OUR INDIA [ NCERT VALMIKI PRASAD SINGH ]

UNDERSTANDING ONE’S OWN COUNTRY

Understanding one’s own country is a complex and evolving process. The country grows on an individual and the individual grows with the country. In the case of India, this task becomes more difficult because it is a civilisation of hoary antiquity, marked by great achievements and numerous shortcomings, often creating a sense of bewilderment.From early times, India attracted some of the finest minds, including travellers and scholars from distant lands. They wrote perceptively about Indian people, history, culture, beliefs, economy, polity and ways of living.In ancient times, Fa Xian visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II and wrote A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms. Xuan Zang travelled across India for seventeen years and authored Journey to the West. Megasthenes wrote Indica, a pioneering account of ancient India.In the medieval period, Al-Biruni described early eleventh-century India in detail. Marco Polo, who arrived on the Coromandel Coast, noted that Tamil rulers did not place themselves above the law and described the region as the richest and most splendid province in the world. Francois Bernier provided an account of the Mughal system of governance, and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier wrote extensively on India.During the British era, scholars and civil servants documented various aspects of Indian society. Friedrich Max Muller studied Indian philosophy and mysticism. The Asiatic Society of India, established in 1784 by Sir William Jones, became a major centre of learning on Indian history and culture.In modern times, V. S. Naipaul and Salman Rushdie wrote notable works on India. Despite numerous writings offering rare insights, they do not fully construct a complete picture of India. Ultimately, one must undertake one’s own journey to understand the country.India can be understood through the study of civilisational encounters that shaped its life. Five major encounters are highlighted:

• The intermingling of Aryans with earlier inhabitants during the Vedic period

• The present information and communication technology revolutionAl-Biruni described his work Kitab-ul-Hind as a help to those wishing to discuss religious questions with the Hindus and as a repository of information for those wanting to associate with them.

SOCIAL REFORMS AND NATIONALIST CONSCIOUSNESS (CIRCA 1820–1947)Those born prior to 1947 lived in a momentous period marked by significant political, religious and literary transformations. At the global level, the Second World War caused widespread destruction and its impact was felt even in India’s north-east.Religious and social reforms began in the nineteenth century. Raja Rammohun Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj (1828) in Bengal. Swami Vivekananda redefined religion as service to the poor and established the Ramakrishna Mission (1897), laying foundations for nationalist consciousness.Other reform movements included:

• Upliftment work by Sree Narayana Guru in KeralaThe major political struggle was the freedom movement under Mahatma Gandhi, reaching its zenith in the Quit India Movement (1942–44). Gandhi mobilised millions in a non-violent struggle, bringing women into political participation through civil disobedience and satyagraha.Another stream of the struggle was led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who established the Indian National Army (INA) to overthrow colonial rule.The 1940s saw hardened attitudes between the Congress and the Muslim League. Talks between Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1944) showed strain. Negotiations between Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Jinnah and the British (1945–47) failed to bridge communal differences, leading to the Partition of India.On 15 August 1947, India attained freedom but was divided into India and Pakistan, accompanied by unprecedented violence causing more than one million deaths. Partition was seen as both a political failure and a civilisational failure.Simultaneously, a literary movement flourished under Rabindranath Tagore, Sir Muhammad Iqbal and Subramaniya Bharati. Beginning with Raja Rammohun Roy, this movement explored India’s spirit, philosophy, arts, poetry, music and diverse ways of life, influencing and being influenced by political change.These developments brought a new perspective to Indians about their surroundings and national identity. In his midnight speech on 14 August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru spoke of the “long suppressed soul of a nation” finding “utterance”, marking the end of one age and the beginning of another.

INDIA BECOMES A REPUBLIC

After attaining freedom, India adopted the path of parliamentary democracy, which constituted a most momentous step. The roots of democratic traditions in India can be traced back to ancient times, particularly to the Licchavis of Vaishali in Bihar, who had moved towards democracy and built institutions of democratic governance as early as the 5th century BCE.

On 26 January 1950, “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA” constituted India into a “Sovereign, Democratic Republic”. This grand declaration is enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution, and the day is celebrated as Republic Day. This declaration was not the result of a violent political uprising but the culmination of a non-violent revolution under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, who is rightly called the “Father of the Nation.”

The Constitution was adopted after wide consultations among well-known leaders, many of whom were members of the Constituent Assembly. Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963) served as the President of the Constituent Assembly. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) played a pioneering role, contributing significantly to the establishment of universal adult franchise, rising above considerations of religion, ethnicity, caste and gender. His contribution gave enduring strength to the Constitution, which continues to guide the Republic in changing times. His statue appropriately adorns the campus of Parliament and several state legislatures.

The establishment of the Republic was a unique event in Indian history. India had long possessed a “civilisation-state” identity. In the Rigveda, the word rashtra is used. The Puranas refer repeatedly to Bharatvarsha, and the expression rashtra also appears in the Manu Samhita. India, being a civilisation of considerable antiquity, had seen many independent and sovereign states, and at times almost the entire country came under one sovereignty.

By declaring itself a “sovereign democratic republic” on 26 January 1950, India affirmed that it would have a government of the people, by the people. For governance, the country chose the parliamentary system. The people exercise sovereign power at the Centre through their representatives in Parliament and in the States through representatives in the legislatures, elected on the basis of adult franchise. The Constitution grants equal rights to all citizens, male and female, to choose their representatives.

The Executive or Council of Ministers is accountable to these representatives.The President, elected as the Head of the Indian Union, appoints the Governors as Heads of the federating units. Both the President and the Governors act on the advice of the Council of Ministers, though the Constitution provides certain discretionary powers to Governors, for which they are personally responsible.This system is known as Parliamentary Democracy, based on three principles: representation of the people, responsible government, and accountability of the Council of Ministers to Parliament or the provincial legislature.

Every five years, representatives are elected to Parliament and State legislatures on the basis of adult franchise, guided by the principle of “one-person-one-vote.” Over the years, the people of India have demonstrated abiding faith in parliamentary democracy.

Another important feature of the Constitution is its federal character, though considerable authority is vested in the Union of India. Article 1 declares: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” Since 1950, this federal system has been in operation, enabling attention to both peripheral states and the poor, especially in the context of recent high rates of growth.

On 26 January 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of India, succeeding C. Rajagopalachari (1878–1972), the first Indian Governor General. The founding leaders established strong structures for the Indian nation-state: a powerful legislature, an accountable executive, an independent judiciary, and a free press. Autonomous institutions such as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the Election Commission of India, the Union Public Service Commission, and the civil services were created in accordance with the Constitution to ensure the effective functioning of democratic institutions.