101-716: Karulai is a small town and panchayath in Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram district . It is situated on the banks of the Karimpuzha River. Edakkara , Nilambur , Pookkottumpadam, and Vaniyambalam are the nearest towns. Karulai is the "gods' own village" in Kerala with green forest, and has a variety of animals, plant and fish species in the River Karimpuzha. A considerable area of the Karulai village
202-473: A "machine with strong brakes but no engine". He initially wanted to boycott the 1937 provincial elections , but agreed to lead the election campaign after receiving vague assurances about abstentionism from the party leaders who wished to contest. Nehru hoped to treat the election campaign as a mass outreach programme. During the campaign, Nehru was elected to another term as Congress president. The election manifesto, drafted largely by Nehru, attacked both
303-520: A "sheltered and uneventful one". He grew up in an atmosphere of privilege in wealthy homes, including a palatial estate called the Anand Bhavan . His father had him educated at home by private governesses and tutors. Influenced by the Irish theosophist Ferdinand T. Brooks' teaching, Nehru became interested in science and theosophy . A family friend, Annie Besant subsequently initiated him into
404-551: A conflict between democracy and fascism , "our sympathies must inevitably be on the side of democracy, ... I should like India to play its full part and throw all her resources into the struggle for a new order". After much deliberation, the Congress under Nehru informed the government that it would co-operate with the British but on certain conditions. First, Britain must give an assurance of full independence for India after
505-552: A difference of opinion to estrange us. We had differences from the time we became co-workers and yet I have said for some years and say so now that not Rajaji but Jawaharlal will be my successor. After spending a little more than a year in jail, Nehru was released, along with other Congress prisoners, three days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. When the Japanese carried their attack through Burma (now Myanmar ) to
606-602: A federal state along the lines suggested originally by the Government of India Act 1935. But as the drafting of the constitution progressed, and the idea of forming a republic took concrete shape, it was decided that all the princely states/covenanting states would merge with the Indian republic. In 1963, Nehru brought in legislation making it illegal to demand secession and introduced the Sixteenth Amendment to
707-593: A group of CWC members and Nehru threatened to resign and counter-resign their posts over disagreements. He became discontented with his role, especially after the death of his mother in January 1938. In February 1938, he did not stand for re-election as president, and was succeeded by Subash Chandra Bose . He left for Europe in June, stopping on the way at Alexandria , Egypt. While in Europe, Nehru became very concerned with
808-775: A heart attack. Hailed as the "Architect of Modern India", his birthday is celebrated as Children's Day in India. Jawaharlal Nehru was born on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad in British India . His father, Motilal Nehru (1861–1931), a self-made wealthy barrister who was born into the Kashmiri Pandit community, served twice as president of the Indian National Congress , in 1919 and 1928. His mother, Swarup Rani Thussu (1868–1938), who came from
909-413: A highly centralized system of government, this has been moderated by delegating several administrative functions to the local level, thereby empowering elected gram panchayats. Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the panchayati raj system at Nagaur on 2 October 1959. The date was chosen to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi 's birthday. Gandhi envisioned Gram Swaraj through the panchayati raj system. The system
1010-557: A leading role in establishing Non-Aligned Movement , a group of nations that did not seek membership in the two main ideological blocs of the Cold War. Under Nehru's leadership, the Congress emerged as a catch-all party , dominating national and state-level politics and winning elections in 1951 , 1957 and 1962 . His premiership, spanning 16 years and 286 days—which is, to date, the longest in India—ended with his death in 1964 from
1111-404: A neglected area of administrative reform. The Royal Commission on Decentralization (1907), chaired by Sir H. W. Primrose, recognized the importance of panchayats at the village level. The commission recommended that 'it is most desirable, both in the interests of decentralization and to involve the people in the local administration tasks, to attempt to constitute and develop village panchayats for
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#17327945512761212-455: A resolution that called for the British to grant Dominion status to India within two years. If the British failed to meet the deadline, the Congress would call upon all Indians to fight for complete independence. Nehru was one of the leaders who objected to the time given to the British—he pressed Gandhi to demand immediate actions from the British. Gandhi brokered a further compromise by reducing
1313-538: A spring had been suddenly released". He was arrested on 14 April 1930 while on a train from Allahabad to Raipur . Earlier, after addressing a huge meeting and leading a vast procession, he had ceremoniously manufactured some contraband salt. He was charged with breach of the salt law and sentenced to six months of imprisonment at Central Jail. He nominated Gandhi to succeed him as the Congress president during his absence in jail, but Gandhi declined, and Nehru nominated his father as his successor. With Nehru's arrest,
