Indian State

State in India means what is stated in the constitution in terms of the fundamental rights, the directive principles of policies of state,....

Indian state is different for rest of the states, as India is very diverse in its structure and function and also in its cultural aspects. The Indian state has performed at least three functions, namely,

• Collection of taxes,
• Maintenance of bureaucracy, and
• Maintenance of army and police for law and order.

These functions have been accomplished by the state right from its inception. The nature of the state can be seen in terms of its historicity as:

• Classical state – having agricultural civilization;
• Medieval state – characterized by jagirdari and zamindari systems;
• Colonial state- ruled by the British; and
• Post-independence autonomous state.

A ‘mix’ of idealism and liberal-rationalism has been the characteristic feature of the Indian state. However, we have witnessed state formation movements, movements for bifurcating the existing states in the Union of India, and controversy about centre-state relations. The Indian state has not resolved some of these issues. There is a hiatus between what has been proclaimed in the Constitution and policies and what has been realized. The state plays a crucial role in structuring of equalities and inequalities. In fact, the state is the most dominant causality in determining the course of social change in India.

So now the question arise that what is the nature of Indian state? The nature of the state is very much determined by the statist mode of production. It explains the role of state in social transformation, that is, whether the state is socialist or capitalist. The statist mode of production explains dominance of the state over economy and society. Indian state is looked as an oppressive agency, by some critics, as they allege that some of the legislations are against common people and the poor, as in the case of the emergency in 1975-77. But, the fact is that barring the emergency, democracy has prevailed in India as per its constitution. State is today the largest employment-generating agency in India. The Indian state is largely a welfare state. But there are certain contradictions which do not fully justify its socialist and welfare stances. The evolution of the Indian state can be seen as follows:

1. Individual ownership and cultivation of land;
2. Wage labour, poor and very rich people;
3. Large state farms, bonded labourers and farm workers;
4. Petty peasant production, small farms and freedom to peasants;
5. Conflict between the peasant and the state on the question of revenue; and
6. Predominance of the interests of the colonial rulers in the system of production.

Various reasons are attributed to the anomalies and contradictions. One of the views is that the state has a vague mission. It does not have capacity to resolve certain conflicts. The other view is that the state is ‘soft’. Social and cultural factors are the main obstacles in achieving modernization for the Indian state. The entrenched castes and institutions do not allow radical transformation of Indian society. Another view is that the Indian state has a silicon character. It has borrowed technology, communication and management systems. The management stratagem is seen as solution of its basic problems. There is structural (long-term) crisis in India, and management devices can provide only short term solutions.

State in India means what is stated in the constitution in terms of the fundamental rights, the directive principles of policies of state, weaker sections, abolition of caste system and untouchability, etc. In reality, we do not find what is stated in the constitution. There are structures of unevenness. Uneven development of people and regions has been witnessed. Though efforts to reduce unevenness through Five-year plans, public sector enterprises, small-scale industries, land reforms, etc, have been made since independence, but the results are quite far away from the stated goals.

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To know more you can visit these significant topics: 

The Development of Literacy and Schooling, Commensality, State, Indian Society, Religion, Marriage, kinship System, Social Institution, Types of Marriage, Family, Community, Indology, Social Movement, Bride Wealth (Price), Nation State

Reference:

• K. L. Sharma, Indian Social Structure and Change. 

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