Journal of Political Studies, Vol. 11

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/3732

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

The present issue of the Journal of Political Studies contains eleven articles in addition to one review article and two book reviews. The articles can be grouped in three baskets; we have two articles on political thinkers, five on different general aspects of India’s politics and four on some aspects of regional politics. Themewise the authors have approached issues of contemporary relevance and we sincerely hope that our readers will enjoy reading them. With Regards,

M. Yasin
Editor

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Now showing 1 - 14 of 14

Open Access
Book Review Annapurna Shaw, Oxford India Short Introductions: Indian Cities, 2012: Oxford University Press, pp 200
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Kopardekar, Gauri
Open Access
Book review K Natwar Singh, ‘Is One Life Enough for ‘Profession’, but not for ‘Politics’? One Life is Not Enough: An Autobiography, New Delhi: Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 2014; pp 410 + xiii
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Sirapangi, S Swaroop
Open Access
Discourses on Growth and Inequality: Indian Experience
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Choudhury, Biswajit
The growth of India’s knowledge based economy, the entertainment and the news industry, and the people to people links established by the Indian Diaspora Community have shaped India’s global profile and prospect. By the end of 20th Century two dominant factors seem to have shaped a new thinking about India in the Western hemisphere, first, the India’s economic performance and policy shift in the last decade of the century, and second, India’s declared ‘nuclear power’ status. Moreover, there were several factors other than economic growth that contributed to India’s self-image as a major power. For example, civilizational history, contribution to religion and philosophy, the intellectual (particularly scientific and mathematical) achievements, demographic size and composition, geographical size and location, military strength and capability.
Open Access
Ethnicity and Insurgency in the Autonomous Councils of Assam: An Overview
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Deori, Navaneeta
In the last couple of decades there have been several incidents of violence between different ethnic groups and communities residing in the Autonomous Councils of Assam. Tensions in the three Autonomous Councils soon emerged after several militant groups were formed asserting to protect their ethnic identity. The article attempts to explore the complex ethnic heterogeneity of these regions and how insurgency had disrupted their normal lives and their group-identity which primarily emerge from the territory they dwell in.
Open Access
General Election of 2014 and the Changes in the Indian Party System
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Dey, Mouli
General elections in India in present times are fought more on the plank of four Ps where populist policies promises to satisfy the pangs of hunger for comprehensive development and vigorous election campaign by a popular leader raising people’s hopes and aspirations to achieve development for an developing nation. However, survival and continuity of the popular government depends on the symmetry between ‘proclamations’ and ‘performance’. General elections also realign and reconfigure the party system.
Open Access
Hydropower Development and its Impact in Kinnaur District
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Zangmo, Amrit
In the recent decade Himachal Pradesh and its development revolved around hydropower development with its intent of turning Himachal into powerhouse of the nation. The present study tries to examine whether the setting up of large number of hydropower projects in entire stretch of Sutlej Basin in hilly area of Kinnaur district which is prone to the phenomena like landslide, flood and drying up of water resources is wise or not. The present paper is based on field work observation and study of official reports and statistics from the different departments, both governmental and non-governmental. Due to heavy blasting work used for making underground tunnel in the project entire hill on the right bank of the Sutlej river at Karcham Wangtoo project area have become vulnerable to landslides. Drying up of natural water resources has been observed at the surrounding affected villages of Karcham-Wangtoo hydropower project. In the age of climate change when area is already fragile and prone to such natural disaster question arises how prudent to start new and existing hydropower projects in the region.
Open Access
Indian Federalism under Stress
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Sahu, Mrutuyanjaya
In a period of widespread corruption, coupled with economic downturn, disconcerting issues related to autonomy and separate states, the management of grassroots level affairs by local communities in the wake of political consciousness and local aspirations and the issues of Centre-state relations are back on the political agenda. A legitimate question that arises in this context is: do we need to rethink federalism in India? This paper attempts to highlight the present challenges to the centre-state relations and explores the directions in which the national and state governments should move if the country is to achieve its goals of a strong, stable, economically vibrant nation.
Open Access
Indian Secularism – Distinctive Ideas of Jawaharlal Nehru
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Roy, Krishna
To Nehru, secularism meant granting of equal status to all religious in India. Secularism demands tolerance and close and active interaction among various communities in India. But when Nehruvian model of secularism had been put to practice, there were threats to this concept arising out of communal violence in present Indian context and hence Nehru’s secularism has been criticized by several scholars. Irrespective of such criticism Nehru defined secularism as a means to strengthen national unity and to construct better and brighter India.
