Politics of Representation : Historically Disadvantaged Groups in India’s Democracy

The book presents debates around the concept of representation and how these ideas apply to representation for selected disadvantaged groups in India. It discusses empirical concerns and examines political representation of these disadvantaged groups in post-independence India. The experience of political representation of SCs, STs: the method of election, role of political parties in providing representation, role played by these groups in parliamentary institutions, and the extent of their participation. A second, significant area the volume attempts to cover is representation of the Muslim minority in parliament and state assemblies and understanding the reasons for their under-representation since independence, and more particularly in recent years. Dr Sudha Pai retired as Professor from the Centre for Political Studies and as Rector (Pro-Vice Chancellor) of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in January 2016. She was Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi from 2006 to 2009 and National Fellow of the ICSSR from 2015-2017. Dr Pai was awarded the 2019 Exemplar Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement by the South Asian Studies Association, USA at the South Asian Studies Association Conference at Claremont College Mckenna, Los Angeles, in 2019. Dr Sukhadeo Thorat is Chairman, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR); former Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC); and Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has a BA (Milind College of Arts, Aurangabad, Maharashtra), MA in Economics (Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad), MPhil/PhD in Economics (Jawaharlal Nehru University) and Diploma in Economic Planning (Main School of Planning, Warsaw, Poland). His research areas include agricultural development, rural poverty, institution and economic growth, problems of marginalised groups, economics of caste system, caste discrimination and poverty. He was the Director of the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi from 2003 to 2006 and the Research Associate of International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, USA, since 1992. In 2008 he was awarded the Padmashree in the field of literature and education Preface and Acknowledgments 5 Contents 7 List of Contributors 9 List of Figures 11 List of Tables 12 Introduction 14 Representation: Theories and Debates 17 Representation in the Indian Context 20 SC Representation: Real or Nominal 22 ST Representation: Isolation and Marginalization 25 Minority Representation: Under-Representation and Decline 28 Women Representation: Participation and Quotas Debate 31 The Contributions 34 Concluding Observations 41 References 42 Politics of Representation 45 Group Representation and Reservations for Minorities in Colonial India 46 Introduction 46 Group Representation as Separatist Policies: A Historical Overview 51 Religious Minorities and debates on Social Justice in the Constituent Assembly 55 The New Conceptual Domain of Social Justice 55 Liberal Paradigm, Nationalism and Representation 58 Conclusion 61 Notes 63 Paradoxes of Political Inclusion: Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes in India 68 Political Reservation and the Constituent Assembly 69 Constitutional Provisions and Political Reservation 74 Outcomes of Political Inclusion 75 Conclusion 83 Notes 84 References 86 Representation in Electoral Systems and Institutions 89 Ambedkar’s Solution Against Communal Majority 90 Political Reservation to Minorities and Its Limitation 92 Ambedkar’s Theory of Political Majority in Indian Context 93 Proposed Reform of British Political Democracy to Suit Indian Situation 96 Representation in Legislation: Principle of Relative Majority as Against Absolute Majority 96 Nature of Executive: Principle of Confidence in Executive 102 Principle of Unanimity Rule Verses Majority Rule 104 Lessons from Ambedkar Perspective in Present Time 105 References 109 Ambedkar’s Alternatives to Electoral Safeguards and Electoral Representation of Untouchables and Minorities 110 Electoral Methods in Colonial and Post-Colonial India 111 Ambedkar’s Principles on Electorates 113 Method of Election as the Prime Mover in Elections 115 Principles of Distribution of Electoral Seats Between Majority and Minority 117 Ambedkar’s Five Principles for a Qualified Joint Electorate Method 118 Cumulative Voting as an Electoral Right for Minorities 120 Mechanism to alter Electoral Safeguards and Electoral Methods 121 Concept of Representation in Political Executive 122 The Indian Electoral System: A Way Forward 124 Notes 125 Scheduled Caste MPs and Their Role in Influencing Policy-Making 128 Representation in Parliament 129 Parliament Matters? 130 Developing Perspectives from National Commission for SC/ST Reports 133 Role of Legislators during Passing of Bills 135 Question Hour 138 Starred Questions 141 Dearth of Discussion on Policy Questions 143 Parliamentary Committee and Role of SCs MPs 144 Summing Up 145 Notes 147 References 147 Representation of Religious Minorities 149 Majoritarian Politics and the Representation of India’s Muslims 150 Representation in Parliament 151 Representation in State Assemblies 153 Representation in Public Institutions 155 Structural Constraints on Legislative Representation 156 Political Pressures 157 Majoritarian Effect 158 Substantive Representation Matters 160 Notes 162 Representing Indian Muslims: Parliamentary Questions as Instrument of Evaluating Substantive Representation in the Lok Sabha, 1999–2016 167 The Constituent Assembly and Descriptive Representation of Muslim. 170 Independence and State Policies Toward Muslims 173 Assumptions, Methodology, and Data Analysis 175 Methodology 176 Results and Analysis 180 Conclusion 181 Notes 183 References 184 Shifting Terrain of Muslim Representation: New Political Experiments in Indian States in the 2000s 188 Uttar Pradesh: From Mainstream to Independent Muslim Parties 190 Political Experiments in the 2000s 192 Assam Experiment: From Politics of Identity to Religious Divide 194 Autonomous Muslim Politics in the 1990s and 2000s and the BJP 195 Kerala: Moderate Party, Radical Organizations 197 The IUML: A Moderate Muslim Party 198 Muslim Representation After the Rise of the BJP 199 Concluding Observations 201 Appendix 205 Notes 209 References 211 Representation of Women 213 Legislative Presence and Substantive Representation: The Case of Women Legislators in India 214 Introduction 214 Mapping Women’s Representation in Different Regions of the World 217 Descriptive Representation and Substantive Representation 219 The Indian Story 224 Conclusion 231 References 232 The Reservation Debate in India: Difference, Performance, Empowerment 234 Introduction 234 The Indian Experiments with Reservations: The Local, the National the Political 239 Women’s Interests, Women Representatives 241 Social Backwardness and Reservation Politics: A History of Reservation Policies 243 The Arguments for Reservations for Women in Political Institutions 245 The Arguments Against Reservations 247 Dilemmas for Feminisms: Caste, Class, Gender 249 Concluding Remarks 251 References 253 Does Political Representation Empower Women? The Case of Women in India’s Political Parties 256 Introduction 256 Women Political Representation in India: A Historical Trajectory 257 Women in National Political Parties of India: 1950–2019 261 Women Representation in India 2009–2019 264 Representation and Reservation: Debates, Discussions, and Deliberations 265 Comparing Women in Political Parties in India with Other Countries 266 Women in Parliament: 17th (Lok Sabha) 267 Looking Ahead 270 References 271 Index 274