1414-477: A time the organisation was suppressed. Nehru, who had reluctantly heeded Gandhi's call for immediate independence, and had desired instead to support the Allied war effort during World War II , came out of a lengthy prison term to a much altered political landscape. The Muslim League, under Muhammad Ali Jinnah , had come to dominate Muslim politics in the interim. In the 1946 provincial elections , Congress won
1515-627: A visit to the Soviet Union, which sparked his interest in Marxism and socialism. Appealed by its ideas but repelled by some of its tactics, he never completely agreed with Karl Marx 's ideas. However, from that time on, the benchmark of his economic view remained Marxist, adapted, where necessary, to Indian circumstances. After returning to India in December 1927, Nehru was elected to another two-year term as Congress general secretary. Nehru
1616-583: A well-known Kashmiri Pandit family settled in Lahore , was Motilal's second wife, his first having died in childbirth . Jawaharlal was the eldest of three children. The elder of his two sisters, Vijaya Lakshmi , later became the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly . His youngest sister, Krishna Hutheesing , became a noted writer and authored several books on her brother. Nehru described his childhood as
1717-556: Is forest which includes the Nedumkayam Rainforest. Karulai has a very low population density and majority of the population lives near bus stands because of a large number of forest areas. This village is home to over 20,000 inhabitants. Nedumkayam is 14 km from Nilambur town, in Malappuram district , Kerala , India. Nedumkayam is noted especially for its rich rain forests. The wooden resthouse built here by
1818-484: Is included in the list of killed in the incident. Villages like Mundakkadavu, Kalkullam and Uchakkulam near Karulai are threatened by Naxalite attacks. Naxalites visit the locality regularly and ask for food and shelter from the tribals. The police are also combing the area regularly but have not arrested any Naxalites. On 27 September 2016, there was firing between the Maoists and the Kerala police in this area and no one
1919-534: Is played again," Nehru wrote bitterly to Gandhi, "the background is the same, the various epithets are the same and the actors are the same and the results must be the same". On 23 October 1939, the Congress condemned the Viceroy's attitude and called upon the Congress ministries in the various provinces to resign in protest. Before this crucial announcement, Nehru urged Jinnah and the Muslim League to join
2020-685: Is very beautiful and very good tourist center. There is a huge demand for the last several years to create the Nilambur - Karulai - Silent Valley - Coimbatore road. Nedumkayam rainforest is a part of Nilgiri's Biosphere Reserve. People rave about the fresh air and clear water that flows through, along with rare species of flora and fauna, and this is home to almost all of the mammals in western ghats and more than 200 species of birds hence classifying it as an important bird area. On 24 November 2016, three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with Kerala police. Naxalite leader Kappu Devaraj from Andhra Pradesh
2121-609: The Ahmednagar Fort until 15 June 1945. During the period when all the Congress leaders were in jail, the Muslim League under Jinnah grew in power. In April 1943, the League captured the governments of Bengal and, a month later, that of the North-West Frontier Province . In none of these provinces had the League previously had a majority—only the arrest of Congress members made it possible. With all
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#17327945512762222-555: The British offers a panoramic view of the elephant and deer grazing in the forest nearby . One has to get prior permission from the Indian Forest Service to enter the forest zone. Heavy restrictions are imposed as a measure to save the existing forest land. An elephant taming center is also located here. Nilambur including Nedumkayam has been selected for being developed as Kerala's second ecotourism destination. It
2323-557: The Indian National Congress , rose to become the leader of a progressive faction during the 1920s, and eventually of the Congress in its totality, receiving the support of Mahatma Gandhi who was to designate Nehru as his political heir. As Congress president in 1929, Nehru called for complete independence from the British Raj . Nehru and the Congress dominated Indian politics during the 1930s. Nehru promoted
2424-694: The Inner Temple (one of the four Inns of Court to which English barristers must belong). During this time, he continued to study Fabian Society scholars including Beatrice Webb . He was called to the Bar in 1912. After returning to India in August 1912, Nehru enrolled as an advocate of the Allahabad High Court and tried to settle down as a barrister. But, unlike his father, he had very little interest in his profession and relished neither
2525-522: The Jallianwala Bagh killings . Motilal Nehru lost his belief in constitutional reform, and joined his son in accepting Gandhi's methods and paramount leadership of the Congress. In December 1919, Nehru's father was elected president of the Indian National Congress in what is regarded as "the first Gandhi Congress". During the non-cooperation movement launched by Gandhi in 1920, Nehru played an influential role in directing political activities in
2626-579: The Theosophical Society at age thirteen. However, his interest in theosophy did not prove to be enduring, and he left the society shortly after Brooks departed as his tutor. He wrote: "For nearly three years [Brooks] was with me and in many ways, he influenced me greatly". Nehru's theosophical interests induced him to study the Buddhist and Hindu scriptures . According to B. R. Nanda , these scriptures were Nehru's "first introduction to
