Description
To what extent has federalism been challenged in India in the recent years? Is federalism a myth or a reality in the Indian context? In this paper, there is an attempt to look into the narratives of Indian federalism. The constitution of India does not commend that it is a federal state. Nevertheless, some traits of federal structure are visible. One feature that stands out among these is the acknowledgement of the uniqueness of the various regions in India in terms of language and culture. Therefore, the marginalisation of this variety becomes a challenge to the nuances of the federal structure in India. The question then is not whether federalism is at risk in India— it is a myth. It is the exclusion of the fringe groups and the cultural diversity which remains questionable. The mainstream opinion would look into the uniting feature of a purported federal system. This discourse masquerades the divisive tendencies of contemporary Indian politics. To this extent, the paper argues that it is not the external structure of federalism which faces any severe challenge. Rather the very foundation of India’s federalism is at risk.
