India is an agriculturally important country.

through natural processes; land productivity

Two-thirds of its population is engaged in in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer
agricultural activities. Agriculture is a primary does not use fertilisers or other modern
activity, which produces most of the food that inputs. It is known by different names in
we consume. Besides food grains, it also different parts of the country.
produces raw material for various industries.
Can you name some such types of farmings?
Can you name some industries based on
It is jhumming in north-eastern states like
agricultural raw material?
Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland;
Moreover, some agricultural products like Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of
tea, coffee, spices, etc. are also exported. Chattishgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
TYPES OF FARMING
Jhumming: The ‘slash and burn’ agriculture
Agriculture is an age-old economic activity in is known as ‘Milpa’ in Mexico and Central
our country. Over these years, cultivation America, ‘Conuco’ in Venzuela, ‘Roca’ in
methods have changed significantly depending Brazil, ‘Masole’ in Central Africa, ‘Ladang’
upon the characteristics of physical in Indonesia, ‘Ray’ in Vietnam.
environment, technological know-how and In India, this primitive form of cultivation
socio-cultural practices. Farming varies from is called ‘Bewar’ or ‘Dahiya’ in Madhya
subsistence to commercial type. At present, in Pradesh, ‘Podu’ or ‘Penda’ in Andhra Pradesh,
different parts of India, the following farming ‘Pama Dabi’ or ‘Koman’ or Bringa’ in Orissa,
systems are practised. ‘Kumari’ in Western Ghats, ‘Valre’ or ‘Waltre’
in South-eastern Rajasthan, ‘Khil’ in the
Primitive Subsistence Farming Himalayan belt, ‘Kuruwa’ in Jharkhand, and
This type of farming is still practised in few ‘Jhumming’ in the North-eastern region.
pockets of India. Primitive subsistence
agriculture is practised on small patches of
land with the help of primitive tools like hoe,
dao and digging sticks, and family/community
labour. This type of farming depends upon
monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and
suitability of other environmental conditions
to the crops grown.
It is a ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Farmers clear a patch of land and produce
cereals and other food crops to sustain their
family. When the soil fertility decreases, the
farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land
for cultivation. This type of shifting allows
Nature to replenish the fertility of the soil Fig. 4.1
 Rinjha lived with her family in a small village
at the outskirts of Diphu in Assam. She enjoys
watching her family members clearing,
slashing and burning a patch of land for
cultivation. She often helps them in irrigating
the fields with water running through a
bamboo canal from the nearby spring. She
loves the surroundings and wants to stay
here as long as she can, but this little girl
has no idea about the declining fertility of
the soil and her family’s search for fresh a
patch of land in the next season.
Plantation is also a type of commercial
farming. In this type of farming, a single crop
is grown on a large area. The plantation has
an interface of agriculture and industry.
Plantations cover large tracts of land, using
capital intensive inputs, with the help of
migrant labourers. All the produce is used as
raw material in respective industries.
In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane,
banana, etc.. are important plantation crops.
Tea in Assam and North Bengal coffee in

Can you name the type of farming Rinjha’s

family is engaged in?
Can you enlist some crops which are grown
in such farming?

Intensive Subsistence Farming

This type of farming is practised in areas of
high population pressure on land. It is labour-
intensive farming, where high doses of
biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for Fig. 4.2: Banana plantation in Southern
obtaining higher production. part of India

Can you name some of the states of India

where such farming is practised?
Though the ‘right of inheritance’ leading to
the division of land among successive
generations has rendered land-holding size
uneconomical, the farmers continue to take
maximum output from the limited land in the
absence of alternative source of livelihood.
Thus, there is enormous pressure on
agricultural land.

Commercial Farming
The main characteristic of this type of farming
is the use of higher doses of modern inputs,
e.g. high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical Fig. 4.3: Bamboo plantation in North-east
fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides in order
to obtain higher productivity. The degree of
Karnataka are some of the important plantation
commercialisation of agriculture varies from
crops grown in these states. Since the
one region to another. For example, rice is a
production is mainly for market, a well-
commercial crop in Haryana and Punjab, but
developed network of transport and
in Orissa, it is a subsistence crop.
communication connecting the plantation
Can you give some more examples of crops areas, processing industries and markets plays
which may be commercial in one region and an important role in the development of
may provide subsistence in another region? plantations.

A GRICULTURE 35
CROPPING PATTERN vegetables and fodder crops. Sugarcane takes
almost a year to grow.
You have studied the physical diversities and
plurality of cultures in India. These are also Major Crops
reflected in agricultural practices and
A variety of food and non food crops are grown
cropping patterns in the country. Various
in different parts of the country depending
types of food and fibre crops, vegetables and
upon the variations in soil, climate and
fruits, spices and condiments, etc.. constitute cultivation practices. Major crops grown in
some of the important crops grown in the India are rice, wheat, millets, pulses, tea, coffee,
country. India has three cropping seasons — sugarcane, oil seeds, cotton and jute, etc.
rabi, kharif and zaid.
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October Rice: It is the staple food crop of a majority of
to December and harvested in summer from the people in India. Our country is the second
April to June. Some of the important rabi crops largest producer of rice in the world after China.
are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard. It is a kharif crop which requires high
Though, these crops are grown in large parts temperature, (above 25°C) and high humidity
of India, states from the north and north- with annual rainfall above 100 cm. In the areas
western parts such as Punjab, Haryana, of less rainfall, it grows with the help of irrigation.
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rice is grown in the plains of north and
Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh are important north-eastern India, coastal areas and the
for the production of wheat and other rabi deltaic regions. Development of dense network
crops. Availability of precipitation during
winter months due to the western temperate
cyclones helps in the success of these crops.
However, the success of the green revolution
in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh
and parts of Rajasthan has also been an
important factor in the growth of the above-
mentioned rabi crops.
Kharif crops are grown with the onset of
monsoon in different parts of the country and
these are harvested in September-October.
Important crops grown during this season are
paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong,
urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean.
Some of the most important rice-growing Fig. 4.4 (a): Rice Cultivation
regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions
of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan
coast) along with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Recently, paddy has also become an important
crop of Punjab and Haryana. In states like
Assam, West Bengal and Orissa, three crops of
paddy are grown in a year. These are Aus,
Aman and Boro.
In between the rabi and the kharif seasons,
there is a short season during the summer
months known as the Zaid season. Some of
the crops produced during ‘zaid’ are
water melon, muskmelon, cucumber, Fig. 4.4 (b): Rice is ready to be harvested in the field

36 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
India: Distribution of Rice

A GRICULTURE 37
of canal irrigation and tubewells have made it
possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall
such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar
Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.
Wheat: This is the second most important
cereal crop. It is the main food crop, in north
and north-western part of the country. This
rabi crop requires a cool growing season and
a bright sunshine at the time of ripening. It
requires 50 to 75 cm of annual rainfall evenly-
distributed over the growing season. There are
two important wheat-growing zones in the
Fig. 4.6: Bajra Cultivation
country – the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-
west and black soil region of the Deccan. The
regions and grows well on red, black, sandy,
major wheat-producing states are Punjab,
loamy and shallow black soils. Karnataka is
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and
the largest producer of ragi followed by Tamil
parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Nadu. Apart from these states, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and
Arunachal Pradesh are also important for the
production of ragi.
Maize: It is a crop which is used both as food
and fodder. It is a kharif crop which requires

Fig. 4.5: Wheat Cultivation

Millets: Jowar, bajra and ragi are the

important millets grown in India. Though,
these are known as coarse grains, they have
very high nutritional value. For example, ragi
is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro
nutrients and roughage. Jowar is the third
most important food crop with respect to area
and production. It is a rain-fed crop mostly
grown in the moist areas which hardly needs
irrigation. Maharashtra is the largest producer
of jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Bajra grows well on sandy soils and shallow
black soil. Rajasthan is the largest producer of
bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat and Haryana. Ragi is a crop of dry
Fig. 4.7: Maize Cultivation
temperature between 21°C to 27°C and grows
well in old alluvial soil. In some states like Bihar
maize is grown in rabi season also. Use of
modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers
and irrigation have contributed to the increasing
production of maize. Major maize-producing
states are Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Pulses: India is the largest producer as well
as the consumer of pulses in the world. These
are the major source of protein in a vegetarian

38 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
India: Distribution of Wheat

A GRICULTURE 39
diet. Major pulses that are grown in India are
tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and
gram. Can you distinguish which of these
pulses are grown in the kharif season and
which are grown in the rabi season? Pulses
need less moisture and survive even in dry
conditions. Being leguminous crops, all these
crops except arhar help in restoring soil fertility
by fixing nitrogen from the air. Therefore, these
are mostly grown in rotation with other crops.
Major pulse producing states in India are
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Food Crops other than Grains
Sugarcane: It is a tropical as well as a
subtropical crop. It grows well in hot and
humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to
27°C and an annual rainfall between 75cm.
Fig. 4.8: Sugarcane Cultivation
and 100cm. Irrigation is required in the regions
of low rainfall. It can be grown on a variety of
soils and needs manual labour from sowing to
harvesting. India is the second largest producer
of sugarcane only after Brazil. It is the main
Fig. 4.9: Groundnut, sunflower and mustard are ready to be harvested in the field
40 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
source of sugar, gur (jaggary), khandsari and
molasses. The major sugarcane-producing
states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.
Oil Seeds: India is the largest producer of oil-
seeds in the world. Different oil seeds are grown
covering approximately 12 per cent of the total
cropped area of the country. Main oil-seeds
produced in India are groundnut, mustard,
coconut, sesamum (til), soyabean, castor seeds,
cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower. Most of
these are edible and used as cooking mediums.
However, some of these are also used as raw
material in the production of soap, cosmetics
and ointments.
Groundnut is a kharif crop and accounts
for about half of the major oilseeds produced
in the country. Andhra Pradesh is the largest
producer of groundnut followed by Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra –
linseed and mustard are rabi crops. Sesamum
is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south
India. Castor seed is grown both as rabi and
kharif crop.
Tea: Tea cultivation is an example of
plantation agriculture. It is also an important
beverage crop introduced in India initially by
the British. Today, most of the tea plantations
are owned by Indians. The tea plant grows well
in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed
with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in
humus and organic matter. Tea bushes
require warm and moist frost-free climate all
through the year. Frequent showers evenly
distributed over the year ensure continuous
growth of tender leaves. Tea is a labour -
intensive industry. It requires abundant,
cheap and skilled labour.
Tea is processed within
the tea garden to restore
its freshness. Major tea-
producing states are
Assam, hills of Darjeeling
and Jalpaiguri districts,
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala. Apart from
these, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, Meghalaya, Fig. 4.10: Tea Cultivation Fig. 4.11: Tea-leaves Harvesting
Andhra Pradesh and
Tripura are also tea-producing states in the India is a producer of tropical as well as
country. India is the leading producer as well temperate fruits. Mangoes of Maharashtra,
as exporter of tea in the world. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal, oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunjee
Coffee: India produces about four per cent of (Meghalaya), bananas of Kerala, Mizoram,
the world’s coffee production. Indian coffee is Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, lichi and guava
known in the world for its good quality. The of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, pineapples of
Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is Meghalaya, grapes of Andhra Pradesh and
produced in the country. This variety is in great Maharashtra, apples, pears, apricots and
demand all over the world. Intially its cultivation walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal
was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and Pradesh are in great demand the world over.

Fig. 4.12: Apricots, apple and pomegranate

even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri
in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Horticulture Crops: India is the largest
producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.
India produces about 13 per cent of the
world’s vegetables. It is an important
producer of pea, cauliflower, onion, cabbage,
tomato, brinjal and potato.

Fig. 4.13: Cultivation of vegetables – peas, cauliflower, tomato and bringal

A GRICULTURE 41
Non-Food Crops
Rubber: It is an equatorial crop, but under
special conditions, it is also grown in tropical
and sub-tropical areas. It requires moist and
humid climate with rainfall of more than 200
cm. and temperature above 25°C.
Rubber is an important industrial raw
material. It is mainly grown in Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Andaman and Nicabar
islands and Garo hills of Meghalaya. India ranks
fifth among the world’s natural rubber producers.
List the items which are made of rubber and
are used by us.
Fig. 4.14: Consumption of natural rubber
Fibre Crops: Cotton, jute, hemp and natural
silk are the four major fibre crops grown in India.
The first three are derived from the crops grown
in the soil, the latter is obtained from cocoons of
the silkworms fed on green leaves specially
mulberry. Rearing of silk worms for the
production of silk fibre is known as sericulture.
Cotton: India is believed to be the original
home of the cotton plant. Cotton is one of the
main raw materials for cotton textile industry.
India is the third-largest producer of cotton
in the world. Cotton grows well in drier parts
of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
It requires high temperature, light rainfall or
42 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Fig. 4.15: Cotton Cultivation
irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sun-
shine for its growth. It is a kharif crop and
requires 6 to 8 months to mature. Major
cotton-producing states are – Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Jute: It is known as the golden fibre. Jute
grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the
flood plains where soils are renewed every
year. High temperature is required during the
time of growth. West Bengal, Bihar, Assam,
Orissa and Meghalaya are the major jute
producing states. It is used in making gunny
bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other
artefacts. Due to its high cost, it is losing
market to synthetic fibres and packing
materials, particularly the nylon.
Technological and Institutional Reforms
It was mentioned in the previous pages that
agriculture has been practised in India for
thousands of years. Sustained uses of land
without compatible techno-institutional
changes have hindered the pace of
agricultural development. Inspite of
development of sources of irrigation most of
the farmers in large parts of the country still
depend upon monsoon and natural fertility
in order to carry on their agriculture. For a
growing population, this poses a serious
challenge. Agriculture which provides
livelihood for more than 60 per cent of its
population, needs some serious technical and
institutional reforms. Thus, collectivisation,
 Fig. 4.16: Modern technological equipments used in agriculture
consolidation of holdings, cooperation and
abolition of zamindari, etc. were given priority
to bring about institutional reforms in the
country after Independence. ‘Land reform’ was
the main focus of our First Five Year Plan. The
right of inheritance had already lead to
fragmentation of land holdings necessitating
consolidation of holdings.
The laws of land reforms were enacted but
the laws of implementation was lacking or
lukewarm. The Government of India
embarked upon introducing agricultural
reforms to improve Indian agriculture in the
1960s and 1970s. The Green Revolution
based on the use of package technology and
the White Revolution (Operation Flood) were
some of the strategies initiated to improve the
lot of Indian agriculture. But, this too led to
the concentration of development in few
selected areas. Therefore, in the 1980s and
1990s, a comprehensive land development
programme was initiated, which included both
institutional and technical reforms. Provision
for crop insurance against drought, flood,
cyclone, fire and disease, establishment of
Grameen banks, cooperative societies and
banks for providing loan facilities to the
farmers at lower rates of interest were some
important steps in this direction.
Kissan Credit Card (KCC), Personal
Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) are some
other schemes introduced by the Government
of India for the benefit of the farmers. Moreover,
special weather bulletins and agricultural
programmes for farmers were introduced on
the radio and television. The government also
announces minimum support price,
remunerative and procurement prices for
important crops to check the exploitation of
farmers by speculators and middlemen.
Bhoodan – Gramdan
Mahatma Gandhi declared Vinoba Bhave as
his spiritual heir. He also participated in
Satyagraha as one of the foremost
satyagrahis. He was one of the votaries of
Gandhi’s concept of gram swarajya. After
Gandhiji’s martyrdom, Vinobha Bhave
undertook padyatra to spread Gandhiji’s
message covered almost the entire country.
Once, when he was delivering a lecture at
Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh, some poor
landless villagers demanded some land for
their economic well-being. Vinoba Bhave
could not promise it to them immediately
but assured them to talk to the Government
of India regarding provision of land for them
if they undertook cooperative farming.
Suddenly, Shri Ram Chandra Reddy stood
up and offered 80 acres of land to be
distributed among 80 land-less villagers.
This act was known as ‘Bhoodan’. Later he
travelled and introduced his ideas widely all
over India. Some zamindars, owners of
many villages offered to distribute some
villages among the landless. It was known
as Gramdan. However, many land-owners
chose to provide some part of their land to
A GRICULTURE 43
 the poor farmers due to the fear of land
ceiling act. This Bhoodan- Gramdan
movement initiated by Vinobha Bhave is also
known as the Blood-less Revolution.
Contribution of agriculture to the national
economy, employment and output
Agriculture has been the backbone of the
Indian economy though its share in the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) has registered a
declining trend from 1951 onwards; yet its
share in providing employment and livelihood
to the population continues to be as high as
63 per cent in 2001.
The declining share of agriculture in the
GDP is a matter of serious concern because
any decline and stagnation in agriculture will
lead to a decline in other spheres of the
economy having wider implications for society.
Considering the importance of agriculture
in India, the Government of India made
concerted efforts to modernise agriculture.
Establishment of Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR), agricultural universities,
veterinary services and animal breeding
centres, horticulture development, research
and development in the field of meteorology and
weather forecast, etc. were given priority for
improving Indian agriculture. Apart from this,
improving the rural infrastructure was also
considered essential for the same.
Find out why an Indian farmer does not want
his son to become a farmer.
Table 4.1: India: Growth of GDP and
major sectors (in %)
Sector 1980- 1992- 2002-07
91 2001 (Tenth plan
projected)
Agriculture 3.6 3.3 4.0
Industries 7.1 6.5 9.5
Services 6.7 8.2 9.1
GDP 5.6 6.4 8.0
Source: Tenth Five Year Plan, 2002-07
44 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
From the above table, it is clear that though
the GDP growth rate is increasing over the
years, it is not generating sufficient
employment opportunities in the country. The
growth rate in agriculture is decelerating
which is an alarming situation. Today, Indian
farmers are facing a big challenge from
international competition and our government
is going ahead with reduction in the public
investment in agriculture sector particularly
in irrigation, power, rural roads, market and
mechanisation. Subsidy on fertilisers is
decreased leading to increase in the cost of
production. Moreover, reduction in import
duties on agricultural products have proved
detrimental to agriculture in the country.
Farmers are withdrawing their investment
from agriculture causing a downfall in the
employment in agriculture.
Why are farmers committing suicides in
several states of the country?
When farmers have been facing so many
problems and land under agriculture is
decreasing, can we think of alternative
employment opportunities in the agriculture
sector?
FOOD SECURITY
You know that food is a basic need and every
citizen of the country should have access to
food which provides minimum nutritional
level. If any segment of our population does
not have this access, that segment suffers from
lack of food security. The number of people
who do not have food security is
disproportionately large in some regions of
our country, particularly in economically less
developed states with higher incidence of
poverty. The remote areas of the country are
more prone to natural disasters and uncertain
food supply. In order to ensure availability of
food to all sections of society our government
carefully designed a national food security
system. It consists of two components (a)
buffer stock and (b) public distribution
system (PDS).
 As you know, PDS is a programme which
provides food grains and other essential
commodities at subsidised prices in rural and
urban areas.
India’s food security policy has a primary
objective to ensure availability of foodgrains
to the common people at an affordable price.
It has enabled the poor to have access to food.
The focus of the policy is on growth in
agriculture production and on fixing the
support price for procurement of wheat and
rice, to maintain their stocks. Food
Corporation of India (FCI) is responsible for
procuring and stocking foodgrains, whereas
distribution is ensured by public distribution
system (PDS).
The FCI procures foodgrains from the
farmers at the government announced
minimum support price (MSP). The
government used to provide subsidies on
agriculture inputs such as fertilizers, power
and water. These subsidies have now reached
unsustainable levels and have also led to large
scale inefficiencies in the use of these scarce
inputs. Excessive and imprudent use of
fertilizers and water has led to waterlogging,
salinity and depletion of essential
micronutrients in the soil. The high MSP,
subsidies in input and committed FCI
purchases have distorted the cropping pattern.
Wheat and paddy crops are being grown more
for the MSP they get. Punjab and Haryana are
foremost examples. This has also created a
serious imbalance in inter-crop parities.
You already know that the consumers are
divided into two categories : below poverty line
(BPL) and above poverty line (APL), with the
issue price being different for each category.
However, this categorisation is not perfect and
a number of deserving poor have been
excluded from the BPL category. Moreover,
some of the so called APL slip back to BPL,
because of the failure of even one crop and it
is administratively difficult to accommodate
such shifts.
Each district and block can be made self
sufficient in foodgrain production if government
provides proper agricultural infrastructure,
credit linkages and also encourages the use of
latest techniques. Instead of concentrating only
on rice or wheat, the food crop with a better
growth potential in that particular area must
be encouraged. Creation of necessary
infrastructure like irrigation facilities,
availability of electricity etc. may also attract
private investments in agriculture.
The focus on increasing foodgrain
production which should be on a sustainable
basis and also free trade in grains will create
massive employment and reduce poverty in
rural areas.
There has been a gradual shift from
cultivation of food crops to cultivation of fruits,
vegetables, oil-seeds and industrial crops. This
has led to the reduction in net sown area under
cereals and pulses. With the growing
population of India, the declining food
production puts a big question mark over the
country’s future food security. The competition
for land between non-agricultural uses such
as housing etc. and agriculture has resulted
in reduction in the net sown area. The
productivity of land has started showing a
declining trend. Fertilisers, pesticides and
insecticides, which once showed dramatic
results, are now being held responsible for
degrading the soils. Periodic scarcity of water
has led to reduction in area under irrigation.
Inefficient water management has led to water
logging and salinity.
Do you know why foodgrains productions
has remained stagnant or fallen for six
consecutive years?
Table 4.2: India: Foodgrains production
(million tons)
Cereals 1999- 2000- 2001- 2002- 2003- 2004-
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Rice 89.7 85.0 93.3 71.8 88.3 85.3
Wheat 76.4 69.7 72.8 65.8 72.1 72.0
Coarse 30.3 31.1 33.4 26.1 38.1 33.9
Pulses 13.4 11.1 13.4 11.1 14.9 13.4
Total 209.8 196.8 212.9 174.8 213.5 204.6
Source: Economic Survey, 2005-06
One important reason is land degradation.
Free power to a section of farmers has
encouraged them to pump groundwater to
A GRICULTURE 45
grow water-intensive crops in low-rainfall
areas (rice in Punjab, sugarcane in
Maharashtra). This unsustainable pumping
has reduced water storage in aquifers.
Consequently, many wells and tubewells have
run dry. This has pushed the marginal and
small farmers out of cultivation.
The big farmers with deeper tubewells still
have water, but many others face a water crisis.
Inadequate storage and marketing facilities also
act as a disincentive to the farmer. Thus, the
farmers are badly affected by the uncertainties
of production and market. They suffer from a
double disadvantage as they pay high prices
for inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers etc. but
lack the bargaining power to fix prices in their
favour. All the production reaches the market
simultaneously. The higher the supply the
lower is the demand. This causes distress sale
Organise a debate on food security of India, its need and efforts
46 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
also. Therefore, there can be no food security
without the security of the small farmers.
Impact of Globalisation on Agriculture
Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It was
there at the time of colonisation. In the
nineteenth century when European traders
came to India, at that time too, Indian spices
were exported to different countries of the world
and farmers of south India were encouraged
to grow these crops. Till today it is one of the
important items of export from India.
During the British period cotton belts of
India attracted the British and ultimately
cotton was exported to Britain as a raw material
for their textile industries. Cotton textile
industry in Manchester and Liverpool
flourished due to the availability of good
quality cotton from India. You have read about
the Champaran movement which started in Can you name any gene modified seed used
1917 in Bihar. This was started because vastly in India?
farmers of that region were forced to grow
indigo on their land because it was necessary
for the textile industries which were located in
Britain. They were unable to grow foodgrains
to sustain their families.
Under globalisation, particularly after
1990, the farmers in India have been exposed
to new challenges. Despite being an important
producer of rice, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, jute
and spices our agricultural products are not
able to compete with the developed countries
because of the highly subsidised agriculture
Fig. 4.18: Problems associated with heavy pesticide
in those countries.
use are widely recognised in developed and
developing countries

Infact organic farming is much in vogue

Fig. 4.17: Tissue culture of teak clones
Today, Indian agriculture finds itself at the
crossroads. To make agriculture successful and
profitable, proper thrust should be given to the
improvement of the condition of marginal and
small farmers. The green revolution promised
much. But today it’s under controversies. It is
being alleged that it has caused land
degradation due to overuse of chemicals, drying
aquifers and vanishing biodiversity. The
keyword today is “gene revolution”. Which
includes genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering is recognised as a
powerful supplement in inventing new
hybrid varieties of seeds.
today because it is practised without factory
made chemicals such as fertilisers and
pesticides. Hence, it does not affect environment
in a negative manner.
A few economists think that Indian farmers
have a bleak future if they continue growing
foodgrains on the holdings that grow smaller
and smaller as the population rises. India’s
rural population is about 600 million which
depends upon 250 million (approximate)
hectares of agricultural land, an average of less
than half a hectare per person.
Indian farmers should diversify their
cropping pattern from cereals to high-value
crops. This will increase incomes and reduce
environmental degradation simultaneously.
Because fruits, medicinal herbs, flowers,
vegetables, bio-diesel crops like jatropha
and jojoba need much less irrigation than
rice or sugarcane. India’s diverse climate
can be harnessed to grow a wide range of
high-value crops.

Change in cropping pattern for example from cereals to high-value crops will
mean that India will have to import food. During 1960’s this would have been
seen as a disaster. But if India imports cereals while exporting high-value
commodities, it will be following successful economies like Italy, Israel and Chile.
These countries exports farm products (fruits, olives, speciality seeds and wine)
and import cereals. Are we ready to take this risk? Debate the issue.

A GRICULTURE 47
 EXERCISES EXERCISES E XERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which one of the following describes a system of agriculture where a single
crop is grown on a large area?
(a) Shifting Agriculture
(b) Plantation Agriculture
(c) Horticulture
(d) Intensive Agriculture
(ii) Which one of the following is a rabi crop?
(a) Rice (c) Millets
(b) Gram (d) Cotton
(iii) Which one of the following is a leguminous crop?
(a) Pulses (c) Millets
(b) Jawar (d) Sesamum
(iv) Which one of the following is announced by the government in support of
a crop?
(a) Maximum support price
(b) Minimum support price
(c) Moderate support price
(d) Influential support price

2. Answer the following questions in 30 words.

(i) Name one important beverage crop and specify the geographical conditions
required for its growth.
(ii) Name one staple crop of India and the regions where it is produced.
(iii) Enlist the various institutional reform programmes introduced by the
government in the interest of farmers.
(iv) The land under cultivation has got reduced day by day. Can you imagine
its consequences?

3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in
agricultural production.
(ii) How did the partition of the country in 1947 affect the jute industry?
(iii) Describe the impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture.
(iv) Describe the geographical conditions required for the growth of rice.

PROJECT WORK

1. Group discussion on the necessity of literacy among farmers.

2. On an outline map of India show wheat producing areas.

48 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
A CTIVITY
Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the
hidden answers.

A Z M X N C B V N X A H D Q

S D E W S R J D Q J Z V R E

D K H A R I F G W F M R F W

F N L R G C H H R S B S V T

G B C W H E A T Y A C H B R

H R T K A S S E P H X A N W

J I E S J O W A R J Z H D T

K C L A E G A C O F F E E Y

L T E F Y M T A T S S R G I

P D E J O U Y V E J G F A U

O U M H Q S U D I T S W S P

U O A C O T T O N E A H F O

Y O L F L U S R Q Q D T W I

T M U A H R G Y K T R A B F

E A K D G D Q H S U O I W H

W Q Z C X V B N M K J A S L

1. The two staple food crops of India.

2. This is the summer cropping season of India.
3. Pulses like arhar, moong, gram, urad contain…
4. It is a coarse grain.
5. The two important beverages in India are…
6. One of the four major fibers grown on black soils.

A GRICULTURE 49
Challenges to
Democracy

Overview

Chapter 8
This concluding chapter draws upon all that you have learnt in the
last two years so as to address the fundamental questions of
democratic politics : What are the challenges that democracy faces
in our country and elsewhere? What can be done to reform democratic
politics? How can our democracy become more democratic in its
practice and outcomes? This chapter does not answer these
questions. It only makes some suggestions about the way in which
we can approach the questions of challenges and reforms. It invites
you to think on your own and come up with your own reading of
the challenges, your recipe of how to overcome these and your own
definition of democracy. Challenges to Democracy

101
 Thinking about challenges
Do you remember the first chapter of your Political
Science textbook of Class IX? There we tracked the
expansion of democracy all over the world in the last
hundred years. Our reading thereafter has confirmed
our initial impression: democracy is the dominant form
of government in the contemporary world. It does
not face a serious challenger or rival. Yet our exploration
of the various dimensions of democratic politics has
shown us something else as well. The promise of
democracy is far from realised anywhere in the world.
Democracy does not have a challenger, but that does
not mean that it does not face any challenges.
At different points in this tour of democracy, we
have noted the serious challenges that democracy faces
all over the world. A challenge is not just any problem.
We usually call only those difficulties a ‘challenge’ which
are significant and which can be overcome. A challenge
is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for
progress. Once we overcome a challenge we go up to
a higher level than before.
Different countries face different kinds of
challenges. Can you recall the map of democratic
governments in the year 2000 that was included in your
textbook? At least one fourth of the globe is still not
under democratic government. The challenge for
democracy in these parts of the world is very stark.
Democratic Politics
102
These countries face the foundational challenge of
making the transition to democracy and then instituting
democratic government. This involves bringing down
the existing non-democratic regime, keeping military
away from controlling government and establishing a
sovereign and functional state.
Most of the established democracies face the
challenge of expansion. This involves applying the
basic principle of democratic government across all
the regions, different social groups and various
institutions. Ensuring greater power to local
governments, extension of federal principle to all the
units of the federation, inclusion of women and
minority groups, etc., falls under this challenge. This
also means that less and less decisions should remain
outside the arena of democratic control. Most
countries including India and other democracies like
the US face this challenge.
The third challenge of deepening of democracy
is faced by every democracy in one form or another.
This involves strengthening of the institutions and
practices of democracy. This should happen in such a
way that people can realise their expectations of
democracy. But ordinary people have different
expectations from democracy in different societies.
Therefore, this challenge takes different meanings and
paths in different parts of the world. In general terms,
it usually means strengthening those institutions
that help people’s participation and control.
This requires an attempt to bring down the
control and influence of the rich and
powerful people in making governmental
decision.
We have noted or hinted at these
challenges in all the various examples and
stories that we studied in our textbook of
Class IX and in the earlier chapters of this
book. Let us go back to all the major stops
in our tour of democracy, refresh our
memory and note down the challenges
that democracy faces in each of these.
 Different contexts, different challenges
Each of these cartoons represents a challenge to democracy. Please describe what that challenge is. Also place it
in one of the three categories mentioned in the first section.

Mubarak Re-elected Seeing the democracy

© Patrick Chappatte - Cagle Cartoons Inc.

© Ares - Cagle Cartoons Inc.

Liberal Gender Equality Campaign Money
© Ares - Best Latin America, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
© Tab - The Calgary Sun, Cagle Cartoons Inc.

Challenges to Democracy

103
 Case and context Your description of the challenges for democracy in that
situation
Chile: General Pinochet’s [Example] Establishing civilian control over all governmental
government defeated, but institutions, holding the first multi-party elections, recalling all
military still in control of political leaders from exile.
many institutions
Poland: After the first
success of Solidarity, the
government imposed
martial law and banned
solidarity
Ghana: Just attained
independence, Nkrumah
elected president
Myanmar: Suu Kyi under
house arrest for more than
15 years, army rulers
getting global acceptance
International
organisations:
US as the only super
power disregards the UN
and takes unilateral action
Mexico: Second free
election after the defeat
of PRI in 2000; defeated
candidate alleges rigging
China: Communist Party
adopts economic reforms
but maintains monopoly
over political power
Pakistan: General
Musharraf holds
referendum, allegations
of fraud in voters’ list
Iraq: Widespread
sectarian violence as the
Democratic Politics

new government fails to

establish its authority
South Africa: Mandela
retires from active politics,
pressure on his successor
Mbeki to withdraw some
concessions given to
White minority

104
Case and context Your description of the challenges for democracy in that
situation

US, Guantanamo Bay:

UN Secretary General
calls this a violation of
international law,
US refused to respond
Saudi Arabia: Women not
allowed to take part in
public activities,
no freedom of religion for
minorities
Yugoslavia: Ethnic
tension between Serbs
and Albanians on the rise
in the province of Kosovo.
Yugoslavia disintergrated
Belgium: One round of
constitutional change
taken place, but the Dutch
speakers not satisfied;
they want more autonomy
Sri Lanka: The peace talks
between the government
and the LTTE break
down, renewed violence
US, Civil Rights: Blacks
have won equal rights, but
are still poor, less
educated and marginalised
Northern Ireland: The
civil war has ended but
Catholics and Protestants
yet to develop trust
Challenges to Democracy

Nepal: Constituent
Assembly about to be
elected, unrest in
Terai areas, Maoists have
not surrendered arms
Bolivia: Morales, a
supporter of water struggle,
becomes Prime Minister,
MNCs threaten to leave
the country

105
 Different types of challenges
Now that you have noted down all these challenges, let us group these together into some broad categories.
Given below are some spheres or sites of democratic politics. You may place against each of these the specific
challenges that you noted for one or more countries or cartoons in the previous section. In addition to that write
one item for India for each of these spheres. In case you find that some challenges do not fit into any of the
categories given below, you can create new categories and put some items under that.

Constitutional
design

Democratic
rights

Working of
institutions

Elections

Federalism,
decentralisation

Accommodation
of diversity

Political
organisations

Any other category

Democratic Politics

Any other category

106
Let us group these again, this time by the nature of these challenges as per the classification suggested in the first
section. For each of these categories, find at least one example from India as well.

Foundational
challenge

Challenge of
expansion

Challenge of
deepening

Now let us think only about India. Think of all the challenges that democracy faces in contemporary India. List
those five that should be addressed first of all. The listing should be in order of priority, i.e, the challenge you
find most important or pressing should be mentioned at number 1, and so on. Give one example of that
challenge and your reasons for assigning it the priority.

Priority Challenges to Example Reasons for preference

democracy

1.

2.

3.
Challenges to Democracy

4.

5.

107
 Thinking about political reforms
Each of these challenges is linked to the possibility
of reforms. As mentioned above, we discuss
challenges only because we think these can be
overcome. Generally all the suggestions or proposals
about overcoming various challenges to democracy
are called ‘democracy reform’ or ‘political reform’.
We are not going to give here a list of desirable
political reforms, for there cannot be any such list. If
all the countries do not have the same challenges, it
follows that everyone cannot follow the same recipe
of political reforms. We cannot prescribe a procedure
for car repair without knowing which model the car
is, what the defect is and what tools are available,
where the car has broken down, etc.
Can we at least have a list of such reforms for our
country in today’s context? We can develop some
proposals for reforms at the national level. But the
real challenge of reforms may not lie at the national
level. Some of the crucial questions need to be thought
at the State or local level. Besides, such a list may
become irrelevant after some time. So, instead of that
let us think of some broad guidelines that can be kept
in mind while devising ways and means for political
reforms in India:
z It is very tempting to think of legal ways of
reforming politics, to think of new laws to ban
undesirable things. But this temptation needs to be
resisted. No doubt, law has an important role to play
in political reform. Carefully devised changes in law
can help to discourage wrong political practices and
encourage good ones. But legal-constitutional changes
by themselves cannot overcome challenges to
democracy. This is like the rules of cricket. A change
in rules for LBW decisions helped to reduce negative
batting tactics. But no one would ever think that the
Democratic Politics
quality of cricket could be improved mainly through
changes in the rules. This is to be done mainly by the
players, coaches and administrators. Similarly,
democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by
108
political activists, parties, movements and politically
conscious citizens.
z Any legal change must carefully look at what results
it will have on politics. Sometimes the results may be
counter-productive. For example, many states have
banned people who have more than two children
from contesting panchayat elections. This has resulted
in denial of democratic opportunity to many poor
and women, which was not intended. Generally, laws
that seek to ban something are not very successful in
politics. Laws that give political actors incentives to do
good things have more chances of working. The best
laws are those which empower people to carry out
democratic reforms. The Right to Information Act is
a good example of a law that empowers the people
to find out what is happening in government and act
as watchdogs of democracy. Such a law helps to
control corruption and supplements the existing laws
that banned corruption and imposed strict penalties.
z Democratic reforms are to be brought about
principally through political practice. Therefore, the
main focus of political reforms should be on ways to
strengthen democratic practice. As we discussed in the
chapter on political parties, the most important concern
should be to increase and improve the quality of
political participation by ordinary citizens.
z Any proposal for political reforms should think not
only about what is a good solution but also about who
will implement it and how. It is not very wise to think
that the legislatures will pass legislations that go against
the interest of all the political parties and MPs. But
measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens’
organisations and the media are likely to succeed.
Let us keep these general guidelines in mind and
look at some specific instances of challenges to
democracy that require some measure of reform. Let
us try to come up with some concrete proposals of
reform.
Here are some challenges that require political reforms. Discuss these challenges in detail study the reform
options offered here and give your preferred solution with reasons. Remember that none of the options
offered here is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. You can opt for a mix of more than one options, or come up with something
that is not offered here. But you must give your solution in details and offer reasons for your choice.

Doctors’ absenteeism Political funding

Challenge:
Uttar Pradesh government got a survey done and
found out that most of the doctors posted in the rural
primary health centres are simply not there. They live
in a town, carry out private practice and visit the village
where they are posted only once or twice in the entire
month. Villagers have to travel to towns and pay very
high fee to private doctors even for common ailments.
Reform proposals:
z The government should make it compulsory
for the doctors to live in the village where they are
posted, otherwise their service should be terminated.
z District administration and police should carry
out surprise raids to check the attendance of the
doctors.
z Village panchayat should be given the power to
write the annual report of the doctor which should
be read out in the gram sabha meeting.
z Problems like this can be solved only if Uttar
Pradesh is split into several smaller states which can
be administered more efficiently.
Challenge:
On an average, every candidate who contested the
last Lok Sabha elections owned a property of more
than Rs one crore. There is a fear that only wealthy
people or those with their support can afford to
fight elections. Most of the political parties are
dependent on money given by big business houses.
The worry is that the role of money in politics will
reduce whatever little voice the poor have in our
democracy.
Reform proposals:
z The financial accounts of every political party
should be made public. These accounts should be
examined by government auditors.
z There should be state funding of elections.
Parties should be given some money by the
government to meet their election expenditure.
z Citizens should be encouraged to give more
donations to parties and to political workers.
Such donations should be exempt from income
tax.

Any other problem of your choice

Challenge:
Challenges to Democracy

Reform proposals:

109
 Reforming
politicians Rose managed to catch Madam Lyngdoh outside the
classroom,
something she had been
planning to do for some time. “Ma’am! I
really liked that Canadian cartoon”. Rose
needed something to open the
conversation. “Which one?” Madam
Lyngdoh could not recall. “Ma’am, the one
which says 98% Canadians want all the
politicians to be locked in the trunk of a
car and thrown into Niagara falls. I was
thinking of our politicians. We would need a
bigger vehicle and a river as mighty as
Brahmaputra!”
Lyngdoh Ma’am smiled at Rose. Like most
Indians, she is also very much unhappy
with the way politicians of the country have been behaving and running the parties and
governments. But she wanted Rose to appreciate the complexity of the problem: “Do you
think our problems will be solved if we get rid of our politicians?,” she asked.
“Yes, Ma’am. Aren’t these mean politicians responsible for all the problems in our country?
I mean corruption, defection, casteism, communal violence, criminality… everything.”
Lyngdoh Madam: “So, all we need is to get rid of the current lot. Are you sure that those
who replace them will not do these things?”
Rose: “Well, I had not thought of it, but may be not. May be we will get leaders of better
character”.
Lyngdoh Madam: “I agree with you that the situation will change if people show more care
and alertness to reject corrupt and bad politicians and elect the right ones. And, maybe,
all politicians are not corrupt…”
“How can you say that Ma’am” interrupted Rose.
Lyngdoh Madam: “I did not say that politicians are not corrupt. Maybe when you think of
politicians you think of these big people whose photos appear in newspapers. I think of
political leaders that I have known. I don’t think that the political leaders I know are more
corrupt than my own colleagues, government officials, contractors or other middle class
professionals that I know. The corruption of the politician is more visible and we get the
impression that all politicians are corrupt. Some of them are and some of them are not.”
Rose did not give up. “Ma’am, what I meant is that there should be strict laws to curb
Democratic Politics

corruption and wrong practices like appeals to caste and community.

Lyngdoh Madam: “I am not sure Rose. For one thing there is already a law banning any
appeal to caste and religion in politics. Politicians find a way to bypass that. Laws can
have little impact unless people resist attempts to mislead and divide people in the name
of caste and religion. You cannot have democracy in a real sense unless people and
politicians overcome the barriers of caste and religion.

