Coalition politics – post 1

The Motion: “In the backdrop of Third Front, in the opinion of  the house, coalitional politics is more of a bane than a boon.”

The moderator: Rakesh Ankit is reading for M.St. in the History faculty and is associated with St.Hilda’s College. He was a Rhodes Scholar (2005-07).

The proponent: Nakul Krishna is reading Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Exeter College. He is a Rhodes Scholar (2007) and is the Editor (Essays) for The Oxonian Review.

Added 24th March,2009 – The proponent’s view:-

Earlier this month, we learnt of the emergence of a so-called ‘Third Front’, consisting of a range of regional and leftist parties, intending to challenge both the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the BJP-led National Democratic  Alliance (NDA) in the coming elections. We will know soon enough whether this amorphous body will manage to cobble together a political platform and manifesto coherent enough to pose a serious challenge to their more established opponents. Indeed, given India’s huge diversity and our early constitutional commitment to a multi-party system, it seems inevitable that such ad hoc groupings will remain a persistent feature of Indian politics for the foreseeable future.

Coalition politics – post 2

The opponent : Kaushal Kishore Vidyarthee completed M.Phil in Developmental studies and is associated with Wolfson College. He was Inlaks Scholar (2006-08) and is currently working as the Vice President (graduates) at the Oxford University Student Union.

Added 26th March, 2009 – The opponent’s reply:-

Coalition governments are not new to India. After the very first elections in 1952, three state governments were formed as coalition governments. Since 1977 India had a number of coalition governments at the centre. Here in this debate, I want to argue that the coalition politics had moderating and maturing effects on India’s democracy and the multiparty democracy is better suited to India than the two-party system.

Coalition politics – post 3

The proponent: Nakul Krishna is reading Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Exeter College. He is a Rhodes Scholar (2007) and is the Editor (Essays) for The Oxonian Review.

Added 27th March, 2009 – The proponent’s rebuttal:-

Many thanks to Kaushal for the incisive response. I take him as having made three broad arguments, which I will label the argument from choice, the argument from the need for representation, and the argument from moderation.

Coalition politics – post 4

The opponent : Kaushal Kishore Vidyarthee completed M.Phil in Developmental studies and is associated with Wolfson College. He was Inlaks Scholar (2006-08) and is currently working as the Vice President (graduates) at the Oxford University Student Union.

Added 28th March, 2009 –The opponent’s reply to the rebuttal:-

I appreciate my proponent’s arguments on the issues of choices for voters, the internal democracy, representation in the government, inefficiency, and the moderating effects of coalitions. I am going to contest them one by one.

Moderator’s Concluding Remarks

The moderator: Rakesh Ankit is reading for M.St. in the History faculty and is associated with St.Hilda’s College. He was a Rhodes Scholar (2005-07).

Added 29th March, 2009 -Moderator’s Concluding Remarks:-

The inaugural debate of the OIS has been an engaging affair. Both the debaters have touched upon what is and what ought to support their stands. Nakul Krishna began by arguing that it would be desirable for Indian polity to evolve to a two-party system for it to better serve the triple needs for ideological coherence and moderation; good policy-making and implementation and efficiency of government. Kaushal Kishore Vidyarthee responded by observing the moderating and maturing effects of the coalitional politics on India’s multi-party democratic system and the element of choice it offers to a diverse social structure. What should a democracy’s pivot be, then, aspirations towards representation or functions towards deliverance? Should it answer the question – ‘who are we?’ first, or can it bypass the query to attempt the question – ‘who gets what?’