Passage Based Questions: Era of One Party Dominance | Political Science Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Passage - 1

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.

It was not just the size of the country and the electorate that made this election unusual. The first general election was also the first big test of democracy in a poor and illiterate country. Till then democracy had existed only in the prosperous countries, mainly in Europe and North America, where nearly everyone was literate. By that time many countries in Europe had not given voting rights to all women.

Q1: What made the first general election in India unusual in terms of its scale and significance?
Ans:

• The first general election in India was unique due to its sheer size, involving a massive electorate in a diverse and vast country.
• It was the first major test of democracy in a country characterized by poverty and low literacy levels, distinguishing it from democracies in more affluent and educated regions.

Q2: Where had democracy primarily existed before India's first general election, and what distinguished India from these regions in terms of democracy?
Ans:

• Democracy had predominantly existed in prosperous countries, mainly in Europe and North America, where the majority of the population was literate.
• India's uniqueness lay in the fact that it was one of the first countries with a significant democratic experiment in the global South, where illiteracy was prevalent.

Q3: What additional aspect of democracy in Europe is mentioned in the passage, particularly concerning voting rights?
Ans:

• The passage notes that, at the time of India's first general election, many countries in Europe had not yet granted voting rights to all women, indicating another dimension of the evolution of democracy in different parts of the world.

Passage - 2

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The elections had to be postponed twice and finally held from October 1951 to February 1952. But this election is referred to as the 1952 election since most parts of the country voted in January 1952. It took six months for the campaigning, polling and counting to be completed. Elections were competitive – there were on an average more than four candidates for each seat. The level of participation was encouraging — more than half the eligible voters turned out to vote on the day of elections. When the results were declared these were accepted as fair even by the losers. The Indian experiment had proved the critics wrong. The Times of India held that the polls have “confounded all those sceptics who thought the introduction of adult franchise too risky an experiment in this country”. 

Q1: Why is the first general election in India often referred to as the "1952 election" despite taking place over several months?
Ans:

• The first general election in India, held from October 1951 to February 1952, is commonly referred to as the "1952 election" because the majority of the country voted in January 1952.

Q2: How would you describe the competitive nature of the 1952 election, and what was the level of voter participation?
Ans:

• The 1952 election was competitive, featuring an average of more than four candidates for each seat.
• Voter participation was encouraging, with more than half of the eligible voters turning out to vote on election day.

Q3: How did the results of the 1952 election challenge the initial skepticism, and how were they received by the public, including the losing parties?
Ans:

• The results of the 1952 election were accepted as fair, even by the political parties that did not win.
• The success of the election defied the critics who initially thought that introducing adult franchise in India was too risky, and it was seen as a positive experiment in the country's democratic journey.

Passage - 3

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The Congress scored big victory in those elections as well. It won a majority of seats in all the states except Travancore-Cochin (part of today’s Kerala), Madras and Orissa. Finally even in these states the Congress formed the government. So the party ruled all over the country at the national and the state level. As expected, Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister after the first general election. 

Q1: Which political party secured a significant victory in the first general election in India, and where did it not win a majority of seats?
Ans:

• The Indian National Congress achieved a major victory in the first general election.
• It did not secure a majority of seats in the states of Travancore-Cochin, Madras, and Orissa.

Q2: Despite not winning a majority of seats in certain states, how did the Congress manage to form governments in those regions?
Ans:

• Even in the states where the Congress did not win a majority of seats, the party was able to form the government, consolidating its rule over the entire country.

Q3: Who became the Prime Minister of India after the first general election, and was this outcome expected?
Ans:

• Jawaharlal Nehru assumed the role of Prime Minister after the first general election.
• Yes, the victory of Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress party in the election, and his appointment as Prime Minister, were expected outcomes.

Passage - 4

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The socialists believed in the ideology of democratic socialism which distinguished them both from the Congress as well as from the Communists. They criticised the Congress for favouring capitalists and landlords and for ignoring the workers and the peasants. But the socialists faced a dilemma when in 1955 the Congress declared its goal to be the socialist pattern of society. Thus it became difficult for the socialists to present themselves as an effective alternative to the Congress. Some of them, led by Rammanohar Lohia, increased their distance from and criticism of the Congress party. Some others like Asoka Mehta advocated a limited cooperation with the Congress.