110
Redefining democracy
We began this tour of democracy last year with a
minimal definition of democracy. Do you remember
that? This is what Chapter 2 of your textbook said last
year: democracy is a form of government in which
the rulers are elected by the people. We then looked at
many cases and expanded the definition slightly to add
some qualifications:
z the rulers elected by the people must take all the
major decisions;
z elections must offer a choice and fair opportunity
to the people to change the current rulers;
z this choice and opportunity should be available to
all the people on an equal basis; and
z the exercise of this choice must lead to a
government limited by basic rules of the constitution
and citizens’ rights.
You may have felt disappointed that the definition
did not refer to any high ideals that we associate with
democracy. But in operational terms, we deliberately
started with a minimalist but clear definition of
democracy. It allowed us to make a clear distinction
between democratic and non-democratic regimes.
You may have noticed that in the course of our
discussions of various aspects of democratic
government and politics, we have gone beyond that
definition:
z We discussed democratic rights at length and noted
z Our discussion of democracy has gone beyond
the government and its activities. We discussed how
eliminating discrimination based on caste, religion and
gender is important in a democracy.
z Finally, we have had some discussion about some
outcomes that one can expect from a democracy.
In doing so, we have not gone against the definition
of democracy offered last year. We began then with a
definition of what is the minimum a country must
have to be called a democracy. In the course of our
discussion we moved to the set of desirable conditions
that a democracy should have. We have moved from
the definition of democracy to the description of a
good democracy.
How do we define a good democracy? What are
its features? Which are the features a democracy must
have to be called a good democracy? And what must
not take place in a democracy if it is a good democracy?
You decide that.
Reading between the Lines
© Ares - Best Latin America, Cagle Cartoons Inc.

that these rights are not limited to the right to vote,

stand in elections and form political organisations. We
discussed some social and economic rights that a
Challenges to Democracy

democracy should offer to its citizens.

z We have taken up power sharing as the spirit of
democracy and discussed how power sharing between
governments and social groups is necessary in
a democracy.
z We saw how democracy cannot be the brute rule
of majority and how a respect for minority voice is
necessary for democracy.

111
 Here is your space for writing your own definition of good democracy.

(Write your name here) ________________________ ’s definition of good

democracy (not more than 50 words):

Features (use only as many points as you want. Try to compress it in as few points as
possible)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
Democratic Politics

How did you like this exercise? Was it enjoyable? Very demanding? A little frustrating? And a little scary? Are
you a little resentful that the textbook did not help you in this crucial task? Are you worried that your definition
may not be ‘correct’?
Here then is your last lesson in thinking about democracy: there is no fixed definition of good democracy.
A good democracy is what we think it is and what we wish to make it. This may sound strange. Yet, think of it:
is it democratic for someone to dictate to us what a good democracy is?

112
Democracy
and
Diversity

Overview

Chapter 3
In the last chapter, we saw how power can be distributed to
accommodate linguistic and regional diversities. But language and
region are not the only features that give a distinct identity to
people. Sometimes, people also identify themselves and relate with
others on the basis of their physical appearance, class, religion,
gender, caste, tribe, etc. In this chapter, we study how democracy
responds to social differences, divisions and inequalities. We begin
with an example of public expression of social divisions. We then
draw some general lessons about how social differences can take
various forms. We then turn to how democratic politics affects and
is affected by these social diversities. Democracy and Diversity

29
 A Story from Mexico Olympics
The pictures on this tried to draw international attention to
page depict an racial discrimination in the United
important landmark in States. The black-gloved and raised
the history of the CIVIL clenched fists were meant to symbolise
RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN BLACK POWER. The silver medallist,
THE U NITED S TATES . white Australian athlete, Peter Norman,
These represent the medal ceremony wore a human rights badge on his shirt
My salute to of the 200 metres race in the 1968 during the ceremony to show his
Carlos and Olympics held at Mexico City. The two
Smith! Will I ever support to the two Americans.
men standing with clenched fists
have the courage upraised and heads bowed, while the Do you think that Carlos and
to do what they Smith should have raised an internal
American national anthem was
did? matter of American society in an
played, are the US athletes, Tommie
Smith and John Carlos. They are international forum? Would you say
AFRICAN-AMERICANS. They had won the that what they did was political? Why
gold and bronze medals respectively. do you think Peter Norman, who was
They received their medals wearing neither Black nor American, joined in
Civil Rights Movement
in the USA (1954-1968) black socks and no shoes to represent the gesture of protest? If you were in
refers to a set of events Black poverty. With this gesture, they Norman’s place what would you do?
and reform movements
aimed at abolishing legal
racial discrimination
against African-Americans.
Led by Martin Luther
King Jr., this movement
practiced non-violent
methods of civil
disobedience against
racially discriminatory
laws and practices.
African-American,
Afro-American, Black
American, or Black are the
terms used to refer mainly
to the descendants of
© wikipedia & photo flickr.com Kevin

Africans who were

Democratic Politics

brought into America as

slaves between the 17th
century and early 19th
century.
The Black Power
movement emerged in
1966 and lasted till 1975,
which was a more militant
anti-racist movement,
advocating even violence In 2005, the San Jose State University installed a 20-foot high sculpture representing the
if necessary to end racism protest by Tommie Smith and John Carlos. A photograph of the original medal ceremony
in the US. in 1968 is on the top.

30
 The International Olympic
Association held Carlos and Smith guilty
of violating the Olympic spirit by
making a political statement. Their
medals were taken back. Back home,
they were subjected to a lot of criticism.
Norman too suffered for his action and
was not included in the Australian team
for the next Olympic. But their action
succeeded in gaining international
attention for the Civil Rights Movement
in the US. Recently, the San Jose
(pronounced ‘Saan Hoze’) State
University, of which they were former
students, honoured them and installed
their statue in the University campus.
When Norman died in 2006, Smith and
Carlos were pallbearers at his funeral.

Some Dalit groups decided to participate in the UN Conference

Against Racism in Durban in 2001, demanding the inclusion of caste
in the agenda of this conference. Here are three reactions to this move:
Amandeep Kaur (a government official): Our Constitution declares
caste discrimination to be illegal. If some caste discrimination
continues, it is an internal matter. I am opposed to this being raised in
an international forum.
Oinam (a sociologist): I am opposed to this because caste and race are
not similar divisions. Caste is a social division, while race is a biological
one. Raising caste in this conference on racism would mean equating
the two.
Ashok (a Dalit activist): The argument about internal matter is a
way of preventing open discussion of oppression and
discrimination. Race is not purely biological. It is as much a legal I met this group
and sociological category as caste. Caste discrimination must be of girls from
raised in this conference. Pakistan and felt
that I had more
Which of the three opinions do you agree with most and why? in common with
them than many
girls from other
parts of my own
country. Is this
Democracy and Diversity

anti-national to
Differences, similarities, divisions feel so?

The athletes in the example above were
responding to social divisions and
social inequalities. But does that
happen only in societies which have
racial divisions? In the previous two
chapters we have already noted some
other forms of social divisions. The
examples of Belgium and Sri Lanka
show both regional and social divisions.
In the case of Belgium we noted that
people who live in different regions
speak different languages. In Sri Lanka,
we noted linguistic as well as religious
differences. Thus social diversity can
take different for ms in different
societies.

31
 Origins of social differences
These social differences are mostly
based on accident of birth. Normally
we don’t choose to belong to our
community. We belong to it simply
because we were born into it. We all
experience social differences based on
accident of birth in our everyday lives.
People around us are male or female,
they are tall and short, have different
kinds of complexions, or have different
physical abilities or disabilities. But all
kinds of social differences are not
based on accident of birth. Some of
the differences are based on our
choices. For example, some people are
atheists. They don’t believe in God or
any religion. Some people choose to
Democratic Politics
© Ares - Cagle Cartoons Inc.
A cartoon like this can be read by different
people to mean different things. What does
this cartoon mean to you? How do other
students in your class read this?
32
follow a religion other than the one in
which they were born. Most of us
choose what to study, which
occupation to take up and which
games or cultural activities to take part
in. All these lead to formation of social
groups that are based on our choices.
Every social difference does not
lead to social division. Social
differences divide similar people from
one another, but they also unite very
different people. People belonging to
different social groups share
differences and similarities cutting
across the boundaries of their groups.
In the instance above, Carlos and
Smith were similar in one way (both
were African-American) and thus
different from Norman who was
white. But they were also all similar in
other ways – they were all athletes who
stood against racial discrimination.
It is fairly common for people
belonging to the same religion to feel
that they do not belong to the same
community, because their caste or sect
is very different. It is also possible for
people from different religions to have
the same caste and feel close to each
other. Rich and poor persons from the
same family often do not keep close
relations with each other for they feel
they are very different. Thus, we all
have more than one identity and can
belong to more than one social group.
We have different identities in different
contexts.
Overlapping and cross-cutting
differences
Social division takes place when some
social difference overlaps with other
differences. The difference between
the Blacks and Whites becomes a social
division in the US because the Blacks
tend to be poor, homeless and
discriminated against. In our country
Dalits tend to be poor and landless.
They often face discrimination and
injustice. Situations of this kind
produce social divisions, when one
kind of social difference becomes
more important than the other and
people start feeling that they belong to
different communities.
If social differences cross cut one
another, it is difficult to pit one group
of people against the other. It means
that groups that share a common
interest on one issue are likely to be in
different sides on a different issue.
Consider the cases of Northern
Ireland and the Netherlands. Both are
predominantly Christian but divided
between Catholics and Protestants. In
Northern Ireland, class and religion Read these two poems by Dalit writers. Why do you think the
overlap with each other. If you are poster is titled ‘Hidden Apartheid’ ?

Catholic, you are also more likely to be
poor, and you may have suffered a
history of discrimination. In the
Netherlands, class and religion tend to
Social divisions of one kind or
another exist in most countries. It does
not matter whether the country is small
or big. India is a vast country with many
Homeogenous society:
Democracy and Diversity

cut across each other. Catholics and
Protestants are about equally likely to
be poor or rich. The result is that
Catholics and Protestants have had
conflicts in Northern Ireland, while
they do not do so in the Netherlands.
Overlapping social differences create
possibilities of deep social divisions
and tensions. Cross-cutting social
differences are easier to accommodate.
communities. Belgium is a small country
A society that has similar
with many communities. Even those kinds of people,
countries such as Germany and Sweden, especially where there
that were once highly HOMOGENEOUS, are are no significant ethnic
differences.
undergoing rapid change with influx of
Migrant: Anybody who
people from other parts of the world. shifts from one region
MIGRANTS bring with them their own or country to another
culture and tend to form a different region within a country
or to another country,
social community. In this sense most
usually for work or other
countries of the world are multi-cultural. economic opportunities.

33
 Imrana is a student of Class X, section B. She and all her classmates are
planning to help students of Class XI in giving a farewell party to the
students of Class XII. Last month she played for section team in a game of
kho-kho against the team of Class X, section A. She goes back home in a bus
and joins all the students from various classes. They all come from trans-
Yamuna area in Delhi. Back home, she often joins her elder sister, Naima, in
complaining against her brother who does no work at home, while the sisters
are asked to help their mother. Her father is looking for a good match for her
elder sister, from a Muslim family with a similar economic status from their
own ‘biradari’.

Can you list the various kinds of identities Imrana has?

At home she is a girl
In terms of religion she is ………….
In the school she is ………….
…………… she is …………
……………. she is ………….

Politics of social divisions

How do these social divisions affect
politics? What does politics do to these
social divisions? At first sight, it would
appear that the combination of politics
and social divisions is very dangerous
and explosive. Democracy involves
competition among various political
parties. Their competition tends to
divide any society. If they start
competing in terms of some existing
Democratic Politics
years the site of a violent and bitter
ethno-political conflict. Its population
is divided into two major sects of
Christianity: 53 per cent are
Protestants, while 44 per cent are
Roman Catholics. The Catholics were
represented by Nationalist parties who
demanded that Northern Ireland be
unified with the Republic of Ireland,
a predominantly Catholic country. The

social divisions, it can make social Protestants were represented by

divisions into political divisions and
lead to conflict, violence or even
disintegration of a country. This has
happened in many countries.
Range of outcomes
Take the case of Northern Ireland that
we referred to above. This region of
the United Kingdom has been for many
Unionists who wanted to remain with
the UK, which is predominantly
protestant. Hundreds of civilians,
militants and security forces were killed
in the fight between Unionists and
Nationalists and between the security
forces of the UK and the Nationalists.
It was only in 1998, that the UK
government and the Nationalists

34
Bulgaria,
Ganesh had come back from his trip and was talking to Mahashweta
about the Roma people who live in many countries of Eastern
Europe. He met Yordanka who works as a nurse in Bulgaria. This is
Romania what she has to say about Roma people:

or “Being a nurse you can’t refuse to look after some people, but

India?
these Roma people are very dirty. Even when something small
happens to any one in their family, all the family and even the
neighbours just march to our hospital. And once they are in the hospital
they don’t know how to keep quiet. They talk aloud, smoke and drop ashes all
over and spit on the wall! They have no patience, and they just start pestering our
doctors! And when they are just hanging out like that any way they look so
aggressive. After all these dark skinned people don’t look like us. They have a
strange sense of colour. Look at their dress, why can’t they try to look like
everyone else in the country? And we all know they are thieves. I have heard
people say that these Roma people live by selling their blood. None of them can
afford the hospital fees. But when they are ill they just rush to hospital at the cost
of good Bulgarians who pay their taxes!”
“That sounds familiar’ said Mahashweta.
Ganesh went on to talk about Modruzeni, a Romani who lives in Romania. When
she was eighteen years old, she went to the hospital, to give birth to her first
child. She had no money to pay to the doctor or nurse. Though she was in the
hospital, nobody bothered to come and take care of her. Finally the sweeper, who
was also a Romani, helped her give birth to a boy. And then the nurse appeared on
the scene and said, “Here we have another criminal”. Talking about how the Roma
people are treated in public hospitals, she says: “These doctors keep us waiting
outside their cabins. On one occasion one doctor asked me to take a bath if I
needed to be examined! Of course, I smelled. During the pregnancy I ate
from the garbage containers, because I was so hungry all the time. My
husband had left me. I had two children, and I was pregnant with the
third.
The social worker refused my request for food assistance. My neighbour
helped me to deliver the baby. I often feel it is better not to visit these
hospitals.”
Mahashweta heard him out and said, “Ganesh, why do you have to travel
halfway across the world to find this out? This is not a story about Romania
and Bulgaria or about the Roma people. This is as much a story about our
Democracy and Diversity

own country and about our people who are branded as criminals by our
system.”
z Do you think Mahashweta is right? Do you know of some community
in your area that is treated like the Romas?
z Have you heard people say things similar to what Yordanka or
Modruzeni say here? If yes, try to think of what the story would sound like if
you heard it from the other side?
Do you think the Bulgarian government should try to ensure that the
Roma people dress and behave like other people from Bulgaria?

35
 reached a peace treaty after which the
latter suspended their armed struggle.
In Yugoslavia, the story did not have a
happy end. Political competition along
religious and ethnic lines led to the
disintegration of Yugoslavia into six
independent countries.
So, it happens all Such examples lead some people
over the world, to conclude that politics and social
even in Europe! divisions must not be allowed to mix.
I thought it was They think that it would be best if there
only in countries
are no social divisions in any country.
like India that we
If social divisions do exist in a country,
have social
they must never be expressed in politics.
divisions.
At the same time every expression
of social divisions in politics does not
lead to such disasters. We have already
seen that social divisions of one kind
or another exist in most countries of
the world. Wherever they exist, these
divisions are reflected in politics. In a
democracy it is only natural that
political parties would talk about these
© Orion / Juska Rantanen flickr.com
Democratic Politics
In some societies of Northern Ireland, the colonies of Protestant and
Catholic communities are divided by walls. These walls are sometimes
filled with graffiti as you can see here. The Irish Republican Army and
British Government signed an agreement in 2005. What does the graffiti
here tell about the conflict in the society?
36
divisions, make different promises to
different communities, look after due
representation of various communities
and make policies to redress the
grievances of the disadvantaged
communities. Social divisions affect
voting in most countries. People from
one community tend to prefer some
party more than others. In many
countries there are parties that focus
only on one community. Yet all this
does not lead to disintegration of the
country.
Three determinants
Three factors are crucial in deciding
the outcome of politics of social
divisions. First of all the outcome
depends on how people perceive their
identities. If people see their identities
in singular and exclusive terms, it
becomes very difficult to
accommodate. As long as people in
northern Ireland saw themselves as
only Catholic or Protestant, their
differences were difficult to reconcile.
It is much easier if the people see that
their identities are multiple and are
complementary with the national
identity. A majority of Belgians now
feel that they are as much Belgian as
they are Dutch or German-speaking.
This helps them to stay together. This
is how most people in our country see
their identity: they think of themselves
as Indian as well as belonging to a state
or a language group or a social or
religious community.
Second, it depends on how
political leaders raise the demands of
any community. It is easier to
accommodate demands that are within
the constitutional framework and are
not at the cost of another community.
The demand for ‘only Sinhala’ was at Draw or collect some
images of social divisions
the cost of the interest and identity of in different aspects of life.
the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. In

© Dario Castillejos - Cagle Cartoons Inc.

Yugoslavia, the leaders of different
ethnic communities presented their
demands in such a way that these could
not be accommodated within a single
country.
Third, it depends on the how the
government reacts to demands of
different groups. As we saw in the
examples of Belgium and Sri Lanka,
if the rulers are willing to share power
and accommodate the reasonable
demands of minority community,
social divisions become less
threatening for the country. But if they
try to suppress such a demand in the
name of national unity, the end result
is often quite the opposite. Such
attempts at forced integration often
sow the seeds of disintegration.
Thus the assertion of social
diversities in a country need not be seen
as a source of danger. In a democracy,
political expression of social divisions
is very normal and can be healthy. This
allows various disadvantaged and
marginal social groups to express their
grievances and get the government to
attend to these. Expression of various
kinds of social divisions in politics
often results in their cancelling one
another out and thus reducing their
Can you think of some
examples of social
division or discrimination
in the field of sports?
intensity. This leads to strengthening
of a democracy.
So, you are
But a positive attitude towards
saying that too
diversity and a willingness to
many small
accommodate it do not come about
divisions are
easily. People who feel marginalised, better than a
deprived and discriminated have to single big
fight against the injustices. Such a fight division? Are you
often takes the democratic path, also saying that
voicing their demands in a peaceful and politics is a force
constitutional manner and seeking a of unity?
fair position through elections.
Sometimes social differences can take
the form of unacceptable level of
social inequality and injustice. The
Exercises
struggle against such inequalities
sometimes takes the path of violence
and defiance of state power. However
history shows that democracy is the
best way to fight for recognition and
also to accommodate diversity.
Democracy and Diversity

1. Discuss three factors that determine the outcomes of politics of

social divisions.
2. When does a social difference become a social division?
3. How do social divisions affect politics? Give two examples.
4. ________________ social differences create possibilities of deep
social divisions and tensions. ___________________ social
differences do not usually lead to conflicts.

37
 5. In dealing with social divisions which one of the following statements
is NOT correct about democracy?
(a) Due to political competition in a democracy, social divisions get
reflected in politics.
(b) In a democracy it is possible for communities to voice their
grievances in a peaceful manner.
(c) Democracy is the best way to accommodate social diversity.
(d) Democracy always leads to disintegration of society on the basis
of social divisions.
6. Consider the following three statements.
A. Social divisions take place when social differences overlap.
B. It is possible that a person can have multiple identities.
C. Social divisions exist in only big countries like India.
Exercises
Which of the statements is/are correct?
(a) A, B and C (b) A and B (c) B and C (d) Only C
7. Arrange the following statements in a logical sequence and select
the right answers by using the code given below.
A. But all political expression of social divisions need not be always
dangerous.
B. Social divisions of one kind or the other exist in most countries.
C. Parties try to win political support by appealing to social
divisions.
D. Some social differences may result in social divisions.

(a) D, B, C, A (b) D, B, A, C (c) D, A, C, B (d) A, B, C, D

8. Among the following, which country suffered disintegration due to
political fights on the basis of religious and ethnic identities?
(a) Belgium (b) India (c) Yugoslavia (d) Netherlands
9. Read the following passage from a famous speech by Martin Luther
King Jr. in 1963. Which social division is he talking about? What are
his aspirations and anxieties? Do you see a relationship between this
speech and the incident in Mexico Olympics mentioned in this
chapter?
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin
but by the content of their character. Let freedom ring. And when
this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it
Democratic Politics

ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and
every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s
children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles,
Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in
the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’ I have a dream that
one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of
its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men
are created equal’.”

38
Federalism

Overview

Chapter 2
In the previous chapter, we noted that vertical division of power among
different levels of governments is one of the major forms of power
sharing in modern democracies. In this chapter, we focus on this form
of power sharing. It is most commonly referred to as federalism. We
begin by describing federalism in general terms. The rest of the chapter
tries to understand the theory and practice of federalism in India. A
discussion of the federal constitutional provisions is followed by an
analysis of the policies and politics that has strengthened federalism in
practice. Towards the end of the chapter, we turn to the local
government, a new and third tier of Indian federalism.
Federalism

13
 What is federalism?
Let us get back to the contrast between
Belgium and Sri Lanka that we saw in
the last chapter. You would recall that
one of the key changes made in the
Constitution of Belgium was to reduce
the power of the Central Government
I am confused. and to give these powers to the regional
What do we call governments. Regional governments
the Indian existed in Belgium even earlier. They
government? Is had their roles and powers. But all these
powers were given to these
it Union, Federal
or Central? governments and could be withdrawn
by the Central Government. The
change that took place in 1993 was that
the regional governments were given
constitutional powers that were no
longer dependent on the central
government. Thus, Belgium shifted
from a unitary to a federal form of
government. Sri Lanka continues to be,
for all practical purposes, a unitary
system where the national government
has all the powers. Tamil leaders want
Sri Lanka to become a federal system.
Federalism is a system of
government in which the power is
divided between a central authority and
various constituent units of the
country. Usually, a federation has two
levels of government. One is the
government for the entire country that
is usually responsible for a few subjects
of common national interest. The
others are governments at the level of
provinces or states that look after
much of the day-to-day administering
of their state. Both these levels of
governments enjoy their power
independent of the other.

Federal
political systems

Russia
Canada Germany

Belgium
Austria
Switzerland
United States
of America Spain
Bosnia and Pakistan
Herzegovina
St. Kitts India
Mexico and Nevis Nigeria PACIFIC OCEAN
United
Venezuela Arab
Ethiopia Emirates
ATLANTIC Comoros Malaysia
Democratic Politics

PACIFIC OCEAN Brazil OCEAN INDIAN

OCEAN
Micronesia Australia
Argentina
South Africa

Source: Montreal and Kingston, Handbook of Federal Countries: 2002, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002.

Though only 25 of the world’s 192 countries have federal political systems, their citizens make up 40 per cent of
the world’s population. Most of the large countries of the world are federations. Can you notice an exception to this
rule in this map?

14
 In this sense, federations are
contrasted with unitary governments.
Under the unitary system, either there
is only one level of government or the
sub-units are subordinate to the central
government. The central government
can pass on orders to the provincial or
the local government. But in a federal
system, the central government cannot
order the state government to do
something. State government has
powers of its own for which it is not
answerable to the central government.
Both these governments are separately
answerable to the people.
Let us look at some of the key
features of federalism :
1 There are two or more levels (or
tiers) of government.
2 Different tiers of government
govern the same citizens, but each tier
has its own JURISDICTION in specific
matters of legislation, taxation and
administration.
3 The jurisdictions of the respective
levels or tiers of government are
specified in the constitution. So the
existence and authority of each tier of
government is constitutionally
guaranteed.
4 The fundamental provisions of
the constitution cannot be unilaterally
changed by one level of government.
Such changes require the consent of
both the levels of government.
5 Courts have the power to interpret
the constitution and the powers of
different levels of government. The
highest court acts as an umpire if
disputes arise between different levels
of government in the exercise of their
respective powers.
6 Sources of revenue for each level
of government are clearly specified to
ensure its financial autonomy.
7 The federal system thus has dual
objectives: to safeguard and promote
unity of the country, while at the same
time accommodate regional diversity.
Therefore, two aspects are crucial for
the institutions and practice of
federalism. Governments at different
levels should agree to some rules of If federalism
power sharing. They should also trust works only in big
that each would abide by its part of countries, why
the agreement. An ideal federal system did Belgium
has both aspects : mutual trust and adopt it?
agreement to live together.
The exact balance of power
between the central and the state
government varies from one federation
to another. This balance depends
mainly on the historical context in which
the federation was formed. There are
two kinds of routes through which
federations have been formed. The first
route involves independent States
coming together on their own to form
a bigger unit, so that by pooling
sovereignity and retaining identity they
can increase their security. This type of
‘coming together’ federations include
the USA, Switzerland and Australia. In
this first category of federations, all the
constituent States usually have equal
power and are strong vis-à-vis the
federal government.
The second route is where a large
country decides to divide its power
between the constituent States and the
national government. India, Spain and
Belgium are examples of this kind of
‘holding together’ federations. In
Jurisdiction: The area
this second category, the central over which someone
Federalism
government tends to be more powerful has legal authority. The
vis-à-vis the States. Very often different area may be defined in
constituent units of the federation have terms of geographical
boundaries or in terms
unequal powers. Some units are of certain kinds of
granted special powers. subjects.
15
 Some Nepalese citizens were discussing the proposals on the adoption
of federalism in their new constitution. This is what some of them said:
Khag Raj: I don’t like federalism. It would lead to reservation of seats for
different caste groups as in India.
Sarita: Ours in not a very big country. We don’t need federalism.
Babu Lal: I am hopeful that the Terai areas will get more autonomy if they get
their own state government.
Ram Ganesh: I like federalism because it will mean that powers that were earlier
enjoyed by the king will now be exercised by our elected representatives.
If you were participating in this conversation what would be your response to each
of these? Which of these reflect a wrong understanding of what federalism is?
What makes India a federal country?

What makes India a federal country?

We have earlier seen how small
countries like Belgium and Sri Lanka
face so many problems of managing
diversity. What about a vast country like
India, with so many languages, religions
and regions? What are the power
sharing arrangements in our country?
Isn’t that Let us begin with the Constitution.
strange? Did our India had emerged as an independent
constitution nation after a painful and bloody
makers not know partition. Soon after Independence,
about several princely states became a part of
federalism? Or
the country. The Constitution declared
did they wish to
India as a Union of States. Although it
avoid talking
did not use the word federation, the
about it?
Democratic Politics
the Union of India and the State
governments. Later, a third tier of
federalism was added in the form of
Panchayats and Municipalities. As in
any federation, these different tiers
enjoy separate jurisdiction. The
Constitution clearly provided a three-
fold distribution of legislative powers
between the Union Government and
the State Governments. Thus, it
contains three lists:
z Union List includes subjects of
national importance such as defence
of the country, foreign affairs, banking,
communications and currency. They

Indian Union is based on the principles
of federalism.
Let us go back to the seven features
of federalism mentioned above. We can
see that all these features apply to the
provisions of the Indian Constitution.
The Constitution originally provided
for a two-tier system of government,
the Union Government or what we call
the Central Government, representing
are included in this list because we need
a uniform policy on these matters
throughout the country. The Union
Government alone can make laws
relating to the subjects mentioned in
the Union List.
z State List contains subjects of
State and local importance such as
police, trade, commerce, agriculture
and irrigation. The State Governments

16
alone can make laws relating to the
subjects mentioned in the State List.
z Concurrent List includes subjects
of common interest to both the Union
Government as well as the State
Governments, such as education, forest,
trade unions, marriage, adoption and
succession. Both the Union as well as
the State Governments can make laws
on the subjects mentioned in this list.
If their laws conflict with each other,
the law made by the Union
Government will prevail.
What about subjects that do not
fall in any of the three lists? Or subjects
like computer software that came up
after the constitution was made?
According to our constitution, the
Union Government has the power to
legislate on these ‘residuary’ subjects.
We noted above that most
federations that are formed by ‘holding
together’ do not give equal power to
its constituent units. Thus, all States in
the Indian Union do not have identical
powers. Some States enjoy a special
status. Jammu and Kashmir has its own
Constitution. Many provisions of the
Indian Constitution are not applicable
to this State without the approval of
the State Assembly. Indians who are
not permanent residents of this State
cannot buy land or house here. Similar
special provisions exist for some other
States of India as well.
There are some units of the Indian
Union which enjoy very little power.
These are areas which are too small to
become an independent State but
which could not be merged with any
of the existing States. These areas, like
Chandigarh, or Lakshadweep or the
If agriculture and
capital city of Delhi, are called Union commerce are
Territories. These territories do not state subjects,
have the powers of a State. The Central why do we have
Government has special powers in ministers of
running these areas. agriculture and
This sharing of power between the commerce in the
Union Government and the State Union cabinet?
governments is basic to the structure
of the Constitution. It is not easy to
make changes to this power sharing
arrangement. The Parliament cannot
on its own change this arrangement.
Any change to it has to be first passed
by both the Houses of Parliament with
at least two-thirds majority. Then it has
to be ratified by the legislatures of at
least half of the total States.
The judiciary plays an important
role in overseeing the implementation
of constitutional provisions and
procedures. In case of any dispute about
the division of powers, the High Courts
and the Supreme Court make a decision.
The Union and State governments
have the power to raise resources by
levying taxes in order to carry on the
government and the responsibilities
assigned to each of them.

Listen to one national and one regional news bulletin broadcast by All India
Federalism

Radio daily for one week. Make a list of news items related to government policies or
decisions by classifying these into the following categories:
z News items that relate only to the Central Government,
z News items that relate only to your or any other State Government,
z News items about the relationship between the Central and State Governments.

17
 z Pokharan, the place where India conducted its nuclear tests, lies
in Rajasthan. Suppose the Government of Rajasthan was opposed to
the Central Government’s nuclear policy, could it prevent the Government of
India from conducting the nuclear tests?
z Suppose the Government of Sikkim plans to introduce new textbooks in its schools.
But the Union Government does not like the style and content of the new
textbooks. In that case, does the state government need to take permission from
the Union Government before these textbooks can be launched?
z Suppose the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have
different policies on how their state police should respond to the naxalites. Can the
Prime Minister of India intervene and pass an order that all the Chief Ministers will
have to obey?
Democratic Politics

18
How is federalism practiced?
Constitutional provisions are necessary
for the success of federalism but these
are not sufficient. If the federal
experiment has succeeded in India, it
is not merely because of the clearly laid
out constitutional provisions. The real
success of federalism in India can be
attributed to the nature of democratic
politics in our country. This ensured
that the spirit of federalism, respect
for diversity and desire for living
together became a shared ideal in our
country. Let us look at some of the
major ways in which this happened.
Linguistic States
The creation of Linguistic States was
the first and a major test for democratic
politics in our country. If you look at
the political map of India when it
began its journey as a democracy in
1947 and that of 2006, you will be
surprised by the extent of the changes.
Many old States have vanished and
many new States have been created.
Areas, boundaries and names of the
States have been changed.
In 1947, the boundaries of several
old States of India were changed in
order to create new States. This was
done to ensure that people who spoke
the same language lived in the same
State. Some States were created not on
the basis of language but to recognise
differences based on culture, ethnicity
or geography. These include States like
Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.
2006
z Has your village or town
remained under the same State
since Independence? If not,
what was the name of the
Federalism
earlier State?
z Can you identify three State
names in 1947 that have
changed later?
z Identify any three States which
have been carved out of a
bigger State.
19
 When the demand for the
formation of States on the basis of
language was raised, some national
leaders feared that it would lead to the
disintegration of the country. The
Central Government resisted linguistic
States for some time. But the
experience has shown that the
formation of linguistic States has
actually made the country, more united.
It has also made administration easier.
Language policy
A second test for Indian federation is
the language policy. Our Constitution
did not give the status of national
language to any one language. Hindi was
identified as the official language. But
Hindi is the mother tongue of only
Why Hindi? about 40 per cent of Indians. Therefore,
Why not there were many safeguards to protect
Bangla or other languages. Besides Hindi, there are
Telugu? 21 other languages recognised as
Scheduled Languages by the
Constitution. A candidate in an
examination conducted for the Central
Government positions may opt to take
the examination in any of these
languages. States too have their own
official languages. Much of the
government work takes place in the
official language of the concerned State.
Unlike Sri Lanka, the leaders of our
country adopted a very cautious
attitude in spreading the use of Hindi.
According to the Constitution, the use
of English for official purposes was to
Democratic Politics
stop in 1965. However, many non-
Hindi speaking States demanded that
the use of English continue. In Tamil
Coalition government:
A government formed Nadu, this movement took a violent
by the coming together form. The Central Government
of at least two political responded by agreeing to continue the
parties. Usually partners use of English along with Hindi for
in a coalition form a
official purposes. Many critics think
political alliance and
adopt a common that this solution favoured the English-
programme. speaking elite. Promotion of Hindi
20
continues to be the official policy of
the Government of India. Promotion
does not mean that the Central
Government can impose Hindi on
States where people speak a different
language. The flexibility shown by
Indian political leaders helped our
country avoid the kind of situation that
Sri Lanka finds itself in.
Centre-State relations
Restructuring the Centre-State
relations is one more way in which
federalism has been strengthened in
practice. How the constitutional
arrangements for sharing power work
in reality depends to a large extent on
how the ruling parties and leaders
follow these arrangements. For a long
time, the same party ruled both at the
Centre and in most of the States. This
meant that the State governments did
not exercise their rights as autonomous
federal units. As and when the ruling
party at the State level was different,
the parties that ruled at the Centre tried
to undermine the power of the States.
In those days, the Central Government
would often misuse the Constitution
to dismiss the State governments that
were controlled by rival parties. This
undermined the spirit of federalism.
All this changed significantly
after 1990. This period saw the rise
of regional political parties in many
States of the country. This was also
the beginning of the era of
C OA L I T I O N G OV E R N M E N T S at the
Centre. Since no single party got a
clear majority in the Lok Sabha, the
major national parties had to enter
into an alliance with many parties
including several regional parties to
form a government at the Centre.
This led to a new culture of power
sharing and respect for the autonomy
of State Governments. This trend was
The States Plead for More Powers

© Kutty - Laughing with Kutty

Perils of Running a Coalition Government

© Ajith Ninan - India Today Book of Cartoons

Here are two cartoons showing the relationship between Centre and States. Should the
State go to the Centre with a begging bowl? How can the leader of a coalition keep the Are you
Federalism

partners of government satisfied? suggesting that

supported by a major judgement of
the Supreme Court that made it
difficult for the Central Government
to dismiss state governments in an
regionalism is
arbitrary manner. Thus, federal
good for our
power sharing is more effective today
democracy? Are
than it was in the early years after
you serious?
the Constitution came into force.

21
 +
Linguistic diversity of India
How many languages do we have
in India? The answer depends on
z Make a bar or pie chart on
the basis of this information.
how one counts it. The latest z Prepare a map of linguistic
information that we have is from diversity of India by shading the
the Census of India held in 1991. region where each of these
This census recorded more than languages is spoken on the map
1500 distinct languages which of India.
z Find out about three
people mentioned as their mother
languages that are spoken in
tongues. These languages were
India but are not included in this
grouped together under some
table.
major languages. For example
languages like Bhojpuri, Magadhi,
Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi,
Rajasthani, Bhili and many others Scheduled Languages of India
were grouped together under
Language Proportion of
‘Hindi’. Even after this grouping,
speakers (%)
the Census found 114 major
Assamese 1.6
languages. Of these 22 languages
Bangla 8.3
are now included in the Eighth
Bodo 0.1
Schedule of the Indian Constitution
Dogri 0.2
and are therefore called ‘Scheduled
Gujarati 4.9
Languages’. Others are called ‘non-
Scheduled Languages’. In terms of
Hindi 40.2
languages, India is perhaps the Kannada 3.9
most diverse country in the world. Kashmiri 0.5
Konkani 0.2
A look at the enclosed table Maithili 0.9
makes it clear that no one Malayalam 3.6
language is the mother tongue of
Manipuri 0.2
the majority of our population. The
Marathi 7.5
largest language, Hindi, is the
Nepali 0.3
mother tongue of only about 40
Oriya 3.4
per cent Indians. If we add to that
Punjabi 2.8
all those who knew Hindi as their
Sanskrit 0.01
second or third language, the total
Democratic Politics

Santhali 0.6
number was still less than 50 per
Sindhi 0.3
cent in 1991. As for English, only
0.02 per cent Indians recorded it as
Tamil 6.3
their mother tongue. Another 11 Telugu 7.9
per cent knew it as a second or Urdu 5.2
third language. Note: The first column in this table lists all the languages
currently included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian
Constitution. The second column gives the proportion of the
Read this table carefully, but speakers of each of these languages as per cent of the total
population of India. These figures are based on the Census of
you do not need to memorise it. India, 1991. The figures for Kashmiri and Dogri are based on
estimates, as the Census was not conducted in Jammu and
Just do the following: Kashmir in 1991.

22
 Read the following excerpts from an article by noted historian,
Ramachandra Guha, that appeared in the Times of India on November 1,
2006:

‘ ‘ Federalism

Take the example of your own state or any other state that was affected by
linguistic reorganisation. Write a short note for or against the argument given by
the author here on the basis of that example.

23
 Decentralisation in India
We noted above that federal
governments have two or more tiers
of governments. We have so far
discussed the two-tiers of government
in our country. But a vast country like
India cannot be run only through these
two-tiers. States in India are as large as
So, we are like a independent countries of Europe. In
three-tier coach
terms of population, Uttar Pradesh is
in a train! I
bigger than Russia, Maharashtra is
always prefer the
about as big as Germany. Many of
lower berth!
these States are internally very diverse.
There is thus a need for power sharing
within these States. Federal power
sharing in India needs another tier of
government, below that of the State
governments. This is the rationale for
decentralisation of power. Thus,
resulted a third-tier of government,
called local government.
When power is taken away from
Central and State governments and given
to local government, it is called
decentralisation. The basic idea behind
decentralisation is that there are a large
number of problems and issues which
are best settled at the local level. People
have better knowledge of problems in
their localities. They also have better ideas
on where to spend money and how to
manage things more efficiently. Besides,
at the local level it is possible for the
people to directly participate in decision
Democratic Politics
making. This helps to inculcate a habit
of democratic participation. Local
government is the best way to realise one
important principle of democracy,
namely local self-government.
The need for decentralisation was
recognised in our Constitution. Since
then, there have been several attempts
to decentralise power to the level of
villages and towns. Panchayats in
24
villages and municipalities in urban
areas were set up in all the States. But
these were directly under the control
of state governments. Elections to
these local governments were not held
regularly. Local governments did not
have any powers or resources of their
own. Thus, there was very little
decentralisation in effective terms.
A major step towards decentra-
lisation was taken in 1992. The
Constitution was amended to make the
third-tier of democracy more powerful
and effective.
z Now it is constitutionally
mandatory to hold regular elections to
local government bodies.
z Seats are reserved in the elected
bodies and the executive heads of
these institutions for the Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other
Backward Classes.
z At least one-third of all positions
are reserved for women.
z An independent institution called
the State Election Commission has
been created in each State to conduct
panchayat and municipal elections.
z The State governments are required
to share some powers and revenue with
local government bodies. The nature of
sharing varies from State to State.
Rural local government is
popularly known by the name
panchayati raj. Each village, or a group
of villages in some States, has a gram
panchayat. This is a council consisting
of several ward members, often called
panch, and a president or sarpanch.
They are directly elected by all the
adult population living in that ward
or village. It is the decision-making
body for the entire village. The
panchayat works under the overall
supervision of the gram sabha. All the
voters in the village are its members.
It has to meet at least twice or thrice
in a year to approve the annual budget
of the gram panchayat and to review
the perfor mance of the gram
panchayat.
The local government structure
goes right up to the district level. A
few gram panchayats are grouped
together to form what is usually called
a panchayat samiti or block or mandal.
The members of this representative
body are elected by all the panchyat
members in that area. All the panchayat
samitis or mandals in a district together
What do these newspaper clippings have to say about efforts of decentralisation in India?
constitute the zilla (district) parishad.
Most members of the zilla parishad are
elected. Members of the Lok Sabha
and MLAs of that district and some
other officials of other district level
bodies are also its members. Zilla
parishad chairperson is the political
head of the zilla parishad. Prime Minister runs
Similarly, local government bodies the country. Chief
exist for urban areas as well. Minister runs the
Municipalities are set up in towns. Big state. Logically,
cities are constituted into municipal then, the
corporations. Both municipalities and chairperson of Zilla
Parishad should
municipal corporations are controlled
run the district.
by elected bodies consisting of people’s
Why does the D.M.
representatives. Municipal chairperson
or Collector
is the political head of the municipality. administer the
In a municipal corporation such an district?
officer is called the mayor.
Federalism
25
 + An experiment in Brazil
A city called Porto Alegre in Brazil has carried out an extraordinary experiment
in combining decentralisation with participative democracy. The city has set up a
parallel organisation operating alongside the municipal council, enabling local
inhabitants to take real decisions for their city. The nearly 13 lakh people in this
city get to participate in making the budget for their own city. The city is divided
into many sectors or what we call wards. Each sector has a meeting, like that of
the gram sabha, in which anyone living in that area can participate. There are
some meetings to discuss issues that affect the entire city. Any citizen of the city
can participate in those meetings. The budget of the city is discussed in these
meetings. The proposals are put to the municipality that takes a final decision
about it.
About 20,000 people participate in this decision making exercise every year.
This method has ensured that the money cannot be spent only for the benefit of
the colonies where rich people live. Buses now run to the poor colonies and
builders cannot evict slum-dwellers without resettling them.
In our own country, a similar experiment has taken place in some areas in
Kerala. Ordinary people have participated in making a plan for the development
of their locality.

This new system of local increased women’s representation and

government is the largest experiment
in democracy conducted anywhere in
the world. There are now about 36 lakh
elected representatives in the
panchayats and municipalities etc., all
over the country. This number is bigger
than the population of many countries
in the world. Constitutional status for
local government has helped to deepen
democracy in our country. It has also
Democratic Politics
voice in our democracy. At the same
time, there are many difficulties. While
elections are held regularly and
enthusiastically, gram sabhas are not
held regularly. Most state governments
have not transferred significant powers
to the local governments. Nor have
they given adequate resources. We are
thus still a long way from realising the
ideal of self-government.