Open Access
Judiciary in India: The Dialogic Space
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Chakraborty, Ranjita
The judiciary in India has been praised and blamed in the same breath, praised for being the voice of the people, upholding democracy in India at a time when faith in the other institutio ns responsible for upholding democracy is ebbing, and blamed for making a mark in the number of pending cases that stands to at present a scary 3.2crores figure. Critics point to this pendency as undesirable, for justice delayed is justice denied. The crit ics further point out that this delay is caused by the tendency of the judiciary in India to go for sensationalism and overreach, taking up cases for hearing that are sensational and in the process not responding to the civil and criminal cases that get fi led in the courts. Supporters of the judiciary however, have reasons for this pendency like the strength of the judiciary and the number of cases to be heard ratio, vacancies, poor infrastructure and support system etc. This is the political argument which the present paper would not focus on but would, by a discussion of some select cases; attempt to highlight the representational role played by the judiciary in India, facilitating the creation of a space for dialogue between the different sections of the society in India.
Open Access
Media and Politics: An Exploration of the Role of Media in Political Movements in the context of Darjeeling Hills in West Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Dural, Ramesh
All forms of media impact society and politics. The media are commonly understood to be able to—and many would argue, obligated to—provide a forum for the expression and discussion of a diverse range of oftentimes conflicting ideas. However, the role of media has been such that it has impacted political processes enormously with its twin contributions of empowering as well as silencing the ‘people’/audience it targets so much so that politics has changed and transformed from a largely interpersonal to a predominantly mediated activity. There are many different forms of media that affect the political landscape. The use of print media, and in the recent years, the emergence of the electronic media, has been instrumental in shaping the nature of politics. The present study purports to investigate the role of media in the social and political transformations and political movements in Darjeeling hills.
Open Access
Remapping India since Independence: Critical reflections
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Singh, Rajvinder
Political history of state formation in India after independence can be divided into four distinctive periods. In all four phases, different situations and factors have played a decisive role. The paper ‘Remapping India since Independence’ is an attempt to explore the connection and difference between these four phases. It would also try to explore the basic reasons which are responsible for the formation of a new state. With the new developments taking place in the Indian politics after independence about the demands of the creation of new states, the time may come for the formation of the Second State Reorganisation Commission to consider redrawing the map of India.
Open Access
Review Article, Three Dimensions of Environmental Degradation: Conflict, Cooperation and Injustice
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Sahoo, Anjan Kumar
Open Access
Understanding the Interface Between Multiculturalism and Postmodernism: A Nietzschean Perspective
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Roy, Saikat
Postmodernism with its deconstructionist position denotes a shift of hegemonic intellectual paradigm positing the transition from one cultural context to another. Such a shift is always characterized by transformation of cultural codes and systems of values expressed in changes of cultural, religious norms, outlooks on micro and macro levels, that is, social, political, ideological as well as personal, etc. The component of the postmodern program is seen in the multicultural project, assuming the creation of a global community with a set of cultures which has the right to existence and should cause respect. Multiculturalism of the nineties draws its most important concepts from the postmodernist thought, which in turn ultimately stems from Friedrich Nietzsche’ philosophy. He cherished multiculturalism and postmodernism from the value-standpoint and primarily focused on the cultural relativism. The contention of this paper is to investigate and analyse the interface between these two ideological paradigms from a Nietzschean perspective.
Open Access
Women in politics: An analysis of Women Representation in State Legislative Assembly of Sikkim
(University of North Bengal, 2015) Bhutia, Karma Sonam
Gender equality in politics is still a distant reality across the globe, with only one-third of the countries exceeding the global target of 30 per cent women’s representation in legislative bodies. The under-representation of women in national parliaments, therefore, poses a problem in terms of both the practice and the theory of politics. In practical terms, the under-representation of women in political leadership is even more remarkable when one realises that women have succeeded in gaining access to other sectors of society in many countries. Moreover, equality between men and women is now a leading political principle across the globe. Taking part in decision-making however, in politics as well as in the private sector, typically remains a male privilege. As far as women is concerned, very few of them hold leadership roles in decision-making processes. This unfortunate reality holds true especially at the national and state levels and Sikkim is no exception to this. It is in this backdrop, this paper seeks to study the representation of women in politics in Sikkim and to shed light on the reason of low representation. Besides, the author also seeks to provide strategic and practical recommendations for advancing women’s representation at all levels in the decision-making process.