Chapter 4: Contemporary India: Challenges to Peace, Stability and National Integration
Choose the correct option.
‘Unity in diversity’ is one of the important Indian value associated with
Charu Majumdar is associated with the -
Identify the incorrect pair in every set, correct it, and rewrite.
Options:
Solution:
Incorrect Pair: National Integration Council - Article 370
Corrected Statement related to Article 370: Special status for State of Jammu and Kashmir - Article 370
(Note: The National Integration Council's purpose is to promote unity, secularism, and harmony.)
Find the odd one.
(Explanation: Terrorism, Naxalism, and Extremism are all forms of challenges or threats, while Nationalism is a sentiment of belonging or loyalty to a nation, which is generally positive unless it becomes chauvinistic.)
State the appropriate concept for the given statement.
Threat use violence with an intention to create panic in the society
Solution:
Threat use violence with an intention to create panic in the society - Terrorism
Involvement of people in the decision-making process of state
Solution:
Involvement of people in the decision-making process of state - Good Governance
Complete the concept map.
(Image related to values that strengthen National Integration)
Solution:
(Completed Concept Map Image)
State whether the following statement is true or false with reason.
Democracy is required to establish national integration and social transformation.
Options:
Solution:
This statement is True.
(i) Democracy and national integration are complementary since the core of the structural aspect of national consolidation is the democratic system of governance.
(ii) Participation of diverse socio-cultural groups in the process of governance is possible only through a representative democratic system. Democracy helps in political participation and social transformation by removing ethnic, caste, and gender inequality.
The national movement in India played an important role in national integration.
Options:
Solution:
This statement is True.
(i) The national freedom movement extended across the length and breadth of the country and involved people of different religions, regions, and cultures.
(ii) It played a vital role in bringing Indians together emotionally and politically into a nation and integrating them in a common framework of political identity and loyalty.
Explain the co-relation between the following.
National Unity and Regional Aspirations
Solution:
National Unity is possible when citizens of that State exhibit psychological oneness, solidarity, and shared values. It is not homogeneity but a form of ethnic, religious, and linguistic acceptance.
Regional aspirations occur in forms like demand for separate States, language issues, etc., Regional aspirations have their roots in historical linguistic/cultural issues or maybe a product of regional political outfits. Sometimes, regional aspirations may even become secessionists as in the case of the Khalistan movement. India has tried to reconcile regional aspirations with national unity by creating a federation with a strong center, creating smaller States as well as the linguistic reorganization of States.
Express your opinion.
Peace and stability are needed for the nation’s progress.
Solution:
Peace, stability, and public order are necessary for the nation's progress and the good life of citizens. An unruly society will lead to violence, loss of life, destruction of property, economic and political instability. Conflict resolution is linked to the maintenance of law, order, and peace. In the absence of order and stability, divisive tendencies will prevail, infrastructure will be targeted, investments will be discouraged thus becoming a barrier to economic growth. At a basic level, political stability is ensured using constitutional machinery and socio-economic development. In case of any problem occurring, the State tries to resolve it peacefully. In case the issue escalates or becomes violent, the State may employ force if necessary.
Answer the following.
What is left-wing extremism in India?
Solution:
Left-Wing Extremism (also called Maoist movement or Naxalism) has major support base among landless labourers, Dalits and tribals who experience a sense of oppression, injustice and neglect.
The first attempt to promote a peasant struggle was the Telangana Movement (1946-51). The Naxal movement originated in 1967 in Naxalbari (West Bengal) led by Kanu Sanyal and writings of Charu Majumdar. Since the 1980s the movement has taken a militant turn. In 2004 CPI (M-L), People's War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) of India merged to form CPI (Maoist) which aims to overthrow the government, Naxal activities aim to destroy public property and attack police and officials. The Red Corridor of Naxal activities extends across States like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, etc.
