Journal of Polity and Society

One World or Many? Critical Reflections on Cosmopolitanism and International Relations

Jayashree Vivekanandan — 2024-05-02

Cosmopolitanism has come to represent a wide spectrum of positions within IR theory over the decades, from the anti-utopianism and internationalism of the Cold War liberals to the ongoing debate on institutions of global governance. The article charts this intellectual trajectory and sets itself two key questions. Firstly, to what extent has the emphasis on shared values and collective action challenged set perspectives within IR theory? Secondly, has this value orientation led to any fundamental rethinking of what constitutes the international domain (i.e. blurring of the internal-external divide), the scale of politics (i.e. towards a multi-level governance approach) and the unit type (i.e. recognising the role of non-state actors)? The article critically examines the extent to which cosmopolitanism is willing to deal with the existing matrix of actors, institutions and processes in world politics. It argues that the approach will have to offer a robust theory of the state in order to better operationalise its notion of a moral community.

Western Canon and Missing Women: Locating the Interventions of Susan M. Okin to Contemporary Liberalism

Javid Ahmad Dar — 2024-05-02

The Western philosophical tradition has generally ignored women and the so-called Canon does not include the works of classical thinkers like J.S. Mill on women into its fold. The rare exceptions of the tradition have not influenced the foundational assumptions of even liberal theories of social justice. Liberalism suffers an infirm assumption that women possess a natural inclination to make up a family. There is a natural sympathy at work at the level of family, and, hence, the mutual claims neither compete nor conflict. The individual-centric social justice mainly conceptualized by and for men would trickle down to their families and benefit women and children invisibly. The contemporary political philosophy works uphold this canonical assumption. Taking this diagnosis along, this paper underlines the fact-of-missing women in the Western Canon and highlights the deep contradictions in it. This article attempts to situate Susan Moller Okin’s “Justice, Gender, and the Family” as an ‘exception’ in contemporary liberalism. Her novel critique of John Rawls’ “A Theory of Justice” is attentive to ‘family’ as a unit of justice and is the bedrock of her idea of ‘humanist justice’. This paper is also an attempt to illustrate that the individual, if situated in/along family, does not retain the isolated characteristics and liberal-individualist justice, thus, does not attain the same attraction, if extended to family.

Contemporary debates on nationalism

MJ Vinod — 2024-05-02

The paper attempts to critically position the major theories and debates on nationalism in the realm of religion, ethnicity, and culture, against the backdrop of globalization. Religious and ethnic nationalism allows for a clearer understanding of the complexities and politics of nationalism. The debate on nationalism has become exclusive and ubiquitous and led to the emergence of a school of nationalist ideologues and theoreticians. The primordial (with an emphasis on the emotional and kinship ties) along with the constructivist (with an emphasis on the social and historical circumstances) dimensions of nationalism continues to be relevant. Both the top-down and bottom-up theories of nationalism, along with the intersections and cross-currents, challenges posed by new-right nationalism, cultural and economic nationalism are also discussed. Contemporary nationalism seems to be caught between globalisation and identity politics.

KURDISH NATIONALISM AND ATTITUDE OF TURKISH GOVERNMENT: RECONCILIATION AND REPRESSION SINCE ERDOGAN’S ERA

KIRAN RAJ V — 2024-05-02

Abstract

Kurds were one of the leading ethnic groups who lost their identity and unity with the fall of the Ottoman empire. Since then, they have lived in a geographical area that overlaps the borders of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria in West Asia. They have faced atrocities as a minority in these countries since the post-World war period. Despite the constant insecurity and struggle for survival, the status of the Kurds is quite different in each of these West Asian states. The relationship between Turkey and Kurds is much problematic. For decades, the international community has debated the status of the various Kurdish-majority regions. As a result, it’s surprising that no clear-cut solution to the problem has ever been devised. This paper traces the relationship between Kurds and Turks from the beginning of the Ottoman Empire to understand the formation of political violence and the evolution of Kurdish nationalism. This research paper focuses on the problems between Kurdish nationalism and Turkish state identities and the impact of the Turkish state’s political violence, state strategies, and assimilationist policies on the Kurdish movement. This paper also focuses on the reconciliation methods adopted by Erdogan’s government and the after-effects.

Keywords: Kurdish nationalism, the Turkish state, identity, Minority, Kurds

Civil-Military Relations in Bangladesh: From Dominant Military Control to Dominant Civilian Control

Arun Vishwanathan — 2024-05-02

This article attempts to study the civil-military relations (CMR) in Bangladesh with particular focus on the military’s role in nation-security issues. The paper has historically traced the ups and downs of civil-military relations in Bangladesh since independence. This has been followed up with an analysis of the factors affecting civil-military relations in Bangladesh namely, political institutionalization, military institutionalization, domestic socio-economic milieu, and the international environment. The third section studies the military’s role in national security decision-making in Bangladesh and how the role of the military has shifted away from the military to dominance of civilian, political leadership over national security decision-making in Bangladesh. Finally, the article analyses the membership of the apex national security decision making bodies in National Committee for Intelligence Co-ordination (NCIC) and National Security Council (NSC) which further supports the argument of how the civilian has institutionally attempted to control major foreign policy and security related decision making, but the military in Bangladesh remains an important player which wields informal influence over national security decision making in Bangladesh.

