Glossary of Indian Politics

Narayan, Jay Prakash A veteran socialist leader and freedom fighter. Participated actively in Civil disobedience movement. Sentenced to jail in 1939 for his opposition to Indian participation in WWI. Escaped and tried to organise violent resistance to the govt. before his recapture in 1943. Released in 1946, tried to persuade the Cong. leaders to adopt a more militant policy against the British rule. In 1948 left the Cong. and formed Praja Socialist Party in 1952 with most of the Cong Socialists. In 1954 announced that he would devote his life exclusively to the Bhoodan Yajna Movement. Floated a new agenda for ‘reconstruction of Indian Polity’ by means of a four-tier hierarchy of village, district, state and union councils in 1959. Seeing rise of corruption and increasingly undemocratic govt. of Indira Gandhi, came back to politics in 1974 and gained a following of students, opposition politicians and the masses. (See JP Movement) Wanted Mrs. Gandhi to resign and was put in jail during emergency where his health broke down. In 1977, became the advisor of the Janata Party after defeating Cong.

Nark Hell

Narmada Bachao Andolan Literal: Save Narmada Movement. A people’s movement started in 1985 with ideals of justice, equality and democracy, employing non-violent tactics like sit-ins, fasts, rallies and marches under the leadership of Medha Patkar. The movement has attracted a national and international network of support but receives no funds from outside India. It succeeded in exit of the World Bank from Sardar Sarovar dam in 1993, halt of Sardar Sarovar dam construction 1994-99 and withdrawal of foreign investors from Maheshwar dam 1999-2001.

National Alliance of People’s Movements, a federation of movement groups formed in the early 1990s for co-ordination on issues of survival, alternative development, decentralisation and people’s control against western capitalistic technology.

Naxalites Ultra-leftist groups. The term originated after a political movement begun in Naxalbari, West Bengal, as a peasant rebellion, characterised by violence.

NBA See Narmada Bachao Andolan.

OBC See Other Backward Classes.

Organizer An English weekly, mouthpiece of RSS

Other Backward Classes A section of ‘lower’ castes people in India who are given special constitutional status for being traditionally educationally and economically backward. They are given special provisions like reser-vations in govt. jobs, educational institutions, lower fees, lesser qualifying marks etc

Panchayat Assembly of arbitrators, often chosen by the community from amongst themselves, five in number with one Sarpanch-the head of four Panches.

Panchjanya A Hindi weekly, mouthpiece of RSS.

PIB Press Information Bureau, Indian govt’s PR agency.

PM Prime Minister, executive head of the central govt. Elected by the MPs of her/his party. Must be a member of LS and is its leader also. Present PM: Atal Behari Vajpayee.

POK The northernmost part of Kashmir which the Indian govt. calls Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

President of India The nominal head of state, elected for a five-year term by elected members of the state assemblies and the parliament. Present President: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a nuclear scientist.

PTI Press Trust of India, a Delhi-based news agency.

Puja A Hindu term for worship.

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