As ever, the Hour brings the Man. So in the hour of India’s greatest need there appeared on the political horizon a new star to illumine the path to Freedom and inspire the masses with a ringing slogan for a new and better life. Thus from the lips of Jawaharlal Nehru fell those stirring words: “Freedom is my birthright and I shall have it.” From then on there was no looking back on India’s triumphant march to Freedom.
Today when India becomes a Republic, few men can lay claim to such a glorious career as his, winning world-wide fame and recognition. Having won fresh laurels for India during his recent whirlwind tour of the U.S.A. and Canada, he has plunged into his arduous tasks with increased vigour and a clearer perspective of the problems to be solved.
Behind all this honour and acclamation lies a story of suffering and bitter struggle, of heart-breaks and disappointments, of perseverance and faith in the face of almost overwhelming odds.
In his autobiography Pandit Nehru mentions that at the age of ten he imagined himself as a prince with a sword in hand coming to rescue his beloved India from the strong grip of a cruel oppressor. From those early years the foundations of a future career were being laid.
Blessed with wealthy and devoted parents he had the best that English education could offer, going through Harrow and Cambridge and emerging as a full-fledged barrister with an M.A.degree.
Returning to India he began to evince a growing interest in the miserable lot of his poverty-stricken countrymen groaning under the Imperialist yoke. It was then that he dispensed with his legal robes, much to the reluctance of his famous lawyer-father and donned the khadi costume and cap ordained by Mahatma Gandhi to signify opposition to foreign rule and the pledge to overthrow it. In his autobiography, Pandit Nehru would often refer to his anger with Gandhiji and exasperation at his non-violent methods, when it seemed that one quick sweep of the sword would win all. Yet so great was his faith in his master, that while thoroughly disagreeing with him, he would carry out his bidding.
Little is heard now of Pandit Nehru’s fourteen years of prison life in the struggle for freedom, but that he emerged from it without bitterness and rancour and with a clear broad-minded view of the philosophy and action necessary, redounds to his credit. With the possible exception of Stalin no other world leader today has had such a long period of incarceration and consequent disappointment. But perhaps out of evil cometh good, for it was only during his goal years that Pandit Nehru found the time to write his books famous for their literary style no less than the quality of the thoughts expressed.
He has been referred to as “a man of letters who strayed into politics.” It will be agreed that there was some straying!
In Nehru, your neighbour, he refers to his knowledge of the art of showmanship and this combined with a certain political acumen has helped to increase his popularity. Although he walks with kings he does not “lose the common touch.” The writer of this article remembers the few words he exchanged with Pandit Nehru during the 1947 Asian Relations Conference and the instantaneous impression of kindliness gained.
It was Carlyle with his penetrating mind who wrote “… I liken common languid times, with their unbelief, distress, perplexity to dry dead fuel, waiting for the lightning that shall kindle it… In all epochs of world history we shall find the Great Man to have been an indispensable saviour of his epoch: the lightning without which the fuel never would have burnt: The history of the world is the biography of Great Men.”It is true to say that Mahatma Gandhi with his political heir, Pandit Nehru has helped to shape the destiny of mankind in our time and with Pandit Nehru still with us, there is great promise for its future.
Also Read, On Nehru:
Despite differences,no one can doubt Nehru’s intention: Rajnath Singh
Will Narendra Modi defy RSS over Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru now?
