Seventy years ago, on August 15, 1957, Jawaharlal Nehru’s voice resonated among crowds of eager people. They had waited for far too long for the one thing that they had craved — Independence. And on that iconic night, Nehru uttered the words that would be remememered by generations to come — “ Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”
Seven decades later, a look at some of the most important developments of each decade that has passed since the Independence, as picked out by our readers.
S.R. Subramanian, retired TATA Steel employee, Jamshedpur
Born: November 29, 1947
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru signing the Third Five Year Plan at Yojana Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 03, 1961. Gulzari Lal Nanda (left) and Morarji Desai are also seen. Photo: The Hindu Archives
One of the major developments I can think of are the Five-Year Plans (FYPs). introduced in 1951 by independent India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The First Five-Year Plan was extremely important because it played a great role in initiating development after independence. Not only did it support agricultural production, it also led to industrialisation. Many industrial estates were introduced across the country — Madras and Faridabad, to name a few... and this provided employment for several people.
Kavita Kane, author, Pune
Born: August 5, 1966
WEILDING POWER: Indira Gandhi with congressmen.
I was fortunate to miss the bleak days of the Chinese invasion, Shastri’s unexpected death, the rise of Indira Gandhi to power and the later days of prohibitions and control that defined the 60s — only to rudely wake up to the 70s and the darker days of the Emergency.
December 19, 1961, saw Goa being“liberated”, when the Indian Army ousted the Portuguese. It was a significantly proud and tearful moment, especially for my parents, both Goans, and for many families from this tiny emerald territory to be absorbed at last, into the Indian union. For the first time in 400 years, India was completely free from the yoke of foreign colonial domination.
Malavika Ramanujam, architect, Bengaluru
Born: June 3, 1971
The first time I remember hearing about leaders being jailed was during the Emergency. It was imposed on June 25, 1975, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi passed an ordinance about the state in danger. Fundamental rights were suspended, politicians were arrested, and censorship was imposed on the media.
We lived in a socially vibrant community, and late one evening, after my Kathak class, my parents were discussing the authoritarian rule, arrests of political leaders and the public. Later, again, I had heard of an official ban on Kishore Kumar’s songs.
I sense that there are many points that we, as Indians, have picked up from the Emergency. We have had fewer long strikes since the largest strike by the employees of the Indian Railways. In 1974, when 17 lakh workers of Indian Railways went on a 20-day strike and it was suppressed by the prime minister.
Indira Gandhi’s 20 point programme was introduced — its basic objective was to eradicate poverty and to improve the quality of life of the poor and the underprivileged. The programme covers various socio-economic aspects. It has since then, been renamed, revamped and monitored now.
But the question remains — did the Emergency sow the seeds for political dynasties? Did it pave the way for politicians who enjoy being in power without being accountable?
Rumana Ahamed, Mysuru
Born: February 7, 1979
25 Jun 1983: Kapil Dev of India lifts the Cricket World Cup after his team beat the West Indies at Lords in the final.
My earliest memory of cheering for our country was when we won the cricket world cup in 1983. The Indian team beat West Indies and went on to win the coveted trophy. Though I was only four, not old enough to understand the intricacies involved in the game, I still knew enough to feel the tension. I remember being elated when we won. We have a long way to go in terms of encouraging those who are talented, but effort has definitely been taken in this direction — the number of sports leagues that have come up — from the Pro Kabaddi League, the Indian Premiere League, Indian Wrestling League, Indian Badminton League, and more — bear testimony to this.
Kassandra Rasquina, Chennai
Born: November 1, 1992
Pakistani paramilitary forces crossed the de facto border between India and Pakistan, which resulted in the Kargil War of 1999. Even as a seven-year-old, I distinctly remember the innumerable collection drives and fund raisers organised for the Indian soldiers and their families, the awards announced for the brave who sacrificed their lives, and of course, India's young, but powerful, media empire giving us a live telecast of the casualties and controversies. Nineteen years later, India still has several lessons to be learnt from the war. But its decision not to fight back at the time resulted in a greater diplomatic win than the war itself, as the move strengthened Indo-US ties and gained worldwide goodwill for India.
Lakshmi Iyengar, IX, Srivani Public school,Bengaluru
Born: August 6, 2003
AT SRIHARIKOTA: Chandrayaan-1 blazing a trail.
The launch of Chandrayaan-1, between 2000 and 2010, was one of the major developments in India. When the U.S. first sent a manned mission to the moon, it was found to be bare, dusty, filled with craters — indeed a harsh place for humans. The Chandrayaan-1 launched on October 22, 2008 using (PSLV-C11), established the presence of ice water on the moon. It has enabled scientists to study the interaction between solar, wind and planetary bodies like the moon without a magnetic field. It has detected titanium, confirmed the presence of calcium, gathered accurate measurements of magnesium, aluminium and iron on the lunar surface. Successful realisation of this mission has led to all-round development in satellite technology, setting up communication, navigation and control systems for going beyond the geostationary orbit.
Sudhanshu VijayMalthankar, II A, DAV Public School, Thane
Born: December 16, 2010
A lot has happened in our country. But what I remember is the introduction of International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015. Yoga has been a part of our country for many centuries and its important for balanced and healthy life. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of a day dedicated to yoga. It has brought together people from all walks of life.
