General Studies (Paper - 1) : Model Question & Answers

Question: “A total and unmitigated disaster.” How far would you agree with this comment on the policies of Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist party during the period 1949-1960?

Answer: Mao came into power in 1949 when China was devastated after the long civil war and the war with Japan. The railways, roadways, canals and dykes had been destroyed and there were chronic food shortages. The industry was backward, agriculture was inefficient and incapable of feeding the poverty-stricken mass and inflation seemed out of control.

In such a scenario the steps Mao took were:

(1) The Constitution of 1950 by which the whole system of governance was dominated by the Communist Party of China and only the party members could fight elections. This provided China with a strong and centralised type of government after a long time.

(2) In the field of agriculture, China was transformed from a country of small, inefficient private farms into one of large co-operative farms. Under this, the land was taken away from the private owners and redistributed to Communist Party members by resorting to considerable violence, torture and even executions.

(3) Industrial changes began with the government nationalising most businesses. China also adopted Five Year Plans concentrating on heavy industries based on iron and steel, and coal and chemicals.

(4) The hundred flowers campaign was targeted to produce technicians and experts and lastly the Great Leap Forward promoted industry and agriculture simultaneously.

(5) Finally Cultural Revolution i.e the attempt to keep the revolutions and the Great Leap on a pure Marxist-Leninist course.

But these attempts led to chaos and unrest as they were followed on the lines of strict discipline subsequently leading to a civil war situation once again.