History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c96.s2.16

v7.c96.s2.16

There are substantial achievements to the credit of present India and its leaders during the last 14 years after Independence. Some of them may be very succinctly stated here: (1) The production of a comprehensive democratic constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech and worship, freedom of the Press, protection of the rights of minorities, equality of all before the law, equality of status to women, independent judiciary; (2) Abolition of untouchability (Art. 17). (3) political integration of India without any violence, as the five hundred and odd States (except only three), that comprised nearly 1/3rd of the total land area of India and 1/4th of the population, patriotically accepted a merger of the States in the Indian Republic (Shri V. P. Menon's 'Story of the Integration of States'), (4) Reorganization of India into 15 States and six Union Territories based mostly on linguistic unity and administrative convenience, (5) holding two elections on the basis of adult suffrage, viz. every person 2637b (male or female) who is a citizen of India, is twenty-one years of age and not disqualified under the constitution or any other law, has a right to be registered as a voter at elections to the House of the people and to the Legislative Assemblies of States (Art 326); (6) Socialistic pattern of society as the goal (Art. 38, 39), (7) Two five year plans have been carried out and a third Five Year Plan has been set on foot (under Schedule VII, list III, item 20). The creation of a democratic republic was something that India had not been acquainted with for at least twelve centuries (even if ganaṛājyas were held to be republics and not merely oligarchies). From Ṛgvedic times there was a hereditary monarchical form of rule. Vide Ṛg. VII. 33.3 and 5, VII. 83. 7-8, where the battle of ten kings (daśa rājānaḥ) with king Sudās is mentioned; vide also the story of Devāpi and Śantanu in Ṛg. X. 98 expanded in Nirukta II. 10-12.