Q1: How did the ideology of democratic socialism set the socialists apart from both the Congress and the Communists in India?
Ans:

• The socialists in India adhered to the ideology of democratic socialism, which distinguished them from both the Congress and the Communists.
• They criticized the Congress for being pro-capitalist and pro-landlord, arguing that it neglected the interests of workers and peasants.

Q2: What dilemma did the socialists face in 1955, and how did this affect their positioning in Indian politics?
Ans:

• In 1955, the Congress declared its goal to establish a socialist pattern of society.
• This declaration created a dilemma for the socialists, making it challenging for them to present themselves as a distinct and effective alternative to the Congress.

Q3: How did some prominent socialist leaders, like Rammanohar Lohia and Asoka Mehta, respond to the Congress's shift towards socialism?
Ans:

• Rammanohar Lohia and some other socialist leaders distanced themselves from the Congress and increased their criticism of the party.
• In contrast, individuals like Asoka Mehta advocated limited cooperation with the Congress, reflecting a divergence in the strategies employed by different socialist factions.

Passage - 5

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Until a few years ago, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan were also effectively one-party dominant states. What distinguished the dominance of the Congress party in India from all these cases was it happened under democratic conditions. Many parties contested elections in conditions of free and fair elections and yet the Congress managed to win election after election. This was similar to the dominance the African National Congress has enjoyed in South Africa after the end of apartheid. 

Q1: How did the dominance of the Congress party in India differ from cases like Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan where one-party rule prevailed?
Ans:

• The Congress party's dominance in India occurred within a democratic framework, setting it apart from cases like Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan.
• In India, multiple parties contested elections in conditions of free and fair elections, while one-party dominance persisted.

Q2: What is the parallel drawn between the Indian Congress party's dominance and the African National Congress in South Africa?
Ans:

• The Indian Congress party's prolonged dominance is likened to the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, which has also experienced prolonged electoral success after the end of apartheid.
• Both parties achieved electoral dominance within democratic systems.

Q3: How does the context of democratic conditions in India contrast with the one-party dominance in Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan?
Ans:

• India's Congress party maintained its dominance through a competitive democratic process, while one-party rule in Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan did not involve competitive elections and opposition parties to the same extent.

Passage - 6

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But with every civil disobedience movement it launched, its social base widened. It brought together diverse groups, whose interests were often contradictory. Peasants and industrialists, urban dwellers and villagers, workers and owners, middle, lower and upper classes and castes, all found space in the Congress. Gradually, its leadership also expanded beyond the upper caste and upper class professionals to agriculture based leaders with a rural orientation. By the time of independence, the Congress was transformed into a rainbow-like social coalition broadly representing India’s diversity in terms of classes and castes, religions and languages and various interests. 

Q1: How did the social base of the Congress party evolve during the civil disobedience movements in India?
Ans:

• The Congress party's social base expanded with each civil disobedience movement it initiated.
• It brought together diverse groups, including peasants, industrialists, urban and rural populations, workers, owners, and individuals from various social classes and castes.

Q2: How did the leadership of the Congress party transform as it broadened its social base?
Ans:

• As the Congress party's social base expanded, its leadership evolved from being predominantly upper-caste and upper-class professionals to including leaders with a rural orientation and agricultural backgrounds.

Q3: What was the state of the Congress party's social coalition by the time of India's independence?
Ans:

• By the time of independence, the Congress party had transformed into a social coalition representing India's diversity in terms of classes, castes, religions, languages, and various interests.
• It had become a rainbow-like coalition that broadly represented the country's multifaceted social fabric.

Passage - 7

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Soon after independence, the party thought that the transfer of power in 1947 was not true independence and encouraged violent uprisings in Telangana. The Communists failed to generate popular support for their position and were crushed by the armed forces. This forced them to rethink their position. In 1951 the Communist Party abandoned the path of violent revolution and decided to participate in the approaching general elections. In the first general election, CPI won 16 seats and emerged as the largest opposition party. The party’s support was more concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Kerala.

Q1: What was the Communist Party of India's initial response to India's independence, and what actions did it take in Telangana?
Ans:

• The Communist Party of India (CPI) initially viewed the transfer of power in 1947 as not true independence and encouraged violent uprisings in Telangana.
• These uprisings in Telangana, however, failed to gain widespread popular support and were suppressed by the armed forces.

