The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c5.44

c5.44

This means, however, that Congress had to be the arena of the resulting tensions and conflicts to the point of becoming identified with these conflicts and consequently being threatened with breakdown. However, so far no other organization has been able to take over its function. Even though the position of the Congress is increasingly being called into question, it has shown an unexpected resilience—a resilience that paradoxically seems to be based on its conflictive nature—and it is still there as the indispensable arena of pervasive conflict and national unity. Whatever the fate of India’s political system in general and of the Congress in particular—as argued, it is inherently precarious—the main point is that India has been remarkably successful in setting up the institutional framework for dealing with the traditional conflict in its modern reincarnation.