Whenever, after independence, which gives birth to a new nation or a group of states decide to come together, the first question arises as to what type of government should be formed so that the administration is run smoothly. When India got independence in the year 1947, the national leaders confronted a similar problem. There were princely states, territories under the control of the British Raj, and certain territories under the control of other alien countries when the British left India. After thorough discussions and deliberations, it was decided that a federal form of government would suit the interests of the country. Article 1 of the constitution says, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of states.” This article, along with the supremacy of the parliament, the Armed Forces under the control of the central government, emergency provisions, the role of the governor, all-India services, and certain other provisions, have often led political and constitutional experts to doubt the very integrity of the Indian federation. It has often been called quasi-federal and federal in form but unitary in spirit. An impartial study of the Indian constitution makes it clear that the national leaders and constitution framers have obviously gone in for a strong centre keeping in view the prevailing conditions, the unity and integrity of the nation, the accession of the princely states and foreign-occupied territories, and the history of infighting and treason leading India to centuries of bondage. What the national leaders and the constitution framers had envisaged has been enshrined in the constitution, and a look at the functioning of the Indian federation makes it clear that despite ups and downs and the obstacles in its way, it has somehow managed and survived till this day after so many years of independence. What is most relevant today is how to make it stronger and more successful in light of the prevailing conditions and our past experience with respect to its functioning.
- Vastness of the country – The vastness of the country must have prevailed upon the constitution framers to go in for a federal structure. There are diverse castes, creeds, colours, languages, and religions in the country, and it would not have been possible to formulate uniform policies for the whole country sitting at Delhi. The states have done reasonably well in the past, and what is always required is trust, mutual respect, and understanding between the centre and the states.
- Unity and integrity – Unity and integrity of the nation were the top priority on the part of the national leaders and constitution framers. The nation had come into being with great difficulty, and history bore witness to the fact that internal infighting and disunity had pushed the country into centuries of slavery. Whatever unitary features have been enshrined in the constitution have gone in favour of a strong and united country, and there has hardly ever been any separatist demand in any state from the Indian union. This spirit must be maintained for all time to come.
- Nationalist leadership – The nationalist leaders, most of whom also remained in power, wanted to set precedents with respect to the functioning of the constitution and the democratic system. Despite their differences of opinion on major issues, they preferred to remain silent keeping in view the national interests.
- Centre-state relations – In a federal setup, Centre-state relations are of utmost importance. There must be perfect coordination and understanding between the centre and the states for the all-around development of the people. It has been seen that if the same party is not in power both in the centre and the states, there have been differences of opinion to the extent of dissolving the government and declaring president’s rule in the state. This is not a healthy tradition at a time when people are voting one party to power in the centre and another in the state. Politicians should stand above petty party interests and act in the interests of a strong federation.
- Development – Political parties in power, both in the centre and the states, should work for the development of the people. They should also make development the main issue at the time of elections and keep their promises made before the people. In the federal setup, they should take advantage of the decentralization of power in a vast country like India and work for the development of the people.
- Image of the nation – It has been seen after independence that whichever party has come to power, its leaders, particularly the prime ministers, have tried to boost the image of the country, which despite the internal problems, has been instrumental in making India a successful democracy. Almost all the Indian Prime Ministers have tried to boost the image of India in the outside world in their own ways. Relations with neighbouring countries, other countries around the globe, and the superpowers have been improved. All these efforts have strengthened the Indian polity and federal setup.
- Value-based politics and politics of tolerance – There should be value-based politics and politics of tolerance. The ruling party should not be intolerant towards the leaders of the opposition, respect their views, and run the parliament smoothly in consensus. It is often seen that parliament sessions are put into turmoil, which does not hold good for the Indian democracy. The party in power at the centre should also be tolerant towards the party in power in the states for the success of the federal setup.
- Constructive opposition – The opposition plays a pivotal role in a democratic setup. Though it is the ultimate goal of a political party to come to power so that it can directly work for the people, even in the opposition it can play a constructive role. Instead of destabilizing the party in power, it should try to find out its faults.
- Respect for democracy and constitution – Politicians, irrespective of their parties and party interests, should have respect for democratic ideas and the constitution. If they do so, the general public will follow suit, and this will set healthy democratic traditions.
- North-south divide – The north-south divide on the soil of India should be done away with at once. India is one and united, irrespective of Aryan and Dravidian cultures. Since Hindi is the language in a majority area of the country and has been accepted by the constitution, the people of the south should not consider it to be an imposition on them. Good relations between the north and the south are a must for the success of the Indian federal setup.
The functioning of the Indian federal system in India after independence has been satisfactory, except for certain cases of imposition of president’s rule in the states in the event of a hung assembly when no single party has got the required majority in the elections. The role of the governor in such cases has been subject to much criticism for acting as per instructions from the centre. There have also been disputes between the states with respect to sharing of river water and other issues. India very much needs a federal form of government because of its vastness and diversity. The centre respecting the state government irrespective of the party in power, the governor acting in an impartial manner in the case of a hung assembly and other matters, the states acting in coordination with the centre, release of funds to the states by the centre as per requirement, and sincere efforts on the part of the centre in solving water and other disputes between the states will only strengthen the federal structure on the soil of India.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
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