2727-569: The divine right of kings . In May 1947, he declared that any princely state which refused to join the Constituent Assembly would be treated as an enemy state. Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon were more conciliatory towards the princes, and as the men charged with integrating the states, were successful in the task. During the drafting of the Indian constitution, many Indian leaders (except Nehru) were in favour of allowing each princely state or covenanting state to be independent as
2828-1083: The thraldom of Europe." Later, in 1905, when he had begun his institutional schooling at Harrow , a leading school in England where he was nicknamed "Joe", G. M. Trevelyan 's Garibaldi books, which he had received as prizes for academic merit, influenced him greatly. He viewed Garibaldi as a revolutionary hero. He wrote: "Visions of similar deeds in India came before, of [my] gallant fight for [Indian] freedom and in my mind, India and Italy got strangely mixed together." Nehru went to Trinity College, Cambridge , in October 1907 and graduated with an honours degree in natural science in 1910. During this period, he studied politics, economics, history and literature with interest. The writings of Bernard Shaw , H. G. Wells , John Maynard Keynes , Bertrand Russell , Lowes Dickinson and Meredith Townsend moulded much of his political and economic thinking. After completing his degree in 1910, Nehru moved to London and studied law at
2929-482: The 1935 Act. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) under Gandhi passed a compromise resolution that authorised office acceptance, but reiterated that the fundamental objective of the Congress was the destruction of the 1935 Act. Nehru was more popular than before with the public, but he found himself isolated at the CWC meetings due to the anti-socialist orientation of its membership. Gandhi had to personally intervene when
3030-629: The 1950s, influencing India's arc as a modern nation. In international affairs, he is well-known as one of the Founders of the Non-aligned Movement and, concomitantly, for steering India clear of the two blocs of the Cold War . A coveted author, the books he wrote in prison, such as Letters from a Father to His Daughter (1929), An Autobiography (1936) and The Discovery of India (1946), have been read and deliberated upon around
3131-576: The Act and the Communal Award that went with it. He campaigned against the Muslim League , and argued that Muslims could not be regarded as a separate nation. The Congress won most general seats, and the Muslim League fared poorly with Muslim electorates. After the elections, Nehru drafted a resolution against taking office, but there were many Congress leaders who wanted to assume power under
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3232-695: The British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or complete independence. At midnight on New Year's Eve 1929, Nehru hoisted the tricolour flag of India upon the banks of the Ravi in Lahore. A pledge of independence was read out, which included a readiness to withhold taxes. The massive gathering of the public attending the ceremony was asked if they agreed with it, and the majority of people were witnessed raising their hands in approval. 172 Indian members of central and provincial legislatures resigned in support of
3333-450: The Congress radicals, who promoted Swaraj , Swadesh , and boycott. The two factions had split in 1907. After returning to India in 1912, Nehru attended the annual session of the Congress at Patna . The Congress was then considered a party of moderates and elites dominated by Gopal Krishna Gokhale , and Nehru was disconcerted by what he saw as "very much an English-knowing upper-class affair". However, Nehru agreed to raise funds for
3434-416: The Indian independence movement. Gandhi stepped back into a more spiritual role. Although Gandhi did not explicitly designate Nehru as his political heir until 1942, as early as the mid-1930s, the country saw Nehru as the natural successor to Gandhi. In 1929, Nehru had already drafted the "Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy" resolution that set the government agenda for an independent India. The resolution
3535-412: The Lahore session in 1929, Nehru had declared that, "The Indian States cannot live apart from the rest of India and their rulers must, unless they accept their inevitable limitations, go the way of others like them." In July 1946, Nehru pointedly observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India. In January 1947, he said that independent India would not accept
3636-552: The Muslim areas after the war to see whether they wanted to separate from the rest of India. Essentially, it was an acceptance of the principle of Pakistan—but not in so many words. Jinnah demanded that the exact words be used. Gandhi refused and the talks broke down. Jinnah, however, had greatly strengthened his own position and that of the League. The most influential member of the Congress had been seen to negotiate with him on equal terms. Nehru and his colleagues were released prior to
3737-482: The Muslim-dominated provinces except Punjab under Jinnah's control, the concept of a separate Muslim State was turning into a reality. However, by 1944, Jinnah's power and prestige were waning. A general sympathy towards the jailed Congress leaders was developing among Muslims, and much of the blame for the disastrous Bengal famine of 1943 –44 during which two million died had been laid on the shoulders of
