Political History of Independent India by Partha Chatterjee (in, State and Politics in India, 1977)

Lecture and Explanation, Reading to be covered: 

Chatterjee, Partha, 1977, Introduction: A Political History of Independent India, in Partha Chatterjee, State and Politics in India, Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-39

Keywords: History of Independent India, Indian National Congress, Congress (Indira), Indian Constitution, Formation of States, Vallabhbhi Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru

The University of Delhi, Bachelor of Arts, Sociology of India: Images and Reality

Dr BR Ambedkar being sworn in as India’s first law minister by president Rajendra Prasad, with Jawaharlal Nehru looking on, in 1950

This article is talking about the brief political history of independent India. It must be clear that this is only an introductory chapter that contains a brief account of the book. Author Partha Chatterjee has given a detailed account of the political history of independent India in different chapters of his book.

[6] Small elite care – All Indian Civil Services (ICS) – steel frame of the British Raj – renamed after independence > Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

ICS was primarily responsible for maintaining the law and order > but now IAS also become the agency for developmental work.

In independent India, we build many modern institutions, like Planning Commission (Yojana Ayog) (now Niti Ayog), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) etc., and kept many modern institutions remain intact which was developed by the British India Government like, Supreme Court, Parliament, and others.

[7] The framework of a New Order
In 1950 we had FOUR different kinds of states
Part A – states were former provinces of British India
Part B – states were the product of the integration of princely states
Part C – states were either the former Chief Commissioner’s provinces or smaller units formed by the integration of the princely states
Part D – the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

In 1919-20 congress had recognized the linguistic principle of state and province organization.

In independent India, in 1954 a State Reorganization Committee was set up to look into this matter. Following its recommendations, the states were reorganized on the basis of language in 1956.

[8] The Congress Party
This section is talking about the relationship between party and government.
And later on, it was decided by Nehru that both party and government have different business and government cannot accept every demand made by the party.

[9] Death of Saradar Ballabhbhai Patel, 15 December 1950
In August 1951, Nehru resigned from the Congress’s Working Committee; however, he was continued as Congress president until 1954.

[10] The Congress in the State
Before 1967, the usual description of the party system in India was ‘one-party dominance, the one-party being obviously, the Congress.

Congress System

It was also called a Congress System. Congress was dominated nearly 75% of the seats in Lok Sabha and a similar proportion in the Vidhan Sabha.

[11] Congress-ruled all Indian states except Jammu and Kashmir.
They had also good chief ministers in the state, with big face and popularity.

[12] The Developmental State

Nehru period was the developmental state, intervening in the economy, planning and building its growth and trying directly to promote the welfare of the population.
Nehru period consciously chose elements from socialist regimes such as the Soviet Union in order to create a planned economy, albeit within the framework of a mixed and not a socialist economy, where the state sector would control the commanding heights of the economy.

Rapid industrial growth was seen to be the key to the removal of poverty in the country and the provision of welfare for the people.  

A Planning Commission (NOW Niti Ayog) was set up as an expert body relatively independent of the central government with the function of defining the goals and strategies of development and caring out investment planning.

The Interregnum

End of the Nehru Era (14.11.1889-27.05.1964)

[13] Foreign Policy of India

Non-Alignment Movement (NAM)

After the Chinese Attach in 1962 Nehru’s foreign and defence policies were seriously questioned.

Kamraj Plan

[14] Kamraj (Madras) and their political friends come with a plan that the leaders should quite the political post to strengthen the Congress party, by going to the field, however it was treated as a question of the leadership of the Nehru.
Nehru died in May 1964

Lal Bahadur Shastri becomes the Prime Mister, and fought the war with Pakistan in October 1965, and died in January 1966.

[15] The 1967 Elections

Before the general election of 1967, India was facing an economic crisis and food shortage. Some parts of India were also suffered from hunger.

