The Limits of Territorial Arrangements and the Relevance of Consociationalism for India

This chapter examines within the appropriate historical context and social-cultural diversity the complex mode of power-sharing among various levels of government—Union, State and Sub-State—all guaranteed by a written constitution (1950) and guarded by the Supreme Court. Legislative, administrative and financial powers have been distributed in terms of Lists (Union, State and Concurrent) on which each tier of government has the powers to legislate and execute. Power-sharing here remains territorial with little scope for non-territorial or ‘consociation method’. This is so despite the presence of very large ethnic minorities such as the Muslims. Power-sharing in India has followed a parliamentary federal mode of governance. The primal factors in both federation-building and power-sharing have been ethno-linguistic and regional identity, and the need for its recognition, accommodation and empowerment. India’s method of power-sharing despite many limitations has served to resolve much of her ethnic conflicts.