UNIT 1.1.pptx

CONTEMPORARY INDIA (1MU801) Unit Syllabus Teaching hours 1. India gets independence: Political Aspects 4 Political integration of India (Accession of Princely states) Layin...

CONTEMPORARY INDIA (1MU801) Unit Syllabus Teaching hours 1. India gets independence: Political Aspects 4 Political integration of India (Accession of Princely states) Laying foundation of Indian Democracy: Indian constitution and promise of democracy Challenges before Indian Democracy: contemporary reflections 2. India gets independence: Economic Aspects 4 Economy at the time of independence Controlled Economy (1950-1991) Liberal Economy (1991-2014) Digital Economy (2014 onwards) 3. Society and culture 12 Indian Society in perspective Social Differentiation and stratification Caste and its continuity Types of social mobility Indian Culture, Art and Architecture 4. Contemporary Indian society and its future 10 Identities and ideology Gender issues tribes and related issues Indian Demographics Planning Commission and NITI AYOG  Unit 1 India gets Independence: Political Aspects Emergence of Independent India Partition of India Accession of princely states  Secul ar Secul ar Pakistan became an Islamic State from a secular state in 1955 Revolt of 1857 REVOLT OF 1857 Immediate cause: Enfield Rifle Hindu – Muslim Unity was evident Beginning: 10th may 1857 in Meerut This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved Weakness: lack of unity and coordination the firangees and made them realise that if Limited geographical spread (no south & east) their rule was to continue in India, it could Lack of modern weapons happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the Kashmir, Hyderabad, Jaipur remained loyal to two largest religious communities, were British divided along communal lines. Urgent steps No Mass support were taken to create enmity between these two groups. Based on ‘Divide et Impera’ the Britishers started using divide and rule policy to break the Hindu-Muslim Unity. Specific community appeasements started- caste based regiments, Sikh regiments. Massacr e Robbe ry The story of Partition Forced Conversions Sexual violence The Hindu- Muslim rift was not born suddenly, in fact this enmity was born under a conscious process or a well thought out conspiracy. 1858- The India Act: Power transferred to crown. 1909- Morley-Minto Reforms (introduced separate electorates for Muslims/Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters. (LEGALIZED COMMUNALISM) 1885- INC was formed by AO Hume, Dada Bhai Naroji to unite all Indians and strengthen bonds with Britain. 1906- Muslim League formed to look after the interests of India’s minority Muslim community. 1919- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (extended communal representations by providing separate electorates for Sikhs, Christians, Anglo Indians and Europeans.) 1932- Communal Award (separate electorates for depressed classes (Scheduled castes)….Poona Pact (1932) 1940- Following marked differences between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, tensions between Hindus and Muslims rise. Jinnah makes the first demand for a separate nation for Muslims. Gandhiji believed in one nation and he was devastated by the decision of Partition. Jinnah challenged the ‘One nation idea’ of INC. And declared INC as a Hindu organization and blamed Gandhi for promoting Hindu majoritarianism. Hindu majority India (80%) can never serve the interests of Muslims and promoted Two Nation theory. The Muslims enjoying political and administrative advantages feared that after independence it would end. When Muslim League got Muslim majority votes in 1945- 46 elections they claimed itself the sole representative of Muslims.  On February 20, 1947, The British PM Clement Atlee declared that British rule will end by 30 June, 1948 after which power will transfer to responsible government. This announcement was followed by agitation by League demanding Partition. On June 3, Mountbatten gave an ultimatum to INC and Muslim League that the British will withdraw in August 1947 and any constitution framed by constituent assembly of India cannot apply to those parts of country which are unwilling to accept. Partition plan was put forth by Mountbatten which was accepted by Both.  M.A. Jinnah came back to India after becoming a Barrister in 1906 as a secular, liberal nationalist, a follower of Dadabhai Naoroji. On his return, he immediately joined the Congress and acted as Dadabhai’s secretary at the Calcutta session of the Congress in 1906 He was an opponent of the Muslim League then being founded. The Aga Khan, the first president of the League, was to write later that Jinnah was ‘our toughest opponent in 1906’ and that he ‘came out in bitter hostility toward all that I and my friends had done and were trying to do... He said that our principle of separate electorates was dividing the nation against itself.” U TURN Acted as spokesperson of Muslim community He got the congress accept separate electorates and turned communal nationalist.  