India, a southern Asian country bordered by Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh, was once regarded as the wealthiest country in the world during the Columbus era, and at one point in time, it covered almost 50% of the Asian continent. However, after the British rule, the country was left tattered with severe debts and a GDP per capita that could only suffice for a person’s one-day meal.

India officially gained its independence from the British on August 15th, 1947 after 200 years of slavery. The Indian National Congress (INC) played a vital role in the country’s independence, with Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi being the most influential figures according to NCRT textbooks. The INC’s goal was to fight for India’s freedom and dissolve after independence. Gandhi proposed that leaders should form political parties and contest for a democratic election to decide the first leader of India.

However, the INC realized that the party had become a brand that could not be dissolved, and it had become a sign of freedom and independence. If they fought the election, they would easily garner people’s votes, and those fighting against the INC could be considered perpetrators of the foundation of India’s independence. This gave the INC a major advantage to fight the elections and be the winning party.

The first leader of India was decided by an internal election between Jawahar Lal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel, a legend in the Indian freedom movement whose name has been disregarded in many history textbooks. Unfortunately, Nehru was chosen as the leader, with Gandhi’s decision was based on Nehru’s well-known reputation abroad, which would play a great role in forming international relations with other countries.

This decision led India to enter a socialist democratic regime where foreign companies were kicked out of the country and for the pride of nationalism, India became one of the poorest countries of the time. Globalization was completely unwelcome, and the government had to rely on boosting its national sector to produce goods and services. Iconic brands such as Hindustan Ambassador, Premier Padmini, and many more became the sole providers in India. Companies such as Amul, Tata Steels etc took the frontline initiative in India and dominated the industry. However, with the business being in a state of monopoly, they had the option to produce as many goods as they wanted at whatever price.

One of the main criticisms of the Nehru government is its slow economic growth and lack of development in certain areas, particularly in rural areas. Despite Nehru’s focus on industrialization and modernisation, many rural areas remained underdeveloped and poverty-stricken. This was due in part to the government’s failure to invest in infrastructure and services in these areas, as well as a lack of attention to the needs of the rural population. 

The Nehru government’s corruption and nepotism in government. These issues hindered the country’s progress, as they led to a lack of accountability and transparency in government. This made it difficult for the government to effectively address the needs of the population and contributed to a general sense of disillusionment among the public. The Nehru government’s failure to address issues of poverty and inequality is also a major criticism. Despite Nehru’s rhetoric of social justice and equality, many Indians remained trapped in poverty, with little access to education, healthcare, or other basic services. This led to widespread social unrest and contributed to a sense of dissatisfaction with the government. 

The Nehru government’s lack of attention to the issue of the rising population is also a major criticism. Despite the government’s efforts to promote family planning and population control, the population of India continued to grow rapidly, putting further strain on resources and contributing to issues of poverty and inequality. 

The biggest problem of the Nehru government was its handling of the 1962 war with China and the 1965 war with Pakistan, which was criticized as mishandled by some. The government’s lack of preparedness and poor military strategy in these conflicts led to significant losses for India and damaged the country’s reputation on the international stage. The Nehru government’s foreign policy, particularly its stance on non-alignment, has also been criticized. Some argue that Nehru’s policy was too sympathetic to the Soviet Union and not sufficiently supportive of the West, which led to a lack of support from the international community during the 1962 war with China. 

The Nehru government’s treatment of minorities and religious groups is another major criticism. Despite Nehru’s commitment to secularism and tolerance, the government’s policies often led to tensions and conflicts between different communities, which contributed to a sense of division and mistrust among the population. Finally, the Nehru government’s handling of the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan is also a major criticism. Despite efforts to resolve the issue through diplomacy, the dispute remains unresolved to this day and continues to be a major source of tension between the two countries. 

Lal Bahadur Shastri served as the Prime Minister of India from 1964 to 1966, following the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. During his time in office, Shastri focused on improving India’s economy and addressing issues of poverty and inequality. He introduced a number of economic reforms, including the Green Revolution, which helped to increase agricultural productivity and food security. He also pursued a policy of non-alignment and peaceful coexistence and played a key role in resolving the 1965 war between India and Pakistan. 

Morarji Desai served as the Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979. During his time in office, he implemented a number of economic policies aimed at reducing government intervention in the economy and promoting private enterprise. He also took a number of steps to address corruption and improve transparency in government. However, his government was criticized for its handling of the economy, which was facing a severe balance of payments crisis, and for its failure to address issues of poverty and inequality. Desai also took a stance of non-alignment and worked to improve relations with other countries, and also made efforts to improve relationships between different religious and ethnic groups in India

However, the heiress to the throne of congress, Indra Gandhi took over the prime minister seat, and Indira Gandhi’s regime was led by authoritarian tendencies. In 1975, she declared a state of emergency, suspending civil liberties and clamping down on political opposition. This period, known as the “Emergency,” saw widespread human rights abuses, including the arrest and detention of political opponents and journalists, as well as forced sterilization campaigns. Many critics have also accused her of using the emergency to consolidate her own power and silence dissent.

