1) Did the given State originate in conquest? If so, who are the conquerors? Are they still in charge?
India has seen conquerors since the 3rd century B.C. and was controlled by the Aryans, Turks and eventually European nations. It was very lucrative to trade with India which was rich in spices, gold and silver, silk and tea. The vast population of India provided potential markets to the European nations who set up companies there. The line between the economic and political power soon got blurry as the nation’s put up military bases in various parts of the country. Great Britain was a dominant political power in India by the 19th century and ruled the country for over a hundred years. The Republic of India as we know it was born in 1950, three years after gaining independence from the British Empire in 1947. Mahatma Gandhi, his follower and the first prime minister of free India, Jawaharlal Nehru and B.R.Ambedkar who drafted the Indian constituency were some of the leaders of the time. 2) How is the economy structured? Does it allow for legal robbery (Nock's phrasing)?
The biggest criticism of India’s economy apart from widespread corruption has been that it failed to expand and make use of foreign investments. Instead it worked on expanding local industries requiring strict licensing from the government which in turn gave rise to corruption and inefficiency. In 1991, India developed into an open market economy and put into place many practices such as industrial deregulation and privatization of state-enterprises. It also reduced controls on foreign trade and investments and continued to grow at an accelerated rate. With 1.2 billion people, India now has the world’s fourth largest economy. However, the last two years have seen a two decade record low in the growth rate with decrease in foreign investments due to widespread corruption scandals, increased inflation and a drastic depreciation in the value of Indian currency. With the stark differences between India’s poor and rich, the economy is said to be a major factor in the upcoming election. 3) Who are the classes who benefit from the State?
Economic inequality has always been one of India’s biggest problems and the State has continually failed in bridging the gap between the rich and poor. Right from the founding fathers like Jawaharlal Nehru, almost every leader has been accused of being from the higher castes and not doing anything for the others. Dalit (lower caste) leader B.R.Ambedkar made reforms against untouchability among other reforms but even leaders who claim to be his followers to get the votes of the lower castes do nothing for them. Mayavati, former chief minister of one of the most backward states in the country, Uttar Pradesh, and the leader of Dalits has been repeatedly criticized on accounts of corruption and other issues. Her lavish expenses are an embarrassment to the state which has the highest poverty rate, crime rate and poor health facilities. Mayavati had over a hundred monumental statues of herself erected all over the state. She makes about $200,000 a month and was recently felicitated by her party with a garland made out of notes of indian currency to the tune of $11,000. US officials leaked that she sent a private jet to another city to get her a pair of shoes. While accusations are investigated in India, no politician has ever been put behind bars. Any money that the state puts into schemes that are meant to help the poor never reaches the poor due to inefficiency and corruption. The only people who benefit from the state are the 1% and the political leaders themselves. 4) Does the State rely more on fear, guilt, or regulation to obtain its goals?
The biggest political weapon in India is religion. The state uses fear, guilt and regulation to obtain all of its goals. The issues with Hinduism begin with the fact that it is so deeply rooted in the caste system. Hindu Nationalist political parties continually stir up Hindu sentiment in order to get a majority of votes. The BJP( Bharatiya Janata Party, a hindu nationalist political party) claims that Hinduism is in danger and that it needs to be protected from other minorities. Dating back to pre-independence India, the caste system provided every benefit to the higher castes and was atrocious to the lower castes and untouchables and caused them to convert to Islam and Christianity who promoted equality. This further helps BJP portray the minorities as outsiders. Hindu Nationalist leaders caused massive riots in India following the demolition of a mosque. Scores of muslims lost their lives and the result of this religion based political campaign was that the BJP won the election with the highest amount of votes. India has continually proved that its democracy is a sham and much of its goals are obtained by fear. In 2012, following a statewide shutdown to honor the death of a political leader, a girl put up a status on Facebook talking about how it was unnecessary. The same day, 40 men from the same political group vandalized her house and had her and a friend arrested. 5) What are two examples of Human Rights abuses as regards your State (if none are listed, look at reports in the general region of your State).
There are many significant human rights issues in India including violence against women, children and minorities. Child labor still prevails in many industries and this deprives them of an education, puts them at risk of abuse and entangles them in a vicious cycle. The state has made efforts to increase mass surveillance which has raised concerns on free speech. While India has put into place new legislation to prevent the high incident of sexual assaults following a brutal 2012 gang rape and killing of a girl in Delhi, it lacks the accountability in following through with it. Also marital rape is only partially recognized. For every step India takes forward, it takes one backward. It criminalized consensual same-sex relationships stating that it was against the constitution. Poverty is still a big issue and very few schemes that are put in place actually help the poor because of the inefficiency of the state. Another issue that has been consistent since 1947 is in regard to Kashmir- the state that both India and Pakistan have been fighting for decades. Indian and Pakistani troops have a sort of ‘license to kill’ in Kashmir with no one to be held accountable.