Happy birthday Jawaharlal Nehru

I remember this classic Bengali movie "AKALER SANDHANE" (In Search of Famine) made by the legendary film maker Mrinal Sen. It aptly depicts the milieu during the famous Bengal famine in the early 1940s which coincided with the 2nd World War. I still vividly remember this scene. As War planes criss crossed the blue Bengal sky, a famished woman ran across a parched paddy field which should be normally lush green with rice plants, shouting at top of her voice "DEKH, UDOJAHAJ, UDOJAHAJ" (See, Airplane, Airplane).

The scene was quite symbolic, aptly metaphorical. When the British and Germans were flying airplanes we were clapping and chasing those objects like mirage, ecstatic at the mere sight of them. This depicted our backyard stage when we got our independence in the year 1947 and Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first Prime minister at a time when British left India in penury. These days, those who are critical of Nehru should not forget that when he took over as its first Prime Minister, India wasn't a Nuclear power with world's 4th largest GDP, rather a basket case of hunger, poverty and illiteracy, same among the bracket of sub-Sahara African nations.

Nehru led India for 17 long years. There were many interesting anecdotes ascribed to him. Once during his visit to London a leaflet for the occasion was released by the Indian High Commission proclaiming - "BANDIT Nehru in town, inadvertently replacing P by B, so Pandit Nehru became Bandit Nehru). And the rumor was that he had a thing for Lord Mountbatten's wife Edwina. On another occasion immediately after arriving in London he went alone to meet Lady Mountbatten at midnight at her residence when her husband was out of town. The nosey British press followed the scent and the next day a picture of Lady Mountbatten bidding Good Bye to Nehru in front of her house was flashed on front on British Newspapers - "Lady Mountbatten's midnight visitor". Nehru was single and widower for a long time.

Nehru wasn't perfect as a man and a leader (neither the leaders of those now critical of him. In fact many of his current critics and their kids took full advantage of institutions created by him). Whatever flaws he might had, credit should be given where credit is due. He had civilized views, a modern approach towards education, hated the superstitions and stereotype dogmas plaguing the society. India whom the British left in financial doldrums needed a socialist boost to its economy as ouside investment would not have been popular in India at a time India just got its independence after being plundered and ruled by invaders for thousands years (post war Britain preferred Labor Party, got rid of their war hero Churchill for the same). 

Nehru built modern infrastructures like Steel Plants, Ports and Dams across India. He envisioned Engineering Institutes like IITs and NITs whose students made their share of contributions to nation. Many who have passed out of these elite institutes of India and their kids are working in MNCs are champion hypocrites who have turned virulent critics of Nehru. They should know that what and where their children are today is due to the vision of this man whom now they so much love to hate.

Nehru's current detractors should remember that India was not a $3.9 trillion economy in 1947. The idols of current right wing haters of Nehru, a la RSS, Hindu Mahasabha et all who had a history of siding with British were neither visionaries nor indulged in any nation building activities when India got its independence. An open free market economy at that juncture arguably could have taken us in the path of some Latin American Banana Republics plauged with 1000% inflation. (However we should have jettisoned socialism a la the Chinese in 1970s but Nehru wasn't there at that time and his insecure daughter Indira lacked vision to liberalize when many Asian nations did).

Though visionary, Nehru was an idealist, not pragmastic. His appeasement foreign policy towards China badly backfired as the untrustworthy Middle Kingdom backstabbed by attacking India in 1962. He couldn't recover from the shock, fell ill and died in May, 1964.

But the man left his mark. Today we might still be clapping and running in fields with joy when a Boeing wheezes pass overhead, convinced that it's non other than Ravan's PUSHPAK BIMAN. But thanks to Pandit Nehru's initiatives we were saved from getting adrift from the development narrative. On Jawaharlal Nehru's 136th birthday today we need to give credit to the man for his vision and positive contributions to India.