ABSTRACT
India’s colonial experience had left legacies of British constitutionalism, which were to profoundly influence independent India’s political and military leaders. India’s civilian leaders quickly established supremacy over the military when the country became independent in 1947. India’s civilian leaders have developed the paramilitary forces to further insulate the military form India’s political system. India’s military and civilian leaders downplayed the importance of the mutinies, but the military remained uneasy about its corporate integrity. In the 1980s, the Indian military was preoccupied with containing unrest in India’s northeastern and northwestern regions. The Indian military feels more comfortable with handling foreign threats. The absence of military intervention in India’s political system can be accounted for by examining socio-economic, political, military organizational factors, and international factors. Military intervention in Indian politics is also hampered by the military’s internal organization and its subordinate position in the country’s higher defense organization. The armed forces have been constantly deployed to protect Indian security from many threats.
