Matthews - The great Indian rope trick : does the future of democracy lie with India

RODERICK MATTHEWS

Also by the same author

Jinnah vs. Gandhi

First published in 2015 by Hachette India

(Registered name: Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd)

An Hachette UK company

www.hachetteindia.com

This ebook published in 2015

Copyright 2015 Roderick Matthews

Roderick Matthews asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be copied, reproduced, downloaded, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover or digital format other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Print edition ISBN 978-93-5009-716-8

Ebook edition ISBN 978-93-5009-723-6

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by him. The publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd

4th/5th Floors, Corporate Centre

Plot No. 94, Sector 44, Gurgaon 122003, India

Cover illustration and design by Nikheel Aphale

Originally typeset in Baskerville 11/14

by Saanvi Graphics, Noida

1931

Sri Lanka: Donoughmore Constitution introduces universal adult suffrage; replaces special electorates for minorities with system of committees.

1939

India: Viceroy declares India a combatant nation in the Second World War; Indians deployed in the battle against the Axis powers.

1940

India: Muslim League proposes the formation of a separate nation for Muslims living in India.

1942

India: Congress launches Quit India movement, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, adopting the path of Satyagraha (non violence).

Burma: Japan invades Burma aided by Japanese-trained Burma Independence Army; it later transforms into the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League (AFPFL) and resists Japanese rule.

1945

Burma: Britain liberates Burma from Japanese occupation with help from the AFPFL, led by Aung San.

1947

India & Pakistan: British Raj comes to an end followed by partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan a state divided into East and West wings separated from each other by more than 1,500 km of Indian territory. The partition is marked by large scale bloodshed and violence on both sides of the border.

Burma: Aung San and six members of his interim government are assassinated by political opponents led by U Saw.

1948

India: Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse assassinates Mahatma Gandhi on 30th January. Sheikh Abdullah becomes the prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir as India enters into war with Pakistan over disputed territory of Kashmir. India recaptures Dras, Kargil and Poonch.

Burma: Attains independence with U Nu as prime minister.

Sri Lanka: Gains full independence.

Pakistan: Founding leader of the country, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, passes away.

1949

Bangladesh: Bengali nationalists establish the Awami League to campaign for East Pakistans autonomy from West Pakistan.

1950

India: Becomes a republic on 26 January under a new constitution; elects Rajendra Prasad as the first President.

Burma: U Nu, along with Indian Prime Minister Nehru, Indonesian President Sukarno, Yugoslav President Tito and Egyptian President Nasser co-found the Movement of Non-Aligned States.

Nepal: Alliance of India-based anti-Rana forces and the monarch brings an end of Rana rule in Nepal. Sovereignty of the crown restored and anti-Rana rebels in Nepali Congress join the government.

195152

India: First general election of independent India. Universal adult franchise adopted by the then Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen. Congress wins the first election under leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru.

1953

Nepal: Edmund Hillary from New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay from Nepal become the first to climb Mount Everest.

1955

Nepal: King Tribhuvan dies, King Mahendra ascends the throne. Nepal joins the United Nations.

1956

Sri Lanka: Solomon Bandaranaike, as a result of the rise of Sinhalese nationalism, makes Sinhala the sole official language of the country and adopts other measures to bolster Sinhalese and Buddhist feelings. More than 100 Tamils die in widespread violence after Tamil parliamentarians protest these new laws.

Pakistan: The new constitution declares Pakistan an Islamic republic.

1958

Pakistan: General Ayub Khan takes over following the declaration of martial law.

1959

Nepal: Adopts a multiparty constitution.

Sri Lanka: A Buddhist monk assassinates Bandaranaike. He is succeeded by his widow, Sirimavo, who continues nationalization programme.

1960

Nepal: King Mahendra seizes control and suspends parliament, constitution and party politics after Nepali Congress wins the elections.

Pakistan: General Ayub Khan becomes President.

1962

India: Loses war with China over disputed territory in regions of the northeast and Ladakh.

Burma: Military coup led by General Ne Win ousts U Nus faction. General Ne Win abolishes the federal system and inaugurates the Burmese Way to Socialism nationalizing the economy, forming a single-party state with the Socialist Programme Party as the sole political party and banning independent newspapers. It paves way for a military rule which will last till 2011.

1964

India: Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru dies.

1965

India & Pakistan: Second war over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

1966

India: Nehrus daughter Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister.

1969

Pakistan: General Ayub Khan resigns and General Yahya Khan takes over.

1970

Bangladesh: The Awami League under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wins election by majority votes in East Pakistan. The government in West Pakistan refuses to recognize the results, leading to rioting.

Sri Lanka: Sirimavo Bandaranaike returns to power and extends nationalization programme.

1971

India, Pakistan & Bangladesh: India enters into third war with Pakistan over the influx of immigrants from East Pakistan into Indian territory to take refuge from the ongoing civil war between East and West Pakistan. Leads to the formation of Bangladesh, formerly known as East Pakistan.

1972

Nepal: King Mahendra dies, Crown Prince Birendra ascends the throne.

Bangladesh: Sheikh Mujib returns, becomes Prime Minister. He begins a programme of nationalizing key industries in an attempt to improve living standards, but with little success.

Sri Lanka: Buddhism is given primary place as countrys religion, further antagonizing Tamil minority.

Pakistan: Signs the Shimla Peace Agreement with India to tackle the Kashmir issue.

1973

Pakistan: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto rewrites the constitution and is re-elected Prime Minister.

1974

Burma: New constitution transfers power from the armed forces to a Peoples Assembly headed by Ne Win and other former military leaders.

1975

India: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declares a state of emergency after being found guilty of electoral malpractice. Riots and violence spread throughout the country.