My Science School

Jawaharlal Nehru based his nation-building on four essential components- socialism, democracy, secularism and non-alignment.

Nehru created his own brand of socialism which was based on the tenets of non-violence and democracy. He established a cooperative, socialist commonwealth and accelerated the path to industrialization. He also advocated the abolition of the Zamindari system.

Nehru believed that a sound democracy should have strong self-governance from the grass root level. He initiated the Panchayati Raj system because he believed that development should begin from below and not be dictated from above.

As for secularism, Nehru was a staunch protector of minorities and individual human rights. He stated in 1951, “If anyone raises his hand against another in the name of religion, I shall fight him till the last breath of my life, whether from inside the government or outside.”

Towards this end, he created a system of reservations in government services and educational institutions to eradicate social inequalities and disadvantages faced by scheduled castes and tribes.

Nehru’s foreign policy was based on the idea of non-alignment, where he refused to be courted by either of the two power blocs of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and preferred to chart a new course based on non-violence and peaceful cooperation among nations.

Picture Credit : Google

The task that Nehru faced in the early years of India’s independence was a daunting one. At that time India’s population (which was about 340 million people), accounted for one-seventh of the world’s population. The average income was one-fifteenth of the average American income of the time. The literacy rate was 12 per cent and the average life expectancy was 32 years!

India accounted for only 3 per cent of the world’s GDP and the incidence of poverty in India was about 80 per cent. For most of Nehru’s term as prime minister, India continued to face serious food shortages. This was despite an increase in agricultural production and the success of the First Five-Year Plan, which focused on agriculture.

One of the reasons for this was the increase in population. The other was the diversion of funds towards industry.

Although the Indian economy enjoyed a steady rate of growth, chronic unemployment and poverty continued to persist. However, Nehru’s popularity remained unaffected and his government succeeded in laying the foundations upon which are based many of today’s successes.

Picture Credit : Google

Nehru presented the first Five-year Plan to the Parliament on 9 July 1951. They were formulated by the Planning Commission of India.

The five-year plans were developed for the effective and balanced utilization of resources. They were centralized and integrated national economic programmes. The first plan was adopted against the back-drop of partition, severe food shortage and mounting inflation. It focused on agriculture and irrigation. The plan had a target of 2.1 per cent GDP growth but recorded a growth rate of 3.6 per cent.

The second five-year plan focused on the development of the public sector and rapid industrialization. Under this plan hydroelectric power projects and steel plants were set up in different parts of India. India had a total of 12 five-year plans, the last one being from 2012 to 2017.

In Nehru’s mixed economy, the government would manage strategic industries such as mining, electricity and heavy industries while serving public interests and keeping a check on private enterprises.

Nehru pursued land distribution and launched programmes to build irrigation canals, dams and spread the use of fertilizers to increase agricultural production. He initiated a series of community development programmes aimed at spreading diverse cottage industries and helping rural India. Nehru also launched India’s programmes to harness nuclear energy.

Picture Credit : Google

Nehru was inclined to admire the socialist model of the Soviet Union. He was impressed by their centralized and integrated economic programs called five-year plans and decided to implement the same in the Indian economy.

However, Nehru was not blind to what he perceived as shortcomings and realized that taken in its entirety; the Soviet model might not work in India. He therefore favoured a combination of Socialism and Capitalism or ‘middle way’ and implemented Democratic Socialism in India.

He wanted the state to be the primary entrepreneur and all its citizens to be equal shareholders. He strengthened the democratic policies of the nation immensely by creating proper wealth distribution systems at all levels.

He described this reasoning in one of his letters, “Could (the communist) new economic approach, shorn of violence and coercion and suppression of individual liberty, be helpful in solving our problems or the world’s problems?”

Picture Credit : Google

The initial years of independence for India were marked by turbulence. A massive exchange of populations was taking place along India’s borders at Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Refugees poured in continuously and this was draining the resources of Indian states such as West Bengal and Punjab.

At the same time there existed over 500 princely states which needed to be integrated into the Union of India. Along with Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a major role in convincing the rulers of these states to accede to India. Through these extremely sensitive times when Indian nationhood was in its nascent stages, one man’s vision set India firmly on the road to progress - Jawaharlal Nehru’s.

One of the most pressing tasks on his hands was to draft the constitution of India. Although this responsibility had been given to Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Nehru also contributed to its formulation. He was determined that India would be secular and democratic in nature and had taken several inputs from the Government of India Act of 1935.

The Constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India on 26 November 1949. The constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. India was to have a federal form of government with each provincial state responsible for its own local affairs such as health and education and a central government in Delhi controlling matters of national interest such as foreign affairs, defence and finance.

A lower house of 500 representatives, Lok Sabha, would be elected by the adult population, while an upper house, Rajya Sabha, would be appointed by the state legislatures and the President.

Picture Credit : Google

Though many years have passed since his death, Jawaharlal Nehru continues to be remembered as the architect of modern India. His vision of a secular, industrial and cosmopolitan nation helped transform a nation ravaged by 200 years of British rule into a modern, productive and self-sufficient one.

It must be mentioned that Gandhiji had a more traditional outlook and was not interested in industrialization or a global presence for India. Jawaharlal Nehru on the other hand, had both - a national and global vision. He pioneered the international policy of non-alignment, due to which India has benefited in matters of foreign policy, economic undertakings and educational exchanges.

Nehru incorporated many of his own ideals in India’s constitution and had a secular and democratic worldview. This shows most clearly in those parts of the Constitution that deal with human rights, where it states that the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth. The practice of untouchability was abolished and its practice in any form was forbidden. All people were guaranteed twelve basic freedoms which included freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of peaceful assembly.

Picture Credit : Google

On the afternoon of January 30, 1948 as Gandhiji walked to his prayer meeting in Birla House (now known as Gandhi Smriti), a young man pushed his way forward from the crowd, pulled out a gun and shot him.

This unthinkable crime was committed by a fanatic, Nathuram Godse, because he disagreed with Gandhiji’s conviction that Hindus and Muslims should live together in harmony. Jawaharlal Nehru broke the tragic news to the country on radio. He said, “The light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere...A glory has departed and the sun that warmed and brightened our lives has set and we shiver in the cold and dark.”

Nehru’s sense of loss was intense. Gandhiji had been his guiding light throughout his political life. Prior to Gandhiji’s death, there had been some friction between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, but this changed after they met for Gandhiji’s memorial service.

They put their differences aside and worked in harmony after the tragic event.

Picture Credit : Google

Communal violence is a kind of violence that is perpetrated on the basis of membership to a certain group or religion. The years 1946 and 1947 witnessed some of the worst communal violence ever seen in India.

Almost a million people lost their lives as rioting and violence between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs swept across Punjab, Delhi, Bengal and other parts of India. Nehru, like many others, had hoped that partition would bring an end to the violence but the rioting and violence continued unabated. Partition displaced 15 million and killed more than a million people.

Nehru conducted joint tours to encourage peace and calm angry and disillusioned refugees. The violence he saw deeply affected him but he was determined to ensure that every Indian citizen, no matter which religion he or she belonged to, was protected by law and did his utmost to work towards this goal.

Picture Credit : Google

Mahatma Gandhi was heartbroken by the violence. The ‘free India’ he had envisioned was a land of peace and harmony where people from various religions would live as brothers and sisters.

The unfolding of the horror of partition filled Gandhiji with profound sorrow. He would not participate in the celebrations of 15 August, 1947 and instead spent the day fasting and praying.

At this time Bengal, which was to be partitioned into East and West, had been witnessing blood-thirsty violence for many months. Gandhiji worked day and night trying to bring peace to the Hindu-Muslim community in Bengal. Under his calming influence the violence did eventually cease.

Next he travelled to Delhi, where he announced that he was beginning an indefinite fast which would end only when the violence there ended. But unlike the other regions Gandhiji had received a death threat at Delhi and a bomb exploded at one of his prayer meetings.

Refusing all offers of protection Mahatma Gandhi continued his mission for peace. He knew the risks he was taking but he carried on.

Picture Credit : Google

The British government planned to hand over power to the people of India by June 1948. In February 1946, a high-level Cabinet Mission was sent to India to discuss the transfer of power. One of the plans proposed by the Mission was to form a constituent assembly.

At first Jinnah was inclined to accept the Mission’s proposals but this changed when Nehru announced at his first press conference that no constituent assembly could be bound by any prearranged constitutional formula.

As a consequence, Jinnah called upon the ‘Muslim nation’ to launch direct action on 16 August 1946. This set off Hindu-Muslim rioting which spread in many regions such as Calcutta, Noakhali and Bihar.

Lord Mountbatten, who was the Viceroy at that time, decided that the situation was far too dangerous to wait till June 1948 for the handover and resolved to partition the country by 15 August 1947.