The communal carnage? Several of hundred thousand people were killed and innumerable women raped and abducted. Millions were uprooted, transformed into refugees in alien lands. It is impossible to arrive at any accurate estimate of casualties: informed and scholarly guesses vary from 200,000 to 500,000 people. In all probability, some 15 million had to move across hastily constructed frontiers separating India and Pakistan. As they stumbled across these "shadow lines" – the boundaries between the two new states were not officially known until two days after formal independence - they were rendered homeless, having suddenly lost all their immovable property and most of their movable assets, separated from many of their relatives and friends as well. torn from their houses. fields and fortunes, from their childhood memories. Thus stripped of their local or regional cultures they were forced to begin picking up their life from scratch.  Preserving “Honor“ Attackers treated women's bodies as territory to be conquered. Dishonouring women of a community was seen as dishonouring the community itself, and a mode of taking revenge. According to a report about 75000 women were raped by violent mobs and rioters. In reality it was more than 1 lakh. When the men feared that "their" women-wives, daughters, sisters would be violated by the "enemy", they killed the women and themselves. Urvashi Butalia in her book, The Other Side of Silence, narrates one such gruesome incident in the village of Thoa Khalsa, Rawalpindi district. During Partition, in this Sikh village, ninety women are said to have "voluntarily" jumped into a well rather than fall into "enemy" hands. The migrant refugees from this village still commemorate the event at a Gurudwara in Delhi, referring to the deaths as martyrdom, not suicide. They believe that men at that time had to courageously accept the decision of women, and in some cases even persuade the women to kill themselves.  Initial years: Independence had been accompanied by a multitude of problems- Immediate problems Territorial and administrative integration of the princely states Communal riots that accompanied Partition, Rehabilitation of nearly six million refugees, who had migrated from Pakistan, Protection of Muslims threatened by communal gangs, The need to avoid war with Pakistan Restoration of law and order and political stability Putting in place a centrally administrative system Medium term problems Framing constitution Building representative democratic and civil libertarian political order Organizing elections to put in place the system of representative and responsible governments at the Centre and in the states Abolishing the semi-feudal agrarian order through land reforms. Long term problems Promoting national integration Pushing forward the process of nation-inthe-making Facilitating rapid economic development Removing endemic poverty Planning process Leadership  Leadership Nehru, Sardar Patel (strong willed, decisive and strong in administration); Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad; Rajendra Prasad, and C. Rajagopalachari, endowed with a razor-sharp intellect; Govind Ballabh Pant in U.P; B.C Roy in Bengal; B.G. Kher and Morarji Desai in Bombay; Outside the Congress were the Socialists, Acharya Narendra Dev and Jayaprakash Narayan, the Communists, P.C. Joshi and Ajoy Ghosh, the liberal communalist, Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, and the Dalit leader, Dr B.R. Ambedkar. On the periphery were Dr S. Radhakrishnan, the distinguished philosopher, Dr Zakir Hussain, the educationist, V.K. Krishna Menon, who had struggled for India’s freedom in Britain, and a host of dedicated Gandhian leaders.  Inequality and poverty Regionalis Communalism m Consolida tion of India: Challenge s Linguistic Casteism chauvinism  Broad strategy for Consolidation: Political and territorial integration Secularism and anti-communalism Mobilization of Political and Institutional resources Economic development and adoption of such policies which promote social justice in society. The Princely British followed two Dalhousie annexed Satara (1849); Jhansi way approach for States princely states of (1853); Nagpur (1854) and Oudh Princes ruled over 2/5th India (1856) of Indian Sub continent Policy of Most of the princely having 1/3rd population annexation : states were of the British Empire forcing states to totalitarian British crown treated be part of empire aristocracies with them as feudatory and for misrule of absolute power subordinate states. indigenous ruler. concentrated in the hands of ruler. Natural allies of crown. Policy of Mechanisms of British signed subsidiary paramountcy: imperial control- alliance treaty with allowing some System of Residents several princely states as degree of they lacked the financial at princely courts autonomy in self resources and manpower government but Regulation of to conquer and conceding their succession administer entire sub sovereignty Control over state’s continent. foreign relations. The Princely After Independence, no policy existed to Extinction of Princely States States maintain relationship between Princely Intensification of