3838-586: The Patwari and the Darogha, which are part of our folklore, contributed to the worst famine in Bengal, with its effects lingering until the end of the 18th century. These measures completely disempowered the village community and destroyed the panchayat. After 1857, the British attempted to restore the panchayat by granting it powers to try minor offences and resolve village disputes, but these measures did not restore
3939-595: The United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh ) as provincial Congress secretary. He was imprisoned on 6 December 1921 on charges of anti-governmental activities, marking the first of eight periods of detention between 1921-1945, lasting over nine years in all. By 1923, Nehru had emerged as a national figure of some stature. He was elected general secretary of the Congress, president of the United Provinces Congress, and mayor of Allahabad all in
4040-496: The administration of local village affairs.' However, the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) introduced local self-government as a provincial transferred subject, coming under the domain of Indian ministers in the provinces. Due to organizational and fiscal constraints, the reforms were unable to make panchayat institutions truly democratic and vibrant. Nevertheless, a significant development of this period
4141-624: The adoption of the parliamentary model of politics. During the drafting of the Constitution of India, Panchayati Raj Institutions were included in the non-justiciable part of the Constitution, the Directive Principles of State Policy , as Article 40. This Article stated, 'The State shall take steps to organize village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.' However, no substantial legislation
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4242-478: The arrival of the British 1946 Cabinet Mission to India to propose plans for the transfer of power. The agreed plan in 1946 led to elections to the provincial assemblies. In turn, the members of the assemblies elected members of the Constituent Assembly. Congress won the majority of seats in the assembly and headed the interim government , with Nehru as the prime minister. The Muslim League joined
4343-497: The authority of which was denied by various elements in India's national life". In October 1940, Gandhi and Nehru, abandoning their original stand of supporting Britain, decided to launch a limited civil disobedience campaign in which leading advocates of Indian independence were selected to participate one by one. Nehru was arrested and sentenced to four years imprisonment. On 15 January 1941, Gandhi stated: Some say Jawaharlal and I were estranged. It will require much more than
4444-470: The block level, and a Gram Panchayat at the village level. The next major change in the panchayat system of India came with the passage of the Panchayati Raj Act (73rd Amendment) in 1992. A key motivation behind this act was the belief that local governments could be more effective than centrally appointed bureaucrats in identifying and responding to the needs of villages. Consequently, this act
4545-513: The borders of India in the spring of 1942, the British government, faced with this new military threat, decided to make some overtures to India, as Nehru had originally desired. Prime Minister Winston Churchill dispatched Sir Stafford Cripps , a member of the War Cabinet who was known to be politically close to Nehru and knew Jinnah, with proposals for a settlement of the constitutional problem. As soon as he arrived, he discovered that India
4646-539: The central government on different aspects of decentralization. To advance the Gandhian goal of direct political participation at the grassroots level, the National Development Council appointed a committee under Balwant Rai Mehta in 1957. The committee submitted its report in 1958, recommending a three-tier structure consisting of a Zila Parishad at the district level, a Panchayat Samiti at
4747-466: The civil disobedience acquired a new tempo, and arrests, firing on crowds and lathi charges grew to be ordinary occurrences. The salt satyagraha ("pressure for reform through passive resistance") succeeded in attracting world attention. Indian, British, and world opinion increasingly recognised the legitimacy of the claims by the Congress party for independence. Nehru considered the salt satyagraha
4848-461: The elections but the League won most seats reserved for Muslims, which the British interpreted to be a clear mandate for Pakistan in some form. Nehru became the interim prime minister of India in September 1946, with the League joining his government with some hesitancy in October 1946. Upon India's independence on 15 August 1947, Nehru gave a critically acclaimed speech, " Tryst with Destiny "; he
4949-576: The evolution of panchayats in India . Elected provincial governments enacted legislation to further democratize local self-government institutions. However, the system of responsible government at the grassroots level was notably ineffective. D. P. Mishra, the then minister for local self-government under the Government of India Act of 1935 in the Central Provinces, observed that "the working of our local bodies ... in our province and perhaps in
5050-403: The extra-constitutional khap panchayats (or caste panchayats) found in parts of northern India. Mahatma Gandhi advocated for panchayat raj as the foundation of India's political system. It was envisioned as a decentralized form of government, where each village would be responsible for its own affairs. This vision was termed Gram Swaraj ("village self-governance"). While India developed
