On the Legitimacy of the Indian State

[...]the political executive," in spite of being "an agency of the ruling class, draws its legitimacy from Indian voters who regularly review or withdraw their support" to those whom they elect. [...]it would be an anomaly for Bhambri if such a democratically-elected political executi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic and political weekly 2015-03, Vol.50 (13), p.69-69
Main Author: CHAKRAVARTI, ANAND
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atrocities
DISCUSSION
Legitimacy
Nehru, Jawaharlal (1889-1964)
Oppression
Politics
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Summary:[...]the political executive," in spite of being "an agency of the ruling class, draws its legitimacy from Indian voters who regularly review or withdraw their support" to those whom they elect. [...]it would be an anomaly for Bhambri if such a democratically-elected political executive were to "ride roughshod over the labouring underclasseseven while protecting the class interests of all fractions of the ruling classes." The most recent instance of the political executive ruling on the basis of a skewed mandate, as cited in the same commentary, is that of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime at the centre, which has a majority in the Lok Sabha, even though the party obtained only 31% of the vote. [...]it is a myth that the political executive in India reflects the popular mandate. [...]the materially and culturally most oppressed segments of the underclass in Bihar-the Dalits-continue to be victims of atrocities inflicted upon them with virtual impunity by dominant castes when they have demanded their basic constitutional rights.
ISSN:0012-9976
2349-8846