No Republicans or Democrats

India is a melting pot of political parties and internal dissent. There are dozens of political parties, ruling governments are always a coalition, and political campaigning makes McCain versus Obama look tame.

There is the BJP party - Hindi nationalists that sometimes incite violence against Muslims. There are separatists in Assam (far northeast) fighting the army. In some of the eastern states, there is Hindu-Christian fighting. Islamic terrorists infiltrate the country from Pakistan and Bangladesh (supposedly funded by Gulf states). The Jammu and Kashmir area is still under dispute with the armies from Pakistan and India fighting on an irregular basis in the mountains of the Himalayas. And then there are the Maoists (aka the Naxal group) that attack the army throughout major sections of the country.

On top of all this is the caste system, supposedly eliminated years ago, but still inbred into many cultural areas, especially in the country villages. And government corruption and vote buying is a way of life.