2 India : Events after 1960

India became independent in 1947  ce. the architect of India’s foreign policy. His
India accepted the constitutional contribution to the social and economic
framework in 1950 and became a development of India
sovereign democratic nation. The Indian is significant.
society is multicultural and people of Jawaharlal Nehru
various languages, religions, ethnicities passed away in 1964.
and castes live together. Lal Bahadur Shastri
During the initial period after succeeded him and
independence, India needed to solve became the next
different issues of economic, political and Prime Minister of
social development. The establishment of India. During his
the Planning Commission and emphasis on tenure, India and Lal Bahadur Shastri
industrialisation was a means to achieve Pakistan went to war over the Kashmir
economic development and to eliminate issue in 1965. The Soviet Russia tried to
poverty in India. Successful conduct of mediate between the two countries. Lal
elections and faith in democratic traditions Bahadur Shastri breathed his last at
made it possible for us to achieve political Tashkent in 1966. Lal Bahadur Shastri
stability. At the same time, several social gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’
reforms including policies and programmes with which he highlighted the importance
for the weaker sections of the society were of Indian soldiers and Indian farmers.
sought to be implemented. Indira Gandhi
The 1960s (Nineteen-sixties) : In the became the Prime
decade of the 1960s, several events Minister of India in
occurred which had a huge impact on the 1966. Her decision
political situation in India. The regions of making ability was
Goa, Diu and Daman were freed from admirable. Her
Portuguese rule and became parts of the decisions regarding the
Indian federation. The tensions between Nationalisation of
India and China on the northern border banks and cancelling
Indira Gandhi pensions of Princes had
which had been rising since 1950,
culminated in the war far reaching effects. During her tenure,
of 1962 between two Pakistan’s oppressive policies in East
countries. This war Pakistan resulted in a big movement
was fought in the there. This movement was led by Sheikh
region of the Mujibur Rahman and his organisation,
MacMahon line. ‘Mukti Bahini.’ This crisis in East
After India Pakistan affected India as well, because
became independent, millions of refugees came to India.
Prime Minister Pandit The 1970s (Nineteen-seventies) : The
Pandit Jawaharlal Jawaharlal Nehru led 1971 war between India and Pakistan led
Nehru the country. He was to the creation of an independent country

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called Bangladesh. Role of Prime Minister Sikhs in Punjab demanded an independent
Indira Gandhi's strong leadership was state of Khalistan and began a movement
prominent in this issue. As a part of which went on to become violent and
India’s policy to use atomic energy for destructive. Pakistan had lent its support
peaceful purposes, India successfully to this movement. The Indian army was
carried out an underground test of an sent into the Golden Temple at Amritsar,
atomic device at Pokharan in Rajasthan a holy shrine of the Sikhs in 1984, to
in 1974. In 1975, the people of Sikkim evict the terrorists who had allegedly
voted for joining the Indian republic and taken shelter there. One of the bodyguards
Sikkim became a full-fledged State in in Indira Gandhi’s personal security
the Indian federation. assassinated her.
During this period,
During this decade, the government
an organisation
declared a state of National Emergency
called United
on the basis of the constitutional
Liberation Front of
provisions relating to Emergency. During
Assam (ULFA)
this turbulent period, the fundamental
carried on a major
rights of Indian citizens were suspended.
movement in North-
Due to the emergency, the Indian
east India.
administration became disciplined, but
the human rights were restricted. The Rajiv Gandhi Right after
period of national emergency lasted from Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984,
1975 to 1977 and after that general Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister
elections were conducted. of India. He tried to make several reforms
in the field of Indian economy and that
On the backdrop of the emergency,
of science and technology. He took the
many opposition parties came together
lead in solving the issues of the Tamil
and formed a party called the Janata
minority in Sri Lanka. He promoted the
Party. The Congress party led by Indira
idea of a united Sri Lanka with internal
Gandhi was roundly defeated by this
autonomy to the Tamil community, but
newly formed ‘Janata Party’. Morarji
his efforts in this regard proved to be in
Desai became the Prime Minister, but
vain.
under his leadership the Janata Party
government couldn’t last long due to The Congress party was defeated in
internal differences. Charan Singh the general elections held in 1989.
succeeded him, but even his government Several political parties formed a
was a short-lived one. Elections were coalition called the Janata Dal and
conducted once again in 1980 and the Vishwanath Pratap Singh became the
Congress party under the leadership of next Prime Minister of India. The policy
Indira Gandhi came to power again. for providing reservations for other
backward classes (OBC) is considered to
The 1980s (Nineteen-eighties)  :
be his most important contribution. He
During this decade the Indian political
could not continue as Prime Minister due
system faced many new challenges. The
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to internal differences in the party. In Atal Bihari Vajpayee tried to establish
1990, Chandra Shekhar became the a dialogue with Pakistan but was not
Prime Minister of India. His government successful. India conducted a number of
was also short-lived. In 1991, during the nuclear tests in 1998 and declared herself
election campaign, the terrorist as an atomic power. In 1999, there was
organisation in Sri Lanka, Liberation war between India and Pakistan in Kargil
Tigers of Tamil Eelum (LTTE), region over the Kashmir issue. India
assassinated Rajiv Gandhi.
defeated Pakistan in this war.
Towards the end of the decade of
Indian economy : Right from
1980s, the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir
independence, the modernisation of
had begun. This problem grew serious
economy, economic self-sufficiency and
day by day and today it has taken the
form of terrorism. The terrorist activities social justice have been the characteristics
there forced the Kashmiri Pandits to leave of Indian economy. India wanted to
the valley. acquire modernity and self-reliance by
establishing industries. We wanted to
The changes after 1991 : The year establish an economy based on social
1991 is held to be very important in the
justice through planning. For this, the
history of the world as well as India.
National Planning Commission was
The Soviet Russia disintegrated into
established that would coordinate
several different small countries and the
Cold War came to an end. In India, the development through the policy of Five
Government under the leadership of Year Plans.
Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao The Narasimha Rao Government
initiated many changes in the Indian started economic reforms from 1991.
economy.
These economic reforms are called as
In the elections economic liberalisation. The Indian
conducted between economy flourished as a result of the
1996 and 1999, no implementation of this policy. The foreign
political party got a investment in India increased. Skilled
clear majority in the Indian professionals helped reform the
Lok Sabha. Atal Indian economy. The field of information
Bihari Vajpayee, technology opened several avenues of
H.D. Devegowda and employment in the country. The changes
Inder Kumar Gujral after 1991 are also described as
Atal Bihari Vajpayee worked as Prime ‘globalisation’.
Ministers in this period amongst them.
Finally, in 1999 the ‘National Democratic Science and technology : Two major
Alliance’ came to power under the flag of events must be mentioned while describing
Bharatiya Janata Party and Atal Bihari India’s efforts towards self-reliance. Dr M.
Vajpayee became India’s Prime Minister. S. Swaminathan is known as the father of

