Challenges of nation building NCERT Political science CBSE class 12 Notes Humanitas

CBSE Class 12 Political Science NCERT Chapter Notes for Challenges of nation building Humanitas

India's transformation into a unified nation was a monumental task. The country suffered the wounds of partition, yet worked towards ensuring an environment which respects all the cultures, languages and faiths. Weaving this diverse tapestry into a unified whole required a delicate balance of democratic principles and social justice.  The journey towards the path of nation-building wasn't easy. Challenges in the form of reorganizing regions as per linguistic states, integrating princely states and eradicating poverty presented a havoc for the country. Yet, the nation persevered, driven by a vision of a more equitable society. Through its struggle and triumphs, India remained committed to democratic values, social equality and national unity. Today, the country stands as a testament to the power of diversity and inclusivity, a beacon of hope for a brighter future. 

Challenges for the new nation

Nation establishment was of the daunting task with everyone having their own vision for the nation, however two goals that everyone agreed upon were:- 

• To form a democratic country, run through democratic mechanisms. 
• The government exists and runs for the welfare of the people, especially the poor and socially marginalized groups. 

However, it was soon realised that it was not going to be an easy task, because 

• India's birth was marked by extraordinary challenges. 
• No nation has ever begun its journey in circumstances as daunting as those faced by India 1947. 
• The country's expense of freedom was partition. 

All these factors were responsible for setting the stage for a long and arduous path to nation building. 

Three challenges for the new nation 

1. Shaping a united nation which will accommodate social diversity.

• India is a home to rich and diverse culture, languages and faith. Forging a united nation amidst India's breathtaking diversity was a monumental challenge. 
• The worst dream came true with the partition of the country, creating a belief that a country as diverse as India was doomed to fragmentation and disunity.

2.Establishing democracy

• To achieve the vision of a successful democracy, India adopted a representative democracy based on a parliamentary form of government, where political competition would unfold within democratic framework. 
• But the real test was forging democratic practices that would harmonise with the sacred principles enshrined in its constitution.  

3. Ensuring the development and well-being of the entire society.

• In the backdrop of partition, poverty was prominent in the country. Therefore one of the important challenges was to ensure welfare of the people. The constitution set out in the DPSP, the welfare goals to achieve. 
• However the real challenge was to come up with policies that would actually work to boost the economy and lift the people out of poverty. 

Shaping a united nation which will accommodate the social diversity

August 1947, marked the birth of two nations- India and Pakistan sparking a chain of profound political developments. The drawing of borders marked the beginning of a new era, but it also led to the largest mass migration in history, leaving millions displaced and in need of rehabilitation. 

Two nation theory – 

The creation of the two nations was the result of Two Nations Theory

• Two nations theory was advanced by muslim league. 
• This theory provided that India was inhabited by two kinds of population, hindu and muslim. Both the populations are different in culture and therefore there should be a separate state for muslims. 
• Initially, congress was against this theory. However certain political developments, like the political competition between congress and muslim league, and the British role, ultimately led to the birth of Pakistan, as a nation of Muslims. 

Process of partition

As the clock struck midnight on August 14, 1947, the Indian subcontinent suffered the partition. The basic idea was to create separate countries based on religious majorities, with areas having the Muslim majority becoming part of Pakistan. However, it wasn't as easy as it sounds. It caused a number of difficulties-

• There was no single belt of muslim majority area.

Muslims were concentrated in two areas, one in the west and other in the east. There was no way of achieving geographic continuity. So it was decided that Pakistan will comprise two territories, one in the east and the other in the west. 

• Not all Muslim majority areas wanted to be in Pakistan

The two nations theory was not supported by all the muslims, one of them was Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, also known as frontier Gandhi. He vehemently opposed the two nations Theory. However his voice went unheard, and despite strong oppositions, the north west Frontier province was made to merge with Pakistan. 

• muslim majority areas of British India consisted of a few provinces where non-muslims were in majority. 

It was decided that the bifurcation would be made according to religious majority in provinces of Bengal and Punjab. But the issue was, the majority of people were unsure of where they would end up being? Whether they will be the residents of India or that of Pakistan. 

• Problem of minorities in both sides of the border 

As the country prepared to split, millions of Hindus and Sikhs found themselves stuck in Pakistan, while many muslims were trapped in Indian Punjab and bengal. Unfortunately, the minorities on both sides were vulnerable to violent attacks. This issue caught everyone off guard, with no contingency plans in place to address the unforeseen circumstances. 

Consequences of partition

The partition of India and Pakistan was a traumatic event that changed the course of history. The aftermath was chaotic and brutal with widespread violence, mass migration and unbearable loss of human lives. 

• People of one community engaged in killing people ruthlessly of other communities in the name of religion. 
• Cities like Lahore, Amritsar and Kolkata experienced a process of communalisation, resulting in de facto partitioning of these cities into religious zones. 
• This communal hatred made it extremely difficult for Muslims and Hindus to move safely through areas controlled by the other community. 
• Minorities had the worst experience. They were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in refugee camps and shelters.  They were brutally attacked and killed. Women were raped, forced to change their faith. Families themselves killed the women of their family to preserve ‘family honor’. Children were separated from their families. Police and administration proved unhelpful. 
• Moreover, along with the employees of the government, the railways were also divided. 
• The partition forced the migration of around 80 lakh people on religious lines. Around 5 to 10 lakh people were killed in this chaotic environment and in partition related violence. 

