Independent india

India at the time of independence was a country beset with great economic problems. It
had suffered colonial exploitation for about two centuries and was recovering painfully
from the blight of a distressing famine. The disruption of life caused by the Second World
War had aggravated the crisis. Large parts of the country were under the feudal rule of
Indian princes and only a miniscule minority had taken any initiative to modernize their
states. In any case, the benefits of industrialisation remained confined to a small
privileged section of the society. With freedom from foreign rule, also came partition and
the government was confronted with the awesome task of rehabilitating millions of
refugees.

Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of India since independence has been to
overcome the trauma of partition and forge a unified modern nation from a bewildering
diversity. India today can take pride in its federal form of governance that gives full scope
to the development of the country's diverse ethnic and linguistic groups within the overall
framework of a united nation.

The process of political integration was completed in two stages after the adoption of a
federal constitution on January 26, 1950. First by securing the merger of princely states
and then by the redrawing of the boundaries of the states to accommodate the aspirations
of major linguistic or ethnic groups. This political transformation synchronised a
revolutionary social change with far reaching economic development.

Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first Prime Minister of India was influenced by
socialist thought. Many young leaders also seriously attempted to give the policies of the
Indian National Congress - the party in the vanguard of the anti imperialist struggle - a
socialist ideological orientation. Mahatma Gandhi too was unequivocal in his
championing of the impoverished masses. God for him was no other but the
Daridranarayan, poorest of the poor.

The new government gave top priority to economic planning for development. Land
reforms were undertaken to ensure greater social justice and eradicate bondage. Steps
were taken to accelerate industrialisation and redress regional imbalances. Progress was
slow, as the infrastructure was not there. People had very high expectations and the
government had to provide for education, health care and employment for hundreds of
millions of people. For more than three decades, India's national income grew by no more
than 3.6 per cent a year, one of the slowest growth rates in the developing world. Its per
capita income was among the lowest.

It took the nation almost half a century to find its feet. Today India is a nuclear power, has
launched satellites into space, produces its own steel, and builds its own warships and
many of its aircrafts. It has an impressive heavy engineering base, and is one of the few
developing countries that is able to bid successfully for heavy engineering turnkey
contracts in other developing countries. Its progress in agriculture is equally impressive.
India's most impressive achievement is that the Indian economy today is stable and self-
reliant. A powerful entrepreneurial class has emerged - almost as important an objective
as securing all-round industrial development.

India's strategy for development has had many critics. It was pointed out that the
emphasis on heavy industry made capital inefficient and lowered the annual rate of
growth of GNP to about 3.6 per cent between 1950 and 1975.

But the philosophy of self-reliance is finally paying off. By the 80's, the first phase of
industrialisation was largely over. India now has a well-developed industrial base that can
produce almost anything that the country needs. The scientific and technical
infrastructure is capable of responding to complex challenges. With the success of the
green revolution that began in 1975, India has also become self-sufficient in food grains.

A self confident nation, India is prepared to interact with the rest of the world without
anxiety or inhibition. Just when other countries began to increase protection, the Indian
government began to lower protective barriers, invite global tenders for its major
investment projects, and encourage industry to secure the most up-to-date technology
from abroad.