PROJECT ON

Nehru’s view on Democracy and Socialism

SUBMITTED TO: - Mrs. Anita Samal

(FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE)

SUBMITTED BY: - Swajeet Singh Ubeja

ROLL NO. : 159

SEMESTER I

DATE OF SUBMISSION:- 24/02/2014

HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

RAIPUR, C.G.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

At the outset, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thank my teacher, Mrs. Anita Samal for putting
her trust in me and giving me a project topic such as this and for having the faith in me to deliver. Ma’am, thank
you for an opportunity to help me grow. I would also like to express my gratitude to MY FRIENDS for THEIR
support and help.

My gratitude also goes out to the staff and administration of HNLU for the infrastructure in the form of our
library and IT Lab that was a source of great help for the completion of this project.

Swajeet Singh Ubeja

Semester – II
Roll no. – 159
Batch - 13

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT PAGE NO.

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 2

2. CERTIFICATE OF DECLARATION 4

3. OBJECTIVE AND HYPOTHESIS 5

4. INTRODUCTION 6

5. EVOLUTION OF NEHRU’S 8
POLITICAL IDEA

6. ROLE OF DEMOCRACY 9

7. THEORY OF SOCIALISM 10

8. THEORY OF DEMOCRATIC 11
SOCIALISM

9. INDIA AS DEMOCRATIC 12
SOCIALIST COUNTRY

10. CRITICISM 14

11. CONCLUSION 15

12. BIBLIOGRAPHY 18

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 OBJECTIVES

 To research the Jawaharlal Nehru’s idea on democracy and socialism.

 To research the background of his view

 From where he get to know bat it!!

 Why was he so concerned.

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  What was his ideas.

 How he wished to implement it in india nad why

 How it worked out

Hypothesis

 Jawaharlal Nehru was a supporter and believer of democracy and socialism and he advocated it for
Indian political system.

Research Methodology

The present study will be a descriptive and analytical study based on review of secondary sources such as
books, literature, articles, journals, web pages, etc.

Introduction

Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was a great Indian Democratic Socialist. The high ideals as of democracy socialism were
epitomized in him. History had selected India as one of democracy's and socialism's chief testing grounds.
Nehru played a India to meet this challenge. He was the harbinger of the socialist trend in Indian National
movement and, indeed was the instrumental in making India embark upon the path of socialism. He wanted to
achieve the objectives of socialism gradually within the democratic framework. He was one of the few who did
not take democracy for granted but sought to explain his conception and show how it could be implemented. In
this connection, he was very much influenced by the British socialists of his day. Nehru was very much moved
when he saw his countrymen suffering from poverty, ignorance and disease.

He thought socialism was one of the only panacea. He brought to bear this central problem his modern mind
and scientific temper. Scientific socialism, tempered by his intense humanism thus became his intellectual tool.
He was a practical idealist.

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Educated in England, he went to Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated in the Natural
Sciences. Returning to India he entered his father’s law practice. Mr. Nehru was a self educated man in Social
Sciences. This amalgam produced the scientific-humanist temper which characterised his philosophy of
Democratic Socialism.

Nehru’s Idea of Socialism

Nehru built his own idea of socialism during the freedom movement and applied it after the independence. His
idea of socialism was largely based on the democracy, economic factor and economic betterment of the masses,
greater equality of opportunity, social justice, more equitable of higher incomes generated through the
application of modern science and technology to the process of production, the ending of the acute social and
economic disparities generated by feudalism and capitalism, the application of the scientific approach to the
problem of society, ending of the acquisitive mentality, class distinction and class domination and supremacy of
the profit motive. He also believed that democracy and civil liberties had to be basic constituents of socialism
and were inseparable from it.
But the basic difference between him and the other socialist is that he did not want the socialist society through
violent means, he wanted the gradual, peaceful and step by step introduction of elements of socialism, with the
non-violent means to achieve socialist society.