Find out about the local government in the village or town you live in.
If you live in a village, find out the names of the following: your panch or ward
member, your sarpanch, your panchayat samiti, the chairperson of your zilla
parishad. Also find out when did the last meeting of the gram sabha take place and
how many people took part in that.
If you live in urban areas, find out the name of your municipal councillor, and the
municipal chairperson or mayor. Also find out about the budget of your municipal
corporation, municipality and the major items on which money was spent.

26
1. Locate the following States on a blank outline political map of India:
Manipur, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Goa.
2. Identify and shade three federal countries (other than India) on a
blank outline political map of the world.
3. Point out one feature in the practice of federalism in India that is
similar to and one feature that is different from that of Belgium.
4. What is the main difference between a federal form of government
and a unitary one? Explain with an example.
5. State any two differences between the local government before and
after the Constitutional amendment in 1992.
6. Fill in the blanks:
Since the United States is a ___________________ type of

Exercises
federation, all the constituent States have equal powers and States
are ______________vis-à-vis the federal government. But India is a
_____________________ type of federation and some States have
more power than others. In India, the ____________ government
has more powers.
7. Here are three reactions to the language policy followed in India.
Give an argument and an example to support any of these positions.
Sangeeta: The policy of accommodation have strengthened
national unity.
Arman: Language based States has divided us by making
everyone conscious of their language.
Harish: This policy has only helped to consolidate the
dominance of English over all other languages.
8. The distinguishing feature of a federal government is:
(a) National government gives some powers to the provincial
government.
(b) Power is distributed among the legislature, executive and
judiciary.
(c) Elected officials exercise supreme power in the government.
(d) Governmental power is divided between different levels of
government.
9. A few subjects in various Lists of the Indian Constitution are given
here. Group them under the Union, State and Concurrent Lists as
provided in the table below.
A. Defence; B. Police; C. Agriculture; D. Education;
E. Banking; F. Forests; G. Communications; H. Trade; I. Marriages
Federalism

Union List
State List
Concurrent List

27
 10. Examine the following pairs that give the level of government in
India and the powers of the government at that level to make laws
on the subjects mentioned against each. Which of the following pairs
is not correctly matched?

(a) State government State List

(b) Central government Union List
(c) Central and State governments Concurrent List
(d) Local governments Residuary powers

11. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using
the codes given below the lists:

List I List II
Exercises
1. Union of India A. Prime Minister
2. State B. Sarpanch
3. Municipal Corporation C. Governor
4. Gram Panchayat D. Mayor

1 2 3 4
(a) D A B C
(b) B C D A
(c) A C D B
(d) C D A B

12. Consider the following two statements.

A. In a federation the powers of the federal and provincial
governments are clearly demarcated.
B. India is a federation because the powers of the Union and State
Governments are specified in the Constitution and they have
exclusive jurisdiction on their respective subjects.
C. Sri Lanka is a federation because the country is divided into
provinces.
D. India is no longer a federation because some powers of the States
have been devolved to the local government bodies.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Democratic Politics

(a) A, B and C (b) A, C and D (c) A and B only (d) B and C only

28

Narak! My Lord, you are the creator of music
in the world of Lepchas
Oh Narak! My Lord, let me dedicate
myself to you
Let me gather your music from the
springs, the rivers, the mountains, the forests,
the insects and the animals
Let me gather your music from the sweet
breeze and offer it to you
Source: Lepcha folk song from northern part of
West Bengal
We share this planet with millions of other
living beings, starting from micro-organisms
and bacteria, lichens to banyan trees,
elephants and blue whales. This entire
habitat that we live in has immense
biodiversity. We humans along with all living
organisms form a complex web of ecological
system in which we are only a part and very
much dependent on this system for our own
existence. For example, the plants, animals
and micro-organisms re-create the quality of
the air we breathe, the water we drink and
the soil that produces our food without which
we cannot survive. Forests play a key role in
the ecological system as these are also the
primary producers on which all other living
beings depend.
Biodiversity or Biological Diversity is
immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated
species, diverse in form and function but
closely integrated in a system through
multiple network of interdependencies.
Flora and Fauna in India
If you look around, you will be able to find
that there are some animals and plants which
are unique in your area. In fact, India is one
of the world’s richest countries in terms of
its vast array of biological diversity, and has
nearly 8 per cent of the total number of
species in the world (estimated to be 1.6
million). This is possibly twice or thrice the
number yet to be discovered. You have
already studied in detail about the extent
and variety of forest and wildlife resources
in India. You may have realised the
importance of these resources in our daily
life. These diverse flora and fauna are so
well integrated in our daily life that we take
these for granted. But, lately, they are under
great stress mainy due to insensitivity to
our environment.
Over 81,000 species of fauna and 47,000
species of flora are found in this country
so far? Of the estimated 47,000 plant
species, about 15,000 flowering species
are endemic (indigenous) to India.
Find out stories prevalent in your region
which are about the harmonious relationship
between human beings and nature.
Some estimates suggest that at least 10
per cent of India’s recorded wild flora and
20 per cent of its mammals are on the
threatened list. Many of these would now be
categorised as ‘critical’, that is on the verge
of extinction like the cheetah, pink-headed
duck, mountain quail, forest spotted owlet,
and plants like madhuca insignis (a wild
variety of mahua) and hubbardia
heptaneuron,(a species of grass). In fact, no
one can say how many species may have
already been lost. Today, we only talk of the
larger and more visible animals and plants
that have become extinct but what about
smaller animals like insects and plants?
Do you know that among the larger
animals in India, 79 species of mammals,
44 of birds, 15 of reptiles, and 3 of
amphibians are threatened? Nearly 1,500
plant species are considered endangered.
Flowering plants and vertebrate animals
have recently become extinct at a rate
estimated to be 50 to 100 times the
average expected natural rate.
Vanishing Forests
The dimensions of deforestation in India are
staggering. The forest cover in the country is
estimated at 637,293 sq km, which is 19.39
per cent of the total geographical area.
(dense forest 11.48 per cent; open forest 7.76
per cent; and mangrove 0.15 per cent).
According to the State of Forest Report
(1999), the dense forest cover has increased
Fig. 2.1
by 10,098 sq km since 1997. However, this
apparent increase in the forest cover is due
to plantation by different agencies. The State
of Forest Report does not differentiate
between natural forests and plantations.
Therefore, these reports fail to deliver
accurate information about actual loss of
natural forests.
Let us now understand the different
categories of existing plants and animal
species. Based on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN), we can classify as follows –
Normal Species: Species whose population
levels are considered to be normal for
their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine,
rodents, etc.
Endangered Species: These are species
which are in danger of extinction. The
survival of such species is difficult if the
negative factors that have led to a decline in
their population continue to operate. The
examples of such species are black buck,
crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion
tailed macaque, sangai (brow anter deer in
Manipur), etc.
Vulnerable Species: These are species
whose population has declined to levels from
where it is likely to move into the endangered
category in the near future if the negative
factors continue to operate. The examples of
such species are blue sheep, Asiatic elephant,
Gangetic dolphin, etc.
Rare Species: Species with small population
may move into the endangered or vulnerable
category if the negative factors affecting them
continue to operate. The examples of such
species are the Himalayan brown bear, wild
Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc.
Endemic Species: These are species which
are only found in some particular areas
usually isolated by natural or geographical
barriers. Examples of such species are the
Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman
wild pig, mithun in Arunchal Pradesh.
Extinct Species: These are species which
are not found after searches of known or
likely areas where they may occur. A species
may be extinct from a local area, region,
country, continent or the entire earth.
Examples of such species are the Asiatic
cheetah, pink head duck.
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 15
 Fig. 2.2: A few extinct, rare and endangered species
Asiatic Cheetah: where did they go?
The world’s fastest land mammal, the
cheetah (Acinonyx jubantus), is a unique and
specialised member of the cat family and
can move at the speed of 112 km./hr. The
cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. Its
distinguishing marks are the long teardrop-
shaped lines on each side of the nose from
the corner of its eyes to its mouth. Prior to
the 20th century, cheetahs were widely
distributed throughout Africa and Asia.
Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct
due to a decline of available habitat and
prey. The species was declared extinct in
India long back in 1952.
What are the negative factors that cause such
fearful depletion of the flora and fauna?
If you look around, you will be able to find
out how we have transformed nature into a
resource obtaining directly and indirectly from
the forests and wildlife – wood, barks, leaves,
rubber, medicines, dyes, food, fuel, fodder,
manure, etc. So it is we ourselves who have
16 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
depleted our forests and wildlife. The greatest
damage inflicted on Indian forests was during
the colonial period due to the expansion of the
railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific
forestry and mining activities. Even after
Independence, agricultural expansion
continues to be one of the major causes of
depletion of forest resources. Between 1951 and
1980, according to the Forest Survey of India,
over 26,200 sq. km. of forest area was converted
into agricultural land all over India. Substantial
parts of the tribal belts, especially in the north-
eastern and central India, have been deforested
or degraded by shifting cultivation (jhum), a type
of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Are colonial forest policies
to be blamed?
Some of our environmental activists say that
the promotion of a few favoured species, in
many parts of India, has been carried
through the ironically-termed “enrichment
plantation”, in which a single commercially
valuable species was extensively planted
and other species eliminated. For instance,
 teak monoculture has damaged the natural
forest in South India and Chir Pine (Pinus
roxburghii) plantations in the Himalayas
have replaced the Himalayan oak (Quercius
spp.) and Rhododendron forests.
Large-scale development projects have also
contributed significantly to the loss of forests.
Since 1951, over 5,000 sq km of forest was
cleared for river valley projects. Clearing of
forests is still continuing with projects like the
Narmada Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh,
which would inundate 40,000 hectares of
forest. Mining is another important factor
behind deforestation. The Buxa Tiger Reserve
in West Bengal is seriously threatened by the
ongoing dolomite mining. It has disturbed the
natural habitat of many species and blocked
the migration route of several others, including
the great Indian elephant.
Many foresters and environmentalists hold
the view that the greatest degrading factors
behind the depletion of forest resources are
grazing and fuel-wood collection. Though, there
may be some substance in their argument, yet,
the fact remains that a substantial part of the
fuel-fodder demand is met by lopping rather
than by felling entire trees. The forest
ecosystems are repositories of some of the
country’s most valuable forest products,
minerals and other resources that meet the
demands of the rapidly expanding industrial-
urban economy. These protected areas, thus
mean different things to different people, and
therein lies the fertile ground for conflicts.
The Himalayan Yew in trouble
The Himalayan Yew (Taxus wallachiana) is a
medicinal plant found in various parts of
Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
A chemical compound called ‘taxol’ is
extracted from the bark, needles, twigs and
roots of this tree, and it has been successfully
used to treat some cancers – the drug is now
the biggest selling anti-cancer drug in the
world. The species is under great threat due
to over-exploitation. In the last one decade,
thousands of yew trees have dried up in
various parts of Himachal Pradesh and
Arunachal Pradesh.

Tribal girls using bamboo saplings in a

nursery at Mukhali near Slient Valley

Tribal women selling minor forest produce Leaf litter collection by women folk

Fig. 2.3
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 17
 Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching,
over-exploitation, environmental pollution,
poisoning and forest fires are factors, which
have led to the decline in India’s biodiversity.
Other important causes of environmental
destruction are unequal access, inequitable
consumption of resources and differential
sharing of responsibility for environmental
well-being. Over-population in third world
countries is often cited as the cause of
environmental degradation. However, an
average American consumes 40 times more
resources than an average Somalian. Similarly,
the richest five per cent of Indian society
probably cause more ecological damage
because of the amount they consume than the
poorest 25 per cent. The former shares
minimum responsibilities for environmental
well-being. The question is: who is consuming
what, from where and how much?
Do you know that over half of India’s
natural forests are gone, one-third of its
wetlands drained out, 70 per cent of its
surface water bodies polluted, 40 per cent
of its mangroves wiped out, and with
continued hunting and trade of wild
animals and commercially valuable
plants, thousands of plant and animal
species are heading towards extinction?
Have you noticed any activity which leads
to the loss of biodiversity around you? Write
a note on it and suggest some measures to
prevent it.
The destruction of forests and wildlife is not
just a biological issue. The biological loss is
strongly correlated with the loss of cultural
diversity. Such losses have increasingly
marginalised and impoverished many
indigenous and other forest-dependent
communities, who directly depend on various
components of the forest and wildlife for food,
drink, medicine, culture, spirituality, etc.
Within the poor, women are affected more than
18 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
men. In many societies, women bear the major
responsibility of collection of fuel, fodder, water
and other basic subsistence needs. As these
resources are depleted, the drudgery of women
increases and sometimes they have to walk for
more than 10 km to collect these resources.
This causes serious health problems for women
and negligence of home and children because
of the increased hours of work, which often has
serious social implications. The indirect impact
of degradation such as severe drought or
deforestation-induced floods, etc. also hits the
poor the hardest. Poverty in these cases is a
direct outcome of environmental destruction.
Therefore, forest and wildlife, are vital to the
quality of life and environment in the
subcontinent. It is imperative to adapt to sound
forest and wildlife conservation strategies.
Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India
Conservation in the background of rapid
decline in wildlife population and forestry has
become essential. But why do we need to
conserve our forests and wildlife? Conservation
preserves the ecological diversity and our life
support systems – water, air and soil. It also
preserves the genetic diversity of plants and
animals for better growth of species and
breeding. For example, in agriculture, we are
still dependent on traditional crop varieties.
Fisheries too are heavily dependent on the
maintenance of aquatic biodiversity.
In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists
demanded a national wildlife protection
programme. The Indian Wildlife (Protection)
Act was implemented in 1972, with various
provisions for protecting habitats. An all-India
list of protected species was also published.
The thrust of the programme was towards
protecting the remaining population of certain
endangered species by banning hunting,
giving legal protection to their habitats, and
restricting trade in wildlife. Subsequently,
central and many state governments
established national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries about which you have already
studied. The central government also
announced several projects for protecting
specific animals, which were gravely
threatened, including the tiger, the one-
 Fig. 2.4: Rhino and deer in Kaziranga National Park

horned rhinoceros, the Kashmir stag or dropped to 3,600. There are 27 tiger
hangul, three types of crocodiles – fresh water reserves in India covering an area of
crocodile, saltwater crocodile and the Gharial, 37,761 sq km Tiger conservation has been
the Asiatic lion, and others. Most recently, the viewed not only as an effort to save an
Indian elephant, black buck (chinkara), the endangered species, but with equal
great Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow importance as a means of preserving
leopard, etc. have been given full or partial biotypes of sizeable magnitude. Corbett
legal protection against hunting and trade National Park in Uttaranchal, Sunderbans
throughout India. National Park in West Bengal, Bandhavgarh
National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Sariska
Project Tiger Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, Manas
Tiger is one of the key wildlife species in Tiger Reserve in Assam and Periyar Tiger
the faunal web. In 1973, the authorities Reserve in Kerala are some of the tiger
realised that the tiger population had reserves of India.
dwindled to 1,827 from an estimated
55,000 at the turn of the century. The major
The conservation projects are now focusing
threats to tiger population are numerous,
on biodiversity rather than on a few of its
such as poaching for trade, shrinking
components. There is now a more intensive
habitat, depletion of prey base species,
search for different conservation measures.
growing human population, etc. The trade
Increasingly, even insects are beginning to find
of tiger skins and the use of their bones in
a place in conservation planning. In the
traditional medicines, especially in the
notification under Wildlife Act of 1980 and
Asian countries left the tiger population on
1986, several hundred butterflies, moths,
the verge of extinction. Since India and
beetles, and one dragonfly have been added to
Nepal provide habitat to about two-thirds
the list of protected species. In 1991, for the
of the surviving tiger population in the
first time plants were also added to the list,
world, these two nations became prime
starting with six species.
targets for poaching and illegal trading.
“Project Tiger ”, one of the well-
publicised wildlife campaigns in the world,
was launched in 1973. Initially, it showed Collect more information on the wildlife
success as the tiger population went up to sanctuaries and national parks of India and
4,002 in 1985 and 4,334 in 1989. But in cite their locations on the map of India.
1993, the population of the tiger had

FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 19

 Can you find out the reasons for the above mentioned problems?
Types and Distribution of Forest and
Wildlife Resources
Even if we want to conserve our vast forest and
wildlife resources, it is rather difficult to
manage, control and regulate them. In India,
much of its forest and wildlife resources are
either owned or managed by the government
through the Forest Department or other
government departments. These are classified
under the following categories.
(i) Reserved Forests: More than half of the
total forest land has been declared
reserved forests. Reserved forests are
regarded as the most valuable as far as the
conservation of forest and wildlife resources
are concerned.
(ii) Protected Forests: Almost one-third of the
total forest area is protected forest, as declared
by the Forest Department. This forest land are
protected from any further depletion.
20 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
(iii) Unclassed Forests: These are other
forests and wastelands belonging to
both government and private individuals
and communities.
Reserved and protected forests are also
referred to as permanent forest estates
maintained for the purpose of producing
timber and other forest produce, and for
protective reasons. Madhya Pradesh has the
largest area under permanent forests,
constituting 75 per cent of its total forest area.
Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal,
and Maharashtra have large percentages of
reserved forests of its total forest area whereas
Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,
Orissa and Rajasthan have a bulk of it under
protected forests. All North-eastern states and
parts of Gujarat have a very high percentage
of their forests as un-classed forests managed
by local communities.
Community and Conservation
Conservation strategies are not new in our
country. We often ignore that in India, forests
are also home to some of the traditional
communities. In some areas of India, local
communities are struggling to conserve these
habitats along with government officials,
recognising that only this will secure their own
long-term livelihood. In Sariska Tiger Reserve,
Rajasthan, villagers have fought against
mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act. In
many areas, villagers themselves are protecting
habitats and explicitly rejecting government
involvement. The inhabitants of five villages in
the Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared
1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev
Dakav ‘Sonchuri’, declaring their own set of
rules and regulations which do not allow
hunting, and are protecting the wildlife against
any outside encroachments.
Sacred groves - a wealth of diverse
and rare species
Nature worship is an age old tribal belief
based on the premise that all creations of
nature have to be protected. Such beliefs
have preserved several virgin forests in
pristine form called Sacred Groves (the
forests of God and Goddesses). These
patches of forest or parts of large forests have
been left untouched by the local people and
any interference with them is banned.
Certain societies revere a particular tree
which they have preserved from time
immemorial. The Mundas and the Santhal of
Chhota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia
latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus
cadamba) trees, and the tribals of Orissa and
Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus
indica) and mango (Mangifera indica) trees
during weddings. To many of us, peepal and
banyan trees are considered sacred.
Indian society comprises several
cultures, each with its own set of traditional
methods of conserving nature and its
creations. Sacred qualities are often
ascribed to springs, mountain peaks, plants
and animals which are closely protected. You
will find troops of macaques and langurs
around many temples. They are fed daily
and treated as a part of temple devotees. In
and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan,
herds of blackbuck, (chinkara), nilgai and
peacocks can be seen as an integral part of
the community and nobody harms them.
Write a short essay on any practices which
you may have observed and practised in
your everyday lives that conserve and protect
the environment around you.
The famous Chipko movement in the
Himalayas has not only successfully resisted
deforestation in several areas but has also shown
that community afforestation with indigenous
species can be enormously successful.
Attempts to revive the traditional conservation
methods or developing new methods of
ecological farming are now widespread. Farmers
and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao
Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown
that adequate levels of diversified crop
production without the use of synthetic
chemicals are possible and economically viable.
In India joint forest management (JFM)
programme furnishes a good example for
involving local communities in the
management and restoration of degraded
forests. The programme has been in formal
existence since 1988 when the state of Orissa
passed the first resolution for joint forest
management. JFM depends on the formation
of local (village) institutions that undertake
protection activities mostly on degraded forest
land managed by the forest department. In
return, the members of these communities are
entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber
forest produces and share in the timber
harvested by ‘successful protection’.
The clear lesson from the dynamics of both
environmental destruction and reconstruction
in India is that local communities everywhere
have to be involved in some kind of natural
resource management. But there is still a long
way to go before local communities are at the
centre-stage in decision-making. Accept only
those economic or developmental activities,
that are people centric, environment-friendly
and economically rewarding.
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 21
 “The tree is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence and
makes no demand for its sustenance, and extends generously the products of its
life activity. It affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axemen
who destroy it”.
Gautama Buddha (487 B.C.)

EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which of these statements is not a valid reason for the depletion of flora
and fauna?
(a) Agricultural expansion.
(b) Large scale developmental projects.
(c) Grazing and fuel wood collection.
(d) Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
(ii) Which of the following conservation strategies do not directly involve
community participation?
(a) Joint forest management (c) Chipko Movement
(b) Beej Bachao Andolan (d) Demarcation of Wildlife sanctuaries

2. Match the following animals with their category of existence.

Animals/Plants Category of existence

Black buck Extinct

Asiatic elephant Rare
Andaman wild pig Endangered
Himalayan brown bear Vulnerable
Pink head duck Endemic

3. Match the following.

Reserved forests other forests and wastelands belonging to both

Protected forests
Unclassed forests
government and private individuals and
communities
forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the
conservation of forest and wildlife resources
forest lands are protected from any further depletion

4. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) What is biodiversity? Why is biodiversity important for human lives?
(ii) How have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna? Explain.

5. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Describe how communities have conserved and protected forests and wildlife
in India?
(ii) Write a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.

22 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Gender,
Religion and
Caste

Overview

Chapter 4
In the previous chapter we noted that the existence of social diversity
does not threaten democracy. Political expression of social differences
is possible and sometimes quite desirable in a democratic system. In
this chapter we apply these ideas to the practice of democracy in
India. We look at three kinds of social differences that can take the
form of social divisions and inequalities. These are social differences
based on gender, religion and caste. In each case we look at the
nature of this division in India and how it gets expressed in politics.
We also ask whether different expressions based on these differences
are healthy or otherwise in a democracy.
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e

39
 Gender and politics
Public/private division
Boys and girls are brought up to believe
that the main responsibility of women is
housework and bringing up children.
This is reflected in a SEXUAL DIVISION OF
LABOUR in most families: women do all
work inside the home such as cooking,
cleaning, washing clothes, tailoring,
looking after children, etc., and men do
all the work outside the home. It is not
that men cannot do housework; they
simply think that it is for women to
© Zuban

attend to these things. When these jobs

Sexual division of labour:
A system in which all work
inside the home is either
done by the women of the
family, or organised by
them through the
domestic helpers.
Democratic Politics
A poster from Bengal affirming women’s
strength.
Let us begin with gender division. This
is a form of hierarchical social division
seen everywhere, but is rarely recognised
in the study of politics. The gender
division tends to be understood as natural
and unchangeable. However, it is not
based on biolog y but on social
expectations and stereotypes.
are paid for, men are ready to take up
these works. Most tailors or cooks in
hotels are men. Similarly, it is not that
women do not work outside their home.
In villages, women fetch water, collect
fuel and work in the fields. In urban
areas, poor women work as domestic
helper in middle class homes, while
middle class women work in offices. In
fact the majority of women do some
sort of paid work in addition to
domestic labour. But their work is not
valued and does not get recognition.
The result of this division of labour
is that although women constitute half
of the humanity, their role in public life,
especially politics, is minimal in most
societies. Earlier, only men were allowed
to participate in public affairs, vote and

contest for public offices. Gradually the

gender issue was raised in politics.
Why not? If Women in different parts of the world
Why are we
politics is about organised and agitated for equal rights.
discussing things
power, then There were agitations in different
like household
surely male countries for the extension of voting
work in this
dominance in the rights to women. These agitations
textbook on
household should
Political Science? demanded enhancing the political and
be considered
Is this politics? legal status of women and improving
political.

40
 their educational and career
opportunities. More radical women’s
movements aimed at equality in personal
and family life as well. These movements
are called FEMINIST movements.
Political expression of gender
division and political mobilisation on this
question helped to improve women’s
role in public life. We now find women
working as scientists, doctors, engineers,
lawyers, managers and college and
university teachers which were earlier not
considered suitable for women. In some
parts of the world, for example in

G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e

Feminist: A woman
© Zuban

or a man who
believes in equal rights
Discuss all these perceptions of an ideal woman that prevail in our society. Do you
and opportunities for
agree with any of these? If not, what is your image of an ideal woman? women and men.

41
 Scandinavian countries such as Sweden,
Norway and Finland, the participation
of women in public life is very high.
In our country, women still lag much
behind men despite some improvement
since Independence. Ours is still a male-
dominated, PATRIARCHAL society. Women
face disadvantage, discrimination and
oppression in various ways:
z The literacy rate among women is
only 54 per cent compared with 76 per
cent among men. Similarly, a smaller

+ A ‘time use survey’ was conducted in six states of our country. It

shows that an average woman works every day for a little over
seven and half hours while an average man works for six and a
half hours. Yet the work done by men is more visible because
most of their work leads to generation of income. Women also do
a lot of direct income generating work, but the bulk of their work
is household related. This work remains unpaid and invisible.

Daily time use (hours: minutes)

Activities Men Women

Income generating work 6:00 2:40
Household and related work 0:30 5:00
Talking, Gossip 1:25 1:20
No work/ Leisure 3:40 3:50
Sleep, self-care, reading etc. 12:25 11:10

Source: Government of India, Time Use Survey, 1998-99.

You can conduct a similar time use survey in your own household.
Democratic Politics

Observe all the adult male and female members of your family for
one week. Every day note down the number of hours each of
them spends on the following activities: income generating
Patriarchy: Literally, activity (working at the office or shop or factory or field, etc.),
rule by father, this household related activity (cooking, cleaning, washing, fetching
concept is used to refer water, looking after children or elders, etc.), reading and
to a system that values recreation, talking/gossiping, self-care, taking rest or sleeping. If
men more and gives necessary make new categories. Add up the time taken on each
them power over activity for a week and calculate the daily average for each activity
women. for each member. Do women work more in your family as well?

42
 proportion of girl students go for higher
studies. When we look at school results,
girls perform as well as boys, if not
better in some places. But they drop out
because parents prefer to spend their
resources for their boys’ education rather
than spending equally on their sons and
daughters.
z No wonder the proportion of
women among the highly paid and
valued jobs is still very small. On an
average an Indian woman works one
hour more than an average man every
day. Yet much of her work is not paid
DELHI
Source: UNFP
Map not to scale
and therefore often not valued.
Mummy always
z The Equal Wages Act provides that says to outsiders:
equal wages should be paid to equal “I don’t work. I
work. However in almost all areas of am a housewife.”
work, from sports and cinema, to But I see her
factories and fields, women are paid less working non-stop
than men, even when both do exactly all the time. If
the same work. what she does is
z In many parts of India parents not work, what
prefer to have sons and find ways to else is work?
have the girl child aborted before she is
born. Such sex-selective abortion led to
a decline in child sex ratio (number of
girl children per thousand boys) in the
Can you identify your district on this map?
What is the child sex ratio in it? How is it
different from others with a different colour?
Identify the States where most districts have
child sex ratio below 850.
Compare this map with the poster on the next
page. How do the two of them tell us about the
same issue?
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
CHILD SEX RATIO
BELOW 800
800-849
850-899
900-949
950 AND ABOVE
DATA NOT AVAILABLE
NATIONAL AVERAGE 927
43
 They are not safe even within their own
home from beating, harrassment and
other forms of domestic violence.
Women’s political
representation
All this is well known. Yet issues related
to women’s well being or otherwise are
not given adequate attention. This has led
many feminists and women’s movements
to the conclusion that unless women
control power, their problems will not
get adequate attention. One way to
ensure this is to have more women as
elected representatives.
© Oxfam GB

In India, the proportion of women

country to merely 927. As the map
shows, this ratio has fallen below 850 or
even 800 in some places.
There are reports of various kinds
of harassment, exploitation and violence
against women. Urban areas have
become particularly unsafe for women.
in legislature has been very low. For
example, the percentage of elected
women members in Lok Sabha has never
reached even 10 per cent of its total
strength. Their share in the state
assemblies is less than 5 per cent. In this
respect, India is among the bottom
group of nations in the world (see the
graph below). India is behind the

Women in national parliaments in different

regions of the world (in%)
40
40
World
Average
Democratic Politics

16.8

20.2 19.6
16.5 16.3
Could you think of some 12.3 11.7
reasons why women’s 8.3 8.2
representation is so low
in India? Do you think 0
America’s and Europe Nordic Americas Europe Sub- Asia Pacific South India Arab
countries Saharan Africa Asia States
have achieved a
Region
satisfactory level of Note: Figures are for the per cent of women in the directly elected chambers of parliament in 2006
women’s representation? Source: http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/world.htm

44
averages for several developing countries
of Africa and Latin America. In the
government, cabinets are largely all-male
even when a woman becomes the Chief
Minister or the Prime Minister.
One way to solve this problem is to
make it legally binding to have a fair
proportion of women in the elected
bodies. This is what the Panchayati Raj
has done in India. One-third of seats in
local government bodies – in panchayats
and municipalities – are now reserved
for women. Now there are more than
10 lakh elected women representatives
in rural and urban local bodies.
Women’s org anisations and
activists have been demanding a similar
© Surender - The Hindu
This cartoon offers an understanding of why the Women’s Reservation Bill has not been passed in the
Parliament. Do you agree with this reading?
reservation of at least one-third of
seats in the Lok Sabha and State
Assemblies for women. A bill with this
proposal has been pending before the
Parliament for more than a decade. But
there is no consensus over this among
all the political parties. The bill has not
been passed. If casteism and
Gender division is an example that communalism are
some form of social division needs to bad, what makes
be expressed in politics. This also shows feminism a good
thing? Why don’t
that disadvantaged groups do benefit
we oppose all
when social divisions become a political
those who divide
issue. Do you think that women could
the society on
have made the gains we noted above if any lines – caste,
their unequal treatment was not raised religion or
in the political domain? gender?
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
45
 Religion, communalism and politics
Let us now turn to a very different kind
of social division, the division based on
religious differences. This division is not
as universal as gender, but religious
diversity is fairly widespread in the world
today. Many countries including India
have in their population, followers of
different religions. As we noticed in the
case of Northern Ireland, even when
most of the people belong to the same
Democratic Politics
religion, there can be serious differences
about the way people practice that
religion. Unlike gender differences, the
religious differences are often expressed
I am not religious. in the field of politics.
Why should I Consider the following:
bother about
z Gandhiji used to say that religion can
communalism and
never be separated from politics. What
secularism?
he meant by religion was not any
46
particular religion like Hinduism or Islam
but moral values that inform all religions.
He believed that politics must be guided
by ethics drawn from religion.
z Human rights groups in our country
have argued that most of the victims of
communal riots in our country are
people from religious minorities. They
have demanded that the government
take special steps to protect religious
minorities.
z Women’s movement has argued
that FAMILY LAWS of all religions
discriminate against women. So they
have demanded that government should
change these laws to make them more
equitable.
All these instances involve a
relationship between religion and politics.
But they do not seem very wrong or
dangerous. Ideas, ideals and values
drawn from different religions can and
perhaps should play a role in politics.
People should be able to express in
politics their needs, interests and demands
as a member of a religious community.
Those who hold political power should
sometimes be able to regulate the
practice of religion so as to prevent
discrimination and oppression. These
political acts are not wrong as long as
they treat every religion equally.
Communalism
The problem begins when religion is seen
as the basis of the nation. The example
of Northern Ireland in Chapter 3 shows
the dangers of such an approach to
nationalism. The problem becomes
more acute when religion is expressed
in politics in exclusive and partisan terms,
when one religion and its followers are
pitted against another. This happens when
beliefs of one religion are presented as
superior to those of other religions,
when the demands of one religious
group are formed in opposition to
another and when state power is used
to establish domination of one religious
group over the rest. This manner of
using religion in politics is communal
politics.
Communal politics is based on the
idea that religion is the principal basis of
social community. Communalism
involves thinking along the following
lines. The followers of a particular
religion must belong to one community.
Their fundamental interests are the same.
Any difference that they may have is
irrelevant or trivial for community life.
It also follows that people who follow
different religions cannot belong to the
same social community. If the followers
I often crack
of different religion have some
jokes about
commonalities these are superficial and
people from one
immaterial. Their interests are bound to
religion. Does
be different and involve a conflict. In its
that make me
extreme form communalism leads to the communal?
belief that people belonging to different
religions cannot live as equal citizens
within one nation. Either, one of them
has to dominate the rest or they have to
form different nations.
This belief is fundamentally flawed.
People of one religion do not have the
same interests and aspirations in every
context. Everyone has several other roles,
positions and identities. There are many
voices inside every community. All these
voices have a right to be heard. Therefore
any attempt to bring all followers of one
religion together in context other than
religion is bound to suppress many voices
within that community.
Communalism can take various
forms in politics:
z The most common expression of
communalism is in everyday beliefs.
These routinely involve religious
prejudices, stereotypes of religious
communities and belief in the superiority
of one’s religion over other religions. This
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
is so common that we often fail to notice
it, even when we believe in it.
z A communal mind often leads to a
quest for political dominance of one’s
own religious community. For those Family laws: Those
belonging to majority community, this laws that deal with
takes the for m of majoritarian family related matters
dominance. For those belonging to the such as marriage,
minority community, it can take the divorce, adoption,
form of a desire to form a separate inheritance, etc. In our
political unit. country, different family
laws apply to followers
z Political mobilisation on religious
of different religions.
lines is another frequent form of
47
 We remain strangers
Even after so many meetings
Blood stains remain
Even after so many rains
‘Faiz’
communalism. This involves the use of
sacred symbols, religious leaders,
emotional appeal and plain fear in order
to bring the followers of one religion
together in the political arena. In electoral
Democratic Politics
politics this often involves special appeal
to the interests or emotions of voters
of one religion in preference to others.
z Sometimes communalism takes its
most ugly form of communal violence,
riots and massacre. India and Pakistan
suffered some of the worst communal
riots at the time of the Partition. The
post-Independence period has also seen
large scale communal violence.
48
Secular state
Communalism was and continues to
be one of the major challenges to
democracy in our country. The makers
of our Constitution were aware of this
challenge. That is why they chose the
model of a secular state. This choice was
reflected in several constitutional
provisions that we studied last year:
z There is no official religion for the
Indian state. Unlike the status of
Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that of Islam in
Pakistan and that of Christianity in
England, our Constitution does not give
a special status to any religion.
z The Constitution provides to all
individuals and communities freedom to
profess, practice and propagate any
religion, or not to follow any.
z The Constitution prohibits
discrimination on grounds of religion.
z At the same time the Constitution
allows the state to intervene in the

© Ajith Ninan - The Times of India

matters of religion in order to ensure
equality within religious communities.
For example, it bans untouchability.
Understood in this sense, secularism
is not just an ideology of some parties
or persons. This idea constitutes one of
the foundations of our country.
Communalism should not be seen as a
threat to some people in India. It
threatens the very idea of India. That is
why communalism needs to be
combated. A secular Constitution like
ours is necessary but not sufficient to countered in every day life and religion
combat communalism. Communal based mobilisation needs to be
prejudices and propaganda needs to be countered in the arena of politics.

Caste and politics

We have seen two instances of the this system, hereditary occupational
expression of social divisions in the arena division was sanctioned by rituals.

of politics, one largely positive and the
other largely negative. Let us turn to our
final case, that of caste and politics, that
has both positive and the negative aspects.
Caste inequalities
Unlike gender and religion, caste division
is special to India. All societies have some
kind of social inequality and some form
of division of labour. In most societies,
occupations are passed on from one
generation to another. Caste system is an
extreme form of this. What makes it
different from other societies is that in
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
Members of the same caste group were
supposed to form a social community
that practiced the same or similar
occupation, married within the caste
group and did not eat with members
from other caste groups.
Caste system was based on exclusion
of and discrimination against the
‘outcaste’ groups. They were subjected
to the inhuman practice of untouchability
about which you have studied in Class
IX. That is why political leaders and social
reformers like Jotiba Phule, Gandhiji,
B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar Ramaswami

49
 Social and Religious Diversity of India
The Census of India records the religion of each and every Indian after every ten
years. The person who fills the Census form visits every household and records the
religion of each member of that household exactly the way each person describes it.
If someone says she has ‘no religion’ or that he is an ‘atheist’, this is exactly how it is
recorded. Thus we have reliable information on the proportion of different religious
communities in the country and how it has changed over the years. The pie chart
below presents the population proportion of six major religious groups in the country.
Since Independence, the total population of each group has increased substantially
but their proportion in the country’s population has not changed much. In percentage
terms, the population of the Hindus, Jains and Christians has declined marginally since
1961. The proportion of Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist population has increased slightly.
There is a common but mistaken impression that the proportion of the Muslims in the
country’s population is going to overtake other religious groups. Expert estimates done
for the Prime Minister’s High Level Committee (popularly known as Sachar Committee)
show that the proportion of the Muslims is expected to go up a little, by about 3 to 4
per cent, in the next 50 years. It proves that in overall terms, the population balance
of different religious groups is not likely to change in a big way.
The same is true of the major caste groups. The Census of India counts two social
groups: the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Both these broad groups
include hundreds of castes or tribes whose names are listed in an official Schedule.
Hence the prefix ‘Scheduled’ in their name. The Scheduled Castes, commonly known
as Dalits, include those that were previously regarded as ‘outcaste’ in the Hindu social
order and were subjected to exclusion and untouchability. The Scheduled Tribes, often
referred to as Adivasis, include those communities that led a secluded life usually in
hills and forests and did not interact much with the rest of society. In 2001, the
Scheduled Castes were 16.2 per
cent and the Scheduled Tribes were
8.2 per cent of the country’s Population of different religious
population. group in India, 2001
The Census does not yet count the
Other Backward Classes, the group Hindu
80.5%
we discussed in class IX. Hence
there are some differences about
Democratic Politics

their proportion in the country’s Muslim

population. The National Sample 13.4%
Survey of 2004-05 estimates their
population to be around 41 per Others 1.9%
cent. Thus the SC, ST and the Christian 2.3%
Others include Buddhist 0.8% Jain 0.4%
OBC together account for about All other religions 0.6% No religion 0.1%
two-thirds of the country’s Sikh 1.9%
Source: Census of India, 2001
population and about three-fourths
of the Hindu population.

50
Naicker advocated and worked to
establish a society in which caste I don’t care what Now you don’t like
inequalities are absent. my caste is. Why it! Didn’t you tell
are we discussing me that wherever
Partly due to their efforts and partly
all this in the there is domination,
due to other socio-economic changes, textbook? Are we we should discuss it
castes and caste system in modern India not promoting in Political Science?
have undergone great changes. With casteism by Will caste disappear
economic development, large scale talking about if we keep mum
URBANISATION, growth of literacy and caste? about it?
education, OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY and
the weakening of the position of
landlords in the villages, the old notions
of CASTE HIERARCHY are breaking down.
Now, most of the times, in urban areas
it does not matter much who is walking
along next to us on a street or eating at
the next table in a restaurant. The
Constitution of India prohibited any be closely linked to economic status.
caste-based discrimination and laid the (See Plus Box on Page 52.)
foundations of policies to reverse the
Caste in politics
injustices of the caste system. If a person
who lived a century ago were to return As in the case of communalism, casteism
to India, she would be greatly surprised is rooted in the belief that caste is the
at the change that has come about in sole basis of social community.
the country. According to this way of thinking,
people belonging to the same caste
Yet caste has not disappeared from
belong to a natural social community and
contemporary India. Some of the older
have the same interests which they do
aspects of caste have persisted. Even
not share with anyone from another caste. Urbanisation: Shift of
now most people marry within their
As we saw in the case of communalism, population from rural
own caste or tribe. Untouchability has
such a belief is not borne out by our areas to urban areas
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
not ended completely, despite
experience. Caste is one aspect of our Occupational
constitutional prohibition. Effects of mobility: Shift from
experience but it is not the only relevant
centuries of advantages and one occupation to
or the most important aspect.
disadvantages continue to be felt today. another, usually when a
The caste groups that had access to Caste can take various forms in politics: new generation takes up
education under the old system have z When parties choose candidates in occupations other than
done very well in acquiring modern elections, they keep in mind the caste those practiced by their
education as well. Those groups that did composition of the electorate and ancestors.
not have access to education or were nominate candidates from different Caste hierarchy: A
prohibited from acquiring it have naturally castes so as to muster necessary support ladder like formation in
lagged behind. That is why there is a to win elections. When governments are which all the caste
groups are placed from
disproportionately large presence of formed, political parties usually take care
the ‘highest’ to the
‘upper caste’ among the urban middle that representatives of different castes and
‘lowest’ castes.
classes in our country. Caste continues to tribes find a place in it.

51
 Caste inequality today
Caste is an important source of economic inequality because it regulates access
to resources of various kinds. For example, in the past, the so-called
‘untouchable’ castes were denied the right to own land, while only the so-called
‘twice born’ castes had the right to education. Although this kind of explicit and
formalised inequality based on caste is now outlawed, the effects of centuries of
accumulated advantages and disadvantages continue to be felt. Moreover, new
kinds of inequalities have also developed.
The relationship between caste and economic status has certainly changed a lot.
Today, it is possible to find very rich and very poor people in every caste,
whether ‘low’ or ‘high’. This was not true even twenty or thirty years ago – it
was very rare indeed to find rich people among the ‘lowest’ castes. However, as
this evidence from the National Sample Survey shows, caste continues to be very
strongly linked to economic status in many important ways:
z The average economic status (measured by criteria like monthly consumption
expenditure) of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy – the ‘upper’ castes
are best off, the Dalits and Adivasis are worst off, and the backward classes are
in between.
z Although every caste has some poor members, the proportion living in
extreme poverty (below the official ‘poverty line’) is much higher for the lowest
castes and much lower for the upper castes, with the backward classes once
again in between.
z Although every caste has some members who are rich, the upper castes are
heavily over-represented among the rich while the lower castes are severely
under-represented.

