Indian National Congress (Requisitionists) was created in 1969; it was created and led by Indira Gandhi. The then unified Indian National Congress was split, with the other part being Indian National Congress (O).
Indian National Congress | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | INC(R) |
| Founder | Indira Gandhi |
| Founded | 12 November 1969 |
| Dissolved | 24 December 1978 |
| Split from | Indian National Congress |
| Succeeded by | Indian National Congress (I) |
| Ideology | Secularism[1] Economic nationalism[2] Pro-Soviet sentiment[3] |
| Political position | Centre-left[4] to left-wing[5] |
| Colours | Turquoise |
| Election symbol | |
 | |
The letter 'R' stands for 'Requisition'.[6] The original congress party then became the Indian National Congress (Organisation), or Congress (O), and was led by Kamaraj. It was informally called the organisation Congress or Syndicate and retained the party symbol of a pair of bullocks carrying a yoke. Mrs. Gandhi's breakaway faction were given a new symbol of a cow with suckling calf by the Election Commission as the party election symbol.[6]
The split occurred when, in 1969, a united opposition under the banner of Samyukt Vidhayak Dal won control over several states in the Hindi belt.[7]
Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister and daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, was then challenged by the majority of the party leadership. Gandhi formed the new party to demonstrate her support amongst the people. In the 1971 general election, Congress (R) had secured an overwhelming majority winning 352 out of 518 seats in the Lok Sabha.[8] In the elections to five state assemblies too, the Congress (R) performed well.
In government
editThe Naxalbari uprising of 1967 made it imperative that the ruling class needed to address the concerns of small and middle peasantry against feudal interests. Indira undertook structural reforms to boost middle-class among rural and urban areas as well to project her leftist credentials while simultaneously providing public sector financial aid to bourgeois industrialists.
[9]
The government had a major boost in support after winning the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.
In 1972, general insurance and coal industry were nationalised even as mixed economy was still followed.
Cheap foodgrains were distributed to the poor by government initiative while influence of businessmen in politics was curtailed by imposing ban on donations to parties through joint-stock companies.
On May 18, 1974, a significant breakthrough was achieved by the detonation of a nuclear device at Pokhran.[10]
Decline and legacy
editIndira made the party into her own puppet organisation while economic malaise and unemployment started deepening. Suppression of railway strikes in 1974 led to fall in working-class support.Centralisation of power and increasing influence of business magnates(which led to more corruption) stoked protests in states like Gujarat and Bihar.
Sycophantic party leaders further contributed to the rot in leadership. The regime reached its absolute nadir with the disqualification of Indira and the subsequent emergency.[11]
Leaders like Jagjivan Ram and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna left the party as the Emergency became unpopular. Both went on to form Congress for democracy on February 2nd, 1977, which eventually merged with Janata Party. In July 1977, Karnataka CM Devaraj Urs separated and formed Congress(U).[12]
The party was removed from power after the emergency was lifted and elections were conducted.[13]
Later, in 1978 Indira Gandhi broke away from the Congress (R) to form the Congress (Indira).[14]
After 1996, Congress (I) dropped the suffix Indira from its name, while Congress (O) merged with parties like the Bharatiya Jana Sangh to form the Janata Party. Other parties split from Congress(R) party included Congress for Democracy by Jagjivan Ram and Indian National Congress (Urs)[15] by D. Devaraj Urs.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "Difference between old congress and new congress? | EduRev Humanities/Arts Question".
- ^ "Indira Gandhi nationalised 14 Indian banks on this day: Why she did do that and what was the outcome". Times Now. 19 July 2022.
- ^ "1971 When Delhi and Moscow came together". 12 August 2021.
- ^ Kumar, Arun (10 March 2021). "The 1970s Indian Economy: A Period of Growing Strains and the Nation's Fight Against Poverty". The Wire. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
The right-wing tried to control the party but Mrs Gandhi allied with the centre-left forces and fought back and the party split.
- ^ Singh, Mahendra Prasad (1981). Split in a Predominant Party: The Indian National Congress in 1969. Abhinav publications. p. 109. ISBN 9788170171409. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
...the split placed the faction of their preference-the Congress left wing- in firm control of the ruling party.
- ^ a b Sanghvi, Vijay (2006). The Congress, Indira to Sonia Gandh. New Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. p. 77. ISBN 81-7835-340-7.
- ^ "Chaudhary Charan Singh:Champion of farmers, first CM of non-Congress govt in northern India". The Economic Times. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Mukul, Sushim (22 March 2024). "When Indira Gandhi broke 'One Nation One Election' cycle". India Today. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Banerjee, Sumanta (7 November 1970). "Congress (R), CPI and CPI (M)". Economic and Political Weekly. 5 (45): 1804–1807. JSTOR 4360667. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Nigam, Sk (2024). THE INC (INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS) A PARTY OF IDEA AND CHANGES. Notion press. ISBN 979-8-89233-557-7. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Chakravartty, Nikhil (31 January 1978). "Congress split: Divide to rule". India Today. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Srivastava, Aaku (2022). Sensex of Regional Parties. Prabhat Prakashan Pvt. Limited. ISBN 978-93-5521-236-8. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Ranjan, Alok (18 July 2023). "Revisiting 1977 elections, when Opposition came together on 'Indira Hatao' slogan". India Today. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Khan, Fatima (13 March 2021). "What are Congress (I) & Congress (A)? The 2 party camps in place since 1970s in Kerala". The Print. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
Congress (I) where the 'I' stands for Indira Gandhi, was a camp that emerged in 1978...
- ^ Andersen, Walter K.. India in 1981: Stronger Political Authority and Social Tension, published in Asian Survey, Vol. 22, No. 2, A Survey of Asia in 1981: Part II (Feb., 1982), pp. 119-135