Class -12: Political Science

“Patel, the organisational man of the Congress, wanted to purge the
Congress of other political groups and sought to make of it a cohesive
and disciplined political party. He …. sought to take the Congress away
from its all-embracing character and turn it into a close-knit party of
disciplined cadres. Being a ‘realist’ he looked more for discipline than
for comprehension. While Gandhi took too romantic a view of “carrying
on the movement,” Patel’s idea of transforming the Congress into
strictly political party with a single ideology and tight discipline showed
an equal lack of understanding of the eclectic role that the Congress,
as a government, was to be called upon to perform in the decades to
follow.” — Rajni Kothari

1. Why does the author think that Congress should not have been
   a cohesive and disciplined party?
2. Give some examples of the eclectic role of the Congress party
   in the early years.
3. Why does the author say that Gandhi’s view about
   Congress’ future was romantic?

“Today you have worn on your heads a crown of thorns. The seat of
power is a nasty thing. You have to remain ever wakeful on that seat….
you have to be more humble and forbearing…now there will be no end
to your being tested.” — M.K Gandhi

“…India will awake to a life of freedom….we step out from the old to the
new…we end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself
again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of
opportunity…” — Jawaharlal Nehru

Spell out the agenda of nation-building that flows from these two
statements. Which one appeals more to you and why?