New Nation’s Challenges
Following India’s independence in August 1947, three challenges arose in nation-building.
- The first and most pressing challenge was to create a cohesive country to accommodate society’s diversity and eradicate poverty and unemployment.
- The second obstacle was establishing democracy.
- Third, ensuring the development and well-being of the entire society was a challenge.
Displacement and Rehabilitation
- India and Pakistan became nations on the 14th and 15th of August, 1947.
Thousands of people on both sides lost their homes, lives, and property due to enmity.
- West and East Pakistan sprang up along the Muslim-majority belt, separated by a large swath of Indian territory.
- “Frontier Gandhi,” Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, was the undisputed ruler of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Despite his protests, Pakistan merged with the NWFP.
- During partition, Punjab and Bengal were part of the trauma.
Partition Effects
- One of the most abrupt, unplanned, and tragic population transfers occurred in 1947.
- Minorities on both sides of the border fled their homes and sought temporary refuge in “refugee camps.”
- Women were frequently abducted, raped, attacked, and killed. They had to change their religions.
- The political and administrative machinery of both sides failed.
- There was a significant loss of life and property. The culmination of communal violence had arrived.
Princely State Integration
- During British rule in India, there were two types of provinces: British Indian Provinces (Governed directly by the British Government) and Princely States (governed by Indian princes).
- There were nearly 565 princely states immediately following independence. Many of them joined the Indian Union.
- Initially, Travancore, Hyderabad, Kashmir, and Manipur refused to join the Indian Union.
The Government’s Strategy
- The interim government at the time took firm measures to prevent India from being divided into small principalities of varying sizes.
- Three considerations guided the government’s approach.
- The people of the majority of the princely states desired to join the Indian Union.
- The government was willing to be flexible in granting autonomy to regions.
- The nation’s territorial boundaries had become critical.
Adherence Instrument
- The rulers of the majority of the states signed a document known as the “Instrument of Accession.” The accession of Junagarh, Hyderabad, Kashmir, and Manipur proved more than any others.
- Following initial opposition, Hyderabad was merged with the Indian Union through a military operation in September 1948.
- In September 1949, the Government of India succeeded in pressuring the Maharaja of Manipur into signing a Merger Agreement. The government did so without consulting Manipur’s popularly elected Legislative Assembly.
Reorganization of the State
- During the national movement, the Indian National Congress recognized the need for linguistic reorganization of states.
- This idea was put on hold after independence because the memory of partition was still fresh and the fate of the Princely states had not been decided.
- Andhra Pradesh became a linguistic nation in December 1952 following a lengthy battle.
- The establishment of this state provided the impetus for the linguistic reorganization of states. As a result, in 1953, the Indian government formed the States Reorganization Commission.
- This commission agreed that the state’s borders reflect the limits of various languages.
- Based on its recommendations, the State Reorganization Act took effect in 1956. As a result, 14 states and six union territories came into existence.