subject of intense debate.

  1. Regionalism as a Threat (Centrifugal Force):

    • Undermining National Identity: Parochial regional loyalties can weaken the broader national identity, promoting an ‘us vs. them’ mentality.
    • Internal Security Challenge: When regional demands turn violent and secessionist (e.g., Khalistan movement, insurgency in the North-East), they pose a direct threat to the nation’s integrity and require significant state resources to manage.
    • Obstacle to Economic Development: Inter-state disputes over resources like river water (e.g., Cauvery, Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal) can stall crucial infrastructure projects and harm economic progress for all involved parties.
    • Erosion of Federal Trust: The ‘Son of the Soil’ politics restricts the free movement of labour guaranteed by the Constitution (Article 19), hindering the creation of a single national market and eroding trust between states.

  2. Regionalism as an Expression of Pluralism (Centripetal Force):

    • Deepening Democracy: Regional movements give voice to marginalized groups and force the political system to be more responsive to local needs and aspirations, thereby strengthening grassroots democracy.
    • Strengthening Federalism: Scholar Paul Brass argues that regionalism is a form of political bargaining within the federal structure. The accommodation of regional demands (e.g., creation of linguistic states) has managed conflict and made the Indian Union more resilient and representative.
    • Correcting Developmental Imbalances: Regionalism often highlights genuine grievances of economic neglect. Movements like the one for Telangana successfully drew national attention to decades of underdevelopment, ultimately leading to the formation of a new state focused on its own development.
    • Preservation of Cultural Diversity: Regionalism plays a crucial role in protecting and promoting India’s rich tapestry of languages, arts, and traditions, preventing a homogenised national culture from erasing local identities. This aligns with the ‘Salad Bowl’ model of multiculturalism.

Conclusion: The nature of regionalism depends on its articulation. Moderate, democratic regionalism that seeks development and cultural rights within the constitutional framework strengthens Indian federalism. However, when it becomes extremist, violent, or secessionist, it poses a grave threat. The key for a diverse nation like India lies in a policy of responsive federalism that can accommodate legitimate regional aspirations while firmly dealing with secessionist tendencies.

Racial Intolerance: Implications for India’s Governance and Global Standing

Racial intolerance is not merely a social evil but has profound implications for governance, foreign policy, and the economy.

  1. Impact on Governance and Internal Security (GS-II & GS-III):

    • Violation of Constitutional Values: It is a direct violation of the Fundamental Rights to Equality (Article 14), Non-discrimination (Article 15), and Life and Liberty (Article 21). Failure to protect citizens from racial attacks represents a failure of the state’s primary duty.
    • Erosion of Rule of Law: When mob violence against racial minorities goes unpunished, it weakens the rule of law and can lead to a breakdown of social order.
    • Fueling Regionalism and Alienation: Persistent racial discrimination against people from the North-East, for example, deepens their sense of alienation from the ‘mainland’ and can provide fertile ground for insurgent groups to recruit from a disenchanted populace.

  2. Impact on Foreign Policy and Soft Power (GS-II):

    • Damage to ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ Image: India’s claim to be a global leader and a tolerant, pluralistic society (‘The world is one family’) is severely undermined by incidents of racial violence, especially against foreign nationals.
    • Straining Diplomatic Relations: Attacks on African students and nationals have repeatedly caused diplomatic friction with African nations, a continent where India is trying to expand its strategic and economic footprint. This can affect India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, for which it needs the support of the African bloc.
    • Endangering the Indian Diaspora: Such incidents can lead to reciprocal actions against Indians living abroad, jeopardizing their safety and interests.

  3. Impact on the Economy (GS-III):

    • Deterrent to Foreign Talent and Students: A reputation for racial intolerance can discourage international students and professionals from choosing India as a destination for education and work, hindering its ambition to be a global knowledge hub.
    • Negative Impact on Tourism: The safety and security of tourists is paramount. Widely publicised racial incidents can lead to travel advisories and a decline in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange.
    • Threat to Social Harmony: Social conflicts arising from racial tensions disrupt economic activity and create an unstable environment that is not conducive to investment and long-term economic growth.

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