Question

Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.

Answer 1

There were three major problems which India faced at the time of independence

• Problems of refugees and princely states
• Problem of development due to large population
• Problem of unity due to diverse population

Problem of Refugees and Princely States

• Due to independence and partition of India in August 1947, 8 million refugees came to India after fleeing from Pakistan.
• These people needed jobs, and homes for their survival.
• There were 500 princely states which were ruled by a Nawab or Maharaja. They had to be persuaded to join India.
• The problems of princely states and refugees had to be addressed quickly and in the long term a political system had to be adopted to serve expectations and hopes of its population.

Problem of Development – Large Population

• Majority of people lived in the villages when India attained independence.
• For the survival of peasants and farmers, they had to completely depend on the monsoon.
• If the crops failed, then even the non-farming activities in the rural economy would be affected, for example income of weavers, carpenters, barbers and other services.
• In the cities there were other problems such as factory workers having to live in slums, with little access to healthcare and education.
• India had to face the problem of creating new industries which could provide jobs, increasing the productivity in the agriculture sector and bringing the masses out of poverty.

Problem of Unity

• Indian population at the time of independence was massive which stood at 345 million.
• There were divisions between different people following different religions.
• There were divisions between people of low caste and upper caste.
• There were many people following different religions, professions, speaking different languages, following different cultures, wearing different kinds of clothes etc.
• Making all these people living in unity in one nation was a herculean task.
• If the fruits of economic development did not precipitate between cities and villages, between rich and poor, between different regions that were prosperous and not prosperous, between people following different religions, then it would have been difficult for the nation to stay united.