FEDERALISM IN INDIA
Since India’s independence in 1947, the country’s political system, problems
and processes have been the subject of numerous studies undertaken in
political science. Among them federalism is one on which broad studies can be
done. In this article, I’m going to discuss how federalism in India evolved so far
from the onset of independence and along with that the challenges we are
facing in the federal system in India.
INTRODUCTION
Federalism is best understood as a method of promoting self-rule and shared
rule and of balancing the interests of a nation with that of its regions. In other
words the system of government in which power is divided into centre and
states or constituent or provinces.
Indian politics formerly consisted of a federal structure with a national and
state level of governance. After the 73rd and 74th Amendments were passed
in 1992, an important third layer was added (at the level of panchayats and
municipalities). For independent India, the Constitution's drafters used a
special type of a federal system that is frequently referred to as "centralised
federalism." This is so because, unlike in countries with classical federalism like
the United States (US) or Canada, the Constitution requires a Union
government that is substantially more powerful in many important areas. It is
believed that the founding fathers' choice to create a stronger Centre was
influenced by their concern over the emergence of separatist impulses in a
nation still reeling from the devastating effects of division during
independence. The union government enjoys superior power than states in
important matters like discretion to reconstruct the boundaries of the states,
union contain more subject than the state and also has the residuary power.
Union enjoys control massive control over economic resources and also it has
power to appoint governors in the states and can dissolve state government if
the union deems fit. But it will be wrong to make opinion that India’s federal
system is entirely tilted towards centre. Instead, it has strong federal features
like dual polity, demarcated jurisdiction and distribution of power between
centre and state provided into written constitution.
EVOLUTION
, If we divide India's federal journey so far, we can divide it into four phases
which are: one party federalism (1952-1967), Expressive Federalism (1967-
1989), Multi-party Federalism (1989-2014) and the return of the Dominant
One Party Federalism (2014 to present).
First Phase
Rajni Kothari called this phase as “Congress System” as the congress party
enjoyed absolute political hegemony both at centre as well as in the states.
Congress party forums served as a platform for the resolution of significant
differences between the Centre and the States, preventing any major federal
conflict and established an "inner-party federalism" model that was accepted
by all. Some notable exceptions include the contentious Nehru
administration's decision to depose Kerala's state government, which was led
by the Communist party, in 1959. This action was an early indication of the
Centre's exercise of power over the states. However, in this period, the strong
opposition from the non-Hindi speaking states to the Union government's
proposal to declare Hindi as the national language and the popular regional
demands that compelled the Centre to create linguistic states are
manifestations of regional assertion for cultural and political autonomy that
challenged attempts of the centralised and homogenous model of nation-
building.
Second phase
From 1967 onwards, the Congress party was still in power at centre but lost
power in many states which led to the emergence of an era of expressive and
more direct conflictual federal dynamics between the Congress led centre and
opposition parties-led state government. Though congress was able to make
government at centre but its social base started eroding due to organisational
weakness at the lower level. As a result, the Centre used its discretionary
powers to dismiss Opposition-ruled state governments.
Conflictual federalism during this era was seen, as strong regional leaders in
Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal
emerged to resist the Centre’s assertion of power. due to the centralising
tendencies of the Centre, massive political crises in states like Assam, Punjab,
Kashmir, and Mizoram were witnessed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Third phase
During this “multi-party federalism’ period regionalisation of national politics
took place. This period allowed many regional leaders to share national power
Since India’s independence in 1947, the country’s political system, problems
and processes have been the subject of numerous studies undertaken in
political science. Among them federalism is one on which broad studies can be
done. In this article, I’m going to discuss how federalism in India evolved so far
from the onset of independence and along with that the challenges we are
facing in the federal system in India.
INTRODUCTION
Federalism is best understood as a method of promoting self-rule and shared
rule and of balancing the interests of a nation with that of its regions. In other
words the system of government in which power is divided into centre and
states or constituent or provinces.
Indian politics formerly consisted of a federal structure with a national and
state level of governance. After the 73rd and 74th Amendments were passed
in 1992, an important third layer was added (at the level of panchayats and
municipalities). For independent India, the Constitution's drafters used a
special type of a federal system that is frequently referred to as "centralised
federalism." This is so because, unlike in countries with classical federalism like
the United States (US) or Canada, the Constitution requires a Union
government that is substantially more powerful in many important areas. It is
believed that the founding fathers' choice to create a stronger Centre was
influenced by their concern over the emergence of separatist impulses in a
nation still reeling from the devastating effects of division during
independence. The union government enjoys superior power than states in
important matters like discretion to reconstruct the boundaries of the states,
union contain more subject than the state and also has the residuary power.
Union enjoys control massive control over economic resources and also it has
power to appoint governors in the states and can dissolve state government if
the union deems fit. But it will be wrong to make opinion that India’s federal
system is entirely tilted towards centre. Instead, it has strong federal features
like dual polity, demarcated jurisdiction and distribution of power between
centre and state provided into written constitution.
EVOLUTION
, If we divide India's federal journey so far, we can divide it into four phases
which are: one party federalism (1952-1967), Expressive Federalism (1967-
1989), Multi-party Federalism (1989-2014) and the return of the Dominant
One Party Federalism (2014 to present).
First Phase
Rajni Kothari called this phase as “Congress System” as the congress party
enjoyed absolute political hegemony both at centre as well as in the states.
Congress party forums served as a platform for the resolution of significant
differences between the Centre and the States, preventing any major federal
conflict and established an "inner-party federalism" model that was accepted
by all. Some notable exceptions include the contentious Nehru
administration's decision to depose Kerala's state government, which was led
by the Communist party, in 1959. This action was an early indication of the
Centre's exercise of power over the states. However, in this period, the strong
opposition from the non-Hindi speaking states to the Union government's
proposal to declare Hindi as the national language and the popular regional
demands that compelled the Centre to create linguistic states are
manifestations of regional assertion for cultural and political autonomy that
challenged attempts of the centralised and homogenous model of nation-
building.
Second phase
From 1967 onwards, the Congress party was still in power at centre but lost
power in many states which led to the emergence of an era of expressive and
more direct conflictual federal dynamics between the Congress led centre and
opposition parties-led state government. Though congress was able to make
government at centre but its social base started eroding due to organisational
weakness at the lower level. As a result, the Centre used its discretionary
powers to dismiss Opposition-ruled state governments.
Conflictual federalism during this era was seen, as strong regional leaders in
Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and West Bengal
emerged to resist the Centre’s assertion of power. due to the centralising
tendencies of the Centre, massive political crises in states like Assam, Punjab,
Kashmir, and Mizoram were witnessed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Third phase
During this “multi-party federalism’ period regionalisation of national politics
took place. This period allowed many regional leaders to share national power
