NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
World History
Q1. Discuss in brief the contributions of India towards decolonization efforts across the world? 10M
Introduction
Decolonization refers to the process or action whereby a colonizing state withdraws from its former colony, leaving it independent either due to nonviolent revolution or national liberation wars by pro-independence groups or both.
India gained its independence after the 2nd world war and was one of the major advocators of the decolonization process across the world.
Body:
India’s efforts toward decolonization
- Acted as inspiration: – India gained its independence in 1947 from Britain. Indian freedom struggle was achieved mainly through non-violent means which acted as inspiration for many countries to fight for their liberation.
- For instance, the South African freedom movement.
- Non Aligned movement; – the movement originated to counterbalance the rapid bipolarization of the world after Korean War with India as one of the important influencing members. It advocated decolonization and raised awareness about self-determination in third-world countries.
- For instance, Leaders like Nehru from India, Josip Broz Tito the communist leader from Yugoslavia, and Abdel Nasser from Egypt successfully opposed French and British imperial powers during Suez Crisis in 1956.
- Third world countries grouping;– India supported the formation of third world countries groupings which came together against imperialism and to rally for independence from colonizing countries.
- For instance, In the 1950s, five newly independent Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Burma and Indonesia) took the initiative to rally the Third-World countries to form a united front against colonization.
- In the UN; – Democracy and decolonization were not on the agenda of the permanent five when they drafted the UN Charter.
- When the Second World War got over, there was a rush among them to recover the colonies they had lost to the Axis powers.
- France tried to recover Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and Britain took back Malaysia, Singapore and other colonies in Asia. The Netherlands wanted Indonesia back.
- India was one of the first countries to raise its voice against the Netherlands and France. India spoke for all the colonies and raised awareness against imperialism.
- It was only in 1960 that a resolution reaffirming the right of self-determination and the right of all peoples to determine their political status was included in the UN charter.
- Through conference and grouping- India’s close collaboration with Africa on this issue led to the forging of the Afro-Asian identity in 1955 at the Bandung conference. It bought together some 29 countries delegates from African and Asian countries.
- They opposed colonialism and encouraged peoples still under colonial rule to fight for their freedom.
- Helping hand;- Indonesia endured four years of military and diplomatic confrontation with the Netherlands before the Dutch government recognised the independence of the Dutch East Indies in December 1949.
- India provided a helping hand to the Indonesian freedom struggle.
- For instance, Biju Patnaik flew several missions in 1947 to transport Indonesian leaders including the nation’s tallest leader, President Sukarno, Vice-President Hatta and Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir out of Indonesia, at grave risk to himself. It all eventually led to Indonesian independence in 1949.
Conclusion
In the ten years following the end of the Second World War, with successive waves of decolonization in Asia and Africa, the Third World took its place as a new player in the international arena and India’s role in international efforts toward decolonization is not worthy and commendable.
Additional Details:
Q2. Shed a light on the impact of the cold war on Asia, detailing the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. 15M
Introduction
The Cold War was a period (1945-1991) of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and its satellite states (the Eastern European countries), and the United States with its allies (the Western European countries) after World War II.
The two superpowers were primarily engaged in an ideological war between the capitalist USA and the communist Soviet Union. The term “Cold” is used because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two sides. However, they did involve in the proxy war in a few Asian countries like Vietnam and Korea.
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Impact of Cold war in Asia.
- Non Aligned movement; – the movement originated to counterbalance the rapid bipolarization of the world after Korean War. It was led by countries like India, Egypt, and Indonesia and attracted members from third-world countries.
- For instance, many countries from Africa and Asia were its members.
- Decolonization in Asia;– Due to pressure from countries like USA and Russia many countries were pressurized to leave their colony which led to the establishment of democracy or authoritarian regimes in those nations.
- For instance, Indonesia got its independence in 1949.
- Proxy war; – Asia became the battleground during the cold war and both USA and USSR fought their proxy war in Asian countries causing heavy damage to life and property.
- For instance, the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
- Internal interference- the period of the cold war saw America acting as a global policeman while USSR played this role only in its own bloc. The CIA and KGB were directly dictating the policies of many Asian countries which even sometimes resulted in direct military engagement.
- For instance 1979 Afghan intervention by Russia.
- Civil war and Coup; – The cold war witnessed intense political competition between the two power blocs. Both the blocs were directly or indirectly involved in almost all civil wars and the military coup that occurred during this period.
