To what extent does nation building depends on strengthening of pluralities in Indian society? .(UPSC CSE Mains 2017 - Sociology, Paper 2)
Ours is a plural society and a culture imbued with considerable doses of syncretism. Our population of 1.3 billion comprises of over 4,635 communities, 78 percent of whom are not only linguistic and cultural but social categories. Religious minorities constitute 19.4 percent of the total. The human diversities are both hierarchical and spatial.
It is this plurality that the Constitution endowed with a democratic polity and a secular state structure. Pluralism as a moral value seeks to ‘transpose social plurality to the level of politics, and to suggest arrangements which articulate plurality with a single political order in which all duly constituted groups and all individuals are actors on an equal footing, reflected in the uniformity of legal capacity.
Democracy ‘has to be judged not just by the institutions that formally exist but by the extent to which different voices from diverse sections of the people can actually be heard.’ Its ‘raison d’etre is the recognition of the other.’
India’s democratic polity is pluralist because it recognizes and endorses this plurality in:
- federal structure: Its federal structure sought to contain, with varying degrees of success, regional pressures
- linguistic and religious rights to minorities: They have ensured space for religious and linguistic minorities
- a set of individual rights: It protects freedom of opinion and the right to dissent.
Challenges
Pluralism has been the main feature of Indian society. However, with the rapid economic development, the diversification of Indian society is currently facing impacts and challenges, mainly from the following aspects:
- Shifting towards polarization: The principle of secularism maintaining political and cultural pluralism is being challenged by chauvinism and sectarianism, leading to a shift in the Indian society from pluralism to polarization.
- Shifting towards fragmentation: The development of caste politics and localism has caused the Indian society to change from pluralism to fragmentation.
- Social disintegration: Challenges facing a pluralistic society are partly due to its inherent nature, so they may or may not be persistent. However, more important challenges and impacts are caused by the social disintegration created by the economic growth. Therefore, these problems cannot disappear with the high economic growth.
Strengthening Pluralism
- Establishment of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, to establish a neutral environment for the transition.
- An inclusive national dialogue.
- A review of the constitutional order and legal system.
- Commitment to accountability and national reconciliation, and a comprehensive package for transitional justice.
- Gender equality, protection of vulnerable groups, and provision of humanitarian aid.
To protect the India’s pluralism, it is the duty of the State to protect the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The strong motivation for India should be the core values of the Constitution of India, especially pluralism, unity in diversity so that “We, the People of India” will remain as the sovereign and not a particular group or caste. Efforts should also be made to create awareness among the people about the noble values of the Indian Constitution.
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