I have dwelt at length over the Constitution with a view to placing our analysis within definite boundaries. What we should and can do in the seventies will inevitably be coloured by what we did in the fifties and sixties. If I may formulate in political terms the goals of the republic to which our strategy has to be related, I would say they are first to maintain inviolate the territorial and political unity of the country, secondly to preserve and to strengthen the free democratic society and its political institutions and lastly to revolutionise the social and economic relations in order that justice does not remain an abstract concept but becomes a living reality.
At this stage it seems necessary to inquire whether the strategy that we adopted in the fifties and in the sixties to achieve these goals was adequate. Only then will it be possible to speak meaningfully of something like a strategy for the seventies. This examination is also necessary for connecting our thinking about the future with the broad theme of political continuity which I have sketched while discussing the Constitution. Briefly, during the first two decades, we concentrated on reshaping our economy through the instrument of the Five Year Plans, and subsequently on building up our armed strength to meet the danger of aggression from our two hostile neighbours. The strategy of planned development in the rural areas was also linked with the establishment of self-governing democratic institutions under the experiment of democratic decentralisation. Throughout this period we upheld the principle of free elections, with the result that the political system remained open to the interplay of diverse political forces and supported the institutions of free press and an independent judiciary.
The results of this strategy on the three fronts mentioned by me may also be briefly reviewed. The first three Five Year Plans have provided, despite many difficulties, the basic infrastructure of a modern economy. Industrial production has been greatly expanded and diversified; agriculture, after a sluggish start, is poised for a big technological breakthrough; educational facilities have increased at all levels; and though a self-reliant and a self-generating economy is still to come, our dependence on foreign imports in many vital fields has been appreciably reduced. Politically, the democratic parliamentary system has shown remarkable flexibility in adjusting itself to the changes produced by the fourth General Elections. Although the party system in the country has not yet crystallized so as to provide the people with clear alternatives in many cases, the politics of the present crucial transitional phase have been more or less successfully accommodated within the framework of the parliamentary institutions. This is an important achievement of which we can be rightly proud. Also during this period we have seen a vigorous growth of associations and voluntary organizations of all kinds. The existence of such associations and organisations is a necessary safeguard for the freedom of opinion.