As a result, Congress vote percentage dropped by 5% total seats dropped from 74% to 54%

After this election result, Congress was faces rebellion and defection in the party, and nine states managed to have a non-congress government. (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Madras, and Kerala)
This brought a totally new situation in politics.

Non-Congress Governments

Although the Congress was defeated in several states in 1967, it was not replaced in power by a single party, except in the case of Madras where the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) (Dravidian Progressive Federation / "द्रविड़ प्रगति संघ") won an absolute majority and C. Annadurai become Chief Minister.

[16] The non-Congress governments that were formed in the other states were coalitions of several parties, often having little ideological similarity.

[17] This period of the formation and collapse of the non-Congress government in the states also for the first time turned into a major controversy the question of centre-state relations and especially the role of the Governor.

[18] The Congress Split

The demand for> new president by > the young party leaders
Within the Congress > Movement against Indira Gandhi
November 1969 two rival meetings were held at the same time, claimed the Congress working committee, one under the leadership of Nijalingappa and another by Indira Gandhi.

A few days later Nijalingappa’s working committee expelled Indira Gandhi from the Congress

However, later on, the Congress parliamentary party, attended by 330 out of 432 members, declared this move ‘invalid and unjustified’

It was clear that Indira Gandhi has asserted her party; her popularity was its pack.

Congress Requisitions vs. Congress Organization

Congress Requisitions (CR) was a supporter of Indira Gandhi they elected Jagjivan Ram as their President.

Congress Organization (CO) was in oppose to Indira Gandhi

[20] In 1970 Indira Gandhi moved a constitutional amendment for the abolition of the Privy Purse and privileges of the former rulers of the princely states.

The Congress Restoration

The 1971 Election

This was the first Lok Sabha Election which was held separate from the Vidhan Sabha

Indira Gandhi gave the slogan Garibi Hatao which become a very popular slogan of the election

[21] Indira Gandhi made a series of international diplomatic manoeuvres – signed a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union.

Withstood the pressure extracted by the United States and Launched a war to liberate Bangladesh.

Indira’s Congress

Congress was restored under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. She took many decisions in the favour of common people.

First of all, the idea was now firmly established that the state was the principal, and in many instances the sole, agent of bettering the condition of the people and providing relief in times of adversity.

Second, the particular strategy of economic development followed in the Nehru period produced a division between large public undertaking in the capital goods and infrastructure sectors and private capitalists, dominated by a few monopoly houses, in the consumer goods sector. The public sector grew rapidly and the urban middle class and a large section of the working class become dependent upon its further expansion.

Agriculture growth did not receive much attention and by the mid-1960s there was a massive food crisis.

[22] To tackle this, a strategy for a quick increase in food grains production through state subsidy of irrigation water, seeds, and fertilizers, and government support for Minimum Foodgrain Price (Minimum Support Prices/ MSP) was formulated.
All these lead to the Green Revolution in India

Third, the political consolidation that the Congress represented as the principal organization of the freedom struggle was now a thing of the past.

The restoration of the Congress under Indira Gandhi relied on several new political strategies.

Congress now becomes strongly centralized.

Chief Ministers were now virtually nominated from the centres and held office only as long as they enjoyed the confidence of the high command.

Indira Gandhi promoted socialism through various state mechanisms.

[23] Welfare packages were now targeted towards specific groups of the population, such as ST, SC, Women, Muslim, Poor, etc.

The government delivered such welfare programmes in such a way as to produce the impression that they were a gift of the central leadership, Indira Gandhi in particular.

Indira Gandhi also faces many challenges from the North Eastern States. And that forced the government to deploy heavy forces in that region.

Unrest and Repression

ven after winning in 1971 elections and success in the Bangladesh war, Indira Gandhi faces many political challenges.

These challenges were posed by the communist parties for their different rights and the Naxal moment. The term Naxal Bari Movement originated from a village called Naxal Bari in West Bengal.

[25] The defence of India Rules, handed down from colonial times, was widely used against political opponents, and in 1971 a Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was passed specifically for tackling political agitations.

