POLI/INTL 355, Review 3, Spring 2023

Bill Newmann

The exam has two parts:

• Part 1: Short Answers: Choose 2 of 8: (20 points each; 5-6 sentences): Define the term and tell me why it’s important in the context of Indian politics.
• Part 2: Essay: Choose 1 of 2: (60 points; roughly 3-4 pages). Each essay has several parts to it. Make sure to do all parts of the essay. There are choices even within the essay, so make sure you read the directions. A part of an essay may say “choose 3 of 5.” Don’t do all five.

List of Terms:

(Terms with an (*) are discussed in the readings)

India One: Intro

A civilization and a country

Population size

21^st Century: India, China, US relationship

A young nation

Themes/Paradoxes:

*1. democracy and inequality

Size of eligible voting population in 2019

*Economic and social inequality

*2. Indian Economic Model

East Asian Model vs. Indian Model

*3. Wealth and Poverty

High tech economy and staggering poverty

Economic inequality (again)

4. Diversity

*Religion

*Ethnicity

23 official languages

5. National parties (Congress/BJP) vs. Regional parties

6. Religion, democracy, Ideology

Ideology of separation of church and state

Hindu Nationalism

Congress party and its ideology

BJP and Citizenship Amendment Act

Charges of discrimination against Muslims

Secular vs. Hindu India

Congress vs. BJP

India Two Before Independence

geography

agriculture

Slow growth of urban population

population

*Religions

*Hinduism

One of the oldest of the major religions

pluralist nature of Hinduism

*Caste system

Brahmins (Priests)

Warriors (Kahtriyas)

Landowners, Merchants (Vaishyas)

Dirty Farmers (Sudras)

Untouchables (Dalits, Harijans)

*Affirmative Action for lower castes

*Bhimrao Ambedkar

his experience as a Dalit

his ideas in the Indian constitution

untouchability outlawed

*Islam as a minority (14% of population)

History

Hinduism and Buddhism from India

Alexander the Not So Great Once He Got to India

Madhava and Calculus

India’s traditional wealth

Returning to its rightful place in the world (like China)

Emperors and Dynasties

Mughal Dynasty

British East India Company

Indian Mutiny and Direct Colonial Rule

Viceroy

British Colonialism and Princely States

Gradual inclusion of Indian's in administrative structure

Indian National Congress created

Amritsar Massacre

Impact of Gandhi's leadership on INC

Factional Struggle in INC: The factions

ending factional strife: non-violence but independence now

Becoming mass movement

new strategy -- non-violence

*Minority independence movements

*Muslim League

Shiromani Akali Dal (Sikhs in Punjab)

*Independence

*Partition

*The refugees

*The violence

*Division of Punjab

*Kashmir division

*Gandhi’s assassination

India and Pakistan as rivals

Wars

Birth of Bangladesh 1971

Government and Parties

*Character of the New State (Big Picture)

*The size and detail in the constitution

President’s limited power and role

Parliament

Passing legislation

Typical legislative process

Lok Sabha power over most financial/budgetary bills

Rajya Sabha -- upper house

Number of members

Lok Sabha -- lower house

Number of members

Reserved seats

Lok Sabha role in choosing Prime Minister and no-confidence motions against PM

Example of 1996 election and choosing the PM

President’s role in these situations

Prime Minister

Council of Ministers

*Nehru Dynasty

Congress Party

Ideology: secularism (separation of church and state) and the “Idea of India”

Economic policy

*Nehru’s socialism

*Bharatiya Janata Party

*Hindutva

extremist past and allies

*RSS

BJP challenge to Indian secularism

Perception of BJP: Either as defenders of Hindus from persecution or as wanting to create a Hindu state

original anti-Muslim views

Leftist, regional, and caste-based parties

Public Policy

Federalism

Village Panchayats

*Social Policy

*Affirmative Action

Economic Policy

*Nehru's Socialism

*National Planning Commission

*the impact on entrepreneurship

*License Raj/permit raj

*Economic Problems of late 1980s/early 1990s

*debt

Oil

Kashmir crisis

*Rao's economic reforms

*Finance Minister: Manmohan Singh

*the economic reforms

*allowing foreign investment

*privatization

*less government control/free markets

*The economic results

*The political results

Debate over economic reform

Political Periods

1. Congress Years: 1947-1991/1996

Indian National Congress/Congress Party

Congress’ electoral domination in Lok Sabha

*Nehru Dynasty

*Jawaharlal Nehru

*Dynasty supporters vs. opponents

*Indira Gandhi as PM

Congress (I)

*The Emergency 1975-1977

*Defeat 1977

*Indira Gandhi Assassination

*Rajiv Gandhi and Assassination

1991 Congress victory anyway, but needs to form coalition

*P. V. Narasimha Rao

*Manmohan Singh

*Rao’s and Singh’s reforms

2. Years of Competition

Why did Congress lose support?

Nehru Dynasty gone

*Economic reform

*Corruption in Congress

*Rise of regional and religious parties

*Hindu Nationalism

*Rise of BJP and its constituency

BJP electoral results (trends, not numbers)

*BJP and Babri Mosque destruction 1992

*1996 elections and failure to form a government

BJP is the largest party, but no allies

Small parties needed to form government

*1998 and victory

Nuclear tests

*Nationalism and India as a global power

*BJP moderates most of its stands

*Attracting Muslims

*Slowing, not stopping economic reforms

*A. B. Vajpayee

*National Democratic Alliance

*1999 elections

The New Era

NDA vs. UPA

Two Party System?

Two Half Party System?

Importance or regional/religious/caste, leftist parties to form coalitions to rule

2004 election

United Progressive Alliance

Sonia Gandhi leading Congress Party

*Congress ideas: economic reform for everyone

*poor haven’t benefited from reforms

New PM Manmohan Singh

*2009 Elections: Congress returns

3. BJP Dominance

BJP New Emphasis (BJP Changes)

Economics

Modi’s record on economic issues in Gujarat

Modi as Populist Nationalist

Definition of Populist Nationalism (Us vs. Them)

BJP Policies

2014 Election

Narendra Modi

his controversial past (riots of 2002)

Rahul Gandhi

Massive BJP victory

First time since 1984 any party has won a majority

2019: another landslide for BJP and Modi

Rahul Gandhi resigns as Congress leader

Assertive BJP

1. Jammu and Kashmir Status

Lockdown in J and K

2. Citizenship Amendment Act

Different rules for different religions

Discrimination against Muslims?

Rahul Gandhi sentenced for criminal defamation March 2023

Challenges Ahead

1. Hindu Nationalism vs. Secular India

2. Is “ethnic democracy” really democracy?

3. Congress party Leadership