जवाहरलाल नेहरू का जीवन - आधुनिक भारत के निर्माता

Table of Contents

Biography of Jawaharlal Nehru – India’s First PM

14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964 First Prime Minister of India (also the longest serving)
Central figure in Indian politics before and after independence.
Architect of the modern Indian nation-state

Childhood and Education

Born in the privileged household of Motilal Nehru, a successful lawyer in Allahabad
Kashmiri Pandit
Schooling – Private tutors initially, later at Harrow in England
Graduated from Trinity College ,Cambridge in 1910
Studies Law at Inner temple, London
Called to the Bar in 1912

Return to India as a Young Barrister

Jawaharlal returned to India in 1912 as a lawyer
He started practice at Allahabad High Court but was not successful as his father

Interest in Politics steered him away from law
He married Kamla Devi in 1916 and In 1917, Kamla gave birth to Indira Priyadarshini.

A Young Radical?

Although he was involved in the activities of INC since he returned , he opposed the moderate policies and actions of INC
Attended the 1912 Bankipore session of INC
Motilal Nehru and Gopal Krishna Gokhale were the most prominent moderate leaders
JLN advocated Politics of non-cooperation, resigning from honorary positions under the government

Involvement in Independence Movement

JLN supported the Home rule League movement in the mid 1910s
He was greatly influenced by Annie Besant
He became secretary of the Home Rule League led by Besant

Leader of the Indian National Congress

Took charge of Non cooperation movement launched by Gandhiji, in United Provinces
Chauri Chaura incident
Split in INC – Swarajists
JLN stayed with the Gandhian view and did not join Swaraj party/faction
Became a leader of left wing in INC
General Secretary in 1923
Opposed the dominion status demand made by Nehru Report of 1928

Gandhi – Nehru Relations

He came in contact with M.K. Gandhi in 1916 and became a life long supporter and protégé of his .
He was seen as the political successor to Gandhi.
Their relationship did contain some antagonism though in 1920s.
Nehru was one of the first leaders to demand that the Congress Party should resolve to make a complete and explicit break from all ties with the British Empire = POORNA SWARAJ
Gandhiji did not favour the Poorna Swaraj demand till 1929
JLN took forward the legacy of Gandhi in post –independence India

The Rise of a National leader

LAHORE CONGRESS SESSION 1929 –POORNA SWARAJ RESOLUTION

1928 –Gandhiji and INC leadership gave British govt 1 year deadline for implementing Nehru Report, against the wishes of Nehru and Bose
If the British failed to meet the deadline, the Congress would call upon all Indians to fight for complete independence.
December 31, 1929 – at midnight on the banks of River Ravi, the newly adopted tricolour flag of freedom was hoisted amidst slogans of Inquilab Zindabad.
On January 26, 1930, the declaration of Poorna Swarajya was publicly issued

NOTE –
Jawaharlal Nehru was Congress president in these sessions – 1929, 1936, 1937 and 1951 to 54

Nehru was jailed for a long time during the Civil Disobedience movement (1930-34)
INC president in 1936 and 37
INC electoral victories in 1937 elections
Jailed again during Quit India Movement
1946 – Leader of INTERIM CABINET and first Prime Minister of the Country
Prevented the Balkanisation of India

“Tryst with Destiny“

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”

WORLD VIEW

Not just a Nationalist but an Internationalist and Humanist
JLN tried to internationalise India’s Independence struggle
He saw it as a worldwide anti –imperialist, anti- colonial struggle
Lent moral support to liberal movements all across Africa, Asia and South America
In 1927, the Congress was invited to attend the congress of oppressed nationalities in Brussels in Belgium. He represented India there

An Inclusive Cabinet

Inclusion of leaders of all walks and philosophies in the Interim and first cabinet , many of whom were his ardent opponents
Many leaders of Muslim League (who left after Partition in 1947)
BR Ambedkar – Law minister
Shyama Prasad Mukherji – Hindu Mahasabha

Kashmir and China – Vexing problems

1947 – Instrument of Accession
Good Relations with Sheikh Abdullah till 1952
Mistake – Went to UN to resolve Kashmir dispute
Border Dispute with China – Did not wake up to the Chinese threat in Tibet .
Breakdown of the `Panchsheel’ agreement signed with China.
India’s non intervention in Tibet cost security of India dearly in 1962
Still managed to preserve India’s territorial integrity

Economic policy

Socialist economic policy
Stress on Planned economy
1938 –Headed the National Planning Committee
Mixed economic approach with govt control of large scale industrial manufacturing
Multiple Public sector undertakings
Emphasis on heavy industries and multi-purpose projects
Multi purpose River valley projects – ‘’Temples of Modern India ‘’

Science and Technology

Foundation of AIIMS, IITs,IIMs, NITs, CSIR
India’s Nuclear Program for peaceful purposes – power generation
Under Homi Jehangir Bhabha
The shock defeat in 1962 Indo China war led to the development of Nuclear weapons program later

Foreign Policy

Non Alignment

Architect of India’s foreign policy.
He, along with Tito (Yugoslavia) and Nasser (Egypt), founded the Non- Aligned Movement.
He considered that the non-aligned policy does not necessitate taking a neutral stand.
Ardent Believer in World peace and UNO

“Nehru was without question the chief architect of our democracy. It was he, more than any other nationalist, who promoted universal franchise and the multi-party system.”
– RC Guha

Legacy

Fondly called ‘Chacha Nehru’ due to his affinity for Children
Laid the cornerstone of India’s strong foundations of Socialism, secularism and democratic traditions
Acceptance of pluralism in India – its culture and society
Progressive thinker – Hindu Code Bills passed with his support
Popular among the masses as their champion and popular among the educated and intelligentsia for his vast knowledge, world views and oratory skills

Criticisms/Failures

Nepotism – Indira as INC president in 1950s
Overlooking geopolitics due to his Trust in China’s friendship
Pacifist – The Gandhian in him made him go soft on military matters
Undemocratic dismissal of Left govt of Kerala
Too much flexibility in dealing with separatist movements in North east
Dealing with domestic situation in Kashmir – arrest of Sheikh Abdullah
Affair with Edwina Mountbatten

Books
Ø The Discovery of India
ØGlimpses of World History
ØToward Freedom (autobiography)
ØLetters from a Father to His Daughter

His death was announced

on 27 May 1964 due to heart attack .

New York Times plainly referred to him as the “maker of modern India”; the Economist ran a cover story titled “World without Nehru”. It recalled his “almost magical grip” on the masses and regretted that the world stage would be poorer without the “great man”.

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.’’

– Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight (2008)