Journal of Political Studies, Vol. 08

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/3704

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

As the editor of the ‘Journal of POLITICAL STUDIES’ it is a matter of great pleasure to me to place before the readers the eighth issue of the journal which is now published bi-annually from the financial year 2013-2014 by the Department of Political Science, University of North Bengal. Contribution for the volumes was invited through advertisements in the ‘Economic and Political Weekly’ and the ‘Mainstream’. All together 33 articles were received in response to the advertisements out of which 7 articles were selected for publication in the March 2013 issue of the Journal and 7 for the October 2013 issue. This issue contains a commentary, review essay and 5 research articles. The articles in the volume are the most interesting one and form the bulk of the reading. Most of the articles come from young Indian scholars. In future I am sure that the scholars will contribute more to the journal. The articles are on diverse political issues. Mukunds Giri in his article entitled ‘Maoists of Nepal: Their use of Nationalism’ analyses how the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) used nationalism to mobilise the masses. Reyaz Ahmad Ganaie in an interesting article ‘Peace and Reconciliation in Afghanistan: The Way Forward’ looks at the possibility of lasting peace in the country after the withdrawal of foreign forces. Sarmistha Pattanaik & Amrita Sen’s commentary on ‘Current Rehabilitation Status over the Issues of Displacement at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai: Some Observations’ is on the basis of a survey conducted during March-May 2013 in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Mumbai is a comment on a official report published, which intends to state that the proposed stages of rehabilitation are truly derisory and insufficient. In the article ’The Escalating Chinese Dominance in Nepal: A By product of India’s Diplomatic Failure? Saurav Bhaumik makes a critical analysis of India’s foreign policy in Nepal. The paper presents a comprehensive forecast of the impending strategic threats which India might confront from China in the long-run. Trijita Gonsalves and Sushmita Gonsalves’ article ‘Behind Closed Doors: Is The ‘Personal’ Political?’ argues that the Indian State has dismally failed to protect women - female foeticide and marital rape. They constitute two of the most intimate concerns of a married woman’s life, through which a husband assumes power over the most private part of her life – her body and it becomes a site of violence. They conclude by arguing that laws in themselves are not enough and women must fight their own battle. Tabesum Begam & Tirthankar Chakraborty in their joint article ‘The Role of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in Reconstruction and Inclusion of National Education in India’ argue that education is a potent force of systematized change. To them education actually in turn, transforms humans into human resource. In the present paper he provides an analytical overview of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s role in reconstruction and inclusion of national education in India, in a way where every citizen of the country ‘finding their way of life’. In a review essay entitled ‘Changing Scenario of Common Property Resources and the Role of Community in the Management of Common Property Resource’ Rajni Bala presents an overview of the present condition of common property resources in India and the role of the community in the management of these resources. I am sure that given the quality of the articles the volume will provide some interesting and thoughtful reading.

