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Brendan Cleary Feb. 9, 2008

HIS 314: Discussion #1: Forces Shaping Modern India

Question 1: Importance of and problems resulting from Partition

Partition was important to India in a number of ways, considering that it impacted nearly all areas of life. Its impacts on demographics, culture, and religion were massive. But perhaps the most important aspect of partition was the sense of division and the entrenchment of the idea of the need for a separation. Probably the greatest problem stemming from partition was the displacement and violence that followed, and this was undoubtedly influenced by this increased sense of division and the actual act of partition itself.

Guha, p. 31 – displacement and refugees; “10 million refugees on the move”; “greatest mass migration in history”

Guha, p. 25, 27, 30, 32 – violence and rioting, especially in Punjab and Bengal; fighting between Muslims and Hindus

Guha, p. 25, 37 – intensified communalism and entrenchment of idea for the need of separation (or “two nation” theory); “terrible poision of communalism” (regarding Gandhi’s murder); “each communal outbreak an endorsement for two nation theory”

Guha, p. 24, 37 – loss of Gandhi’s vision for a united India; “freedom had come at an unacceptable price”

Guha, p. 64, 66, 74, 75 – Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad complications; Junagadh announced it would accede to Pakistan despite large Hindu majority; Hyderabad threatened the same thing; Kashmir an area of conflict

Question 2: Gandhi’s vision for India and the move away from it following 1947

Gandhi envisaged an India in which there was more emphasis on village and community than on the individual. More specifically, he envisaged a “revived panchayat system, with the village as the basic unit of politics and governance” (Guha, 119). Following independence in 1947 and the completion of the Indian Constitution in Dec. 1949, however, the Indian National Congress and Constituent Assembly moved away from this idea and towards a more Euro-American model. Considering that one of the purposes of the Constitution was to bring about a Social Revolution, this was likely the right course to take for the major reason that it promoted wide(r)spread equality and emancipation.

Guha, p. 67 – inequality and emancipation; “forced labour”, “land-hungry peasants”, “rural uprisings”

Guha, p. 9 – inequality and emancipation; enormous social disparities with millions below poverty line; low castes often = subordinate classes; gender inequalities and challenges facing women

Guha, p. 119 – opposition to Gandhian Constitution; B.R. Ambedkar suggested it promoted communalism, localism, ignorance and narrow-mindedness; Begum Aizaz Rasul suggested modern tendency is toward rights of citizen, and that the panchayat system can be autocratic

Question 3: Biggest problem that confronted new Indian state

While India was certainly confronted with many different challenges and problems following its independence from the British in 1947, a strong argument could be made for the refugee situation that resulted from the displacement and migration of millions of people (from partition) being the most intimidating. The refugee situation not only entailed attempting to aid and protect millions of people during the period of migration across borders, but also settling and compensating these people afterward.

Guha, p. 97, 108 – supplying food, shelter, clothing, for migrants in refugee camps; 300,000 people at Kurukshetra camp alone; “serious shortages of food”

Guha, p. 99 – re-settling migrants and finding productive work; “shortfall of land” and “graded cut”; land allotments and “standard acre”

Guha, p. 100 – managing and reviewing rulings and allotments; “250,000+ allotments made by Tarlok Singh and his officials”

Guha, p. 107 – women as victims of refugee situation; abductions and being restored to families

Guha, p. 102-104 – strain on cities; Delhi (102), Bombay (103), Calcutta (104)

Guha, p. 110, 111 – recruitment into groups; RSS (111), Communist Party (110); “these two groups were the most motivated opponents of the ruling Congress Party”

Question 4: Does film Dynasty: Nehru Gandhi Story oversimplify or contribute?

In a film where an enormous amount of material is to be covered, oversimplification is unavoidable and to be expected. Keeping that in mind, Dynasty: The Nehru Gandhi Story certainly can contribute significantly to one’s understanding of Indian history from that time period by either giving an overview or by supplementing one’s knowledge while offering visuals. Dynasty was also very useful in that it gave insight into the life of Jawaharlal Nehru that would not likely be covered in a regular history book.

Dynasty – built on Nehru as socialist, or more left-wing (as mentioned by Guha), and the efforts he made to assist those in need in India and those adjusting to the newly formed state (for example, migrants following partition)

Dynasty – supplied visuals for major events and important figures mentioned throughout Guha, including Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, Lord Mountbatten, the day of independence, speeches, and massive migrations following partition

Dynasty – offered countless interviews with individuals who lived during and were closely involved with important events during the time period

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