Skip to main content

Nehru’s legacy: Democracy, secularism, socialism, peace, non-alignment

By Bharat Dogra

It is a true mark of greatness if what a leader struggles to achieve in his lifetime is widely realized to be even more valuable in the years or decades after he has left the world. This is exactly how Jawaharlal Nehru is being remembered by more and more people of his country, despite a persistent tendency on the part of the present right-wing government to deny the greatness of his achievements and legacy. At a wider level the world also increasingly remembers the importance of his legacy of non-alignment and the highly relevant, although not perfect, efforts to combine democracy and peace with spread of socialist ideas in a country where deeply conservative ideas still held deep roots among a large number of people.
Nehru was the Prime Minister of India for the first 17 years following independence in 1947 from nearly two centuries of British rule. In fact he remained a very popular Prime Minister till his death on May 27, 1964 from a heart attack, winning three general elections for the Indian National Congress with an average of around 45% vote, peaking to 48% (much higher than ever managed by the right-wing, majoritarian BJP now ruling India despite its enormous resources raised from non-transparent election bonds, a form of systemic corruption tied to crony-capitalism).
In the course of these 17 years he firmly laid the foundation of democracy, peace and stability in a country which firmly needed this as along with independence it experienced a very tragic, violent partition which killed, injured and displaced millions of people. The roots of this violence were firmly laid by colonial rulers.
From early days the mainstream freedom movement of India led by Mahatma Gandhi had been firmly committed to inter-faith unity and harmony. In taking this forward Mahatma Gandhi received the most consistent support from leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Badshah Khan. However the British rulers systematically discouraged and repeatedly imprisoned such leaders while encouraging those who who opposed Hindu-Muslim unity.
This tendency of colonial rulers to divide and rule peaked after the outbreak of the Second World War. Initially Jawaharlal Nehru led the efforts in India to offer support to the Allies for the bigger fight against Hitler as long as freedom for India was assured. The British rulers did not agree to this, leading to breakdown of talks and Mahatma Gandhi’s call for independence. The British immediately unleashed one of the biggest repressions, jailing all those Congress leaders (including Gandhi, Nehru and Azad) who were also very firm advocates of Hindu-Muslim unity.
As such leaders were either in jail or on the run, those who were inclined to serve as tools of British imperialism got into governance positions and in addition were promoted by the colonial rulers in various other ways as well. A collusion of the colonial rulers and the loyal leaders placed in important positions in Bengal led to over 3 million famine deaths in the great Bengal famine.
For nearly 200 years the colonial rulers had exploited India relentlessly but what they did in the last decade was perhaps the worst. It was thus in extremely difficult conditions that Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India. Things could have easily gone wrong. But his firm, non-negotiable faith in democracy, inter-faith harmony, non-discrimination, social equality, secularism and peace, together with the help and cooperation of all those colleagues who shared these commitments, saved the situation. In all these respects India made significant improvements in his time and created a strong base of democracy, stability and unity which could even withstand the shocks delivered later by less wise rulers.
In conditions of better peace and stability, together with independence, millions of people in India started getting chances of progress as had been held back by 200 years of colonial rule. This was reflected in economic development and reduction of poverty. In addition the base of future progress was being prepared in the form of development of infrastructure, science and technology, health and education.
However, Nehru did not go the entire length in unleashing his socialist vision, perhaps deliberately restraining himself from doing so. There were urgent immediate priorities like rehabilitation of millions of refugees from partition and preventing their anger from spreading. In the middle of all this, Nehru probably felt that stability and peace were more important immediately than too radical a vision of socialist changes.
Hence while the condition of millions of people improved during his time as Prime Minister, perhaps the many of millions at the lowest level did not improve as significantly as was needed. Hence legislation to ban bonded labor was introduced only over a decade after his death by his daughter Indira Gandhi, while significant efforts to help those engaged in manual scavenging came even later.
While this was one limitation of the many sided agenda of progress initiated by Nehru, its overall achievements were nevertheless very impressive. His commitment to planned economic development with a longer-term perspective and vision contributed much to the establishment of the Planning Commission as well as the initiation of five year plans. 12 such plans were ultimately prepared, till soon after becoming Prime Minister, in 2014, Narendra Modi abolished the Planning Commission as well as the five year plans.
In fact there is much that Nehru stood for-- including plurality, higher levels of equality, protection to minorities, an idea of India based on unity in diversity and an enlightened understanding of history—that India really needs today but this is increasingly neglected or violated by the present right-wing government.
In a wider context, the world is realizing with a new urgency the importance of Nehru’s vision of world peace and non-alignment. This is all the more true in 2022 in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include ‘A Day in 2071', ‘Planet in Peril’ and ‘Protecting Earth for Children'

