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The BJP and its allies are in power in all the three states of the Northeast. Which went to the polls: Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Except for Tripura, most of the northeastern states have generally aligned with the party that is in power. The political economy of the region is dependent on central funding and policies. Interest groups bargain with Delhi and being a political ally of the ruling party at the Center helps a lot. Rebel groups are also interest groups. Delhi is ready to encourage those who help keep the region, bordering China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, peaceful. Negotiations between Delhi and regional interest groups take place through elections and armed conflicts. Reflecting on this may help to understand how the BJP gains and maintains its electoral base.
The BJP, as always, hastened to give all the credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who placed himself at the center of it all. Addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters in Delhi, he said that while his opponents want ” Go die Modi” (that Modi should die) the people of the country wished the opposite: ” don’t go Modi” (Modi don’t go). He then pointed to the fact that two of the three states have a Christian majority. “Meghalaya and Nagaland are Christian-majority states and our brothers and sisters there have taken us into their hearts, as have the people of Goa,” he said.
The BJP was clear in assuring the native population in the Northeast that its anti-beef campaign that often turns violent against Muslims in the Hindi belt does not apply in the Northeast. This shows the ‘resilience’ of the BJP which has focused its attention on victory, but it certainly cannot be seen as secularism or shying away from Hindutva. It is unfair to assume that the tribal Christians of the Northeast have found an ideological affinity with Hinduism. What is going on is the interest.
There are various ways in which interest groups interact with the political process and the state. They may use a national party or a regional party – for example, a section of Jats in Haryana is with the Congress party, while another section is with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), a regional party led by the Chautala family. . Many interest groups that were once aligned with the Congress have walked out to form their own platforms – for example the Yuvajana Shramik Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) of Andhra Pradesh or the Nationalist Congress Party of Maharashtra.
While Hindutva is an attractive ideological proposition for many BJP voters, its success is also tied to bridging diverse interest groups. In fact, many interest groups use BJP as their political vehicle. In contrast, the weakness of the Congress party, which hopes to challenge the BJP at the national level, is that no interest group finds it a suitable vehicle. That’s the big picture.
My Interview with Taylor C. Sherman, Author of Nehru’s India: A History in Seven Myths
Historian examines several central concepts associated with India’s first prime minister, Admirers and critics of Jawaharlal Nehru widely use the same codes to describe his tenure: secularism, non-alignment, a strong state and socialism. Sharman, who identifies himself as an admirer, says elevating Nehru was part of the nation-building story, especially after his death.
federalism path
TMC plans to use long-forgotten Punchhi Commission report to forge common ground with opposition parties
In April 2007, the then Manmohan Singh-led UPA government set up the Punchhi Commission, headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Madan Mohan Punchhi. The commission submitted its report to the Center in 2010 in seven volumes. In one of its recommendations, it was said to cut the wings of the governors. The Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council took into account the recommendations of the Commission during its meetings held twice in 2017 and once in 2018.
TMC’s decision to bring back Punchhi panel report This comes into the public eye at a time when several state governments led by non-BJP parties are often at loggerheads with governors, who act as representatives of the Centre. The opposition has alleged political bias in the administration of the high constitutional office on various legal issues. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Telangana and West Bengal are among the states where opposition-led governments frequently clash with the governor appointed by the Centre. The TMC believes that the opposition can unite around the common complaint of the Governor’s constant interference in the day-to-day functioning of the government.
History of invasions dug up to keep country on boil: Supreme Court
Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking directions to restore place names Which was changed by “barbaric foreign invaders”, adding that “a country cannot remain a prisoner of the past” and “the court should not be an instrument of destruction.” and BV Nagaratna that one cannot selectively revisit history and that bigotry has no place in Hinduism, but the counsel tried to remind the panel that Hindus have become a minority in seven states of India due to the philanthropic nature of the religion. The petitioner questioned why history should begin in Ghazni or Ghori as the bench pondered how history could be changed.
From ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ to reservation in higher judiciary, Congress lists its social justice commitments
The Congress asserted that it would be committed to secularism in letter and spirit and would be at the forefront of protecting the rights of minorities. also promised to present Special piece of legislation called “Rohith Vemula Act” To remove discrimination faced by students belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minority communities in educational institutions.
In the Social Justice and Empowerment resolution adopted by the Congress in its 85th plenary session, it resolved to conduct both biennial census and socio-economic caste census apart from the decennial census. The proposal states that nomadic and non-notified tribes will also be counted in the caste census. The Congress alleged that the BJP has been continuously refusing to conduct the necessary census for socio-economic and educational reforms.