India : Events after 1960

 

India : Events after 1960

 

India became independent in 1947 ce. India accepted the constitutional framework in 1950 and became a sovereign democratic nation. The Indian society is multicultural and people of various languages, religions, ethnicities and castes live together.

During the initial period after independence, India needed to solve different issues of economic, political and social development. The establishment of the Planning Commission and emphasis on industrialisation was a means to achieve economic development and to eliminate poverty in India. Successful conduct of elections and faith in democratic traditions made it possible for us to achieve political stability. At the same time, several social reforms including policies and programmes for the weaker sections of the society were sought to be implemented.

The 1960s (Nineteen-sixties:

 In the decade of the 1960s, several events occurred which had a huge impact on the political situation in India. The regions of Goa, Diu and Daman were freed from Portuguese rule and became parts of the Indian federation. The tensions between India and China on the northern border which had been rising since 1950, culminated in the war of 1962 between two countries. This war was fought in the region of the MacMahon line. After India became independent, Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru led the country. He was the architect of India’s foreign policy. His contribution to the social and economic development of India is significant. Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in 1964. Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded him and became the next Prime Minister of India. During his tenure, India and Pakistan went to war over the Kashmir issue in 1965. The Soviet Russia tried to mediate between the two countries. Lal Bahadur Shastri breathed his last at Tashkent in 1966. Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ with which he highlighted the importance of Indian soldiers and Indian farmers.

Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India in 1966. Her decision making ability was admirable. Her decisions regarding the Nationalisation of banks and cancelling pensions of Princes had far reaching effects. During her tenure, Pakistan’s oppressive policies in East Pakistan resulted in a big movement there. This movement was led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his organisation, ‘Mukti Bahini.’ This crisis in East Pakistan affected India as well, because millions of refugees came to India.

The 1970s (Nineteen-seventies:

The 1971 war between India and Pakistan led to the creation of an independent country called Bangladesh. Role of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's strong leadership was prominent in this issue. As a part of India’s policy to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes, India successfully carried out an underground test of an atomic device at Pokharan in Rajasthan in 1974. In 1975, the people of Sikkim voted for joining the Indian republic and Sikkim became a full-fledged State in the Indian federation.

During this decade, the government declared a state of National Emergency on the basis of the constitutional provisions relating to Emergency. During this turbulent period, the fundamental rights of Indian citizens were suspended. Due to the emergency, the Indian administration became disciplined, but the human rights were restricted. The period of national emergency lasted from 1975 to 1977 and after that general elections were conducted.

On the backdrop of the emergency, many opposition parties came together and formed a party called the Janata Party. The Congress party led by Indira Gandhi was roundly defeated by this newly formed ‘Janata Party’. Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister, but under his leadership the Janata Party government couldn’t last long due to internal differences. Charan Singh succeeded him, but even his government was a short-lived one. Elections were conducted once again in 1980 and the Congress party under the leadership of Indira Gandhi came to power again.

The 1980s (Nineteen-eighties) :

During this decade the Indian political system faced many new challenges. The Sikhs in Punjab demanded an independent state of Khalistan and began a movement which went on to become violent and destructive. Pakistan had lent its support to this movement. The Indian army was sent into the Golden Temple at Amritsar, a holy shrine of the Sikhs in 1984, to evict the terrorists who had allegedly taken shelter there. One of the bodyguards in Indira Gandhi’s personal security assassinated her. During this period, an organisation called United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) carried on a major movement in Northeast India.

Right after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984, Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India. He tried to make several reforms in the field of Indian economy and that of science and technology. He took the lead in solving the issues of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka. He promoted the idea of a united Sri Lanka with internal autonomy to the Tamil community, but his efforts in this regard proved to be in vain.

The Congress party was defeated in the general elections held in 1989. Several political parties formed a coalition called the Janata Dal and Vishwanath Pratap Singh became the next Prime Minister of India. The policy for providing reservations for other backward classes (OBC) is considered to be his most important contribution. He could not continue as Prime Minister due to internal differences in the party. In 1990, Chandra Shekhar became the Prime Minister of India. His government was also short-lived. In 1991, during the election campaign, the terrorist organisation in Sri Lanka, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelum (LTTE), assassinated Rajiv Gandhi.

 Towards the end of the decade of 1980s, the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir had begun. This problem grew serious day by day and today it has taken the form of terrorism. The terrorist activities there forced the Kashmiri Pandits to leave the valley.