Some of their broad tactics are as follows:
- (i) Use of propaganda slogans
- (ii) Establishment of mass movements
- (iii) Mobilisation of women, tribals, and minorities into the revolution
- (iv) Mobilisation of urban population on mass issues
- (v) Develop appropriate forms of military organization
Explain cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Solution:
The India Independence Act (1947) provided that princely States (562 existed then) could decide to join either Pakistan or remain independent. Maharaja Hari Singh of the Dogra dynasty delayed such a decision. In 1947, Kashmir's population was 77% Muslim and 20% Hindu. The problem in the region began when Pakistan sent Pashtun tribal raiders in October 1947 to force Hari Singh to join Pakistan. However, the Maharaja appealed to India for help and signed the Instrument of Accession making the State a part of India. The Government of India sent troops to the region to drive away from the infiltrators. This led to the first India-Pakistan conflict (1947-48). In 1965, Pakistan attacked India but the local Kashmiri population did not support Pakistan. In 1965, Amanullah Khan created the Plebiscite Front in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Its militant wing i.e., National Liberation Front carried out sabotage activities in Jammu and Kashmir. In 1977, the Plebiscite Front was renamed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Similarly, Pakistan lent support to guerilla outfits in the region like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. In the 1990s, as instances of militancy increased, the minority Pandit population was forced to flee from Kashmir. At this time, the local insurgency grew into terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and having training camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Pan-Islamic terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul, etc., and several Pakistan based persons like Hafeez Sayed have promoted terror activities and radicalization of the local population. In recent years stone-pelting by young protestors has increased.
Difficult Words and Their Meanings:
- Contemporary: Belonging to or occurring in the present time.
- Stability: The state of being firm, steady, and not likely to change or fail.
- National Integration: The process of uniting different groups of people in a country into a single national identity.
- Panchayati Raj: A system of local self-government in rural India.
- Melting Pot: A place where different peoples, styles, theories, etc., are mixed together.
- Naxal Movement (Naxalism): A left-wing extremist movement, originating from Naxalbari in West Bengal, India, often involving armed struggle.
- JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front): A militant separatist organization active in both Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
- Hizb-ul-Mujahideen: A Kashmiri Islamist militant group.
- LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam): A former Tamil militant organization based in northeastern Sri Lanka.
- Article 370: A (now abrogated) article of the Indian constitution that gave special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.
- Terrorism: The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
- Extremism: Holding extreme political or religious views; fanaticism.
- Good Governance: The process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented) in a fair, transparent, accountable, and responsive manner.
- Social Transformation: Significant changes in social structure, institutions, behaviors, and relations in a society.
- Complementary: Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another.
- Consolidation: The action or process of making something stronger or more solid.
- Ethnic: Relating to a population subgroup (within a larger society) with a common national or cultural tradition.
- Secessionist: A person who favors formal withdrawal from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.
- Khalistan Movement: A Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs called Khālistān.
- Federation: A group of states with a central government but independence in internal affairs.
- Reconcile: To restore friendly relations between; to make compatible.
- Aspirations: Strong desires or ambitions.
- Unruly: Disorderly and disruptive and not amenable to discipline or control.
- Divisive: Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people.
- Escalates: Increases rapidly in intensity or seriousness.
- Left-Wing Extremism: Political ideologies on the far-left of the political spectrum that advocate for radical social, economic, or political change, often through revolutionary means.
- Maoist: A follower of the political and military ideology of Mao Zedong, often associated with peasant-based revolutions.
- Oppression: Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.
- Peasant: A poor farmer of low social status who owns or rents a small piece of land for cultivation.
- Militant: Combative and aggressive in support of a political or social cause, and typically favoring extreme, violent, or confrontational methods.
- Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
- Mobilisation: The action of organizing and encouraging a group of people to take collective action in pursuit of a particular objective.
- Sabotage: Deliberately destroying, damaging, or obstructing something, especially for political or military advantage.
- Guerilla (Guerrilla): A member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces.
- Insurgency: An active revolt or uprising.
- Pan-Islamic: Advocating the unity of Muslims under one Islamic state or an alliance of Islamic states.
- Radicalization: The process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations.