Political theorists no doubt have to take history of injustice, for example, untouchability, seriously. The concept of historical injustice takes note of a variety of historical wrongs that continue into the present in some form or the other and tend to resist repair. Two reasons might account for resistance to repair. One, not only are the roots of injustice buried deep in history, injustice itself constitutes economic structures of exploitation, ideologies of discrimination and modes of representation. Two, the category of historical injustice generally extends across a number of wrongs such as economic deprivation, social discrimination and lack of recognition. This category is complex, not only because of the overlap between a number of wrongs, but because one or the other wrong, generally discrimination, tends to acquire partial autonomy from others. This is borne out by the history of repair in India.

Question: On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Removal of economic discrimination leads to removal of social discrimination.
2. Democratic polity is the best way to repair historical wrongs.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

The correct option is Neither 1 nor 2.

Step-by-Step Explanation:

To determine the validity of the assumptions, we must analyze the text carefully and see if the assumptions can be logically inferred or are required by the passage.

Analysis of Assumption 1: "Removal of economic discrimination leads to removal of social discrimination."
The passage states that historical injustice is complex because it involves an overlap of multiple wrongs (economic deprivation, social discrimination, and lack of recognition) and because "one or the other wrong, generally discrimination, tends to acquire partial autonomy from others." Since social discrimination has partial autonomy from economic deprivation, addressing one does not automatically resolve the other. The passage does not state or assume that removing economic discrimination will lead to the removal of social discrimination; in fact, the autonomy of these wrongs suggests they must be addressed distinctly. Therefore, Assumption 1 is invalid.

Analysis of Assumption 2: "Democratic polity is the best way to repair historical wrongs."
The passage discusses the nature of historical injustice and mentions the history of repair in India. However, it does not mention, analyze, or compare different systems of government, nor does it state that a "democratic polity" is the best way to repair these historical wrongs. Because this claim is completely outside the scope of the provided text, Assumption 2 is invalid.

Since both assumptions are invalid, the correct choice is "Neither 1 nor 2".