5151-578: The fact that Gram Sabhas have not been sufficiently empowered and strengthened to ensure greater public participation and transparency in the functioning of Panchayats, as envisaged in the Panchayat Act. Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister of India (1947–1964) Influenced [REDACTED] Jawaharlal Nehru ( / ˈ n eɪ r u / NAY -roo or / ˈ n ɛ r u / NERR -oo , Hindi: [dʒəˌʋaːɦəɾˈlaːl ˈneːɦɾuː] ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964)
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#17327945512765252-494: The financial powers of the Panchayats. Thus, in theory, Panchayats have been given sufficient authority to function as institutions of self-governance and promote social justice. There have been several positive effects of this amendment, some of which are listed above. However, there is also evidence of deeply ingrained vote-trading structures maintained through extra-political means. This issue can potentially be attributed to
5353-404: The focal point of rural governance. The British were not concerned with decentralized democracy but were pursuing colonial objectives. From the 1920s to 1947, the Indian National Congress emphasized the issue of all-India Swaraj and organized movements for independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. As a result, the task of preparing a blueprint for local governance was neglected. There
5454-529: The fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full opportunities for growth. We believe also that if any government deprives a people of these rights and oppresses them the people have a further right to alter it or abolish it. The British government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally, and spiritually. We believe, therefore, that India must sever
5555-578: The government later with Liaquat Ali Khan as the Finance member. Nehru served as prime minister for 16 years, initially as the interim prime minister, then from 1947 as the prime minister of the Dominion of India and then from 1950 as the prime minister of the Republic of India. Jawaharlal Nehru showed his concern for the princely states of South Asia since 1920s. During his Presidential Address at
5656-568: The government soon moved to detain him again. On 22 December 1933, the Home Secretary sent a memo to all local governments in India: The Government of India regard him [Nehru] as by far the most dangerous element at large in India, and their view is that the time has come, in accordance with their general policy of taking steps at an early stage to prevent attempts to work up mass agitation, to take action against him. He
5757-479: The high-water mark of his association with Gandhi, and felt its lasting importance was in changing the attitudes of Indians: Of course these movements exercised tremendous pressure on the British Government and shook the government machinery. But the real importance, to my mind, lay in the effect they had on our own people, and especially the village masses. ... Non-cooperation dragged them out of
5858-522: The idea of the secular nation-state in the 1937 provincial elections , allowing the Congress to sweep the elections, and to form governments in several provinces. In September 1939, the Congress ministries resigned to protest Viceroy Lord Linlithgow 's decision to join the war without consulting them. After the All India Congress Committee 's Quit India Resolution of 8 August 1942, senior Congress leaders were imprisoned and for
5959-428: The latest stand taken by the Muslim League leader in Lahore". Linlithgow made Nehru an offer on 8 October 1940, which stated that Dominion status for India was the objective of the British government. However, it referred neither to a date nor a method to accomplish this. Only Jinnah received something more precise: "The British would not contemplate transferring power to a Congress-dominated national government,
6060-471: The leadership of Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak to voice a demand for Swaraj or self-governance . Besant and Tilak formed separate Home Rule Leagues . Nehru joined both groups, but he worked primarily with Besant, with whom he had a very close relationship since childhood. He became the secretary of Besant's Home Rule League. In June 1917, the British government arrested Besant. The Congress and other organisations threatened to launch protests if she
6161-421: The local community. These assemblies resolved disputes between individuals and villages. However, there were various forms of such assemblies. The leader of the panchayat was often called the president, mukhiya , sarpanch , or pradhan , which was an elected or generally acknowledged position. The modern panchayati raj system of India and its gram panchayats should not be confused with the traditional system or
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#17327945512766262-409: The local rulers. They did not interfere with existing panchayati systems or encourage rulers to consider more democratic institutions at the local level. The rulers were interested in creating 'controlled' local bodies that could assist in their trading interests by collecting taxes on their behalf. When the colonial administration faced severe financial pressure after the 1857 uprising, decentralization
6363-552: The lost powers of the village community. From 1870, when Lord Mayo 's Resolution on decentralization aimed to improve administrative efficiency, meet public demands, and bolster colonial finances, there was significant impetus for the development of local institutions. This resolution was a landmark in the evolution of colonial policy towards local government. However, the real benchmark for government policy on decentralization can be attributed to Lord Ripon. In his famous resolution on local self-government on 18 May 1882, Ripon addressed
