UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions: Cultural Assertiveness | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Do you agree that regionalism in India appears to be a consequence of rising cultural assertiveness? Argue. (UPSC GS1 2020)

Regionalism is a feeling of pride and loyalty that people belonging to a region have. It is sometimes associated with a feeling of superiority of belonging to one region as compared to those belonging to other regions. It is regional loyalty in place of national loyalty. It gives rise to the regional autonomy and in extreme case, the demand for the creation of a separate state. It favors the son of soil theory. Relationship between regionalism and cultural assertiveness with illustrations. 

• Generally, having pride in one’s way of life is not a bad thing and it works under the aegis of the larger national sentiment. It instills confidence in the local community and plays an important role in bringing out the positive developments in the socio-economic conditions. 
• But whenever the other factors are also there such as if there is perceived threat on the cultural identities, political dissatisfaction, and discontent in the socio-economic conditions of the regional community, it becomes more assertive in nature. For example, local Marathi people against non-Marathi’s, Gorkhas against mainstream Bengalis, Bodoland territorial region in Assam, etc. 
• There are many aspects of culture such as language, religion, and ethnicity which have given rise to regionalism and demand for the new states. For example, many states have been formed on the basis of language after Independence. There were demands of separatism in erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir for the three major religions. Despite not having the same language, there has been demands for the creation of a Greater Nagaland based on the common ethnicity. Likewise, there was the demand for the adoption of NRC in Assam, based on religion and language. 
• It is important to note that regionalism is both the effect and feedback to the culture assertiveness. The regional politics usually strengthen the feeling of the cultural regionalism. It eventually gives rise to the extreme feeling of the assertiveness which ultimately becomes exclusionary. Due to this, secessionism, separatism, and violence to people from other religious, linguistic, and ethnic groups are the results. For example, people from north-east India and from East India were targeted in Bangalore and Mumbai respectively. On other hand, other factors also play equal important role. 
• Political Factors: India’s politics and its political parties showcase the regionalism present in our country. They are broadly divided into: National Parties and Regional Parties. 
• National parties have a strong hold in many states. Their work is based on an all India agenda. For Example, The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) On the other hand, the Regional parties are mostly confined to a single state. They work based on the interest of the state. For Example, Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Political aspirations of leaders remain a major source of regionalism. 
• For example, regional political parties have used the regional and linguistic identities to secure votes. They have created an imaginary threat from outsiders and promise their vote bank for securing their land for themselves and to eliminate outsiders. Regional parties and fringe elements in various states have campaigned for this agenda Economic Factors: Economic factors also contribute to the development of regionalism. 
• For example, some states and regions are better in terms of development like infrastructure, healthcare, job opportunities etc. These economic factors cause inequality problems between regions. For example, the formation of states like Jharkhand and Telangana were based on lack of development. The problem of Naxalism has its roots in economic deprivation of people belonging to this region. 

Conclusion 
Regionalism in India is rooted in India’s diversity of languages, cultures, tribes, and religions. It is also encouraged by the geographical concentration of these identity markers in particular regions, and fueled by a sense of regional deprivation. The cultural assertiveness is one of the factors of the regionalism in India along with regional politics, economic deprivation and unsatisfaction. There has been a long history of regionalism as a tool for the political assertiveness which poses a threat to the national integration in India if it becomes exclusionary.

Topics covered - Regionalism, Post Independence Separation of States