Since independence, India has been a democracy, barring a brief period of constitutional emergency during the 1970s. The country is a federal republic, a union of 28 states and seven federally administered territories. It has a parliamentary form of government based on the British Westminster system, where many parties contest elections to send their representatives to the nation’s legislature. The president is the formal but nominal head of the state, while the prime minister runs the country with the support of a council of ministers.
The practice of democracy in India can be very raucous, with several national and regional parties vying for political power. Corruption is still widespread and the influence of businesses and other interest groups on public policy remain strong. Nevertheless, in recent elections voters have tended to reward good governance, transparency and leadership. Since the 1990s, multi-party coalition governments have been the norm in the country as regional political parties have gained political strength at the cost of national parties. It became imperative for the two major national parties to attract regional partners to gain a majority in the federal parliament and form a government. Though political convenience dictates many of these alliances, the federal government has been relatively stable since the late nineties.
he peacock is the national bird of India. In Hindu tradition, the bird is the vahana (vehicle) of Kartikkeya, also known as Skanda the god of war.
The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India was completed in 1921. Queen Victoria, the “Empress of India”, is associated with Britain’s great industrial revolution and economic progress. Under her reign, the British Empire flourished.
The increasingly violent agitation by left-wing extremist guerillas to gain political power in several regions has become the most serious internal threat to the Indian state. These militant groups exploit and thrive on the social, economic and political disempowerment of the poor in rural areas. The rigid social caste structures that kept out the majority of the population from economic and social opportunities for centuries remain mostly undisturbed even today, especially in the poorer regions. The failure of the federal and state governments to address the developmental backwardness of these regions and substandard governance have festered the problem. Alarmed by a series of militant attacks which have claimed hundreds of lives, the federal government has initiated an intense campaign to root out such guerilla groups.
Culture
One Nation, Many Worlds
India boasts of several thousand ethnic groups, castes, tribes, and communities, and each has its own distinct culture, customs, and traditions. If these were not enough, the country has 22 official languages, and 1,576 dialects are classified as ‘mother tongues.’ In fact, the country is so wonderfully diverse that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say ‘India is one nation, but many worlds.’
Four world religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism – originated here. Others like Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity touched the nation’s shores in the first millennium A.D. More than 80% of Indians are Hindus, while nearly 15% are Muslims. The rest are Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Parsis, and Jews.
Vibrant hues of Indian culture. As part of the Indian wedding ritual, the bride’s hands are intricately decorated with Mehendi or henna dye.
An important aspect of India’s social structure is its caste system. Centuries ago, the pecking order in Indian society was based on the importance of a person’s work. People who belong to the highest caste performed the socially most important function, which was priestly work. They were followed by soldiers, traders and farmers, and craftsmen in that order. A large group of people was even below the lowest rung of the caste system and was excluded from the main society as ‘untouchables’. Though decades of affirmative action and policies have lightened the divisions somewhat, the caste structure continues, mostly among Hindus, even today. Though the work allocated to a particular caste is no longer exclusive, caste plays an important role in the country’s society and politics.
Indians love their dance and music. Some of the country’s popular dance forms are Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Odissi, Kathak, Mohiniattam, Bihu, and Bhangra. The nation patronizes two schools of classical music — Carnatic and Hindustani. Most of these art forms have evolved over several centuries and have detailed structures and rules for performance. Patronage by the royal families of the smaller kingdoms has facilitated the development of regional dance and music forms in the past.
Food has always been an intrinsic part of the ‘Indian’ experience. Indian food, like most things Indian, varies widely from one region to another. But characteristically, Indian cuisine has many textures, spicy fragrances, and myriad colors. The food even looks as good as it smells, though the heady aroma and flavors of Indian curries may intimidate the uninitiated. An Indian’s traditional attire varies from state to state. But one outfit that is truly Pan India is the Saree. Women from almost all parts of India wrap around this six yards of splendor in styles that are distinct to specific regions. The country celebrates as many major festivals as there are months in a year. The minor ones are just too many to count.
Some of the learning and practices from India’s traditions and heritage have found acceptance beyond its shores. Indian religious and cultural influences are evident in the religious traditions and art of several South-East Asian cultures. The ancient Indian medicinal system of ayurveda is gaining followers for the holistic approach to healthy living. But the most popular of all Indian practices must be yoga, the meditative system which now has millions of followers across the world.
Post independence, strict government controls strangled India’s economy and reduced economic opportunities.
Unfortunately, diversity is not just the defining quality of India’s culture and traditions. It is also the distinctive feature of the country’s woes, ranging from inter-religion, inter-caste, and inter-state conflicts to gender bias. Social and ethnic traditions have led to the suppression of individual freedoms and abhorrent practices like child marriage, girl-child infanticide and feticide.
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