6464-446: The mire and gave them self-respect and self-reliance. ... They acted courageously and did not submit so easily to unjust oppression; their outlook widened and they began to think a little in terms of India as a whole. ... It was a remarkable transformation and the Congress, under Gandhi's leadership, must have the credit for it. On 11 October 1930, Nehru's detention ended, but he was back in jail in less than ten days for resuming
6565-545: The ongoing Indian civil rights movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. In 1916, Nehru married Kamala Kaul , who came from a Kashmiri Pandit family settled in Delhi. Their only daughter, Indira , was born in 1917. Kamala gave birth to a son in 1924, but the baby lived for only a few days. The influence of moderates declined after Gokhale died in 1915. Several nationalist leaders banded together in 1916 under
6666-585: The people in Plan processes, including formulation, implementation, and monitoring. The Second Five-Year Plan aimed to cover the entire countryside through National Extension Service Blocks, utilizing Block Development Officers, Assistant Development Officers, Village Level Workers, as well as nominated representatives of village panchayats and other popular organizations like cooperative societies. However, this plan did not satisfactorily accomplish decentralization. Consequently, various committees were constituted to advise
6767-605: The possibility of another world war. At that time, he emphasised that, in the event of war, India's place was alongside the democracies, though he insisted India could only fight in support of Great Britain and France as a free country. After returning to India in December 1938, Nehru accepted Bose's offer to head the Planning Commission . In February 1939, he became president of the All India States Peoples Conference (AISPC), which
6868-531: The practice of law nor the company of lawyers: "Decidedly the atmosphere was not intellectually stimulating and a sense of the utter insipidity of life grew upon me." His involvement in nationalist politics was to gradually replace his legal practice. Nehru's father, Motilal, was an important moderate leader of the Indian National Congress. The moderates believed British rule was modernising, and sought reform and more participation in government in cooperation with British authorities. However, Nehru sympathised with
6969-409: The presidency of the banned Congress. On 26 January 1931, Nehru and other prisoners were released early by Lord Irwin , who was negotiating with Gandhi. His father died on 6 February 1931. Nehru was back in jail on 26 December 1931 after violating court orders not to leave Allahabad while leading a "no-rent" campaign to alleviate peasant distress. On 30 August 1933, Nehru was released from prison, but
7070-415: The produce, and paid the government's share on behalf of the village. Above these village councils, a larger panchayat or council existed to supervise and intervene if necessary. However, casteism and the feudalistic system of governance under Mughal rule during the medieval period gradually eroded self-government in villages. A new class of feudal chiefs and revenue collectors ( zamindars ) emerged between
7171-563: The protest, but Jinnah declined. In March 1940, Muhammad Ali Jinnah passed what came to be known as the Pakistan Resolution , declaring that, "Muslims are a nation according to any definition of a nation, and they must have their homelands , their territory and their State." This state was to be known as Pakistan, meaning 'Land of the Pure'. Nehru angrily declared that "all the old problems ... pale into insignificance before
7272-569: The province's Muslim League government. The numbers at Jinnah's meetings, once counted in thousands, soon numbered only a few hundred. In despair, Jinnah left the political scene for a stay in Kashmir. His prestige was restored unwittingly by Gandhi, who had been released from prison on medical grounds in May 1944 and had met Jinnah in Bombay in September. There, he offered the Muslim leader a plebiscite in
7373-627: The religious and cultural heritage of [India]....[They] provided Nehru the initial impulse for [his] long intellectual quest which culminated...in The Discovery of India ." Nehru became an ardent nationalist during his youth. The Second Boer War and the Russo-Japanese War intensified his feelings. Of the latter he wrote, "[The] Japanese victories [had] stirred up my enthusiasm. ... Nationalistic ideas filled my mind. ... I mused of Indian freedom and Asiatic freedom from
7474-407: The resolution and in accordance with Indian public sentiment. The Congress asked the people of India to observe 26 January as Independence Day. Congress volunteers, nationalists, and the public hoisted the flag of India publicly across India. Plans for mass civil disobedience were also underway. After the Lahore session of the Congress in 1929, Nehru gradually emerged as the paramount leader of
7575-835: The ruler and the people, leading to the stagnation and decline of self-government in villages. A detailed account of how a medieval South Indian village council functioned is carved into a temple wall in Uthiramerur , a village in Tamil Nadu , approximately 85 kilometers (53 miles) west of Chennai . Thirty council members were chosen by lot, a form of sortition . Males were eligible for selection if they were of good character and met certain requirements based on landholdings and knowledge of Hindu scriptures. They were then assigned to various committees responsible for irrigation works, gardens, and other matters. The British were generally not concerned with local administration, leaving that to
