11991 Election in India: the rise of the BJP• The Bharatiya Janata Party (“All-India People’s Party”)• Party of Hindu Nationalism• Religious composition of India! 82% Hindu! 12% Muslim ! 2% Christian! 2% Sikh! 1% Buddhist! 1% OtherThe Congress Party: 1947-1984• Party of the center-left both economically and politically: Gandhian socialism, autarkic• Secularist: protected rights of Muslims• Represented highest and lowest castes, not Other Backward Castes (OBCs)• Aggregative party: built coalitions, but had no stable geography of support (Punjab example). Bought votes through state-spending, bribery of opposition.• Politics of Failure?Social Cleavages in India: 1991Class• Upper and middle classes (1/5 pop.) looking to expand wealth via free trade, eliminate govt. role in economy• Lower classes want high taxes to support social services, and protectionism to save their jobsCaste• Upper castes seek to preserve their economic status by preventing the Mandal Report which promotes OBCs• OBCs seek affirmative action via MandalReligion• Hindu nationalists: ethno-national identity, build a Hindu temple at Ayodhya on site of existing mosque• Secularists: civic national identity, separation of religion and state2Social Cleavages of Class and ReligionJanata DalCongressBJPNeoliberalismSocialismHindu NationalismSecularismSocial Cleavages of Class and CasteJanata DalCongressBJPNeoliberalismSocialismAn ti -M a nd a l(High Caste)Pro-M andal(Low Caste)Social Cleavages of Caste and ReligionJan ata Da lCongressBJPAnti-Mandal(High Caste)Pro-Mandal(Low Caste)Hindu NationalismSecularism3Contradictory Politics of the BJP• Politics of Power– neo-liberal (free trade) economic policies benefit the upper and middle classes – Anti-Mandal position benefits the upper castes• Politics of Support– Hindu nationalist appeal to all Hindus: temple movement incites violence between Hindus and Muslims to build electoral support; very successful (Gujarat 2002)Success of the BJP in 1991: WST analysis links elections to global processes• Collapse of the USSR, triumph of neoliberal economics• 1991 Gulf War caused spike in oil prices• Financial crisis of 1991 due to India’s position in w-e! Too poor to survive massive govt. spending by Congress (aggregative strategy)! Not enough $ to redistribute to population! Post-colonial autarky limited FDI and economic growth! India had to take a loan from the IMF > SAPs• Rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan (reaction to super-power Imperialism) raised fears that India’s Muslims might become radicalized• Violent secession movements: failed nationalism and poverty in the periphery! Sikhs in the Punjab: 1984! Muslims in Kashmir: 1989-present• Lower caste political movements threaten upper castes• Upper caste response: Hindu nationalism (fascism)• Will India stabilize or return to a Politics of
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