In his youth, Nehru was drawn to British socialist ideas, at a time when, under the banner of the Fabian Society,
Shaw, Wells, the Webbs and others were preaching socialisation of essential services and basic industries
within the framework of parliamentary government, as the best means of eliminating poverty and ensuring work
for all. His attention was also drawn to the works of Marx and Lenin and to the practical achievements of the

Soviet Union. Nehru himself said, “ A study of Marx and Lenin produced a powerful effect on my mind and
helped me to see history and current affairs in a new light.” He also wrote: “ … the whole value of Marxism
seems to me to lie in its absence of dogmatism, in its stress on a certain outlook and mode of approach, and in
its attitude to action. That outlook helps us understanding the social phenomena of our own times, and points

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out the way of action and escape.” Nehru’s wide study of socialist literature made him think in terms of
adopting socialism to bring about economic development and social equality in India. His visit to the Soviet
Union with his father strengthened further his belief in socialism. However, he was horrified to see the violence
of Communism, although he believed that Capitalism also could be violent. He was deeply affected by the
spectacle of the coal strike in England in 1926 and the Great Depression of 1930’s. Somehow, these things and
many others have convinced him that uninterrupted economic progress was not possible under capitalism.

In Nehru’s scheme of Socialism, there was place for individual freedom, freedom for enterprise and possession
of private property on a restricted scale. For him there was no inherent contradiction between socialism and
individualism. He believed that democracy and socialism could co-exist.

Nehru’s Idea of Democracy

Pt. Nehru was a firm believer in the parliamentary democracy. He had full faith on the ruling party and healthy
opposition. He believed on universal adult suffrage for the success of democracy. For the success of
parliamentary democracy, he put emphasis on the rule of majority, methods of discussion, negotiation,
persuasion and so on.

Having observed the pitfalls of democracy he viewed that democracy will function smoothly in the free, equal
and classless society which provides equal opportunity of all. He had given integrated conception of political,
social and economic freedom which will only operate in a socialistic pattern of society.

Nehru as a Socialist Democrat before Independence

Nehru's political career began in 1919 when he and his father joined the Civil Disobedience

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movement. Thereafter, he played a role in the independence second only to that of Gandhi whom was the
lifelong disciple and follower despite frequent policy differences. Keeping in mind the prevailing climate of
opinion of national independence and his abundant faith in socialism, Nehru once said, “ Political freedom and
independence were no doubt essential, but they were steps only in the right direction. Without social freedom
and a socialistic structure of society and the State, neither the country nor the individual could develop much.”

In 1928, addressing U.P. Political Conference, Nehru said: “We can no longer make any progress by the cry of
Swaraj only. We must make it clear that we aim at economic and social swaraj as well as political and for this
purpose we must lay down a definite economic and social programme”.

When the All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C.) met in Bombay in the month of May, 1929, the committee
resolved it to be essential “to make revolutionary changes in the present economic and social structure of the
society and to remove gross inequalities in order to remove poverty and misery and to ameliorate the condition
of Indian masses.” Nehru has a hand in making the Committee to commit itself to this.

Nehru became the Congress President for the first time in 1929. In December, 1929, in the Lahore session of
Congress, he took rather a bold step to declare, “ I must frankly confess that I am a socialist… we must realize
that the philosophy of socialism has gradually permeated the entire structure of society the world over and
almost the only points in dispute are the pace and the methods of advance to its full realization. India will have
to go that way, too, if she seeks to end her poverty and inequality, though she may evolve her own methods and
may adopt the ideal to the genius of her race.”

.
. More to fill here??
[ I was using
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/41854092.pdf?acceptTC=true&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
to write this section ]
.

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In 1936 Congress Session in Lucknow, Nehru said that he is a socialist not in a vague humanitarian way but in a
scientific economic sense; and he also wanted to build a new social order on co-operative, classless and
democratic sense. His statement led to controversies and several members resigned from Congress Working
Committee. He realised the rick; and after 1936, he was reluctant to make such statements. But his socialism
was alive with his commitment towards democracy; because it is considered that the democracy and socialism
are inescapable constraints of each other. In his Presidential address he minced no words and was crystal clear.
“I see no way of ending the poverty, the vast unemployment, the degradation, and the subjection of the Indian
people except through socialism. That involves vast and revolutionary changes in our political and social
structure, the ending of vested interest in land and industry.”

