| ID | 105907 |
| Title Proper | On the usefulness of goondas in Indian politics |
| Other Title Information | moneypower' and 'musclepower' in a Gujarati locality |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Berenschot, Ward |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article discusses the cooperation between small-time criminals (or goondas) and politicians in a locality in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India). Based on an ethnographic study of local political networks, this article argues that the regular co-operation between politicians and goondas is a product of the inaccessibility of the Indian state to its poorer citizens. The 'criminalisation of politics' is not a sign of moral decay, but a product of the difficulties of (poorer) citizens in dealing with state institutions and the specific nature of the local political competition that these difficulties engender. As local politicians need to develop their capacity to 'get things done' for voters, they need both the 'moneypower' and 'musclepower' of goondas to settle local issues, enforce their authority and manipulate voting. |
| `In' analytical Note | South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 34, No. 2; Aug 2011: p255-275 |
| Journal Source | South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 34, No. 2; Aug 2011: p255-275 |
| Key Words | Criminality ; Local Politics ; Corruption ; State-society Relations ; Gujarat |