#LALU-YADAV-DAUGHTER Misa Bharati is named after the MISA Act because at the time of her birth he was in jail.

During these periods some of the new agencies were come out like-
Central Reserve Police Force
Central Industrial Security
Border Security Force
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)

Ram Manohar Lohia and Jaya Prakash Narayan was the main political rival to Indira Gandhi

The decision by Allahabad High Court on Indira Gandhi Case

In June 1975, the Allahabad High Court delivered a judgment on the petition against Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha in 1971. Finding her guilty of electoral malpractices, the court set aside her election.

The opposition parties now began to clamour for her resignation and Jaya Prakash Narayan, at a huge rally in New Delhi on June 1975, declared that the government had lost all moral claims to rule.

That night, a state of emergency was promulgated in India.

(For me author wants to link the emergency with Allahabad High Court Judgment which is not very correct. Rather just a co-incident.)
 
[26]
#ADVICE-to-STUDENTS: read carefully from Pg. No. 26 to 3rd paragraph of Pg. 27

The Emergency

Thousand of political leaders and activists were arrested, including 59 Members of parliament.  

Many fundamentals were suspended like Equality Before Law (Art. 14), Right to Life and Liberty (Art. 21), and Protection Against Arbitrary Arrest (Art. 22).

#ADVICE-to-STUDENTS: find and read the role of Menaka Gandhi in the enforcement of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Press Censorship ware also imposed during the emergency. (I THINK THAT WAS LESS REPRESSIVE THEN THE CURRENT REGIME)

Many state governments were dismissed through the Governor. Later on, every state was either had Congress Chief Minister or was under President Rule.

A week after the emergency was declared; the government announced a 20-point programme to ‘change the face of India in a truly revolutionary manner’

The life of the Lok Sabha, which had been elected in 1971, was extended by a year.
Fundamental duties were introduced.

In January 1977, surprising everyone, Indira Gandhi made the stunning announcement that parliamentary elections would be held in March 1977

Birth of Janata Party

After the announcement of the election the Congress (O), the Jana Sangh, the Bharatiya Lok Dal, and the Socialist Party – merged with the Janata Party

Three expelled member of the Congress – Chandra Shekar, Krishna Kant, and Ram Dhan – also joined the Janata Party.

Congress for Democracy – a new party also formed under the leadership of Jagjivan Ram, which is, later on, joined the Janata Party

[28] In the election, Janata Pary won an absolute majority securing 270 seats, and their alliance party also won the sizable seat – Congress for Democracy (29), Akali Dal (8), and CPI(M) (22) CPI(M) CPI-ML

Congress won only 153 seats

First non-Congress Government

The first non-Congress government formed under the leadership of Morarji Desai as a Prime Minister

This government tried to restore democracy, by recalling the decision taken during the emergency, for this, the Janata Government also formed many commission to examine the misuse of the power.

The Janata Government tried to project a different development approach, with more focus on the village and small industries.

[29] The Janata Government fall because of the internal disagreements and aspiration of becoming the PM by many leaders especially Jagjivan Rama and Chaudhari Charan Singh

The Janata Party formed after the merging of Congress (O), the Jana Sangh, the Bharatiya Lok Dal, and the Socialist Party, but on the ground, they retain their different identity.

Indian National Congress

Birth of Congress Indira or Congress (I)

In January 1978 Congress had yet another division against the leadership of Indira Gandhi.

In January 1978, India had a state election in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, in which Congress contested the election with a new name the Congress Indira, which is popularly known as the Congress (I).

Dissensions (disagreement that leads to discord)

(From 3rd paragraph of Pg. No. 29 to 2nd paragraph of Pg. No. 30 is saying about political disagreements among political leaders.)

The Congress-I Decade

Because of the divided opposition, Congress-I won a comfortable majority in Parliament in the January 1980 election.

[31] Congress was changing its economic policies.