nationalist mobilization British viewed some states states and British. brought a few prince into as source of support British argued, since political arena Some princely states also especially after 1857 princely states are not By 1920, British made direct establishment provided financial of the crown, they patronage to the Indian attempts to integrate these leaders but at the same states into British India. can’t be transferred to time they were afraid of In 1921, Chamber of India or Pakistan. the constitutional and Princes was initiated to Lord Mountbatten other political changes serve the British as an prevailed over the within their own states. advisory body princes to sign the Radical congressmen Government of India Act instrument of considered them as 1935 - princely states and succession in August impediment in way of British India should form 1947, leaving rational economic a federal government defence, foreign planning and rapid scheme was abandoned affairs and industrialization. communication to Local opposition to because of WWII in 1939. Union. autocratic rule Praja Mandal Andolan  Integration All princely states didn’t wanted to join India Jamkhandi State Bikaner Jawar State Bhopal Travancor Hyderaba first to Ideological Motivation to e d join India Choose to be Independent join India Baroda Gwalior Jaipur Patiala Rewa Jodhpu r took their seats in the Constituent Assembly  ACCESSION OF THE PRINCELY STATES  BHOPAL/TRAVANCORE/HYDERABAD (wanted to stay independent)  JODHPUR (wanted to join Pakistan)  JUNAGADH (wanted to join Pakistan)  KASHMIR (INDEPENDENT)  Other challenges – the presence of French and Portuguese communities Political and territorial integration Accession of princely states – 1st phase Indian Independence Act of 1947 gave princely states an option to accede to the newly born dominions India or Pakistan or continue as an independent sovereign state. More than 500 princely states have covered 48 percent of the area of pre Independent India and constituted 28% of its population. These kingdoms were not legally part of British India, but in reality, they were completely subordinate to the British Crown.  JODHPUR Junagadh The presence of autonomous units may have created security, political and administrative issues Role of Sardar Patel in Accession 27th June 1947, Patel along with V.P Menon assumed charge of states’ Department. 1. Negotiations and diplomacy 2. Instrument of Accession allowed the princely states to merge their territories with India, subject to certain conditions 3. Military Action/Threat In cases where negotiations failed, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born Patel authorized military action to on October 31, 1875, was a bring certain states into the Indian prominent figure in India’s Union. freedom struggle. He played a crucial role in integrating 565 The most notable example is the princely states into the newly integration of Hyderabad, where the independent India. Patel served Indian Army intervened to end the as India’s first Deputy Prime Nizam’s rule. Minister and Home Minister from  JUNAGADH Junagadh located in Saurashtra now Gujarat, had no boundary with Pakistan but intended to join with Pakistan. Large Hindu population ruled by the Nawab, Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III. Nawab chose to accede to Pakistan, arguing that Junagadh adjoined Pakistan by sea.  Pakistan urged Nawab to sign the accession document, but a moment erupted, forcing Nawab to flee to Pakistan. The Dewan of Junagadh, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, the father of the more famous Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, decided to invite the Government of India to intervene. The government of India accepted the invitation of the Dewan to intervene. A plebiscite was conducted in February 1948, which went almost unanimously in favor of accession to India. (80 % Hindus ) Plebiscite: the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question such as a change in the constitution.  HYDERABAD Largest and richest of all princely states, covered a large portion of the Deccan plateau. Nizam Mir Usman Ali was presiding over a largely Hindu population. He was very clear on his demand for an independent state and blatantly refused to join the Indian dominion. He drew support from Jinnah and the tussle over Hyderabad grew stronger over time. Both requests and threats from Patel and other mediators failed to change the mind of the Nizam, who kept expanding his army by importing arms from Europe. Things took a turn for the worse when armed fanatics (called Razakars) unleashed violence targeted at Hyderabad’s Hindu residents.  The Congress government decided to make a more decisive turn after the Lord Mountbatten resignation in June 1948. On September 13, 1948, Indian troops were sent to Hyderabad under ‘Operation Polo’. Indian army gained full control of the state and Hyderabad became the integral part of India. Later, in an attempt to reward the Nizam for his submission, he was made the governor of the state of Hyderabad.  