Socialism to Nehru has become a gospel of economic and social justice. “Socialism is thus for me not merely an
economic doctrine which I favour; it is a vital creed which I hold with all my head and heart. I work for Indian
Independence because the nationalist in me cannot tolerate alien domination; I work for it even more because
for me it is the inevitable step to social and economic change. I should like the Congress to become a socialist
organization.”

.
.
.
[ Please see this:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/41854294.pdf?acceptTC=true&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
If more text is needed in section above ^ , use this]

Socialism and Democracy and the Making of Constitution

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Nehru was a democrat out and out. But he knew that India was a country of poverty and abysmal poverty. The
people were illiterate too. In this context, it was a Herculean task to improve the lot of the people within the
minimum time without resorting to coercive methods. If there was no quick development in the standard of
living of the people, democracy in India was at stake.

He knew, “Hungry men think more often through their stomachs than through their minds, and a loaf of bread
means more to a beggar than the freedom to express his opinion.” Nehru categorically declared, “No democracy
can exist for long in the midst of want and poverty and inequality.” He had great love for democracy but
democracy without socialism meant little to him. The problem before him as has been rightly put by Jayprakash
Narain was, “In the field of practice of society as to abolish exploitation, inequality and injustice on the one
hand, and preserve on the other, individual freedom and efficiency.” With Nehru equality and liberty always
went together. He was specially interested in the drafting of the Directive Principles, since it had always been an
article of faith with him that political democracy was incomplete without economic and social democracy.
Nehru proceeded boldly to work for a Democratic Socialist State.

During the constituent assembly debate, socialism had the impact on assembly and Nehru was one of the
influential members who supported the idea of socialism. Although Patel, Prasad and Azad were committed
only to effective government, but Nehru was more concerned with the Indian social problem and development.
He has especial attachment with his idea of socialism, which influenced the constituent assembly to become
more bias towards socialism. However there are other member in constituent assembly, who had the socialist
view, for example K.T. Shah; but they are not as influential as Nehru, who was also in the oligarchy of the
constituent assembly.

After Independence and Nehru’s Idea of Socialism and Democracy

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Nehru had, before the Indian National Congress and the country, the vision of a free and prosperous India in
which people would have the opportunity to live a full life. His concept of planned economic growth was meant
to this social end.

After Nehru came to power, he renewed his interest in planning for welfare, and the Planning Commission was
created in March, 1950 with Nehru as its Chairman. Later he became the pivot around which the Cabinet, the
Planning Commission and the National Development Council revolved. Not the least important was his role as
a liaison between the planners and the people. Nehru was the most effective salesman of planning in the country
as a whole. One of his major contributions was spreading the gospel that planning was the key to welfare.
He tried for a planned economic development with a bias for pragmatic rather than doctrinaire socialism. He
and his colleagues had launched the most ambitious scheme of economic and social development, India has
ever known, embodied in three Five Year Plans.

In the First Five Year Plan and in the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1948, the socialism was not the primary
thing, but emphasis was given on the expansion of production. During this period many industries were left
with private sector, and the public sector has given small percentage of industries.
But at the meeting of Avadi in 1955, the resolution of Indian National Congress acknowledged that the
“planning should take place with a view to the establishment of a Socialistic pattern of society, where the
principal means of production are under social ownership or control, production is progressively speeded up and
there is equitable distribution of the national wealth”. And after his resolution Nehru slightly moved toward his
idea of socialism, which is democratic, liberal and for economic betterment of the masses. The terms ‘socialistic
pattern of society’ indicate that the Congress has officially accepted the socialism. And later in Second and
Third Five Year Plans, Nehru included adopted this socialistic approach. He brought many social reforms,
which can be considered as welfare state activities. He also brought labour legislations and equitable
distribution of tax and excise policy. And with these developments in policy Nehru move India towards mixed
economy and Nehru’s own understanding of socialism, which was based on democracy, economic development
and civil liberties.

