ABSTRACT
The manner in which India's independence was achieved has shaped the role of competing groups in India's democratic and developmental system. The formation of interest groups and multiple demands after 1947 is an evolutionary story driven by multiple catalysts. In sum, with growing political, social, economic, and military polarities within India and in her external strategic neighborhood, the opportunities to articulate demands in the Indian system have grown since 1947, along with the capacities and skills of influential players. The segmented nature of Indian society and politics has stimulated diverse group activity. Business and commercial classes long had a poor image in Indian society. Students constitute one of the most politicized segments of Indian society. India's military establishment is not politicized as in Pakistan and Bangladesh. India possesses a well-established, articulate intelligentsia. India's technocrats include engineers, doctors, agronomists, scientists, and computer engineers. In contrast to caste associations, India's various religious groups tend to organize on an all-India basis.
