Jawaharlal Nehru

Nehru’s Nationalism and his role in the Freedom Movement are closely interrelated, since it was the nature of Nehru’s Nationalist ideas that dictated his course of action in the freedom movement of India. Nehru’s Nationalism: Nehru’s nationalism was not one of mindless jingoism. He was able to reach a common ground between an erudite internationalism and a very keen understanding of the Indian condition. Nehru’s nationalism was marked by a fiery pride in the heritage of the country. But he was willing to temper this pride with his readings and his rationalist views that he received from his Western Education in the West.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s role in the freedom movement of India has probably not received as much historical attention as it deserves. That is, of course no surprise, as Jawaharlal Nehru’s astounding success as a statesman who ushered in a new era of international relations through the formation of the NAM, and his stature as the first prime minister of independent India often adumbrate his position as a significant figure in the freedom movement of India. With his charm, highly impressive educational background, and selfless service to the nation, Nehru presented the face of a new and active India to thousands of Indians who looked up to him as a role model and a guide.

Early Years of Nehru in the Freedom Movement of India:

Jawaharlal Nehru was born into politics. His father Motilal Nehru was a veteran Congressman and committed to the cause of India’s freedom for a very long time. Nehru spent much of his educational years in England studying first at Harrow and then at Trinity College, Cambridge. However, the freedom of India was always on his mind. It was therefore no surprise that after his return from the British shores in 1912, the job of a lawyer was the last of Nehru’s priorities. As a student he already felt himself closely attached to the cause India’s freedom, and had his sympathies with the Extremist leaders of Congress. After his return, he involved himself directly into the political scenario of the country.

However, Nehru was still comparatively without a firm direction in these early years, not sure which path was the right path that would lead towards India’s freedom. His father’s moderate ideologies and elitist way of life disturbed him, as he thought him, like many other Congressmen of his generation, to be much dissociated from the ground realities of the land and the lives of the common people of India. He also realized that the direct application of Socialist measures would not suit India’s socio-economic profile. It was at that time that he found a direction in the mode of civil resistance as preached by Gandhi. Gandhi’s success in Champaran and Ahmedabad renewed and established his belief in Satyagraha. He was not slow to adopt the cultural aspects of Satyagraha as well. He read the Indian scriptures of India, and dressed in home-spun clothes becoming a staunch Gandhian in all senses. Motilal and his entire family adopted the Gandhian way of life. Nehru traveled across India, and was warmly received by the masses. This filled him with a renewed sense of self-confidence. It was time he decided to whole-heartedly commit himself to the cause of Indian freedom.

Jawaharlal Nehru and the Non-Cooperation Movement:

The first big involvement of Jawaharlal Nehru came at the onset of the noncooperation movement in 1920. Nehru joined in whole-heartedly in this Satyagraha based movement that stormed India. Nehru was arrested on charges of anti governmental activities and was released a few months later. In the rift formed within the Congress following the sudden closure of the non-cooperation movement after the Chauri Chaura incident, Nehru remained loyal to Gandhi’s camp and denied to join the Swaraj Party formed by Motilal Nehru and CR Das. After his release, Nehru’s fame as a dynamic Congress leader was well-established. He soon became the President of the Allahabad Congress Committee in 1923. However, towards the end of the decade, Nehru grew increasingly impatient with the pacifist nature of the senior Congressman. Along with Subhas Chandra Bose, Nehru was intent on complete freedom and believed in giving an ultimatum to the British Government to grant India dominion status. The senior leaders were bent on a slower and more patient approach. The Calcutta Congress of 1928 brought the rift into the open. Jawaharlal openly decried the Nehru Commission framed by Motilal Nehru, and it needed the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi to persuade Nehru to abandon his fiery stance of more direct action.

Nehru and the Civil Disobedience Movement:

The Lahore Congress of 1929 was monumental in the political career of Nehru as well as the history of India’s freedom struggle. Nehru was elected the president of Congress for the first time at a young age of forty. He used the platform of the Lahore conference to declare the goal of complete freedom or Purna Swaraj. The Civil Disobedience movement was formally launched after the Lahore Congress, and Nehru whole heartedly plunged himself in the non-violent protests and picketing that took the nation by storm. Nehru was arrested again in 1930, beginning the second and the longest phase of his prison stays. On his release, he formed the Socialist party within the Congress and insisted on more stern and immediate measures to realize the goal of India’s freedom.

