Nehru: A forgotten icon

HISTORIAN'S pen and surgeon's knife are a lot similar, for both know no emotions.

Elders rightly lament that history had been unkind to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. But an argumentative and cynical India finds no hero in Nehru now. And he makes for no political capital either. Nehru's statesmanship and his fashion style may appeal those in power, but the mass has moved away from him. This blogger seeks to put Nehru in today's perspective.   

WHILE travelling in a car to a political rally, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's eyes caught a wall poster claiming a Congress candidate for the Kerala Assembly elections having committed financial irregularity. He was headed for a rally to boost chances of that candidate only. On stage with the candidate in question in tow, Nehru told his audience, that he would no more be the Congress candidate and asked people to choose a better alternative. 

The crowd was in disbelief, but that was the character of Nehru, who sought spotless characters of people in politics. Nehru would have been a misfit in today's politics. The current practice of "ends justify all" was alien to his brand of politics, as "means" was much more important to him. 

Those who were young in Nehru's time and now pushed by age to that painful reflective phase of their lives recall India's first Prime Minister as a true democrat. Surely, he earned rare contradictions in his political life when he dismissed the Left led Karala government and later put Sheikh Abdullah in jail. 

Yet, he was not only tolerant but even receptive to the Opposition voices. That he encouraged leaders of his time to express their opinion freely is well known and fill pages of the golden history of Modern India. His praise and appreciation for the then young Atal Bihari Vajpayee is now legendary and his prophecy of his becoming Prime Minister one day came true three decades after his death.

But history has not been kind to Nehru. His contribution in building Modern India is no less than that of Mahatma Gandhi in winning freedom for the country. On closer examination, it may emerge that history is less kind to those who wield power. And Gandhi was the supreme leader of India till his death, but never occupied a seat of power. In contrast, Nehru led the provisional government even before Independence and made many enemies. 

True to the characters of youth, Nehru did differ from the painfully slow method of Gandhi to win freedom for the country. That he subordinated his angst to the ideals of Gandhi is well documented. He, arguably, did not believe in the Gandhian method to polarize Muslims for the cause of Khalifa, that to the understanding of this blogger sowed the seeds of Muslims as a separate nation. Rest is history, as Muhammed Ali Jinna ran his knife on the body-soul of this nation.  

WHILE India insulated Gandhi from critical review by elevating him to the Father of the Nation, Nehru became the fall guy for the gloom of the 1970s. That his internationalism cost the nation dearly in relations with China and earlier in Kashmir bear high in the minds of the people. 

Ironically, while Nehru did not come off in flying colours in the political domain, the nation undoubtedly should be grateful to him for his economic vision. He tied up with Germany to set up IIT-Madras and Rourkela steel factory and replicated this model with the erstwhile Soviet Russia, etc. India's economic resilience owes its strength to Nehru's vision.  

Most importantly, Nehru with the help of able and astute Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel shaped and fortified India. Together, they proved many doubting Thomeses wrong, who in those days dreamt balkanisation of the country (Lord Mountbatten was one of them). And the most important contribution of Nehru was making the people of the country believe, that India can stand on its feet firmly and with pride. 

While millions of people are apparently enamoured to hear long and extempore speeches of Narendra Modi, people in villages in the 90s still recall travelling several kilometers to hear the oratory of Nehru. They still believe that none spoke like Nehru and after hearing him out they sensed confidence in them. 

That Nehruvian era is gone and gone forever. And it was none else, but her daughter late Indira Gandhi, who made sure that people forget Nehru so soon. Her systematic destruction of the Congress and constituting a political dynasty were all un-Nehruvian works. And, she was surely not a worthy political heir to Nehru.

Now that Rahul Gandhi seeks to Nehru legacy to revive his gloom-stricken Congress, Nehru has zoomed out of the box. But he again is misguided, for Nehru no more makes for any political capital for any to invest in. He is history and has played his innings. 

Foolishness has no ends and many fools hope for historical icons to revive their political career. History enlightens and offer clues to issues of present and future. And one clue that history offers to Rahul Gandhi is to embark on a path to rid the Congress off the sycophants.