Percentage of poulation living below the poverty line, 1999-2000

Caste and Community groups Rural Urban
Scheduled Tribes 45.8 35.6
Scheduled Castes 35.9 38.3
Other Backward Classes 27.0 29.5
Muslim Upper Castes 26.8 34.2
Democratic Politics

Hindu Upper Castes 11.7 9.9

Christian Upper Castes 9.6 5.4
Sikh Upper Castes 0.0 4.9
Other Upper Castes 16.0 2.7
All Groups 27.0 23.4
Note: ‘Upper Caste’ here means those who are not from SC, ST, or OBC. Below the poverty line
means those who spent Rs 327 or less per person per month in rural and Rs 454 or less per
person per month in urban areas.
Source: National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), Government of India, 55th Round, 1999-2000

52
z Political parties and candidates in
elections make appeals to caste sentiment
to muster support. Some political parties
are known to favour some castes and
are seen as their representatives.
z Universal adult franchise and the
principle of one-person-one-vote
compelled political leaders to gear up
to the task of mobilising and securing
political support. It also brought new
consciousness among the people of
castes that were hitherto treated as
inferior and low.
The focus on caste in politics can
sometimes give an impression that
elections are all about caste and nothing
else. That is far from true. Just consider
these:
z No parliamentary constituency in
the country has a clear majority of one
single caste. So, every candidate and party
needs to win the confidence of more
than one caste and community to win
elections.
z No party wins the votes of all the
voters of a caste or community. When
people say that a caste is a ‘vote bank’
of one party, it usually means that a large
proportion of the voters from that caste
vote for that party.
Clearly, while caste matters in
electoral politics, so do many other
factors. The voters have strong
attachment to political parties which is
often stronger than their attachment to
their caste or community. People within
the same caste or community have
different interests depending on their
economic condition. Rich and poor or
men and women from the same caste
often vote very differently. People’s
assessment of the performance of the
government and the popularity rating of
the leaders matter and are often decisive
in elections.
Politics in caste
We have so far looked at what caste does
to politics. But it does not mean that there
is only a one-way relation between caste
and politics. Politics too influences the
caste system and caste identities by
bringing them into the political arena.
G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
© Ajith Ninan - India Today Book of Cartoons

z Many political parties may put up

candidates from the same caste (if that
caste is believed to dominate the
electorate in a particular constituency).
Some voters have more than one
candidate from their caste while many
voters have no candidate from their
caste.
z The ruling party and the sitting MP
or MLA frequently lose elections in our
country. That could not have happened
if all castes and communities were Do you think that political leaders are right to treat people belonging
frozen in their political preferences. to a caste as ‘vote banks’?

53
 Thus, it is not politics that gets caste-
ridden, it is the caste that gets politicised.
This takes several forms:
z Each caste group tries to become
bigger by incorporating within it
neighbouring castes or sub-castes which
were earlier excluded from it.
z Various caste groups are required to
enter into a coalition with other castes or
communities and thus enter into a
dialogue and negotiation.
z New kinds of caste groups have
come up in the political arena like
‘backward’ and ‘forward’ caste groups.
Thus, caste plays different kinds of
roles in politics. In some situations,
expression of caste differences in politics
gives many disadvantaged communities
the space to demand their share of
power. In this sense-caste politics has
helped people from Dalits and OBC
castes to gain better access to decision
making. Several political and non-political
organisations have been demanding and
agitating for an end to discrimination
against particular castes, for more dignity
and more access to land, resources and
opportunities.
At the same time exclusive attention
to caste can produce negative results as
well. As in the case of religion, politics
based on caste identity alone is not very
healthy in a democracy. It can divert
attention from other pressing issues like
Democratic Politics

poverty, development and corruption. In

some cases caste division leads to
tensions, conflict and even violence.

54
1. Mention different aspects of life in which women are discriminated
or disadvantaged in India.
2. State different forms of communal politics with one example each.
3. State how caste inequalities are still continuing in India.
4. State two reasons to say that caste alone cannot determine
election results in India.
5. What is the status of women’s representation in India’s legislative
bodies?
6. Mention any two constitutional provisions that make India a
secular state.

Exercises
7. When we speak of gender divisions, we usually refer to:
(a) Biological difference between men and women
(b) Unequal roles assigned by the society to men and women
(c) Unequal child sex ratio
(d) Absence of voting rights for women in democracies
8. In India seats are reserved for women in
(a) Lok Sabha
(b) State legislative assemblies
(c) Cabinets
(d) Panchayati Raj bodies
9. Consider the following statements on the meaning of communal
politics. Communal politics is based on the belief that:
A. One religion is superior to that of others.
B. People belonging to different religions can live together happily
as equal citizens.
C. Followers of a particular religion constitute one community.
D. State power cannot be used to establish the domination of
one religious group over others.

G e n d e r, R e l i g i o n a n d C a s t e
Which of the statements is/are correct?
(a) A, B, C, and D (b) A, B, and D (c) A and C (d) B and D
10. Which among the following statements about India’s Constitution
is wrong? It
(a) prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
(b) gives official status to one religion.
(c) provides to all individuals freedom to profess any religion.
(d) ensures equality of citizens within religious communities.
11. Social divisions based on _________ are peculiar to India.

55
 12. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the
codes given below the Lists:

List I List II
1. A person who believes in equal rights
and opportunities for women and men A. Communalist
2. A person who says that religion is the
principal basis of community B. Feminist
3. A person who thinks that caste is the
principal basis of community C. Secularist
4. A person who does not discriminate
Exercises
others on the basis of religious beliefs D. Castiest

1 2 3 4
(a) B C A D
(b) B A D C
(c) D C A B
(d) C A B D
Democratic Politics

56
We use different materials and services in our
daily life. Some of these are available in our
immediate surroundings, while other
requirements are met by bringing things from
other places. Goods and services do not move
from supply locales to demand locales on their
own. The movement of these goods and services
from their supply locations to demand locations
necessitates the need for transport. Some people
are engaged in facilitating these movements.
These are known to be traders who make the
products come to the consumers by
transportation. Thus, the pace of development
of a country depends upon the production of
goods and services as well as their movement
over space. Therefore, efficient means of transport
are pre-requisites for fast development.
Movement of these goods and services can be
over three important domains of our earth i.e. land,
water and air. Based on these, transport can also
be classified into land, water and air transport.
Fig. 7.1
For a long time, trade and transport were
restricted to a limited space. With the
development in science and technology, the
area of influence of trade and transport
expanded far and wide. Today, the world has
been converted into a large village with the help
of efficient and fast moving transport.
Transport has been able to achieve this with
the help of equally developed communication
system. Therefore, transport, communication
and trade are complementary to each other.
Today, India is well-linked with the rest of
the world despite its vast size, diversity and
linguistic and socio-cultural plurality.
Railways, airways, water ways, newspapers,
radio, television, cinema and internet, etc. have
been contributing to its socio-economic
progress in many ways. The trades from local
to international levels have added to the vitality
of its economy. It has enriched our life and
added substantially to growing amenities and
facilities for the comforts of life.
In this chapter, you will see how modern
means of transport and communication serve
as life lines of our nation and its modern
economy. It is thus, evident that a dense and
efficient network of transport and
communication is a pre-requisite for local,
national and global trade of today.
TRANSPORT
Roadways
India has one of the largest road networks in
the world, aggregating to about 2.3 million km
at present. In India, roadways have preceded
railways. They still have an edge over railways
in view of the ease with which they can be built
and maintained. The growing importance of
road transport vis-à-vis rail transport is rooted
in the following reasons; (a) construction cost of
roads is much lower than that of railway lines,
(b) roads can traverse comparatively more
dissected and undulating topography, (c) roads
can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and as
such can traverse mountains such as the
Himalayas, (d) road transport is economical in
transportation of few persons and relatively
smaller amount of goods over short distances,
(e) it also provides door-to-door service, thus
the cost of loading and unloading is much lower,
(f) road transport is also used as a feeder to other
modes of transport such as they provide a link
between railway stations, air and sea ports.
In India, roads are classified in the following
six classes according to their capacity. Look at
the map of the National Highways and find out
about the significant role played by these roads.
• Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways:
The government has launched a major road
development project linking Delhi-Kolkata-
Chennai-Mumbai and Delhi by six-lane
Super Highways. The North-South corridors
linking Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) and
Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), and East-West
Corridor connecting Silcher (Assam) and
Porbander (Gujarat) are part of this project.
The major objective of these Super Highways
is to reduce the time and distance between
the mega cities of India. These highway
projects are being implemented by the
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
• National Highways: National Highways
link extreme parts of the country. These are
the primary road systems and are laid and
maintained by the Central Public Works
Department (CPWD). A number of major
National Highways run in North-South and
East-West directions. The historical Sher-
Shah Suri Marg is called National Highway
No.1, between Delhi and Amritsar.
Fig.7.2: Ahmedabad- Vadodara Expressway
Find out places linked by the National
Highway 2 and 3.
Do you know that National Highway-7
is the longest and traverses 2, 369 km
between Varanasi and Kanyakumari
via Jabalpur, Nagpur, Hyderabad,
Bangalore and Madurai. Delhi and
Mumbai are connected by National
Highway-8, while National Highway-15
covers most of Rajasthan.
• State Highways: Roads linking a state
capital with different district headquarters
are known as State Highways. These roads
are constructed and maintained by the State
Public Works Department (PWD) in State
and Union Territories.
• District Roads: These roads connect the
district headquarters with other places of the
district. These roads are maintained by the
Zila Parishad.
• Other Roads: Rural roads, which link rural
areas and villages with towns, are classified
under this category. These roads received
special impetus under the Pradhan Mantri
Grameen Sadak Yojana. Under this scheme
special provisions are made so that every village
in the country is linked to a major town in the
country by an all season motorable road.

82 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
India: National Highways

LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY 83

• Border Roads: Apart from these, Border
Roads Organisation a Government of India
undertaking constructs and maintains
roads in the bordering areas of the country.
This organisation was established in 1960
for the development of the roads of strategic
importance in the northern and north-
eastern border areas. These roads have
improved accessibility in areas of difficult
terrain and have helped in the economic
development of these area.
Fig. 7.3: Hilly Tracts
Fig. 7.4: Traffic on north-eastern border road
(Arunachal Pradesh)
Roads can also be classified on the basis of
the type of material used for their construction
such as metalled and unmetalled roads.
Metalled roads may be made of cement,
84 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
concrete or even bitumen of coal, therefore,
these are all weather roads. Unmetalled roads
go out of use in the rainy season.
Road Density
The length of road per 100 sq. km of area
is known as density of roads. Distribution
of road is not uniform in the country.
Density of all roads varies from only 10 km
in Jammu & Kashmir to 375 km in Kerala
with the national average of 75 km
(1996-97). Road transportation in India
faces a number of problems. Keeping in view
the volume of traffic and passengers, the
road network is inadequate. About half of
the roads are unmettaled and this limits
their usage during the rainy season. The
National Highways are inadequate too.
Moreover, the roadways are highly congested
in cities and most of the bridges and culverts
are old and narrow.
Railways
Railways are the principal mode of
transportation for freight and passengers in
India. Railways also make it possible to
conduct multifarious activities like business,
sightseeing, pilgrimage along with
transportation of goods over longer distances.
Apart from an important means of transport
the Indian Railways have been a great
integrating force for more than 150 years.
Railways in India bind the economic life of
the country as well as accelerate the
development of the industry and agriculture.
The Indian Railway have a network of 7, 031
stations spread over a route length of 63, 221
km. with a fleet of 7817 locomotives, 5321
passenger service vehicles, 4904 other coach
vehicles and 228, 170 wagons as on 31
March 2004.
The Indian Railways is the largest public
sector undertaking in the country. The first
train steamed off from Mumbai to Thane in
1853, covering a distance of 34 km.
 Table 7.1: India: Railway Track
The Indian Railway network runs on multiple gauge operations
extending over 63,221 route km
Gauge in metres Route (Km)
Broad Gauge (1. 676) 46, 807
Metro Gauge (1.000) 13, 209
Narrow Gauge (0.762 & 0.610) 3, 124
Total 63, 221
Source: India Yearbook 2006
The Indian Railway is now reorganised into
16 zones.
Find out the current Railway zones and their
headquarters. Also locate the headquarters
of Railway zones on the map of India.
The distribution pattern of the Railway
network in the country has been largely
influenced by physiographic, economic and
administrative factors. The northern plains with
their vast level land, high population density
and rich agricultural resources provided the
most favourable condition for their growth.
However, a large number of rivers requiring
construction of bridges across their wide beds
posed some obstacles. In the hilly terrains of
the peninsular region, railway tracts are laid
through low hills, gaps or tunnels. The
Himalayan mountainous regions too are
unfavourable for the construction of railway
lines due to high relief, sparse population and
lack of economic opportunities. Likewise, it was
difficult to lay railway lines on the sandy plain
of western Rajasthan, swamps of Gujarat,
forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand. The
contiguous stretch of Sahyadri could be crossed
only through gaps or passes (Ghats). In recent
times, the development of the Konkan railway
along the west coast has facilitated the
movement of passengers and goods in this most
important economic region of India. It has also
faced a number of problem such as sinking of
track in some stretches and land slides.
Running Track(Km) Total Track (Km.)
66, 754 88, 547
13, 976 16, 489
3, 129 3, 450
83, 859 1, 08, 486
Today, the railways have become more
important in our national economy than all
other means of transport put together. However,
rail transport suffers from certain problems as
well. Many passengers travel without tickets.
Thefts and damaging of railway property has
not yet stopped completely. People stop the
trains, pull the chain unnecessarily and this
causes heavy damage to the railway. Think
over it, how we can help our railway in running
as per the scheduled time?
Pipelines
Pipeline transport network is a new arrival on
the transportation map of India. In the past,
these were used to transport water to cities and
industries. Now, these are used for
transporting crude oil, petroleum products and
natural gas from oil and natural gas fields to
refineries, fertilizer factories and big thermal
power plants. Solids can also be transported
through a pipeline when converted into slurry.
The far inland locations of refineries like
Barauni, Mathura, Panipat and gas based
fertilizer plants could be thought of only
because of pipelines. Initial cost of laying
pipelines is high but subsequent running
costs are minimal. It rules out trans-shipment
losses or delays.
There are three important networks of
pipeline transportation in the country.
• From oil field in upper Assam to Kanpur
(Uttar Pradesh), via Guwahati, Barauni and
Allahabad. It has branches from Barauni to
Haldia, via Rajbandh, Rajbandh to
Maurigram and Guwahati to Siliguri.
LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY 85
 India: Railways

86 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
• From Salaya in Gujarat to Jalandhar in
Punjab, via Viramgam, Mathura, Delhi and
Sonipat. It has branches to connect Koyali
(near Vadodara, Gujarat) Chakshu and
other places.
• Gas pipeline from Hazira in Gujarat
connects Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh, via
Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh. It has branches
to Kota in Rajasthan, Shahajahanpur,
Babrala and other places in Uttar Pradesh.
Waterways
Since time immemorial, India was one of the
seafaring countries. Its seamen sailed far and
near, thus, carrying and spreading Indian
commerce and culture. Waterways are the
cheapest means of transport. They are most
suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods.
It is a fuel-efficient and environment friendly
mode of transport. India has inland navigation
waterways of 14,500 km in length. Out of
these only 3,700 km are navigable by
mechanised boats. The following waterways
have been declared as the National Waterways
by the Government.
Fig. 7.5: Inland waterways widely used in
north-eastern states
• The Ganga river between Allahabad and
Haldia (1620 km)-N.W. No.1
• The Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and
Dhubri (891 km)-N.W. No.2
• The West-Coast Canal in Kerala
(Kottapurma-Komman, Udyogamandal and
Champakkara canals-205 km) – N.W. No.3
The other viable inland waterways include
the Godavari, Krishna, Barak, Sunderbans,
Buckingham Canal, Brahmani, East-west
Canal and Damodar Valley Corporation Canal.
Apart from these, India’s trade with foreign
countries is carried from the ports located along
the coast. 95 per cent of the country’s trade
volume (68 per cent in terms of value) is moved
by sea.
Major Sea Ports
With a long coastline of 7,516.6 km, India is
dotted with 12 major and 181 medium and
minor ports. These major ports handle 95 per
cent of India’s foreign trade.
Kandla in Kuchchh was the first port
developed soon after Independence to ease the
volume of trade on the Mumbai port, in the
wake of loss of Karachi port to Pakistan after
the Partition. Kandla is a tidal port. It caters to
the convenient handling of exports and imports
of highly productive granary and industrial belt
stretching across the states of Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Mumbai is the biggest port with a spacious
natural and well-sheltered harbour. The
Jawaharlal Nehru port was planned with a view
to decongest the Mumbai port and serve as a
Fig. 7.6: Trucks being driven into the vessel at
Mumbai port
hub port for this region. Marmagao port (Goa)
is the premier iron ore exporting port of the
country. This port accounts for about fifty per
cent of India’s iron ore export. New Mangalore
port, located in Karnataka caters to the export
of iron ore concentrates from Kudremukh
mines. Kochi is the extreme south-western
port, located at the entrance of a lagoon with a
natural harbour.
LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY 87

Fig. 7.7: Tanker discharging crude oil at New
Mangalore port
Moving along the east coast, you would see
the extreme south-eastern port of Tuticorin, in
Tamil Nadu. This port has a natural harbour
and rich hinterland. Thus, it has a flourishing
trade handling of a large variety of cargoes to
even our neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka,
Maldives, etc. and the coastal regions of India.
Chennai is one of the oldest artificial ports of
the country. It is ranked next to Mumbai in terms
of the volume of trade and cargo.
Vishakhapatnam is the deepest landlocked and
well-protected port. This port was, originally,
conceived as an outlet for iron ore exports.
Paradip port located in Orissa, specialises in the
export of iron ore. Kolkata is an inland riverine
port. This port serves a very large and rich
hinterland of Ganga- Brahmaputra basin. Being
a tidal port, it requires constant dredging of
Hoogly. Haldia port was developed as a
subsidiary port, in order to relieve growing
pressure on the Kolkata port.
Fig. 7.8: Handling of oversize cargo at Tuticorin port
Airways
The air travel, today, is the fastest, most
comfortable and prestigious mode of transport.
88 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
It can cover very difficult terrains like high
mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and
also long oceanic stretches with great ease.
Think of the north-eastern part of the country,
marked with the presence of big rivers,
dissected relief, dense forests and frequent
floods and international frontiers, etc. in the
absence of air transport. Air travel has made
access easier.
Why is air travel preferred in the north-
eastern states?
Fig. 7.9
The air transport was nationalised in 1953.
On the operational side, Indian Airlines,
Alliance Air (subsidiary of Indian Airlines),
private scheduled airlines and non- scheduled
operators provide domestic air services. Air
India provides international air services.
Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd. provides
helicopter services to Oil and Natural Gas
Commission in its off- shore operations, to
inaccessible areas and difficult terrains like the
north-eastern states and the interior parts of
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttaranchal. Indian Airlines operations also
extend to the neighbouring countries of South
and south-east Asia and the Middle east.
Find out the names of the countries connected
by Indian Airlines.
Air travel is not within the reach of the
common people. It is only in the north-eastern
states that special provisions are made to
extend the services to the common people.
India: Major Ports and International Airports

LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY 89

Communication
Ever since humans appeared on the earth, they
have used different means of communication.
But, the pace of change, has been rapid in
modern times. Long distance communication
is far easier without physical movement of the
communicator or receiver. Personal
communication and mass communication
including television, radio, press, films, etc. are
the major means of communication in the
country. The Indian postal network is the largest
in the world. It handles parcels as well as
personal written communications. Cards and
envelopes are considered first–class mail and
are airlifted between stations covering both land
and air. The second–class mail includes book
packets, registered newspapers and periodicals.
They are carried by surface mail, covering land
and water transport. To facilitate quick delivery
of mails in large towns and cities, six mail
channels have been introduced recently. They
are called Rajdhani Channel, Metro Channel,
Green Channel, Business Channel, Bulk Mail
Channel and Periodical Channel.
In comparison with the other country,
India has about 37,565 telephone
exchanges spread all over in the country.
Make a comparison with any other
country of your choice.
Fig.7.10 : Emergency call box on NH-8
India has one of the largest telecom
networks in Asia. Excluding urban places
more than two-thirds of the villages in India
have already been covered with Subscriber
Trunk Dialling (STD) telephone facility. In
90 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
order to strengthen the flow of information
from the grassroot to the higher level, the
government has made special provision to
extend twenty-four hours STD facility to
every village in the country. There is a uniform
rate of STD facilities all over India. It has
been made possible by integrating the
development in space technology with
communication technology.
Mass communication provides
entertainment and creates awareness among
people about various national programmes and
policies. It includes radio, television,
newspapers, magazines, books and films. All
India Radio (Akashwani) broadcasts a variety
of programmes in national, regional and local
languages for various categories of people,
spread over different parts of the country.
Doordarshan, the national television channel of
India, is one of the largest terrestrial networks
in the world. It broadcasts a variety of
programmes from entertainment, educational
to sports, etc. for people of different age groups.
India publishes a large number of
newspapers and periodicals annually. They are
of different types depending upon their
periodicity. Newspapers are published in
about 100 languages and dialects. Did you
know that the largest number of newspapers
published in the country are in Hindi, followed
by English and Urdu? India is the largest
producer of feature films in the world. It
produces short films; video feature films and
video short films. The Central Board of Film
Certification is the authority to certify both
Indian and foreign films.
International Trade
The exchange of goods among people, states
and countries is referred to as trade. The market
is the place where such exchanges take place.
T rade between two countries is called
international trade. It may take place through
sea, air or land routes. While local trade is
carried in cities, towns and villages, state level
trade is carried between two or more states.
Advancement of international trade of a
country is an index to its economic prosperity.
It is, therefore, considered the economic
barometer for a country.
 As the resources are space bound, no
country can survive without international
trade. Export and import are the components
of trade. The balance of trade of a country is
the difference between its export and import.
When the value of export exceeds the value of
imports, it is called a favourable balance of
trade. On the contrary, if the value of imports
exceeds the value of exports, it is termed as
unfavourable balance of trade.
India has trade relations with all the major
trading blocks and all geographical regions of
the world. Among the commodities of export,
whose share has been increasing over the last
few years till 2004-05 are agriculture and allied
products (2.53 per cent), ores and minerals
(9.12 per cent), gems and jewellery (26.75 per
cent) and chemical and allied products (24.45
per cent), engineering goods( 35.63 per cent)
and petroleum products (86.12 per cent)
The commodities imported to India include
petroleum and petroleum products (41.87 per
cent), pearls and precious stones (29.26 per
cent), inorganic chemicals (29.39 per cent),
Prepare a project on the heritage tourism in India
coal, coke and briquettes (94.17 per cent),
machinery (12.56 per cent). Bulk imports as a
group registered a growth accounting for 39.09
per cent of total imports. This group includes
fertilizers (67.01 per cent), cereals (25.23 per
cent), edible oils (7.94 per cent) and newsprint
(5.51 per cent). International trade has under
gone a sea change in the last fifteen years.
Exchange of commodities and goods have been
superseded by the exchange of information and
knowledge. India has emerged as a software
giant at the international level and it is earning
large foreign exchange through the export of
information technology.
Tourism as a Trade
Tourism in India has grown substantially over
the last three decades. Foreign tourist’s arrivals
in the country witnessed an increase of 23.5
per cent during the year 2004 as against the
year 2003, thus contributing Rs 21,828 crore
of foreign exchange.
Over 2.6 million foreign tourists visit India
every year. More than 15 million people are
LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY 91
directly engaged in the tourism industry.
Tourism also promotes national integration,
provides support to local handicrafts and
cultural pursuits. It also helps in the
development of international understanding
about our culture and heritage. Foreign
tourists visit India for heritage tourism, eco
tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism,
medical tourism and business tourism.
Rajasthan, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and
temple towns of south India are important
destinations of foregin tourists in India. There
is vast potential of tourism development in the
north-eastern states and the interior parts of
Himalayas, but due to strategic reasons these
have not been encouraged so far. However,
there lies a bright future ahead for this
upcoming industry.

EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which two of the following extreme locations are connected by the east-
west corridor?
(a) Mumbai and Nagpur (c) Mumbai and Kolkata
(b) Silcher and Porbandar (d) Nagpur and Siligudi
(ii) Which mode of transportation reduces trans-shipment losses and delays?
(a) Railways (c) Pipeline
(b) Roadways (d) Waterways
(iii) Which one of the following states is not connected with the H.V.J. pipeline?
(a) Madhya Pradesh (c) Gujarat
(b) Maharashtra (d) Uttar Pradesh
(iv) Which one of the following ports is the deepest land-locked and well-
protected port along the east coast?
(a) Chennai (c) Tuticorin
(b) Paradip (d) Vishakhapatnam
(v) Which one of the following is the most important modes of transportation
in India?
(a) Pipeline (c) Roadways
(b) Railways (d) Airways
(vi) Which one of the following terms is used to describe trade between two or
more countries?
(a) Internal trade (c) External trade
(b) International trade (d) Local trade

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) State any three merits of roadways.
(ii) Where and why is rail transport the most convenient means of
transportation?
(iii) What is the significance of the border roads?
(iv) What is meant by trade? What is the difference between international
and local trade?

92 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Why are the means of transportation and communication called the lifelines
of a nation and its economy?
(ii) Write a note on the changing nature of the international trade in the last
fifteen years.

QUIZ DRIVE
1. Northern terminal of the North-south corridor.
2. The name of National Highway No.2.
3. The headquarter of the southern railway zone.
4. The rail gauge with a track width of 1.676 m.
5. The southern terminal of the National Highway No.7.
6. A Riverine Port.
7. Busiest railway junction in Northern India.

A CTIVITY
Start your search vertically, horizontally or diagonally and reach various
destinations across the country!

S H E R S H A H S U R I M A R G

A R T P R N X E L A T A D L A Y

J M M X I P O R A Y M P G H T X

Y C H E N N N A I I K M C A I M

O D C D A L M C S O T P O R C P

A P T R G S K J M J L E A N E R

R A E T A J P O R M W M A S X O

I L S B R O A D G A U G E L O T

A S N L C M E C U K Z M A A J E

L M U G H A L S A R A I B S N A

G O E T V R A Y F T O R E A J M

K Q A I P M N Y R Y A Y H L I N

Q K O L K A T A E U I T W B E A

N I T N K D E M O U R P N P J D

LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY 93

 On the occassion of Diwali, Harish went to
a market with his parents. They purchased
shoes and clothes for him. His mother
purchased utensils, sugar, tea and diyas
(earthen lamps). Harish observed that the
shops in the market were flooded with
items for sale. He wondered how so many
items could be made in such large
quantities. His father explained that shoes,
clothes, sugar etc. are manufactured by
machines in large industries, some utensils
are manufactured in small industries, while
items like diyas are made by individual
artisans in household industry.
Do you have some ideas about these
industries?
Production of goods in large quantities after
processing from raw materials to more
valuable products is called manufacturing. Do
you know that paper is manufactured from
wood, sugar from sugarcane, iron and steel
from iron ore and aluminium from bauxite?
Do you also know that some types of clothes
are manufactured from yarn which itself is an
industrial product?
People employed in the secondary activities
manufacture the primary materials into
finished goods. The workers employed in steel
factories, car, breweries, textile industries,
bakeries etc. fall into this category. Some people
are employed in providing services. In this
chapter, we are mainly concerned with
manufacturing industries which fall in the
secondary sector.
The economic strength of a country is
measured by the development of
manufacturing industries.
IMPORTANCE OF MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing sector is considered the backbone
of development in general and economic
development in particular mainly because–
• Manufacturing industries not only help in
modernising agriculture, which forms the
backbone of our economy, they also reduce
the heavy dependence of people on
agricultural income by providing them jobs
in secondary and tertiary sectors.
• Industrial development is a precondition for
eradication of unemployment and poverty
from our country. This was the main
philosophy behind public sector industries
and joint sector ventures in India. It was also
aimed at bringing down regional disparities
by establishing industries in tribal and
backward areas.
• Export of manufactured goods expands
trade and commerce, and brings in much
needed foreign exchange.
• Countries that transform their raw
materials into a wide variety of furnished
goods of higher value are prosperous.
India’s prosperity lies in increasing and
diversifying its manufacturing industries as
quickly as possible.
Agriculture and industry are not exclusive
of each other. They move hand in hand. For
instance, the agro-industries in India have given
a major boost to agriculture by raising its
productivity. They depend on the latter for raw
materials and sell their products such as
irrigation pumps, fertilisers, insecticides,
pesticides, plastic and PVC pipes, machines and
tools, etc. to the farmers. Thus, development and
competitiveness of manufacturing industry has
not only assisted agriculturists in increasing
their production but also made the production tend to come together to make use of the
processes very efficient. advantages offered by the urban centres known
In the present day world of globalisation, as agglomeration economies. Gradually, a
our industry needs to be more efficient and large industrial agglomeration takes place.
competitive. Self-sufficiency alone is not In the pre-Independence period, most
enough. Our manufactured goods must be at manufacturing units were located in places
par in quality with those in the international from the point of view of overseas trade such as
market. Only then, will we be able to compete Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, etc. Consequently,
in the international market. there emerged certain pockets of industrially
developed urban centres surrounded by a huge
Contribution of Industry to National agricultural rural hinterland.
Economy
Over the last two decades, the share of Industry – Market Linkage
manufacturing sector has stagnated at 17 per
cent of GDP – out of a total of 27 per cent for
the industry which includes 10 per cent for
mining, quarrying, electricity and gas.
This is much lower in comparison to some
East Asian economies, where it is 25 to 35 per
cent. The trend of growth rate in manufacturing
over the last decade has been around 7 per
cent per annum. The desired growth rate over
the next decade is 12 per cent. Since 2003,
manufacturing is once again growing at the
rate of 9 to 10 per cent per annum. With
appropriate policy interventions by the
government and renewed efforts by the
industry to improve productivity, economists
predict that manufacturing can achieve its
target over the next decade. The National
Manufacturing Competitiveness Council
(NMCC) has been set up with this objective. Fig. 6.1

Industrial Location The key to decision of the factory location

is the least cost. Government policies and
Industrial locations are complex in nature.
specialised labour also influence the location
These are influenced by availability of raw
of industry.
material, labour, capital, power and market,
etc. It is rarely possible to find all these factors
available at one place. Consequently,
manufacturing activity tends to locate at the
most appropriate place where all the factors of
industrial location are either available or can
be arranged at lower cost. After an industrial
activity starts, urbanisation follows. Sometimes,
industries are located in or near the cities.
Thus, industrialisation and urbanisation go
hand in hand. Cities provide markets and also
provide services such as banking, insurance,
transport, labour, consultants and financial
advice, etc. to the industry. Many industries Fig. 6.2

66 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II

Classification of Industries
List the various manufactured products you
use in your daily life such as – transistors,
electric bulbs, vegetable oil, cement,
glassware, petrol, matches, scooters,
automobiles, medicines and so on. If we
classify the various industries based on a
particular criterion then we would be able
to understand their manufacturing better.
Industries may be classified as follows:
On the basis of source of raw materials
used:
• Agro based: cotton, woollen, jute, silk
textile, rubber and sugar, tea, coffee,
edible oil.
• Mineral based: iron and steel, cement,
aluminium, machine tools,
petrochemicals.
According to their main role:
• Basic or key industries which supply their
products or raw materials to manufacture
other goods e.g. iron and steel and copper
smelting, aluminum smelting.
• Consumer industries that produce goods
for direct use by consumers – sugar,
toothpaste, paper, sewing machines,
fans etc.
On the basis of capital investment:
• A small scale industry is defined with
reference to the maximum investment
allowed on the assets of a unit. This limit
has changed over a period of time. At
present the maximum investment allowed
is rupees one crore. If investment is more
than one crore on any industry then it is
known as a large scale industry.
On the basis of ownership:
• Public sector, owned and operated by
government agencies – BHEL, SAIL etc.
• Private sector industries owned and
operated by individuals or a group of
individuals –TISCO, Bajaj Auto Ltd.,
Dabur Industries.
• Joint sector industries which are jointly run
by the state and individuals or a group of
individuals. Oil India Ltd. (OIL) is jointly
owned by public and private sector.
• Cooperative sector industries are owned
and operated by the producers or
suppliers of raw materials, workers or
both. They pool in the resources and share
the profits or losses proportionately such
as the sugar industry in Maharashtra, the
coir industry in Kerala.
Based on the bulk and weight of raw material
and finished goods:
• Heavy industries such as iron and steel
• Light industries that use light raw
materials and produce light goods such
as electrical industries.
Classify the following into two groups on the
basis of bulk and weight of raw material and
finished goods.
(i) Oil (vi) Sewing Machines
(ii) Knitting needles (vii) Shipbuilding
(iii) Brassware (viii) Electric Bulbs
(iv) Fuse wires (ix) Paint brushes
(v) Watches (x) Automobiles
Agro Based Industries
Cotton, jute, silk, woollen textiles, sugar and
edible oil, etc. industry are based on
agricultural raw materials.
Textile Industry: The textile industry
occupies unique position in the Indian
economy, because it contributes significantly
to industrial production (14 per cent),
employment generation (35 million persons
directly – the second largest after agriculture)
and foreign exchange earnings (about 24.6
per cent). It contributes 4 per cent towards
GDP. It is the only industry in the country,
which is self-reliant and complete in the value
chain i.e., from raw material to the highest
value added products.
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 67
 Fig. 6.3: Value addition in the textile industry
Cotton Textiles: In ancient India, cotton
textiles were produced with hand spinning
and handloom weaving techniques. After the
18th century, power -looms came into use.
Our traditional industries suffered a setback
during the colonial period because they
could not compete with the mill-made cloth
from England.
• The first successful textile mill was
established in Mumbai in 1854.
• The two world wars were fought in Europe,
India was a British colony. There was a
demand for cloth in U.K. hence, they gave
a boost to the development of the cotton
textile industry.
Today, there are nearly 1600 cotton and
human made fibre textile mills in the country.
About 80 per cent of these are in the private
sector and the rest in the public and
cooperative sectors. Apart from these, there
are several thousand small factories with four
to ten looms.
In the early years, the cotton textile
industry was concentrated in the cotton
growing belt of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Availability of raw cotton, market, transport
including accessible port facilities, labour,
moist climate, etc. contributed towards its
localisation. This industry has close links
with agriculture and provides a living to
farmers, cotton boll pluckers and workers
engaged in ginning, spinning, weaving,
dyeing, designing, packaging, tailoring and
sewing. The industry by creating demands
supports many other industries, such as,
chemicals and dyes, mill stores, packaging
materials and engineering works.
68 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
While spinning continues to be centralised
in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu,
weaving is highly decentralised to provide
scope for incorporating traditional skills and
designs of weaving in cotton, silk, zari,
embroidery, etc. India has world class
production in spinning, but weaving supplies
low quality of fabric as it cannot use much of
the high quality yarn produced in the country.
Weaving is done by handloom, powerloom and
in mills.
The handspun khadi provides large scale
employment to weavers in their homes as a
cottage industry.
Why did Mahatma Gandhi lay emphasis on
spinning yarn and weaving khadi?
Table 5.1: Production of Fabric in India
by various sectors
Sector Share of Loomage
Production
Mills 6.00 per cent 1.33 lakh
Power loom 54.17 per cent 14 lakh
Hand loom 23.000 per cent NA
Note: 90 per cent of the weaving, cutting and
processing is in decentralised sector.
Study the figures above and note the share
of mills in the production of fabric.
Why is it important for our country to keep
the mill sector loomage lower than power
loom and handloom?
India exports yarn to Japan. Other
importers of cotton goods from India are
U.S.A., U.K., Russia, France, East European
countries, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and
African countries.
India: Distribution of cotton, woollen and silk industries

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 69
 India has the second largest installed
capacity of spindles in the world, next to China,
at around 34 million (2003-04). Since the mid-
eighties, the spinning sector has received a lot
of attention.
We have a large share in the world trade
of cotton yarn, accounting for one fourth of
the total trade. However, our trade in
garments is only 4 per cent of the world’s
total. Our spinning mills are competitive at
the global level and capable of using all the
fibres we produce. The weaving, knitting and
processing units cannot use much of the high
quality yarn that is produced in the country.
There are some large and modern factories
in these segments, but most of the
production is in fragmented small units,
which cater to the local market. This
mismatch is a major drawback for the
industry. As a result, many of our spinners
export cotton yarn while apparel/garment
manufactures have to import fabric.
Yarn is sold at Rs. 85 per kg. If it is sold as a
trouser it fetches Rs 800 per kg. Value is
added at every stage from fibre to yarn to
fabric and to garment.
Why is it important for us to improve our
weaving sector instead of exporting yarn in
large quantities?
Although, we have made significant
increase in the production of good quality long
staple cotton (9232 lakh bales in 2004-05),
the need to import is still felt. Power supply is
erratic and machinery needs to be upgraded
in the weaving and processing sectors in
particular. Other problems are the low output
of labour and stiff competition with the
synthetic fibre industry.
Jute Textiles
India is the largest producer of raw jute and
jute goods and stands at second place as an
exporter after Bangladesh. There are about 70
jute mills in India. Most of these are located in
West Bengal, mainly along the banks of the
70 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Hugli river, in a narrow belt (98 km long and
3 km wide).
The first jute mill was set up near Kolkata in
1859 at Rishra. After Partition in 1947, the
jute mills remained in India but three-fourth
of the jute producing area went to
Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan).
Factors responsible for their location in
the Hugli basin are: proximity of the jute
producing areas, inexpensive water
transport, supported by a good network of
railways, roadways and waterways to
facilitate movement of raw material to the
mills, abundant water for processing raw
jute, cheap labour from West Bengal and
adjoining states of Bihar, Orissa and Uttar
Pradesh. Kolkata as a large urban centre
provides banking, insurance and port
facilities for export of jute goods.
The jute industry supports 2.61 lakh
workers directly and another 40 lakhs small
and marginal farmers who are engaged in
cultivation of jute and mesta. Many more
people are associated indirectly.
Challenges faced by the industry include
stiff competition in the international market from
synthetic substitutes and from other
competitors like Bangladesh, Brazil,
Philippines, Egypt and Thailand. However, the
internal demand has been on the increase due
to the Government policy of mandatory use of
jute packaging. To stimulate demand, the
products need to be diversified. In 2005,
National Jute Policy was formulated with the
objective of increasing productivity, improving
quality, ensuring good prices to the jute farmers
and enhancing the yield per hectare. The main
markets are U.S.A., Canada, Russia, United
Arab Republic, U.K. and Australia. The growing
global concern for environment friendly,
biodegradable materials, has once again opened
the opportunity for jute products.
Sugar Industry
India stands second as a world producer of
sugar but occupies the first place in the
production of gur and khandsari. The raw
material used in this industry is bulky, and
in haulage its sucrose content reduces. Where
should the mills be ideally located? There are
over 460 sugar mills in the country spread
over Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Gujarat along with Punjab, Haryana and
Madhya Pradesh. Sixty per cent mills are in
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This industry is
seasonal in nature so, it is ideally suited to
the cooperative sector. Can you explain why
this is so?
In recent years, there is a tendency for the
mills to shift and concentrate in the southern
and western states, especially in Maharashtra,
This is because the cane produced here has a
higher sucrose content. The cooler climate
also ensures a longer crushing season.
Moreover, the cooperatives ar e more
successful in these states.
Major challenges include the seasonal
nature of the industry, old and inefficient
methods of production, transport delay in
reaching cane to factories and the need to
maximise the use of baggase.
Mineral based Industries
Industries that use minerals and metals as raw
materials are called mineral based industries.
Can you name some industries that would fall
in this category?
Processes of Manufacture of Steel
Fig. 6.4
Iron and Steel Industry
The iron and steel Industry is the basic
industry since all the other industries — heavy,
medium and light, depend on it for their
machinery. Steel is needed to manufacture a
variety of engineering goods, construction
material, defence, medical, telephonic, scientific
equipment and a variety of consumer goods.
Make a list of all such goods made of steel
that you can think of.
Production and consumption of steel is often
regarded as the index of a country’s
development. Iron and steel is a heavy industry
because all the raw materials as well as finished
goods are heavy and bulky entailing heavy
transportation costs. Iron ore, coking coal and
lime stone are required in the ratio of
approximately 4 : 2 : 1. Some quantities of
manganese, are also required to harden the steel.
Where should the steel plants be ideally
located? Remember that the finished products
also need an efficient transport network for their
distribution to the markets and consumers.
Today with 32.8 million tons of steel
production, India ranks ninth among the world
crude steel producers. It is the largest producer
of sponge iron. Inspite of large quantity of
production of steel, per capita consumption per
annum is only 32 kg.
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 71
 India: Iron and Steel Plants

72 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
 Table 5.2: Total finished steel production An integrated steel plant is large, handles
in India everything in one complex – from putting
together raw material to steel making, rolling
Year Production
and shaping.
(In million tons per annum)

