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The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent - Democracy and development

Q: What did Nehru proclaim about India's independence? What thought was behind it?

Nehru asserted that 'the service of India means to service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.' His words encapsulated the central social vision of nationalists in European colonies around the world. Their demand for independence was anchored in the claim that indigenous leaders of independent states, not imperial administrators, could best provide for the basic material needs of their fellow citizens. Once the yoke of colonialism was broken, the creative energies of self-governing peoples would transform each newly liberated state.

13 important questions on The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent - Democracy and development

What did Nehru proclaim about India's independence? What thought was behind it?

Nehru asserted that "the service of India means to service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity."
His words encapsulated the central social vision of nationalists in European colonies around the world. Their demand for independence was anchored in the claim that indigenous leaders of independent states, not imperial administrators, could best provide for the basic material needs of their fellow citizens.
Once the yoke of colonialism was broken, the creative energies of self-governing peoples would transform each newly liberated state.

What systems emerged in South Asian states?

In the South Asian states that secured their freedom from Britain after the war - India, Pakistan, and Ceylon - democratic institutions and written constitutions were in place soon after independence.
Since both India and Pakistan possessed a large corps of trained civil servants, a sound transportation system, professional military forces, and modest experience in the practice of self-government at the local and provincial levels, the promise of a better life seemed to be within reach.

What did the Indian constitution call for?

It called for the establishment of a federal structure of government, with cabinet leadership and legislative assemblies at both the national and provincial levels.
A supreme court was vested with the power of judicial review.
The new central government was responsible for defense, foreign affairs, transportation, currency, and the postal service, while the states took charge of education, police protection, health and sanitationm, and agriculture.

What linguistic lines did Nehru agree to?

Nehru reluctantly agreed to the formation of states along linguistic lines. The constitution guaranteed individual civil rights and equality of status and opportunity, and affirmed the principle of universal suffrage in local, provincial, and national elections.

What did Nehru wish to address? How did he do this?

As a socialist, Nehru wished to address the problem of massive poverty in India through effective state planning.
No attempt was made to expropriate private land, but state control over key sectors of the economy such as steel, gas, electricity, irrigation projects, and transportation infrastructure allowed the government to set the broader economic agenda.
In particular, Nehru adopted a set of five-year plans to improve the quality of life through industrialization and agricultural modernization.

How did it go with the Five Year Plan?

The early results of the First Five Year Plan were encouraging, as agricultural yields improved and industrial production rose, but a rapidly expanding population (from 300 million at independence to 700 million in 1970) frustrated government efforts to improve the quality of life through better nutrition and education.

What did the Indian government do about the caste system?

The government attempted to undermine the caste system by adopting an official policy of positive discrimination (what later became known as affirmative action in the US) that enabled members of the "scheduled castes," or untouchables, to win seats in state and national assemblies, to attend universities, and to compete for government posts at every level.

What are some characteristics about India and education?

India's commitment to public education at the primary level remained lackluster, and this in turn compounded the problem of population control.
As late as 1990 less than half of India's population was literate, with the vast majority of citizens still living in rural poverty.
Provision for education was a state matter, and while authorities at the central government understood the connection between basic education and population control, no national mandates could be created.

What breakthroughs caused population problems?

During the 1960s inroads were made against a number of diseases such as cholera, malaria, and typhoid, but without effective birth-control education these important medical breakthroughs unintentionally served to exacerbate the population problem.

What does the "permit raj" mean?

Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister in 1964 and served until 1977. During her tenure in office, the government's emphasis on state planning and high protective tariffs led to an increased level of bureaucratization and administrative red tape - what critics referred to as the "permit raj" - and to growing corruption and complacency.

How did leaders of the Congress Party projected themselves?

The dominant Congress Party evolved into a makeshift coalition whose leaders projected themselves as champions of national, as opposed to regional, religious or ethnic, interests.

How did India lose their share in world trade?

By the 1980s, as a number of nations in the Pacific Rim began to deregulate their economies and attract foreign investment thanks to low labor costs, India was losing its already tiny market share of total world trade, despite the fact that nearly one in every six people on earth was Indian.

When did India start the process of reform?

Only in the 1990s did India begin the process of deregulation and market reform. But while foreign investment, especially in the areas of technology and computer software, helped to strengthen the middle class in some regions of the country, the predicament of population growth continued to frustrate national efforts to improve the quality of life for the vast majority of the nation's population.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

A Concise History of the World Since 1945 | 9781352010206 | W M Spellman

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Topics that are related to The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent - Democracy and development

The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent

The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent - Democracy and development

13 important questions on The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent - Democracy and development

What did Nehru proclaim about India's independence? What thought was behind it?

What systems emerged in South Asian states?

What did the Indian constitution call for?

What linguistic lines did Nehru agree to?

What did Nehru wish to address? How did he do this?

How did it go with the Five Year Plan?

What did the Indian government do about the caste system?

What are some characteristics about India and education?

What breakthroughs caused population problems?

What does the "permit raj" mean?

How did leaders of the Congress Party projected themselves?

How did India lose their share in world trade?

When did India start the process of reform?

Topics that are related to The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent - Democracy and development

The end of empire and the problem of neocolonialism - The South Asian precedent

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