📘 Class 12 Political Science – Chapter 5
🌟 Challenges to and Restoration of Congress System
1️⃣ Challenge of Political Succession (उत्तराधिकार की चुनौती)
- 🕊️ Nehru’s death (1964): His death created speculation (अटकलें) about succession. The 1960s were called the “Dangerous Decade” due to multiple challenges and unresolved (असुलझे) problems.
- 👤 Lal Bahadur Shastri as PM: Chosen unanimously (सर्वसम्मति से) as leader of Congress Parliamentary Party.
- ⚔️ Major Challenges during Shastri Era (1964–66):
- Severe food crisis (खाद्य संकट)
- 1965 war with Pakistan
- His famous slogan: “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” → symbolised India’s determination.
- ⚰️ Shastri’s sudden death (1966): Led to intense competition (कड़ा मुकाबला) between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. Senior Congress leaders supported Indira Gandhi.
2️⃣ Fourth General Elections, 1967
- 📌 Considered a landmark year in India’s political history.
- 📈 Economic problems: Price rise (मूल्य वृद्धि), food scarcity (अनाज की कमी), protests by people.
- ✊ Left-wing movements: Communists & Socialists launched struggles for greater equality.
- ⚠️ Riots: Worst Hindu–Muslim riots since Independence were witnessed.
3️⃣ Non-Congressism (गैर-कांग्रेसीवाद)
- ✋ Opposition parties organised public protests and pressurised the government.
- 💡 They felt Indira Gandhi’s inexperience + Congress internal splits gave them a chance.
- 🗣️ Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia named this strategy “Non-Congressism”.
4️⃣ Electoral Verdict (चुनावी फैसला)
- 🗳️ Fourth General Elections (Feb 1967) → Results shocked Congress.
- 🌍 It was called a “Political Earthquake” (राजनीतिक भूकंप) as Congress lost power in many states.
5️⃣ Coalitions (गठबंधन सरकारें)
- 👫 Since no single party had majority, non-Congress parties formed coalitions.
- In states, these were called Samyukt Vidhayak Dal (United Legislators’ Front).
6️⃣ Defection (दलबदल)
- 🔄 Meaning: When an elected representative leaves the party (जिसके प्रतीक पर चुना गया था) and joins another party.
- 🗯️ This frequent shifting was called “Aya Ram, Gaya Ram”.
1️⃣ Split in the Congress (कांग्रेस में विभाजन)
- 🗳️ After the 1967 elections, Congress witnessed a major split due to internal differences.
- ⚔️ The key tussle was Indira Gandhi vs. the Syndicate.
2️⃣ Indira vs. the Syndicate (सिंडिकेट)
- Syndicate: A group of powerful & influential Congress leaders.
- Challenges faced by Indira Gandhi:
- To establish independence from the Syndicate.
- To regain the political ground Congress had lost in 1967.
3️⃣ Presidential Election, 1969 (राष्ट्रपति चुनाव)
- 🏛️ After President Zakir Hussain’s death (1969), the post fell vacant.
- Syndicate supported: N. Sanjeeva Reddy (official Congress candidate).
- Indira supported: V. V. Giri (independent candidate).
- 💡 Indira’s bold moves:
- Nationalisation (राष्ट्रीयकरण) of 14 leading private banks.
- Abolition (उन्मूलन) of ‘Privy Purse’ (राजाओं को मिलने वाली निजी पेंशन).
- ⚠️ These moves created sharp differences with Morarji Desai.
- 🏆 Defeat of official candidate → Formal split in Congress.
4️⃣ The 1971 Election & Restoration of Congress (1971 का चुनाव और पुनर्स्थापना)
🔹 The Contest (प्रतिस्पर्धा)
- Non-Congress, non-Communist opposition parties formed Grand Alliance.
- Opposition slogan → “Indira Hatao”.
- Indira Gandhi’s counter slogan → “Garibi Hatao” (Remove Poverty).
- 👉 Indira’s strategy: Build an independent nationwide political base.
🔹 The Outcome (परिणाम)
- 🏆 Congress (R)–CPI alliance won a landslide victory:
- 375 seats in Lok Sabha.
- Secured 48.4% votes.
- Congress (R) alone: 352 seats + ~44% votes.
- ❌ Grand Alliance → A grand failure, winning less than 40 seats.
5️⃣ Restoration (पुनर्स्थापना)
- ✨ Indira Gandhi re-invented the Congress into a new, centralised party.