1950-51 1.04
All public sector undertakings market their
1960-61 2.39
steel through, Steel Authority of India Ltd.
1970-71 4.64
(SAIL) while TISCO markets its produce
1980-81 6.82
through Tata Steel.
1990-91 13.53 In the 1950s China and India produced
1997-98 23.40 almost the same quantity of steel. Today, China
2004-05 32.60 is the largest producer. China is also the world’s
Represent the given data with a bar diagram. largest consumer of steel. In 2004, India was
the largest exporter of steel which accounted
for 2.25 per cent of the global steel trade.
Why is the per capita consumption of steel
so low in India? Chotanagpur plateau region has the maximum
concentration of iron and steel industries. It is
Presently, there are 10 primary integrated largely, because of the relative advantages this
and many mini steel plants in India. See the region has for the development of this industry.
Appendix and mark these on the map of India. These include, low cost of iron ore, high grade
raw materials in proximity, cheap labour and
Mini steel plants are smaller, have electric vast growth potential in the home market.
furnaces, use steel scrap and sponge iron. Though, India is an important iron and steel
They have re-rollers that use steel ingots as producing country in the world yet, we are not
well. They produce mild and alloy steel of able to perform to our full potential largely due
given specifications. to: (a) High costs and limited availability of coking

Fig. 6.5: Steel Production in India and China

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 73
coal (b) Lower productivity of labour (c) Irregular
supply of energy and (d) Poor infrastructure.
We also import good quality steel from other
countries. However, the overall production of
steel is sufficient to meet our domestic demand.
Liberalisation and Foreign Direct
Investment have given a boost to the industry
with the efforts of private entrepreneurs.
There is a need to allocate resources for
research and development to produce steel
more computatitively.
Fig. 6.6: Strip coasting mill at smelter of NALCO
Have you read about the Kalinganagar Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. In 2004, India
controversy? produced over 600 million tons of aluminium.
Bauxite, the raw material used in the
Aluminium Smelting smelters is a very bulky, dark reddish coloured
Aluminium smelting is the second most rock. The flow chart given below shows the
important metallurgical industry in India. It is process of manufacturing aluminium. Regular
light, resistant to corrosion, a good conductor supply of electricity and an assured source of
of heat, mallable and becomes strong when it is raw material at minimum cost are the two
mixed with other metals. It is used to prime factors for location of the industry.
manufacture aircraft, utensils and wires. It has
gained popularity as a substitute of steel,
copper, zinc and lead in a number of industries. A factory produces aluminium saucepans with
There are 8 aluminium smelting plants in plastic handles. It obtains aluminium from a
the country located in Orissa (Nalco and Balco), smelter and a plastic component from
West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh,

Fig. 6.7

Fig. 6.8

74 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
 another factory. All the manufactured
saucepans are sent to a warehouse:
1. (a) Which raw material is likely to be most
expensive to transport and why?
(b) Which raw material is likely to be
the cheapest to transport and why?
2. Do you think the cost of transporting the
finished products after packaging is likely
to be cheaper or more expensive than the
cost of transporting aluminium and
plastic? Why?
Chemical Industries
The Chemical industry in India is fast growing
and diversifying. It contributes approximately
3 per cent of the GDP. It is the third largest in
Asia and occupies the twelfth place in the world
in term of its size. It comprises both large and
small scale manufacturing units. Rapid growth
has been recorded in both inorganic and
organic sectors. Inorganic chemicals include
sulphuric acid (used to manufacture fertilisers,
synthetic fibres, plastics, adhesives, paints,
dyes stuffs), nitric acid, alkalies, soda ash (used
to make glass, soaps and detergents, paper)
and caustic soda. These industries are widely
spread over the country.
Why do you think it is so?
Organic chemicals include petrochemicals,
which are used for manufacturing of synthetic
fibers, synthetic rubber, plastics, dye-stuffs,
drugs and pharmaceuticals. Organic chemical
plants are located near oil refineries or
petrochemical plants.
The chemical industry is its own largest
consumer. Basic chemicals undergo processing
to further produce other chemicals that are
used for industrial application, agriculture or
directly for consumer markets. Make a list of
the products you are aware of.
Fertiliser Industry
The fertiliser industry is centred around the
production of nitrogenous fertilisers (mainly
urea), phosphatic fertilisers and ammonium
phosphate (DAP) and complex fertilisers which
have a combination of nitrogen (N), phosphate
(P), and potash (K). The third, i.e. potash is
entirely imported as the country does not have
any reserves of commercially usable potash or
potassium compounds in any form. India is
the third largest producer of nitrogenous
fertilisers. There are 57 fertiliser units
manufacturing nitrogenous and complex
nitrogenous fertilisers, 29 for urea and 9 for
producing ammonium sulphate as a by-
product and 68 other small units produce
single superphosphate. At present, there are
10 public sector undertakings and one in
cooperative sector at Hazira in Gujarat under
the Fertiliser Corporation of India.
After the Green Revolution the industry
expanded to several other parts of the country.
Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab
and Kerala contribute towards half the fertiliser
production. Other significant producers are
Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar,
Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Goa, Delhi,
Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
Cement Industry
Cement is essential for construction activity
such as building houses, factories, bridges,
roads, airports, dams and for other commercial
establishments. This industry requires bulky
and heavy raw materials like limestone, silica,
alumina and gypsum. Coal and electric power
are needed apart from rail transportation.
Where would it be economically viable to
set up the cement manufacturing units?
The industry has strategically located
plants in Gujarat that have suitable access to
the market in the Gulf countries.
Find out where the plants are located in other
States of India. Find their names.
The first cement plant was set up in
Chennai in 1904. After Independence the
industry expanded. Decontrol of price and
distribution since 1989 and other policy
reforms led the cement industry to make rapid
strides in capacity, process, technology and
production. There are 128 large plants and
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 75
332 mini cement plants in the country. India generation. Upto 31 March 2005, the IT
produces a variety of cement. industry employed over one million persons.
Improvement in the quality has found the This number is expected to increase eight-fold
produce a readily available market in East in the next 3 to 4 years. It is encouraging to
Asia, Middle East, Africa and South Asia apart know that 30 per cent of the people employed
from a large demand within the country. This in this sector are women. This industry has
industry is doing well in terms of production been a major foreign exchange earner in the
as well as export. Efforts are being made to last two or three years because of its fast
generate adequate domestic demand and growing Business Processes Outsourcing
supply in order to sustain this industry. (BPO) sector. The continuing growth in the
hardware and software is the key to the success
Automobile Industry of IT industry in India.
Automobiles provide vehicle for quick
transport of good services and passengers.
Trucks, buses, cars, motor cycles, scooters,
three-wheelers and multi-utility vehicles are
manufactured in India at various centres.
After the liberalisation, the coming in of new
and contemporary models stimulated the
demand for vehicles in the market, which led
to the healthy growth of the industry
including passenger cars, two and three-
wheelers. This industry had experienced a
quantum jump in less than 15 years. Foreign
Direct Investment brought in new technology
and aligned the industry with global Fig. 6.9: Cable manufacturing facilities at HCL,
developments. At present, there are 15 Rupnarainpur (West Bengal)
manufacturers of passenger cars and multi-
utility vehicles, 9 of commercial vehicles, 14
of the two and three-wheelers. The industry
is located around Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai,
Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore,
Hyderabad, Jamshedpur and Bangalore.
Information Technology and
Electronics Industry
The electronics industry covers a wide range
of products from transistor sets to television,
telephones, cellular telecom, pagers, telephone
exchange, radars, computers and many Fig. 6.10: Gas turbine rotor an assembly bed
other equipments required by the at BHEL, Hyderabad
telecommunication industry. Bangalore has
emerged as the electronic capital of India. Other Industrial Pollution and Environmental
important centres for electronic goods are Degradation
Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Although industries contribute significantly to
Kolkata, Lucknow and Coimbatore. 18 India’s economic growth and development, the
software technology parks provide single increase in pollution of land, water, air, noise
window service and high data communication and resulting degradation of environment that
facility to software experts. A major impact of they have caused, cannot be overlooked.
this industry has been on employment Industries are responsible for four types of

76 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
India: Software Technology Parks

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 77
pollution: (a) Air (b) Water (c) Land (d) Noise.
The polluting industries also include thermal
power plants.
Air pollution is caused by the presence of high
proportion of undesirable gases, such as
sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Air-
borne particulate materials contain both solid
and liquid particles like dust, sprays mist and
smoke. Smoke is emitted by chemical and paper
factories, brick kilns, refineries and smelting
plants, and burning of fossil fuels in big and
small factories that ignore pollution norms.
Toxic gas leaks can be very hazardous with
long-term effects. Are you aware of the Bhopal
Gas tragedy that occurred? Air pollution
adversely affects human health, animals, plants,
buildings and the atmosphere as a whole.
Water pollution is caused by organic and
inorganic industrial wastes and affluents
discharged into rivers. The main culprits in this
regard are paper, pulp, chemical, textile and
dyeing, petroleum refineries, tanneries and
electroplating industries that let out dyes,
detergents, acids, salts and heavy metals like
lead and mercury pesticides, fertilisers,
synthetic chemicals with carbon, plastics and
rubber, etc. into the water bodies. Fly ash,
phospo- gypsum and iron and steel slags are
the major solid wastes in India.
Thermal pollution of water occurs when hot
water from factories and thermal plants is
drained into rivers and ponds before cooling.
What would be the effect on aquatic life?
Wastes from nuclear power plants, nuclear
and weapon production facilities cause
cancers, birth defects and miscarriages. Soil
and water pollution are closely related.
Dumping of wastes specially glass, harmful
chemicals, industrial effluents, packaging, salts
and garbage renders the soil useless. Rain
water percolates to the soil carrying the
pollutants to the ground and the ground water
also gets contaminated.
Noise pollution not only results in irritation
and anger, it can also cause hearing
impairment, increased heart rate and blood
pressure among other physiological effects.
Unwanted sound is an irritant and a source of
stress. Industrial and construction activities,
78 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
machinery, factory equipment, generators,
saws and pneumatic and electric drills also
make a lot of noise.
Control of Environmental Degradation
Every litre of waste water discharged by our
industry pollutes eight times the quantity of
freshwater. How can the industrial pollution of
fresh water be reduced? Some suggestions are-
(i) minimising use water for processing by
reusing and recycling it in two or more
successive stages
(ii) harvesting of rainwater to meet water
requirements
(iii) treating hot water and effluents before
releasing them in rivers and ponds.
Treatment of industrial effluents can be
done in three phases
(a) Primary treatment by mechanical means.
This involves screening, grinding,
flocculation and sedimentation.
(b) Secondary treatment by biological process
(c) Tertiary treatment by biological,
chemical and physical processes. This
involves recycling of wastewater.
Overdrawing of ground water reserves by
industry where there is a threat to ground water
resources also needs to be regulated legally.
Particulate matter in the air can be reduced by
fitting smoke stacks to factories with electrostatic
precipitators, fabric filters, scrubbers and
inertial separators. Smoke can be reduced by
using oil or gas instead of coal in factories.
Machinery and equipment can be used and
generators should be fitted with silencers.
Almost all machinery can be redesigned to
increase energy efficiency and reduce noise.
Noise absorbing material may be used apart
from personal use of earplugs and earphones.
Fig. 6.11: Sewage Treatment plant under Yamuna
action paln at Faridabad
 The challenge of sustainable development (d) Reducing environmental pollution through
requires integration of economic development ash pond management, ash water recycling
with environmental concerns. system and liquid waste management.
(e) Ecological monitoring, reviews and on-
NTPC shows the way
line database management for all its
NTPC is a major power providing corporation power stations.
in India. It has ISO certification for EMS
(Environment Management System) 14001.
The corporation has a pro-active approach
for preserving the natural environment and
resources like water, oil and gas and fuels
in places where it is setting up power plants.
This has been possible through-
(a) Optimum utilisation of equipment
adopting latest techniques and
upgrading existing equipment.
(b) Minimising waste generation by
maximising ash utilisation.
(c) Providing green belts for nurturing ecological
balance and addressing the question of Fig. 6.12: Ramagundam plant
special purpose vehicles for afforestation.

EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which one of the following industries uses limestone as a raw material.
(a) Aluminium (b) Cement (c) Sugar (d) Jute
(ii) Which one of the following agencies markets steel for the public sector plants?
(a) HAIL (b) SAIL (c) TATA Steel (d) MNCC
(iii) Which one of the following industries uses bauxite as a raw material?
(a) Aluminium (b) Cement (c) Jute (d) Steel
(iv) Which one of the following industries manufactures telephones, computer, etc.
(a) Steel (c) Aluminium
(b) Electronic (d) Information Technology

2. Answer the following briefly in not more than 30 words.

(i) What is manufacturing?
(ii) Name any three physical factors for the location of the industry.
(iii) Name any three human factors for the location of an industry.
(iv) What are basic industries? Give an example.
(v) Name the important raw materials used in the manufacturing of cement?

3. Write the answers of the following questions in 120 words.

(i) How are integrated steel plants different from mini steel plants? What
problems does the industry face? What recent developments have led to a
rise in the production capacity?
(ii) How do industries pollute the environment?
(iii) Discuss the steps to be taken to minimise environmental degradation
by industry?
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 79
 ACTIVITY
Give one word for each of the following with regard to industry. The number of
letters in each word are hinted in brackets.
(i) Used to drive machinery (5) P...........................
(ii) People who work in a factory (6) W..........................
(iii) Where the product is sold (6) M..........................
(iv) A person who sells goods (8) R...........................
(v) Thing produced (7) P...........................
(vi) To make or produce (11) M..........................
(vii) Land, Water and Air degraded (9) P...........................

PROJECT WORK
Select one agro-based and one mineral based industry in your area.
(i) What are the raw materials they use?
(ii) What are the other inputs in the process of manufacturing that involve
transportation cost?
(iii) Are these factories following environmental norms?

A CTIVITY
Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the hidden
answers.
G G G P V A R A N A S I

U O J I P G X K M Q W V

K S U G A R C A N E E N

O T T O N O Z V O P T R

A U E L U B H I L A I U

T K O C R A Q N T R L N

E I R O N S T E E L S J

E N A N O E P I T L R Y

G A N U J D R A G D T A

N T A R P O A P U E P Y

A S N A E N J D I Y S K

S M H V L I A J H S K G

1. Textiles, sugar, vegetable oil and plantation industries deriving raw materials
from agriculture are called…
2. The basic raw material for sugar industry.
3. This fibre is also known as the ‘ Golden Fibre’.
4. Iron-ore, coking coal, and limestone are the chief raw materials of this industry.
5. A public sector steel plant located in Chhattisgarh.
6. Railway diesel engines are manufactured in Uttar Pradesh at this place.
80 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
 Haban comes to Guwahati with his father
from a remote village.
He sees people getting into strange
house like objects which move along the
road. He also sees a “kitchen” dragging a
number of house along with it. He is amazed
and asked his father “Why don’t our houses
move like the one we saw in Guwahati, Ba?”
Ba replies, “These are not houses, they
are buses and trains. Unlike our houses these
are not made of bricks and stones, metal like
iron and alluminium are used in making
these. They do not move on their own. They
are driven by an engine which needs energy
to work.”
We use different things in our daily life made
from metal. Can you list a number of items
used in your house made of metals. Where do
these metals come from?
You have studied that the earth’s crust is
made up of different minerals embedded in the
rocks. Various metals are extracted from these
minerals after proper refinement.
Minerals are an indispensable part of our
lives. Almost everything we use, from a tiny pin
to a towering building or a big ship, all are
made from minerals. The railway lines and the
tarmac (paving) of the roads, our implements
and machinery too are made from minerals.
Cars, buses, trains, aeroplanes are
manufactured from minerals and run on
power resources derived from the earth. Even
the food that we eat contains minerals. In all
stages of development, human beings have
used minerals for their livelihood, decoration,
festivities, religious and ceremonial rites.
A bright smile from toothpaste
and minerals
Toothpaste cleans your teeth. Abrasive
minerals like silica, limestone, aluminium
oxide and various phosphate minerals do the
cleaning. Fluoride which is used to reduce
cavities, comes from a mineral fluorite. Most
toothpaste are made white with titanium
oxide, which comes from minerals called
rutile, ilmenite and anatase. The sparkle in
some toothpastes comes from mica. The
toothbrush and tube containing the paste are
made of plastics from petroleum. Find out
where these minerals are found?
Dig a little deeper and find out how many
minerals are used to make a light bulb?
All living things need minerals
Life processes cannot occur without minerals.
Although our mineral intake represents only
about 0.3 per cent of our total intake of
nutrients, they are so potent and so important
that without them we would not be able to
utilise the other 99.7 per cent of foodstuffs.
Dig a little deeper and collect “Nutritional
Facts” printed on food labels.
What is a mineral?
Geologists define mineral as a “homogenous,
naturally occurring substance with a definable
internal structure.” Minerals are found in
varied forms in nature, ranging from the
hardest diamond to the softest talc. Why are
they so varied?
 You have already learnt about rocks. Rocks
are combinations of homogenous substances
called minerals. Some rocks, for instance
limestone, consist of a single mineral only, but
majority of the rock consist of several minerals
in varying proportions. Although, over 2000
minerals have been identified, only a few are
abundantly found in most of the rocks.
A particular mineral that will be formed
from a certain combination of elements
depends upon the physical and chemical
conditions under which the material forms.
This, in turn, results in a wide range of colours,
hardness, crystal forms, lustre and density that
a particular mineral possesses. Geologists use
these properties to classify the minerals.
Study of Minerals by Geographers
and Geologists
Geographers study minerals as part of the
earth’s crust for a better understanding of
landforms. The distribution of mineral
resources and associated economic activities
are of interest to geographers. A geologist,
however, is interested in the formation of
minerals, their age and physical and
chemical composition.
However, for general and commercial
purposes minerals can be classified as under.
Fig. 5.1
MODE OF OCCURRENCE OF MINERALS
Where are these minerals found?
Minerals are usually found in “ores”. The
term ore is used to describe an accumulation
of any mineral mixed with other elements. The
mineral content of the ore must be in sufficient
concentration to make its extraction
commercially viable. The type of formation or
structure in which they are found determines
the relative ease with which mineral ores may
be mined. This also determines the cost of
extraction. It is, therefore, important for us to
understand the main types of formations in
which minerals occur.
Minerals generally occur in these forms:
(i) In igneous and metamorphic rocks
minerals may occur in the cracks,
crevices, faults or joints. The smaller
occurrences are called veins and the
larger are called lodes. In most cases,
they are formed when minerals in liquid/
molten and gaseous forms are forced
upward through cavities towards the
earth’s surface. They cool and solidify as
they rise. Major metallic minerals like tin,
copper, zinc and lead etc. are obtained
from veins and lodes.
(ii) In sedimentary rocks a number of minerals
occur in beds or layers. They have been
formed as a result of deposition,
accumulation and concentration in
horizontal strata. Coal and some forms of
iron ore have been concentrated as a result
of long periods under great heat and
pressure. Another group of sedimentary
minerals include gypsum, potash salt and
sodium salt. These are formed as a result
of evaporation especially in arid regions.
(iii) Another mode of formation involves the
decomposition of surface rocks, and the
removal of soluble constituents, leaving a
residual mass of weathered material
containing ores. Bauxite is formed this way.
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 51
(iv) Certain minerals may occur as alluvial
deposits in sands of valley floors and the
base of hills. These deposits are called
‘placer deposits’ and generally contain
minerals, which are not corroded by water.
Gold, silver, tin and platinum are most
important among such minerals.
(v) The ocean waters contain vast quantities
of minerals, but most of these are too widely
diffused to be of economic significance.
However, common salt, magnesium and
bromine are largely derived from ocean
waters. The ocean beds, too, are rich in
manganese nodules.
Rat-Hole Mining. Do you know that most
of the minerals in India are nationalised
and their extraction is possible only after
obtaining due permission from the
government? But in most of the tribal areas
of the north-east India, minerals are
owned by individuals or communities. In
Meghalaya, there are large deposits of coal,
iron ore, limestone and dolomite etc. Coal
mining in Jowai and Cherapunjee is done
by family member in the form of a long
narrow tunnel, known as ‘Rat hole’ mining.
Let us now study the distribution of a few
major minerals in India. Always remember that
the concentration of mineral in the ore, the ease
of extraction and closeness to the market play
an important role in affecting the economic
viability of a reserve. Thus, to meet the demand,
a choice has to be made between a number of
possible options. When this is done a mineral
‘deposit’ or ‘reserve’ turns into a mine.
Ferrous Minerals
Ferrous minerals account for about three-
fourths of the total value of the production of
metallic minerals. They provide a strong base
for the development of metallurgical
industries. India exports substantial
quantities of ferrous minerals after meeting
her internal demands.
Iron Ore
Iron ore is the basic mineral and the backbone
of industrial development. India is endowed
with fairly abundant resources of iron ore. India
is rich in good quality iron ores. Magnetite is
the finest iron ore with a very high content of
iron up to 70 per cent. It has excellent magnetic
qualities, especially valuable in the electrical
industry. Hematite ore is the most important
industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity
used, but has a slightly lower iron content than
magnetite. (50-60 per cent).

Dig a little deeper: What is the difference

between an open pit mine, a quarry and an
underground mine with shafts?

India is fortunate to have fairly rich and varied

mineral resources. However, these are unevenly
distributed. Broadly speaking, peninsular rocks
contain most of the reserves of coal, metallic
minerals, mica and many other non-metallic
minerals. Sedimentary rocks on the western and
eastern flanks of the peninsula, in Gujarat and
Assam have most of the petroleum deposits.
Rajasthan with the rock systems of the peninsula,
has reserves of many non-ferrous minerals. The
vast alluvial plains of north India are almost
devoid of economic minerals. These variations
exist largely because of the differences in the
geological structure, processes and time involved Fig. 5.2: Production of iron ore showing
in the formation of minerals. statewise share in per cent, 2003-04

52 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II

Kudre in Kannada means horse. The
highest peak in the western ghats of
Karnataka resembles the face of a horse.
The Bailadila hills look like the hump of
an ox, and hence its name.
Fig. 5.3: Iron ore mine
The major iron ore belts in India are:
• Orissa-Jharkhand belt: In Orissa high
grade hematite ore is found in Badampahar
mines in the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar
districts. In the adjoining Singbhum
district of Jharkhand haematite iron ore is
mined in Gua and Noamundi.
• Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt lies in
Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Very high
grade hematites are found in the famous
Bailadila range of hills in the Bastar district
of Chattisgarh. The range of hills comprise
of 14 deposits of super high grade hematite
iron ore. It has the best physical properties
needed for steel making. Iron ore from these
mines is exported to Japan and South
Korea via Vishakapatnam port.
• Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmaglur-Tumkur
belt in Karnataka has large reserves of iron
ore. The Kudermukh mines located in the
Western Ghats of Karnataka are a 100 per
cent export unit. Kudremukh deposits are
known to be one of the largest in the world.
The ore is transported as slurry through a
pipeline to a port near Mangalore.
• Maharashtra-Goa belt includes the state
of Goa and Ratnagiri district of
Maharashtra. Though, the ores are not of
very high quality, yet they are efficiently
exploited. Iron ore is exported through
Marmagao port.
Manganese
Manganese is mainly used in the
manufacturing of steel and ferro-manganese
alloy. Nearly 10 kg of manganese is required
to manufacture one tonne of steel. It is also
used in manufacturing bleaching powder,
insecticides and paints.
Fig. 5.4: Production of Manganese showing
statewise share in per cent, 2003-2004
Orissa is the largest producer of manganese
ores in India. It accounted for one-third of the
country’s total production in 2000-01.
Dig a little deeper: Superimpose the maps
showing distribution of iron ore, manganese,
coal and iron and steel industry. Do you see
any correlation. Why?
Non-Ferrous Minerals
India’s reserves and production of non- ferrous
minerals is not very satisfactory. However, these
minerals, which include copper, bauxite, lead,
zinc and gold play a vital role in a number of
metallurgical, engineering and electrical
industries. Let us study the distribution of
copper and bauxite.
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 53
 India: Distribution of Iron Ore, Manganese, Bauxite and Mica

54 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Copper
India is critically deficient in the reserve and
production of copper. Being malleable, ductile
and a good conductor, copper is mainly used
in electrical cables, electronics and chemical
Fig. 5.5: Copper mines at Malanjkhand
industries. The Balaghat mines in Madhya
Pradesh produce 52 per cent of India’s copper.
The Singbhum district of Jharkhand is also a
leading producer of copper. The Khetri mines
in Rajasthan are also famous.
Fig. 5.6: Production of Copper showing state-wise
share in per cent, 2003-04
Bauxite
Though, several ores contain aluminium, it is
from bauxite, a clay-like substance that
alumina and later aluminium is obtained.
Bauxite deposits are formed by the
decomposition of a wide variety of rocks rich
in aluminium silicates.
Fig. 5.7: Production of Bauxite showing state-wise
share in per cent, 2003-04
Aluminium is an important metal because
it combines the strength of metals such as iron,
with extreme lightness and also with good
conductivity and great malleability.
Fig.5.8: Bauxite Mine
India’s bauxite deposits are mainly found
in the Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and
the plateau region of Bilaspur- Katni.
Orissa is the largest bauxite producing
state in India with 45 per cent of the country’s
total production in 2000-01. Panchpatmali
deposits in Koraput district are the most
important bauxite deposits in the state.
Dig a little deeper: Locate the mines of
Bauxite on the physical map of India.
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 55

After the discovery of aluminium Emperor
Napoleon III wore buttons and hooks on
his clothes made of aluminium and served
food to his more illustrious guests in
aluminium utensils and the less
honourable ones were served in gold and
silver utensils. Thirty years after this
incident aluminium bowls were most
common with the beggars in Paris.
Rock Minerals
Limestone is found in association with rocks
composed of calcium carbonates or calcium
and magnesium carbonates. It is found in
sedimentary rocks of most geological
formations. Limestone is the basic raw material
for the cement industry and essential for
smelting iron ore in the blast furnace.
Dig a little deeper: Study the maps to explain
why Chota Nagpur is a storehouse of minerals.

Non-Metallic Minerals
Mica is a mineral made up of a series of plates
or leaves. It splits easily into thin sheets. These
sheets can be so thin that a thousand can be
layered into a mica sheet of a few centimeters
high. Mica can be clear, black, green, red yellow
or brown. Due to its excellent di-electric
strength, low power loss factor, insulating
properties and resistance to high voltage, mica
is one of the most indispensable minerals used
in electric and electronic industries.
Mica deposits are found in the northern
edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau. Koderma
Gaya – Hazaribagh belt of Jharkhand is the
leading producer.
In Rajasthan, the major mica producing
area is around Ajmer. Nellore mica belt of
Andhra Pradesh is also an important producer Fig. 5.9: Production of Limestone showing state-
in the country. wise share in per cent, 2003-04

Hazards of Mining
Have you ever wondered about the efforts the miners make in making life comfortable
for you? What are the impacts of mining on
the health of the miners and the environment?
The dust and noxious fumes inhaled by
miners make them vulnerable to pulmonary
diseases. The risk of collapsing mine roofs,
inundation and fires in coalmines are a
constant threat to miners.
The water sources in the region get
contaminated due to mining. Dumping of waste
and slurry leads to degradation of land, soil, Fig. 5.10: Air pollution due to
and increase in stream and river pollution. generation of dust in mining areas

56 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
 Stricter safety regulations and
implementation of environmental laws are
essential to prevent mining from becoming a
“killer industry”.
CONSERVATION OF MINERALS
We all appreciate the strong dependence of
industry and agriculture upon mineral
deposits and the substances manufactured
from them. The total volume of workable
mineral deposits is an insignificant fraction
i.e. one per cent of the earth’s crust. We are
rapidly consuming mineral resources that
required millions of years to be created and
concentrated. The geological processes of
mineral formation are so slow that the rates
of replenishment are infinitely small in
comparison to the present rates of
consumption. Mineral resources are,
therefore, finite and non-renewable. Rich
mineral deposits are our country’s extremely
valuable but short-lived possessions.
Continued extraction of ores leads to
increasing costs as mineral extraction comes
from greater depths along with decrease
in quality.
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 57
 A concerted effort has to be made in order
to use our mineral resources in a planned and
sustainable manner. Improved technologies
need to be constantly evolved to allow use of
low grade ores at low costs. Recycling of metals,
using scrap metals and other substitutes are
steps in conserving our mineral resources for
the future.

Dig a little deeper: Make a list of items where

substitutes are being used instead of minerals.
Where are these substitutes obtained from?

Energy Resources
Energy is required for all activities. It is needed
to cook, to provide light and heat, to propel
vehicles and to drive machinery in industries.
Energy can be generated from fuel minerals
like coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium and
from electricity. Energy resources can be
classified as conventional and non-
conventional sources. Conventional sources
include: firewood, cattle dung cake, coal,
petroleum, natural gas and electricity (both
hydel and thermal). Non-conventional sources
include solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas
and atomic energy. Firewood and cattle dung
cake are most common in rural India.
According to one estimate more than 70 per
cent energy requirement in rural households
is met by these two ; continuation of these is
increasingly becoming difficult due to
decreasing forest area. Moreover, using dung
cake too is being discouraged because it
consumes most valuable manure which could
be used in agriculture.
Conventional Sources of Energy
Coal: In India, coal is the most abundantly
available fossil fuel. It provides a substantial
part of the nation’s energy needs. It is used for
power generation, to supply energy to industry
as well as for domestic needs. India is highly
dependent on coal for meeting its commercial
energy requirements.
As you are already aware that coal is
formed due the compression of plant
material over millions of years. Coal,
therefore, is found in a variety of forms
depending on the degrees of compression
58 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Fig. 5.11 (a): A view from inside of a coal mine
Fig. 5.11 (b): A view from outside of a coal mine
and the depth and time of burial. Decaying
plants in swamps produce peat. Which has
a low carbon and high moisture contents
and low heating capacity. Lignite is a low
grade brown coal, which is soft with high
moisture content. The principal lignite
reserves are in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu and
are used for generation of electricity. Coal
that has been buried deep and subjected to
increased temperatures is bituminous coal.
It is the most popular coal in commercial
use. Metallurgical coal is high grade
bituminous coal which has a special value
for smelting iron in blast furnaces.
Anthracite is the highest quality hard coal.
In India coal occurs in rock series of two
main geological ages, namely Gondwana, a little
over 200 million years in age and in tertiary
deposits which are only about 55 million years
old. The major resources of Gondwana coal,
which are metallurgical coal, are located in
India: Distribution of Coal, Oil and Natural Gas

MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 59

Damodar valley (West Bengal-Jharkhand).
Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro are important
coalfields. The Godavari, Mahanadi, Son and
Wardha valleys also contain coal deposits.
Tertiary coals occur in the north eastern
states of Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh and Nagaland.
Remember coal is a bulky material, which
loses weight on use as it is reduced to ash.
Hence, heavy industries and thermal power
station are located on or near the coalfields.
Petroleum
Petroleum or mineral oil is the next major
energy source in India after coal. It provides
fuel for heat and lighting, lubricants for
machinery and raw materials for a number of
manufacturing industries. Petroleum
refineries act as a “nodal industry” for
synthetic textile, fertiliser and numerous
chemical industries.
Most of the petroleum occurrences in India
are associated with anticlines and fault traps
in the rock formations of the tertiary age. In
regions of folding, anticlines or domes, it occurs
where oil is trapped in the crest of the upfold.
The oil bearing layer is a porous limestone or
sandstone through which oil may flow. The oil
is prevented from rising or sinking by
intervening non-porous layers.
Petroleum is also found in fault traps
between porous and non-porous rocks. Gas,
being lighter usually occurs above the oil.
About 63 per cent of India’s petroleum
production is from Mumbai High, 18 per cent
from Gujarat and 16 per cent from Assam.
From the map locate the 3 major off shore fields
of western India. Ankeleshwar is the most
important field of Gujarat. Assam is the oldest
oil producing state of India. Digboi,
Naharkatiya and Moran-Hugrijan are the
important oil fields in the state.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is an important clean energy
resource found in association with or without
petroleum. It is used as a source of energy as
well as an industrial raw material in the
petrochemical industry.
60 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Natural gas is considered an environment
friendly fuel because of low carbon dioxide
emissions and is, therefore, the fuel for the
present century.
Large reserves of natural gas have been
discovered in the Krishna- Godavari basin.
Along the west coast the reserves of the Mumbai
High and allied fields are supplemented by
finds in the Gulf of Cambay. Andaman and
Nicobar islands are also important areas
having large reserves of natural gas.
The 1700 km long Hazira-Bijaipur -
Jagdishpur cross country gas pipeline links
Mumbai High and Bassien with the fertilizer,
power and industrial complexes in western and
northern India. This artery has provided an
impetus to India’s gas production. The power
and fertilizer industries are the key users of
natural gas. Use of Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG ) for vehicles to replace liquid fuels is
gaining wide popularity in the country.
Electricity
Electricity has such a wide range of
applications in today’s world that, its per-
capita consumption is considered as an index
of development. Elecctricity is generated mainly
in two ways: by running water which drives
hydro turbines to generate hydro electricity;
and by burning other fuels such as coal,
petroleum and natural gas to drive turbines
to produce thermal power. Once generated the
electricity is exactly the same.
Name some river valley projects and write
the names of the dams built on these rivers.
Hydro electricity is generated by fast
flowing water, which is a renewable resource.
India has a number of multi-purpose projects
like the Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley
corporation, the Kopili Hydel Project etc.
producing hydroelectric power.
Thermal electricity is generated by using
coal, petroleum and natural gas. The thermal
power stations use non-renewable fossil fuels
for generating electricity. There are over 310
thermal power plants in India.
Rawat Bhata

India: Distribution of Nuclear and Thermal Power Plants

MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 61

From the map identify a ther mal power
station in your state and also name the fuel
that is used there.
Nuclear or Atomic Energy is obtained by
altering the structure of atoms. When such an
alteration is made, much energy is released in
the form of heat and this is used to generate
electric power. Uranium and thorium, which
are available in Jharkhand and the Aravalli
ranges of Rajasthan are used for generating
atomic or nuclear power. The Monazite sands
of Kerala is also rich in thorium. Fig. 5.12: Solar operated electronic milk
testing equipment
Locate the 6 nuclear power stations and find
out the state in which they are located. Wind power
Non-Conventional Sources of Energy India now ranks as a “wind super power” in
the world. The largest wind farm cluster is
The growing consumption of energy has
resulted in the country becoming located in Tamil Nadu from Nagarcoil to
increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such Madurai. Apart from these, Andhra Pradesh,
as coal, oil and gas. Rising prices of oil and Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and
gas and their potential shortages have raised Lakshadweep have important wind farms.
uncertainties about the security of energy Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer are well known for
supply in future, which in turn has serious effective use of wind energy in the country.
repercussions on the growth of the national
economy. Moreover, increasing use of fossil
fuels also causes serious environmental
problems. Hence, there is a pressing need to
use renewable energy sources like solar
energy, wind, tide, biomass and energy from
waste material. These are called non-
conventional energy sources.
India is blessed with an abundance of
sunlight, water, wind and biomass. It has the
largest programmes for the development of
these renewable energy resources.
Solar Energy Fig. 5.13: Wind mills – Nagarcoil
India is a tropical country. It has enormous
possibilities of tapping solar energy. Biogas
Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight Shrubs, farm waste, animal and human waste
directly into electricity. Solar energy is fast are used to produce biogas for domestic
becoming popular in rural and remote areas. consumption in rural areas. Decomposition of
The largest solar plant of India is located at organic matter yields gas, which has higher
Madhapur, near Bhuj, where solar energy is thermal efficiency in comparison to kerosene,
used to sterlise milk cans. It is expected that dung cake and charcoal. Biogas plants are set
use of solar energy will be able to minimise the up at municipal, cooperative and individual
dependence of rural households on firewood levels. The plants using cattle dung are know
and dung cakes, which in turn will contribute as ‘Gobar gas plants’ in rural India. These
to environmental conservation and adequate provide twin benefits to the farmer in the form
supply of manure in agriculture. of energy and improved quality of manure.

62 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Biogas is by far the most efficient use of cattle
dung. It improves the quality of manure and
also prevents the loss of trees and manure due
to burning of fuel wood and cow dung cakes.
Fig. 5.14: Biogas Plant
Tidal Energy
Oceanic tides can be used to generate
electricity. Floodgate dams are built across
inlets. During high tide water flows into the
inlet and gets trapped when the gate is closed.
After the tide falls outside the flood gate, the
water retained by the floodgate flows back to
the sea via a pipe that carries it through a
power-generating turbine.
In India, the Gulf of Kuchchh, provides ideal
conditions for utilising tidal energy. A 900 mw
tidal energy power plant is set up here by the
National Hydropower Corporation.
Geo Thermal Energy
Geothermal energy refers to the heat and
electricity produced by using the heat from the
interior of the Earth. Geothermal energy exists
because, the Earth grows progressively hotter
with increasing depth. Where the geothermal
gradient is high, high temperatures are found
EXERCISES EXERCISES
1. Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which one of the following minerals is formed by decomposition of rocks,
leaving a residual mass of weathered material?
(a) coal (b) bauxite
(ii) Koderma, in Jharkhand is the leading producer of which one of the following
minerals?
(a) bauxite (b) mica
at shallow depths. Groundwater in such areas
absorbs heat from the rocks and becomes hot.
It is so hot that when it rises to the earth’s
surface, it turns into steam. This steam is used
to drive turbines and generate electricity.
There are several hundred hot springs in
India, which could be used to generate
electricity. Two experimental projects have been
set up in India to harness geothermal energy.
One is located in the Parvati valley near
Manikarn in Himachal Pradesh and the other
is located in the Puga Valley, Ladakh.
Conservation of Energy Resources
Energy is a basic requirement for economic
development. Every sector of the national
economy – agriculture, industry, transport,
commercial and domestic – needs inputs of
energy. The economic development plans
implemented since Independence necessarily
required increasing amounts of energy to
remain operational. As a result, consumption
of energy in all forms has been steadily rising
all over the country.
In this background, there is an urgent need
to develop a sustainable path of energy
development. Promotion of energy conservation
and increased use of renewable energy sources
are the twin planks of sustainable energy.
India is presently one of the least energy
efficient countries in the world. We have to
adopt a cautious approach for the judicious
use of our limited energy resources. For
example, as concerned citizens we can do our
bit by using public transport systems instead
of individual vehicles; switching off electricity
when not in use, using power-saving devices
and using non-conventional sources of energy.
After all, “energy saved is energy produced”.
E XERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES
(c) gold (d) zinc
(c) iron ore (d) copper
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES 63
 (iii) Minerals are deposited and accumulated in the stratas of which of the
following rocks?
(a) sedimentary rocks (c) igneous rocks
(b) metamorphic rocks (d) none of the above
(iv) Which one of the following minerals is contained in the Monazite sand?
(a) oil (b) uranium (c) thorium (d) coal
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Distinguish between the following in not more than 30 words.
(a) ferrous and non-ferrous minerals
(b) conventional and non-conventional sources of energy
(ii) What is a mineral?
(iii) How are minerals formed in igneous and metamorphic rocks?
(iv) Why do we need to conserve mineral resources ?
3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Describe the distribution of coal in India.
(ii) Why do you think that solar energy has a bright future in India?

