Lattars
A+| A| A-
The State and Its 'Balancing Acts'
Lattars Such responses from institutions created to uphold good governance and civic laws in society certainly raise doubts regarding their role in functioning within a pluralistic society. Pluralism is characterised by differences – structural, social or cultural – between groups coexisting within the same polity. This distinction between groups is the key to the formation of a plural society and it is important that a third party mediate this encounter between groups. Hence we enter into an arena where the state becomes functional in managing a pluralistic society. Now, the state can do this only by adopting certain principles that would ultimately uphold the rights of all the communities. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s justification that it was trying to be fair to the religious sentiments of all communities is a weak argument if looked at from within the pluralistic framework. Muslims in Gujarat have certainly not forgotten the injuries inflicted upon the minority community during the state pogrom of 2002. The demolition of the dargâh has only increased their feelings of insecurity, if not relegating them further to the status of second-class citizens of the Indian democracy. Pluralism warrants a state that acts upon the principle of creating a congenial atmosphere where rights of different groups are not premised upon majority superordination and minority subordination. The idea is to publicly accept and recognise group rights of different communities. It is necessary to ensure that members of the minority community enjoy all those opportunities that the majority population takes for granted. The role of the state in successfully managing religious pluralism does not lie in demolishing historical shrines. Rather it warrants an atmosphere of mutual respect and acceptance – not merely tolerance – between communities and between communities and the state machinery. The state has to play a crucial role in acknowledging and accommodating diverse cultural communities as equal partners within a pluralistic society. RAMA TISS, Mumbai
(Rs) Six One Two Three months year years years Institutions – 1250 2300 3300 Individuals 500 935 1750 2500
Teachers/Researchers – 685 – 1800 Students – 450 – – Concessional rates are available only in India. To avail of concessional rates, certificate from relevant institution is essential. Remittance by money order/bank draft preferred. Please add Rs 35 to outstation cheques towards bank collection charges.
Institutions – 1500 – 4150 Individuals – 1250 – 3500 (US $) Air Mail Surface Mail Institutions 1yr 2yrs 3yrs 1yr 2yrs 3yrs Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh 80 150 200 65 120 175 Other countries 150 275 375 90 170 240 Individuals Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh 50 90 125 30 50 75 Other countries 100 175 240 65 120 170 All remittances to:
Hitkari House, 284 Shahid Bhagatsingh Road, Mumbai 400 001 Phones: 2269 6072/73 Fax: (022) 2269 6072 epw.mumbai@gmail.com edit@epw.org.in Editor (December 1969-January 2004) : Krishna Raj C 212, Akurli Industrial Estate, Kandivali (East)
Mumbai 400 101, Phones: 2887 3038/3041
Fax: (022) 2887 3038.
epwrf@vsnl.com
Economic and Political Weekly June 17, 2006 (Continued from p 2398) than 60,000 if we add votes of the All-India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Congress together. At Titagarh, a labour-dominated constituency, the CPI(M) won by 16,246 votes in 2001 with a comfortable 55.42 per cent of votes. In 2006, the percentage dropped to 43 and the LF nominees scraped through by a margin of less than 850 votes. The AITC percentage rose from 38.59 to 41.92 while the Congress got 10.28 per cent. Similarly in Belgachhia West, the LF candidate and a CITU heavyweight, Rajdeo Goala, who in 2001 won by a margin of 21,602 votes, was defeated this time by an AITC nominee by a difference of less than 600 votes. The most interesting reversal was the defeat of the labour minister of the seventh LF government, Mohd Amin, a CPI(M) central committee member, at Garden Reach constituency. In 1996, the CPI(M) defeated the Congress by 14,168 votes – the difference in Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat in the same assembly segment was 16,654. Thereafter, the margins in the Lok Sabha seat between the CPI(M) and Congress-Trinamool Congress together increased: 27,438 in 1998, 29,895 in 1999, 31,924 in 2001 and 39,298 in 2004. In 2006, the Congress wrested the assembly seat back from the CPI(M) by a margin of 8,874 votes, that too after a reduction of anti-LF votes by the Trinamool Congress whose nominee got 11,077 votes. As I know the area personally and visited the spot during the polling day in 1999 and 2001, I can say that the CPI(M) could not have recorded such huge margins but for allying with communal forces in the area. The CPI(M) not only used rigging in many constituencies but compromised with communal rioters. GPD who wrote (EPW, May 20, 2006) “So much is made of the alleged rigging in the West Bengal elections that we thought it strange that these people do not refer to the doubtful character of the Bush presidency as a comparative foil” is unaware of the ground reality. SIDDHARTHA GHOSH DASTIDAR Kolkata Here are some guidelines for to ensure early publication. Papers with Article, Commentary and Discussion immediate relevance for policy would be sections will be published at the end ofEPW welcomes original research papers in considered for early publication. Please the article.) any of the social sciences. note that this is a matter of editorial * Authors are requested to prepare their * judgment. soft copy versions in text formats. PDF
versions are not accepted by the EPW.