- She gained unprecedented political authority (अभूतपूर्व राजनीतिक शक्ति).
- ⚠️ However, space for democratic expression shrank.
- Popular unrest & protests around development & economic deprivation continued to grow.
✨ Facts that Matter
- Death of Nehru & Dangerous Decade (1964)
- Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964.
- 1960s were labelled as “Dangerous Decade” due to issues like → poverty (गरीबी), inequality (असमानता), communal & regional divisions.
- Fear: Democracy might fail or even India’s disintegration.
- Shastri’s Era (1964–66)
- Challenges:🔹 Economic Crisis → Indo-China War (1962), Indo-Pak War (1965).🔹 Failed Monsoons, droughts & food crisis.
- Slogan: “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” (hail the soldier, hail the farmer).
- Succession Crisis after Shastri (1966)
- After Shastri’s death → power struggle between Morarji Desai & Indira Gandhi.
- Resolved by secret ballot among Congress MPs.
- Indira Gandhi won → Peaceful transfer of power = Sign of Maturity of Indian Democracy.
- Devaluation of Rupee (1967)
- Govt. devalued Indian Rupee → $1 = ₹5 became $1 = ₹7+.
- Result: Price rise (महँगाई), unemployment (बेरोज़गारी), protests.
- Even socialist & communist parties joined protests demanding greater equality.
- Birth of Non-Congressism
- Devaluation decision gave birth to Non-Congressism (anti-Congress fronts with different ideologies).
- Claimed as necessary for democracy.
- 4th General Elections (1967)
- First time → Congress faced major defeat.
- Leaders like K. Kamraj (TN), S.K. Patil (MH), Atulya Ghosh (WB), K.B. Sahay (Bihar) lost.
- For the first time → non-Congress coalition governments formed in many states.
- Termed as “Political Earthquake”.
- Coalition Politics (1967 onwards)
- Coalitions formed under Samyukt Vidhayak Dal (SVD).
- In Bihar → SSP + PSP + CPI (left) + Jana Sangh (right).
- In Punjab → United Front (two rival Akali parties together).
- Indira Gandhi vs Syndicate (Post-1967)
- Challenge: Free herself from Syndicate (powerful party bosses) & regain support.
- Adopted bold strategy → turned it into an ideological struggle.
- Launched Ten Point Programme (1967):
- Social control of banks
- Nationalisation of General Insurance
- Ceiling on property & income
- Land reforms
- Public distribution of food grains
- The Syndicate
- Informal group of senior Congress leaders: K. Kamraj, S.K. Patil, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, Atulya Ghosh.
- Controlled party organisation, ministerial council, and policies.
- After split → Congress (O) vs Congress (R).
- Congress Split (1969)
- Conflict on Presidential election candidate.
- Indira supported V.V. Giri, Syndicate supported N. Sanjeeva Reddy.
- Giri won → Formal split into:
- Congress (O) → Old Congress (Organisation).
- Congress (R) → New Congress (Requisitionists).
- Grand Alliance vs Indira Gandhi
- Congress (O) + SSP + PSP + Bharatiya Jana Sangh + Swatantra Party + Bharatiya Kranti Dal = Grand Alliance.
- Common slogan → “Indira Hatao” (Remove Indira).
- Indira’s Counter: Garibi Hatao (1971)
- Indira’s slogan: “Garibi Hatao” (Remove Poverty).
- Support base: landless labourers, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, women, youth.
- Focus: Public sector growth, land reforms, urban property ceiling, social justice.
- Result → Independent nationwide support base.
- Reinventing Congress
- Indira Gandhi didn’t revive old Congress system.
- She reinvented it → new popular party accommodating poor, women, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities.
- Thus, Congress system was restored but in a new form.
📝 Words that Matter
- Defection (दलबदल): When an elected representative leaves his party & joins another.
- Non-Congressism: Anti-Congress front formed by various parties with different ideologies.
- Congress (O): Old Congress led by Syndicate (Organisation).
- Congress (R): New Congress led by Indira Gandhi (Requisitionists).
- Grand Alliance: Anti-Indira alliance of SSP, PSP, Jana Sangh, Swatantra Party, B.K.D.
- Syndicate: Group of powerful Congress leaders controlling party & govt.
- Ten Point Programme (1967): Indira’s reforms → Bank control, Land reforms, Insurance nationalisation, etc.
- Devaluation (मुद्रा अवमूल्यन): Reduction in exchange rate of currency.
- Political Earthquake: 1967 elections outcome shaking Congress dominance.