Comments

TRENDING

Abrogation of Art 370: Increasing alienation, relentless repression, simmering conflict

One year after the abrogation by the Central Government of Art. 370 in Kashmir, what is the situation in the Valley. Have the promises of peace, normalcy and development been realised? What is the current status in the Valley? Here is a detailed note by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties , “Jammu & Kashmir: One Year after Abrogation of Art. 370: Increasing Alienation, Relentless Repression, Simmering Conflict”:

Repeated failure to appoint Chief, other commissioners undermining RTI Act

By Anjali Bhardwaj, Amrita Johri* The post of the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission (CIC) has fallen vacant with the retirement of Bimal Julka with effect from August 27, 2020. This is the fifth time in the last six years that the Commission has been rendered headless. Four posts of information commissioners are also vacant in the CIC. Currently more than 35,000 appeals and complaints are pending in the commission resulting in citizens having to wait for months, even years for their cases to be disposed, thereby frustrating peoples’ right to know. Since May 2014, not a single commissioner of the CIC has been appointed without citizens having to approach courts. The failure of the government to make timely appointments of commissioners is a flagrant violation of the directions of the Supreme Court. In its February 2019 judgment, the apex court had categorically stated that if the CIC does not have a Chief Information Commissioner or required strength

Panchayat funds defrauded: Roads without potholes a fundamental right but not here

Kirity Roy, Secretary Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and National Convenor (PACTI) Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity, writes to the chairman, National Human Rights Commission: *** Through this complaint, I want to draw your attention to the plight of the villagers of Nawdapara in the District of North 24 Parganas. The village is situated under the Bagdah Police Station, Bagdah Block and Mama Bhagina Post Office respectively. Nawdapara is a Muslim minority populated village. Indo Bangladesh Border Road (IBBR) passes through the middle of the village. There is a naka checking post of the BSF inside the village and BSF associated with Mama Bhagina Border Out Post, 68 Battalion, ‘B’ Company guard 24 hours in that check post. People have lived in this village since the independence of India. The market is about three to four kilometres away from Nawdapara village. One primary school is situated within the village but the high school is about five to six kilo

Ultimate champion in crisis, arguably best ever skipper: Created history in Aussie cricket

By Harsh Thakor  In the history of cricket few cricketers knit and propelled a cricket team or had such profound influence on the game as Ian Chappell. Ian Chappell was responsible for converting a bunch of talented individuals into a world beating side, giving a dramatic turn to Australian cricket. Few cricketers ever led such a renaissance.

BSF's unconstitutional, whimsical order violates life, livelihood of Dalits, minorities

Kirity Roy, Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), writes to the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission: *** I want to attract your attention towards the illegitimate restrictions on the life and livelihood of the villagers of Paschim Sahebganj village under Dinhata - II Block and Sahebganj police station in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal by the Border Security Force personnel attached with Dharala Border Out Post under 138 Battalion BSF. The population of Paschim Sahebganj village is around 1480, where almost 75 percent of the villagers belong from Hindu Scheduled Caste (Dalit) and 25 percent from minority Muslim backgrounds.The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture. About 260 acres of cultivable land in the village that belongs to the villagers is located outside the border fencing, which is heavily guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF). The BSF regulates the ingress and egress of the villagers to their fields through the fencing gates that a

