Recent Developments in Indian Politics

The Mandal Commission: • The Mandal Commission (formally, the Second Backward Classes Commission) was set up in 1979 under the Janata government, chaired by B.P. Mandal. • Its task: Identify 'Other Backward Classes' (OBCs) — castes that were socially and educationally backward but not classified as Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. Key Recommendations (1980 Report): • The Commission identified 3,743 OBC castes — constituting approximately 52% of India's population. • Recommended 27% reservation for OBCs in central government jobs and educational institutions. • Combined with existing SC/ST reservations (22.5%), total reservations would be 49.5% — just below the Supreme Court's 50% cap. Implementation and the 'Mandal Moment' (1990): • The Mandal Report was shelved for a decade — Congress governments under Indira and Rajiv Gandhi did not implement it. • V.P. Singh (Prime Minister, Janata Dal government) announced implementation of the Mandal recommendations in August 1990. • Political calculation: V.P. Singh was losing his parliamentary majority; Mandal was seen partly as a political move to consolidate OBC support against the BJP. Political Consequences — 'Anti-Mandal' Agitation: • Upper-caste Hindu students staged violent protests — self-immolations, marches. • Rajeev Goswami's self-immolation became the iconic image — he survived. • The anti-Mandal movement became the backdrop for the BJP's rise — playing 'Mandir' (Ayodhya temple) against 'Mandal'. Social and Political Consequences: • Supreme Court validation: The Indra Sawhney case (1992) upheld OBC reservations — but banned the 'creamy layer' (well-off OBCs) from benefiting, and reaffirmed the 50% cap. • OBC political assertion: Mandal legitimised OBC political identity — regional parties like RJD (Bihar), SP (UP) built powerful OBC coalitions. • The Mandal-Mandir era: The early 1990s saw Mandal (caste reservations) and Mandir (Ram temple) competing as India's defining political issues — reshaping party alignments for decades.

Ram Janmabhoomi Movement: • The Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace of Lord Ram) movement centred on the claim that the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was built by the Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 after demolishing a Ram temple at the site of Ram's birth. • The demand: Demolish the mosque and build a grand Ram temple (Ram Mandir) in its place. Background: • A longstanding Hindu-Muslim dispute — courts had locked the disputed structure with access for Hindus since 1950s. • The movement was revived by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the BJP in the 1980s. Key Events: 1. VHP movement (1984 onwards): Demanded 'unlocking' of the disputed site and rebuilding of the temple. 2. Shilanyas (1989): The foundation stone of the Ram temple was laid — with Rajiv Gandhi's tacit permission. 3. L.K. Advani's Rath Yatra (1990): The BJP leader launched a 'chariot journey' from Somnath to Ayodhya — inflaming communal passions. Advani was arrested by Bihar CM Laloo Prasad Yadav. 4. Demolition of Babri Masjid (6 December 1992): A massive gathering of Hindu nationalist activists ('karsevaks') demolished the 16th-century mosque with hammers and pickaxes. Aftermath: • Communal riots: Widespread Hindu-Muslim violence across India — over 2,000 killed (worst since Partition). • Mumbai riots (December 1992 – January 1993) and Mumbai bomb blasts (March 1993 — organised by Dawood Ibrahim, allegedly in response to the riots) killed hundreds more. • Political consequences: - Congress under Narasimha Rao was blamed for not preventing the demolition. - BJP temporarily suspended (Advani arrested, 4 BJP state governments dismissed). - Long-term: The BJP rose to national power — Ayodhya mobilised Hindu nationalist politics for three decades. - Supreme Court judgment (2019): Awarded the disputed site to Hindus for temple construction; gave Muslims alternative land. The Ram Mandir was inaugurated in January 2024.

The Transformation of Indian Politics Since the 1990s: 1. End of Congress Dominance — Era of Coalition Politics (1989–2014): • From 1989 to 2014, no single party won a Lok Sabha majority — the era of coalition governments. • Governments: V.P. Singh's Janata Dal (1989–90), Chandrasekhar (1990–91), P.V. Narasimha Rao's Congress (minority, 1991–96), H.D. Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral (United Front, 1996–98), Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA (1998–2004), Manmohan Singh's UPA (2004–14). • Coalition compulsions: Regional parties became kingmakers — DMK, TDP, Trinamool Congress, BJD, Akali Dal, NCP. 2. Rise of the BJP: • From 2 Lok Sabha seats (1984) to dominant national party. • BJP won the 1999 and 2014 elections — Vajpayee as PM (1998–2004) and Modi as PM (2014–). • The BJP's ideology: Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), strong national security, economic development. 3. Narendra Modi and the 2014 Election: • Modi led BJP to an absolute majority (282 seats) — the first single-party majority since 1984. • 2019: Repeated with 303 seats; 2024: Won 240 seats (still largest party, NDA coalition formed government). • Modi's politics: Strong personalisation, Hindu nationalism, development narrative ('Vikas'), anti-corruption rhetoric. 4. Caste and Identity Politics: • The Mandal era institutionalised caste as a political identity — OBC parties (RJD, SP, JD(U)) remain powerful. • Regional parties based on caste, ethnicity, language have fragmented the political landscape. 5. Economic Reforms: • 1991 reforms (LPG — Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) under Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister opened the economy — economic policy became a major election issue. • Subsequent debates: Welfare vs growth, public vs private sector. 6. Federalisation: • More power to state governments — regional parties govern large states with deep popular mandates. • The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1993) devolved power to Panchayati Raj institutions — local self-government. Current Trends: • Rise of BJP dominance vs. fragmented opposition — 'INDIA' alliance as counter. • Debates about federalism, secularism, and minority rights. • Digital politics and social media transforming campaigns and public discourse.