Politický systém Indické republiky a základní tendence jeho vývoje

The study deals, in the first place, with the social factors determining and influencing the political structure of the Republic of India. The plurality of Indian society stems both from its social stratification with intermingled elements of modern and traditional social structure, and from its religious, national (linguistic) and racial heterogeneity. All these social elements act in the political life of India either as isolated political movements or as pressure groups. The political structure which is not yet stabilized is taking the shape of a political system of many political parties with the “Indian National Congress” party exercising its leadership over the whole country. The Congress Party is a heterogenous political party and as a result of the pluralism of Indian society there exist within this Party different trends, fractions and dissident groups. The right and left wing groups and groups standing in the centre each take a different ideological approach to the social, economic and political problems of India. But the influence of different religious communities, various castes, linguistic or national groups is even stronger on the level of lower organizations of the Congress Party, or the influence of these elements intermingles. The study deals further with the organizational structure of the Congress Party and with its leadership stressing that after D. Nehru’s death the power to take political decisions is passing from the All-India organs of the Congress Party to the organs of this party in the individual states of the Union of India. The intelligentsia which until now has been the leading nucleus of the Congress Party is being replaced by the groups of owners, especially by the rural bourgeoisie. In connection with the election system the study deals with the possibility of establishing a two-party system in India. The author’s opinion is that for the time being the conditions do not exist in India for splitting the Congress Party either into two independent political parties of a homogeneous structure (with conservative, liberal or social democratic views), or into political parties of the American type. Nor are there effective conditions for the integration of those parties which stand in opposition. However, because the Congress Party still holds strong positions in the Indian countryside it is likely that this party will keep its leading position in the Union of India and there is unlikely to be an early change in the political structure of India.