Largest democracy in world has become weakest at hands of fascist Hindutva forces

Note on “The Nazification of India”, a report released By Justice For All: *** This report, the Nazification of India, compares how Hindutva ideology not only is inspired by Nazis and Fascists of Europe, but their treatment of the Muslim minority closely follows developments that resulted in pushing Jews to the gas chambers. Situation is indeed quite alarming. The report says that the largest democracy in the world has become the weakest at the hands of the fascist Hindutva ideology. India today is ruled not just by a political party the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but its mother organization the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Because the BJP’s government policies are linked to extra-legal enforcement by RSS paramilitary street power, this report has coined the term “The BJP-RSS regime” to reflect their intrinsic links and collaborative relationship. The Nazification of India report marks the anniversary of the Gujarat pogroms of 2002 against Muslims which propelled the BJP-RSS

Varanasi social worker who has devoted her life for the ultra-poor and the marginalized

Passion Vista and its partners profile Founder and Managing Trustee Shruti Nagvanshi as  someone whom women leaders look up to: *** Shruti Nagvanshi, a social worker and human rights activist based in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has devoted her life to reaching out to the ultra-poor and marginalized communities in India. Born in Dashashwmedh, Varanasi on 2 January 1974, she married Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi on 22 February 1992 and has a son, Kabeer Karunik, a Business management Graduate who is also a national level snooker player.

An approach to lake/pond restoration by Ramveer Tanvar, Pond Man of India

By Monami Bhattacharya*, Mansee Bal Bhargava**  Lakes/ ponds are often referred to as an elixir of life, a living ecosystem that adds incremental value to the larger biota. Across the tropical landscape of the country lakes/ ponds are a common sight. Lakes/ponds have always shaped the life and livelihood of those dwelling in and around it. The dependence of the local population on these natural resources of water is noticeable since time immemorial. However, they are fading fast in both rural and urbanscapes from the popular parlance with the advance of humanity. It has been a popular notion to value land more than the waterscape and hence these nurturers of life are under stress in several areas. In many instances, these once beautiful waterscapes referred as the ‘Eye of the Earth’ are mostly now only dilapidated garbage dump yards emitting foul smell with no sign of a healthy ecosystem.

Urban crisis: Impact of erosion of democratic framework on Indian cities

By IMPRI Team  On 13th February, 2023, IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi in collaboration with ActionAid Association India arranged a book launch followed by lecture series under the title “India’s G20 Presidency & the Urban Agenda for the Developing Countries”. The event was held in Indian International Centre (IIC) Annex, New Delhi. The event began with the book inauguration session, under the honorary presence of Mr Sitaram Yechury, former Rajya Sabha member and General Secretary, CPI (M), accompanied by Mr Sandeep Chachra, executive director, ActionAid Association India. Session 1 | Book Launch: ‘Cities in Transition’ by Mr Tikender Singh Panwar The book launched was “Cities in Transition”, written by Mr Tikender Singh Panwar, former Deputy Mayor, Shimla and a Senior Fellow at IMPRI. Beginning with brief remarks on his book, Mr Panwar outlined the basic subject matter and the purpose behind writing the book, which he considers as a by-product of his experien

Why rapid transition to green energy should be people-centric and community-led

Synthesis Report of IPCC AR6 is a warning call: Grounded action needed to ensure social and ecological justice: ActionAid Association note: *** The Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report is a warning call for action on the quickly closing opportunity of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees centigrade. Unless fossil fuels are rapidly retired, the impacts of climate change already faced by vulnerable communities will become difficult to handle. The IPCC report also highlights that we have the renewable energy technology, policy tools, and financial capital required for a just transition; however, “both adaptation and mitigation financing would need to increase many-fold”. The loss and damage caused by heat waves, crop failures, and rising sea levels suffered by majorities of India’s working peoples are already significant and uncompensated. News reports tell us that due to heat, India already loses around 101 billion hours yearly. E