The emphasis was now on freeing the private sector in the industry from the regime of tight government control, liberalizing imports and promoting exports.
The central government also misuses the power against the non-Congress governments.

This period Congress also focuses on Hindu Vote.

This time India also witnessed of Assam and Punjab movements.

Mass movements in Assam become more violent after 1983 when Congress-I wanted to conduct the election with force to install the Congress-I government.

Akali Dal led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale has demanded a separate sovereign state called Khalistan. This demand was suppressed by the Indian Army. The Indian Army entered the Golden Temple in June 1984 and captured and killed, those who were part of the Khalistan Movement.

[32] Later on, Indira Gandhi ( 19.11.1917 – 31.10.1984) was killed by her own bodyguard on 31 October 1984, because she suppressed the Khalistan Movement as a Prime Minister of India.

Rajiv Gandhi’s Regime

Rajeev Gandhi becomes Prime Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
December 1984 Lok Sabha election was fought under his leadership and he got the absolute majority.

Anti-Defection Law

After tacking oath he passed Anti-Defection Law to prevent a legislator from switching parties.

(Dear Students, this lecture is on the internet and anyone can access it. Whoever reading this lecture please make a small presentation on the current scenario of defection in political parties.)

He also reforms the party structure and working style. Now the party started working on rational bureaucratic principle rather than on personal loyalties.

[33] Rajiv Gandhi also faced agitations from Assam and Punjab.

He signed Punjab Acord with Akali Dal leader H. S. Longowal, and the assembly election was held in September 1985. However, later on, Longowal himself was assassinated. But his party won with a full majority and Surjit Singh Barnala become Chief Minister.

Punjab government was dismissed in May 1987 and president rule was imposed, on the ground of law and order and violence.

Problem of Assam

Rajiv Gandhi also faced political problem in Assam, and he was forced to sign the Assam Accord in December 1985.  

To know more about Assam Movement and Problem please read the last chapter of this course.

#LINK www.studywithanil.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-assam-movement-sanjib-baruah-in-social-movement-tk-oommen-2010.html 

#LINK www.studywithanil.blogspot.com/2021/03/Cultural-Politics-of-Language-Sub-nationalism-and-Pan-Indianism-by-Sanjib-Baruah-From-India-Against-Itself-Assam-and-the-Politics-of-Nationalism-1989.html dds

He aced many problems including the land dispute in Ayodhya (Ram Temple and Babari Mosque).

THIS SHOULD BE ALSO NOTED THAT the Buddhist had claimed that that land belongs to them.

[34] 1980 also witnessed the Farmers Movement. The movement was the result of the green revolution. After the green revolution, many farmers become capitalist farmer, and they become more vocal in their demand for greater state support for agricultural production and marketing.

(YOU MAY RELATE IT WITH THE CURRENT FARMERS MOVEMENT that why the movement is MANLY attended by the Punjab and Haryana, not by many other states like Bihar).

CORRUPTION: on the allegation of corruption in Congress-I Vishwanath Pratap Singh resigned from Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinet in 1987 and joined a National Front, led by the Janata Dal.

One Rajiv Gandhi was himself admitted that only 15% of the Central Government’s fund is reaching the village ground.

[35] Into the 1990s

Rise and Fall of the National Front

[36] The Chandra Shekhar Government

Congress in Power and in Decline

[37] BJP started the campaign for the building of a temple at the disputed site in Ayudhya in 1991.

PLEASE NOTE: The author did not mention here that why BJP went to the people to build the Ram Temple. The current real reason was the implementation of the Mandal Commission.

#VIDEO-PRESENTATION
PLEASE WATCH THE documentary VIDEO by ANAND PATWARDHAN available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3XxW8JDEfM and judge yourself.

[38] The 1996 Election

[39] The 1990s also witness the political assertion of the “lower caste” groups.
The communal and caste politics also rise in this period.

#MUST-READ-BOOK on this topic: https://amzn.to/3vvYE40
 
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