In this book, Robert W Stern (author of Changing India) tries to find out why parliamentary democracy has been a success in India, and not so in neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh. He delves deep into the history of politics in British India and how the paths laid down then have led to different political destinations for the three countries, which share a common cultural and historical heritage.
As the author rightly says, all three countries belonged to the same British Indian empire till 1947. Yet, their political destinations after they achieved independent statehoods have not been the same. “The one common ingredient in the masala of sub continental politics”, as Robert Stern puts it, “is communalism”. He explains how the British Government of India - the Raj and Indian politicians together started institutionalizing communalism and this eventually became an integral part of politics in the subcontinent. He however clarifies that ‘communalism’ was not a British invention and that it was the invention of British India’s political machinery. Communalism, he points out, is an integral part of domestic politics in all three countries even today and it plays a significant role in their inter-relations.
Highlighting the factors responsible for the development of parliamentary democracy in this region, he points out that land reforms, ceilings on land holdings, tenancy rights, minimum wages for agriculture labor and the establishment of panchayats has resulted in restoring social honor through democratic means. According to him, political strength and not caste status or economic class plays a major role in the political system. One may point out here that money-power and social status can easily be misused to gain political power. He clarifies that in India, those who have neither money nor status have organized themselves in the political battlefield. “Throughout India the ‘dominant castes’ that ruled the roosts of state politics have largely been displaced by coalitions of lesser castes known collectively as ‘other backward classes’ (OBC),” writes the author. The biggest evidence that points to the success of parliamentary democracy in India, according to the author, is the name the untouchables have given themselves as a group- Dalits. The author points out how the Green Revolution and the Panchayat Raj system have contributed significantly to social change in India and brought landed OBC families (Other Backward Classes) to political power and affluence.
Robert Stern touches upon other important developments in India like Hindutva and the secular state, coalition politics and gender inequality. He briefly touches upon issues like dowry, female feticide and widow remarriage. “The slow march to gender equality in India is likely to proceed as elsewhere, with steps forward and backward”, the author sum up.
On the emergence of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party or the "Indian people's party) and the resurfacing of Hindu nationalism in Indian politics, the author feels that neither the BJP nor the Hindutva ideology can threaten India’s secular parliamentary state. He stresses that in parliamentary democracy, people decide what is important to them and politicians act accordingly. The author points out how a section of the modern Muslim political and social leadership wants to take advantage of BJP’s commitment to equal educational and employment opportunities for all Indian citizens. “They want to play minority politics more imaginatively and productively than by putting Muslims once again into a political ghetto-some party’s ‘vote bank’. They do not like the BJP, but they think they can do business with it,” writes the author.
Moving on to Pakistan, the author observes that there has been no effort at land reforms or redistribution of wealth in Pakistan. With the great divide between the landlords and the ordinary peasants, there’s very little hope for the development of parliamentary democracy in Pakistan, according to him. He further explains how the army has never been a force for social change or economic development in Pakistan. “With the lack of a single, dominant nationwide political party that can hold together conflicting national interests, parliamentary democracy in Pakistan could never really take off”, he feels.
The story of Bangladesh, he says is different. As Pakistan’s subordinate province, it has had its share of problems. Highlighting the lack of a rural base for parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh, he explains how the jotedars have all taken up white-collar jobs and it’s the university students who are most active in Bangladeshi politics today. He explains how Bangladeshi politics is faction-ridden and reduced to Bengalis, Islamists and leftists in fragments. He feels that the student movement, with its slogan-shouting hartals and musclemen has not helped in the development of parliamentary democracy in the country.
By exploring the intricately interconnected politics of the three countries in the subcontinent, the author brings to light the complex nature of democracy and it’s functioning. Although there’s nothing new about the facts stated in the book, the author’s effort at analyzing this complex scenario is commendable. He has put forth his arguments clearly and has tried to give an honest comparison of the state of affairs in the three countries. Those watching the political developments in India very closely may however argue that the rise of regional parties and the resulting equations among political parties that has led to coalition politics has, while bringing equality to different sections, stood in the way of development with parties divided over what policies to adopt. The author’s observation about the BJP and its Hindutva agenda, however, is spot-on. The book is full of interesting insights and gives a factual picture of the state of affairs in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The author has made some reference to gender equality, female feticide and the changing social scenario in India and devoting more pages to these subjects would have perhaps made the book even more interesting.
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