Question

Highlight any three issues that affected Indian politics after 1989.

Answer 1

The following are the political issues that have affected India since 1989:

• The defeat of Congress and the trend of the coalition: The defeat of the Congress Party in the elections held in 1989 was the beginning of the trend of the coalition. The Congress improved its performance and came back to power soon after the mid-term elections held in 1991. But the elections of 1989 marked the end of what political scientists have called the 'Congress system'. To be sure, Congress remained an important party and ruled the country more than any other party even in this period since 1989. But it lost the kind of centrality it earlier enjoyed in the party system.
• The Mandal issue: In August 1990, the National Front government decided to implement the recommendation of the Mandal Commission that jobs in the central government should be reserved for the Other Backward Classes. This led to violent 'anti-Mandal' protests in different parts of the country. This dispute between the supporters and opponents of OBC reservations was known as the 'Mandal issue' and was to play an important role in shaping politics since 1989.
• New economic reforms: These modifications, which Rajiv Gandhi first made very clear in 1991, fundamentally altered the course the Indian economy had taken since independence. Numerous movements and organizations have harshly condemned these policies. But these have been upheld by the various governments that ruled during this time.