Journal of Political Studies, Vol. 06
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/3796
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
It is a great pleasure for me as the Head of the Department of Political Science and also as the editor of the volume to place before the readers the fifth issue of the ‘Journal of Political Studies’ which is published annually by the Department of Political Science, University of North Bengal. This volume like that of the previous issues contains commentaries on some critical issues, research articles and book reviews. The articles in the volume are the most interesting one and form the bulk of the reading. The articles are on diverse issues on contemporary Indian and International politics ranging from politics of personal laws in India, India’s Look East Policy, Kashmir issue, Korea’s emergence as a power, the condition of Lepchas in Darjeeling and the demand for Separate Development Board etc. Most of the articles come from young Indian scholars who are energetic and enthusiastic, and the publication of their articles in the volume will contribute significantly to the building up of their academic moral. In future I am sure that the scholars will contribute more to the discipline by way of research publications. The books reviewed are books published very recently and not reviewed elsewhere by the author. I am sure that given the quality of the articles the volume will provide some interesting and thoughtful reading.
Arnn K. Jana
Editor
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Item Open Access Book Review: “Maoists and Other Armed Conflicts”, Anuradha M.Chenoy and Kamal A.Mitra Chenoy, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2010.(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Tamang, DiptiThis book gives a very well documented and a different insight of the idea of conflicts, militarisation and security issues. It seeks to move away from the homogenised, mainstream idea of nation and to look at the different aspects of nation building that has resulted in the different parts of the country actually being in a perpetual state of conflict. It looks at the multi-dimensional aspect of conflict and the state’s approach to dealing with these aspects. The broad conclusion remains that democratic decentralisation and democratisation of the security approach is the only political solution to addressing and resolving these conflicts.Item Open Access Book Review, Subramanian, S. (2012), The Poverty Line, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp XII + 174, Price: Rs. 195(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Panda, RadhakrushnaItem Open Access Welfare of Weaker Sections: A Study of PRIs and a Political Dimension(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Rama Krishna, V.The process of self governance and planning by empowering the people through Panchayati Raj system started nearly five decades earlier. But 73rd and 74th amendments in the Constitution of India brought an historic change in the process of decentralisation towards the grass root level and participation of people both in the formulation as well as implementation of the plans. The paper explores how the Constitution 73rd Amendment Act (1992), provided certainty, continuity and strength to the PRI’s for the welfare of the weaker sections through Decentralization, and its different aspects such as uniform three-tier level of the village, block and district levels, direct elections to all seats and at all levels, indirect elections to chairpersons at intermediate and apex levels, and reservation on rotational basis for SC’s ST’s in proportion to their population, both for membership as well as Chairpersonships of the PRI’s. The present paper intends to discuss the political participation of weaker sections in panchayat raj institutions in Karnataka in general and in Afjalpur taluk of Gulbarga District in particular as a case study. Finally the paper discusses about the political participation of weaker sections and sought their opinion of their involvement in the process of political, economic development and social justice, with the transfer of the list of Eleventh and the Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution to the rural and urban elected local bodies, and theItem Open Access Sustainable development: - concept & contestation(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Guha Ghosal, SarbaniThe concept of sustainable development is a new one in the domain of environment and development studies of our time. The concept is a highly contested one marked by the presence of several contradictory and competing ideas.Great emphasis is placed upon the need to ensure a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, in a just and equitable manner while living within the limits of the supporting ecosystems. Sustainability is not simply an environmental concern but it has its political, economic, social, geographical dimensions as well.Item Open Access Revisiting India’s Look East Policy: Analyzing India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Bose, SaheliThe trajectory of India’s Look East policy is often lauded for producing positive results over past two decades of its existence. The conclusion and implementation of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement can be considered as another milestone achieved by this policy. However this agreement has come under stress right from the beginning of its negotiation, where concerns for adverse consequence have been voiced from all layers of the Indian society. This article therefore undertakes a survey of the India’s Look east policy along