Nowadays, right-wing politics has gone very low. They are attacking history by tarnishing the image of freedom fighters and first Prime minister of this country. If Jawaharlal Nehru deserves to be remembered, he will be remembered despite manufactured attempts to erase that memory. If Nehru does not deserve to be remembered, he will not be remembered despite contrived attempts to keep that memory alive. Actually, there is no need to create virtual attack or strategic propaganda to create hate against him. I was greatly disappointed, because I had great belief that under the leadership of Narendra Modi, we the youngsters may grow broadmindedly towards growth and progress of this country, however, what I am witnessing is mere haters and trollers, who randomly attack freedom fighters who are remotely threat to BJP or its ideology.
One should not forget, Nehru kept the country together, established secular ideals, propelled it forward with the thrust of science and modernity, healed some of the wounds of Partition, and stood before the world at the head of the non-aligned camp. Nehru is highly regarded as a great freedom leader. His vision of a secular, scientific and progressive society was in accordance with our aspirations as a nation. There should not be any comparison between freedom fighters that who were more patriotic, as our leaders fought for the country in their individual capacity. All of them fought with a mighty empire to grant us freedom. Everyone was great for us. By spreading propagandas against national leaders does not belittle them, but shows that despite their shortcomings they fought for our future, for our freedom. It is not that they failed us but the truth is that we are failing them.
I don’t know, who are trying to ”diminish Jawaharlal Nehru’s stature and repudiate his legacy”. It is only those people, who want to place him on a high pedestal and ring-fence it by sycophancy that are doing disservice to this leader. Nehru was a human and he had strengths and weaknesses like any other human being. The problem starts once you draw a halo around such a human being and do not want to even talk about his weaknesses. For example the mess in Kashmir, which has been a pain for the entire nation since its independence, happened under his observation and his policies. Similarly, his policies and actions with respect to China and eventual war in 1962 happened during his premiership. However, has the Congress party ever given a thought to why Nehru failed in his policies with respect to Kashmir, China and Pakistan? Why Nehru went to the UN, when we India had pushed back the intruders from Pak leaving 1/3rd of the state with them. Let us respect Nehru as a human and not as a god.
Nehru’s greatness as a writer is undisputable. The way he has presented Glimpses of World History has no comparison. I can understand people are against dynasty politics of Gandhi family and they want to get rid of them, but for that they have voting rights. Congress is here to stay so their leaders, for that attacking Nehru is not solution. Nehru was different from his family. Why would we even compare the two? It was not Nehru’s fault that dynasty politics came in. He has nothing to do with his past or the future. Nehru had a bigger picture in mind. Thinking about the entire world as one, without boundaries, every person irrespective of his caste, birthplace or religion is equal to another. When we will start thinking like him in same manner then there would be no war. Nehru never imagined that the Gandhi family will rule Congress and this country. However, if you actually see, Gandhis have great fan following and as Congress have secular fabric so people like them.
Jawaharlal Nehru, fondly called as Chacha Nehru, because he like children. He was always surrounded by controversies and even today, some of those are haunting him. Jawaharlal Nehru and Lady Mountbatten pictures are widely used on social network to portray him characterless. However, Nehru became a widower at a very early age. This is a known fact and it is also known that Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of the last Viceroy shared a platonic friendship (which is confirmed by Edwina’s daughter Pamela Hicks in her book Daughter of Empire) with him. However, a controversial talk says that the relationship was beyond the so called “platonic relationship”. It is not hidden from the world that both Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten also shared letters. Some of the love letters came out in public too. In addition, their love was so timeless that no matter where in world Nehru go, he brought her priceless gifts from everywhere. Nehru was a modern man of history and he had his share of personal life. After 69 years of Independence, if someone tries to malign his image, then it makes no sense. No leader in India is clean or clear. Everyone has some or the other controversy surrounding them.
I wish, everyone will realise that India needs development and creating propagandas will take the nation backward. We should think of progress and growth without attacking the history.
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