A CTIVITY
Fill the name of the correct mineral in the crossword below:
2 1
M

2
M

4 3
M

4
T

1 5 5
T
6
o

7
y

ACROSS DOWN
1. A ferrous mineral (9) 1. Found in placer deposit (4)
2. Raw material for cement industry (9) 2. Iron ore mined in Bailadila (8)
3. Finest iron ore with magnetic properties (9) 3. Indispensable for electrical industry (4)
4. Highest quality hard coal (10) 4. Geological Age of coal found in north east
5. Aluminium is obtained from this ore (7) India (8)
6. Khetri mines are famous for this mineral (6) 5. Formed in veins and lodes (3)
7. Formed due to evaporation (6)
64 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Outcomes of
Democracy

Overview

Chapter 7
As we begin to wind up our tour of democracy, it is time to move
beyond our discussion of specific themes and ask a general set of
questions: What does democracy do? Or, what outcomes can we
reasonably expect of democracy? Also, does democracy fulfil these
expectations in real life? We begin by thinking about how to assess
the outcomes of democracy. After some clarity on how to think on
this subject, we proceed to look at the expected and actual outcomes
of democracy in various respects: quality of government, economic
well-being, inequality, social differences and conflict and finally
freedom and dignity. Our final verdict – positive but qualified –
leads us to think about the challenges to democracy in the next
and final chapter.
Outcomes of Democracy

89
 How do we assess democracy’s outcomes?
Do you remember how students in
Madam Lyngdoh’s class argued about
democracy? This was in Chapter 2 of
Class IX textbook. It emerged from that
conversation that democracy is a better
form of government when compared
with dictatorship or any other alternative.
Did we reach We felt that democracy was better
these because it:
conclusions in z Promotes equality among citizens;
Madam Lyngdoh’s z Enhances the dignity of the
class? I loved individual;
that class z Improves the quality of decision-
because making;
students were
z Provides a method to resolve
not being
conflicts; and
dictated any
z Allows room to correct mistakes.
conclusions.
Are these expectations realised under
democracies? When we talk to people
around us, most of them support
democracy against other alternatives,
such as rule by a monarch or military or
religious leaders. But not so many of
them would be satisfied with the
democracy in practice. So we face a
dilemma: democracy is seen to be good
© RK Laxman - Brushing up the years
Democratic Politics
90
in principle, but felt to be not so good in
its practice. This dilemma invites us to
think hard about the outcomes of
democracy. Do we prefer democracy
only for moral reasons? Or are there
some prudential reasons to support
democracy too?
Over a hundred countries of the
world today claim and practice some
kind of democratic politics: they have
formal constitutions, they hold elections,
they have parties and they guarantee rights
of citizens. While these features are
common to most of them, these
democracies are very much different
from each other in terms of their social
situations, their economic achievements
and their cultures. Clearly, what may be
achieved or not achieved under each of
these democracies will be very different.
But is there something that we can expect
from every democracy, just because it is
democracy?
Our interest in and fascination for
democracy often pushes us into taking a
position that democracy can address all
socio-economic and political problems.
If some of our expectations are not met,
we start blaming the idea of democracy.
Or, we start doubting if we are living in
a democracy. The first step towards
thinking carefully about the outcomes
of democracy is to recognise that
democracy is just a form of government.
It can only create conditions for achieving
something. The citizens have to take
advantage of those conditions and
achieve those goals. Let us examine some
of the things we can reasonably expect
from democracy and examine the record
of democracy.
Accountable, responsive and legitimate government
There are some things that democracy
must provide. In a democracy, we are
most concerned with ensuring that
people will have the right to choose their
rulers and people will have control over
the rulers. Whenever possible and
necessary, citizens should be able to
participate in decision making, that affects
them all. Therefore, the most basic
outcome of democracy should be that
it produces a government that is
accountable to the citizens, and
responsive to the needs and expectations
of the citizens.
Before we go into this question, we
face another common question: Is the
democratic government efficient? Is it
effective? Some people think that
democracy produces less effective
government. It is, of course, true that
non-democratic rulers do not have to
bother about deliberation in assemblies or
worry about majorities and public opinion.
So, they can be very quick and efficient in
decision making and implementation.
Democracy is based on the idea of
deliberation and negotiation. So, some delay
is bound to take place. Does that make
democratic government inefficient?
Let us think in terms of costs.
Imagine a government that may take
decisions very fast. But it may take
decisions that are not accepted by the
people and may therefore face problems.
In contrast, the democratic government
will take more time to follow
procedures before arriving at a decision.
But because it has followed procedures,
its decisions may be both more
acceptable to the people and more
effective. So, the cost of time that
democracy pays is perhaps worth it.
Governmental Secrecy
© Mike Keefe - Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Now look at the other side – Can you think of what
and how the
democracy ensures that decision making government knows
will be based on norms and procedures. about you and your
family (for example
So, a citizen who wants to know if a
ration cards and
decision was taken through the correct voter identity cards)?
procedures can find this out. She has the What are the sources
of information for you
right and the means to examine the about the
process of decision making. This is government?
known as transparency. This factor is
often missing from a non-democratic
government. Therefore, when we are
trying to find out the outcomes of
democracy, it is right to expect
democracy to produce a government
that follows procedures and is
accountable to the people. We can also
expect that the democratic government
develops mechanisms for citizens to hold
Outcomes of Democracy
the government accountable and
mechanisms for citizens to take part in
decision making whenever they think fit.
If you wanted to measure
democracies on the basis of this
expected outcome, you would look for
the following practices and institutions:
regular, free and fair elections; open
public debate on major policies and
91
 legislations; and citizens’ right to
So, the best
information about the government and
outcome of
democracy is
its functioning. The actual performance
that it is a of democracies shows a mixed record
democracy! That on this. Democracies have had greater
is what we have success in setting up regular and free
discovered after elections and in setting up conditions for
all this mental open public debate. But most
gymnastics? democracies fall short of elections that
provide a fair chance to everyone and in
subjecting every decision to public debate.
Democratic governments do not have a
very good record when it comes to
sharing information with citizens. All one
can say in favour of democratic regimes
is that they are much better than any
non-democratic regime in these respects.
In substantive terms it may be
reasonable to expect from democracy a
government that is attentive to the needs
and demands of the people and is largely
free of corruption. The record of
democracies is not impressive on these
two counts. Democracies often frustrate
the needs of the people and often ignore
the demands of a majority of its
population. The routine tales of
corruption are enough to convince us that
democracy is not free of this evil. At the
same time, there is nothing to show that
non-democracies are less corrupt or
more sensitive to the people.
There is one respect in which
democratic government is certainly
better than its alternatives: democratic
government is legitimate government.
It may be slow, less efficient, not always
very responsive or clean. But a
democratic government is people’s own
government. That is why there is an
overwhelming support for the idea of
democracy all over the world. As the
accompanying evidence from South
Asia shows, the support exists in
countries with democratic regimes as
well as countries without democratic
regimes. People wish to be ruled by
representatives elected by them. They
also believe that democracy is suitable
for their country. Democracy’s ability
to generate its own support is itself an
outcome that cannot be ignored.

Democracy is preferred Very few doubt the suitability of democracy

over dictatorship for their own country
South Asia everywhere except How suitable is democracy for your country?
28
Pakistan Very suitable Suitable
South Asia 88
Those who agree with one of
Bangladesh 93
10 the statements
62 Sri Lanka 92
62 India 92
Pakistan 84
Nepal 79
0 50 100
Overwhelming support for democracy
Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Those who agree with the rule of leaders elected by the people
Democratic Politics

Democracy is Strongly agree Agree

preferable 69 70 62 37 71 South Asia 94
Sometimes dictatorship Sri Lanka 98
Bangladesh 96
is better 6 9 10 14 11 India 95
Doesn’t Nepal 94
matter to me 25 21 28 49 18 Pakistan 81

0 50 100

Source: SDSA Team, State of Democracy in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007

92
 Economic growth and development
If democracies are expected to produce
good governments, then is it not fair to
expect that they would also produce
development? Evidence shows that in
practice many democracies did not fulfil
this expectation.
If you consider all democracies and
all dictatorships for the fifty years between
1950 and 2000, dictatorships have slightly
higher rate of economic growth. The
inability of democracy to achieve higher
economic development worries us. But
this alone cannot be reason to reject
democracy. As you have already studied
in economics, economic development
depends on several factors: country’s
population size, global situation,
The Rich Get Buff
© RJ Matson - Cagle Cartoons Inc.
cooperation from other countries,
economic priorities adopted by the
country, etc. However, the difference in
the rates of economic development
between less developed countries with
dictatorships and democracies is
negligible. Overall, we cannot say that
democracy is a guarantee of economic
development. But we can expect
democracy not to lag behind
dictatorships in this respect.
When we find such significant Cartoon on this page
difference in the rates of economic and next three pages tell
us about the disparities
growth between countries under between the rich and
dictatorship and democracy, it is better poor. Should the gains
of economic growth be
to prefer democracy as it has several
evenly distributed? How
other positive outcomes. can the poor get a voice
for a better share in a
nation? What can the
poor countries do to
receive a greater share
in the world’s wealth?
Outcomes of Democracy
93
 Economic outcomes
ofdemocracy
Arguments about democracy tend to Poor Kids
be very passionate. This is how it
should be, for democracy appeals to
some of our deep values. These
debates cannot be resolved in a

© Jimmy Margulies - Cagle Cartoons Inc.

simple manner. But some debates
about democracy can and should be
resolved by referring to some facts
and figures. The debate about the
economic outcomes of democracy is
one such debate. Over the years
many students of democracy have
gathered careful evidence to see
what the relationship of democracy
with economic growth and economic
inequalities is. The tables and the
cartoon here present some of the evidences:
z Table 1 shows that on an average dictatorial regimes have had a slightly better record
of economic growth. But when we compare their record only in poor countries, there is
virtually no difference.
z Table 2 shows that within democracies there can be very high degree of inequalities. In
democratic countries like South Africa and Brazil, the top 20 per cent people take away
more than 60 per cent of the national income, leaving less than 3 per cent for the bottom
20 per cent population. Countries like Denmark and Hungary are much better in this respect.
z You can see in the cartoon, there is often inequality of opportunities available to the
poorer sections.
What would be your verdict on democracy if you had to base it purely on economic
performance of democratic regimes in terms of growth and equal distribution?

Table 2
Inequality of income in selected countries
Table 1
Name of the % share of national
Rates of economic growth for different countries,
Countries income
1950-2000
Top 20 % Bottom 20 %
Democratic Politics

Type of regimes and countries Growth Rate South Africa 64.8 2.9
All democratic regimes 3.95 Brazil 63.0 2.6
All dictatorial regimes 4.42 Russia 53.7 4.4
Poor countries under dictatorship 4.34 USA 50.0 4.0
Poor countries under democracy 4.28 United Kingdom 45.0 6.0
Source: A Przeworski, M E Alvarez, J A Cheibub and F Limongi, Democracy and Denmark 34.5 9.6
Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950-1990.
Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000. Hungary 34.4 10.0

94
 Reduction of inequality and poverty
Perhaps more than development, it is
reasonable to expect democracies to
reduce economic disparities. Even when
a country achieves economic growth, will
wealth be distributed in such a way that
all citizens of the country will have a
share and lead a better life? Is economic
growth in democracies accompanied by
increased inequalities among the people?
Or do democracies lead to a just
distribution of goods and opportunities?
Voice of the Poor
© Ares - Best of Latin America, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Democracies are based on political
equality. All individuals have equal weight
in electing representatives. Parallel to the
process of bringing individuals into the
political arena on an equal footing, we
find growing economic inequalities. A
small number of ultra-rich enjoy a highly
disproportionate share of wealth and Democracy is a
incomes. Not only that, their share in the rule of the
total income of the country has been majority. The
increasing. Those at the bottom of the poor are in
majority. So
society have very little to depend upon.
democracy must
Their incomes have been declining.
be a rule of the
Sometimes they find it difficult to meet
poor. How can
their basic needs of life, such as food,
this not be the
clothing, house, education and health. case?
In actual life, democracies do not
appear to be very successful in reducing
economic inequalities. In Class IX
Economics textbook, you have already
studied about poverty in India. The
poor constitute a large proportion
of our voters and no party will
like to lose their votes. Yet
democratically elected
governments do not
appear to be as keen to
address the question of
poverty as you would
expect them to. The
situation is much worse in
some other countries. In
Bangladesh, more than
Outcomes of Democracy
half of its population lives
in poverty. People in
several poor countries are
now dependent on the rich
countries even for food
supplies.
95
 World’s Wealth Owned by a Few
Accommodation of social diversity
Do democracies lead to peaceful and
harmonious life among citizens? It will
be a fair expectation that democracy
should produce a harmonious social life.
All you are saying
We have seen in the earlier chapters how
is that
democracies accommodate various social
democracy
divisions. We saw in the first chapter how
ensures that
people do not Belgium has successfully negotiated
break each differences among ethnic populations.
other’s head. Democracies usually develop a procedure
This is not to conduct their competition. This reduces
harmony. Should the possibility of these tensions becoming
we be happy explosive or violent.
about it? No society can fully and permanently
Democratic Politics
resolve conflicts among different groups.
But we can certainly learn to respect these
differences and we can also evolve
mechanisms to negotiate the differences.
Democracy is best suited to produce this
outcome. Non-democratic regimes often
turn a blind eye to or suppress internal
96
© Manny Francisco - The Phillippines, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
social differences. Ability to handle social
differences, divisions and conflicts is thus
a definite plus point of democratic
regimes. But the example of Sri Lanka
reminds us that a democracy must fulfil
two conditions in order to achieve this
outcome:
z It is necessary to understand that
democracy is not simply rule by majority
opinion. The majority always needs to
work with the minority so that
governments function to represent the
general view. Majority and minority
opinions are not permanent.
z It is also necessary that rule by
majority does not become rule by
majority community in terms of religion
or race or linguistic group, etc. Rule by
majority means that in case of every
decision or in case of every election,
different persons and groups may and
can form a majority. Democracy remains from being in majority on the basis of
democracy only as long as every citizen birth, then the democratic rule ceases
has a chance of being in majority at some to be accommodative for that person
point of time. If someone is barred or group.

Enemies

© Ares - Best of Latin America, Cagle Cartoons Inc.

Greeting

The two images depict two different kinds of

effects democratic politics can have on social
divisions. Take one example for each image
and write a paragraph each on the outcome
of democratic politics in both situations.

Dignity and freedom of the citizens

Democracy stands much superior to any principle. This has been achieved in
other for m of government in various degrees in various democracies.
Outcomes of Democracy

promoting dignity and freedom of the
individual. Every individual wants to
receive respect from fellow beings.
Often conflicts arise among individuals
because some feel that they are not
treated with due respect. The passion for
respect and freedom are the basis of
democracy. Democracies throughout the
world have recognised this, at least in
For societies which have been built for
long on the basis of subordination and
domination, it is not a simple matter to
recognize that all individuals are equal.
Take the case of dignity of women.
Most societies across the world were
historically male dominated societies.
Long struggles by women have created
some sensitivity today that respect to and

97
 equal treatment of women are necessary
I am anxious ingredients of a democratic society. That
about my board does not mean that women are actually
exams. But always treated with respect. But once the
democracy has
principle is recognised, it becomes easier
so many exams.
for women to wage a struggle against
And millions of
what is now unacceptable legally and
examiners!
morally. In a non-democratic set up, this
unacceptability would not have legal basis
because the principle of individual
freedom and dignity would not have the
legal and moral force there. The same is
true of caste inequalities. Democracy in
India has strengthened the claims of the
disadvantaged and discriminated castes
for equal status and equal opportunity.
There are instances still of caste-based
inequalities and atrocities, but these lack
the moral and legal foundations. Perhaps
it is the recognition that makes ordinary
citizens value their democratic rights.
Expectations from democracy also
function as the criteria for judging any
democratic country. What is most
distinctive about democracy is that its
examination never gets over. As
democracy passes one test, it produces
another test. As people get some benefits
of democracy, they ask for more and
want to make democracy even better.
That is why when we ask people about
the way democracy functions, they will
always come up with more expectations,
and many complaints. The fact that
people are complaining is itself a
testimony to the success of democracy:
it shows that people have developed
awareness and the ability to expect and
to look critically at power holders and
the high and the mighty. A public
expression of dissatisfaction with
democracy shows the success of the
democratic project: it transforms people
from the status of a subject into that of
a citizen. Most individuals today believe
that their vote makes a difference to the
way the government is run and to their
own self-interest.

Rosa Still Inspires

Belief in the efficacy of vote is placed above the

calculus of utility
Those who say that their vote makes a difference...
© Pat Bagley - Cagle Cartoons Inc.

South Asia 65

Bangladesh 66
India 67
Democratic Politics

Nepal 75
Pakistan 50
Sri Lanka 65

0 80
Source: SDSA Team, State of Democracy in South
Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007.
The above cartoon and graph. Illustrates a point made in this section
(Dignity and freedom of the citizens). Underline the sentences from
this section which connect to the cartoon or graph.

98
1. How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and
legitimate government?
2. What are the conditions under which democracies accommodate
social diversities?
3. Give arguments to support or oppose the following assertions:
z Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor
need dictatorship to become rich.
z Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between
different citizens.
z Government in poor countries should spend less on poverty
reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and

Exercises
infrastructure.
z In democracy all citizens have one vote, which means that
there is absence of any domination and conflict.
4. Identify the challenges to democracy in the following descriptions.
Also suggest policy/institutional mechanism to deepen democracy
in the given situations:
z Following a High Court directive a temple in Orissa that had
separate entry doors for dalits and non-dalits allowed entry
for all from the same door.
z A large number of farmers are committing suicide in different
states of India.
z Following allegation of killing of three civilians in Gandwara in a
fake encounter by Jammu and Kashmir police, an enquiry has
been ordered.
5. In the context of democracies, which of the following ideas is
correct – democracies have successfully eliminated:
A. conflicts among people
B. economic inequalities among people
C. differences of opinion about how marginalised sections
are to be treated
D. the idea of political inequality
6. In the context of assessing democracy which among the following
is odd one out. Democracies need to ensure:
Outcomes of Democracy

A. free and fair elections

B. dignity of the individual
C. majority rule
D. equal treatment before law
7. Studies on political and social inequalities in democracy show that
A. democracy and development go together.
B. inequalities exist in democracies .
C. inequalities do not exist under dictatorship.
D. dictatorship is better than democracy.

99
 8. Read the passage below:
Nannu is a daily wage earner. He lives in Welcome Mazdoor
Colony, a slum habitation in East Delhi. He lost his ration
card and applied for a duplicate one in January 2004. He
made several rounds to the local Food & Civil Supplies office
for the next three months. But the clerks and officials would
not even look at him, leave alone do his job or bother to tell
him the status of his application. Ultimately, he filed an
application under the Right to Information Act asking for the
daily progress made on his application, names of the
officials, who were supposed to act on his application and
what action would be taken against these officials for their
inaction. Within a week of filing application under the Right to
Information Act, he was visited by an inspector from the
Exercises
Food Department, who informed him that the card had been
made and he could collect it from the office. When Nannu
went to collect his card next day, he was given a very warm
treatment by the Food & Supply Officer (FSO), who is the
head of a Circle. The FSO offered him tea and requested him
to withdraw his application under the Right to Information,
since his work had already been done.
What does Nannu’s example show? What impact did Nannu’s
action have on officials? Ask your parents their experiences
when they approach government officials to attend to their
problems.
Democratic Politics

100
Political Parties

Overview
In this tour of democracy we have come across political parties several

Chapter 6
times. In Class IX, we noticed the role of political parties in the rise of
democracies, in the formation of constitutional designs, in electoral
politics and in the making and working of governments. In this
textbook, we have glanced at political parties as vehicles of federal
sharing of political power and as negotiator of social divisions in the
arena of democratic politics. Before concluding this tour, let us take
a close look at the nature and working of political parties, especially
in our country. We begin by asking two common questions: Why do
we need parties? How many parties are good for a democracy? In the
light of these we introduce the national and regional political parties
in today’s India and then look at what is wrong with political parties
and what can be done about it.
Political Parties

71
 Why do we need political parties?
Political parties are easily one of the most
So, you agree
visible institutions in a democracy. For
with me. Parties
are partial,
most ordinary citizens, democracy is equal
partisan and lead to political parties. If you travel to remote
to partitions. parts of our country and speak to the
Parties do less educated citizens, you could come
nothing but across people who may not know
divide people. anything about our Constitution or about
That is their real the nature of our government. But
function! chances are that they would know
something about our political parties. At
the same time this visibility does not mean
popularity. Most people tend to be very
critical of political parties. They tend to
© (1) M Govarthan (2) A Muralidharan (3) M Moorthy (4) T Singaravelou, The Hindu
(1)
Democratic Politics
(2)
Election Commission has officially banned wall
writing by parties during election times. Most
political parties argue that was the cheapest way for
their campaign. These election times used to
create amazing graffiti on the walls. Here are some
examples from Tamil Nadu.
72
blame parties for all that is wrong with
our democracy and our political life.
Parties have become identified with
social and political divisions.
Therefore, it is natural to ask – do
we need political parties at all? About
hundred years ago there were few
countries of the world that had any
political party. Now there are few that
do not have parties. Why did political
parties become so omnipresent in
democracies all over the world? Let us
first answer what political parties are and
what they do, before we say why we need
them.
Meaning
A political party is a group of people
who come together to contest elections
and hold power in the government. They
agree on some policies and programmes
for the society with a view to promote
the collective good. Since there can be
different views on what is good for all,
(3)
(4)
© RK Laxman - Brushing up the years
parties try to persuade people why their
policies are better than others. They seek
to implement these policies by winning
popular support through elections.
Thus, parties reflect fundamental
political divisions in a society. Parties are
about a part of the society and thus
involve PARTISANSHIP. Thus a party is
known by which part it stands for, which
policies it supports and whose interests
it upholds. A political party has three
components:
z the leaders,
z the active members and
z the followers
Functions
What does a political party do? Basically,
political parties fill political offices and
exercise political power. Parties do so
by performing a series of functions:
1 Parties contest elections. In most
democracies, elections are fought mainly
among the candidates put up by political
parties. Parties select their candidates in
different ways. In some countries, such
as the USA, members and supporters
of a party choose its candidates. Now
more and more countries are following
this method. In other countries like India,
top party leaders choose candidates for
contesting elections.
2 Parties put forward different
policies and programmes and the
voters choose from them. Each of us
may have different opinions and views Partisan: A person
on what policies are suitable for the who is strongly
Political Parties
society. But no government can handle committed to a party,
such a large variety of views. In a group or faction.
democracy, a large number of similar Partisanship is marked
opinions have to be grouped together by a tendency to take a
to provide a direction in which policies side and inability to take
can be formulated by the governments. a balanced view on an
This is what the parties do. A party issue.
reduces a vast multitude of opinions into
73
 a few basic positions which it supports.
A government is expected to base
its policies on the line taken by the
RULING PARTY.
3 Parties play a decisive role in making
laws for a country. Formally, laws are
debated and passed in the legislature. But
since most of the members belong to a
party, they go by the direction of the
party leadership, irrespective of their
personal opinions.
4 Parties form and run governments.
As we noted last year, the big policy
decisions are taken by political executive
that comes from the political parties.
Parties recruit leaders, trains them and
then make them ministers to run the
government in the way they want.
5 Those parties that lose in the elections
play the role of opposition to the parties
in power, by voicing different views and
criticising government for its failures or
Okay, granted wrong policies. Opposition parties also
that we can’t live mobilise opposition to the government.
without political
parties. But tell
6 Parties shape public opinion. They
me how do we raise and highlight issues. Parties have
live with the kind lakhs of members and activists spread
of political parties all over the country. Many of the pressure
we have? groups are the extensions of political
parties among different sections of
society. Parties sometimes also launch
movements for the resolution of
problems faced by people. Often
opinions in the society crystallise on the
Democratic Politics
lines parties take.
7 Parties provide people access to
government machinery and welfare
schemes implemented by governments.
For an ordinary citizen it is easy to
approach a local party leader than a
Ruling Party: Political government officer. That is why they feel
party that runs close to parties even when they do not
government. fully trust them. Parties have to be
74
responsive to people’s needs and
demands. Otherwise people can reject
those parties in the next elections.
Necessity
This list of functions in a sense answers
the question asked above: we need
political parties because they perform all
these functions. But we still need to ask
why modern democracies cannot exist
without political parties. We can
understand the necessity of political
parties by imagining a situation without
parties. Every candidate in the elections
will be independent. So no one will be
able to make any promises to the people
about any major policy changes. The
government may be formed, but its
utility will remain ever uncertain. Elected
representative will be accountable to their
constituency for what they do in the
locality. But no one will be responsible
for how the country run.
We can also think about it by looking
at the non-party based elections to the
panchayat in many states. Although, the
parties do not contest formally, it is
generally noticed that the village gets split
into more than one faction, each of
which puts up a ‘panel’ of its candidates.
This is exactly what the party does. That
is the reason we find political parties in
almost all countries of the world,
whether these countries are big or small,
old or new, developed or developing.
The rise of political parties is directly
linked to the emergence of
representative democracies. As we have
seen, large scale societies need
representative democracy. As societies
became large and complex, they also
needed some agency to gather different
views on various issues and to present
these to the government. They needed
some way to bring various make policies, justify or oppose them.
representatives together so that a Political parties fulfill these needs that
responsible government could be every representative government has.
formed. They needed a mechanism to We can say that parties are a necessary
support or restrain the government, condition for a democracy.

Categorise these photographs by the functions of political parties they

illustrate. Find one photograph or news clipping from your own area for
each of the functions listed above.
© (1) C V Subrahmanyan (2) K Gopinathan

2
(3) A Chakrabarty, The Hindu

1 3

1: Activists of BJP Mahila Morcha demonstrating against hike in prices of onions and LPG in
Visakhapatnam
2: Minister distributes Rs One lakh cheque to the hooch victims family at their houses.
3: Activists of CPI (M), CPI, OGP and JD (S) take out a rally in Bhubaneswar to protest against
POSCO, the Korean steel company for being permitted by the State Government to export iron
ore from Orissa to feed steel plants in China and Korea

How many parties should we have?

In a democracy any group of citizens is parties are effectively in the race to win
Political Parties

free to form a political party. In this elections and form the government. So
formal sense there are a large number the question then is: how many major
of political parties in each country. More or effective parties are good for a
than 750 parties are registered with the democracy?
Election Commission of India. But not In some countries only one party is
all these parties are serious contenders in allowed to control and run the government.
the elections. Usually only a handful of These are called one-party systems.

75
 A
moral force
in What did Kishenji mean by an alternative political formation? The

politics? question came up in a conversation between Sudha, Karuna,

Shaheen and Gracy. All four women had led very powerful people’s
movements in different parts of the country. They were meeting in
a village in Orissa, away from their day-to-day struggles, to think afresh the future of
people’s movements.
The discussion naturally turned to Kishenji, who was regarded as a friend, political
philosopher and moral guide by all the movement groups in the country. He had argued
that people’s movement should embrace politics openly. His argument was simple yet
powerful. Movements focused on a single issue are suitable as long as we wish to achieve
limited changes in a particular aspect of life. But if we wish to bring about a fundamental
social transformation, or basic change even in one aspect of life, we would need a political
organisation. People’s movement must establish a new political formation to act as a moral
force in politics. This was an urgent task, he said, because all the existing political parties
had become irrelevant for social transformation.
“But Kishenji never clarified what that organisation will be. He talked of an alternative
political formation or a third force in politics. But did he mean a political party?” said
Gracy. She felt that an old style political party was not the right instrument for social
change.
Sudha agreed with her. “I have thought about it several times. I agree that all the
struggles that we are involved with – the struggle against displacement, against
globalisation, against caste and gender oppression and for an alternative kind of
development – all this is political. But the moment we form a party, all the goodwill we
have earned all these years will be lost. People will think of us as no different from other
politicians.”
“Besides”, added Karuna, “we have seen that a lot
can be achieved by putting pressure on the
existing political parties. We tried putting up
candidates in panchayat elections, but the results
were not very encouraging. People respect our
work, they even adore us, but when it comes to
voting they go for the established political
parties.”
Shaheen did not agree with them: “Let us be very
Democratic Politics

clear. Kishenji wanted all the people’s movements

to forge a new political party. Of course he
wanted this party to be a different kind of a party.
He was not for political alternatives, but for an
alternative kind of politics.”
Kishenji is no more. What would be your
advice to these four activists? Should they
form a new political party? Can a political
© Zuban

party become a moral force in politics? What

should that party be like?

76
In Class IX, we noted that in China, only
the Communist Party is allowed to rule.
Although, legally speaking, people are
free to form political parties, it does not
happen because the electoral system does
not permit free competition for power.
We cannot consider one party system as
a good option because this is not a
democratic option. Any democratic
system must allow at least two parties
to compete in elections and provide a
fair chance for the competing parties to
come to power.
In some countries, power usually
changes between two main parties.
Several other parties may exist, contest
elections and win a few seats in the
national legislatures. But only the two
main parties have a serious chance of
winning majority of seats to form
government. Such a party system is called
two-party system. The United States of
America and the United Kingdom are
examples of two-party system.
If several parties compete for
power, and more than two parties
have a reasonable chance of coming
to power either on their own strength
or in alliance with others, we call it a
multi-party system. Thus in India, we
have a multi-party system. In this
system, the government is formed by
various parties coming together in a
Let us apply what we have learnt about party systems to the various
states within India. Here are three major types of party systems that
exist at the State level. Can you find the names of at least two States for each
of these types?
z Two-party system
z Multi-party system with two alliances
z Multi-party system
coalition. When several parties in a
multi-party system join hands for the
purpose of contesting elections and
winning power, it is called an alliance
or a front. For example, in India there
were three such major alliances in 2004
parliamentary elections– the National
Democratic Alliance, the United
Progressive Alliance and the Left Front.
The multi-party system often appears
very messy and leads to political
instability. At the same time, this system
allows a variety of interests and
opinions to enjoy political
representation.
I don’t like so
So, which of these is better? Perhaps many parties. It’s
the best answer to this very common such a mess. I
question is that this is not a very good wonder how the
question. Party system is not something politicians
any country can choose. It evolves over manage these
a long time, depending on the nature of coalitions. I can’t
society, its social and regional divisions, even remember
its history of politics and its system of the names of all
elections. These cannot be changed very the parties.
quickly. Each country develops a party
system that is conditioned by its special
circumstances. For example, if India has
evolved a multi-party system, it is
because the social and geographical
diversity in such a large country is not
easily absorbed by two or even three
parties. No system is ideal for all countries
and all situations.
Political Parties
77
 Popular
participation It is often said that political parties are facing
in a crisis because they are very unpopular and
political parties the citizens are indifferent to political parties.
The available evidence shows that this belief is only
partly true for India. The evidence, based on a series of
large sample surveys conducted over several decades, shows
that:
z Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people in
South Asia. The proportion of those who say their trust in political
parties is ‘not much’ or ‘not at all’ is more than those who have
‘some’ or ‘great’ trust.
z The same is true of most other democracies as well. Political
parties are one of the least trusted institutions all over the world.
z Yet the level of participation in the activities of political parties
was fairly high. The proportion of those who said they were
members of some political party was higher in India than many
advanced countries like Canada, Japan, Spain and South Korea.
z Over the last three
decades the proportion of
those who report to be
members of political parties
in India has gone up
steadily.
z The proportion of those
who say they feel ‘close to
a political party’ has also
gone up in India in this
period.
Democratic Politics

Source: SDSA Team, State of Democracy in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007

78
 Crunching Numbers
© Tab - The Calgary Sun, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Does the cartoonist reflect the data graphics shown in the
previous page?
National political parties
Democracies that follow a federal system
all over the world tend to have two kinds
of political parties: parties that are present
in only one of the federal units and
parties that are present in several or all
units of the federation. This is the case in
India as well. There are some country-
wide parties, which are called ‘national
parties’. These parties have their units in
various states. But by and large all these
units follow the same policies,
programmes and strategy that is decided
at the national level.
Every party in the country has to
register with the Election Commission.
While the Commission treats all parties
equally, it offers some special facilities to
large and established parties. These
parties are given a unique symbol – only
the official candidates of that party can
use that election symbol. Parties that get
this privilege and some other special
facilities are ‘recognised’ by the Election
Commission for this purpose. That is
why these parties are called, ‘recognised
political parties’. The Election
Commission has laid down detailed
criteria of the proportion of votes and
seats that a party must get in order to be
a recognised party. A party that secures
at least 6 per cent of the total votes in an
election to the Legislative Assembly of a
State and wins at least two seats is
recognised as a State party. A party that
secures at least six per cent of total votes
in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly
Political Parties
elections in four States and wins at least
four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised
as a national party.
According to this classification, there
were six national recognised parties in
the country in 2006. Let us learn
something about each of these parties.
79
 Indian National Congress
(INC): Popularly known as
the Congress Party. One of
the oldest parties of the
world. Founded in 1885 and has
experienced many splits. Played a
dominant role in Indian politics at the
national and state level for several decades
after India’s Independence. Under the
leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party
sought to build a modern secular
democratic republic in India. Ruling
party at the centre till 1977 and then from
1980 to 1989. After 1989, its support
declined, but it continues to be present
throughout the country, cutting across
social divisions. A centrist party (neither
rightist nor leftist) in its ideological
orientation, the party espouses
secularism and welfare of weaker
sections and minorities. Supports new
economic reforms but with a human
face. Emerged as the largest party with
145 members in the Lok Sabha elections
held in 2004. Currently leads the ruling
United Progressive Alliance coalition
government at the Centre.
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP): Founded in 1980 by
reviving the erstwhile
Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
Wants to build a strong and modern
India by drawing inspiration from India’s
ancient culture and values. Cultural
Democratic Politics
nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an
important element in its conception of
Indian nationhood and politics. Wants
full territorial and political integration of
Jammu and Kashmir with India, a
uniform civil code for all people living
in the country irrespective of religion,
and ban on religious conversions. Its
support base increased substantially in
the 1990s. Earlier limited to north and
80
west and to urban areas, the party
expanded its support in the south, east,
the north-east and to rural areas. Came
to power in 1998 as the leader of the
National Democratic Alliance including
several state and regional parties. Lost
elections in 2004 and is the principal
opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP): Formed
in 1984 under the
leadership of Kanshi
Ram. Seeks to represent and secure
power for the bahujan samaj which
includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and
religious minorities. Draws inspiration
from the ideas and teachings of Sahu
Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar
Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb
Ambedkar. Stands for the cause of
securing the interests and welfare of the
dalits and oppressed people. It has its
main base in the state of Uttar Pradesh
and substantial presence in neighbouring
states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab. Formed
government in Uttar Pradesh several
times by taking the support of different
parties at different times. In the Lok
Sabha elections held in 2004, it polled
about 5 per cent votes and secured 19
seats in the Lok Sabha.
Communist Party of
India - Marxist (CPI-M):
Founded in 1964.
Believes in Marxism-
Leninism. Supports socialism, secularism
and democracy and opposes imperialism
and communalism. Accepts democratic
elections as a useful and helpful means
for securing the objective of socio-
economic justice in India. Enjoys strong
support in West Bengal, Kerala and
Tripura, especially among the poor,
factory workers, farmers, agricultural
labourers and the intelligentsia. Critical
of the new economic policies that allow
free flow of foreign capital and goods
into the country. Has been in power in
West Bengal without a break for 30 years.
In 2004 elections, it won about 6 per
cent of votes and 43 seats in the Lok
Sabha. Currently supports the UPA
government from outside, without
joining the government.
Communist Party of
India (CPI): Formed
in 1925. Believes in
Marxism-Leninism,
secularism and democracy. Opposed to
the forces of secessionism and
communalism. Accepts parliamentary
democracy as a means of promoting
the interests of the working class, farmers
and the poor. Became weak after the
split in the party in 1964 that led to the
formation of the CPI(M). Significant
presence in the states of Kerala, West
State parties
Other than these six parties, most of the
major parties of the country are classified
by the Election Commission as ‘State
parties’. These are commonly referred
to as regional parties. Yet these parties
need not be regional in their ideology
or outlook. Some of these parties are
all India parties that happen to have
succeeded only in some states. Parties like
the Samajwadi Party, Samata Party and
Rashtriya Janata Dal have national level
political organisation with units in several
states. Some of these parties like Biju
Janata Dal, Sikkim Democratic Front
and Mizo National Front are conscious
about their State identity.
Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu. Its support base had
gradually declined over the years. It
secured about 1.4 per cent votes and 10
seats in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
Advocates the coming together of all left
parties to build a strong left front.
Currently supports UPA government
from outside.
Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP): Formed in
1999 following a split in the
Congress party. Espouses
democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity,
social justice and federalism. Wants that
high offices in government be confined
to natural born citizens of the country.
A major party in Maharashtra and has a
significant presence in Meghalaya,
Manipur and Assam. A coalition partner
in the state of Maharashtra in alliance
with the Congress. Since 2004, a member
of the United Progressive Alliance.
Over the last three decades, the
number and strength of these parties has
expanded. This made the Parliament of
India politically more and more diverse.
No one national party is able to secure
on its own a majority in Lok Sabha. As
a result, the national parties are compelled
to form alliances with State parties. Since
Political Parties
1996, nearly every one of the State
parties has got an opportunity to be a
part of one or the other national level
coalition government. This has
contributed to the strengthening of
federalism and democracy in our
country. (See the map on the next page
for details of these parties).
81
82
Democratic Politics
 Challenges to political parties
We have seen how crucial political parties
are for the working of democracy. Since
parties are the most visible face of
democracy, it is natural that people blame
parties for whatever is wrong with the
working of democracy. All over the
world, people express strong
dissatisfaction with the failure of political
parties to perform their functions well.
This is the case in our country too.
Popular dissatisfaction and criticism has
focussed on four problem areas in the
Berlusconi Puppet Theatre
© Riber Hansson - Svenska Dagbladet, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
working of political parties. Political
parties need to face and overcome these
challenges in order to remain effective
instruments of democracy.
The first challenge is lack of
internal democracy within parties. All
over the world there is a tendency in
political parties towards the
concentration of power in one or few
leaders at the top. Parties do not keep
membership registers, do not hold
organisational meetings, and do not
conduct internal elections regularly.
Ordinary members of the party do not
get sufficient information on what
happens inside the party. They do not
have the means or
the connections
needed to influence
the decisions. As a
result the leaders
assume greater
power to make
decisions in the
name of the party.
Since one or few
leaders exercise
paramount power

in the party, those

who disagree with
the leadership find it

Berlusconi was the Prime

Political Parties

Minister of Italy. He is also

one of the top business man
Why don’t parties
in Italy. He is the leader of the
Forza Italia founded in 1993. give enough
His company owns TV tickets to
channels, the most important women? Is that
publishing company, a foot
ball club (AC Milan) and a also due to lack
bank. This cartoon was of internal
made during the last democracy?
elections.

83
 difficult to continue in the party. More
than loyalty to party principles and
policies, personal loyalty to the leader
becomes more important.
The second challenge of dynastic
succession is related to the first one. Since
most political parties do not practice
open and transparent procedures for
their functioning, there are very few ways
for an ordinary worker to rise to the top
in a party. Those who happen to be the
leaders are in a position of unfair
advantage to favour people close to
them or even their family members. In
many parties, the top positions are always
controlled by members of one family.
This is unfair to other members of that
party. This is also bad for democracy,
since people who do not have adequate
experience or popular support come to
occupy positions of power. This
tendency is present in some measure all
over the world, including in some of
the older democracies.
Democratic Politics
© Huffaker - Cagle Cartoons Inc.
84
The third challenge is about the
growing role of money and muscle
power in parties, especially during
elections. Since parties are focussed only
on winning elections, they tend to use
short-cuts to win elections. They tend to
nominate those candidates who have or
can raise lots of money. Rich people and
companies who give funds to the parties
tend to have influence on the policies and
decisions of the party. In some cases,
parties support criminals who can win
elections. Democrats all over the world
are worried about the increasing role of
rich people and big companies in
democratic politics.
The fourth challenge is that very
often parties do not seem to offer a
meaningful choice to the voters. In
order to offer meaningful choice, parties
must be significantly different. In recent
years there has been a decline in the
ideological differences among parties in
most parts of the world. For example,
the difference between the Labour Party
and the Conservative Party in Britain is
very little. They agree on more
fundamental aspects but differ
only in details on how policies
are to be framed and
implemented. In our country
too, the differences among all the
major parties on the economic
policies have reduced. Those
who want really different policies
have no option available to them.
Sometimes people cannot even
elect very different leaders either,
because the same set of leaders
keep shifting from one party to
another.
 © Manjul - DNA
Most cartoons caricature politicians. From the cartoons (on page 83 to 85), can
you identify which of the challenges described in this section is being highlighted
in these cartoons. They relate to Italy, US and India.

How can parties be reformed?

In order to face these challenges, political
parties need to be reformed. The
question is: Are political parties willing
to reform? If they are willing, what has
prevented them from reforming so far?
them do not wish to reform, how can
anyone force them to change?
Let us look at some of the recent
efforts and suggestions in our country
to reform political parties and its leaders:
Political Parties

If they are not willing, is it possible to

force them to reform? Citizens all over
the world face this question. This is not
a simple question to answer. In a
democracy, the final decision is made by
leaders who represent political parties.
People can replace them, but only by
another set of party leaders. If all of
z The Constitution was amended to
prevent elected MLAs and MPs from Defection: Changing
changing parties. This was done because party allegiance from
many elected representatives were the party on which a
indulging in DEFECTION in order to person got elected (to a
legislative body) to a
become ministers or for cash rewards.
different party.
Now the law says that if any MLA or

85

© Keshav - The Hindu
Do you agree that this form of reforming political parties will be
acceptable to them?
MP changes parties, he or she will lose
the seat in the legislature. This new law
has helped bring defection down. At the
same time this has made any dissent even
more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to
accept whatever the party leaders decide.
z The Supreme Court passed an order
to reduce the influence of money and
criminals. Now, it is mandatory for every
candidate who contests elections to file
an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property
and criminal cases pending against him.
The new system has made a lot of
information available to the public. But
there is no system of check if the
information given by the candidates is
Democratic Politics
true. As yet we do not know if it has led
to decline in the influence of the rich and
the criminals.
Affidavit: A signed z The Election Commission passed an
document submitted to order making it necessary for political
an officer, where a parties to hold their organisational
person makes a sworn elections and file their income tax returns.
statement regarding her The parties have started doing so but
personal information. sometimes it is mere formality. It is not
86
clear if this step has led to greater internal
democracy in political parties.
Besides these, many suggestions are
often made to reform political parties:
z A law should be made to regulate
the internal affairs of political parties. It
should be made compulsory for political
parties to maintain a register of its
members, to follow its own constitution,
to have an independent authority, to act
as a judge in case of party disputes, to
hold open elections to the highest posts.
z It should be made mandatory for
political parties to give a minimum
number of tickets, about one-third, to
women candidates. Similarly, there should
be a quota for women in the decision
making bodies of the party.
z There should be state funding of
elections. The government should give
parties money to support their election
expenses. This support could be given in
kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it
could be given in cash on the basis of
the votes secured by the party in the last
election.
These suggestions have not yet been
accepted by political parties. If and when
these are accepted these could lead to
some improvement. But we must be
very careful about legal solutions to
political problems. Over-regulation of
political parties can be counter-
productive. This would force all parties
to find ways to cheat the law. Besides,
political parties will not agree to pass a
law that they do not like.
There are two other ways in which
political parties can be reformed. One,
people can put pressure on political
parties. This can be done through
petitions, publicity and agitations.
Ordinary citizens, pressure groups and
movements and the media can play an
important role in this. If political parties
feel that they would lose public support
by not taking up reforms, they would
become more serious about reforms.
Two, political parties can improve if
those who want this join political parties.
The quality of democracy depends on
the degree of public participation. It is
difficult to reform politics if ordinary
citizens do not take part in it and simply
criticise it from the outside. The problem
of bad politics can be solved by more
and better politics. We shall return to this
theme in the final chapter.

