Political Dimensions of Regionalism and Pathways Toward Inclusive Development
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Abstract
Regionalism has become a significant political, social and economic phenomenon affecting governance and development all over the world. It is associated with the aspirations of regions regarding their representation, culture, economic development, and autonomous administration. The present review paper discusses the political dimension of regionalism and its relationship with inclusive development in the international as well as in Indian scenario. The current research explores various dimensions of regionalism like political regionalism, economic regionalism, cultural regionalism, cooperative regionalism, competitive regionalism, separatist regionalism and developmental regionalism. Furthermore, different theories such as Federalism Theory, Identity Politics Theory, Dependency Theory, Decentralization Theory, and New Regionalism Theory are discussed in the research. The research also highlights the historical evolution of regionalism in various regions of the world like Europe, Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and India with respect to linguistic identity, sub-nationalism, regional parties, and demand for autonomy. It is essential to discuss the concept of inclusive development and its importance through social justice approach, human development perspective and participatory governance strategy. Literature findings reveal that regionalism could contribute to balanced regional growth, decentralization and social inclusion in the process of development when it is governed in an effective manner through sound policies. On the other hand, extreme regionalism could lead to challenges like separatism and political fragmentation.
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