Understanding India’s Relation with Afghanistan from the period of 2001 to 2022

Jnyanendra Barman — 2024-05-02

In order to counterbalance Pakistan and China, as well as to reach out to the Central Asian Republics (CARs) and West Asian nations like Iran, India places a great deal of importance on Afghanistan. Afghanistan is significant from India’s point of view in terms of security, trade, establishing regional and international footholds, and its energy aspirations. However, security has evolved into the main factor influencing Afghanistan’s relevance to India as Afghanistan has been a critical factor for both internal and regional stability. Till the Taliban re-gaining its position as the de-facto ruler of Afghanistan in 2021, India has invested and aided Afghanistan over $3 billion US dollars. In terms of infrastructural development assistance in Afghanistan, India have built over 400 projects that includes a dam, a paediatric hospital, a highway, and its parliament building which has gained India an overwhelming goodwill from Afghan citizens. This study gives an overall analysis of India’s relation with Afghanistan after the fall of Taliban regime in 2001 to Taliban regaining to its prior position in 2021 along with a historical perspective on the relation, both countries observed. The study also provides an analysis of India-Afghan relations after the Taliban take over in 2021.

Building a Stronger Partnership: India's Proactive Approach towards Bhutan under the Modi's Government

SUKHWINDER KOUR — 2024-05-02

Looking at India's security setting within South Asia, Bhutan has always remained vital for the security of the great power, India, besides maintaining and preserving the status quo within the South Asian region. More to the point, Bhutan offers a vital linkage between Indian ascendency and the country's continually concerned north-eastern region. Contrasting his antecedent, Prime Minister Modi, subsequently his overwhelming election triumph in 2014, paid an official visit to Bhutan as his foremost authorized diplomatic endeavour to remunerate augmented consideration towards Bhutan, India's small neighbour. Seeing the global and regional setting, Modi's visit to Bhutan is regarded as one of the most decisive for Modi's regional stratagem. Furthermore, this visit was distinguished since Bhutan had on no occasion earlier been a neighbour to earn the primary meet. Therefore, a step has been taken by the Modi government to cultivate trust towards India by promoting and strengthening its ties with its small neighbours, furthermore, to curb the growing Chinese footprints in South Asia. As a result, in the present paper, an attempt has been made to characterize the foreign policy approach of India towards its small and landlocked neighbour, Bhutan, their increasing ties along with the changing regional dynamics of South Asia under the Modi government.

The Bridge Abridged: Abrogation of Article 370

Maqsood Hussain Najar — 2024-05-02

Abstract

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution constituted the basis of the relationship between India and the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). It was a legal and emotional bridge connecting J&K with India. Its recent abrogation represented a betrayal of the bridge, which encompassed the trust of J&K people in Indian polity and commitments made by the Indian state to J&K around the time of its accession to India. The paper aims at understanding whether its abrogation contributes to state security in the light of historical wisdom. For this, the paper intends to go into the background situation making the provision of Article 370 ineluctable. It endeavors to bring to light the pacifying effect of uneroded and unabrogated Article 370 on Kashmir politics and conversely its dilution contributing to a conflict situation. With the benefit of historical hindsight, the article serves to remind the policymakers of the counterproductive results of the abrogation of Article 370 potentially harming the secular character of Indian polity apart from unintended consequences emanating from the internal political dynamics of J&K. The methods adopted in the study are broadly qualitative which include but are not restricted to historical method, content analysis, textual analysis, and discourse analysis.

Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims: A Discussion on Reservation and Representation

TAUSIF AHMAD — 2024-05-02

In recent times, discussions about Pasmanda Muslims have become prominent. So it is necessary to present a study about Pasmanda Muslims, their socio-political status, and their demands for reservation. As the studies suggest, Muslim society is divided into three sections on caste lines. The three-section of the Muslim community are Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal. The Ajlaf and Arzal castes are called Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims. Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims are vulnerable, marginalised, uneducated, and belong to the most backward section of Indian society. Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims are facing a deficit because of the domination of the Ashrafs. They are socially marginalised and politically under-represented. Pasmanda and Dalit Muslims are at the receiving end, facing discrimination and political negligence. This paper primarily discusses Pasmanda Muslims' demand for separate space in the broad OBC category and Dalit Muslim's exclusion from the reservation of the Scheduled Castes category. This paper's conceptual standpoint is to justify Dalit Muslims being included in the Scheduled Caste reservation, which is unanimously a prerequisite for social justice. Though the current reservation system (OBC) covers Pasmanda Muslims and Dalit Muslims within its ambit, it has never proved to be an emancipator in ensuring socio-economic mobility and political representation. Hence, a necessary exploration is needed.

