INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE

A NEW AND DIVIDED NATION

India became independent in August,1947

FACED GREAT CHALLENGES

8 MILLION 500 Princely states

REFUGEES (ruled by maharaja or
Nawab) . Had to be
persuaded to join the Political system had
new nation. to be adopted to
serve the hopes and
Had to be found homes expectations of it’s
and jobs population
 DIVERSITY OF INDIA
HOW COULD PEOPLE BE MADE TO LIVE TOGETHER IN
ONE NATION-STATE ?
PROBLEM OF UNITY
Population was large-345 million
Division between high and low castes
Between Hindu community and Indians who
practiced other faiths
Citizens spoke different languages
Wore different kinds of dress
Ate different foods
Practiced different professions
 PROBLEM OF DEVELOPMENT
Vast majority of Indians lived in villages.
Farmers depended on monsoon for survival
Non farming sector would not get paid for their
services if crops failed.
In cities, factory workers lived in crowded slums- little
access to education or health.

NEW NATION –HAD TO LIFT IT’S
MASSES OUT OF POVERTY-
INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF
AGRICULTURE-PROMOTING
NEW JOBS
 UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT
GO HAND IN HAND
If divisions were not healed – it
could result in violent and costly
conflicts-Hindus and Muslims etc.
If fruits of economic development
did not reach the masses-fresh
divisions could be created- like
between rich and poor, between
cities and countryside etc.
A CONSTITUION IS
WRITTEN
Between Dec.1946-Nov.1949 -300 Indians-had series of
meetings-on deciding country’s future.
Meetings were held in NEW DELHI – participants
came from all over India.

These discussions resulted in

FRAMING OF THE INDIAN
CONSTITUTION.
CAME INTO EFFECT ON 26TH
JANUARY 1950
 CLASS WORK

Q1. What are the challenges faced by the

independent and divided India?

Q2. Explain the process of framing a constitution in

independent India. When did it come into effect?
FIRST FEATURE OF CONSTITUTION

ADOPTION OF
UNIVERSAL
ADULT
FRANCHISE
 UNIVERSAL ADULT FRANCHISE
All Indians above the age of 21 were allowed
to vote.
Revolutionary step-never before Indians were
allowed to choose their leaders.
In countries like UK and USA rights were
granted in stages. In the end women were also
granted the vote.
After independence ,India chose to grant this
right to all regardless of gender, class or
education.
 SECOND FEATURE
EQUALITY TO ALL CITIZENS
Regardless of their caste or religious affiliation
Some Indians wished that new nation be based on
Hindu ideals-India should become a Hindu state.
Gave example of Pakistan – that furthered the
interests of a religious community.
PM Jawaharlal Nehru – opinion- India could not and
must not become a ‘Hindu Pakistan’
In India – there were Sikhs,Christians,Parsis,Jains -
all would have same rights, opportunities before law.
 THIRD FEATURE
OFFERED SPECIAL PRIVILEGES FOR POOR AND
DISADVANTAGED INDIANS
Practice of untouchability abolished.
Assembly recommended certain % of seats of low castes
in legislatures as well as jobs in Government.
One member of assembly H. J. Khandekar argued-it was
upper caste who were responsible for Harijans “being
unfit today’ ( Read his words on Page 163.)
Scheduled Tribes were also granted reservation. The
tribals had been deprived of health care and education,
their lands were taken away. New privileges were granted.
 CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
Constituent Assembly spent days discussing powers
of Central and state Government.
Different people came with different views.
Some members – opinion – Centre’s interests should
be foremost.
Others – opinion – Provinces should have autonomy.
Member from Madras – insisted – ‘ initial
responsibility for the well being of people should
rest with the Provincial Governments’
 THREE LISTS with SUBJECTS
UNION LIST – Exclusive responsibility of
the Centre – Taxes,defence ,foreign
affairs,Railways,custom duties etc
STATE LIST – to be decided by the states
– Education and Health, trade and
commerce ,industries etc
CONCURRENT LIST – The Centre and
the states would have joint responsibility –
forests and agriculture, electricity,
newspapers, education.
 CLASS WORK

Q3. Discuss the features of the constitution in detail.

