Nationalism and the crisis of federalism

Context: The contemporary crisis of federalism is due to the attack on coalescent, democratic Indian Nationalism by a conceptually limited and morally weak idea of Hindu Nationalism.

Crisis of Indian Federalism: due to - 

• Centre's backing out of Goods and Service Tax shortfall payments.
• Flawed understanding of Nationalism and the government's disregard for democratic principles.

Three nationalisms 

• Ethno-religious Nationalism: Based on the assumption that community with a strongly unified culture in ethnoreligious terms must have a single state of its own

• Before India achieved Independence, this was articulated by the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League
• Disadvantages:

• It adversely affected religious minorities and linguistic minorities. For E.g.:
• It might tempt politicians to mobilise permanently on the basis of language and divert attention from issues of the material wellbeing. 
• It might 'freeze' linguistic identities and increase the likelihood of inter­ethnic violence, en­ courage separatism and eventually lead to India's break up.

• Civic Nationalism: It was de?ned by shared historical experience, the struggle against British colonial rule, and developed through an interpenetration of ideas emanating from di?erent cultural sources. 

• Advantages:

• More inclusive than ethnoreligious nationalism.
• Recognition of the 2nd tier of government on a functional basis rather than based ethical grounds.

• Disadvantages:

• Similar to Ethno-religious Nationalism, it too conceives common culture in terms of a strong idea of unity that marginalises or excludes other particular identities.
• States rejected the idea: of adoption of ethnic identities into a larger civic identity, 
• For, E.g. The issue of linguistic States became the focus of popular agitation forcing the creation, in 1953, of the State of Andhra for Telugu­ speaking people.

• Coalescent Nationalism: It accepts that communities nourished by distinct, territorially concentrated regional cultures have the capacity to design states of their own.

• Advantages: 

• Presence of mechanism to prevent occasional conflicts: between the common culture of the central State and distinct cultures of constituent states.
• Creatively combines claims of unity with claims of recognition of diverse cultures.

Relationship between Federalism and Coalescent Nationalism: Federalism strengthens Nationalism due to following factors:

• Federalism can block language based majoritarianism, contain conflicts and strengthen Indian Nationalism. 

• Creation of Linguistic states: improves the administrative efficiency, deepens democracy, and alleviates anxieties of regional minorities induced by fear of linguistic domination. 

• Presence of more durable Centre: since it is grounded more on the consent and participation of regional groups that, at another level, are also self-governing.

• Incorporated asymmetries between the Centre and various States: by treating all States as equals and ensuring differential treatment.

Conclusion: Deepen coalescent Nationalism: Current problems with federalism can be resolved by deepening not abandoning coalescent Nationalism