Nehru Knew He Was Not What He Appeared to Be

A crucial issue - garnering almost no attention and remaining undebated - is Mahatma Gandhi's suggestion to dissolve the Congress and turn it into a Lok Seva Sangh. Why did he wish that? The Congress, during the Gandhi era, inspired thousands to practise purity and probity. Freedom fighters and Congress workers were almost synonymous. Gandhi was not oblivious to ambitions; he was aware that cut-throat competition and hypocrisy existed in the Congress. He was afraid that thousands of workers, trained in the anti-imperialist struggle to fight for righteousness, who had inculcated the characteristic of renouncement, would either become irrelevant or be co-opted into a venal system. Gandhi's vision for struggle was not confined to 'transfer of power' or a change of guard on the Delhi throne. He believed these trained idealists should be used to create democratic consciousness in society, which he considered the best way to curb absolutism. He was the first modern Indian politician who drifted from western-style politics and institutions. He was a critic of Westminster democracy and sharply criticised the nature and role of Parliament. Gandhi drew his intellectual and moral strength from our traditional system of knowledge and concept of kingship. In our history, it is those kings who renounced the most, based their rule on justice and preferred merit over kinship who are venerated as ideal rulers. Vikramaditya is revered for his commitment to larger interests. Gandhi expected political actors to follow the principle of life based on minimum materialism and maximum renouncement. The extravagance of 'swadeshi' rulers and their joy upon the transfer of power, even as thousands were being massacred and millions going homeless and breadless, stunned Gandhi. He wrote to Nehru, "We are adopting British extravagance, which the country cannot afford" and proposed to Nehru that "the Viceroy should reside in an unpretentious house and the present palace (later to be known as Rashtrapati Bhavan) should be more usefully used". Mountbatten happily accepted Gandhi's proposal and the latter wrote back, "May I say how deeply I have appreciated your wish to go to an unpretentious house as the chosen Governor General of millions of the half-famished villagers of the nation." But this proposal was a discomfort for 'socialist' Nehru and he informed Gandhi of "difficulty in finding suitable accommodation and making arrangements for changing over, when we are so busy". Why Nehru suppressed the proposal was revealed by his own action. Soon after the Mahatma's demise, he shifted from his 'small' residence, 17 York Road, in the capital to Teen Murti House (spread over almost 22 acres), former residence of the British commander-in-chief of the Indian Army. Michael Edwards wrote that Nehru had moved into a luxurious house "surrounding himself with guards, large cars, bodyguards on prancing horses, pomp and protocol". Nehru was not what he appeared to be, a fact he himself was aware of. He wrote in Modern Review (November 1937) under the anonymous name 'Rashtrapati' that he had a tendency to become dictatorial and needed to be checked. After Independence, when the Congress was grappling with internal democracy Nehru shrewdly created a psychological halo among party workers that he alone could save it from tottering. A national leader like Harekrushna Mahatab issued a press statement urging the 'need' for Nehru's dictatorship in the interest of the Congress and country. During the first general election, S K Sinha from Bihar proposed that Nehru should be solely authorised to select all 4,000 candidates for the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies. The subversion of democracy began with proxies of Nehru inside the Congress. It is a paradox that despite knowing Nehru's proclivities, Gandhi favoured him.

