Open Forum
New Delhi, 9 April 2014
Patronage Politics
INDIA’S PRESSURE GROUP VERSION
By Dr S Saraswathi
(Former Director, ICSSR, New
Delhi)
The recent secret meeting between Congress President Sonia
Gandhi and Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Bhukari is not just another case of
violation of the model code of conduct. Rather, it needs to be viewed in the
larger context of the under currents in India’s changing political system.
The meeting is clearly part of pressure group politics
preceding General Elections in which political parties and not the pressure
groups take initiative as well as the principal role. Even though, the party
spokesperson would want to deny that it was not related to elections, in the public
perception, it carries some political weight. Its suspected link with elections
cannot be dismissed outright as a fanciful idea in the context of Imam’s appeal
to Muslims immediately after this meeting to support the Congress in the
election.
The Imam has, however, guarded his statement as an appeal
only on the plea that the “Congress has done a lot for Muslims” and not an
order (fatwa) that carries religious significance. The impact of the appeal
addressed to a religious group (which in politics is an interest group) cannot
be estimated even roughly. For, Indian Muslims do not constitute a united vote
bank in the country despite the efforts of political parties openly indulging
in the game of polarization of votes on lines of religion.
The media is flooded with reports about vote canvassing activities
of not only political parties, but also of several organized groups and unorganized
forces in this pre-election period. Civic engagement in politics is increasing day-by-day.
The avenues for participation of the common people in the democratic processes
are many and varied. Election is the
greatest event that draws total involvement of the public sector, the private
sector, the media, and the voluntary sector.
India is going to elect its 16th
Lok Sabha shortly with fairly good experience in democratic politics and popular
elections based on universal adult suffrage. All the political parties in the
field are surrounded and supported by numerous small groups/parties which can
be considered as “parties of pressure”. Some civil society organizations – once
labeled as “non-party political formations” – are lured into politics to
provide an “alternative’ polity and “clean politics’. Many that remain
non-political have their political patrons.
The emergence of the Aam Admi Party – a by-product of the
movement “India Against Corruption” -
and the decision of some well-known and award-winning social activists
to enter into electoral politics mark an important phase in the evolution of
pressure group politics.
Political participation of people is no longer confined to
voting at periodical elections. People
form interest groups for various purposes and these groups have to interact
directly and indirectly with political forces for their survival and
growth.
Textbooks teach us that when an interest group applies
political pressure, it becomes a pressure group. Such pressure groups do not contest elections
directly and do not seek power in their own name. But, they can influence
political parties and government and even bureaucracy by means of organizational
strength, unity of interest of members, and in some cases manpower and/or
financial strength. Some interest groups can mobilize votes and influence
voting pattern in local areas and in their sphere of influence.
Pressure groups in India are somewhat different from
this theoretical pattern. Currently, they manifest many features tied up with
Indian party politics, Constitution, and elections. Federal polity and
coalition governments have a bearing on pressure group politics.
A number of interest groups in India are openly allied with
particular parties. In fact, all major national and State-level parties have
their own trade unions and student/youth wings.
Many of them, as for example, the Indian National Trade Union Congress
and the All India Student Federation date back to pre-Independence era.
Indian politics has revolved around caste and cannot be
discussed without reference to its omnipresence. It cannot be denied that certain individual
castes and some combinations of castes have been exercising tremendous
political influence and are still in a position to mobilize votes despite
internal dissensions. Some are even dubbed as “vote banks” though in fractured
form and some as “caste outfits” of particular parties owing to the image they
have created. Political parties vie with one another to curry the favour of
such caste groups to increase their vote share. This leads to break-up of
parties as well as castes.
Interest group politics in India patronizes the political
patronage system as part of political party system. Thus, the three have become
inseparables to a great extent. Deviant
interest groups, if any, are bound to face survival difficulty in the present
state of all-pervasive politics in the country.
It is interesting indeed to learn that the patronage system
was well-established in the US
by the beginning of the 19th century. Non-elective public offices were filled up
under this system and there was even an understanding that the officials would
donate part of their salaries to meet subsequent election expenditure. The
Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 put an end to this pernicious system in the US.
Patron-client structures are common in several new
democracies including India.
With the exception of a few ideologically rooted parties, all political parties
in India
are but amalgamation of interests seeking political patronage. This feature has
led to development of patron-client relationship between political power and
interest groups.
This relationship is openly displayed from the lowest rung
of panchayats to the highest level of Parliament. It cultivates a network of
relationships in various dimensions and becomes an integral part of institutions,
systems, agencies, processes, and last but not least --- politics.
Patronage system is perhaps the strongest pillar of Indian
democracy. Under this, a person’s or a group’s loyalty, support and help, and
friendship can be acquired (to avoid defamatory term “purchased”) in return for
official/political favour. There is an element of unearned favour in the
exchange (which may not be illegal, but may be out of turn or disproportionate)
that is deemed as patron-client partnership.
This linkage has even penetrated into the bureaucracy as
some of the recent scams reported through media have exposed. The efficacy of
patronage system in many areas in getting results – as management technique,
labour relations, commercial enterprises, etc. – has been acknowledged to be
superior to rule by force, by strict discipline, or by application of punishment
system. Patronage system is part of
pressure group politics. It is suited to politicization of social cleavages
which is the dominant character of Indian politics.
The era of alliances and coalition governments at the Centre
has enhanced the importance of State and regional parties. Regional and even
local issues are taken up in Parliamentary elections raising the political
significance of concerned interest groups.
In this atmosphere, even State governments become interest/pressure
groups at times in their relations to national parties in the election fray.
“Package politics”, that is, conferment of special status and grant of
exclusive welfare schemes and/or extra funds, is an outcome of the politics of
appeasement adopted by ruling coalition governments at the Centre to acquire
and retain the support of strong State/regional party.
Indeed, the India
version of pressure group politics and patronage system are in full display in
2014 election. --- INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|