Social Movement And The Development Of Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party’s surprising rise to power has attracted wide attention in india politics during the end of 1980s and beginning of 1990s, while Bharatiya Janata Partyas a representative of Hindu nationalism, it has always been viewed as a communal party which gained popularity by sectarian encouraged and went far away from secularism.But Bharatiya Janata Party can not just be seen as a communal party for its specificity, it would influence our comprehensive understanding toward this party.The rise of Bharatiya Janata Party is not just accidental, its development can be attributed to three factors:coalition strategy, organization construction and social movement.Social movement is one of the most important factors that help the rise of Bharatiya Janata Party during the end of 1980s and beginning of 1990s, but researchers never have enough focus on Bharatiya Janata Party’s social movement, therefore this paper plans to analyze the Bharatiya Janata Party from the perspective of the social movement.This paper consists of five parts. The introduction demonstrates the meaning of the topic, concludes the books and articles on Bharatiya Janata Party from domestic and abroad.Meanwhile I introduce the analytic methods of social movement theory, include Resource Mobilization Theory, Political Process Theory and the Framework of Constructivism, then conclude the theoretical framework which is needed to analyze the social movement of the Bharatiya Janata Party.Finally, I briefly summarize the innovation and framework of the paper.The first chapter would reviews and demonstrates the typical social movement in early modern India history, by doing this it can clarify the role of social movement in developing the Indian political party.Before India gained independence, Indian National Congress launched social movement three times during the period of independence movement, therefore Indian National Congress established its leadership.On the contrary, Rashtriya Swayamasevak Sangh was in the edge position during the Indian independence movement period.And after the India gained independence, Jana Sangh launched Cow Protection movement with religious issue and the movement also had certain impact on the development of Jana Sangh, so Jana Sangh leave experience to Bharatiya Janata Party.The second chapter would divides the development of Bharatiya Janata Party into three phases from the angle of social movement:the neutrality phase (1980-1986), the full participation phase (1986-1993), moderation phase (1993 up to now).Bharatiya Janata Party’s social movement strategy, behavior and effect would be concretely analyzed in every phase, so that we can understand the the reason and process of Bharatiya Janata Party’s transformation.This chapter would reveal the Bharatiya Janata Party’s trace of involving social movement during its developing period, the full participation phase would be emphasized in this chapter.The third chapter analyzes the Bharatiya Janata Party’s social movement with social movement theoretical framework.Firstly, from macroscopic level, take the political opportunity structure into consideration, international situation, political participation channel and the state control ability make the chance for the growth and development of social movement. Secondly, from microcosmic level, take the resources mobilization into consideration, the organization of the Sangh Parivar, the ability of the social movement leader and media become the effective resources in making the success of Bharatiya Janata Party’s social movement.Lastly, Bharatiya Janata Party takes over the Hindu Nationalism and spreads this kind of ideology, shapes the same memory and emotion, thereafter completes the ideological mobilization.The conclusion reviews the analysis of the success of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s involvement in social movement, stresses that social movement promotes the development of Bharatiya Janata Party in certain historical background, and points out Bharatiya Janata Party will keep adopt moderate social movement strategy for a long time because it prioritizes the electoral politics.