IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : Modern India - THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMOCRATIC POLITY IN INDIA

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

 Modern India 1857-1964

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMOCRATIC POLITY IN INDIA

Structure
37.0 objectives
37.1 Introduction
37.2 The Concept of Democracy: A History
37.2.1 The Early Liberals
37.2.2 Limits of Liberal Democracy
37.3 The Evolution of Democratic Ideas and Institutions in India
37.3.1 The Impact of the British Rule
37.3.2 The Perception of the Constituent Assembly
37.4 The Question of Fundamental'Rights and Directive Principles
37.5 Towards a Democratic State Structure
37.5.1 Parliamentary System at the Centre
37.5.2 The State
37.6 The Electoral System
37.6.1 Towaids a Democratic Representation
37.6.2 Limits - 37.7 Federal Polity Vs. Centralism: Options of a Democratic State
37.7.1 Historical Background to Federalism
37.7.2 The Partition and Federalism
37.7:3 The Constraints of the Administrative and Financial Structure
37.8 Let Us Sum Up
37.9 Keywords
37.10 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

37.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit you will learn about:

• the evolution of the concept of democracy, .
• the evolution of democratic ideas and institutions in India,
• the limits within which these ideas and institutions function.

37.1 INTRODUCTION

Democracy is the watchword of the developing nations today. All shades of political opinions equally proclaim their adherence to it. However, in practice, it might mean quite different things to different classes, groups and parties. Thus, there is no one agreed definition of democracy. In .India too the ideas and institutions of democracy grew up in the context of different perceptions of different classes, groups and parties. The context of anti-colonial struggle and the post-independence developments gave these perceptions a definite direction.

37.2 THE CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY: A HISTORY

As a concept, the word democracy originated probably in the fifth century B.C. to describe the system of government found among few of the Greek City States. The translation of Greek word provides us with a basic definition of democracy as 'rule by' or 'of the people'.

In the modem context, these views were first revived and articulated in the early modem Europe as a critique of precapitalist ideology and rule. Seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe witnessed the emergence of capitalism and the erosion of the existing feudal order. It was during this period that revived democratic ideas acquired their conceptual apparatus and practical social meaning in the principles of liberalism.

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