Authors are encouraged to use UK English version, we would appreciate a copy of this along with the submitted paper. Readers of EPW are encouraged to send comments and suggestions (300-400 words) * Graphs and charts prepared in MS * All submissions will be acknowledged Office(Word/Excel)or equivalent software immediately on receipt with a reference on published articles to the Letters column. are preferable to material prepared in number. Quoting the reference number All letters should have the writer’s full name in inquiries will help. jpeg or other formats. and postal address. * EPW posts all published articles on its web site and may reproduce them on CDs. * Every effort is taken to complete early processing of the papers we receive. Since we receive more than 35 articles Address for communication: EPW encourages researchers to comment every week and adequate time has to be on Special Articles. Submissions should be provided for internal reading and external Hitkari House, 1,000 to 2,000 words. refereeing. * Economic and Political Weekly June 17, 2006 The State and Its ‘Balancing Acts’
OLeft Front’s Victory
L(Continued on p 2500)
SubscriptionSubscriptionSubscriptionSubscriptionSubscription
InlandInlandInlandInlandInland 
Concessional RatesConcessional RatesConcessional RatesConcessional RatesConcessional Rates 
Nepal and BhutanNepal and BhutanNepal and BhutanNepal and BhutanNepal and Bhutan
ForeignForeignForeignForeignForeign 
Economic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political Weekly
Economic and PEconomic and PEconomic and PEconomic and PEconomic and P
oliticaloliticaloliticaloliticalolitical 
WWWWW
eekleekleekleekleekl
yyyyy 
EditorEditorEditorEditorEditor 
Deputy EditorDeputy EditorDeputy EditorDeputy EditorDeputy Editor 
Assistant EditorAssistant EditorAssistant EditorAssistant EditorAssistant Editor
sssss 
Editorial StaffEditorial StaffEditorial StaffEditorial StaffEditorial Staff 
Editorial ConsultantEditorial ConsultantEditorial ConsultantEditorial ConsultantEditorial Consultant 
CirCirCirCirCir
culationculationculationculationculation 
AdAdAdAdAd
ververververver
tisementtisementtisementtisementtisement 
ManaManaManaManaMana
ggggg
ererererer 
General ManaGeneral ManaGeneral ManaGeneral ManaGeneral Mana
ggggg
ererererer
and Puband Puband Puband Puband Pub
lisherlisherlisherlisherlisher
EPW ResearEPW ResearEPW ResearEPW ResearEPW Resear
ccccc
h Foundationh Foundationh Foundationh Foundationh Foundation 
DirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirector Lattars
Notes to ContribNotes to ContribNotes to ContribNotes to ContribNotes to Contrib
utorutorutorutorutor
sssss 
take up to six to eight months fromtake up to six to eight months fromtake up to six to eight months fromtake up to six to eight months fromtake up to six to eight months from
thethethethethe 
address, day-time phone numbers andaddress, day-time phone numbers andaddress, day-time phone numbers andaddress, day-time phone numbers andaddress, day-time phone numbers and
date of acceptance to appear in thedate of acceptance to appear in thedate of acceptance to appear in thedate of acceptance to appear in thedate of acceptance to appear in the 
email address.email address.email address.email address.email address. 