Nehru and the last days of Indian Freedom Struggle:

The Government of India Act of 1935 called for nation-wide Elections. Nehru campaigned vigorously for Congress, although he himself did not contest directly in the elections. With Gandhi concentrating on the spiritual development of his followers and gradually dissociating himself from direct political action, the stature of Nehru within the Congress ranks was now more than ever. He became the Congress President in the consecutive years of 1936 and 1937.By 1938, the rift in Congress was clear. With Bose and Gandhi forming the two feuding camps, Nehru was once more faced with a political dilemma. However, he decided to side with Gandhi and his methods. Bose resigned as the Congress president, and Nehru’s status in the Congress reached a height previously unattained. This year started a new phase in Nehru’s career, especially after his denial to come to a compromise with the Muslim League.

With the clouds of World War II looming large in the horizon, Nehru’s skill in international relations would be tested once more. Nehru did not support Bose’s policy of siding with the Axis forces, and intended to extend support to the Allies. In the mean time, the Second Round Table conference failed and Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement in 1942. Nehru was arrested and was released only in 1945. By the time the World War II was over and the new Labor Government of Britain seemed willing to grant India it’s long deserved freedom. However, the British Government wanted to adopt a policy of waiting and watching the result of the general elections of 1945.

Nehru was once again at the center of activities. He was arrested. His refusal to comply with Jinnah’s claims made partition inevitable, as Jinnah called for direct action. Although his fight for Indian freedom stood on the verge of success, Nehru knew his work was far from over. He had to build a new India and had to guide the nascent economy towards success.

Nehru and Socialism

It is well known that Nehru was vehemently opposed to doctrinaire Socialism, but for almost half a century he was trying to formulate a set of mutually consistent principles and ideas, which, if adopted as a whole, would ensure a socialist reconstruction of Society through the democratic process, rather than insurrectionary violence or a cataclysm, and without Democracy being undermined in the process of achieving the goal.
To him the question of method was more important than anything else.
When some people lost their patience with Nehru’s reference to the ‘pragmatic approach’, they hardly appreciated his anxiety to take account of the compulsions in the objective situation in India, which make radical economic transformation impossible for various reasons, including the lag in social transformation.
Any general attack on the problem of POVERTY, any movement in the direction of an egalitarian society, any basic change in the socio-economic institutions concerning the masses of the Population, requires the agency and support of a political organisation like the Indian National Congress, which is India in microcosm with its divergent pulls of ideas and interests.
Any one who thinks of Nehru in the context of Socialism would do well to study how he tried to influence this peculiar political organisation in favour of broad and simple ‘socialistic’ principles which have become accepted principles of democracy in capitalist countries with free enterprise economies.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India and one of the most important figures in the country’s history. He was born in Allahabad, India, in 1889, into a wealthy and politically connected family. His father, Motilal Nehru, was a prominent lawyer and nationalist leader, and his mother, Swarup Rani, was a devout Hindu.

Nehru was educated at Harrow School in England and Trinity College, Cambridge. After graduating from Cambridge, he returned to India and began practicing law. However, he soon became involved in the independence movement, and in 1920 he joined the Indian National Congress (INC), the leading nationalist party.

Nehru quickly rose through the ranks of the INC, and in 1929 he was elected president of the party. He served as president of the INC for three terms, during which time he became one of the most prominent leaders of the independence movement.

In 1942, Nehru was arrested by the British government for his role in the Quit India Movement. He spent the next three years in prison, but he emerged from prison even more determined to achieve independence for India.

In 1947, India finally gained its independence from Britain. Nehru was appointed the first Prime Minister of India, and he served in that position until his death in 1964.

As Prime Minister, Nehru was responsible for shaping the new nation of India. He was a strong advocate of Secularism-2/”>Secularism and democracy, and he worked to build a modern, secular state. He also played a key role in the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of countries that sought to remain independent of the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.

Nehru was a complex and controversial figure. He was a brilliant and charismatic leader, but he was also autocratic and often intolerant of dissent. He was a product of his time, and his views on issues such as religion and Women‘s rights were often paternalistic.

However, Nehru was also a visionary leader who played a key role in shaping the modern nation of India. He was a tireless advocate for democracy, secularism, and Economic Development, and he laid the foundations for India’s emergence as a major world power.

Nehru died in 1964 at the age of 74. He was mourned by millions of Indians, and he is still remembered as one of the most important figures in the country’s history.

