India After Independence

(Solutions)

Let's Recall

1. Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.
Answer: Three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced:

1. As a result of Partition, 8 million refugees had come into the country from Pakistan. These people had to be found homes and jobs.
2. The maharajas and nawabs of the princely states (almost 500) had to be persuaded to join the new nation.
3. A political system had to be adopted which would best serve the hopes and expectations of the Indian population.

2. What was the role of the Planning Commission?
Answer: The Planning Commission was set up to help design and execute suitable policies for the economic development of India.
3. Fill in the blanks:
(a) Subjects that were placed on the Union List were ________, ________ and ___________.
(b) Subjects on the Concurrent List were __________ and _________.
(c) Economic planning by which both the state and the private sector played a role in development was called a ________ _________ model.
(d) The death of ___________ sparked off such violent protests that the government was forced to give in to the demand for the linguistic state of Andhra.

(e) The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages was established in the year ________.
Answer:
(a)Subjects that were placed on the Union List were taxes, defence and foreign affairs.
(b)Subjects on the Concurrent List were forest and agriculture.
(c)Economic planning by which both the state and the private sector played a role in development was called a mixed-economy model.
(d)The death of Potti Sriramulu sparked off such violent protests that the government was forced to give in to the demand for the linguistic state of Andhra.

(e) The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages was established in the year 1958
4. State whether true or false:
(a) At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages.
Answer: True
(b) The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party.
Answer: False
(c) In the first national election, only men were allowed to vote.
Answer: False
(d) The Second Five Year Plan focussed on the development of heavy industry.
Answer: True

Let's Discuss

5. What did Dr Ambedkar mean when he said that "In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality"?
Answer: According to Dr Ambedkar, political democracy had to be accompanied by economic and social democracy. Giving the right to vote would not automatically lead to the removal of other inequalities. He believed that India needed to work towards eradicating all forms of inequalities. Only then would the equality granted by the Constitution in the sphere of politics be of any value. Otherwise, India would just be a land of contradictions - following the principle of “one man, one vote and one value” in its political life, and denying the principle of “one man, one value” in its economic and social lives.

6. After Independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country on linguistic lines?
Answer: India had already been divided on the basis of religion. The joy of freedom had come along with the tragedy of Partition. This Partition had led to the killing of a million people in riots. Fresh divisions were not considered to be feasible. Congress leaders believed that any further divisions of the country would only disrupt its unity and progress. They felt that the need of the hour was for India to remain strong and united, and work towards becoming a nation, and anything that hindered the growth of nationalism had to be rejected.
7. Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after Independence.
Answer: People of the south those who could not speak Hindi, opposed Hindi as National Language. They threatened to separate from India if Hindi was imposed on them. The Constituent Assembly finally decided that Hindi would be the "official language" of India and English would be used in the courts, the services, and communications between one state and another.
8. How was the economic development of India visualised in the early decades after Independence?
Answer: The economic development of India visualised in the early decades after Independence were:
Objectives: Lifting India and Indians out of poverty, and building a modern technical and industrial base were among the major objectives of the new nation.
Planning Commission and Five Year Plans: A Planning Commission was set up to help design and execute suitable policies for economic development.
Mixed-economy: A mixed-economy model was agreed upon. In this economic model, both the State and the private sector would play important and complementary roles in increasing production and generating jobs.
Focus on heavy industries and dams: In 1956, the Second Five Year Plan was formulated. This focussed strongly on the development of heavy industries such as steel, and on the building of large dams.

9. Discuss some of the major post Independence developments that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir

Answer: Major developments that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir after independence are:

• 1. The state was transferred from the monarchy (headed by Maharaja Hari Singh) to the elected government headed by Sheikh Mohammad Adullah.
• 2. The constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir state was setup in 1951. Finally the state constituent was promulgated in 1957.

• 3. The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages was established in the year 1958 as a constitutional body to promote art and culture.
• 4. One of the most important reform undertaken was the passage of the Big Landed Estates Abolition Act, 1950. By this Act, landlordism in the state was abolished by transferring land to the tiller without giving any compensation to the actual owners.

Let's Do

10. Who was Mira Behn? Find out more about her life and her ideas.

Answer: Madeleine Slade was born on 22 November 1892 and died on 20 July 1982. Also known as Mirabehn or Meera Behn, was a British supporter of the Indian Independence Movement who in the 1920s left her home in England to live and work with Mahatma Gandhi. She devoted her life to human development and the advancement of Gandhi's principles. She was greatly impressed by the ideals, philosophy and ways of working of Gandhiji. Mira Behn worked against caste discrimination, untouchability, in favor of women's equality and rights. She emphasized the development of agriculture, cottage, industries and education. Mira Behn worked for protection of the environment. She desired to protect environment along with economic development. She opposed blind use of modem science and technology. Mira Behn wrote in 1949, by "science and machinery he (mankind) may get huge returns for a time, but ultimately will come desolation. We have got to study Nature's balance, and develop our lives within her laws, if we are to survive as a physically healthy and morally decent species." 

11. Find out more about the language division in Pakistan that led to the creation of the new nation of Bangladesh. How did Bangladesh achieve independence from Pakistan?

Answer: Pakistan was divided into two regions—East Pakistan and West Pakistan. This division was done on the basis of linguistic majority. The East Pakistan was dominated by Bengala-speaking Muslims while the West Pakistan was dominated by Urdu-speaking Muslims. The people of the West Pakistan always considered the Bengali Muslims living in the East Pakistan inferior to them. So, the Muslims living in East Pakistan were devoid of all facilities and fundamental rights. It caused great dissatisfaction among them. They began migrating to India. Their number grew so large that India was compelled to intervene the situation. It supported the cause of the East Pakistan which resulted in a war between India and Pakistan. Finally India won the war in favour of the East Pakistan and declared it as a new country named Bangladesh on 1 6th December 1 971. Bangladesh was now recognised as a sovereign nation and Mujibur Rehman was its first President.