Reconceptualising Governance in the Context of Neoliberalism: Moving from Welfare Politics to Clientele Politics: A Case of Assam

Phulmoni Das — 2024-05-02

The present paper seeks a theoretical analysis of neoliberalism and issue of governance in the context of India and Assam in particular. It makes an argument that the legacy of the strong and developmental Nehruvian state was not wiped away with the ‘market-friendly reforms’ after 1991. Instead, state is reformulated in a much visible way through proliferating intervention in social sectors. Furthermore study also takes into account the governance practices in Assam within the wider economic political trends, arguing that pro-market transitions by populist regimes tends to be characterized by a series of short-term calculative measures which are differed from the perspective of the welfare state.

Key Words: Neoliberalism, Governanace, Populist Politics, Assam

The Future-Oriented anticipatory Disaster Risk Management – A Case Study in Munnar Gap Road Region

Fathima Sain — 2024-05-02

The Kerala Flood 2018 and 2019 educate on how a climate phenomenon can spiral into a tremendous environmental disaster. Kerala is located on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. The geographic location of Kerala along the coast of the sea and the slope of the Western Ghats makes it highly vulnerable to hazards with a natural origin and impacts of climate change. The present study has been articulated as a case study that aimed to understand the activities that triggered a landslide in the gap road stretch in Udumbanchola taluk Idukki, government actions after 2018 for monitoring constructions in frequent landslide areas, and the role of systematic risk reduction coordination mechanisms for mitigating future disasters with the support of disaster rebuild strategies. To address the issues like frequent landslides in the construction area, there needs awareness about the trade-offs involved in designing a sustainable roadside early on in project development, so this research aims to add a checklist of recommendations which means construction monitoring strategies for the project development process. Construction Practices, Rapid expansion of settlements, and non-engineered building constructions are one of the reasons for the landslides in 2018 in Kerala. The future stress of disaster risk can be minimized by Government initiatives that may support the monitoring of ecological protection to project developments in landslide areas.

Income Diversification: Its Determinants and Role among Farmer Households in Kerala

Rajesh George — 2024-05-02

The article is about the determinants and effect of income diversification among the farmer households in three districts of Kerala. The findings in the article reveal that diversification of income is widely practised by the farmer households to reduce the risk of income loss and livelihood failure. In a bid to overcome the frequent price shocks and the consequent uncertainties, coping strategies like out-migration and sale of assets have been used by the distressed farmer households in the state. Further, diversification as a strategy does make a positive impact upon the income of the rural farmer households. It is thus an effective risk management system to ensure livelihood security and a possible way out of vulnerability.

Covid-19 Pandemic and the Securitisation of Human Security Threats for Sustainable Development

Shibu M P — 2024-05-02

With the worldwide spread of the Covid 19 pandemic, human security regains as a central theme of discussion topic in the national and international systems. Human security must be prioritised as an influential agenda for policymakers dealing with these pandemics. In this context, the paper tries to analyse how securitisation of human security will enable us to deal with threats to human security more effectively, thereby making sustainable development feasible. In this context, the article tries to evaluate the accomplishment of Kerala state in the health sector as a model for sustainable health security in facing further pandemics. During the period of Covid 19, the framework and strategy adopted by the state of Kerala in India were remarkable and have even been compared with the approach adopted by the Western countries in tackling the pandemic. Securitisation is a process by which an issue is prioritised as an essential issue that must be dealt with urgently as a primary security threat. Globally nation-states will have to act as a securitising actor and thereby set their agenda for the securitisation process. Human security needs to prioritised as a referent object that needs to be dealt with as a top priority by the state. By examining the human security centric approach, the states could bring a strong sustainable development agenda.

Relocation: Uncovering Realtities of Development and Wildlife Conservation in Kerala.

Muhammed Rafi Puthalathu — 2024-05-02

ABSTRACT.

The Adivasis of Kerala historically remained outside of the developmental yardstick of the ‘Kerala model development. Despite the constitutional and legal protection, Adivasis still lag behind as beneficiaries of the development model. This has led to many conflicts between the state and Adivasis in Kerala. It, thus demands conscientious attention to reshaping the state’s planning and development to be inclusive of indigenous people. This paper analyses how the state’s planning of conservation fails to understand Adivasi aspirations, and how the protective provisions of the constitution and other legal safeguards sabotage in the name of conservation. This paper examines the relocation program promoted by the conservation planning of GoI in the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary, Kerala with special reference to the Kattunayakan community (PVTG). The paper discusses practices and procedures of relocation that occur in the sanctuary, and how the state’s agenda of people free conservation policy violates protective mechanisms

Book review

Meenu B Nair — 2024-05-02

Book review

Book Review

Aswin T P — 2024-05-02

The book presents a modern history of Latin America right from the period of independence spanning over its early periods of modernization, political developments and revolutions. Rather than being a textbook history that exclusively focus on big political events, the book investigates into areas as wide as gender, environment, democratization etc. In authors own words the attempt is to write the history of everyone. That’s why the recurring concern of the author is about the diversity of historical experiences in the continent and not to overrun these diversities by a dominant narrative.