People's Political Participation in India- A Case Study of Bhopal Region

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About the Book Significance of the electoral process is not at all peripheral, for they are central to the democratic process. The objective of this study is to understand the various modes of people's participation in the polity of the nation specifically in elections. They shape the condition of the new political system by mobilizing and educating traditional masses into the language of modernity, who are otherwise novice and untrained in the handling of the democratic machinery. The research is a quest for better knowledge of Indian political' environment which is influenced by sociological factors i.e. the dynamics of social formulation and political transformation. This study also tries to acquire knowledge about the overall political consciousness, political interest, the manner in which people are approached and wooed by- political parties and the considerations which guide them to vote for a particular candidate or a party.

About the Author Born on 7th November 1962, Dr. Jaishree Mishra did her M.A. in Political Science from Hamidia Arts and commerce College, Bhopal and did her Ph.D. in Political Science in 2002 from Barkatulla University, Bhopal.

She joined as Assistant Professor of Political Science in 1985 and worked for two years as Deputy Director in Pandit Kunjilal Dubey Acadamy of Parliamentary Affairs. She was also Officer on Special Duty in the Directorate of Higher Education, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhopal for two years and was In charge Principal of Movement College, Ashta for four years.

Currently she is working as Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh., and Bhopal.

Introduction Contemporary India is a fascinating laboratory of Parliamentary Democracy: Democracy got tremendous impetus in our struggle for freedom which depended. by and large on the active participation of the masses, instead of being confined to a small number of well- equipped armed bands. It is this historical background of our struggle for the Independence from foreign rule that has enabled us to adopt democratic republic in which adult franchise and elected representative came with the very inauguration of the republic. It is an achievement, which many countries, have taken decades and centuries to accomplish.

As Rein bold Niebuhr has put it, man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary. We have accepted democracy and enshrined it in our constitution not only an s an essential philosophy of our political system, but we adopted it as a 'way of life' as well. In the course of its growth and evolution, it has encountered unforeseen road blocks of different kinds and has resolved a series of vexed contradiction, dilemmas and paradoxes. India is still a functioning democracy.

India is the major example of transitional society, with complex political institution in even more complex social order. The modem state is distinguished from the traditional state by the extent to which people participate in politics and are affected by politics. High levels of political participation are associated with democracy, which is beneficial to both the individual and society. The model in which the political institution of India is set is one of the modernizations of ancient and highly plural society in the context of the open society.

There are number of ways in which a citizen can participate in the political process of a society where a wide range of participating institutions and mechanism exists. Some are located within the electoral sub-system and some outside it. By all means, elections are mechanism to articulate popular - preferences for the formal decisions makers. Therefore elections can be termed as major agency of political socialization and participation. Elections in India have always been a fascinating story. The sheer dimensions of the exercise make it a mega event without parallel.

The work tries to understand the interface between social forces and political institutions and processes in an attempt to understand the changing grammar of Indian politics and participation, A variety of approaches bas been used to comprehend the relationship between state and society, democracy and development, state and classes controlling its power. issues of cultural identity and diversities with it associate problems of religion, region, caste, language etc. The objective of the research is to find out the role that citizens play, when interacting with other citizens and groups and with the political institution in society. It also tries to seek answer to such queries as to what are the features of sustainable democracy? What are the peculiarities of Indian democracy? How does an Indian citizen develop attitudes and opinion about politics? What is the pattern of voting behavior? Why do people behave the way they do in political situation, some willing to participate in the political process and others feeling alienated? In other words, the research is an essay to analyze people's participation resulting from the interplay of socio-economic forces and political processes.

The objective of the work is to study the various modes of people's participation in the polity of the nation specifically in elections. Significance of the electoral process is not at all peripheral for they are central to the democratic process. They shape and condition the new political system by mobilizing and educating traditional masses into the language of modernity, who are otherwise novice and untrained in the handling of the democratic machinery. The research is a quest for better knowledge of Indian political environment which is influenced by sociological factors i.e. the dynamics of social formulation and political transformation. This research tries to acquire knowledge about the overall political consciousness, political interest, elite, the manner in which people are approached and wooed by political parties and the considerations which guide them to vote for a particular candidate or a party. The work tries to explore the relationship between our political ideals and political facts and between our political theories and political behavior of the people.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages