Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Glossary of Political India

Final draft 12 Nov 2003 circulated for comments. Please give your suggestions by 26 November 2003 to manvipriya@hotmail.com


ABVP Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Student's wing of BJP.

Adivasi Tribals, subjugated community - the original inhabitant of a region, classed today as Scheduled Tribe.

Advani, Lal krishna (1927-), Deputy PM of India, Union Cabinet Minister, Home Affairs, a hard-line Hindu leader of BJP, undertook a Rathyatra in 1992 (?) to mobilize support for Babri Mosque demolition and accused of raising the emotions of the karsevaks at Ayodhya.

AICC All India Congress Committee. The apex body of the Congress party.

AIIMS See All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

AIR All India Radio

All India Institute of Medical Sciences India's premier public hospital situated in Delhi.

Ambedkar, Bhimrao Ramji (1891-1956), chiefly responsible for drafting of the Constitution of India and a champion of human rights, honoured with the highest national honour- 'Bharat Ratna' in April 1990. Graduated from Elfinstone College, Bombay in 1912, joined Columbia University, where he was awarded Ph.D. Later he joined the London School of Economics & obtained a degree of D.Sc. (Economics) & was called to the Bar. Started a social movement with the slogan of 'Educate-Agitate-Organize', aimed at annihilation of caste & the reconstruction of Indian society on the basis of equality of human beings.

ASI Archaeological Survey of India

Ayodhya The disputed site in Uttar Pradesh, where once stood the Babri Mosque (demolished on 6th Dec. 1992), believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, although this belief lacks archaeological and historical evidence.

Babri Mosque A mosque at Ayodhya believed to have been built by Babar in 16th cent, the first Mughal emperor of India, demolished on 6th Dec 1992 by Karsevaks (Hindu fundamentalist forces mainly belonging to BJP and VHP).

Bahujan Samaj Party A political party representing the oppressed castes and claiming to follow the ideology of Ambedkar, established in the 1980s, largely based in UP. The symbol of the party is an elephant. First President: Kanshi Ram. Present President: Mayawati.

Baniya Trader community, third in the Indian caste hierarchy.

Begar Forced labour, often without any re-numeration.

BEST Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Corporation, the local bus network in Mumbai.

Bhajan Hymn, Hindu devotional song

Bhakta Devotee

Bhartiya Jan Sangh See Jan Sangh.

Bhartiya Janata Party A political party in India, originated from the RSS (a fundamentalist Hindu organization), Formed in 1980. The biggest partner in the present ruling coalition. President: Venkiah Naidu. (See BJS too)

BJP See Bhartiya Janata Party.

BJS Bhartiya Jan Sangh, see Jan Sangh.

Bollywood The Indian (Hindi) film industry centered in and around Mumbai (Bombay).

Brahman Priestly class, highest in the Indian caste hierarchy.

BSE Bombay Stock Exchange

BSP See Bahujan Samaj Party.

Busti Slum

CBI Central Bureau of Investigation, an autonomous govt. agency for criminal investigation.

Chandrashekhar (1927- ), Former PM of India (Nov 1990 - June 1991), President of the Janata Party (1977-88). Known as a firebrand idealist with revolutionary fervour, joined the Socialist Movement in 1951 Praja Socialist Party. Founded and edited YOUNG INDIAN, a weekly published from Delhi in 1969, joined INC Jan 1965, elected Gen Sec. Congress Parliamentary Party in 1967. Inspired by JP and his idealist view of life during the turbulent days of 1973-75 and became a focal point of dissent within the Congress Party. He undertook a marathon walk (Padayatra) through the country from Kanyakumari in the deep South to Rajghat (Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi) in New Delhi, established fifteen Bharat Yatra Centres to train social and political workers for mass education and grass root work in backward pockets of the country. A Member of Parliament since 1962 except for a brief period from 1984 to 1989.

CM Chief Minister (of a state in India)

Cong(I) See Congress.

Congress Indian National Congress (INC) at the time of conception and through the freedom movement. Indira Gandhi made Congress (I) I standing for Indira, and INC disintegrated. INC - a political party in India, played crucial role in the Indian Freedom Movement. Started by A.O. Hume in 1882 to gain Indian Public Opinion but gradually evolved and gained mass support and spearheaded the Independence Struggle with Gandhi, Nehru etc. as its leaders. Cong swept the state as well as Parliamentary elections till the 1960s. Since then its share in power has been reducing gradually. Present President: Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi, Italian Origin.

Crore Ten million

CSE Centre for Science and Environment, an environmental think tank in Delhi.

Dalal Commission agent

Dalit The oppressed and the lowermost section in the Hindu caste hierarchy.

Dharmshala Religious rest houses, also a place in the UP hills (middle Himalayas)

Dharna A way of showing dissent and putting moral pressure by sitting at a specific place, originally at the doorstep of the person to whom the view point is to be expressed.

Dravidian A general term for the cultures and languages of the deep south of India, including Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada.

DRDO Defence Research and Development Organization

DU Delhi University

Emergency National Emergency (June 1975-Jan 1977) imposed by the president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad on recommendation of Indira Gandhi, the then PM; when a judge in Allahabad, Indira Gandhi's home constituency, found her landslide victory in the 1971 elections invalid because civil servants had illegally aided her campaign. Amid demands for her resignation, Gandhi decreed a state of emergency on June 26 and ordered mass arrests of her critics.

Gandhi, Indira (1917-84), PM of India (1966-77, 1980-84), daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru (the first PM of India) assassinated in 1984 by two of her own security guards who were from the Sikh community. This led to massive riots against the community. (Also see Emergency)

Gandhi, Rajiv (1944-91), PM of India (1984-89), eldest son of Indira Gandhi, flew for Indian Airlines until his brother died in 1981 and he was drafted into politics by his mother. He succeeded her after her assassination in 1984 but was him self assassinated in 1991 by Tamil extremists during an election campaign.

Gaon Village

Gherao A way of industrial protesting by locking-in the employer.

Gowda, H. D. Deve  1933-), Former PM of India (1996-97) heading the United Front coalition govt. consisting of secular socialist and left parties. He is from a farming family, trained as a civil engineer, elected to the Karnataka assembly in 1962, became the CM. At first an independent, later joined the Cong, jailed during emergency, important leader of Janata party and then of Janata Dal.

Gujaral, I.K. (1919-), Former PM of India (Apr. 1997-Feb. 1998). Architect of India's foreign policy, believed that it should look inwards and work on the principle of generosity with benign and accommodating bilateralism. Participated in the freedom struggle, jailed in 1942 during the Quit India Movement. Alternate leader of the Indian delegation to the UN Session on Environment, Stockholm in 1974. Ambassador to USSR (1976-80). Union Minister of state (1967-76), Union Minister of External Affairs (1989-90 & 1997-98, as the PM).

Harijan Literal meaning - people of God, a name given to the untouchables by Gandhiji.

Hartal Strike

HC High Court, the second in the hierarchy of Indian Judicial System.

HT Hindustan Times, a leading English daily.

IB Intelligence Bureau, Indian govt's internal intelligence gathering agency.

IGI Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

Jan Sangh Predecessor of BJP. Formed in 1951 from RSS, under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookherjee to gain political recognition and acceptance of the Indian masses. Renamed Bhartiya Jan Sangh in 1980 after the disintegration of Janata Party.

Janata Dal A political party in India formed in 1980 after the disintegration of Janata Party, established because of the claim that there was corruption in the Congress govt., actually a political bloc of different factions, which managed to form a govt. in 1989.

Janata Literal meaning - People.

Janata Party A political party in India, established before the 1977 elections comprising of many anti-Emergency factions viz. Congress (O), Lok Dal, Jan Sangh among others, under the leadership of JP. The first political party to establish a non-Congress government when it won the 1977 elections and Morarji Desai became the PM, did not survive for long, a clear split occurred after JP's (?) death in 1978 between Morarji Desai's supporters and Charan Singh's supporters. In 1979 Morarji Desai resigned as Prime Minister and other members tried to replace Prime Minister. During this period Jagjivan Ram, an untouchable according to strict Hindu society, was very near to become a Prime Minister. But finally Charan Singh of the Lok Dal faction was proclaimed the new Prime Minister. A few weeks after Charan Singh became the Prime Minister, because of the instability in the coalition, the president declared new elections. In 1980 new national elections took place in which Indira Gandhi's Congress again won the elections. Later on after these elections, different factions of the Janata Party broke up from the Janata Party and established their own parties major ones being Jan Sangh and Janata Dal. Janata Party continues to survive, but is very small, did not win any seat in the 1996 national elections and in the 1998 elections it won only one seat.

JD See Janata Dal.

JNU Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi

JP Movement A student's non-violent movement under JP's leadership primarily in Bihar, started in March 1974, as an outrage against increasing inflation, corruption and unemployment, biggest after the independence struggle, considered a landmark for the Indian democracy, lead to certain constitutional amendments, converted to anti-emergency movement as nervous Indira Gandhi imposed emergency in June 1975.

JP See Jay Prakash Narayan. (Can' find!))

JPC Joint Parliamentary Committee

Kalyug/Kaliyug The fourth, degenerate age of the aeon (?).

Karsevak Literal: Volunteer for manual labour. Hindu fundamentalist forces of the Sangh Parivar, large groups of Karsevaks were mobilized to demolish Babri Mosque and construct Ram Temple.

Kharif The autumn crop.

Kshatriya The warrior class, second in the Indian caste hierarchy.

LAC Line of Actual Control, the present border between India and China.

Lac/Lakh Hundred thousand

Laloo See Yadav, Laloo Prasad.

LoC Line of Control, the present 'working' border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.

Lohia, Ram Manohar (1910-68), socialist leader of a fearless and dynamic personality, a man of rare scholarship and independent thought he toiled to create a society which would ensure justice to the poor, the backward and women, was called 'the stormy petrel of Indian politics', went to Germany where wrote his doctoral thesis in Berlin University on the Salt Satyagraha. Returned in 1932, imprisoned during the Disobedience Movement formed a youth wing in the Congress-the Congress Socialist Party, became the editor of a periodical the ?ngress Socialist', (?) in charge of the external affairs branch of INC and was in contact with progressive thinkers of different nations of the world, started a secret Broadcasting station and, with JP, he organized an underground movement, laid the foundation for the liberation of Goa from foreign domination, became the Political 'guru' or mentor of the youth of Nepal who came to study at Benares and the revolt against the Rana Dynasty in Nepal was inspired by Lohia. He became the General Secretary of the Praja Socialist Party in 1955, later re-made the Socialist Party. He started 'Mankind', an English daily from Hyderabad, and 'Jana' -a Hindi monthly. In his life span of 57 years Ram Manohar Lohia suffered imprisonment twenty times. The government of free India imprisoned him as many as twelve times.

Lok Sabha The lower house of the Indian parliament, consisting of 545 members, elected every five years, although it may be dissolved earlier by the President on the recommendation of the PM .

LS See Lok Sabha.

Mandal Commission Second Backward Classes Commission appointed under Article 340 of the Indian Constitution commonly called Mandal Commission after its chairman B.P. Mandal. Submitted its report on 31/12/1980, which included recommendations like a certain weightage (?) to be provided for socially, economically and educationally weak sections of the society in the services of the Union and their Public Undertakings. Implementation announced by the V.P. Singh govt. in 1990, which led to street protests by upper caste youth and women.

Mandal See Mandal Commission.

Mandir A Hindu temple.

Mantra Sacred formula, incantation or spell.

Masjid Mosque

Mayawati A political leader of India, Party: BSP, holds an L.L.B. degree, the chief minister of UP thrice (1995, 1997 (?), 2002-03), MP (RS) (1994-96), an active social worker for the downtrodden and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, has been member of the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Gandhi, Sonia  1946-) Present President Cong, third woman of foreign origin and fifth of the Nehru family to take over this prestigious post, widow of Rajiv Gandhi. Born Sonia Maino in a middle class Turin business family, studied English at Cambridge University. She married Rajiv in 1968 and acquired Indian citizenship in the early 1980s. Her nationality has triggered off a debate on the issue of letting citizens with foreign origins contest for the prime post. It also led to a revolt within the party, which proved quite insignificant.

Mela Fair, fete

MLA Member Legislative Assembly

MP Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India.

MP Member Parliament

Murti A statue of God.

NAM Non-Alligned Movement

Namaste/Namaskar Traditional Hindu greeting, often accompanied by a small bow with joining hands at the chest as a sign of request.

Namaz Muslim prayer

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

NAPM See National Alliance of People's Movements.

Narayan, Jay Prakash  A veteran socialist leader and freedom fighter. Higher studies in the US. Returned in 1929 and joined INC, active participation in Civil disobedience movement, sentenced to jail in 1939 for his opposition to Indian participation in WWII, escaped and tried to organize 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. Came back to politics in 1974 seeing rise of corruption and increasingly undemocratic govt. of Indira Gandhi, he gained a following of students, opposition politicians and the masses. He wanted Mrs. Gandhi to resign and was put in jail during emergency where his health broke down. In 1977, he became the advisor of the Janata Party after defeating Cong.

Nark Hell

Narmada Bachao Andolan Literal: Save Narmada Movement, a people' 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 in 1993, halt of Sardar Sarovar construction 1994-99 and withdrawal of foreign investors from Maheshwar dam 1999-2001.

Naxalites Ultra-leftist groups, the term originated after a political movement begun in Naxalbari, West Bengal, as a peasant rebellion, characterized 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 reservations 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, real head of the central govt., elected by the MPs of his party, must be a member of LS and is its leader also. Present PM: Atal Behari Vajpayee.

POK The northern most 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.

Rabi The spring crop.

Raj Rule

Raja King

Rajkumar Prince

Rajya Sabha The upper house of the Indian Parliament consisting of 250 members, one-third of them retire every other year. So the term of a member is six years. A majority of members are apportioned by state, each state's delegates are chosen by its assembly and twelve nominated by the President.

Rao, P.V. Narsimha  (1921-), PM of India (1991-96), Cong(I), CM of Andhra Pradesh (1971-73). Elected to the Indian Parliament in 1972, held several cabinet posts under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi including foreign affairs minister (1980-84). He moved decisively towards free-market reforms, reducing govt's economic role, instituting austerity measures, and encouraging foreign investment. Convicted in Sept. 2000, allegedly conspiring to buy votes in parliament prior to a 1993 no-confidence vote and was sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh Literal: National Volunteers Association. A Hindu fundamentalist organization started in 1925 by Dr. K. B. Hedgewar, banned in 1948 following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a right-wing Hindu- Nathuram Godse. RSS went underground before re-emerging in the 1960s. Since then it has slowly gained prominence and political influence, culminating in the rise of BJP. (See BJS and BJP too)

RAW Research and Analysis Wing, Indian government's international secret investigation bureau.

RBI Reserve Bank of India, India's Central Bank, established on 1 April 1935, nationalized on 1 January 1949. Present Governor Y.V. Reddy, considered to be a liberal.

RJD Rashtriya Janata Dal, a regional political party of Bihar and Chattisgarh, founded by Laloo Prasad Yadav now ruling the state of Bihar with Rabri Devi as the CM.  arty symbol: A lantern. First President: Laloo Prasad Yadav. Present President: Laloo Prasad Yadav.

RS See Rajya Sabha.

RSS See Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh.

SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Sadhu A male Hindu mendicant.

Sadhvi A female Hindu mendicant.

Samajwadi Jan Parishad A small socialist party made in Dec.1994 as a result of merger of non-party, non-electoral movement groups viz. Socialist Front Maharashtra, Samta Sangathan among others, aiming at greater impact for social transformation. First President: Kishan Patnaik. Present President: Vinod Prasad Singh.

Samajwadi Party A regional party with secular credentials established in 1992. The party is in favour of 'Indo Pak Bangladesh Mahasangh', believes in Democratic Socialism and assistance to Agriculture, Small and Medium scale Industry, it opposes uncontrolled entry Of Multinational companies to India, emblem of green and red colours with a bicycle as the symbol. First President: Mulayam Singh Yadav. Present President: Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Samta Party A political party in India, an offshoot of Janata Dal, formed in 1994 fter two senior leaders in the Janata Dal, George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar broke away mainly against what they called corrupt and undemocratic practices of Laloo. The party is largely based in Bihar. It tied up with the BJP in the 1996 national elections and won six seats, in the 1998 elections, the party in alliance with the BJP won 12 seats and is a crucial ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The party manifesto claims it to be a secular party opposing communalism, committed to the eradication of corruption at all levels and stressing on the need for increased security of the nation and believing in mobilising people for the same. Party Symbol: a torch. Samata Party leader George Fernandes rose to international fame for his opposition to multinationals. He was instrumental in packing off Coca-Cola from India when he was a minister in the Janata Party government during 1977-79. He was also an ardent campaigner against the BJP, which he then criticized as a communal party.

Sangh Parivar A cluster of organizations related to RSS including VHP, BJP etc.

Sant An ascetic, saint

Sarkar Government

Sarvodya Movement Conceived by Vinoba Bhave, Central aim: to contribute to the awakening of the world ('Vishvodaya') by responsible action through the dimensions of Self, Family, Village community, Urban community and National community which would result in the ultimate goal-the awakening of all (?rvodaya? (?) Spearheaded by Gandhi with his philosophy of Truth, Non-violence and Self-sacrifice.

SC See Scheduled Castes.

SC See Supreme Court.

Scheduled Castes A number of 'lower' castes in the Indian caste hierarchy who are given special constitutional status for being traditionally educationally and economically backward. They are given special provisions like reservations in govt. jobs, educational institutions, lower fees, lesser qualifying marks etc.

Scheduled Tribes Tribal people in India who are given special constitutional status for being traditionally educationally and economically backward. They are given special provisions like reservations in govt. jobs, educational institutions, lower fees, lesser qualifying marks etc.

Seva Service

Singh, V.P. (1931-), PM of India (Nov 1989-90) heading the National Front govt. with outside support of the BJP. Elected President UP Cong. Sept 1984, Union Finance Minister (1984-86), Minister for Defence 1996, the Whip, Congress Legislative Party (1970-71); MP (LS) (1971-74); Union Minister of Commerce (1974-77); MP (LS) (January-July 1980), CM UP (1980-82); Member, Legislative Council, UP (1980-81); MLA, UP (1981-83). MP (RS) July 1983; elected President, UP Cong on September 1, 1984, became the Union Finance Minister on December 31, 1984. He announced implementation of the Mandal Commission Report on Reservations for OBCs and became a 'messiah' of the downtrodden.

Sloka A couplet.

SP See Samajwadi Party.

ST See Scheduled Tribes.

Sudra Caste of labourers, fourth in the Indian caste hierarchy.

Supreme Court The apex court of the country, consisting of 25 judges.

Swarajya Self-rule

Swarg Heaven

Swatantrata Independence

UNI United News of India, a Delhi-based news agency.

UP Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India.

Vajpayee, Atal Behari (1926-), Present PM of India (1996, 1998-), foreign minister (1977-79) in the  anata Party Govt. Prominent leader of the BJP since its conception and before that of the BJS, considered the moderate face of BJP.

Varna The concept of caste system.

VHP See Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad A hardline Hindu outfit founded in 1964 by a group of senior RSS leaders to give Hindus what they believed would be a clearly defined sense of religious identity and political purpose and to 'Hinduise' the Indian nation.

Women's Reservation Bill A long awaited bill to be staged in the parliament, providing for 33% reservation for women in the parliamentary elections.

Yadav, Laloo Prasad (1948-), A secular, socialist political leader from Bihar, the man running the Bihar government through his wife- Rabri Devi, has made his presence felt on the national political scene with his steady stream of earthy aphorisms. He was elected to the 6th Lok Sabha in 1977, leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly for two terms (1989 (?)), CM of Bihar (1990-97). He was re-elected to the 12th Lok Sabha for a third term. He has a Law degree, and his interests include reading of books on thinkers and revolutionaries, writing and debating, he has also written articles on politics and economics.

Yadav, Mulayam Singh (1939-), A political leader inspired and influenced by the socialist thoughts and ideology of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, active student leader in Etawah, UP. Jailed nine times during different agitations for the protection of rights and welfare of farmers, labourers, youth, students, minorities and backward classes; MLA (UP) (1967-96), President of the UP units of Lok Dal, Lok Dal (B), Janata Dal, UP Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition 1985-89 Leader of the Opposition, CM UP (1989-91, JD/SJP), (1993-95, SP/BSP), (Aug. 2003-, (?) SP and allies), Founder, Samajwadi Party, MP (LS) (1996-98), Union Cabinet Minister, Defence (1996-98) in the United Front coalition led by HD Dewe Gowda, 1998 re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha. Although much of Mr Yadav's career has been spent fighting regional issues, he has become prominent in central politics. He took a strong stand against the demolition the mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu hardliners. This further enhanced his reputation as a key supporter of the minorities. It also added to his secular credentials at a time when many in UP were concerned about the uneasy mix of religion and politics.

Zamindar A big powerful landlord.