Jawaharlal Nehru – an intellectually moody idealist; an aristocrat who was accustomed to privileges with passionate ideas of socialism; and a western product of Harrow and Cambridge with almost ten years of jail experience and astounding persistence and compassion for the Indians, particularly peasants. Venerated father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi’s and his principles but differed in attitudes. The first prime minister of India would not be the greatest orators but, without any debates, was an eloquent writer.
He was born in 1889 to Motilal Nehru, a renowned lawyer and a member of one of the wealthiest families in India. Post his stint at Cambridge, he practiced law in India eventually stepping into full-fledged national politics. Western education and livelihood exposed him to the ideas of modernity.
Nehru’s modernity was indigenous, it was distinct from the European idea of modernity. The ‘modern ideas’ which Jawaharlal suggested weren’t brand new but his patience and persistence incorporated the ideas in the framework of an independent India.
Nehru was a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, and the Inner Temple, where he trained to be a barrister. During his Harrow days, he was into books, debates, and quizzing. He carried forward these interests even in Cambridge, where he developed a keen interest- and as Ramachandra Guha writes- ‘a lifelong fascination’ with modern science and technology.
Shashi Tharoor in “Nehru: Invention of India” writes,
“It was Nehru who built the scientific base for India’s space and engineering triumphs today. Without the establishment of what is now the Indian Space Research Organisation, there would have been no Mangalyaaan and no Chandrayaan probes….”
Secularism
Regardless of Nehru’s stoic efforts, he couldn’t avoid the partition of India— India and Islamic state, Pakistan. But Nehru stood by his ideas and never let India become a full-fledged Hindu state. He always insisted on the fair and equal treatment of Muslims and other ethnicities in India. Nehru was indifferent about religious beliefs in his personal life, he was an agnostic. In accordance with the nation, Nehru believed, in India, diversity can’t only co-exist but can thrive. The Hindu texts in itself state interrelation of different religions— ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti—there is one truth but the sages call it by many different names. Till his very last, he attempted to make India a safer place for the minorities including Muslims, Sikhs or any new identity which was immersing.
Socialism
One of the ideas which you can’t exclude when we talk about Nehru is—Socialism. Nehru always stood by the ideology of socialism. Nehru, at Lucknow Congress in 1936, declared,
“I am convinced that the only key to the solution of the world’s problems and of India’s problems lies in socialism……… if the future is full of hope it is largely because of Soviet Russia.”
Nehru was persistent for the peasants of India and was aware of how the zamindari system exploited the farmers. The socialist idea was to empower the exploited farmers and lead them towards self-sustenance. Post-independence, certain policy measures focused on promoting socialism and simultaneously at sustaining the nation, led to ‘licence-permit-quota Raj’. The permit raj had its own limitations and consequences, which was out of the intellectual domain of Panditji. Also, Nehruvian socialism was a need of the hour to keep India united as a community and imbibe the ideals of democracy and a feeling of nationhood, a feeling of true Republic. Nehru, on being asked by an American Reporter, responded, “My legacy to India? Hopefully, it is 400 million people capable of governing themselves.”
Nehru was a huge admirer of democracy and a convincing parliamentarian. Nehru was a patriot in the most inclusive sense. He knew that the diversity of India can only be preserved through the fair representation of every section of the nation. Nehru, to promote the idea of democracy, used to write letters to the chief ministers, asking about the national or state policies and necessary rectifications. In his book, Makers of Modern India, Guha writes, ‘that these Letters to the Chief Ministers are so little known is a shame’. At the crest of his success, he wrote an anonymous letter criticizing himself and warning Indians about the ‘dictatorial temptations’ of Jawaharlal Nehru.
The post-independence events in India, simultaneously around Nehru, emphasized on his legacy of modernity in the nation. From foreign relations with China—which eventually went haywire—and Russia to national policies of Hindu Code bill, to reform certain patriarchal practices against women in the Indian system. Nehru insisted and adopted an ‘Industrial Policy resolution’ in April 1948 which granted states a monopoly over railways, atomic energy, and defense manufacturing (Tharoor). He always elaborated on a mixed economy where the public sector co-exists with the private sector. Many people have severely criticized him for the policies, and definitely, in contemporary times these policies are outdated but these policies mattered during the phase of partition and nation-building. Also, to boost the economy. Nehru is considered to be one of the greatest visionaries with splendid intellect and immense indulgence for a dialogue—both in person as well as in writing.
Nehru showed modernity and enlightenment as constructs that can age, wear out, and blossom in emphasizing humanity. Nehru was the faith of the Indian population. “After Nehru, who?” by Welles Hangen in 1963, determines the impact of Nehru’s impeccable leadership and worldwide influence. Nehru was the manifesto of modernity and modern ideas in India, the implementation and imbibing it in the system. The international leaders viewed India through Nehru. For them, Nehru was India and for Indians, Nehru was them.