7676-480: The same year. The non-cooperation movement was halted in 1923 as a result of the Chauri Chaura incident . Nehru's two-year term as general secretary ended after 1925, and earlier that year he resigned as mayor of Allahabad due to his disillusionment with municipal politics. In 1926, Nehru left for Europe with his wife and daughter to seek treatment for his wife's tuberculosis diagnosis. While in Europe, he
7777-530: The time given from two years to one. The British rejected demands for Dominion status in 1929. Nehru assumed the presidency of the Congress party during the Lahore session on 29 December 1929 and introduced a successful resolution calling for complete independence . Nehru drafted the Indian Declaration of Independence, which stated: We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom and to enjoy
7878-494: The twin considerations of administrative efficiency and political education. The Ripon Resolution, which focused on towns, provided for local bodies consisting of a large majority of elected non-official members and presided over by a non-official chairperson. This resolution faced resistance from colonial administrators, and the progress of local self-government was slow, with only half-hearted efforts made in setting up municipal bodies. Rural decentralization , in particular, remained
7979-601: The two later reconciled. In 1942, Gandhi called on the British to leave India; Nehru, though reluctant to embarrass the allied war effort, had no alternative but to join Gandhi. Following the Quit India resolution passed by the Congress party in Bombay on 8 August 1942, the entire Congress working committee, including Gandhi and Nehru, was arrested and imprisoned. Most of the Congress working committee including Nehru, Abdul Kalam Azad, and Sardar Patel were incarcerated at
8080-563: The village land record office and established a company official called the Patwari, who became the official record keeper for multiple villages. Second, it created the office of magistrate and abolished the village police. The magistrate performed policing functions through the Darogha , who had always been a state functionary under the Faujdar. The primary purpose of these measures was the collection of land revenue by decree. The depredations of
8181-505: The war and allow the election of a constituent assembly to frame a new constitution; second, although the Indian armed forces would remain under the British Commander-in-chief , Indians must be included immediately in the central government and given a chance to share power and responsibility. When Nehru presented Lord Linlithgow with these demands, he chose to reject them. A deadlock was reached: "The same old game
8282-565: The whole country presents a tragic picture ... 'Inefficiency' and 'local body' have become synonymous terms." Despite various committees such as the Royal Commission on Decentralization (1907), the Montagu-Chelmsford Report on constitutional reform (1919), and the Government of India Resolution (1919), a hierarchical administrative structure based on supervision and control evolved. The administrator became
8383-490: The world. The son of Motilal Nehru , a prominent lawyer and Indian nationalist , Jawaharlal Nehru was educated in England—at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge , and trained in the law at the Inner Temple . He became a barrister , returned to India, enrolled at the Allahabad High Court and soon began to take an interest in national politics, which eventually became a full-time occupation. He joined
8484-427: Was a significant step in India's move towards decentralization. The main features of this act are: (a) a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj for all states with a population of over 20 lakh; (b) regular Panchayat elections every five years; (c) reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes , and women (not less than one-third of the seats); and (d) the appointment of a State Finance Commission to recommend
8585-544: Was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist , secular humanist , social democrat , author and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was second only to Mahatma Gandhi in leading the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s. Upon India's independence from Britain in 1947, he served as the country's first prime minister for 16 years. Nehru championed parliamentary democracy , secularism , science and technology during
8686-547: Was arrested in Allahabad on 12 January 1934. In August 1934, he was briefly released for eleven days to attend to his wife's ailing health. In October, he was allowed to see her again, but he turned down an early release conditional on withdrawing from politics for the duration of his sentence. In September 1935, Nehru's wife, Kamala, became terminally ill while receiving medical treatment in Badenweiler , Germany. Nehru
8787-564: Was enacted at either the national or state level to implement it. Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the Panchayati Raj system at Nagaur , Rajasthan, on 2 October 1959, to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi 's birthday. Gandhi had envisioned Gram Swaraj through Panchayati Raj. Rajasthan was the first state to implement it. Nehru also inaugurated Panchayati Raj in Andhra Pradesh on 11 October 1959, on the occasion of Dussehra . The system
8888-468: Was gradually established across India. In the four decades since the adoption of the Constitution , panchayat raj institutions have evolved from being part of the non-justiciable Directive Principles to acquiring a new status through a separate constitutional amendment. Panchayat raj went through various stages. The First Five-Year Plan failed to achieve active participation and involvement of