Jawaharlal Nehru Biography

Born: November 14, 1889 Died: May 27, 1964 Achievements: Took active part in Non-Cooperation Movement; elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's chief executive; Presided over Congress' annual session in Lahore in 1929 and passed a resolution demanding India's independence; elected as Congress President in 1936, 1937, and 1946; became first Prime Minister of independent India; was one of the main architects of Non Aligned Movement.
Jawaharlal Nehru, also known as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of the foremost leaders of Indian freedom struggle. He was the favourite disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and later on went on to become the first Prime Minister of India. Jawahar Lal Nehru is widely regarded as the architect of modern India. He was very fond of children and children used to affectionately call him Chacha Nehru.
Jawahar Lal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889. His father Motilal Nehru was a famous Allahabad based barrister. Jawaharlal Nehru's mother's name was Swaroop Rani. Jawaharlal Nehru was the only son of Motilal Nehru. Motilal Nehru has three daughters apart from Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehrus were Saraswat Brahmin of Kashmiri lineage.
Jawaharlal Nehru received education in some of the finest schools and universities of the world. He did his schooling from Harrow and completed his Law degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. The seven years he spent in England widened his horizons and he acquired a rational and skeptical outlook and sampled Fabian socialism and Irish nationalism, which added to his own patriotic dedication.
Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India in 1912 and started legal practice. He married Kamala Nehru in 1916. Jawahar Lal Nehru joined Home Rule League in 1917. His real initiation into politics came two years later when he came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had launched a campaign against Rowlatt Act. Nehru was instantly attracted to Gandhi's commitment for active but peaceful, civil disobedience. Gandhi himself saw promise and India's future in the young Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru family changed its family according to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings. Jawaharlal and Motilal Nehru abandoned western clothes and tastes for expensive possessions and pastimes. They now wore a Khadi Kurta and Gandhi cap. Jawaharlal Nehru took active part in the Non- Cooperation Movement 1920-1922) and was arrested for the first time during the movement. He was released after few months.
Jawaharlal Nehru was elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's chief executive. This proved to be a valuable administrative experience for stood him in good stead later on when he became the prime minister of the country. He used his tenure to expand public education, health care and sanitation. He resigned in 1926 citing lack of cooperation from civil servants and obstruction from British authorities.
From 1926 to 1928, Jawaharlal served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee. In 1928-29, the Congress's annual session under President Motilal Nehru was held. During that session Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose backed a call for full political independence, while Motilal Nehru and others wanted dominion status within the British Empire. To resolve the point, Gandhi said that the British would be given two years to grant India dominion status. If they did not, the Congress would launch a national struggle for full, political independence. Nehru and Bose reduced the time of opportunity to one year. The British did not respond.
In December 1929, Congress's annual session was held in Lahore and Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as the President of the Congress Party. During that sessions a resolution demanding India's independence was passed and on January 26, 1930 in Lahore, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled free India's flag. Gandhiji gave a call for Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. The movement was a great success and forced British Government to acknowledge the need for major political reforms.
When the British promulgated the Government of India Act 1935, the Congress Party decided to contest elections. Nehru stayed out of the elections, but campaigned vigorously nationwide for the party. The Congress formed governments in almost every province, and won the largest number of seats in the Central Assembly. Nehru was elected to the Congress presidency in 1936, 1937, and 1946, and came to occupy a position in the nationalist movement second only to that of Gandhi. Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested in 1942 during Quit India Movement. Released in 1945, he took a leading part in the negotiations that culminated in the emergence of the dominions of India and Pakistan in August 1947.
In 1947, he becamethe first Prime Minister of independent India. He effectively coped with the formidable challenges of those times: the disorders and mass exodus of minorities across the new border with Pakistan, the integration of 500-odd princely states into the Indian Union, the framing of a new constitution, and the establishment of the political and administrative infrastructure for a parliamentary democracy.
Jawaharlal Nehru played a key role in building modern India. He set up a Planning Commission, encouraged development of science and technology, and launched three successive five-year plans. His policies led to a sizable growth in agricultural and industrial production. Nehru also played a major role in developing independent India's foreign policy. He called for liquidation of colonialism in Asia and Africa and along with Tito and Nasser, was one of the chief architects of the nonaligned movement. He played a constructive, mediatory role in bringing the Korean War to an end and in resolving other international crises, such as those over the Suez Canal and the Congo, offering India's services for conciliation and international policing. He contributed behind the scenes toward the solution of several other explosive issues, such as those of West Berlin, Austria, and Laos.
But Jawahar Lal Nehru couldn't improve India's relations with Pakistan and China. The Kashmir issue proved a stumbling block in reaching an accord with Pakistan, and the border dispute prevented a resolution with China. The Chinese invasion in 1962, which Nehru failed to anticipate, came as a great blow to him and probably hastened his death. Jawaharlal Nehru died of a heart attack on May 27, 1964.