Interestly, even though the Indian national struggle leaders rejected the two nations theory, the country got divided on religious lines. muslim League rose as a protector of muslim rights in colonial india. This partition, however, didn't make India a nation of Hindus but maintained a secular touch. 

Integration of princely states 

When India got independence, the country was not just made up of colonial India, but also hundreds of princely states. Integration of these princely states was important to prevent another traumatic event of partition of the country. However, the integration was not an easy task, there were number of problems that was faced by Indian leaders, these included 

• Before independence, the British government decided to end their rule over the princely states. This meant that 565 princely states would now become independent. 
• These princely states were ruled by local kings and queens who enjoyed considerable control over their territory during the British rule. 
• After independence, these princely states were left with the decision to either join India or Pakistan, or become independent.
• This decision was left to the rulers and not to the population, which made it extremely difficult to create a united india. 

The complete control over territory without interference of the Britishers was an attractive option for the rulers of the princely states. There was a successive declaration of independence by the rulers of Travancore and nizams of Hyderabad, generating considerable anxiety regarding the potential fragmentation of the nation. To make matters worse, these rulers were unwilling to give democratic rights to their population. 

Government’s approach 

Indian leaders, with an utmost resolve to keep the country united, took several efforts. Sardar vallabhbhai patel, who was India's deputy prime minister and home minister, played a crucial role in integrating the princely states into India. Through constant negotiations, he was successful to bring rulers of most of the princely states formally into the Indian union. 

Government's approach - guided by three considerations:

Strong efforts were taken by Indian leaders to integrate the princely states into Indian union because of various reasons. These included- 

1. A significant proportion of population expressed their desire to be the part of indian union
2. The government was open to giving autonomy to some areas.
3. In the backdrop of partition, integration as a nation was crucial. 

Through constant efforts and negotiations, most of the princely states peacefully became part of the Indian union before 15th August 1947. Instrument of accession was signed by most of the rulers. However integration of kashmir, junagarh, hyderabad & manipur was a tough task. 

Hyderabad 

• The princely state of Hyderabad was the largest one, extended to Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It was surrounded by Indian territory. 
• It was ruled by the king with the title of Nizam. 
• Nizam was adamant to have an independent status for Hyderabad. Therefore he signed a standstill agreement for a year with India in November 1947. 
• There were constant negotiations during that year. 
• Even though the Nizam wanted to maintain an independent status, the people of Hyderabad were not happy with this decision. People of Hyderabad led a movement against Nizam's rule. The communist and the Hyderabad congress were in the forefront of the movement. 
• To suppress this movement, Nizam employed the fundamentalist paramilitary force called razakars on the people. Non muslims suffered increased atrocities and communal violence. 
• In 1948, the central government ordered army to deal with the situation and take control over the Nizams. After a few days of fighting, the Nizam surrendered and Hyderabad officially became a part of the Indian union. 

Manipur

• Just before India gained independence, the Maharaja of Manipur, Bodhacharya Singh, signed an instrument of accession with the Indian government on the condition of maintaining Manipur's autonomy. 
• However, due to public demand, he conducted elections in june 1948, making it a constitutional monarchy. 
• The state Congress was in support of the merger, however the other parties were opposed to this merger. Eventually, with negotiations, the Indian government was able to convince the maharaja of Manipur to become part of India. In September 1949, the instrument of accession was signed bypassing the state assembly elections. 

Reorganisation of states 

After the merger of princely states, the final challenge before the country was to draw the internal boundaries of Indian states in such a way that celebrated countries' diverse cultures and languages without compromising its unity. 

During colonial rule, the boundaries were drawn as per administrative convenience. However it was not reflective of the country's diversity.

India's national movement first suggested creating states on the basis of language. However, leaders felt that carving states on the basis of language might lead to destruction and disintegration and might divert attention from other pressing social and economic issues. Therefore the leaders decided to postpone the decision. 

However, soon a protest began and the ‘vishal andhra movement’ was launched. They demanded creation of Andhra Pradesh and argued that the Telugu speaking area should be separated from Madras province. 

The demand for separate states intensified with the death of Potti Sriramulu, who was a congress leader. He went on an indefinite fast which led to his death after 56 days. 

The intense demands made the prime minister announce the formation of Andhra Pradesh in December 1952. 

The rise of demands for linguistic reorganization, forced the central government to appoint a state reorganization commision in 1953, to look into the matter of language based division. In 1956, the first reorganization act was passed that resulted in the creation of 14 states and 6 union territories. 

Creation of new states

The linguistic reorganization didn't mean that the state-making process was over. There was a rise of demand for linguistic state formations. 

• The states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed after a popular agitation. 
• The state of punjab comprises two distinct linguistic groups, hindi speaking and punjabi speaking population. It wasn't until 1966, punjab became a separate state, when haryana and himachal pradesh broke off from the larger punjab state. 
• States were also reorganized in the north east. In 1963, Nagaland became a state. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972. Soon, states  of Manipur and Tripura were also formed. In 1987, The states of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh came into being. 
•  The passage of time didn't diminish the demand for linguistic state formation, which continued to be a significant issue. 
• In 2000, the states of Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand came into being. 
• Telangana became a new state on 2 june, 2014. 
• The demand for statehood still continues. There are still many regions in the country demanding separate states. For example, vidarbha in Maharashtra, harit pradesh in western region of uttar pradesh and the northern region of West Bengal.

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