with the free trade agreement, highlighting the positives and negatives, along with the potentials in the future.Item Open Access Social Movement Decomposed into State: Understanding the West Bengal Experience(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Chattopadhyay, PratipIndian politics has been passing through a transitory phase and social movements have become the major fulcrum of such changes. West Bengal has seen two massive transfers of power in post independence period – in 1977 the Left parties came to power and in 2011 the Left parties were ousted by Trinamul Congress. On a comparative note the paper argues that after coming to power, the Left Front for over three decades and the Trinamul Congress in its one and half a year regime have failed to translate their revolutionary zeal in the state structure in a sustained manner and concludes that the character of a social movement changes after its decomposition into state power and the story of social movements remains a story of political illusion.Item Open Access Muslim Women and Politics of Personal Laws in India: Are Laws for Justice?(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Esita SurIn our society, laws have always been considered as agents of social change, especially for women. . However, women’s access to laws to get justice has been subjected to several factors. Especially Muslim women’s access to justice has always been determined by their minority community identity, class location and religion. In India, personal laws govern Muslim women and its interpretations by several agents (community as well as religious) seem to be discriminatory to Muslim women. The role of the state has remained obscure. Therefore, the paper will attempt to assess the role of personal laws as well as Indian state in either constraining or enabling Muslim women to exercise their rights. Therefore, the paper will try to review the role of the state as well as laws to facilitate gender justice in our society.Item Open Access Kashmir Conundrum(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Attar RabbaniThe problem of Jammu and Kashmir (Kashmir henceforth) is apparently one of the most complex of problems that we witness in the world today and its genesis arguably lie in the manner of subcontinents’ partition in 1947. Both India and Pakistan claim full sovereignty over Kashmir, citing historical, geographic and demographic reasons. Irrespective of what now holds on the ground in Kashmir, Delhi and Islamabad still holds possession of it as a matter of national survival. But concurrently also emphasize willingness to pursue its resolution and say, are prepared to traverse extra-mile to alleviate sufferings of the people of Kashmir. Their resolve is usually captured in phrases like ‘composite dialogue’ and ‘cross-border commerce’ in specific and ‘people-to-people-contact’ in general. This has surprisingly however not effected any change in their fundamental position - neither Delhi nor Islamabad has formally budged from their old positions on Kashmir. Given this fundamental reality, the calls of early resolution of Kashmir look as doubtful as ever because without effecting fundamentals no solution is realizable. This paper attempts to shade light on prevailing Conundrum in Kashmir as a result and highlights the plight of ordinary Kashmiris sandwiched between two warring factions – the Indian security forces and Pakistan backed militia.Item Open Access Lepchas in Darjeeling and the Demand for a Separate Development Board(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Das, Kaushik; Pal, AnushuyaThe Lepchas are the original inhabitants of Sikkim. The process of development imposed by the colonial rulers had reduced the tribe to a state of subordination. After the formation of Gorkha Territoral Administration (GTA) in 2011, the Lepchas in Darjeeling also demanded a separate Lepcha Development Board for the protection of their language, culture and economic development. This paper seeks to address the brief historical background of the Lepchas, demands of the Lepcha community, strategies of the Lepchas on the issue of Gorkhaland, factors for the formation of the Lepcha Development Board, recent political developments in Darjeeling, aims and objectives of this Lepcha Development Board and composition of the Lepcha Development Board.Item Open Access Korea’s Use of ‘Smart power’: An Overview of Historical Development in the ‘Late Industrialisation’ Countries(University of North Bengal, 2012-03) Mukhia, AnmolThis paper aims to analyse the historical process of Korea to escape from the socio-economic backwardness, whereas other late industrialised countries are still in the process of development.The wise use of Korea’s ‘hard’ and ‘soft power’ synthesis gives birth to the new mode of power known as the ‘Smart Power,’ which plays the vital role in escaping Korea from ‘backwardness’. Korea not only stops at the phase of the ‘developed States’ in the field of late industrialization, but also creates the advanced State in the ‘techno-scientific’ field in the 21st Century. The literature or analysis of this issue tends to focus on the Statist perspective from International Political Economy and Post Colonialism ideas of cultural imperialism. State’s strong engagement in the market and the leadership ability to hegemon in the domestic politics basically leads to the development; whereas other late industrialisation states are unable to catch up because of their policies and weaknesses. However, it clearly ignores that it was not only the State enforcement but ‘power’ was used alternatively in the process of development i.e., the use of ‘smart power’.