Born in the year 1889 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh to an illustrious family helmed by Motilal Nehru, an eminent lawyer, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is fondly remembered in the nation as ‘Chacha Nehru’; a sobriquet he earned on the basis of the love he had for the children, whom he considered to be the building blocks of a nation.. He in the course of a remarkable political career, went on to become the first Prime Minister of free India when it gained sovereignty.
He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth though this in no way made him a brat or spoilt. Nehru was an exceptionally bright student who completed his schooling at home in India and later graduated from the Cambridge University in 1912. He was a keen exponent of ancient history and modern political ideology which made him a brilliant historian and a distinguished political leader of his times. He returned with a degree in law and in 1916, he got married to Kamla Nehru.
By the year 1920, his active political career had started off full steam as he joined the Congress in the flush of the Non-Cooperation Movement. He actively supported Gandhi’s stance for freedom on the basis of non-violence and Satyagrah and also took part in the subsequent Civil Disobedience Movements and Quit India Movement.His craving for wealth, personal comfort and status was never a deterrent for the kind of sacrifice and hard work required to intensify the freedom struggle. He soon became Gandhi’s most trusted aide and ardent supporter.
On 15th August, 1947 Nehru was the first who was handed over the responsibility of leading the nation from the front and he initiated this brilliant phase with the now iconic ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech at the wake of midnight of 15th Aug, 1947.Gandhi’s untimely death left this bright leader rudderless and adrift. He bemoaned ‘The light has gone all out and there is darkness all around us’.
It is to the credit of Nehru who put India on the train towards development. It is on his shoulders that the onerous task of building a strong, progressive and democratic nation was put and he rose to the task and delivered a brilliant stint. He knew that dams are ‘ the temples of modern India, five year planning a must to ensure accountability of the various developmental measures,free and fair elections compulsory to ensure the functioning of democracy in the nation and the press needed to be emboldened giving it free rein. It is during his tenure that the Indian voice could be heard loud and clear in the United Nations.
Nehru was a brilliant orator, diplomat and strategist. He was an eminent scholar, well- versed in the Indian culture and the books written by him as ‘Discovery of India’, ‘Glimpses of World History ‘ ‘ Autobiography’ are examples of literary masterpiece in the nation. His personal compilation of epistles‘Letters from a Father to a Daughter’ written to his daughter Indira Gandhi, from jail where he was imprisoned by the British government for his political leanings also gave a rare insight into the mind and heart of this brilliant writer and loving father.
His passing away by the year 27th May,1964 left behind a chasm which was difficult to fill in the Indian sub-consciouness. 14th November, every year is celebrated as ‘Children’s Day’ in tribute to the love of this man.
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