Furthermore, Indira Gandhi’s economic policies were also criticized for their negative impact on the economy. Her government’s policy of import substitution, which aimed to reduce dependence on foreign imports by promoting domestic industries, led to a decline in exports and a balance of payments crisis. Additionally, her nationalization of major banks and other industries was seen as a heavy-handed approach that stifled economic growth. 

Lastly, Indira Gandhi’s regime has been criticized for not doing enough to address issues of poverty and inequality in India. Despite her government’s efforts to implement poverty reduction programs and increase agricultural productivity, the gap between the rich and poor continued to widen during her tenure in office. Indira Gandhi’s regime was marked by a number of negative policies and actions that had a lasting impact on India.

After the unfortunate death of Indra Gandhi in 1984, India was in a state of mourning. Her inexperienced son Rajiv Gandhi was voted into the throne of Prime minister. Rajiv Gandhi was a man with a heart but not with the wit and intellect of a leader. While he brought about some positive changes during his tenure in office, his policies were also marked by a number of negative aspects.

Rajiv Gandhi’s regime was his handling of the Sikh insurgency in the state of Punjab. The insurgency, which began in the early 1980s, was a separatist movement demanding a separate Sikh homeland called Khalistan. Rajiv Gandhi’s government used heavy-handed tactics to quell the insurgency, including the use of the Indian army to flush out militants and the implementation of controversial laws that allowed for the detention of suspected militants without trial. These actions led to widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and forced disappearances. 

Rajiv Gandhi’s regime was his handling of the Sri Lankan civil war. India’s intervention in the war, known as the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operation, was seen as a failure and it resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Indian soldiers, and also caused a large number of civilian casualties. The operation also faced criticism for being heavy-handed and for not being able to bring a lasting peace solution. Additionally, Rajiv Gandhi’s economic policies were also criticized for their negative impact on the economy. His government’s policy of liberalization, which aimed to reduce government intervention in the economy and promote private enterprise, led to a decline in exports and a balance of payments crisis. Critics have also accused his government of not doing enough to address issues of poverty and inequality in India.

The death of Rajiv Gandhi led the congress regime to stop for a while, as another socialist party, named the Janta Dal took over the country. This is a party that is overlooked as it is notorious for producing prime ministers that lasted in office for only a few months, however, the negative impact they’ve had on the economy and social status of India is such that it cannot be overlooked. 

the Janata Dal’s lack of consistency in its policies. The party, which was a coalition of several regional and caste-based parties, often had conflicting policies and ideologies. This led to infighting and power struggles within the party, which prevented it from effectively governing the country. Another major criticism of the Janata Dal was its handling of the economy. The party’s economic policies were marked by a lack of direction and a failure to address the country’s economic problems. 

The party’s failure to implement effective economic reforms led to a decline in exports and a balance of payments crisis. Additionally, their lack of focus on economic policies resulted in high inflation and unemployment rate in the country. Furthermore, the Janata Dal has also been criticized for its handling of social issues. The party’s failure to address issues such as poverty, inequality, and corruption, has resulted in a lack of progress in these areas.

 Additionally, the party’s failure to address the issue of communal violence between Hindu and Muslim communities, which was on the rise during their tenure, resulted in a lack of progress on this issue as well. Lastly, the Janata Dal has also been criticized for not doing enough to address issues of corruption in India. Despite their efforts to implement anti-corruption measures, corruption continued to be a major problem during their tenure in office.

socialism has had a significant impact on India’s political and economic development. The country’s socialist policies, which were implemented during the Nehruvian era, aimed to address issues of poverty and inequality, and promote economic development. These policies led to the creation of a strong public sector, which played a key role in the country’s industrialization and modernization. However, the inefficiencies of the public sector, coupled with the lack of private sector growth, led to a decline in economic growth and a balance of payments crisis.

The socialist policies also led to a lack of progress in addressing issues of poverty and inequality. In later years, India adopted more market-oriented policies, which led to a period of economic growth and development but also increased income inequality. Ultimately, the impact of socialism on India has been mixed, with some successes in the areas of industrialization and modernization, but also a number of shortcomings in terms of economic growth and addressing issues of poverty and inequality.