 MAJOR DEBATE ON LANGUAGE
One view - English to be removed and
Hindi should be adopted.
Non Hindi speaking – threatened to
separate from India if Hindi was
imposed.
COMPROMISE DONE – Hindi would
be the official language of India.
English to be used in Courts, the
services, and communication between
one state and another.
 DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR
He played the most important role in framing of the
constitution.
Chairman of the Drafting Committee –under his
supervision document was finalized. He said, ‘Political
democracy had to be accompanied by economic and
social democracy’
 SARDAR
VALLABHBHAI
PATEL
HOW WERE STATES TO BE
FORMED?
In 1920,INC – promised that once
country won independence each
linguistic group would have it’s own
province. But they could not do it.
India – already facing problem – the
division of Religion- as a result of
partition. So both PM and Deputy PM
had fears of linguistic divisions.
LATER – Kannada,Malayalam, Marathi
speakers wanted their own states.
 STRONGEST PROTEST
( TELUGU SPEAKING DISTRICTS)
J. L. NEHRU went to campaign during general
elections of 1952, - met by slogans and protests – ‘WE
WANT ANDHRA’
A veteran Gandhian,Potti Sriramulu – went on hunger
strike demanding formation of Andhra State.
Hartals and bandhs were observed.
On Dec.15th 1952, 58 days into his fast,Potti Sriramulu
died.
Protests became widespread, Central Government was
forced to give in – and a new state of ANDHRA –came
into being.
 DEMANDS OF OTHER LINGUISTIC
COMMUNITIES
States Reorganisation Commission was set
up-submitted it’s report in 1956.
Redrawing of provincial boundaries was
formed of Assamese, Bengali,Oriya,Tamil,
etc.
In 1960 – state of Bombay divided into
separate states of Marathi and Gujrati.
1966 – state of Punjab divided into Punjab
and Haryana – former Punjabi speakers and
latter versions of Haryanvi or Hindi.
Q4. ‘The formation of states is a great task to be
accomplished by the government’. Elucidate.
PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT
Major objective of new nation – lifting Indians out of
poverty and building modern industrial base.
In 1950 – Govt. set up Planning Commission – for
designing policies for economic development.
‘Mixed Economy‘ model was adopted – Both state and
private sector would play role in increasing production
and generating jobs.
In 1956 – Second Five Year Plan was formulated .
Focused on – development of heavy industries and
building large dams.
They would be under the control of State. This
would guide economic policy for the next few
decades.
Different views came up about the planning
commission –that it put emphasis on agriculture,
neglected primary education etc.
Mira Behn wrote, in 1949, ‘ with science and
machinery will come desolation. We should study
Nature’s balance and develop our lives within her
laws, if we are to survive as healthy species.
Hirakud Dam is built across
the Mahanadi River, about 15
kilometres (9 mi) from Sambalpur
in the state of Odisha in India.
Opening date 1957.
...
The Gandhi Sagar dam is the first of the four dams built on the Chambal River, located on
the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border. Completed in 1960.
 HOME WORK

Q1. How was the economic development of India visualized in the early decades
after Independence?

OBJECTIVE
PLANNING COMMISSION

MIXED ECONOMY

1ST 5 YEAR PLAN

2ND 5 YEAR PLAN

SUPPORTERS AND CRITICS

 HOME WORK

Q2. Write about the non-alignment movement and Independent

Foreign policy of India.

Q3. ‘Building a modern technical and industrial state was a major

objective of the new nation’. Explain.
It was set up with the help of former Soviet Union in 1959.This is an important
sign of development of modern India.
THE NATION, SIXTY YEARS ON
On Aug.15,2007 – India celebrated 60
years of it’s existence.
We are proud of India’s achievements
– its united and democratic inspite of
diversity.
So far 13 General Elections have been
held, there is a free press, independent
judiciary.
Diversity has not come in the way of
national unity.
  DEEP DIVISIONS STILL PERSIST
Dalits still face discrimination in rural areas.
Despite secularism there are religious clashes.
Gulf between rich and poor has grown.
 BUT
Some groups have benefitted from economic
development.
At the same time many continue to live below
poverty line.
Many are housed in remote villages on lands that
yield little, cannot send their children to school.
ASIA’S LARGEST SLUM - DHARAVI

DELHI SLUM
DROWNING
IN PLASTIC
WHAT HAPPENED IN SRILANKA
 SRILANKA
In 1956 –Parliament of Sri Lanka- introduced an act-
recognizing SINHALA-as official language to be used
in courts, colleges and public exam.
New act was objected by Tamil speaking minority
living in North of the island. The opposition warned of
division.
For several decades, civil war raged. in Sri Lanka, the
roots lay on imposition of Sinhala language on
minority.
Once fear of one’s own language been suppressed has
gone, linguistic groups are content to live as part of
larger nation.
INDIA-UNITY IN DIVERSITY
OF LANGUAGES
INDIA – has managed to survive as a SINGLE
NATION, in part because the many regional
languages were given freedom to flourish.
Had Hindi been imposed on South India – our
country too might have seen CIVIL WAR and
fragmentation.
Contrary to the fears of Nehru and Patel,
linguistic states have not threatened the
UNITY OF INDIA.