[Points: When Independence came condition of the country at the time—background—credit side—debit side—conclusion.]
India won Independence on August 15, 1947. More than thirty-seven years have passed since then. So it is time to take stock of our achievements during this period. Before we take up the question, the background of the country's independence has to be considered. The land was then in a state of great turmoil. It was torn by bitter communal feelings; some of the important Native Princes were dreaming of their political. independence. The situation took a worse turn when the age long geographical entity of the country was ruptured by partition. There were horrible communal disturbances all over the land, and millions of shattered refugees were flying into India from their ancestral homes in pitiable conditions. All these had their inevitable effects on the country's economy. The refugee problem drained the treasury, while agriculture and industry were rotting in their old grooves. In short, India was in a state of near anarchy when she won her independence and for some time after it. In fact many outsiders believed that the country would go to pieces within a short period.
Thanks, however, to the genius of her people and her leaders, the country has not only survived but made tremendous advance in many respects. The most glorious achievement is that India is now an integrated whole, from the Himalaya to Cape Comorin. Our independence led to the independence of many other lands, but nowhere else is the government as democratically formed as in India. After independence we had several general elections based on adult franchise, and each election, peacefully conducted, resulted in on the formation of stable governments in the Centre and the States. In deed, India has justly 'won the admiration of the whole world as the largest democracy with a stable central government. Our policy of non-alignment and doctrine of peaceful co-existence are two great contributions to modern political history. The world at first laughed at these as too unrealistic; but everybody has now.come to realise their importance, Industrially too we have made great progress. Starting from scratch, the country is now humming with quite a number of steel and iron mills. There are several river valley projects to supply water and electricity to different parts; small and cottage industries also have been adding to the wealth of the country. India now produces railway locomotives, motor vehicles, aeroplanes, military tanks and many other things for which she had to depend entirely on imports in pre-independence days.
With all these achievements, there is one thing in which we are lagging behind. Rapid industrialisation and increase of popu lation have resulted in rise in prices. The position regarding the supply of food initially was precarious. In fact, the position would have been much more critical but for loan from foreign countries. No wonder that in the sufferings caused by these factors the common people forget the credit side, and there is great discontent among them. But the Government have become alive to the danger and have taken various measures to make the country self-sufficient in food in a few years. The food problem now has been removed from the crisis category.
