In this article you will learn about Political Violence Indian Democracy.
Political Violence
Political Violence is a means or an instrument used by some people, their groups, authorities and organisations for achieving their narrow political goals. In other words, when violence is used as a means for achieving political goals, it is known as political violence. Several organisations, authorities, groups and individuals unfortunately believe that their political system or government will never respond to their political demands, and consequently they believe that use of violence is needed and justified for securing their political objectives.
Political violence can take several forms e.g. insurgency, terrorist violence, terrorism, cross-border terrorism, armed militancy, armed rebellion, violent conflict-resolution, rioting, civil war, targeted violence and guerrilla war.
The Challenge of Political Violence
Democracy is a system of self-governance. It involves a process of peaceful resolution of conflict in society. The political struggle i.e. struggle for power in society is designed to be a constitutional and peaceful struggle involving a dependence on the ballot and not bullet. India has been a democracy and yet, most unfortunately, it has been experiencing political violence. A disturbing feature has been an increasing resource to violence in social and political relations.
Some Forms of Political Violence in India
1. Linguistic Violence - Love for one’s language, which symbolises love for one’s culture, is something very natural as well as a very essential feature of human thinking. However, a blind and aggressive love for one’s language involving irrational faith in its superiority over other languages always acts as a potent source of violence. Unfortunately, linguistic violence has been occasionally present in Indian politics. Hindi agitation, violent agitations for securing the creation of linguistic states, English vs. Hindi agitations and opposition to the development of Hindi as a national language, have been present in Indian polity. These agitations have been a source of violence. Anti-English violence in some northern states of India and anti-Hindi violence in some southern states of India has been an unfortunate reality.
2. Secessionist Violence - In several regions of India, particularly in the north-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, some secessionist groups, authorities and organisations have been active. Even today some of the states have been experiencing secessionist violence. Secessionist groups have been using violent and terrorist means for projecting their demands as well as for creating a support base by depending upon force, fear and violence as weapons. Secessionist violence has been harming the socio-economic development needs of several parts of India.
3. Terrorist Violence - Several states of India have been living with the menace of terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism. Terrorist groups have been using violence for harming the political and socio-economic life of India. Most of the terrorist groups operating in India have been enjoying the support of India’s neighbours, particularly Pakistan. Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been unfortunately a big victim of terrorist violence. It has been bleeding due to cross border terrorism. The terrorist groups always use violence as a means for securing their narrow bigoted, fundamentalist and anti-national goals. Even in India’s north-east, terrorist groups like ULFA have been engaged in violence against Indian politics and society. Several Indian cities including the national capital New Delhi have been experiencing terrorist violence like bomb blasts. Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and AP have been experiencing Naxalist violence.
4. Caste Violence - In some of the states of India, particularly in UP and Bihar, several caste based groups and organisations have been in existence. These have been engaged in violent activities. Some high caste groups and organisations have been committing violence against the so-called low caste groups and in retaliation, the latter have been doing the same. The politics of reservations v/s anti-reservation have also been a source of some violence in Indian politics. Caste has been a major factor of Indian politics and society and it has been a source of caste conflict and violence. Caste communalism including violence in the name of caste has been a sad reality. Some states, particularly north eastern states, have been also experiencing tribal violence.
5. Politics of Violent Agitations - Several political parties and interest groups have been actively present in Indian politics. However, these resort to direct action means like strikes, bandhs, dharnas, and public demonstrations. Quite often their agitations have been taking the full form of violent agitations. Burning of trains, public property and even private property is often used by them as a means of protest against the government. Violent public protests have been regularly characterising Indian politics.
This article on Political Violence in Indian Democracy is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.