JODHPUR The Rajput princely state despite having a Hindu king and a large Hindu population, strangely had a tilt towards Pakistan. Young and inexperienced, Jodhpur prince, Hanvant Singh reckoned that he may get a better “deal” from Pakistan since his state was contiguous with the country. Jinnah reported to have given the Maharaja a signed blank sheet of paper to list all his demands. He also offered him free access to the Karachi port to arms manufacturing and importing along with military and agrarian support. Seeing the risks in the border state acceding to Pakistan, Patel immediately contacted the prince and offered him sufficient benefits. Patel assured him that importing arms would be allowed, Jodhpur would be connected to Kathiawar by rail and that India would supply grain to it during famines. On 11 August 1947, Maharaja Hanvant Singh, King of Jodhpur signed the Instrument of Accession and the State of Jodhpur was integrated into the Indian Dominion.  KASHMIR Hari singh was a hindu monarch of Kashmir, which had a Muslim population of 75% and he was opposed to join either India or Pakistan because of his fear of democracy and communalism. On the other hand, popular political forces led by Sheikh Abdullah sought to join India. India on the other hand remained noncommittal, leaving the decision to people as it had done in Junagadh and Hyderabad. Pakistan on the other hand, despised the idea of referendum and invaded Kashmir from north with an army of soldiers and tribesmen carrying weapons on 24 october 1947. The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir appealed to India for help. He sent his representative Sheikh Abdullah to Delhi to ask for India’s help. India dispatched troops to the valley, conquering majority of the territory including Sri Nagar and waging a battle for remaining territory.  On Mountbatten’s recommendation, India reported the situation to the UN for Pakistan’s withdrawal from the valley and restoration of peace fearing a full-fleged war. The security council , which was dominated by UK and US (as UK had a soft corner for the Muslim League and US saw Pakistan as a buffer against rising Soviet Communism) sided with Pakistan which was a huge shock for Nehru. Russia did not provide India support at that time because it was unsure of India’s qualifications and saw India joining common wealth as an indication of India’s Imperialistic inclination On December 31, 1948, a ceasefire was proclaimed, effectively dividing Kashmir along the cease fire line that is now known as LOC.  The UN passes a resolution in 1951 calling for referendum conditioned on Pakistan withdrawing its soldiers from the valley, which never happened , and thus the plebiscite could not take place. Later elections were held in Kashmir and a constituent assembly constituted, which also confirmed Kashmir’s accession to India rendering Plebiscite obsolete. The President subsequently issued the constitution order under Article 370 of the Constitution extending the Union Constitution to the state with some exceptions and modifications. As per Section 3 of the J&K constitution, Jammu & Kashmir is and shall be an integral part of the Union of India. On 5 of August 2019, the President of India promulgated the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019. The order effectively abrogates the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir under the provision of Article 370 - whereby provisions of the Constitution which were applicable to other states were not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).  Towards extinction Within weeks of independence, the Ministry of States, appointed Regional Commissioner and Dominion Agents in various states, thus in a sense assuming the role of a Paramount Power. The accession to India also furthered the process of democratization in the states. The peoples movement gathered strength and there were agitations in many states demanding responsible government, which in turn led to violence. Princes compensated with privy purses; private property; retain titles. Kathiwar formed Saurashtra, while those of Central India, including Gwalior and Indore, formed Madhya Bharat. The states of Rajputana combined to form the Union of Rajasthan by 1949. The princes of the leading states in these Unions were conferred the titles of Rajpramukh and Upa-Rajpramukh thus becoming the constitutional heads of the respective Unions. Re-orgtanization of the states in 1956 saw the post of Rajpramukh being abolished Hyderabad was distributed on a linguistic basis among three states, while Mysore was enlarged with addition of territory from the neigbouring states of Bombay and Madras. Try to expand on these themes...... 1. “Women’s bodies as territories to be conquered”. Elaborate on the statement with examples from contemporary India. 2. Discuss the role of Sardar Patel in the accession of princely states and consolidation of India? 3. What do you understand by communalism in the Indian context? Critically analyse its growth and development in India. 4. Describe the key events and negotiations that led to the accession of princely states in India in chronological order.