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www.GOALias.blogspot.comEra of One-party Dominance 41Swatantra PartySwatantra Party was formed in August1959 after the Nagpur resolution of theCongress which called for land ceilings,take-over of food grain trade by the stateand adoption of cooperative farming. Theparty was led by old Congressmen like C.Rajagopalachari, K.M.Munshi, N.G.Rangaand Minoo Masani. The party stood outfrom the others in terms of its position oneconomic issues.The Swatantra Party wanted thegovernment to be less and less involvedin controlling the economy. It believedthat prosperity could come only throughindividual freedom.It was critical of thedevelopment strategyof state interventionin the economy,centralised planning,nationalisation and thepublic sector. It insteadfavoured expansion of afree private sector. The Swatantra Party was againstland ceilings in agriculture, and opposed cooperativefarming and state trading. It was also opposed to theprogressive tax regime and demanded dismantlingof the licensing regime. It was critical of the policy ofnon-alignment and maintaining friendly relations withthe Soviet Union and advocated closer ties with theUnited States. The Swatantra Party gained strengthin different parts of the Country by way of merger withnumerous regional parties and interests. It attractedthe landlords and princes who wanted to protecttheir land and status that was being threatened bythe land reforms legislation. The industrialists andbusiness class who were against nationalisation andthe licensing policies also supported the party. Itsnarrow social base and the lack of a dedicated cadreof party members did not allow it to build a strongorganisational network.C. Rajagopalachari(1878-1972): A senior leaderof Congress and literarywriter; close associate ofMahatma Gandhi; memberof Constituent Assembly; firstIndian to be the GovernorGeneral of India (1948-1950); minister in UnionCabinet; later became ChiefMinister of Madras state;first recipient of the BharatRatna Award; founder of theSwatantra Party (1959).