7
the Green Revolution in 1965. He Indian society were deprived of dignity
implemented new scientific agricultural and equal opportunities due to the caste
techniques and increased the production of system. The ‘Kakasaheb Kalelkar
foodgrains. The experiment in co-operative Commission’ was set up in 1953 to make
dairy movement by Dr. Verghese Kurien recommendations so as to improve their
led to increase of milk production in India. condition. In 1978, a commission was
This is called as ‘White Revolution’. constituted under the chairmanship of B.
India had also made a lot of progress P. Mandal to study the issue of the other
in the fields of atomic energy and space backward classes. The policy of reservation
research. Dr. Homi Bhabha laid the was adopted in order to strengthen the
foundation of the Indian atomic power representation of backward sections in
programme. India insisted on using atomic various services and institutions. The
energy for peaceful purposes like generation Government passed the Prevention of
of electricity, pharmaceuticals and defence. Atrocities Act in 1989 to enable those
India has achieved considerable success in belonging to the Scheduled castes and
space technology as well. In 1975, the first tribes to live with dignity and respect,
satellite ‘Aryabhatta’ was launched. Today, free from fear, violence and oppression of
India has a successful space programme the upper classes.
and many satellites have been launched Globalisation : Globalisation brought
under this programme. India has also about many changes in different fields like
made considerable advancement in the economy, politics, science and technology
telecom sector. and society and culture. We have discussed
Changes in social field : During this some of these changes in the above
period, there were several major changes paragraphs. India has emerged as an
in the social field in India. important country on the global scene in
Some of the changes are related with different spheres. India is an important
the issue of the empowerment of women, member of international organisations like
and the others are related with the policies G-20 and ‘BRICS’ (Brazil, Russia, India,
regarding the uplift of the deprived sections China, South Africa). India has experienced
of the society. To promote the all-round an important revolution in the field of
development of women and children, a telecommunication technology.
separate ‘Department of Women and Child Mobile phones, internet and the
Development’ was created in 1985 under communication facilities based on satellite
the Ministry of Human Resource have spread all across the country. In the
Development. Some laws were made to political field, India has demonstrated to
ensure social justice to women and to help the world how a stable democracy can
the implementation of various schemes in function successfully. All this has resulted
this direction. They include the Prohibition in a total transformation in the lifestyle
of Dowry Act, Equal Remuneration Act. of Indians and especially the youth. These
As per the 73rd and 74th Constitution changes are visible from their dietary
Amendments, seats were reserved for habits, clothing, language and beliefs.
women in the local self-government bodies. In the next chapter, we are going to
According to the makers of the Indian study some internal challenges before
Constitution, some constituents of the India.