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Under his leadership Zamindari was abolished, far-reaching land reforms were organized, basic industries were
nationalized, the public sector was given pre-eminent position in the Five Year plans, the state encouraged the
Cooperatives and cooperative farming and there was progressive taxation. The Plan became an instrument to
raise the standard of living of the people, to reduce economic disparity among the people and open out to the
people new opportunities for a richer, fuller and happier life. Thus Nehru had set before the country the
inspiring objective of a socialist and democratic society not through violence or revolution but through
persuasion and reasoning.

Important features of Nehru’s Socialist Democracy

Features of the socialistic pattern of society:

For the promotion of freedom, a socialistic pattern of society is indispensable. It should involve the features like
removal of poverty; reduction of inequalities of income and wealth; provision of equal opportunities to all;
check on concentration of economic power, curbing monopolistic tendencies; democratic values, mixed
economy etc.

In his words: "I gazed at the millions of friendly eyes that looked at me and I tried to understand what lay
behind them. The more I saw of India the more I felt how little I know of her infinite charm and variety." Being
halted by plights of the teeming millions of Indian people, Nehru adopted a socialistic pattern of society.

Peaceful solution to class conflict:

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In a democratic-socialistic set-up, Nehru opined that class conflict should be ended by peaceful solution. He
never believed in the Marxian idea of class struggle or communist-policy of 'ruthless suppression'. On a
democratic set-up, due caution should be taken to put an end to the class conflicts inside the society.

Social development through planning:

Nehru thought to bring all-around development of the society through planning. lt will help in eliminating
poverty and achieving social justice for the masses. By planning, he wanted to raise national income and to
spend them in productive channels for the improvement of the lot of the poor people of India.

The First Five Year Plan (1951-56), the Second Five Year Plan (1956-61) and the Third Five Year Plan (1961 -
66) galvanized Nehru's democratic socialism.

Public sector vis-a-vis private sector:

Nehru wanted to achieve far reaching consequences in the field of democratic socialism. So, he put emphasis on
'Mixed Economy'.

For the improvement of the economic condition of India, Nehru wanted a close collaboration of private sector
with public sector. He further wanted the development of human resources for achieving this end. By following
the idea of 'Mixed Economy', he wanted massive industrialization in the nook and corner of India.

Cooperative movement:

For the success of democratic socialism, Nehru put emphasis on the cooperative movement in India. He rejected
the trusteeship idea of Gandhi and viewed that the wealthy persons should own the factories etc. and the poor
will work there.

The State should come to help for maintaining these factories etc. granting loan. That will be possible through
cooperative societies. So, he conjured the vision of a modern India which will maintain a primary school, a
Panchayat and cooperative society.

By instituting democratic socialism, Nehru adopted a middle path between capitalism and communism. So, he
preached democratic socialism.

In his words, I must frankly confess that I am a socialist and a republican and I am no believer in king's
industry, who has greater power over the lives and fortunes of men.”

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Criticism of Nehru’s Approaches (not good.. edit it)

C.P. Bhambhri in his book ‘Indian Policies Since Independence’ shows a doubt that whether the Nehru’s
policies as socialist in nature or not. It is right that there are few policies of Nehru’s policies, which is not in the
scope of socialism. Property Relation, Mixed Economy, rejection of bank nationalization, rejection of ceiling on
wealth was the some of them. It was expected that Nehru bring radical changes in these areas and completely
rejected those policies which are against socialism.
His policy of Mixed Economy cannot fall in the scope of socialism. Under the mixed economy, capitalism is
strengthened and encouraged in his government. Although he nationalized the Imperial Bank of India and life
insurance companies, he nationalized very few banks and he did not nationalized banks in bulk, which was later
done by his daughter Indira Gandhi.
After Independence and after First Five Year Plan, he was criticised for not giving so much importance to
socialism. Socialist outside the Congress Party were criticized Nehru for his approach towards socialism and
they said that Nehru had betrayed the roots of socialism.
But one thing critics did not see that, Nehru was not interested in applying the true doctrinal socialism, but he
believe in empirical socialism, which he want to establish through democratic means and not through violent
revolution. Nehru also recognized that Indian society of that days was not ready to accept features of socialist
society, especially Congress Party itself is not fully socialist, that was the one more reason that he did not only
stick to the doctrines of socialism but he applied the socialism in more practical way and he planned the policy
of public sector and cooperative system in village in such a way that ultimately it would result as socialist
society. And after 1955 he shifted his policies towards his idea of socialism.
He also has the fear of the rise of fascism under influence of strict application of socialism, when societal
consensus is absent. Nehru also shown his fear in the letter which he wrote to Jayaprakash Narayan in 1948, in
this letter he said “an attempt at premature leftism may well lead to reaction or disruption”. So the fear of
fascism was one more reason that he applied modified and empirical form of his socialism.