1. State the various functions political parties perform in a

democracy.
2. What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
3. Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform

Exercises
their functions well?
4. What is a political party?
5. What are the characteristics of a political party?
6. A group of people who come together to contest elections and
hold power in the government is called a _____________________.
7. Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select
the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

List I List II
1. Congress Party A. National Democratic
Alliance
2. Bharatiya Janata Party B. State party
3. Communist Party of India C. United Progressive
(Marxist) Alliance
4. Telugu Desam Party D. Left Front

1 2 3 4
(a) C A B D
(b) C D A B
(c) C A D B
(d) D C A B

8. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?
A. Kanshi Ram
Political Parties

B. Sahu Maharaj
C. B.R. Ambedker
D. Jotiba Phule
9. What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party?
A. Bahujan Samaj
B. Revolutionary democracy
C. Integral humanism
D. Modernity

87
 10. Consider the following statements on parties.
A. Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people.
B. Parties are often rocked by scandals involving top party leaders.
C. Parties are not necessary to run governments.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, and C (b) A and B (c) B and C (d) A and C

11. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Muhammad Yunus is a famous economist of Bangladesh. He
received several international honours for his efforts to
promote economic and social development for the benefit of
the poor. He and the Grameen Bank he started jointly,
received the Nobel Peace Prize for the 2006. In February
Exercises
2007, he decided to launch a political party and contest in the
parliamentary elections. His objective was to foster proper
leadership, good governance and build a new Bangladesh. He
felt that only a political party different from the traditional
ones would bring about new political culture. His party would
be democratic from the grassroots level.
The launching of the new party, called Nagarik Shakti
(Citizens’ Power), has caused a stir among the Bangladeshis.
While many welcomed his decision, some did not like it. “Now I
think Bangladesh will have a chance to choose between good
and bad and eventually have a good government,” said
Shahedul Islam, a government official. “That government, we
hope, would not only keep itself away from corruption but also
make fighting corruption and black money a top priority.”
But leaders of traditional political parties who dominated
the country’s politics for decades were apprehensive. “There
was no debate (over him) winning the Nobel, but politics is
different – very challenging and often controversial,” said a
senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Some others
were highly critical. They asked why he was rushing into
politics. “Is he being planted in politics by mentors from
outside the country,” asked one political observer.
Democratic Politics

Do you think Yunus made a right decision to float a new political

party?
Do you agree with the statements and fears expressed by various
people? How do you want this new party organised to make it
different from other parties? If you were the one to begin this
political party how would you defend it?

88
Popular
Struggles and
Movements

Overview
In the earlier chapters we discussed why power sharing is important
in a democracy and how different tiers of government and various
social groups share power. In this chapter we will carry this discussion
further and see how those who exercise power are constrained by the
influence and pressure exerted on them. Democracy almost invariably
involves conflict of interests and viewpoints. These differences are Chapter 5
P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
often expressed in organised ways. Those who are in power are required
to balance these conflicting demands and pressures. We begin this
chapter with a discussion of how struggles around conflicting demands
and pressures shape democracy. This leads to an analysis of the
different ways and organisations through which ordinary citizen can
play a role in democracy. In this chapter, we look at the indirect ways
of influencing politics, through pressure groups and movements.
This leads us in the next chapter to the direct ways of controlling
political power in the form of political parties.

57
 Popular struggles in Nepal and Bolivia
Do you remember the story of the
triumph of democracy in Poland? We
studied it last year in the first chapter
of class IX. The story reminded us
about the role played by the people
in the making of democracy. Let us
read two recent stories of that kind
and see how power is exercised in
democracy.
Movement for democracy in
Nepal
Nepal witnessed an extraordinary
popular movement in April 2006. The
movement was aimed at restoring
democracy. Nepal, you might recall, was
one of the ‘third wave’ countries that had
won democracy in 1990. Although the
Democratic Politics
58
king formally remained the head of the
state, the real power was exercised by
popularly elected representatives. King
Birendra, who has accepted this transition
from absolute monarchy to constitutional
monarchy, was killed in a mysterious
massacre of the royal family in 2001.
King Gyanendra, the new king of Nepal,
was not prepared to accept democratic
rule. He took advantage of the weakness
and unpopularity of the democratically
elected government. In February 2005,
the king dismissed the then Prime Minister
and dissolved the popularly elected
Parliament. The movement of April
2006 was aimed at regaining popular
control over the government from
the king.
© Min Bajarachya
Political parties and people of Nepal in a rally demanding restoration of democracy in their country
All the major political parties in the
parliament formed a Seven Party
Alliance (SPA) and called for a four day
strike in Kathmandu, the country’s capital.
This protest soon turned into an
indefinite strike in which M AOIST
insurgents and various other
organisations joined hands. People defied
curfew and took to the streets. The
security forces found themselves unable
to take on more than a lakh people who
gathered almost every day to demand
restoration of democracy. The number
of protesters reached between three to
five lakhs on 21 April and they served
an ultimatum to the king. The leaders
of the movement rejected the half-
hearted concessions made by the king.
They stuck to their demand for
restoration of parliament, power to
an all-party government and a new
constituent assembly.
P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
On 24 April 2004, the last day of
the ultimatum, the king was forced to
concede all the three demands. The SPA
chose Girija Prasad Koirala as the new
Prime Minister of the interim
government. The restored parliament
met and passed laws taking away most
of the powers of the king. The SPA and
the Maoists came to an understanding Maoists: Those
about how the new Constituent communists who believe
in the ideology of Mao, the
Assembly was going to be elected. This leader of the Chinese
struggle came to be known as Nepal’s revolution. They seek to
second movement for democracy. The overthrow the government
struggle of the Nepali people is a source through an armed
revolution so as to
of inspiration to democrats all over establish the rule of the
the world. peasants and workers.
59
 Bolivia’s Water War
The story of Poland and that of Nepal
apply to the struggle for establishing or
restoring democracy. But the role of
popular struggles does not come to an
end with the establishment of democracy.
People’s successful struggle against
privatisation of water in Bolivia reminds
us that popular struggles are integral to
the working of democracy.
Bolivia is a poor country in Latin
America. The World Bank pressurised the
government to give up its control of
municipal water supply. The government
sold these rights for the city of
Cochabamba to a multi-national
company (MNC). The company
immediately increased the price of water
by four times. Many people received
monthly water bill of Rs 1000 in a
country where average income is around
Rs 5000 a month. This led to a
spontaneous popular protest.
In January 2000, a new alliance of
labour, human rights and community
leaders organised a successful four-day
general strike in the city. The government
agreed to negotiate and the strike was
called off. Yet nothing happened. The
police resorted to brutal repression when
Are you the agitation was started again in February.
suggesting that
Another strike followed in April and the
strike, dharna,
Democratic Politics
government imposed martial law. But the
bandh and
demonstration
power of the people forced the officials
are a good thing? of the MNC to flee the city and made
I thought it the government concede to all the
happened only in demands of the protesters. The contract
our country, with the MNC was cancelled and water
because we are supply was restored to the municipality
not a mature
at old rates. This came to be known as
democracy yet.
Bolivia’s water war.
60
Democracy and popular
struggles
These two stories are from very different
contexts. The movement in Nepal was
to establish democracy, while the struggle
in Bolivia involved claims on an elected,
democratic government. The popular
struggle in Bolivia was about one specific
policy, while the struggle in Nepal was
about the foundations of the country’s
politics. Both these struggles were
successful but their impact was at
different levels.
Despite these differences, both the
stories share some elements which are
relevant to the study of the past and
future of democracies. Both these are
instances of political conflict that led to
popular struggles. In both cases the
struggle involved mass mobilisation.
Public demonstration of mass support
clinched the dispute. Finally, both
instances involved critical role of political
organisations. If you recall the first
chapter of class IX textbook, this is how
democracy has evolved all over the
world. We can therefore draw a few
conclusions from these examples:
z Democracy evolves through
popular struggles. It is possible that some
significant decisions may take place
through consensus and may not involve
any conflict at all. But that would be an
exception. Defining moments of
democracy usually involve conflict
between those groups who have
exercised power and those who aspire
for a share in power. These moments
come when the country is going through
transition to democracy, expansion of
democracy or deepening of democracy.
z Democratic conflict is resolved
through mass mobilisation. Sometimes
it is possible that the conflict is resolved based on new political organisations.
True, there is an element of spontaneity Does it mean that
by using the existing institutions like the
in all such historic moments. But the whichever side
parliament or the judiciary. But when
spontaneous public participation manages to
there is a deep dispute, very often these mobilise a bigger
becomes effective with the help of
institutions themselves get involved in the crowd gets away
organised politics. There can be many
dispute. The resolution has to come with whatever it
agencies of organised politics. These
from outside, from the people. include political parties, pressure groups wants? Are we
and movement groups. saying that ‘Might
z These conflicts and mobilisations are
is Right’ in a
democracy?

In 1984, the Karnataka government set up a company called Karnataka Pulpwood

Limited. About 30,000 hectares of land was given virtually free to this company for 40
years. Much of this land was used by local farmers as grazing land for their cattle.
However the company began to plant eucalyptus trees on this land, which could be used
for making paper pulp. In 1987, a movement called Kittiko-Hachchiko (meaning, pluck and
plant) started a non-violent protest, where people plucked the eucalyptus plants and
planted saplings of trees that were useful to the people.
Suppose you belong to any of the following groups, what arguments would you put
forward to defend your side: a local farmer, an environmental activist, a government
official working in this company or just a consumer of paper.

Mobilisation and organisations
Let us go back to our two examples and
look at the organisations that made these
struggles successful. We noted that the
call for indefinite strike was given by the
SPA or the Seven Party Alliance in Nepal.
This alliance included some big parties
that had some members in the
Parliament. But the SPA was not the only
organisation behind this mass upsurge.
The protest was joined by the Nepalese
Communist Party (Maoist) which did not
believe in parliamentary democracy. This
P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
party was involved in an armed struggle
against the Nepali government and had
established its control over large parts
of Nepal.
The strug gle involved many
organisations other than political parties.
All the major labour unions and their
federations joined this movement. Many
other organisations like the organisation
of the indigenous people, teachers,
lawyers and human rights groups
extended support to the movement.

61
 The protest against water
privatisation in Bolivia was not led by
any political party. It was led by an
organisation called FEDECOR. This
organisation comprised of local
professionals, including engineers and
environmentalists. They were supported
by a federation of farmers who relied
I don’t like this
on irrigation, the confederation of
word
factory workers’ unions, middle class
‘mobilisation’.
students from the the University of
Makes it feel as if
people are like
Cochabamba and the city’s growing
sheep. population of homeless street children.
The movement was supported by the
Socialist Party. In 2006, this party came
to power in Bolivia.
From both these examples we can
see that in a democracy several different
kinds of organisations work behind any
big struggle. These organisations play
Democratic Politics
© Keshav - The Hindu
Governments initiate schemes and programme to alleviate the suffering of the poor
and meet their basic needs. But poverty remains in the country? What could be the
reasons for such a situation?
62
their role in two ways. One obvious way
of influencing the decisions in a
democracy is direct participation in
competitive politics. This is done by
creating parties, contesting elections and
forming governments. But every citizen
does not participate so directly. They
may not have the desire, the need or
the skills to take part in direct political
activity other than voting.
There are many indirect ways in
which people can get governments to
listen to their demands or their point of
view. They could do so by forming an
organisation and undertaking activities to
promote their interest or their viewpoint.
These are called interest groups or
pressure groups. Sometimes people
decide to act together without forming
organisations.

Pressure groups and movements
Pressure groups are organisations that
attempt to influence government
policies. But unlike political parties,
pressure groups do not aim to directly
control or share political power. These
organisations are formed when people
with common occupation, interest,
aspirations or opinions come together
in order to achieve a common objective.
In the course of the discussion
above we came across entities that are
not quite an organisation. The struggle
in Nepal was called a movement for
democracy. We often hear the word
Can you identify the
P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
pressure groups
functioning in the news
clippings given here?
people’s movement to describe many What demand are they
forms of collective action: Narmada making?
Bachao Andolan, Movement for Right
to Information, Anti-liquor Movement,
Women’s Movement, Environmental
Movement. Like an interest group, a
movement also attempts to influence
politics rather than directly take part in
electoral competition. But unlike the
interest groups, movements have a
loose organisation. Their decision
making is more informal and flexible.
They depend much more on
spontaneous mass participation than an
interest group.
63
 Sectional interest groups and
public interest groups
Usually interest groups seek to promote
the interests of a particular section or
group of society. Trade unions, business
associations and professional (lawyers,
doctors, teachers, etc.) bodies are some
examples of this type. They are sectional
because they represent a section of
society: workers, employees, business-
persons, industrialists, followers of a
religion, caste group, etc. Their principal
concern is the betterment and well being
of their members, not society in general.
Sometimes these organisations are
not about representing the interest of one
section of society. They represent some
common or general interest that needs
to be defended. The members of the
organisation may not benefit from the
cause that the organisation represents. The
Bolivian organisation FEDECOR is an
example of that kind of an organisation.
In the context of Nepal, we noted the
participation of human rights
organisations. We read about these
organisations in class IX.
These second type of groups are
called promotional groups or public
interest groups. They promote collective
rather than selective good. They aim to
help groups other than their own
members. For example, a group fighting
against bonded labour fights not for itself
Democratic Politics

but for those who are suffering under

such bondage. In some instances the
© wikipedia.com

members of a public interest group may

undertake activity that benefits them as
well as others too. For example,
Land rights protest: farmers of West Java, Indonesia. On June 2004,
BAMCEF (Backward and Minorities
about 15,000 landless farmers from West Java, travelled to Jakarta, Community Employees Federation) is an
the capital city. They came with their families to demand land reform, to organisation largely made up of
insist on the return of their farms. Demonstrators chanted, “No land, No
vote” declaring that they would boycott Indonesia’s first presidential government employees that campaigns
election if no candidate backed land reform. against caste discrimination. It addresses

64
the problems of its members who suffer
discrimination. But its principal concern
is with social justice and social equality
for the entire society.
Movement groups
As in the case of interest groups, the
groups involved with movements also
include a very wide variety. The various
examples mentioned above already
indicate a simple distinction. Most of
the movements are issue specific
movements that seek to achieve a single
objective within a limited time frame.
Others are more general or generic
movements that seek to achieve a broad
goal in the very long term.
The Nepalese movement for
democracy arose with the specific
objective of reversing the king’s orders
that led to suspension of democracy. In
India, Narmada Bachao Andolan is a
good example of this kind of
movement. The movement started with
the specific issue of the people displaced
by the creation of Sardar Sarovar
dam on the Narmada river. Its objective
was to stop the dam from being
constructed. Gradually it became a
wider movement that questioned all
such big dams and the model of
development that required such dams.
Movements of this kind tend to have a
clear leadership and some organisation.
But their active life is usually short.
These single-issue movements can
be contrasted with movements that are
long term and involve more than one
issue. The environmental movement and
the women’s movement are examples
of such movements. There is no single
organisation that controls or guides such
movements. Environmental movement
is a label for a large number of
Social movements and
organisations and issue-specific pressure groups try to
movements. All of these have separate mobilise citizens in
many ways. The collage
organisation, independent leadership here show some of
and often different views on policy them.
P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
65
 National Alliance for Peoples’
Movements (NAPM) is an organisation
of organisations. Various movement
groups struggling on specific issues are
constituents of this loose organisation
which coordinates the activities of a
large number of peoples’ movements
in our country.
© Surendera - The Hindu

How do they influence politics?

Pressure groups and movements exert
influence on politics in a variety of ways:
z They try to gain public support and
sympathy for their goals and their activity
by carrying out information campaigns,
The Right to Information
related matters. Yet all of these share a organising meetings, file petitions, etc.
Act is one of the recent
legislations passed by broad objective and have a similar Most of these groups try to influence
Parliament? Who is
approach. That is why they are called a the media into giving more attention to
shown as obstructing the
implementation of the movement. Sometimes these broad these issues.
legislation? movements have a loose umbrella z They often organise protest activity
organisation as well. For example, the like strikes or disrupting government
Democratic Politics

What are the social movements listed in these news clippings? What efforts are they
making? Which sections are they trying to mobilise?

66
programmes. Workers’ organisations,
employees’ associations and most of the
movement groups often resort to these
tactics in order to force the government
to take note of their demand.
z Business groups often employ
professional lobbyists or sponsor
expensive advertisements. Some persons
from pressure groups or movement
groups may participate in official bodies
and committees that offer advice to the
government.
While interest groups and movements
do not directly engage in party politics,
they seek to exert influence on political
parties. Most of the movement groups
take a political stance without being a party.
They have political ideology and political
position on major issues. The relationship
between political parties and pressure
groups can take different forms, some
direct and others very indirect:
z In some instances the pressure
groups are either formed or led by the
leaders of political parties or act as
extended arms of political parties. For
example, most trade unions and students’
z Sometimes political parties grow out
of movements. For example, when the
Assam movement led by students against
the ‘foreigners’ came to an end, it led to
the formation of the Asom Gana
Parishad. The roots of parties like the
DMK and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu
can be traced to a long drawn social
reform movement during the 1930 and
1940s.
z In most cases the relationship
between parties and interest or
movement groups is not so direct. They
often take positions that are opposed to
each other. Yet they are in dialogue and
negotiation. Movement groups have
raised new issues that have been taken
up by political parties. Most of the new
leadership of political parties comes
from interest or movement groups.
Is their influence healthy?
It may initially appear that it is not healthy
for groups that promote interest of one
section to have influence in democracy.
A democracy must look after the interest
of all, not just one section. Also, it may
seem that these groups wield power

organisations in India are either
established by or affiliated to one or the
other major political party. Most of the
leaders of such pressure groups are
usually activists and leaders of party.
P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
without responsibility. Political parties
have to face the people in elections, but
these groups are not accountable to the
people. Pressure groups and movements
may not get their funds and support

Follow the news on any news TV channel for one week. Make a note of news related
to pressure groups or movements representing the following sectors or sections: farmers,
traders, labour, industry, environment and women. Which of these are mentioned most on
television news? Which sections or interests get mentioned the least? You may follow a
newspaper if you don’t have TV at home.

67
 The Green Belt Movement has planted 30 million trees across Kenya. Its
leader Wangari Maathai is very disappointed with the response of government
officials and politicians:
“In the 1970s and 1980s, as I was encouraging farmers to plant trees on their
land, I also discovered that corrupt government agents were responsible for much
of the deforestation by illegally selling off land and trees to
well-connected developers. In the early 1990’s, the
livelihoods, the rights and even the lives of many Kenyans in
the Rift Valley were lost when elements of President Daniel
Arap Moi’s government encouraged ethnic communities to
attack one another over land. Supporters of the ruling party
got the land, while those in the pro-democracy movement
were displaced. This was one of the government’s ways of
retaining power; if communities were kept busy fighting over
land, they would have less opportunity to demand democracy.”
In the above passage what relationship do you see between
democracy and social movements? How should this movement
respond to the government?
© Alen Lauzan Falcon - Cagle Cartoons Inc.

from the people. Sometimes, pressure
groups with small public support but lots
of money can highjack public discussion
in favour of their narrow agenda.
On balance, however, pressure
groups and movements have deepened
democracy. Putting pressure on the rulers
is not an unhealthy activity in a democracy
as long as everyone gets this opportunity.
Governments can often come under
undue pressure from a small group of
Democratic Politics
the government of the needs and
concerns of ordinary citizens.
Even the sectional interest groups
play a valuable role. Where different
groups function actively, no one single
group can achieve dominance over
society. If one group brings pressure on
government to make policies in its
favour, another will bring counter
pressure not to make policies in the way

the first group desires. The government

rich and powerful people. Public gets to hear about what different sections
interest groups and movements of the population want. This leads to a
perform a useful role of countering rough balance of power and
this undue influence and reminding accommodation of conflicting interests.

This cartoon is called ‘News-no-news’.

Who is most often visible in the media?
Whom are we most likely to hear about
in newspapers?

68
1. In what ways do pressure groups and movements exert influence
on politics?
2. Describe the forms of relationship between pressure groups and
political parties?
3. Explain how the activities of pressure groups are useful in the
functioning of a democratic government.
4. What is a pressure group? Give a few examples.
5. What is the difference between a pressure group and a
political party?
6. Organisations that undertake activities to promote the interests

Exercises
of specific social sections such as workers, employees, teachers,
and lawyers are called _____________________ groups.
7. Which among the following is the special feature that
distinguishes a pressure group from a political party?
(a) Parties take political stances, while pressure groups do not
bother about political issues.
(b) Pressure groups are confined to a few people, while parties
involve larger number of people.
(c) Pressure groups do not seek to get into power, while political
parties do.
(d) Pressure groups do not seek to mobilise people, while parties
8. Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select
the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:do.

List I List II

P o p u l a r St r u g g l e s a n d Mo v e m e n t s
1. Organisations that seek to promote A. Movement
the interests of a particular section
or group

2. Organisations that seek to promote B. Political parties

common interest

3. Struggles launched for the resolution C. Sectional interest

of a social problem with or without groups
an organisational structure
4. Organisations that mobilise people D. Public interest
with a view to win political power groups

1 2 3 4
(a) C D B A
(b) C D A B
(c) D C B A
(d) B C D A

69
 9. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the
codes given below the lists:
List I List II
1. Pressure group A. Narmada Bachao Andolan
2. Long term movement B. Asom Gana Parishad
3. Single issue movement C. Women’s movement
4. Political party D. Fertilizer dealers’ association

1 2 3 4
(a) D C A B
Exercises
(b) B A D C
(c) C D B A
(d) B D C A

10. Consider the following statements about pressure groups and

parties.
A. Pressure groups are organised expression of the interests and
views of specific social sections.
B. Pressure groups take positions on political issues.
C. All pressure groups are political parties.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, and C (b) A and B (c) B and C (d) A and C
11. Mewat is one of the most backward areas in Haryana. It used to
be a part of district Gurgaon and Faridabad. The people of Mewat
felt that the area will get better attention if it were to become a
separate district. But political parties were indifferent to this
sentiment. The demand for a separate district was raised by
Mewat Educational and Social Organisation and Mewat Saksharta
Samiti in 1996. Later Mewat Vikas Sabha was founded in 2000 and
carried out a series of public awareness campaigns. This forced
both the major parties, Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal,
to announe their support for the new district before the assembly
elections held in February 2005. The new district came into
existence in July 2005.
Democratic Politics

In this example what is the relationship that you observe among

movement, political parties and the government? Can you think of an
example that shows a relationship different from this one?

70
Power sharing

Overview

Chapter I
With this chapter we resume the tour of democracy that we started
last year. We noted last year that in a democracy all power does not
rest with any one organ of the state. An intelligent sharing of power
among legislature, executive and judiciary is very important to the
design of a democracy. In this and the next two chapters we carry
this idea of power sharing forward. We start with two stories from
Belgium and Sri Lanka. Both these stories are about how democracies
handle demands for power sharing.The stories yield some general
conclusions about the need for power sharing in democracy. This
allows us to discuss various forms of power sharing that will be taken
up in the following two chapters.
Po w e r sh a r i n g

1
 Belgium and Sri Lanka
Belgium is a small country in Europe,
smaller in area than the state of
Haryana. It has borders with
Netherlands, France and Germany. It
has a population of a little over one
crore, about half the population of
Haryana. The ETHNIC composition of
I have a simple
this small country is very complex. Of
equation in mind.
Sharing power = the country’s total population, 59 per
dividing power = cent lives in the Flemish region and
weakening the speaks Dutch language. Another 40 per
country. Why do we cent people live in the Wallonia region
start by talking of and speak French. Remaining 1 per cent
this? of the Belgians speak German. In the
capital city Brussels, 80 per cent people
speak French while 20 per cent are
Dutch-speaking.
The minority French-speaking
community was relatively rich and
powerful. This was resented by the
Dutch-speaking community who got
the benefit of economic development
© Wikipedia
Ethnic: A social
Democratic Politics
division based on
shared culture. People
belonging to the same
ethnic group believe in Brussels-Capital Region
their common descent
Walloon (French-speaking)
because of similarities
of physical type or of Flemish (Dutch-speaking)
culture or both. They
need not always have German-speaking
the same religion or
nationality.
2
and education much later. This led to
tensions between the Dutch-speaking
and French-speaking communities
during the 1950s and 1960s. The
tension between the two communities
was more acute in Brussels. Brussels
presented a special problem: the
Dutch-speaking people constituted a
majority in the country, but a minority
in the capital.
Let us compare this to the situation
in another country. Sri Lanka is an
island nation, just a few kilometres off
the southern coast of Tamil Nadu. It
has about 2 crore people, about the
same as in Haryana. Like other nations
in the South Asia region, Sri Lanka has
a diverse population. The major social
groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74 per
cent) and the Tamil-speakers (18 per
cent). Among Tamils there are two sub-
groups. Tamil natives of the country
Communities
and
regions of
Belgium
Look at the maps of Belgium and Sri Lanka. In which
region do you find concentration of different
communities?
are called ‘Sri Lankan Tamils’ (13 per
cent). The rest, whose forefathers came
from India as plantation workers during
colonial period, are called ‘Indian
Tamils’. As you can see from the map,
Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in
the north and east of the country. Most
of the Sinhala-speaking people are
Buddhist, while most of the Tamils are
Hindus or Muslims. There are about 7
per cent Christians, who are both Tamil
and Sinhala.
Just imagine what could happen
in situations like this. In Belgium, the
Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka emerged as an independent
country in 1948. The leaders of the
Sinhala community sought to secure
dominance over government by virtue
of their majority. As a result, the
democratically elected government
adopted a series of MAJORITARIAN
measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.
In 1956, an Act was passed to
recognise Sinhala as the only official
language, thus disregarding Tamil. The
governments followed preferential
policies that favoured Sinhala
applicants for university positions and
government jobs. A new constitution
stipulated that the state shall protect
and foster Buddhism.
All these government measures,
coming one after the other, gradually
increased the feeling of alienation
among the Sri Lankan Tamils. They felt
that none of the major political parties
led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders
were sensitive to their language and
culture. They felt that the constitution
Dutch community could take
advantage of its numeric majority and
force its will on the French and
German-speaking population. This
would push the conflict among
communities further. This could lead
to a very messy partition of the
country; both the sides would claim
control over Brussels. In Sri Lanka, the
Sinhala community enjoyed an even
bigger majority and could impose its
will on the entire country. Now, let us
look at what happened in both these
countries.
and government policies denied them
equal political rights, discriminated
against them in getting jobs and other
opportunities and ignored their
interests. As a result, the relations
Ethnic Communities
of Sri Lanka
Sinhalese
Sri Lankan Tamil
Indian Tamil
Muslim
Po w e r sh a r i n g
Majoritarianism: A
belief that the majority
community should be
able to rule a country in
whichever way it wants,
by disregarding the
wishes and needs of the
minority.
3
 between the Sinhala and Tamil
What’s wrong if
communities strained over time.
the majority
community The Sri Lankan Tamils launched
rules? If Sinhalas parties and struggles for the recognition
don’t rule in Sri of Tamil as an official language, for
Lanka, where regional autonomy and equality of
else will they opportunity in securing education and
rule? jobs. But their demand for more
autonomy to provinces populated by
the Tamils was repeatedly denied. By
1980s several political organisations
were formed demanding an
independent Tamil Eelam (state) in
northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
Accommodation in Belgium
The Belgian leaders took a different
path. They recognised the existence of
regional differences and cultural
diversities. Between 1970 and 1993,
they amended their constitution four
times so as to work out an arrangement
that would enable everyone to live
together within the same country. The
arrangement they worked out is
different from any other country and
is very innovative. Here are some of
the elements of the Belgian model:
Civil war: A violent
conflict between z Constitution prescribes that the
opposing groups within number of Dutch and French-speaking
a country that becomes ministers shall be equal in the central
so intense that it appears
like a war.
government. Some special laws require
the support of majority of members
from each linguistic group. Thus, no
Democratic Politics
What kind of a solution is
this? I am glad our
Constitution does not say
which minister will come from
which community.
4
The distrust between the two
communities turned into widespread
conflict. It soon turned into a CIVIL WAR.
As a result thousands of people of both
the communities have been killed. Many
families were forced to leave the country
as refugees and many more lost their
livelihoods. You have read (Chapter 1
of Economics textbook, Class X) about
Sri Lanka’s excellent record of economic
development, education and health. But
the civil war has caused a terrible setback
to the social, cultural and economic life
of the country.
single community can make decisions
unilaterally.
z Many powers of the central
government have been given to state
governments of the two regions of the
country. The state governments are not
subordinate to the Central Government.
z Brussels has a separate government
in which both the communities have
equal representation. The French-
speaking people accepted equal
representation in Brussels because the
Dutch-speaking community has
accepted equal representation in the
Central Government.
© Wikipedia
The photograph here is of a street
address in Belgium. You will notice that
place names and directions in two
languages – French and Dutch.
 Apart from the Central and
the State Government, there is a
third kind of government. This
‘community government’ is elected by
people belonging to one language
community – Dutch, French and
German-speaking – no matter where
they live. This government has the
power regarding cultural, educational
and language-related issues.
You might find the Belgian model
very complicated. It indeed is very
complicated, even for people living in
Belgium. But these arrangements have
worked well so far. They helped to
avoid civic strife between the two European Union Parliament in Belgium
major communities and a possible
division of the country on linguistic
lines. When many countries of Europe Union, Brussels was chosen as its
came together to form the European headquarters. So you are
saying that
sharing of power
makes us more
powerful. Sounds
odd! Let me
think.
Read any newspaper for one week and make clippings of
news related to ongoing conflicts or wars. A group of five
students could pool their clippings together and do the following:
z Classify these conflicts by their location (your state, India,
outside India).
z Find out the cause of each of these conflicts. How many of
these are related to power sharing disputes?
z Which of these conflicts could be resolved by working out power
sharing arrangements?

What do we learn from these two stories regions. Such a realisation resulted in
of Belgium and Sri Lanka? Both are mutually acceptable arrangements for
Po w e r sh a r i n g

democracies. Yet, they dealt with the
question of power sharing differently.
In Belgium, the leaders have realised
that the unity of the country is possible
only by respecting the feelings and
interests of different communities and
sharing power. Sri Lanka shows us a
contrasting example. It shows us that
if a majority community wants to force
its dominance over others and refuses
to share power, it can undermine the
unity of the country.

5
 The cartoon at the left refers to the
problems of running the Germany’s grand
coalition government that include the two
major parties of the country, namely the
Christian Democratic Union and the
Social Democratic Party. The two parties
are historically rivals to each other. They

© Tab - The Calgary Sun, Cagle Cartoons Inc.

have to form a coalition government
because neither of them got clear majority
of seats on their own in the 2005
elections. They take divergent positions
on several policy matters, but still jointly
run the government.

Tyranny of the majority is not just

oppressive for the minority; it often
brings ruin to the majority as well.
There is a second, deeper reason
why power sharing is good for
democracies. Power sharing is the very
spirit of democracy. A democratic rule
Why power sharing is desirable? involves sharing power with those
Thus, two different sets of reasons can affected by its exercise, and who have
be given in favour of power sharing. to live with its effects. People have a
Firstly, power sharing is good because right to be consulted on how they are
it helps to reduce the possibility of to be governed. A legitimate
conflict between social groups. Since government is one where citizens,
social conflict often leads to violence through participation, acquire a stake
and political instability, power sharing in the system.
is a good way to ensure the stability of Let us call the first set of reasons
political order. Imposing the will of PRUDENTIAL and the second moral. While
majority community over others may prudential reasons stress that power
look like an attractive option in the sharing will bring out better outcomes,
short run, but in the long run it moral reasons emphasises the very act
undermines the unity of the nation. of power sharing as valuable.
Democratic Politics

Annette studies in a Dutch medium school in the

Prudential: Based on
prudence, or on careful
calculation of gains and
losses. Prudential decisions
are usually contrasted with
those decisions based
purely on moral
considerations.
northern region of Belgium. Many French-speaking students in
her school want the medium of instruction to be French. Selvi
studies in a school in the northern region of Sri Lanka. All the
students in her school are Tamil-speaking and they want the
medium of instruction to be Tamil.
If the parents of Annette and Selvi were to approach
respective governments to realise the desire of the child
who is more likely to succeed? And why?

6
Khalil’s As usual, Vikram’s was driving the motorbike under a vow
of silence and Vetal was the pillion rider. As usual, Vetal

dilemma started telling Vikram a story to keep him awake while

driving. This time the story went as follows:

“In the city of Beirut there lived a man called Khalil. His parents
came from different communities. His father was an Orthodox Christian and mother a
Sunni Muslim. This was not so uncommon in this modern, cosmopolitan city. People
from various communities that lived in Lebanon came to live in its capital, Beirut. They
lived together, intermingled, yet fought a bitter civil war among themselves. One of
Khalil’s uncles was killed in that war.

At the end of this civil war, Lebanon’s leaders came together and agreed to some basic
rules for power sharing among different communities. As per these rules the country’s
President must belong to the Maronite sect of Catholic Christians. The Prime Minister
must be from the Sunni Muslim community. The post of Deputy Prime Minister is fixed for
Orthodox Christian sect and that of the Speaker for Shi’a Muslim. Under this pact, the
Christians agreed not to seek French protection and the Muslim agreed not to seek
unification with the neighbouring state of Syria.When the Christians and Muslims came to
this agreement, they were nearly equal in population. Both sides have continued to
respect this agreement though now the Muslims are in clear majority.

Khalil does not like this system one bit. He is a popular man with political ambition. But
under the present system the top position is out of his reach barred from him. He does
not practice either his father’s or his mother’s religion and does not wish to be known
by either. He cannot understand why Lebanon can’t be like any other ‘normal’
democracy. “Just hold an election, allow everyone to contest and whoever wins
maximum votes becomes the president, no matter which community he comes from.
Why can’t we do that, like in other democracies of the world?” he asks. His elders, who
have seen the bloodshed of the civil war, tell him that the present system is the best
guarantee for peace…”

The story was not finished, but they had reached the TV
tower where they stopped every day. Vetal
wrapped up quickly and posed his
customary question to Vikram: “If you had
the power to rewrite the rules in Lebanon,
what would you do? Would you adopt the
‘regular’ rules followed everywhere, as Khalil
suggests? Or stick to the old rules? Or do
Po w e r sh a r i n g

something else?” Vetal did not forget to

remind Vikram of their basic pact: “If you
have an answer in mind and yet do not speak
up, your mobike will freeze, and so
will you!”

Can you help poor Vikram in answering Vetal?

7
 Forms of power sharing
The idea of power sharing has
emerged in opposition to the notions
of undivided political power. For a
long time it was believed that all power
of a government must reside in one
person or group of persons located
at one place. It was felt that if the
power to decide is dispersed, it would
not be possible to take quick decisions
and to enforce them. But these
notions have changed with the
emergence of democracy. One basic
principle of democracy is that people
are the source of all political power.
In a democracy, people rule
themselves through institutions of
self-governance. In a good democratic
government, due respect is given to
diverse groups and views that exist in
a society. Everyone has a voice in the
shaping of public policies. Therefore,
it follows that in a democracy political
Reigning Reins
© Olle Johansson - Sweden, Cagle Cartoons Inc.
Democratic Politics
Recently some new laws were made in Russia giving more powers to
its president. During the same time the US president visited Russia.
What, according to this cartoon, is the relationship between democracy
and concentration of power? Can you think of some other examples to
illustrate the point being made here?
8
power should be distributed among
as many citizens as possible.
In modern democracies, power
sharing arrangements can take many
forms. Let us look at some of the most
common arrangements that we have
or will come across.
1 Power is shared among different
organs of government, such as the
legislature, executive and judiciary. Let
us call this horizontal distribution of
power because it allows different organs
of government placed at the same level
to exercise different powers. Such a
separation ensures that none of the
organs can exercise unlimited power.
Each organ checks the others. This
results in a balance of power among
various institutions. Last year we studied
that in a democracy, even though
ministers and government officials
exercise power, they are responsible to
the Parliament or State Assemblies.
Similarly, although judges are appointed
by the executive, they can check the
functioning of executive or laws made
by the legislatures. This arrangement is
called a system of checks and balances.
2 Power can be shared among
governments at different levels – a
general government for the entire
country and governments at the
provincial or regional level. Such a
general government for the entire
country is usually called federal
government. In India, we refer to it
as the Central or Union Government.
The governments at the provincial or
regional level are called by different
names in different countries. In India,
we call them State Governments. This
system is not followed in all countries.
There are many countries where there
are no provincial or state
governments. But in those countries
like ours, where there are different
levels of gover nments, the
constitution clearly lays down the
powers of different levels of
government. This is what they did in
Belgium, but was refused in Sri Lanka.
This is called federal division of
power. The same principle can be
extended to levels of government
lower than the State government, such
as the municipality and panchayat. Let
us call division of powers involving
higher and lower levels of
government vertical division of
power. We shall study these at some
length in the next chapter.
3 Power may also be shared among
different social groups, such as the
religious and linguistic groups.
‘Community government’ in Belgium
is a good example of this arrangement.
In some countries there are
constitutional and legal arrangements
whereby socially weaker sections and
women are represented in the
legislatures and administration. Last
year we studied the system of ‘reserved
constituencies’ in assemblies and the
parliament of our country. This type
of arrangement is meant to give space
in the government and administration
to diverse social groups who otherwise
would feel alienated from the
government. This method is used to
give minority communities a fair share
in power. In Chapter 3, we shall look
at various ways of accommodating
social diversities.
4 Power sharing arrangements can
also be seen in the way political
parties, pressure groups and
movements control or influence those
in power. In a democracy, the citizens
must have freedom to choose among
various contenders for power. In
contemporary democracies this takes
the form of competition among
different parties. Such competition
ensures that power does not remain in
one hand. In the long run power is
shared among different political parties
that represent different ideologies and
social groups. Sometimes this kind of
sharing can be direct, when two or
more parties form an alliance to
contest elections. If their alliance is
elected, they for m a coalition
government and thus share power. In
a democracy, we find interest groups
such as those of traders, businessmen,
industrialists, farmers and industrial
workers. They also will have a share in
governmental power, either through In my school, the
participation in governmental class monitor
committees or bringing influence on changes every
month. Is that
the decision making process. In
what you call a
Chapter 4, we shall study the working
power sharing
of political parties, pressure groups and
arrangement?
social movements.
Po w e r sh a r i n g
9
 Here are some examples of power sharing. Which of the four types of power
sharing do these represent? Who is sharing power with whom?
z The Bombay High Court ordered the Maharashtra state government to immediately
take action and improve living conditions for the 2,000-odd children at seven
children’s homes in Mumbai.
z The government of Ontario state in Canada has agreed to a land claim settlement with
the aboriginal community. The Minister responsible for Native Affairs announced that
the government will work with aboriginal people in a spirit of mutual respect and
co-operation.
z Russia’s two influential political parties, the Union of Right Forces and the Liberal
Yabloko Movement, agreed to unite their organisations into a strong right-wing
coalition. They propose to have a common list of candidates in the next
parliamentary elections.
z The finance ministers of various states in Nigeria got together and demanded that
the federal government declare its sources of income. They also wanted to know the
formula by which the revenue is distributed to various state governments.
Exercises

1. What are the different forms of power sharing in modern

democracies? Give an example of each of these.
2. State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power
sharing with an example from the Indian context.
3. After reading this chapter, three students drew different
conclusions. Which of these do you agree with and why? Give
your reasons in about 50 words.
Thomman - Power sharing is necessary only in societies which
have religiousm, linguistic or ethnic divisions.
Mathayi – Power sharing is suitable only for big countries that
Democratic Politics

have regional divisions.

Ouseph – Every society needs some form of power sharing even
if it is small or does not have social divisions.
4. The Mayor of Merchtem, a town near Brussels in Belgium, has
defended a ban on speaking French in the town’s schools. He
said that the ban would help all non-Dutch speakers integrate
in this Flemish town. Do you think that this measure is in
keeping with the spirit of Belgium’s power sharing
arrangements? Give your reasons in about 50 words.

10
5. Read the following passage and pick out any one of the
prudential reasons for power sharing offered in this.
“We need to give more power to the panchayats to realise the
dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the hopes of the makers of our
Constitution. Panchayati Raj establishes true democracy. It
restores power to the only place where power belongs in a
democracy – in the hands of the people. Giving power to
Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase
administrative efficiency. When people participate in the planning
and implementation of developmental schemes, they would
naturally exercise greater control over these schemes. This would
eliminate the corrupt middlemen. Thus, Panchayati Raj will
strengthen the foundations of our democracy.”

