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Unit 11: India Independent to 1964

content of education or to the spread of science and a scientific approach among the people. While Notes
very active himself, he failed to use the Congress as an organization to take his own brilliant
understanding of communalism to the people. He also compromised with his own stand when he
permitted the Congress in Kerala to enter into an alliance with the Muslim League and Christian
communal groups in 1960. Further, he was unable to persuade the state governments to take
strong administrative steps against the instigators or perpetrators of communal violence. Sadly,
sorrow over the large-scale communal violence marked the last years of his life.

The Years of Hope and Achievement, 1951 – 1964
Democratic Republic
The entrenchment of democracy—an achievement which has endured so that it is now taken for
granted. The process had begun with the framing of the constitution after 1947 and its promulgation
on 26 January 1950. Democracy took a giant step forward with the first general election held in
1951-52 over a four-month period. These elections were the biggest experiment in democracy
anywhere in the world. The elections were held on the basis of universal adult franchise, with all
those twenty-one years of age or older having the right to vote. There were over 173 million
voters, most of them poor, illiterate, and rural, and having had no experience of elections. The big
question at the time was how would the people respond to this opportunity.
Many were sceptical about such an electorate being able to exercise its right to vote in a politically
mature and responsible manner. Some said that democratic elections were not suited to a caste-
ridden, multi-religious, illiterate and backward society like India’s and that only a benevolent
dictatorship could be effective politically in such a society. The coming elections were described
by some as ‘a leap in the dark’ and by others as ‘fantastic’ and as ‘an act of faith’.
India’s electoral system was developed according to the directives of the constitution. The
constitution created an Election Commission, headed by a Chief Election Commissioner, to conduct
elections. It was to be independent of the executive or the parliament or the party in power.
Establishment of Democratic Institutions
Building on the traditions of the national movement, the Indian leaders, and above all Nehru,
further strengthened the foundations of democracy in the country by the manner of their political
functioning. They gave due importance to the institutional aspects of the democratic system so
that gradually attachment of people to parliamentary institutions grew. They adhered not only to
the spirit but also to the forms of democratic institutions and procedures. Nehru, in particular,
despite holding complete sway saw to it that political power was widely dispersed and diffused.
Civil liberties were put on a firm footing with the Press having free play, even when it criticized
the government severely. The independence of the courts was carefully nurtured, even when they
turned down an important piece of popular legislation, namely, agrarian reform.
Nehru treated parliament with respect and made every effort to sustain its dignity, prestige and
power, even though his party enjoyed an overwhelming majority in it. He tried to make it a major
forum for expression of public opinion, and made it a point to sit through the Question Hour and
to attend parliamentary debates. The Opposition too played its part by respecting parliament and
irs procedures, functioning without fear in its portals, and keeping the standard of parliamentary
debates at a high level. Moreover, parliamentary committees such as the Estimates Committee
began to play an important role as critics and watchdogs of the government administration.
Under Nehru’s leadership the cabinet system evolved in a healthy manner and functioned
effectively. The effort was to make the cabinet the chief agent of collective policy-making. Nehru
treated his cabinet colleagues with courtesy and respect. C.D. Deshmukh, India’s Finance Minister
from 1950 to 1956, remarked later in his autobiography: ‘Nehru as head of the Cabinet was gentle,
considerate and democratic, never forcing a decision on his colleagues . . . decisions were taken by
a consensus and never, as far as I can remember in my time, by vote.’

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