Nation-building is a slow process; it is not something that can be accomplished once and for all times to come. In course of time, new challenges emerged and some were old and had never been fully resolved.  In the 1980s, people from different regions began to express their aspirations for autonomy involving long struggles and often aggressive and armed assertions by the people,  their repression by the government, and a collapse of the political and electoral processes especially in Assam, Punjab, Mizoram, and in Jammu and Kashmir.

Region and the Nation

Rise of Regional Aspirations: The 1980s may be seen as a period of rising regional aspirations for autonomy that concluded after a process of dialogue within a constitutional framework in negotiated settlements or accords between central government and groups leading the movement. 

• Negotiation Amidst Violence: The journey to the accord was always tumultuous and often violent.

India – Democratic Approach

Unity in Diversity: The Indian approach to cultural diversity was very different from the one adopted in many European countries where they saw cultural diversity as a threat to the nation.

• Balancing Unity and Diversity: India adopted a democratic approach to the question of diversity that the Indian nation shall not deny the rights of different regions and linguistic groups to retain their own culture. Indian nationalism sought to balance the principles of unity and diversity.  
• Balancing Regional Needs and National Unity: Democracy allows the political expression of regional aspirations and does not look upon them as anti-national. 
  • It also allows parties and groups to address people on the basis of their regional identity, aspirations, and specific regional problems. 
• Democratic Politics Strengthening Regional Aspirations: In the course of democratic politics, regional aspirations get strengthened. 
  • At same time, it also means that regional issues and problems will receive adequate attention and accommodation in the policy-making process. 
• The Double-Edged Sword of Regionalism: Sometimes, the concern for national unity may overshadow regional needs and aspirations.
  • At other times a concern for the region alone may blind us to the larger needs of the nation. 

Areas of tension

Multifaceted Crisis: Immediately after Independence India had to cope with issues like Partition, displacement, integration of Princely States, reorganization of states, and so on with many observers predicting India as one unified country cannot last long. 

• Demand for Separate state
  • Soon after Independence, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir came up which was not only a conflict between India and Pakistan but was a question of political aspirations of people of Kashmir Valley. 
  • Nagaland and Mizoram witnessed strong movements demanding separation from India. 
  • In the south, some groups from the Dravid movement briefly toyed with the idea of a separate country. 
• Redrawing of internal Boundaries
  • Linguistic Tensions: In Tamil Nadu, there were protests against making Hindi the official national language of the country whereas in the north, there were strong pro-Hindi agitations demanding that Hindi be made the official language immediately. 
  • State Reorganizations: There were mass agitations in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat for the formation of linguistic States. 
    • From the late 1950s, Punjabi-speaking people started agitating for a separate State for themselves. 
    • This demand was finally accepted and States of Punjab and Haryana were created in 1966. Later, the States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhan, and Jharkhand were created. 

Conclusion

The process of nation-building in India, especially during the 1980s, was marked by rising regional aspirations for autonomy, often leading to violent conflicts and complex negotiations. The Indian democratic approach emphasized balancing unity and diversity, allowing regional identities to be expressed and addressed within a constitutional framework. Despite challenges, this approach strengthened regional aspirations, ensured policy attention, and facilitated negotiated settlements, showcasing India’s resilience and commitment to accommodating diverse regional needs.

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