Exercises
6. Different arguments are usually put forth in favour of and against
power sharing. Identify those which are in favour of power sharing
and select the answer using the codes given below? Power sharing:
A. reduces conflict among different communities
B. decreases the possibility of arbitrariness
C. delays decision making process
D. accommodates diversities
E. increases instability and divisiveness
F. promotes people’s participation in government
G. undermines the unity of a country

(a) A B D F
(b) A C E F
(c) A B D G
(d) B C D G

7. Consider the following statements about power sharing

arrangements in Belgium and Sri Lanka.
A. In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority people tried to impose
their domination on the minority French-speaking community.
B. In Sri Lanka, the policies of the government sought to ensure the
dominance of the Sinhala-speaking majority.
C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal arrangement of
power sharing to protect their culture, language and equality of
opportunity in education and jobs.
D. The transformation of Belgium from unitary government to a
federal one prevented a possible division of the country on
Po w e r sh a r i n g

linguistic lines.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) A, B, C and D (b) A, B and D (c) C and D (d) B, C and D

11
 8. Match List I (forms of power sharing) with List II (forms of government)
and select the correct answer using the codes given below in the lists:

List I List II

1. Power shared among different

organs of government A. Community government
2. Power shared among governments
at different levels B. Separation of powers
3. Power shared by different social
groups C. Coalition government
Exercises
4. Power shared by two or more
political parties D. Federal government

1 2 3 4
(a) D A B C
(b) B C D A
(c) B D A C
(d) C D A B

9. Consider the following two statements on power sharing and

select the answer using the codes given below:
A. Power sharing is good for democracy.
B. It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
Which of these statements are true and false?

(a) A is true but B is false

(b) Both A and B are true
(c) Both A and B are false
(d) A is false but B is true
Democratic Politics

12

Can you identify and name the various items
used in making life comfortable in our
villages and towns. List the items and name
the material used in their making.
Everything available in our environment
which can be used to satisfy our needs,
provided, it is technologically accessible,
economically feasible and culturally
acceptable can be termed as ‘Resource’.
Fig. 1.1: Interdependent relationship between
nature, technology and institutions
Fig. 1.2: Classification of resources
The process of transformation of things
available in our environment involves an
inter - dependent relationship between
nature, technology and institutions. Human
beings interact with nature through
technology and create institutions to
accelerate their economic development.
Do you think that resources are free gifts
of nature as is assumed by many? They
are not. Resources are a function of human
activities. Human beings themselves are
essential components of resources. They
transform material available in our
environment into resources and use them.
These resources can be classified in the
following ways –
(a) On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic
(b) On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable
and non-renewable
(c) On the basis of ownership – individual,
community, national and international
(d) On the basis of status of development –
potential, developed stock and reserves.

Identify at least two resources from each
category.
TYPES OF RESOURCES
On the Basis of Origin
Biotic Resources: These are obtained from
biosphere and have life such as human beings,
flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.
Abiotic Resources: All those things which are
composed of non-living things are called abiotic
resources. For example, rocks and metals.
On the Basis of Exhaustibility
Renewable Resources: The resources
which can be renewed or reproduced by
physical, chemical or mechanical processes
are known as renewable or replenishable
resources. For example, solar and wind
energy, water, forests and wildlife, etc. The
renewable resource may further be divided
into continuous or flow (Fig.1.2).
Non-Renewable Resources: These occur over
a very long geological time. Minerals and fossil
fuels are examples of such resources. These
resources take millions of years in their
formation. Some of the resources like metals
are recyclable and some like fossil fuels cannot
be recycled and get exhausted with their use.
On the Basis of Ownership
Individual Resources: These are also owned
privately by individuals. Many farmers own
land which is allotted to them by government
against the payment of revenue. In villages
there are people with land ownership but there
are many who are landless. Urban people own
plots, houses and other property. Plantation,
pasture lands, ponds, water in wells etc. are
some of the examples of resources ownership
by individuals. Make a list of resources owned
by your household.
Community Owned Resources: There are
resources which are accessible to all the
members of the community. Village commons
(grazing grounds, burial grounds, village
ponds, etc.) public parks, picnic spots,
2 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
playgrounds in urban areas are de facto
accessible to all the people living there.
National Resources: Technically, all the
resources belong to the nation. The country
has legal powers to acquire even private
property for public good. You might have seen
roads, canals, railways being constructed on
fields owned by some individuals. Urban
Development Authorities get empowered by the
government to acquire land. All the minerals,
water resources, forests, wildlife, land within
the political boundaries and oceanic area upto
12 nautical miles (19.2 km) from the coast
termed as territorial water and resources
therein belong to the nation.
Inter national Resources: There are
international institutions which regulate some
resources. The oceanic resources beyond 200
km of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to
open ocean and no individual country can
utilise these without the concurrence of
international institutions.
Do you know that India has got the right to
mine manganese nodules from the bed of
the Indian Ocean from that area which lies
beyond the exclusive economic zone. Identify
some other resources which are international
in nature.
On the Basis of the Status of Development
Potential Resources: Resources which are
found in a region, but have not been utilised.
For example, the western parts of India
particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have
enormous potential for the development of wind
and solar energy, but so far these have not been
developed properly.
Developed Resources: Resources which are
surveyed and their quality and quantity have
been determined for utilisation. The
development of resources depends on
technology and level of their feasibility.
Stock: Materials in the environment which
have the potential to satisfy human needs but
human beings do not have the appropriate
technology to access these, are included among
stock. For example, water is a compound of
two inflammable gases; hydrogen and oxygen,
which can be used as a rich source of energy.
But we do not have the required technical
‘know-how’ to use them for this purpose.
Hence, it can be considered as stock.
Reserves are the subset of the stock, which
can be put into use with the help of existing
technical ‘know-how’ but their use has not
been started. These can be used for meeting
future requirements. River water can be used
for generating hydroelectric power but
presently, it is being utilised only to a limited
extent. Thus, the water in the dams, forests etc.
is a reserve which can be used in the future.
Prepare a list of stock and reserve, resources
that you are familiar with from your local area.
DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES
Resources are vital for human survival as well
as for maintaining the quality of life. It was
believed that resources are free gifts of nature.
As a result, human beings used them
indiscriminately and this has led to the
following major problems.
• Depletion of resources for satisfying the
greed of few individuals.
• Accumulation of resources in few hands, which,
in turn, divided the society into two segments
i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
• Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has
led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental
pollution and land degradation.
1. Imagine, if the oil supply gets exhausted
one day, how would this affect our life style?
2. Plan a survey in your colony/village to
investigate people’s attitude towards
recycling of the domestic/agricultural
wastes. Ask questions about :
(a) What do they think about resources
they use?
(b) What is their opinion about the
wastes, and its utilisation?
(c) Collage your results.
An equitable distribution of resources has
become essential for a sustained quality of life
and global peace. If the present trend of resource
depletion by a few individuals and countries
continues, the future of our planet is in danger.
Therefore, resource planning is essential for
sustainable existence of all forms of life.
Sustainable existence is a component of
sustainable development.
Sustainable development
Sustainable economic development means
‘development should take place without
damaging the environment, and development
in the present should not compromise with the
needs of the future generations.’
Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992
In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states
met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first
International Earth Summit. The Summit was
convened for addressing urgent problems of
environmental protection and socio-
economic development at the global level.
The assembled leaders signed the
Declaration on Global Climatic Change and
Biological Diversity. The Rio Convention
endorsed the global Forest Principles and
adopted Agenda 21 for achieving
Sustainable Development in the 21st century.
Agenda 21
It is the declaration signed by world leaders
in 1992 at the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED),
which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It
aims at achieving global sustainable
development. It is an agenda to combat
environmental damage, poverty, disease
through global co-operation on common
interests, mutual needs and shared
responsibilities. One major objective of the
Agenda 21 is that every local government
should draw its own local Agenda 21.
RESOURCE PLANNING
Planning is the widely accepted strategy for
judicious use of resources. It has importance
RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 3
in a country like India, which has enormous
diversity in the availability of resources. There
are regions which are rich in certain types of
resources but are deficient in some other
resources. There are some regions which can
be considered self sufficient in terms of the
availability of resources and there are some
regions which have acute shortage of some vital
resources. For example, the states of
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya
Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits.
Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water
resources but lacks in infrastructural
development. The state of Rajasthan is very well
endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks
in water resources. The cold desert of Ladakh
is relatively isolated from the rest of the
country. It has very rich cultural heritage but
it is deficient in water, infrastructure and some
vital minerals. This calls for balanced resource
planning at the national, state, regional and
local levels.
Prepare a list of resources found in your state
and also identify the resources that are
important but deficit in your state.
Resource Planning in India
Resource planning is a complex process which
involves : (i) identification and inventory of
resources across the regions of the country.
This involves surveying, mapping and
qualitative and quantitative estimation and
measurement of the resources. (ii) Evolving a
planning structure endowed with appropriate
technology, skill and institutional set up for
implementing resource development plans. (iii)
Matching the resource development plans with
overall national development plans.
India has made concerted efforts for achieving
the goals of resource planning right from the First
Five Year Plan launched after Independence.
What resources are being developed in your
surroundings by the community/village
panchayats/ward level communities with the
help of community participation?
4 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
The availability of resources is a necessary
condition for the development of any region, but
mere availability of resources in the absence of
corresponding changes in technology and
institutions may hinder development. There are
many regions in our country that are rich in
resources but these are included in economically
backward regions. On the contrary there are
some regions which have a poor resource base
but they are economically developed.
Can you name some resource rich but
economically backward regions and some
resource poor but economically developed
regions? Give reasons for such a situation.
The history of colonisation reveals that rich
resources in colonies were the main attractions
for the foreign invaders. It was primarily the
higher level of technological development of the
colonising countries that helped them to
exploit resources of other regions and establish
their supremacy over the colonies. Therefore,
resources can contribute to development only
when they are accompanied by appropriate
technological development and institutional
changes. India has experienced all this in
different phases of colonisation. Therefore, in
India, development, in general, and resource
development in particular does not only involve
the availability of resources, but also the
technology, quality of human resources and
the historical experiences of the people.
Conservation of Resources: Resources are
vital for any developmental activity. But
irrational consumption and over-utilisation
of resources may lead to socio-economic and
environmental problems. To overcome these
problems, resource conservation at various
levels is important. This had been the main
concern of the leaders and thinkers in the
past. For example, Gandhiji was very apt in
voicing his concern about resource
conservation in these words: “There is enough
for everybody’s need and not for any body’s
greed.” He placed the greedy and selfish
individuals and exploitative nature of modern
technology as the root cause for resource
depletion at the global level. He was against
mass production and wanted to replace it with
the production by the masses.
 At the international level, the Club of Rome
advocated resource conservation for the first
time in a more systematic way in 1968.
Subsequently, in 1974, Gandhian philosophy
was once again presented by Schumacher
in his book Small is Beautiful. The seminal
contribution with respect to resource
conservation at the global level was made
by the Brundtland Commission Report, 1987.
This report introduced the concept of
‘Sustainable Development’ and advocated
it as a means for resource conservation,
which was subsequently published in a book
entitled Our Common Future. Another
significant contribution was made at the Earth
Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992.
LAND RESOURCES
We live on land, we perform our economic
activities on land and we use it in different ways.
Thus, land is a natural resource of utmost
importance. It supports natural vegetation, wild
life, human life, economic activities, transport
and communication systems. However, land is
an asset of a finite magnitude, therefore, it is
important to use the available land for various
purposes with careful planning.
India has land under a variety of relief
features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains
and islands. About 43 per cent of the land area
is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture
and industry. Mountains account for 30 per
cent of the total surface area of the country and
ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide
facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
About 27 per cent of the area of the country is
the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves
of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.
Fig 1.3: India : Land under important Relief Features
LAND UTILISATION
Land resources are used for the following
purposes:
1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation
(a) Barren and waste land
(b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g.
buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding
fallow land)
(a) Permanent pastures and grazing land,
(b) Land under miscellaneous tree crops
groves (not included in net sown area),
(c) Cultruable waste land (left uncultivated
for more than 5 agricultural years).
4. Fallow lands
(a) Current fallow-(left without cultivation for
one or less than one agricultural year),
(b) Other than current fallow-(left
uncultivated for the past 1 to 5
agricultural years).
5. Net sown area
Area sown more than once in an
agricultural year plus net sown area is
known as gross cropped area.
LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA
The use of land is determined both by physical
factors such as topography, climate, soil types
as well as human factors such as population
density, technological capability and culture
and traditions etc.
Total geographical area of India is 3.28
million sq km Land use data, however, is
available only for 93 per cent of the total area
because the land use reporting for most of the
north-east states except Assam has not been
done fully. Moreover, some areas of Jammu
and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China
have also not been surveyed.
Try to do a comparison between the two pie
charts (Fig. 1.4 ) given for land use and find
out why the net sown area and the land
under forests have changed from 1960-61
to 2002-03 very marginally.
RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 5
 Fig. 1.4
The land under permanent pasture has
also decreased. How are we able to feed our
huge cattle population on this pasture land
and what are the consequences of it? Most of
the other than the current fallow lands are either
of poor quality or the cost of cultivation of such
land is very high. Hence, these lands are
cultivated once or twice in about two to three
years and if these are included in the net sown
area then the percentage of NSA in India comes
to about 54 per cent of the total reporting area.
The pattern of net sown area varies greatly
from one state to another. It is over 80 per cent
of the total area in Punjab and Haryana and less
than 10 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram,
Manipur and Andaman Nicobar Islands.
Find out reasons for the low proportion of
net sown area in these states.
Forest area in the country is far lower than
the desired 33 per cent of geographical area,
as it was outlined in the National Forest
6 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Policy (1952). It was considered essential for
maintenance of the ecological balance. The
livelihood of millions of people who live on
the fringes of these forests depends upon it.
A part of the land is termed as waste land
and land put to other non-agricultural uses.
Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert
areas and land put to other non-agricultural
uses includes settlements, roads, railways,
industry etc. Continuous use of land over a
long period of time without taking
appropriate measures to conserve and
manage it, has resulted in land degradation.
This, in turn, has serious repercussions on
society and the environment.
L AND D EGRADATION AND C ONSERVATION
MEASURES
We have shared our land with the past
generations and will have to do so with the
future generations too. Ninety-five per cent of
our basic needs for food, shelter and clothing
are obtained from land. Human activities have
not only brought about degradation of land
but have also aggravated the pace of natural
forces to cause damage to land.
At present, there are about 130 million
hectares of degraded land in India.
Approximately, 28 per cent of it belongs to the
category of forest degraded area, 56 per cent
of it is water eroded area and the rest is affected
by saline and alkaline deposits. Some human
activities such as deforestation, over grazing,
mining and quarrying too have contributed
significantly in land degradation.
Fig. 1.5
Mining sites are abandoned after excavation
work is complete leaving deep scars and traces
of over-burdening. In states like Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa
deforestation due to mining have caused severe
land degradation. In states like Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land
degradation. In the states of Punjab, Haryana,
western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation is
responsible for land degradation due to water
logging leading to increase in salinity and
alkalinity in the soil. The mineral processing like
grinding of limestone for cement industry and
calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry
generate huge quantity of dust in the
atmosphere. It retards the process of infiltration
of water into the soil after it settles down on the
land. In recent years, industrial effluents as
waste have become a major source of land and
water pollution in many parts of the country.
There are many ways to solve the problems
of land degradation. Afforestation and proper
management of grazing can help to some extent.
Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on
over grazing, stabilisation of sand dunes by
growing thorny bushes are some of the
methods to check land degradation. Proper
management of waste lands, control of mining
activities, proper discharge and disposal of
industrial effluents and wastes after treatment
can reduce land and water degradation in
industrial and suburban areas.
SOIL AS A RESOURCE
Soil is the most important renewable natural
resource. It is the medium of plant growth and
supports different types of living organisms on
Top soil
the upper soil layer
Subsoil weathered
rocks sand and
silt clay
Substratum
weathered parent
rock material
Unweathered
parent bed rock
Fig. 1.6: Soil Profile
RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 7
the earth. The soil is a living system. It takes
millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in
depth. Relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate,
vegetation and other forms of life and time are
important factors in the formation of soil.
Various forces of nature such as change in
temperature, actions of running water, wind and
glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute
to the formation of soil. Chemical and organic
changes which take place in the soil are equally
important. Soil also consists of organic (humus)
and inorganic materials (Fig. 1.6).
On the basis of the factors responsible for
soil formation, colour, thickness, texture, age,
chemical and physical properties, the soils of
India can be classified in different types.
Classification of Soils
India has varied relief features, landforms,
climatic realms and vegetation types. These
have contributed in the development of various
types of soils.
Alluvial Soils
This is the most widely spread and important
soil. In fact, the entire northern plains are made
of alluvial soil. These have been deposited by
three important Himalayan river systems – the
Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. These
soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat
through a narrow corridor. Alluvial soil is also
found in the eastern coastal plains particularly
in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari,
the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
Fig. 1.7: Alluvial Soil
The alluvial soil consists of various
proportions of sand, silt and clay. As we move
inlands towards the river valleys, soil particles
appear some what bigger in size. In the upper
8 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
reaches of the river valley i.e. near the place of
the break of slope, the soils are coarse. Such
soils are more common in piedmont plains
such as Duars, Chos and Terai.
Apart from the size of their grains or
components, soils are also described on the
basis of their age. According to their age alluvial
soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar)
and new alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has
higher concentration of kanker nodules than
the Khadar. It has more fine particles and is
more fertile than the bangar.
Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile.
Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion
of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are
ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat
and other cereal and pulse crops. Due to its high
fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively
cultivated and densely populated. Soils in the
drier areas are more alkaline and can be
productive after proper treatment and irrigation.
Black Soil
These soils are black in colour and are also
known as regur soils. Black soil is ideal for
growing cotton and is also known as black
cotton soil. It is believed that climatic condition
along with the parent rock material are the
important factors for the formation of black soil.
This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap
(Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan
plateau and is made up of lava flows. They
cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra,
Fig. 1.8: Black Soil
India: Major Soil Types

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 9

Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and
extend in the south east direction along the
Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
The black soils are made up of extremely
fine i.e. clayey material. They are well-known
for their capacity to hold moisture. In addition,
they are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium
carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime. These
soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents.
They develop deep cracks during hot weather,
which helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to
work on unless tilled immediately after the first
shower or during the pre-monsoon period.
Red and Yellow Soils
Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks
in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and
southern parts of the Deccan plateau. Yelllow
and red soils are also found in parts of Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle
Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of
the Western Ghats. These soils develop a
reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in
crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks
yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.
Laterite Soil
Laterite has been derived from the Latin word
‘later’ which means brick. The laterite soil
develops in areas with high temperature and
heavy rainfall. This is the result of intense
leaching due to heavy rain. Humus content of
Fig. 1.9: Laterite Soil
10 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
the soil is low because most of the micro
organisms, particularly the decomposers, like
bacteria, get destroyed due to high
temperature. Laterite soils are suitable for
cultivation with adequate doses of manures
and fertilizers. These soils are mainly found in
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya
Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Orissa and
Assam. After adopting appropriate soil
conservation techniques particularly in the hilly
areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu,
this soil is very useful for growing tea and
coffee. Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for crops
like cashew nut.
Arid Soils
Arid soils range from red to brown in colour. They
are generally sandy in texture and saline in
nature. In some areas the salt content is very
high and common salt is obtained by evaporating
the water. Due to the dry climate, high
temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil
lacks humus and moisture. The lower horizons
of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of
the increasing calcium content downwards. The
Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons
restrict the infiltration of water. After proper
irrigation these soils become cultivable as has
been in the case of western Rajasthan.
Fig. 1.10: Arid Soil
Forest Soils
These soils are found in the hilly and
mountainous areas where sufficient rain
forests are available. The soils texture varies
according to the mountain environment where
they are formed. They are loamy and silty in
valley sides and coarse grained in the upper
slopes. In the snow covered areas of
Himalayas, these soils experience denudation
and are acidic with low humus content. The
soils found in the lower parts of the valleys
particularly on the river terraces and alluvial
fans are fertile.

Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

The denudation of the soil cover and
subsequent washing down is described as soil
erosion. The processes of soil formation and
erosion, go on simultaneously and generally
there is a balance between the two. Sometimes,
this balance is disturbed due to human
activities like deforestation, over-grazing,
construction and mining etc., while natural
forces like wind, glacier and water lead to soil
erosion. The running water cuts through the
clayey soils and makes deep channels as
gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation
and is known as bad land. In the Chambal
basin such lands are called ravines. Sometimes
Fig. 1.11: Soil Erosion
Fig. 1.12: Gully Erosion
water flows as a sheet over large areas down a
slope. In such cases the top soil is washed away.
This is known as sheet erosion. Wind blows
loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind
erosion. Soil erosion is also caused due to
defective methods of farming. Ploughing in a
wrong way i.e. up and down the slope form
channels for the quick flow of water leading to
soil erosion.
Ploughing along the contour lines can
decelerate the flow of water down the slopes.
This is called contour ploughing. Steps can be
cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace
cultivation restricts erosion. Western and
central Himalayas have well developed terrace
farming. Large fields can be divided into strips.
Strips of grass are left to grow between the
crops. This breaks up the force of the wind.
This method is known as strip cropping.
Planting lines of trees to create shelter also
works in a similar way. Rows of such trees are
called shelter belts. These shelter belts have
contributed significantly to the stabilisation of
sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in
western India.

State of India’s Environment

• The village of Sukhomajri and the district of Jhabua have shown that it is possible
to reverse land degradation. Tree density in Sukhomajri increased from 13 per
hectare in 1976 to 1,272 per hectare in 1992;
• Regeneration of the environment leads to economic well-being, as a result
of greater resource availability, improved agriculture and animal care, and

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 11

 consequently, increased incomes. Average annual household income in
Sukhomajri ranged from Rs 10,000-15,000 between 1979 and 1984;
• People’s management is essential for ecological restoration. With people
being made the decision-makers by the Madhya Pradesh government, 2.9
million hectares or about 1 per cent of India’s land area, are being greened
across the state through watershed management.

Source: The citizens’ Fifth Report,1999 Centre of Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi

EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which one of the following type of resource is iron ore?
(a) Renewable (c) Flow
(b) Biotic (d) Non-renewable
(ii) Under which of the following type of resource can tidal energy be put?
(a) Replenishable (c) Abiotic
(b) Human-made (d) Non-recyclable
(iii) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab?
(a) Intensive cultivation (c) Over irrigation
(b) Deforestation (d) Overgrazing
(iv) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised?
(a) Punjab (c) Haryana
(b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh (d) Uttaranchal
(v) In which of the following states is black soil found?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir (c) Rajasthan
(b) Gujarat (d) Jharkhand

12 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Name three states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it.
(ii) What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three
main features of this type of soil.
(iii) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?
(iv) What are the biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples.

3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Explain land use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not
increased much since 1960-61?
(ii) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of
resources?

P ROJECT /A CTIVITY
1. Make a project showing consumption and conservation of resources in your locality.
2. Have a discussion in the class – how to conserve various resources used in
your school.
3. Imagine if oil supplies get exhausted, how will this affect our life style?
4. Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the
hidden answers.

S F G S F O B R O M S U A P J

Q G A F F O R E S T A T I O N

P N R E C P R S L D M I L N F

S N A T Q X U O V A I O L A L

O D E I D R J U J L D B N B D

T G H M I N E R A L S A X M W

B V J K M E D C R U P F M H R

L A T E R I T E M V A Z T V L

A B Z O E N M F T I S D L R C

C G N N S Z I O P A X T Y J H

K J G K D T D C S L S E G E W

(i) Natural endowments in the form of land, water, vegetation and minerals.
(ii) A type of non-renewable resource.
(iii) Soil with high water retaining capacity.
(iv) Intensively leached soils of the monsoon climate.
(v) Plantation of trees on a large scale to check soil erosion.
(vi) The Great Plains of India are made up of these soils.

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 13

You already know that three-fourth of the
earth’s surface is covered with water, but only
a small proportion of it accounts for freshwater
that can be put to use. This freshwater is mainly
obtained from surface run off and ground water
that is continually being renewed and
recharged through the hydrological cycle. All
water moves within the hydrological cycle
ensuring that water is a renewable resource.
You might wonder that if three-fourth of
the world is covered with water and water is a
renewable resource, then how is it that
countries and regions around the globe suffer
from water scarcity? Why is it predicted that
by 2025, nearly two billion people will live in
absolute water scarcity?
Water: Some facts and figures
• 96.5 per cent of the total volume of world’s
water is estimated to exist as oceans and
only 2.5 per cent as freshwater. Nearly
70 per cent of this freshwater occurs as
ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica,
Greenland and the mountainous regions
of the world, while a little less than 30
per cent is stored as groundwater in the
world’s aquifers.
• India receives nearly 4 per cent of the
global precipitation and ranks 133 in the
world in terms of water availability per
person per annum.
• The total renewable water resources of India
are estimated at 1,897 sq km per annum.
 • By 2025, it is predicted that large parts of
India will join countries or regions having
absolute water scarcity.
Source: The UN World Water Development
Report, 2003
WATER SCARCITY AND THE NEED FOR WATER
CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
Given the abundance and renewability of
water, it is difficult to imagine that we may
suffer from water scarcity. The moment we
speak of water shortages, we immediately
associate it with regions having low rainfall
or those that ar e dr ought pr one. We
instantaneously visualise the deserts of
Rajasthan and women balancing many
‘matkas’ (earthen pots) used for collecting and
storing water and travelling long distances to
get water. True, the availability of water
resources varies over space and time, mainly
due to the variations in seasonal and annual
precipitation, but water scarcity in most cases
is caused by over- exploitation, excessive use
and unequal access to water among different
social groups.

Water, Water Everywhere, not a drop to drink:

After a heavy downpour, a boy collects drinking
water in Kolkata. Life in the city and its adjacent
districts was paralysed as incessant overnight rain,
meaning a record 180 mm, flooded vast area and
disruted traffic.

A Kashmiri earthquake survivor carries water in

the snow in a devastated village.

Fig. 3.1: Water Scarcity

24 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II

According to Falken Mark, a Swedish expert,
water stress occurs when water availability
is less than 1,000 cubic metre per person
per day.
Where is then water scarcity likely to
occur? As you have read in the hydrological
cycle, freshwater can be obtained directly
from precipitation, surface run off and
groundwater.
Is it possible that an area or region may
have ample water resources but is still facing
water scarcity? Many of our cities are such
examples. Thus, water scarcity may be an
outcome of large and growing population and
consequent greater demands for water, and
unequal access to it. A large population means
more water not only for domestic use but also
to produce more food. Hence, to facilitate
higher food-grain production, water resources
are being over-exploited to expand irrigated
areas and dry-season agriculture. You may
have seen in many television advertisements
that most farmers have their own wells and
tube-wells in their farms for irrigation to
increase their produce. But have you ever
wondered what this could result in? That it
may lead to falling groundwater levels,
adversely affecting water availability and food
security of the people.
Post-independent India witnessed
intensive industrialisation and urbanisation,
creating vast opportunities for us. Today,
large industrial houses are as commonplace
as the industrial units of many MNCs
(Multinational Corporations). The ever -
increasing number of industries has made
matters worse by exerting pressure on
existing freshwater resources. Industries,
apart from being heavy users of water, also
require power to run them. Much of this
energy comes from hydroelectric power.
Today, in India hydroeclectric power
contributes approximately 22 per cent of the
total electricity produced. Mor eover,
multiplying urban centres with large and
dense populations and urban lifestyles have
not only added to water and energy
requirements but have further aggravated the
problem. If you look into the housing
societies or colonies in the cities, you would
find that most of these have their own
groundwater pumping devices to meet their
water needs. Not surprisingly, we find that
fragile water resources are being over -
exploited and have caused their depletion in
several of these cities.
So far we have focused on the quantitative
aspects of water scarcity. Now, let us consider
another situation where water is sufficiently
available to meet the needs of the people,
but, the area still suffers from water scarcity.
This scarcity may be due to bad quality of
water. Lately, there has been a growing
concern that even if there is ample water to
meet the needs of the people, much of it may
be polluted by domestic and industrial
wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers
used in agriculture, thus, making it
hazardous for human use.
India’s rivers, especially the smaller ones,
have all turned into toxic streams. And even
the big ones like the Ganga and Yamuna
are far from being pure. The assault on
India’s rivers – from population growth,
agricultural modernisation, urbanisation and
industrialisation – is enormous and growing
by the day….. This entire life stands
threatened.
Source: The Citizens’ Fifth Report, CSE, 1999.
You may have already realised that the
need of the hour is to conserve and manage
our water resources, to safeguard ourselves
from health hazards, to ensure food security,
continuation of our livelihoods and
productive activities and also to prevent
degradation of our natural ecosystems. Over
exploitation and mismanagement of water
resources will impoverish this resource and
cause ecological crisis that may have
profound impact on our lives.
From your everyday experiences, write a short
proposal on how you can conserve water.
WATER RESOURCES 25
MULTI-PURPOSE RIVER PROJECTS AND
INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
But, how do we conserve and manage water?
Archaeological and historical records show that
from ancient times we have been constructing
sophisticated hydraulic structures like dams
built of stone rubble, reservoirs or lakes,
embankments and canals for irrigation. Not
surprisingly, we have continued this tradition
in modern India by building dams in most of
our river basins.
Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India
• In the first century B.C., Sringaverapura
near Allahabad had sophisticated water
harvesting system channelling the flood
water of the river Ganga.
• During the time of Chandragupta Maurya,
dams, lakes and irrigation systems were
extensively built.
• Evidences of sophisticated irrigation works
have also been found in Kalinga, (Orissa),
Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh),
Bennur (Karnataka), Kolhapur
(Maharashtra), etc.
• In the 11th Century, Bhopal Lake, one of the
largest artificial lakes of its time was built.
• In the 14th Century, the tank in Hauz Khas,
Delhi was constructed by Iltutmish for
supplying water to Siri Fort area.
Source: Dying Wisdom, CSE, 1997.
Fig. 3.2: Hirakud Dam
26 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
What are dams and how do they help us
in conserving and managing water? Dams
were traditionally built to impound rivers and
rainwater that could be used later to irrigate
agricultural fields. Today, dams are built not
just for irrigation but for electricity generation,
water supply for domestic and industrial
uses, flood control, recreation, inland
navigation and fish breeding. Hence, dams are
now referred to as multi-purpose projects
where the many uses of the impounded water
are integrated with one another. For example,
in the Sutluj-Beas river basin, the Bhakra –
Nangal project water is being used both for
hydel power production and irrigation.
Similarly, the Hirakud project in the
Mahanadi basin integrates conservation of
water with flood control.
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that
obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often
creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment.
“Dam” refers to the reservoir rather than the
structure. Most dams have a section called a
spillway or weir over which or through which
it is intended that water will flow either
intermittently or continuously. Dams are
classified according to structure, intended
purpose or height. Based on structure and
the materials used, dams are classified as
timber dams, embankment dams or masonry
dams, with several subtypes. According to
the height, dams can be categorised as large
dams and major dams or alternatively as low
dams, medium height dams and high dams.
Multi-purpose projects, launched after
Independence with their integrated water
resources management approach, were
thought of as the vehicle that would lead the
nation to development and progress,
overcoming the handicap of its colonial past.
Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the
dams as the ‘temples of modern India’; the
reason being that it would integrate
development of agriculture and the village
economy with rapid industrialisation and
growth of the urban economy.
 Find out more about any one traditional
method of building dams and irrigation works.
We have sown the crops in Asar
We will bring Bhadu in Bhadra
Floods have swollen the Damodar
The sailing boats cannot sail
Oh! Damodar, we fall at your feet
Reduce the floods a little
Bhadu will come a year later
Let the boats sail on your surface
(This popular Bhadu song in the Damodar valley
region narrates the troubles faced by people
owing to the flooding of Damodar river known
as the river of sorrow.)
In recent years, multi-purpose projects and
large dams have come under great scrutiny
and opposition for a variety of reasons.
Regulating and damming of rivers affect their
natural flow causing poor sediment flow and
excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the
reservoir, resulting in rockier stream beds and
poorer habitats for the rivers’ aquatic life. Dams
also fragment rivers making it difficult for
aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for
spawning. The reservoirs that are created on
the floodplains also submerge the existing
vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition
over a period of time.
Multi-purpose projects and large dams
have also been the cause of many new social
movements like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’
and the ‘Tehri Dam Andolan’ etc. Resistance
to these projects has primarily been due to the
large-scale displacement of local communities.
Local people often had to give up their land,
livelihood and their meagre access and control
over resources for the greater good of the
nation. So, if the local people are not benefiting
from such projects then who is benefited?
Perhaps, the landowners and large farmers,
industrialists and few urban centres. Take the
case of the landless in a village – does he really
gain from such a project?
Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save
Narmada Movement is a Non
Governmental Organisation (NGO) that
mobilised tribal people, farmers,
environmentalists and human rights
activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam
being built across the Narmada river in
Gujarat. It originally focused on the
environmental issues related to trees that
would be submerged under the dam
water. Recently it has re-focused the
aim to enable poor citizens, especially
the oustees (displaced people) to get
full rehabilitation facilities from
the government.
People felt that their suffering would not
be in vain… accepted the trauma of
displacement believing in the promise of
irrigated fields and plentiful harvests. So,
often the survivors of Rihand told us that they
accepted their sufferings as sacrifice for the
sake of their nation. But now, after thirty bitter
years of being adrift, their livelihood having
even being more precarious, they keep
asking: “Are we the only ones chosen to
make sacrifices for the nation?”
Source: S. Sharma, quoted in In the Belly of the
River. Tribal conflicts over development in Narmada
valley, A. Baviskar, 1995.
Irrigation has also changed the cropping
pattern of many regions with farmers shifting
to water intensive and commercial crops. This
has great ecological consequences like
salinisation of the soil. At the same time, it has
transformed the social landscape i.e.
increasing the social gap between the richer
landowners and the landless poor. As we can
see, the dams did create conflicts between
people wanting different uses and benefits from
the same water resources. In Gujarat, the
Sabarmati-basin farmers were agitated and
almost caused a riot over the higher priority
given to water supply in urban areas,
particularly during droughts. Inter-state water
disputes are also becoming common with
regard to sharing the costs and benefits of the
multi-purpose project.
WATER RESOURCES 27
 India: Major Rivers and Dams

28 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II

Do you know that the Krishna-Godavari
dispute is due to the objections raised by
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
governments? It is regarding the diversion
of more water at Koyna by the Maharashtra
government for a multipurpose project. This
would reduce downstream flow in their
states with adverse consequences for
agriculture and industry.
Make a list of inter-state water disputes.
Most of the objections to the projects arose
due to their failure to achieve the purposes for
which they were built. Ironically, the dams that
were constructed to control floods have
Collect information about flood prone areas of the country
triggered floods due to sedimentation in the
reservoir. Moreover, the big dams have mostly
been unsuccessful in controlling floods at the
time of excessive rainfall. You may have seen
or read how the release of water from dams
during heavy rains aggravated the flood
situation in Maharashtra and Gujarat in 2006.
The floods have not only devastated life and
property but also caused extensive soil erosion.
Sedimentation also meant that the flood plains
were deprived of silt, a natural fertiliser, further
adding on to the problem of land degradation.
It was also observed that the multi-purpose
projects induced earthquakes, caused water-
borne diseases and pests and pollution
resulting from excessive use of water.
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Many thought that given the disadvantages
and rising resistance against the multi-
WATER RESOURCES 29
purpose projects, water harvesting system
was a viable alternative, both socio-
economically and environmentally. In ancient
India, along with the sophisticated hydraulic
structures, there existed an extraordinary
tradition of water-harvesting system. People
had in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes
and soil types and developed wide ranging
techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater,
river water and flood water in keeping with
the local ecological conditions and their water
needs. In hill and mountainous regions,
people built diversion channels like the ‘guls’
or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas for
agriculture. ‘Rooftop rain water harvesting’
was commonly practised to store drinking
water, particularly in Rajasthan. In the flood
plains of Bengal, people developed inundation
channels to irrigate their fields. In arid and (a) Recharge through Hand Pump
semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were
converted into rain fed storage structures that
allowed the water to stand and moisten the
soil like the ‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’
in other parts of Rajasthan.

(b) Recharge through Abandoned Dugwell

Fig 3.4: Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting

• Roof top rain water is collected using a PVC pipe

• Filtered using sand and bricks
• Underground pipe takes water to sump for
immediate usage
• Excess water from the sump is taken to the well
• Water from the well recharges the underground
Fig. 3.3 • Take water from the well (later)

30 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
 rainfall in the world, yet the state capital
Shillong faces acute shortage of water.
Nearly every household in the city has a
roof top rain water harvesting structure.
Nearly 15-25 per cent of the total water
requirement of the household comes from
roof top water harvesting.

Find out other rainwater harvesting systems

A kul leads to a circular village tank, as the above
in the Kaza village, from which water is released as
existing in and around your locality.
and when required.
Today, in western Rajasthan, sadly the
Fig 3.5: Traditional method of rain water harvesting
practice of rooftop rainwater harvesting is on the
decline as plenty of water is available due to the
In the semi-arid and arid regions of
perennial Rajasthan Canal, though some houses
Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodi and
still maintain the tankas since they do not like
Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally had
the taste of tap water. Fortunately, in many parts
underground tanks or tankas for storing
of rural and urban India, rooftop rainwater
drinking water. The tanks could be as large as
harvesting is being successfully adapted to store
a big room; one household in Phalodi had a tank
and conserve water. In Gendathur, a remote
that was 6.1 metres deep, 4.27 metres long and
backward village in Mysore, Karnataka, villagers
2.44 metres wide. The tankas were part of the
have installed, in their household’s rooftop,
well-developed rooftop rainwater harvesting
rainwater harvesting system to meet their water
system and were built inside the main house or
needs. Nearly 200 households have installed this
the courtyard. They were connected to the
system and the village has earned the rare
sloping roofs of the houses through a pipe. Rain
distinction of being rich in rainwater. See Fig. 3.6
falling on the rooftops would travel down the
for a better understanding of the rooftop
pipe and was stored in these underground
‘tankas’. The first spell of rain was usually not
collected as this would clean the roofs and the
pipes. The rainwater from the subsequent
showers was then collected.
The rainwater can be stored in the tankas
till the next rainfall making it an extremely
reliable source of drinking water when all other
sources are dried up, particularly in the
summers. Rainwater, or palar pani, as
commonly referred to in these parts, is
considered the purest form of natural water.
Many houses constructed underground rooms
Rooftop harvesting was common across the towns
adjoining the ‘tanka’ to beat the summer heat and villages of the Thar. Rainwater that falls on
as it would keep the room cool. the sloping roofs of houses is taken through a pipe
into an underground tanka (circular holes in the
ground). built in the main house or in the courtyard.
The picture above shows water being form a
Roof top rain water harvesting is the most neighbour’s roof through a long pipe. Here the
common practice in Shillong, Meghalaya. neighbour’s rooftop has been used for collection of
It is interesting because Cherapunjee and rainwater. The picture shows a hole through which
rainwater flows down into an underground tanka.
Mawsynram situated at a distance of 55
km. from Shillong receive the highest Fig. 3.6

WATER RESOURCES 31
 BAMBOO DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM
In Meghalaya, a 200-year-old system of tapping stream
and spring wate by using bamboo pipes, is prevalent. About
18-20 litres of water enters the bamboo pipe system, gets
transported over hundreds of metres, and finally reduces
to 20-80 drops per minute ate the site of the plant.

Picture 1: Bamboo pipes are used to divert perennial springs on

the hilltops to the lower reaches by gravity.

Picture 2 and 3: The channel sections, made of bamboo, divert water Picture 4: If the pipes pass a road,
to the plant site where it is distributed into branches, again made and they are taken high above the land.
laid out with different forms of bamboo pipes. The flow of water into
the pipes is controlled by manipulating the pipe positions.

Picture 5 and 6
Reduced channel sections
and diversion units are
used at the last stage of
water application. The last
channel section enables
water to be dropped near
the roots of the plant.

Fig 3.7

rainwater harvesting system which is adapted

here. Gendathur receives an annual precipitation
of 1,000 mm, and with 80 per cent of collection
efficiency and of about 10 fillings, every house
can collect and use about 50,000 litres of water
annually. From the 20 houses, the net amount
of rainwater harvested annually amounts to
1,00,000 litres.
32 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II
Tamil Nadu is the first and the only state
in India which has made roof top rainwater
harvesting structure compulsory to all the
houses across the state. There are legal
provisions to punish the defaulters.
 1. Collect information on how industries are polluting our water resources.
2. Enact with your classmates a scene of water dispute in your locality.

EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Based on the information given below classify each of the situations as
‘suffering from water scarcity’ or ‘not suffering from water scarcity’.
(a) Region with high annual rainfall.
(b) Region having high annual rainfall and large population.
(c) Region having high annual rainfall but water is highly polluted.
(d) Region having low rainfall and low population.
(ii) Which one of the following statements is not an argument in favour of multi-
purpose river projects?
(a) Multi-purpose projects bring water to those areas which suffer from
water scarcity.
(b) Multi-purpose projects by regulating water flow helps to control floods.
(c) Multi-purpose projects lead to large scale displacements and loss of
livelihood.
(d) Multi-purpose projects generate electricity for our industries and our
homes.
(iii) Here are some false statements. Identify the mistakes and rewrite them
correctly.
(a) Multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban
lifestyles have helped in proper utilisation of water resources.
(b) Regulating and damming of rivers does not affect the river’s natural
flow and its sediment flow.
(c) In Gujarat, the Sabarmati basin farmers were not agitated when higher
priority was given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during
droughts.
(d) Today in Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater water harvesting
has gained popularity despite high water availability due to the
Rajasthan Canal.

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) Explain how water becomes a renewable resource.
(ii) What is water scarcity and what are its main causes?
(iii) Compare the advantages and disadvantages of multi-purpose river projects.

3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is
carried out.
(ii) Describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting
methods are being carried out to conserve and store water.

WATER RESOURCES 33