India after Independence
NEHRUVIAN STATE
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION
Economic Underpinnings
• Colonial economic policies subordinated others to the needs of the
British economy.
• Indian national movement critiqued this and worked towards
developing strategies to overcome India’s economic crisis.
• Self –reliance – Nehru in 1946, stated that self reliance does not
exclude international trade, but works towards avoiding economic
imperialism
• Modernization of agriculture and development of the industrial
sector were the necessary steps.
Industrialization
• Focused on indigenous heavy capital goods, machine-making sector
• Develop small scale and cottage industries for consumer goods
• These policies would help in generating employment and in improving
the rural economy.
• Power, irrigation, roads, water-supply – state intervention is
necessary.
• Karachi session of the Indian National Congress – 1931
• Agriculture - Intermediary rent-receivers were to be abolished and
agriculture would be based on peasant proprietors
Economic Planning
• Karachi Session of INC – Resolution of Fundamental Rights and
Economic Programme
• State shall own key industries and services
• 1938 – National Planning Committee
• 1943-45 – Bombay Plan – Eight leading industrialists – import-
substitution industrialization based proposals
The Pro-poor Ideologies
• Dadabhai Naoroji – Economic critique of colonialism – Drain Theory
• Poverty and Un-British Rule in India – 200-300 million pounds drain of
India’s revenue to Britain
• First objective – overthrow colonial power, immediate steps to be
taken after that to alleviate poverty
• Socialist orientation – Nehru stated that Congress had not accepeted
socialism as its ideal, however, the goal was to work towards an
egalitarian society in which all citizens would have equal
opportunities
• Land belongs to those who work - Gandhi
Other Social Implications
• Women were active in the national movement
• Anti-caste ideas were prominent
• Right to work, education and to equal political rights
• Abolition of untouchability – became a priority (implemented in 1950
when the constitution was adopted)
Secularism
• Separation of religion from politics and the state , treatment of
religion as a private matter
• Equal respect for all religions , absence of discrimination
• Oppose communalism
• 1931 – Karachi Session – Every citizen shall enjoy freedom of
conscience and the right to freely practice and profess their religion
• Nehru – Communalism is the Indian form of fascism
• It is important to understand the British were not opposed because
they were a ‘Christian’ power – but because they were imperialists
The Nation
• India – a nation in the making – during the freedom struggle
• Indian National Congress – for all Indians
• The idea was to bring together a diverse nation
• It also incorporated class struggles
• Unity in diversity and national integration
• Federal structure with a strong political centre
Foreign Policy and Internal Political Ideologies
• Anti – fascist stands
• Gandhi condemned Hitler for the genocide
• 1936- Lucknow Congress – Nehru said that we will stand with the
progressive forces and oppose imperialism
• Function democratically, ensure that minority communities are not
decimated
CONSTITUTION
• 26th January 1950
• Remembering the Purna Swaraj Declaration
• Parliamentary democracy, republican values, civil liberties and the
idea of justice
• INC already had a democratic structure
• Why constitution?? – Swaraj given by the British … will be on their
terms - Gandhi
Early Initiatives
• Indian Councils Act of 1892 – Election to the councils
• Congress demanded vote by ballot, adult franchise (but it was male
adult franchise) etc.
• Commonwealth of India Bill – 1925
• Motilal Nehru – asked the government for a Round Table Conference
• The scheme for a constitution for India was to be discussed
• This resolution came to be known as ‘National Demand’
• To recommend further constitutional changes, the Simon Commission
was appointed in 1927
• Government of India Act of 1935 – longest act
• Major provisions – Establishment of RBI, Public Service Commissions
(Federal, provincial and Joint)
• Federal Court
• The idea of a ‘Federation of India’
The Constituent Assembly
• Nehru – the first task of the assembly is to free India through a new
constitution
• 389 members – 296 from British India and 93 princely States
• 1946 December – the assembly began its first session
• Objectives Resolution – Nehru
• With independence, the assembly became a sovereign body
• It was doubled as the legislature for the newly formed state
The Functioning
• The committees were asked to prepare reports on basic issues
• B N Rau – initial report
• Drafting Committee – B R Ambedkar – prepared the initial draft
• Discussions and amendments
• Adoption of the constitution