Q2: What significant decision did the Communist Party make in 1951, and what was its impact in the first general election?
Ans:

• In 1951, the Communist Party of India (CPI) abandoned the path of violent revolution and decided to participate in the upcoming general elections.
• In the first general election, CPI won 16 seats and emerged as the largest opposition party, marking a shift in its approach toward peaceful participation in the democratic process.

Q3: In which regions of India did the Communist Party of India (CPI) find more concentrated support during the early post-independence period?
Ans:

• The Communist Party of India (CPI) had more concentrated support in states such as Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Kerala during the early post-independence period.

Passage - 8

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Therefore, it has to avoid any extreme position and strike a balance on almost all issues. Compromise and inclusiveness are the hallmarks of a coalition. This strategy put the opposition in a difficulty. Anything that the opposition wanted to say, would also find a place in the programme and ideology of the Congress. Secondly, in a party that has the nature of a coalition, there is a greater tolerance of internal differences and ambitions of various groups and leaders are accommodated. The Congress did both these things during the freedom struggle and continued doing this even after Independence.  

Q1: What are the key characteristics that define the approach of a coalition, as described in the passage?
Ans:

• A coalition's approach involves avoiding extreme positions and striking a balance on most issues.
• Compromise and inclusiveness are the hallmarks of a coalition's strategy, allowing diverse viewpoints to be accommodated.

Q2: How did the Congress party's strategy of compromise and inclusiveness impact the opposition during and after the freedom struggle?
Ans:

• The Congress party's strategy of compromise and inclusiveness made it challenging for the opposition because anything the opposition wanted to say would already find a place in the programme and ideology of the Congress.
• This approach created a situation where the Congress was able to incorporate a wide range of viewpoints and policies, making it a dominant political force.

Q3: How did the Congress party handle internal differences and ambitions of various groups and leaders within its organization?
Ans:

• The Congress party demonstrated a greater tolerance for internal differences and accommodated the ambitions of various groups and leaders within its organization.
• This approach allowed the Congress to maintain a cohesive and inclusive coalition during the freedom struggle and post-Independence, helping it maintain its dominant political position.

Passage - 9

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In the 1950s Jana Sangh remained on the margins of the electoral politics and was able to secure only 3 Lok Sabha seats in 1952 elections and 4 seats in 1957 general elections to Lok Sabha. In the early years its support came mainly from the urban areas in the Hindi speaking states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The party’s leaders included Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Balraj Madhok. The Bharatiya Janata Party traces its roots to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

Q1: What was the electoral performance of the Jana Sangh in the early years, particularly in the 1952 and 1957 Lok Sabha elections?
Ans:

• In the 1952 Lok Sabha elections, the Jana Sangh secured only 3 seats.
• In the 1957 general elections to the Lok Sabha, the party managed to win 4 seats.

Q2: Where did the Jana Sangh initially receive its main support during the early years, and in which regions did the party gain popularity?
Ans:

• During its early years, the Jana Sangh primarily garnered support from urban areas.
• The party's support base was concentrated in the Hindi-speaking states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.

Q3: Who were some prominent leaders associated with the Jana Sangh during its early years, and how does the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) relate to the Jana Sangh?
Ans:

• Notable leaders of the Jana Sangh included Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and Balraj Madhok.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traces its roots to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, indicating a historical connection between the two parties.

Passage - 10

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In the early years there was a lot of mutual respect between the leaders of the Congress and those of the opposition. The interim government that ruled the country after the declaration of Independence and the first general election included opposition leaders like Dr. Ambedkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in the cabinet. Jawaharlal Nehru often referred to his fondness for the Socialist Party and invited socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan to join his government. This kind of personal relationship with and respect for political adversaries declined after the party competition grew more intense.

Q1: What characterized the relationship between the leaders of the Congress party and those of the opposition during the early years of Indian independence?
Ans:

• In the early years, there was a climate of mutual respect between the leaders of the Congress party and those of the opposition.
• The interim government formed after Independence and the first general election included opposition leaders such as Dr. Ambedkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in the cabinet.

Q2: How did Jawaharlal Nehru demonstrate his willingness to work with leaders from different political backgrounds during the early years of India's independence?
Ans:

• Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, expressed his fondness for the Socialist Party and extended invitations to socialist leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan, to join his government.

Q3: What happened to the personal relationships and respect for political adversaries as party competition intensified over time?
Ans:

• As party competition grew more intense, the personal relationships and mutual respect that initially existed between political leaders, including Congress and opposition leaders, began to decline.