Governing Diversity in South Asia: Explaining Divergent Pathways in India and Pakistan

Swenden, Wilfried

doi:10.1093/publius/pjx058

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…And yet, the constitution, despite its overall 'federal features', also contains attributes that are 'centralizing' (i.e., which strengthen the power of the centre at the expense of the states) or even 'unitary' (which obliterate state autonomy altogether). Overall, the strong position of the centre chimes with the integrationist vision of the founding fathers who placed a strong emphasis on territorial integrityespecially in the wake of Partition; the division of British India into India and East and West Pakistan at independenceand considered a powerful centre as key to the rapid industrialization and human development of the country (Adeney, 2007;Khilnani, 2004;Khosla, 2020;Sharma, 2011;Swenden, 2018;Tillin, 2021a). This resulted in a constitutional arrangement so flexible that it could lead to India being governed as a 'unitary or federal state according to the requirements of time and circumstance' (B. R. Ambedkar, as cited in Raju, 1991).…”

Section: Constituent Power Versus Multilevel Governance and Its Application To Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding multilevel dynamics in India: constituent power and multilevel governance

Swenden

Saxena

Sharma

2021

Territory, Politics, Governance

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This introduction to the special issue introduces readers to the specificities of Indian federalism and places the various contributions within a broader conceptual and comparative framework. It argues for an approach that understands centre-state relations in India by 'blending' elements of a 'constituent' and multilevel governance framework. Such an approach acknowledges that constituent power matters alongside an understanding of the resource strength of national and subnational governments linked to political leadership, policy communities and networks. Overall, we argue that constituent and informal subnational power reinforce each other and have contributed to India's resilience as a multilevel polity, even under conditions of one-party dominance at the centre.

show abstract

Section: Constituent Power Versus Multilevel Governance and Its Application To Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding multilevel dynamics in India: constituent power and multilevel governance

Swenden

Saxena

Sharma

2021

Territory, Politics, Governance

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…That the integrationist view prevailed is in part connected to the towering role of Jawaharal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister (1947)(1948)(1949)(1950)(1951)(1952)(1953)(1954)(1955)(1956)(1957)(1958)(1959)(1960)(1961)(1962)(1963)(1964). However, the painful legacy of the sub-continent's Partition put a strong onus on the territorial integrity or unity of the Indian state ahead of the accommodation of territorial diversity (Adeney 2002;Swenden 2017). Therefore, unlike in Spain, where politicians can voice support for regional self-determination (though may not act upon it), Indian politicians can do neither.…”

Section: State Nationalism During Critical Junctures: Modern Spain Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

State nationalism and territorial accommodation in Spain and India

Cetrà

Swenden

2020

Regional & Federal Studies

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article analyses the significance of polity-wide parties' understanding of state and nation for their ability and willingness to accommodate territorial diversity. To illustrate this point, we first introduce a typology containing four 'ideal-types' of state nationalism: dominant, integrationist, composite, and plurinational. Subsequently, we apply this typology to two plural and multi-level polities, Spain and India, during two critical junctures: their founding constitutional moments and more recent episodes of change associated with 'the Catalan question' in Spain and the rise of the BJP in India, respectively. Our analysis underscores how varieties of state nationalism inform the nature and evolution of the territorial constitution, in form and in practice, and the extent to which such shifts are linked to party competition and changes in the party system.

show abstract

“…These different strategies toward different groups or subunits give the state a space to deal with the issue of diversity in a way that cope with each situation. In the case of India, for instance, Wilfried Swenden observes that the state 209 may adopt an accommodationist approach in relation to caste; an integrationist approach with respect to language, but a group-dominant approach in relation to religion. States may also move from the left to the right or in the opposite direction on one dimension without necessarily altering their dominant approach to the management of diversity.…”

Section: The Origin and Forms Of Federalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The issue of what kind of federal structure should be implemented is one of the most important issues that divides political actors in Iraq today, both the main groups among each other and also individuals within some of these groups. 209 Michael Rubin summarises the generally held feeling as follows: 210 Iraqis view federalism as the most viable alternative for a post-Saddam Iraq. Although Kurds in Iraq insist that they do not have separatist ambitions (they still observe Iraqi Army Day, for example), they do say that they will no longer consent to live under a centralized Arab rule.…”

Section: The Main Political Actors' Views On Federalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Origins of Post-Authoritarian Federalism: Iraq 1992-2003

Aras

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Studies of the federal system have generally focussed on the consequences of its application. Most often, the reasons for the adoption of the federal system in its various forms are not examined in depth. A case study like Iraqi federalism may provide an additional building block to the literature on federalism and might also help to explain the rise of federalism elsewhere, especially in countries with deep-rooted diversity (DRD). The debate about whether federalism is a durable, sustainable alternative to the unitary state for purposes of tackling ethnic, cultural, or religious strife has raised fundamental questions. Federal experiments have resulted in failed outcomes as well as successful ones. To better understand the dilemma of federalism’s successes and failures, I have chosen to study the origins of federalism, which might help explain the successes and failures of some federal systems. Hence, Iraqi federalism is just a case that will elaborate on that. In order to accomplish this, the dissertation focuses on the macro-level of Iraqi society; the major ethnocultural groups that are based on territory, and have participated in both the 1991-2002 federal process and, ultimately, the post-2003 federal process. However, in my final chapter of this dissertation, I will look at the key current issues, particularly militias as well as the rise of Al-Qaeda and ISIS in the Sunni region and elsewhere in Iraq, and whether it is connected to the federal system. By addressing the federal subject in the Iraqi context, I will provide a deeper understanding of why federalism emerges and how federalism is a political contract negotiated between minority and majority. I have strived to understand whether such a federal system can help to prevent ethnocultural conflict in a unitary state system distinguished by DRD. A state shaped by DRD is one in which national minorities have their own territory and capability of forming their own nation (e.g., Kurds in Iraq, French-speaking Canadians in Quebec, Catalans in Spain, etc.). Hence, this may result from the way that the nation-state paradigm can be adjusted to balance the principle of self-rule and shared-rule in a multi-ethnoreligious society. Finally, my dissertation attempts to contribute to our understanding of the essence of federalism in general, and in this region of the world - the Middle East - in particular. In this region, there has been an extensive history of ethnocultural and religious violence. This dissertation will enrich the debate about the federal literature, especially regarding ethnocultural conflict management and the prospect of restructuring the political system to reflect the genuine nature of nation-state society. Therefore, this case of federalism will contribute to ways of managing deep-rooted diversity by acknowledging it in a federal structure and consequently creating peace and stability. The lessons from Iraqi federal experiences might help to solve or manage other conflicts in the region such as those in Syria, Yemen, or even Libya.

show abstract

Governing Diversity in South Asia: Explaining Divergent Pathways in India and Pakistan

Cited by 12 publications

References 61 publications

Understanding multilevel dynamics in India: constituent power and multilevel governance

Understanding multilevel dynamics in India: constituent power and multilevel governance

State nationalism and territorial accommodation in Spain and India

The Origins of Post-Authoritarian Federalism: Iraq 1992-2003

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About