Dynamics of Constitutional Asymmetry in Indian Federalism
The Case of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Nagaland, and Manipur
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7168580 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kham Khan Suan Hausing (0000-0003-3673-6995, University of Hyderabad, corresponding author), Balveer Arora (Jawaharlal Nehru University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1960-6060 • E-ISSN: 1960-6060 |
| Publisher | OpenEdition (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.4000/15afh |
| OpenAlex | W4417056236 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
This article addresses the differential “federal dynamics” implied by the idea and practice of asymmetry in Indian federalism by examining the particular cases of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) under Article 239AA, Nagaland under Article 371A and the hill areas of Manipur under Article 371C. Drawing on extant literature on “federal dynamics” that posits a distinctive authority relationship between different territorial units within federations, we contend that the “frictions and tensions” inherent in the three cases stem from overlapping and contending interpretations of the sources and the extent of powers assigned to each constituent unit. We emphasize how competitive populism and inter-party competition between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party in the NCTD, and intra-party factional contests in Manipur since May 2015 and February 2017, respectively, use “frictions and tensions” in ways that underline the “misfit” between federal institutions and the centralizing idea of ruling parties. We contend that this, and the ability to forge inter-party deliberation and a consultative mechanism in Nagaland mitigate and offset violent conflicts in multilevel federal interactions, and reinforces the imperative to underscore the mutually reinforcing relationship between federalism and democracy in India and beyond
Deliberation · Democracy · Extant taxon · Federalism · Parliament · Populism · Sovereignty · Bangladesh Politics, Society, and Development · South Asian Studies and Conflicts · South Asian Studies and Diaspora
Asymmetric Federalism
Comparative Federalism
Federal Dynamics
Federal Solutions to Ethnic Problems
Crafting State-Nations
Multicultural Citizenship
Autonomy and the territorial management of ethnic conflicts in Northeast India
Must Pluri-national Federations Fail
Does ethnofederalism explain the success of Indian federalism
Asymmetric Federalism and the Question of Democratic Justice in Northeast India
Ethnofederalism and the Mismanagement of Conflicting Nationalisms
Populism and politics in contemporary Tamil Nadu
Arvind Kejriwal's leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party
Nationalizing Space
Federalism and Democracy
Autonomy as a Source of Conflict
Divided We Stand
Symmetry and Asymmetry as Elements of Federalism
Bible, guns and land
Federalism as State Formation in India
United in Diversity? Asymmetry in Indian Federalism
Federalism and Constitutional Change
Ethnicity' and politics in India
Confronting Constructionism
Community, Authenticity, and Autonomy
| Highly cited | No |
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