Question

Assess the impact of three democratic upsurges in post-independent India.

Answer 1

Impact of democratic upsurges in the post-independent period:

1. The 'First Democratic Upsurge': From the 1950s to the 1970s, the 'First Democratic Upsurge' might be credited. It was predicated on the participation of Indian adult voters in democratic politics at the national and state levels. Falsifying the Western myth that democracy requires "modernization, urbanization, education, and media access," the successful holding of elections to both the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies across the country on the basis of parliamentary democracy was evidence of India's first democratic upsurge.
2. The ‘Second Democratic Upsurge’: Yogendra Yadav described the increased political participation of the lowest segments of society, such as SCs, STs, and OBCs, during the 1980s as the "Second Democratic Upsurge." This involvement has "made Indian politics more accommodating and accessible to these classes." Although this spike has not resulted in a significant improvement in the living conditions of these people, particularly Dalits. However, involvement of these classes in organizational and political platforms provided them with the opportunity to develop their self-esteem and ensure empowerment in the country's democratic politics.
3. The ‘Third Democratic Upsurge’: The early 1990s era of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation is credited with the establishment of a competitive "market society" spanning all significant areas of the economy, society, and politics, laying the way for the "Third Democratic Upsurge." The Third Democratic Upsurge depicts a competitive electoral market based on the premise of the ablest survival rather than the best survival. It highlights three movements in India's electoral market: from the state to the market, from the government to governance, and from the state as controller to the state as facilitator. Furthermore, the Third Democratic Upsurge seeks to encourage participation of the youth, who constitute a significant portion of Indian society and have emerged as true game changers in India's contemporary democratic politics due to their increasing electoral preference for both development and governance.