- For instance, the CIA played an important role in the 1953 coup in Iran against the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadeq and thereafter helped the Shah of Iran, Pahlavi, establish his despotic rule.
- Arms race; – the cold war period also saw a high level of mutual suspicion and arms race coupled with increased military expenditure among countries of Asia.
- Even today, in countries like North Korea, China’s heavy military expenditure is a legacy of the cold war era.
- Military alliance; – The Cold War world was shaped and divided by political and military alliances. The best known of these alliances were NATO and the Warsaw Pact, formed in Europe after World War II.
- In Asia, SEATO later CENTO was established by the USA its purpose was to prevent communism from gaining ground in the region. Its members included Pakistan, the Philippines etc.
Korean conflicts;-
- Korea was under Japanese occupation till WWII which attacked it in
- After World War II, Korea was divided into the Soviet-backed North and US-backed South so that USA and USSR can jointly organise Japanese surrender.
- The division was not supposed to be permanent and the UN and USA wanted free election in the whole country since the USA was sure that South Korean Capitalists will win the election since they had 2/3rd of the Population but this could not happen.
- In 1949, the troops of both the USA and USSR were withdrawn but due to a volatile situation where Koreans resented partition and leaders of both North and South claimed to rule the whole of Korea.
- The war began with the Northern invasion of the South sparked the Korean War (1950-53), in which the South was supported by a US-led UN coalition.
- Just when this coalition had taken most of the Korean Peninsula, China joined the USSR in support of the North, driving the Americans back southward to the 38th parallel; this line has served as the boundary between the two Koreas ever since.
- Korean War was the first instance Economic measures were ignored and Military action was taken by the US (under Truman).
Conflicts in Vietnam;-
- Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
- There were 4 military organizations total that was involved in this war, however, they can be divided into 2 sides based on their common goals, the communist side(Soviet-backed) and the anti-communist side (US-backed).
- The U.S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam.
- The US resorted to brutal campaigns of carpet bombing (area bombing) and defoliation (destruction of foliage, typically with napalm or herbicides). Yet even these extreme measures failed.
- The US ultimately withdrew, and later Vietnam was unified but the social and economic cost for Vietnam was enormous with an estimated 2 million people killed.
Conclusion
The largely peaceful collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, the reunification of Germany in 1990, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 traditionally signify the end of the Cold War, which had dominated international relations for more than forty-five years.
Ethics:
Q3. What do you understand by the term ‘cohabitation’? How will ‘cohabitation’ impact the ethical development of children? Analyze (10M)
Introduction:
Cohabitation offers an opportunity for couples to evaluate their compatibility before committing to a long-term or married relationship. So when couples in cohabitation opt for a baby or single parents opt for cohabitation, the impact of their relationship on the child is huge.
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If two people, especially a man and woman who are not married, live together and have a sexual relationship then it’s known as cohabitation. This is also known as living together.
Traditionally in India couples would be in a married relationship before having kids. With cohabitation, this is changing. The divorce rate in India is less than 1 % but in cohabitation breaking up is easy.
This has several adverse effects on children:
- Childhood outcomes: Family stability is more important for childhood outcomes. Children raised in stable families are healthier, better educated, and more likely to avoid poverty than those who experience transitions in family structure.
- Effect on their moral character: Home is the first educational institution for children, where the main role is played by their parents to develop their morals and differentiate between right and wrong, good and bad. Children born under cohabitation may be less monitored by parents. Thus leading to a loss of moral responsibility.
- Lack of role models: By displaying moral and ethical behaviour, parents can also impart values that can counter the negative influences children may receive from their peers or media. Thus with the lack of any such positive effects, as per a study in the USA, children in cohabitation are more likely to end up doing drugs.
- Lack of emotional support: children who are born to cohabit parents appear to experience enduring deficits of psychosocial wellbeing. As the parents, they themselves are going through several emotional conflicts. Children lack a strong emotional strength which is required when faced with ethical dilemmas in one’s life.
- Lack of obedience to social contract: As per the same study, Children may fail to conform to societal norms such as tolerance; they are more likely to be aggressive.
Conclusion:
Children of the clearly committed couple who have opted not to marry and are raising a child in a loving relationship will no doubt thrive. But when it’s not the case the child is likely to suffer.
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