Nehru’s legacy is complex and multifaceted. He is remembered as a brilliant and charismatic leader who played a key role in shaping the modern nation of India. He was also a controversial figure, and his views on issues such as religion and women’s rights were often paternalistic. However, Nehru was also a visionary leader who laid the foundations for India’s emergence as a major world power.

Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about the following topics:

India:
What is the capital of India?
- New Delhi
What is the population of India?
- 1.393 billion (2022)
What is the Official Language of India?
- Hindi and English
What is the currency of India?
- Indian rupee (â¹)
What is the national animal of India?
- Royal Bengal tiger
What is the national bird of India?
- Indian peacock
What is the national flower of India?
- Lotus
What is the National Anthem of India?
- Jana Gana Mana
What is the National Flag of India?
- A tricolour with saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom, with a blue wheel in the centre
What is the national motto of India?
- Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs)
What is the National Song of India?
- Vande Mataram
What is the national dish of India?
- Chicken tikka masala
What is the national sport of India?
- Hockey
What is the national holiday of India?
- Republic Day (26 January)
Hinduism-2/”>Hinduism:
What is Hinduism?
- Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, with a history of over 4,000 years. It is a polytheistic religion, with a belief in many gods and goddesses. Hinduism is also a very diverse religion, with a wide variety of beliefs and practices.
What are the main beliefs of Hinduism?
- The main beliefs of Hinduism include the belief in Brahman (the supreme being), the belief in reincarnation, and the belief in karma.
What are the main practices of Hinduism?
- The main practices of Hinduism include puja (worship), Yoga/”>Yoga, and meditation.
Who are the main Hindu gods and goddesses?
- The main Hindu gods and goddesses include Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer).
What are the main Hindu scriptures?
- The main Hindu scriptures are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana.
What is the caste system?
- The caste system is a social hierarchy that divides Hindus into four main groups: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants), and Shudras (laborers).
What is the dowry system?
- The dowry system is a practice in which a bride’s family gives Money or property to the groom’s family at the time of marriage.
What is sati?
- Sati is a practice in which a widow immolates herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.
Buddhism-2/”>Buddhism:
What is Buddhism?
- Buddhism is a religion that originated in India over 2,500 years ago. It is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is also known as the Buddha. Buddhism teaches that suffering is caused by desire and that the way to end suffering is to extinguish desire.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
- The Four Noble Truths are the foundation of Buddhism. They are:
- Suffering exists.
- Suffering is caused by desire.
- Suffering can be ended.
- The way to end suffering is to follow the Eightfold Path.
What is the Eightfold Path?
- The Eightfold Path is a set of eight steps that lead to enlightenment. They are:
- Right understanding
- Right thought
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right concentration
Who is the Buddha?
- The Buddha was a prince who lived in India over 2,500 years ago. He was born into a wealthy family, but he renounced his wealth and privilege to seek enlightenment. After six years of study and meditation, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. He then spent the rest of his life teaching others how to achieve enlightenment.
What is nirvana?
- Nirvana is the state of perfect peace and happiness that is the goal of Buddhism. It is a state of being free from suffering and desire.
What is karma?
- Karma is the law of cause and effect. It is the belief that our actions in this life will determine our future lives.
What is reincarnation?

1. Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru
(B) Mahatma Gandhi
(C) Indira Gandhi
(D) Rajiv Gandhi

2. What is the national animal of India?
(A) Tiger
(B) Elephant
(C) Lion
(D) Rhinoceros

3. What is the national flower of India?
(A) Lotus
(B) Rose
(C) Jasmine
(D) Sunflower

4. What is the national language of India?
(A) Hindi
(B) English
(C) Bengali
(D) Tamil

5. What is the national bird of India?
(A) Peacock
(B) Eagle
(C) Vulture
(D) Owl

6. What is the national anthem of India?
(A) Jana Gana Mana
(B) Vande Mataram
(C) Saare Jahan Se Accha
(D) Hamdard

7. What is the national flag of India?
(A) A tricolor flag with saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom, with a blue wheel in the center.
(B) A white flag with a green Ashoka Chakra in the center.
(C) A saffron flag with a white Ashoka Chakra in the center.
(D) A green flag with a white Ashoka Chakra in the center.

8. What is the national motto of India?
(A) Satyameva Jayate
(B) Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
(C) Jai Hind
(D) Vande Mataram

9. What is the national holiday of India?
(A) Republic Day
(B) Independence Day
(C) Gandhi Jayanti
(D) Diwali

10. What is the capital of India?
(A) New Delhi
(B) Mumbai
(C) Chennai
(D) Kolkata