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Conclusion ( this is not good.. edit it)

It could be said here that the socialist ideal was incorporated in the successive Five Year Plans during Nehru's
regime. If socialism envisages the control of the means of production by the State to a large extent, Nehru made
India a Socialist State. He made India more Socialist than Democratic. He was chiefly responsible even in
regulating the economic growth of the Private Sector. In this Sector, nothing moves without the sanction and
approval of the State. Therefore, in effect, socialist ideals of Nehru have taken practical shape "and socialism is
in performance" in the Public Sector. If performance has not been satisfactory, the blame cannot be laid at the
door of "socialist ideal" or lack of it. It must be laid at the door of the democratic machinery that is charged with
the implementation of the policy or the ideal. It would not be wrong to say that Nehru was a practical idealist
and that is not mutually contradictory.

Although in the initial year of Nehru’s government he could not support his idea of socialism, but in later year
especially after the 1955 Avadi resolution, he brought his understanding to socialism, which led India towards
Mixed Economy and Welfare State.
It would be wrong to say that Nehru has not play much important role to develop the concept of Indian
Socialism. Nehru was criticised for not supporting socialism after independence. But that was not the right time
to introduce such system to India. At that time India was facing many problems, India need strong and stable
economy and unity amongst Indians. Nehru rightly introduce socialism after 1955 Avadi resolution, because
from that point of time India was much stable than time of independence.
After 1955, his policies led India toward Mixed Economy, where government also play much importance in
economy. And this also incorporated the features of democracy, economic betterment of the masses, greater
equality of opportunity, social justice and liberty, which are the basic feature of Nehru’s Idea of socialism.
Indian Government still follows his understanding of socialism.
On the analysis of Nehru’s effort in the pre-independence era, in the making of constitution and post-
independence era, it would be better to say that Nehru is the father of Indian Socialism.

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Read more: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/politics/nehrus-contribution-to-socialism-in-india-politics-
essay.php#ixzz2uGFKc59t

CONCLUSION

Thus theory of natural rights, though has a lot of historical significance yet remains an ambiguous
theory. This project basically clears out for us the meaning of the Natural rights and its distinction from Human
and legal rights. We also understood that Natural rights are not the same as Human rights and that they are
inalienable i.e those which cannot be taken away from an individual at any cost and are universal in nature. We
also got to know about the various thinkers who supported the Theory of Natural Tradition of Rights such as
Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Paine while there were others while there were against the theory or rather did
not believe in this theory such as the utilitarian criticism by Bentham. We also learned about the important role
natural rights played in the American and French Revolution which kind of indirectly directs to the significance
of the Natural rights.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS,
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  O.P Gauba, An Introduction to Political Theory, 5th edition

 Rajeev Bhargava and Ashok Acharya, Political Theory an Introduction

WEBLIOGRAPHY

 http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/revolution/section4.rhtml

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rights

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_and_legal_rights

 http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/index.html

 http://www.heritage.org/Are_Human_Rights_the_Same_as_Natural_Rights

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment

 http://suite101.com/article/Brief_history_of _natural_law

 http://politicsandprosperity.wordpress.com/

 http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/philosophy/

 file:///I:/wiki/Human_Rights

 http://socyberty.com/tag/Locke and hobbes: Natural Rights/

 http://jim.com/_Locke_versus_Hobbes

 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-political/

 http://www.panix.com/Locke_on_Natural_Law_Natural_Rights_and_Property

 http://www.holisticpolitics.org/NaturalRights/

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