The Indian Libertarian

Summary

The Indian Libertarian, Vol. IX No. 24 (15 March 1962), edited by D. M. Kulkarni, appears under the banner ‘We Stand for Free Economy and Limited Government’ just after the third Indian general election. The editorial, ‘The Vanquished Victor’, dissects the North Bombay contest in which Defence Minister Krishna Menon defeated veteran ex-Congress President Acharya J. B. Kripalani, arguing that Menon’s win was hollow and secured by ‘dirty tactics’. M. A. Venkata Rao’s ‘Elections And Democracy’ reflects on what the results reveal about the maturity of Indian democracy, while M. N. Tholal’s ‘General Election Results’ analyses party performance and the prospects of the opposition. Eric Michelsen contributes ‘16 Years Under Communism — The Chronicle Of A Subject People’, a Cold War account of life under communism. A separately paginated Economic Supplement, a Delhi Letter, book review, press gleanings and news departments round out the issue.

Essays

Elections And Democracy

By MA Venkata Rao

M. A. Venkata Rao’s ‘Elections And Democracy’ reflects on the third general election as a measure of India’s democratic maturity. He weighs the conditions of genuine democratic participation against the realities of party machinery and patronage, arguing that healthy democracy requires more than the periodic casting of votes and depends on an informed, engaged electorate.

• Treats the third general election as a test of democratic maturity.
• Distinguishes formal voting from genuine democratic participation.
• Stresses the role of an informed, engaged electorate.

General Election Results

By M. N. Tholal

M. N. Tholal’s ‘General Election Results’ analyses the outcome of the 1962 polls, assessing the performance of the Congress and the various opposition parties, including the Swatantra Party. He weighs what the results mean for the fortunes of liberal and conservative opposition and the character of the contest.

• Analyses the 1962 general election results.
• Assesses Congress dominance against the opposition parties.
• Considers the prospects of the Swatantra-led opposition.

16 Years Under Communism-The Chronicle Of A Subject people

By Eric Michelsen

Eric Michelsen’s ‘16 Years Under Communism — The Chronicle Of A Subject People’ recounts the experience of life under communist rule, drawing on the East German case from 1945 onward. The essay traces the consolidation of one-party control, the suppression of independent parties, the role of indoctrination, and the reduction of a people to subjection under the regime.

• Chronicles sixteen years of life under communist rule.
• Draws on the East German experience from 1945.
• Documents one-party consolidation, indoctrination and the suppression of independent parties.

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