8989-568: Was injured in this incident. Panchayath The Panchayat raj is a political system originating from the Indian subcontinent , primarily found in India and neighboring countries Pakistan , Bangladesh , Sri Lanka , and Nepal . It is one of the oldest systems of local government in the Indian subcontinent, with historical mentions dating back to around 250 CE. The word 'raj' means 'rule,' and panchayat' means 'assembly' ( ayat ) of 'five' ( panch ). Traditionally, panchayats consisted of wise and respected elders chosen and accepted by
9090-580: Was invited to attend the Congress of oppressed nationalities in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting was called to coordinate and plan a common struggle against imperialism . Nehru represented India and was elected to the Executive Council of the League against Imperialism which was born at this meeting. He made a statement in favour of complete independence for India. Nehru's stay in Europe included
9191-461: Was later modified in 1992. The Hindu text Rigveda (1700 BCE) provides evidence suggesting that self-governing village bodies called sabhas existed. Over time, these bodies evolved into panchayats (five-person councils). Panchayats were functional institutions of grassroots governance in almost every village. The village panchayat or elected council had significant powers, both executive and judicial. It distributed land, collected taxes from
9292-483: Was leading popular agitations in princely states. Nehru was not directly involved in the events that split the Congress during the Bose presidency, and unsuccessfully attempted to mediate. When World War II began, Viceroy Linlithgow unilaterally declared India a belligerent on the side of Britain, without consulting the elected Indian representatives. Nehru hurried back from a visit to China, announcing that, in
9393-498: Was more deeply divided than he had imagined. Nehru, eager for a compromise, was hopeful; Gandhi was not. Jinnah had continued opposing the Congress: "Pakistan is our only demand, and by God, we will have it," he declared in the Muslim League newspaper Dawn . Cripps' mission failed as Gandhi would accept nothing less than independence. Relations between Nehru and Gandhi cooled over the latter's refusal to co-operate with Cripps, but
9494-487: Was no consensus among the top leaders regarding the status and role of rural local self-government, leading to divergent views on the subject. Gandhi favored Village Swaraj and aimed to strengthen the village panchayat to the fullest extent, while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar opposed this idea. He viewed the village as a symbol of regressive India and a source of oppression, believing that the model state needed safeguards against such social oppression, which could only be achieved through
9595-497: Was not freed. The government was forced to release Besant in September, but the protestors successfully negotiated further concessions . Nehru met Gandhi for the first time in 1916 at the Lucknow session of the Congress, but he had been then dissuaded by his father from being drawn into Gandhi's satyagraha politics. 1919 marked the beginning of a strong wave of nationalist activity and subsequent government repression that included
9696-606: Was one of the first leaders to demand that the Congress Party should resolve to make a complete and explicit break from all ties with the British Empire. The Madras session of Congress in 1927, approved his resolution for independence despite Gandhi's criticism. At that time, he formed the Independence for India League, a pressure group within the Congress. In 1928, Gandhi agreed to Nehru's demands and proposed
9797-547: Was pursued by transferring responsibility for road and public works to local bodies. However, this 'compelled' decentralization primarily focused on municipal administration. The panchayat was dismantled by the East India Company when it was granted the office of Diwan in 1765 in Bengal by the nawab, as part of reparation following his defeat at Buxar. As Diwan, the Company made two key decisions. First, it abolished
9898-464: Was ratified in 1931 at the Karachi session chaired by Vallabhbhai Patel . Nehru and most of the Congress leaders were ambivalent initially about Gandhi's plan to begin civil disobedience with a satyagraha aimed at the British salt tax . After the protest had gathered steam, they realised the power of salt as a symbol. Nehru remarked about the unprecedented popular response, "It seemed as though
9999-574: Was released from prison early on compassionate grounds, and moved his wife to a sanatorium in Lausanne , Switzerland, where she died on 28 February 1936. While in Europe, Nehru learned that he was elected as Congress president for the coming year. He returned to India in March 1936 and led the Congress response to the Government of India Act 1935 . He condemned the Act as a "new charter of bondage" and
10100-648: Was sworn in as the Dominion of India 's prime minister and raised the Indian flag at the Red Fort in Delhi. On 26 January 1950, when India became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations , Nehru became the Republic of India 's first prime minister. He embarked on an ambitious program of economic, social, and political reforms. Nehru promoted a pluralistic multi-party democracy. In foreign affairs, he played
10201-437: Was the 'establishment of village panchayats in several provinces, which were no longer mere ad hoc judicial tribunals but representative institutions symbolizing the corporate character of the village and having wide jurisdiction over civic matters.' By 1925, eight provinces had enacted panchayat acts, and by 1926, six native states had also passed panchayat laws. Provincial autonomy under the Government of India Act, 1935, marked
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