EPWEPWEPWEPWEPW
.....
Special ArticlesSpecial ArticlesSpecial ArticlesSpecial ArticlesSpecial Articles
Articles must be no more than 8,000Articles must be no more than 8,000Articles must be no more than 8,000Articles must be no more than 8,000Articles must be no more than 8,000 
words, including notes, referenceswords, including notes, referenceswords, including notes, referenceswords, including notes, referenceswords, including notes, references 
and tables. Longer articles will not beand tables. Longer articles will not beand tables. Longer articles will not beand tables. Longer articles will not beand tables. Longer articles will not be 
CommentariesCommentariesCommentariesCommentariesCommentaries 
processedprocessedprocessedprocessedprocessed
Contributions should be sent in a hardContributions should be sent in a hardContributions should be sent in a hardContributions should be sent in a hardContributions should be sent in a hard 
copy format accompanied by a floppy/copy format accompanied by a floppy/copy format accompanied by a floppy/copy format accompanied by a floppy/copy format accompanied by a floppy/ 
CD version. A soft copy can also beCD version. A soft copy can also beCD version. A soft copy can also beCD version. A soft copy can also beCD version. A soft copy can also be 
sent by email. Hard and soft copysent by email. Hard and soft copysent by email. Hard and soft copysent by email. Hard and soft copysent by email. Hard and soft copy 
versions of articles are essential forversions of articles are essential forversions of articles are essential forversions of articles are essential forversions of articles are essential for 
processing.processing.processing.processing.processing. 
SpecialSpecialSpecialSpecialSpecial 
articlesarticlesarticlesarticlesarticles 
shouldshouldshouldshouldshould 
bebebebebe 
Book ReviewsBook ReviewsBook ReviewsBook ReviewsBook Reviews 
accompanied by an abstract of aaccompanied by an abstract of aaccompanied by an abstract of aaccompanied by an abstract of aaccompanied by an abstract of a 
maximum of 150-200 words.maximum of 150-200 words.maximum of 150-200 words.maximum of 150-200 words.maximum of 150-200 words. 
EPWEPWEPWEPWEPW
requests writers not to sendrequests writers not to sendrequests writers not to sendrequests writers not to sendrequests writers not to send
revised versions based on stylisticrevised versions based on stylisticrevised versions based on stylisticrevised versions based on stylisticrevised versions based on stylistic
changes/additions, deletions ofchanges/additions, deletions ofchanges/additions, deletions ofchanges/additions, deletions ofchanges/additions, deletions of
references, minor changes, etc, as thisreferences, minor changes, etc, as thisreferences, minor changes, etc, as thisreferences, minor changes, etc, as thisreferences, minor changes, etc, as this
LettersLettersLettersLettersLetters
poses challenges in processing.poses challenges in processing.poses challenges in processing.poses challenges in processing.poses challenges in processing.
DiscussionDiscussionDiscussionDiscussionDiscussion 
Economic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political WeeklyEconomic and Political Weekly
It can take up to fourIt can take up to fourIt can take up to fourIt can take up to fourIt can take up to four 
months for a final decision on whethermonths for a final decision on whethermonths for a final decision on whethermonths for a final decision on whethermonths for a final decision on whether 
General GuidelinesGeneral GuidelinesGeneral GuidelinesGeneral GuidelinesGeneral Guidelines 
the paper is accepted for publicationthe paper is accepted for publicationthe paper is accepted for publicationthe paper is accepted for publicationthe paper is accepted for publication
Writers are requested to provide fullWriters are requested to provide fullWriters are requested to provide fullWriters are requested to provide fullWriters are requested to provide full 
Articles accepted for publication canArticles accepted for publication canArticles accepted for publication canArticles accepted for publication canArticles accepted for publication can
detailsdetailsdetailsdetailsdetails 
for correspondence: postalfor correspondence: postalfor correspondence: postalfor correspondence: postalfor correspondence: postal
Dear Reader,
