The Dawn of the New Millennium: Achievements, Problems, and Prospects

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understanding India’s post-independence journey in addressing diverse challenges.
2. Grasping the evolution of India’s political, economic, and social fabric.
3. Analyzing the impact of democracy, secularism, and unity on national development.
4. Evaluating India’s progress and lingering issues in poverty, inequality, and quality of life.

National Unity

India’s national unity stands as one of its major post-independence successes, reflecting strength politically, economically, and emotionally despite its immense diversity. Several factors and challenges have shaped this unity:

1. Tensions from social churning did not hamper the sense of Indianness, but rather, fostered it.
2. Challenges to unity such as the language issue, state reorganization, and separatist movements were addressed and managed effectively.
3. The reorganization of linguistic states and refusal to counterpoise regional identities helped sustain Indian unity.
4. Handling of tribal integration and regional disparities went far to ensure national unity.
5. Regional disparities, though serious, did not threaten unity as the root cause was not sub-colonialism but internal challenges.
6. Regional parties have flourished and have formed alliances at the national level, sharing power at the center.
7. Electoral politics in India have become national in nature, with general elections influencing the entire country.
8. The weakening of the anti-communal consensus among secular forces has bolstered communalism, posing a new challenge to unity.

Important Note:

Communalism is today the most significant threat to Indian unity. India cannot remain a united and strong nation without secularism.

Democratic Political Systems

India’s political system is a remarkable success story, showcasing resilience and flexibility despite the odds. Since independence, the political landscape evolved to overcome multiple crises and challenges.

1. The secular, federal, multi-party system continues to withstand diverse social and economic challenges.
2. Political stability persists even with changes in governments at both state and central levels, with elections regularly deciding who governs.
3. The system has acquired legitimacy and is now entrenched, with challenges from various factions being managed within democratic frameworks.
4. Commitment to democracy deepened, with even previously skeptical groups like the communists becoming defenders of the constitution.
5. New groups, previously marginalized, have begun asserting their interests within the political system, emphasizing inclusivity.

Entrenchment of Democracy

The entrenchment of democracy stands out as India’s most significant achievement since 1947. Indians today enjoy a broad spectrum of civil liberties, including freedom of speech, press, and political participation.

1. India is unique among post-colonial nations in sustaining democracy.
2. The commitment to democratic values has deepened over the years, even growing stronger after the experience of the Emergency.
3. Political democracy has not hindered social transformation, evident in successful land reforms and the Panchayati Raj system, which includes 30% reservation for women.
4. Political awareness has increased among the people, who now actively engage in the political process.
5. Disadvantaged groups such as women, agricultural laborers, and the urban poor now believe their conditions can change through politics.

Important Note:

India’s democracy is not just about governance but a tool for social transformation, where political mobilization has given the poor and marginalized new avenues to assert their rights.

Popular Participation in the Political Process

For democracy to be meaningful, popular participation in the political process must be deepened beyond periodic elections.

1. There has been a general failure to mobilize the poor and disadvantaged, leaving them out of larger decision-making processes.
2. Capitalists, landed peasants, and the middle class have gained from development, while the poor remain marginalized.
3. The poor occasionally rise up in protest but lack continuous political self-activity.
4. Mobilizing the bottom millions is essential for national unity and social change, a principle that was central to Gandhi’s philosophy.

Forms of Political Protest

Political protest is integral to democracy, especially for the marginalized sections of society. However, the forms of protest and the response to them remain contentious.

1. Popular protests take forms such as demonstrations, strikes, and dharnas, often escalating into violence.
2. The aim of such protests is often to erode authority rather than appeal to a change of heart.
3. Violent protests emerge when peaceful protests are ignored by the authorities, leading to a vicious cycle of unrest and government concessions.
4. Gandhian principles of satyagraha were meant for a different era, and their misapplication today is problematic.

Important Note:

Protest in a democracy should be about changing minds, not coercion. Both the protesters and those in authority must seek peaceful resolution.

Economic Performance

India’s economic performance post-independence has been vibrant, overcoming colonial stagnation and laying the foundation for a self-reliant economy.

1. India has broken from the colonial economic structure, laying the groundwork for economic independence.
2. A mixed economy model with a complementary role for both the public and private sectors was successfully developed.
3. India’s economy grew steadily, weathering global crises such as the oil shocks of the 1970s and the 1991 fiscal crisis.
4. Agricultural production has grown, with India achieving food self-sufficiency and famines becoming a distant memory.
5. The industrial sector has grown and diversified, significantly reducing India’s dependence on imports for basic and capital goods.

Economic Problems and Dangers

Despite its progress, India still faces major economic challenges and dangers of falling back into dependency on advanced capitalist nations.

1. Poverty and inequality remain significant, with a large section of the population still unable to meet basic needs.
2. India’s integration into the world capitalist system poses risks of re-peripheralization, potentially subordinating the economy to core countries.
3. Bridging the technological gap between India and advanced nations remains a challenge, especially in the fields of biotechnology, IT, and energy.
4. Foreign capital investment must be managed carefully to avoid Latin American-style dependent development.

Important Note:

India must avoid dependency on foreign capital while ensuring technological advancement through education and innovation.

The Areas of Darkness

India’s economic achievements have been tempered by widespread poverty, inequality, and poor quality of life for a large portion of its population.

1. The per capita income remains low, and illiteracy is widespread, especially in rural areas.
2. Social justice, a primary goal of development, has been slow to achieve, with marginalized groups suffering from poverty, disease, and discrimination.
3. Efforts at poverty reduction through employment generation programs have had some success, but corruption and inefficiency hinder their full impact.

Poverty

Poverty remains a stubborn challenge, although its incidence has been reduced since the early post-independence years.

1. The poverty line concept, introduced in the 1960s, shows a steady decline in poverty rates, dropping from 59% in 1970-71 to 22.1% in 2004-05.
2. Employment generation programs such as the Employment Guarantee Scheme have helped alleviate poverty, despite issues of corruption and inefficiency.
3. Famine and starvation, which were common under colonial rule, are now rare occurrences.

Quality of Life

The quality of life for many Indians remains subpar despite economic growth.

1. Life expectancy has increased from 32 years in 1950 to 63.6 years in 2004, but India still lags behind countries like China and Sri Lanka.
2. Infant mortality and maternal mortality rates remain high, particularly in rural areas where healthcare services are inadequate.
3. Illiteracy is a significant problem, with 35.1% of the population still illiterate as of 2004, and a large gender gap persisting.
4. Public health and education systems continue to deteriorate in many regions, particularly in rural India.

Promises to Keep

India still faces the

challenge of meeting the basic needs of its population and achieving social justice. However, there is no cause for pessimism.

1. The economic resources available today give India the potential to address poverty and inequality more effectively.
2. Democracy, despite its challenges, provides the framework for achieving these goals, and the power of the people in a democratic system can drive the needed changes.

MCQ:
What is the primary threat to Indian unity according to the text?

1. Regional disparities
2. Communalism
3. Casteism
4. Economic inequality

Answer: 2. Communalism