Read the passage and answer the questions below : ... Indira Gandhi changed the Congress into highly centralised and undemocratic party organisation, from the earlier federal, democratic and ideological formation that Nehru had led.....But this ... could not have happened had not Indira Gandhi changed the entire nature of politics. This new. populist politics turned political ideology ....... into a mere electoral discourse, use of various slogans not meant to be translated into government policies ...... During its great electoral victories in early 1970s, amidst the celebration, the Congress party as a political organisation died................—Sudipta Kaviraj
(a) What according to the author is the difference between the strategies of Nehru and Indira Gandhi ?

(b) Why does the author say that the Congress party ‘died’ in the seventies ?

(c) In what way, did the change in the Congress party affect other political parties also ?

Solution

(a) The difference between the strategies of Nehru and Indira Gandhi is that earlier the Congress was federal, democratic and ideological formation but Indira Gandhi changed it into highly centralised and undemocratic party organisation.

(b) The Congress ‘died’ because it was no more a federal, democratic and ideological formation. On the other hand, the entire nature of politics had been changed by Indira Gandhi. Now populist politics turned political ideology where slogan merely translated into government policies.

(c)The other parties too become centralised like congress. As in the Congress, the Party Presidents in the regional political parties started assuming all political authority.The parties became undemocratic because organisational elections were rarely held.

Some More Questions From Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress system Chapter

What were the factors which led to the popularity of Indira Gandhi’s Government in the early 1970s ?

What does the term ‘syndicate’ mean in the context of the Congress party of the sixties ? What role did the Syndicate play in the Congress party ?

Discuss the major issue which led to the formal split of the Congress Party in 1969.