Both the Congress and the Muslim League accepted this decision. The closing weeks of the British Raj were busy for Jawaharlal Nehru.

As Prime Minister-elect of a new nation he had a lot to deal with. It fell upon him to decide matters of policy, and make decisions regarding India’s national flag, national anthem, national language etc.

Nehru applied himself to these matters and many more with enthusiasm and energy that belied his 58 years.

Picture Credit : Google

At 11 pm, on the night of August 14, 1947 the Constituent Assembly gathered at the Central Hall of Parliament for the birth of India’s freedom. Celebrations had started a day earlier. At exactly midnight, India became a free nation and Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru delivered his historic ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech.

This day marked the beginning of a new chapter in India’s history and the end of 182 years of British rule. A cabinet of ministers was sworn in with Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister. Those present sang ‘Vande Mataram’ which later became the National Song of India. The celebrations ended well past midnight after a group of women, representing the women of India, formally presented the National Flag to the Assembly.

Mahatma Gandhi stayed away from celebrations and instead observed a 24-hour fast, offered prayers and spun khadi yarn. He said, “My way of celebrating great events such as today’s, is to thank God for it and therefore to pray.”

Gandhiji was upset at the Hindu-Muslim rioting that was taking place in the country and was in a sombre mood at the time.

Picture Credit : Google

On September 26, 1946, Nehru declared the government’s plan to engage in direct diplomatic relations with all countries and to set up goodwill missions. He also expressed support for the independence of other colonised nations.

In November 1946, India ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation. In the same month, a committee was appointed to advise the government on nationalizing the armed forces.

In December Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was inducted into the cabinet. The year 1947 saw the opening of diplomatic channels between India and many countries. In April 1947, the U.S. announced the appointment of Dr. Henry F. Grady as its ambassador to India. Embassy level diplomatic relations with the U.S.S.R. and the Netherlands were also established in April 1947.

Picture Credit : Google

In February 1946, a Cabinet Mission led by Lord Pethick-Lawrence, A. V. Alexander and Sir Stafford Cripps was sent to India by the British Government to negotiate the transfer of power from the British Government to India.

The Mission was initiated by the Prime Minister of Britain Clement Atlee. Since both Congress and Muslim League had many differences in viewpoints, the Cabinet Mission came up with their own set of proposals.

The Cabinet Mission presented two sets of proposals - long term and short term. The long term proposals included the formation of a constitution-making body or Constituent Assembly. It was also proposed that some parts of the country were free to join the Indian Union or remain aloof if they wished so. The Congress accepted the long term proposals in the hope that partition could be avoided.

The short term plan was that there would be a temporary national government till the constitution was formed. This government was to consist of representatives of the Congress, the Muslim League and others.

The Muslim League did not accept the short-term plan because Nehru had said that the Congress would lead the Constituent Assembly to shape Indian freedom as it liked. Finally, an interim government led by Jawaharlal Nehru was authorized by Lord Wavell and was installed on 2 September 1946.

Picture Credit : Google

The Interim Government or the Provisional Government of India was formed on September 2, 1946, led by Jawaharlal Nehru. It was the only cabinet in India’s history in which arch rivals the Congress and the Muslim League shared power at the centre.

The Interim Government functioned with a great degree of autonomy and remained in power until the end of British rule, after which it was succeeded by the dominions of India and Pakistan.

The Muslim League initially decided to sit out of the government and three of the five ministries reserved for Muslims were occupied by Asif Ali, Sir Shafaat Ahmad Khan and Syed All Zaheer - all non-League representatives. Two posts remained vacant.

However, Lord WaveII agreed to allot all five reserved portfolios to the Muslim League if it agreed to co-operate and the latter finally joined. The cabinet was reshuffled to accommodate the new members in October.

Picture Credit : Google

After World War II ended, colonialism was slowly disintegrating all around the world. New powers such as the USA, Russia and China emerged which were against Imperialism and the sun was slowly setting on the British Empire.

In 1945 Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, and major political leaders from India met in Shimla for a conference. The talks veered towards the two-nation idea. Muhammad Ali Jinnah insisted on a separate land for Muslims. He scuttled all negotiations for a viable and united India.

Thus the Wavell plan or the Shimla Conference failed in its objective of a gradual transfer of power on the basis of equal representation of Hindus and Muslims in an Executive Council.

Picture Credit : Google