Arun K. Jana
Editor

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    REVIEW ESSAY, Changing Scenario of Common Property Resources and the Role of Community in the Management of Common Property Resource
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Bala, Rajni
    This paper has presented an overview of the present condition of common property resources in India and the role of the community in the management of these resources. This thematic paper is divided into the three parts; first deals with the present and past role of CPRs in rural economy, second with the changing scenario of these resources in Indian context and third with community based approaches and efforts in the management of these resources.
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    Behind Closed Doors: Is the ‘Personal’ Political?
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Gonsalves, Trijita; Gonsalves, Sushmita
    From time immemorial, Indian society is patriarchal. Women have found it impossible to go beyond the field of patriarchal power. But, since Indian independence, efforts were made to make our society more egalitarian vis-a-vis women. In this paper, we identify two areas where the Indian State has dismally failed to protect women - female foeticide and marital rape. They constitute two of the most intimate concerns of a married woman’s life, through which a husband assumes power over the most private part of her life – her body and it becomes a site of violence. This paper concludes by arguing that laws in themselves are not enough. It is time that we women fought our battles ourselves.
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    Role of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in Reconstruction and Inclusion of National Education in India
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Tabesum Begam; Chakraborty, Tirthankar
    As a potent force of systematized change, education actually in turn, transforms humans into human resource. It is an inner process of ethical and intellectual development for not only ‘preparation for life’, but in the final analysis the ‘finding of a way of life’. When Maulana Abul Kalam Azad took his charge as an Education Minister, our country was passing through her most delicate situation. In this particular context, he embraced ‘liberal, democratic, humanitarian and inclusion’ of his educational approach with a view to generating and transforming the outlook of the people and set the nation on the path of progress and development. In this very context, the present paper provides an analytical overview of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s role in reconstruction and inclusion of national education in India, in a way where every citizen of our country ‘finding their way of life’.
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    Escalating Chinese Dominance in Nepal: A Byproduct of India’s Diplomatic Failure?
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Bhaumik, Saurav
    The Indo-Nepal relationship is indeed meandering through a very critical phase. The erstwhile bond which the two nations have shared is now on the verge of a fracture, largely catalyzed by India's diplomatic failure in Nepal. In other words the Indian diplomats were unable to strategize it’s international policies to promote and maintain peace in the land locked country, which can be imputed to India's endogenous tactical failure in Nepal. It becomes evident from the inherent contradiction that subsists within India's foreign policy and its’ failure to maintain its’ internal stability vis-à-vis the Maoists. On one side India virtually waged a war against the Maoist activities within its’ polity, but at the same time it grossly failed in inhibiting Nepali Maoist connections with the like minded Indian Maoist Organizations. The threat lies with the fact that the political impasse between India and Nepal can be effectively utilized by China, to serve their own strategic and diplomatic interests. This discourse will constitute a critical analysis of India’s foreign policy in Nepal. In pursuance of the same the paper will strive to present a comprehensive forecast of the impending strategic threats which India might confront from China in the long-run.
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    Peace and Reconciliation in Afghanistan: The Way Forward
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Reyaz Ahmad Ganaie
    As the date for the complete withdrawal of the foreign combat mission approaches, Afghanistan is all set to witness the ‘transition’ (Inteqal) phase, wherein the local security apparatus will have shoulder the responsibility of maintaining security in the entire country, and at the same time, take forward the counterinsurgency exercise. While protagonists of the anticipated withdrawal of the foreign forces assert the preparedness of the Afghan National security Forces (ANSF), the continuing violence suggests otherwise. The withdrawal of the foreign troops will mean the absence of an efficient security cover within which the ANSF used to operate. Absent that, the local security apparatus will be handicapped in maintaining, let alone improving, the security scenario in Afghanistan. The security unpreparedness therefore necessitates the implementation of a broad-based reconciliation strategy that can act as the sole guarantor of peace and stability in Afghanistan. If the Kabul government or the US-led coalition fails to enter into negotiations with the Taliban, the insurgency is only going to take a vicious form once the foreign troops withdraw. In this backdrop, reconciliation with the insurgents remains the only viable policy option that can be instrumental in ensuring lasting peace in Afghanistan.
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    Maoists of Nepal: Their use of Nationalism
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Giri, Mukunds
    Nationalism is not an ideology, yet Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) used it to mobilise the masses. In using it they joined it with the programme of Mao’s New Democratic Strategy, raising the stature of Nepalese nationalism near ideology if not to full-fledged ideology. This perhaps explained their success in leading the decade-long movement which started in 1996. Suchtactics; however, lights up another area of research. If nationalism can be so changed, can ethnic movements similarly claim in their mobilising ability the presence of some form of programmes?
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    Current Rehabilitation Status over the Issues of Displacement at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai: Some Observations
    (University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Pattanaik, Sarmistha; Sen, Amrita
    The Present Status Report published by the Forest Department, Maharashtra in June, 2011 reveals the stages of resettlement to be provided to the slum dwellers settled within Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) Mumbai in two different phases and also reveals the number of pending rehabilitations to be made, in addition to the park conservation measures taken therein. The present study, on the basis of a survey conducted during March-May 2013 in SGNP, is a comment on the Report published, which intends to state that the proposed stages of rehabilitation are truly derisory and insufficient. The final comments represent the overall picture of the current issues of acute marginalization, alienation of livelihood and future uncertainty of the migrant population settled therein resulting from the fictitious rehabilitation measures and depleting livelihood opportunities of which they are doomed victims.