4. Making India work? 1947–1989
Keyword(s):
The Poor
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The emergence of India as an independent nation was associated with a new institutional drive, centred on the state, to cultivate hope. Yet the post-independence period also witnessed the successive failure of the state to address the problems of poverty and inequality that became so evident during British Rule. In some respects, successive political regimes have unwittingly exacerbated the scarcities and inequalities that affect many Indians. ‘Making India work? 1947–1989’ considers the first government under Prime Minister Nehru and the radical nature of the Constitution. It then discusses the poor economic climate at the time of Nehru’s death in 1964 and the governments of Indira Gandhi and her son, Rajiv.